JP5260120B2 - Portable barcode reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable bar code reader allowing reduction of cost, and allowing certain confirmation of a position of a bar code when reading the bar code on a bar code printed face. <P>SOLUTION: This portable bar code reader has: a light projection part 10 having a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs 11 emitting ultraviolet rays UV, and irradiating the ultraviolet rays UV on the bar code printed face Pa of postal matter P; a reading switch 20 operating the ultraviolet LEDs 11 to make the ultraviolet rays UV be irradiated; and a light reception part 30 receiving the ultraviolet rays UV reflected on the bar code printed face Pa and reading the bar code BC. The ultraviolet LEDs corresponding to both end parts a, b of an address bar and both end parts c, d of a postal code number bar of the bar code BC on the bar code printed face Pa of the ultraviolet LEDs 11 are set as the ultraviolet LEDs 11a-11d each used also as a guide, the ultraviolet rays UV emitted from the ultraviolet LEDs 11a-11d each used also as the guide in a state that light intensity is reduced is irradiated in a stage of start-up operation of the reading switch 20 to allow visual recognition of the bar code BC. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a portable bar code reader which receives the ultraviolet was irradiated with ultraviolet rays in the bar code printed surface of the mail piece on which the bar code is printed as a visible reading barcode.

Conventionally, as the above-described bar code reader that irradiates ultraviolet rays, there is, for example, an installation type installed at a post office, but this installation type bar code reader is large-scale and is low in price. Since it cannot be said, the appearance of a portable barcode reader is desired as an affordable barcode reader using ultraviolet rays.
Currently, all of the portable barcode readers that are widely used use visible light. In this barcode reader, the reading window is directed toward the barcode on the barcode printing surface, and the visible light is emitted. Information is acquired by irradiation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this portable bar code reader, the bar code is aimed and irradiated with visible light from a remote location, so the bar code does not necessarily hit the visible light. Bar code readers that are equipped with a laser light source and a diffraction grating and are positioned so that the guide pattern formed by passing the laser light through the diffraction grating overlaps the bar code are also becoming popular.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 08-077288

However, in the portable barcode reader using the guide pattern described above, the laser light source for forming the guide pattern is provided separately from the visible light source for reading the barcode. There has been a problem that it is difficult to solve, and it has been a conventional problem to solve this problem.
The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-described conventional problems, and on the barcode printing surface of a postal matter on which a barcode that can be viewed by receiving ultraviolet rays is printed after realizing a reduction in price. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable bar code reader capable of reliably confirming the position of a bar code before reading the bar code.

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a light source that emits ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of about 365 nm, and irradiates the barcode printed surface of a mail piece on which a barcode that is visible by receiving ultraviolet rays is printed with ultraviolet rays. A light projecting unit, a reading switch that operates the light source of the light projecting unit to irradiate ultraviolet rays, and a light receiving unit that receives the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the light projecting unit and reflected by the barcode printing surface to read the barcode The light source of the light projecting unit is a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs and corresponds to at least an end portion of the barcode on the barcode printing surface of the ultraviolet LEDs. the ultraviolet LED located at a site as a guide serves ultraviolet LED, at the stage of starting the operation of the read switch, prior to the reading of the bar code, the bar As characterized in that a construction which enables viewing the end of the bar code is irradiated with ultraviolet rays the guide serves ultraviolet LED or al onset of the light projecting portion on at least an end portion of the bar code in the over de printing plane The configuration of this portable bar code reader is used as a means for solving the above-described conventional problems.

Then, as a reference example of a portable bar code reader according to the present onset Ming, near ultraviolet light source the light projecting unit wavelength shifted to the wavelength of visible light side from the excitation center wavelength emits near ultraviolet of about 380nm UV a light source, at the stage of starting the operation of the read switch, the configuration there was visible the bar code is irradiated with near-ultraviolet rays near ultraviolet light source or al onset Ru.

In the portable barcode reader according to the present invention, when the operation of the reading switch is started, before the barcode is read, at least the end portion of the barcode on the barcode printing surface is used as a guide combined ultraviolet ray of the light projecting portion. since LED or al onset sera were ultraviolet light is irradiated, becomes the end portion of the bar code on the bar code printed surface may be confirmed visually emerged and continue the operation of the read switch in this state, the end portion relative bar code is emerged, all the UV LED or al onset sera were UV irradiated including a guide combined ultraviolet LED light projecting unit, the ultraviolet light reflected back by the bar code printed surface light receiving portion By receiving the barcode, the barcode is read.

That is, when the barcode on the barcode printing surface is read, the end portion of the barcode is lifted and can be visually recognized, so that the barcode can be reliably irradiated with ultraviolet rays.
In addition, the UV LED that also serves as a guide for reading barcodes also serves as an ultraviolet light source that makes the end of the barcode on the barcode printing surface rise and make it visible, so an ultraviolet light source that makes the barcode appear The price will be reduced by the amount that is not required to be provided separately.

In addition, in the step of surfacing the end of the bar code on the bar code printed surface, since the irradiation of the guide serves ultraviolet LED or al onset Sera were UV light projecting unit, and excellent in safety.

  Since the portable barcode reader according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, in addition to being able to reduce the price, the barcode position is determined prior to reading the barcode on the barcode printing surface. A very excellent effect that it can be confirmed surely and safely is brought about.

Hereinafter, a portable barcode reader according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 4 show an embodiment of a portable barcode reader according to the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable bar code reader 1 receives the ultraviolet light UV comprises a plurality of ultraviolet LED (light source) 11 and the diffusion lens 12 having a wavelength emits ultraviolet UV of about 365nm visible The projection unit 10 that irradiates the barcode printing surface Pa of the postal matter P on which the barcode BC that can be printed is irradiated with ultraviolet rays UV, and the plurality of ultraviolet LEDs 11 of the projection unit 10 are turned on to irradiate the ultraviolet rays UV. Read switch 20, light receiving unit 30 that receives ultraviolet UV reflected and returned by barcode printing surface Pa, photoelectric conversion unit 40 that photoelectrically converts the received reflected ultraviolet UV, and an analog signal output from photoelectric conversion unit 40 Is provided with a control unit 50 that sequentially performs A / D conversion, binarization, bar information conversion, and encoding processing to read the barcode BC.

  In the case 2 equipped with the light projecting unit 10, the reading switch 20, the light receiving unit 30, the photoelectric conversion unit 40, and the control unit 50, ultraviolet UV and bar code printing emitted from the plurality of ultraviolet LEDs 11 of the light projecting unit 10. Reading windows 2a that allow the ultraviolet rays UV reflected by the surface Pa to pass therethrough are provided, and the ultraviolet rays UV returning through the reading windows 2a pass through the direction changing mirror 3, the bandpass filter 4 and the lens 5 housed in the case 2. Thus, the light receiving unit 30 is reached.

As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of ultraviolet LEDs 11 of the light projecting unit 10 are arranged side by side in accordance with the width of the barcode BC, and the ultraviolet rays UV emitted from these ultraviolet LEDs 11 are diffused by the diffusion lens 12. Thus, the barcode BC on the barcode printing surface Pa is evenly irradiated.
In this case, in the plurality of ultraviolet LEDs 11 arranged as described above, as shown in FIG. 4, both ends a and b of the address bar of the barcode BC and both ends of the zip code bar on the barcode printing surface Pa. Ultraviolet LEDs 11 corresponding to a total of four locations c and d are used as guide-use ultraviolet LEDs 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d, and these guide-use ultraviolet LEDs 11a, 11b, 11c, from 11d, ultraviolet UV is adapted to be emitted by the partial lighting command from the control unit 50.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 60 denotes a display unit located on the case 2, and reference numeral 70 denotes an interface unit that transmits the reading result of the barcode BC to the outside.
In the portable barcode reader 1 having such a configuration, when the operation of the reading switch 20 is started, both ends a and b of the address bar of the barcode BC on the barcode printing surface Pa are read before reading the barcode BC. and postal bar of both end portions c, the total four positions of d, the guide serves ultraviolet LED11a light projecting unit 10, 11b, 11c, since the 11d or al onset sera were ultraviolet UV is irradiated (partial lighted Therefore , both end portions a and b of the address bar of the barcode BC on the barcode printing surface Pa and both end portions c and d of the zip code bar emerge and can be visually confirmed.

Subsequently, when the operation of the reading switch 20 is continued in this state, the light projecting unit 10 is applied to the barcode BC in which both ends a and b of the address bar and both ends c and d of the zip code bar are raised. Guide combined UV LEDs 11a, 11b, 11c, all UV LED11 or al onset sera were UV UV including 11d is irradiated (the full-on), the light receiving unit 30 a ultraviolet UV reflected back by the bar code printed surface Pa, By receiving the photoelectric conversion unit 40 and the control unit 50, the barcode BC is read, and the read result is stored in the memory in the control unit 50.

That is, at the time of full lighting for reading a bar code BC of all UV LED11 or Murasaki Luo UV irradiated on the bar code printed surface Pa of the light projecting portion 10, the guide serves ultraviolet LED11a been made prior to this, 11b , 11c and 11d are in a state where both ends a and b of the address bar and both ends c and d of the zip code bar are raised and visible, so that UV UV is surely applied to the barcode BC. Can be irradiated.
In addition, the ultraviolet LED 11 corresponding to a total of four locations of both ends a and b of the address bar and both ends c and d of the zip code bar in the ultraviolet LED 11 which is an ultraviolet UV light source for reading barcodes is barcode printed. Since the ultraviolet light LEDs 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, and 11 d are also used as guides that make the barcode BC on the surface Pa visible, the ultraviolet light source that raises the barcode BC is separated from the plurality of ultraviolet LEDs 11. The price will be reduced by the amount that is not necessary.

In addition, in the stage where both ends a and b of the address bar of the barcode BC on the barcode printing surface Pa and both ends c and d of the zip code bar are raised, the UV / LEDs 11a, 11b serving as guides of the light projecting unit 10 are also provided. 11c, 11d or al, since ultraviolet UV by the partial lighting command from the control unit 50 is so emitted, and excellent in safety.
In the portable barcode reader 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the light source of the light projecting unit 10 is a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs 11, and both ends a and b of the address bar and the both ends of the zip code bar among these ultraviolet LEDs 11. Ultraviolet LEDs 11 corresponding to a total of four locations c and d are used as guide and ultraviolet LEDs 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d, and at the stage of raising the end of the barcode BC on the barcode printing surface Pa, the guide and ultraviolet LEDs 11a and 11b. , 11c, although 11d or Murasaki Luo UV is so emitted, the configuration of a portable bar code reader according to the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

As another reference form , for example, a near-ultraviolet light source that emits near-ultraviolet light whose wavelength is shifted from the excitation center wavelength of ultraviolet light to the visible light wavelength is about 380 nm is used as the light source of the light projecting unit 10, and the reading switch 20 is started. in stage, it can be employed configured to irradiate the near-ultraviolet rays or al onset near UV light throughout the bar code BC on the bar code printed surface Pa.

1 is a simplified cross-sectional explanatory view from the side direction showing an embodiment of a portable barcode reader according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration block explanatory diagram of the portable barcode reader in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional explanatory view from the front direction of the portable barcode reader in FIG. 1. It is plane explanatory drawing which shows the barcode on the barcode printing surface of a mail.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable barcode reader 10 Light projection part 11 Ultraviolet LED (light source)
11a, 11b, 11c, 11d UV LED (light source) also serving as a guide
20 Reading switch 30 Light receiving part BC Bar code P Mail item Pa Bar code printing surface

Claims (1)

A light projecting unit that irradiates the barcode printed surface of a mail with a light source that emits ultraviolet rays and receives the ultraviolet rays and printed with a barcode that is visible ,
A reading switch that operates the light source of the light projecting unit to irradiate ultraviolet rays;
A portable barcode reader comprising a light receiving unit that receives an ultraviolet ray irradiated from the light projecting unit and reflected and returned from the barcode printing surface,
The light source of the light projecting unit is a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs, and an ultraviolet LED located in a portion corresponding to at least an end portion of the barcode on the barcode printing surface among these ultraviolet LEDs is a guide / ultraviolet LED. ,
At the stage of starting the operation of the read switch, said prior to reading of the bar code, irradiating the guide combined ultraviolet LED or al onset ultraviolet ray of the light projecting portion on at least an end portion of the bar code in the bar code printed surface on Then, the portable barcode reader is characterized in that the end portion of the barcode can be visually recognized.

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