JP5762190B2 - Bar code symbol, reading method thereof and reading apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a barcode symbol used for displaying information such as a manufacturer and a product name, a barcode symbol reading method and a barcode symbol reading device used for reading the barcode symbol.

  Conventionally, tags and labels printed with one-dimensional barcode symbols or two-dimensional barcode symbols containing information such as product names, prices, expiration dates, etc. are pasted on distribution products, and they are read exclusively for cash registers, shelves, etc. The above information can be obtained by reading a bar code symbol on a tag or label with an apparatus.

  In addition, for example, in the manufacturing process, there is a voucher in which a two-dimensional bar code symbol that captures information about suppliers and parts in more detail and a one-dimensional bar code symbol that includes information such as a part number and a voucher number are printed. The process management is performed by reading the barcode symbol on the slip with a dedicated reading device in each process.

  Here, when printing two types of barcode symbols, a one-dimensional barcode symbol and a two-dimensional barcode symbol, on a tag or slip, a part of the barcode content is also written in characters. Increasing the size of tags and slips is unavoidable in order to secure a printing area for barcode symbols.

  Therefore, there is a composite barcode symbol described in Patent Document 1 as a barcode symbol that has been conceived to cope with such a problem. This composite barcode symbol is composed of two one-dimensional barcode symbols. By forming these barcode symbols so as to overlap each other at least partially, a lot of information can be obtained without increasing the barcode symbol printing area. Can be displayed.

JP 2007-179372 A

  However, in the above-described conventional composite barcode symbol, each part of the two one-dimensional barcode symbols is simply overlapped with each other, so even if it can contribute to the space saving of the barcode area to some extent, There is a problem that it is difficult to say that there is a large amount of information that can be obtained, and it has been a conventional problem to solve this problem.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-described conventional problems, and in addition to being able to display a large amount of information, for example, a barcode symbol and a reading thereof that require a small barcode area on a tag. It is an object to provide a method and a reading device.

  The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a barcode symbol for displaying information, and a two-dimensional barcode symbol such as a QR code having an error correction function, and a bar height dimension of the two-dimensional barcode. A reference position detection pattern set on the two-dimensional barcode symbol on the two-dimensional barcode symbol, and having a one-dimensional barcode symbol such as a JAN code having an error correction rate equal to or less than the vertical dimension of the symbol It is characterized in that the one-dimensional barcode symbol is printed in an appropriate position on a portion excluding the two-dimensional barcode symbol using the same color as the two-dimensional barcode symbol in an opaque background. This bar code symbol configuration is used as a means for solving the above-described conventional problems.

  At this time, a two-dimensional barcode symbol having an error correction function may be one having an error correction rate of 7%, 25%, or 30%. If the height dimension is equal to or smaller than the error correction rate with respect to the vertical dimension of the two-dimensional barcode symbol, for example, if the two-dimensional barcode symbol has an error correction rate of 25%, the bar height dimension is The type of code is not limited as long as it is ¼ or less of the vertical dimension of the two-dimensional barcode symbol.

  Further, in the barcode symbol according to claim 2 of the present invention, the one-dimensional barcode symbol is in a state in which the background is opaque at the lowermost position of the portion excluding the reference position detection pattern on the two-dimensional barcode symbol. In addition, the same color as that of the two-dimensional barcode symbol is used for printing.

On the other hand, the invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is the barcode symbol reading method used for reading the barcode symbol according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the barcode symbol image data is acquired. Subsequently, binarization processing is performed on the image data to extract the one-dimensional barcode symbol area candidate, and the horizontal direction of the center starting point in the height direction of the bar obtained from the barcode area candidate is extracted. After scanning and decoding as the one-dimensional barcode symbol, after decoding the one-dimensional barcode symbol, the two-dimensional barcode symbol is converted based on the coordinates of the four corners of the region candidate of the two-dimensional barcode symbol. The reference position detection pattern is obtained, the contour is obtained from the reference position detection pattern, and the two-dimensional barcode symbol is obtained. It is configured to perform decoding processing.

The invention according to claim 4 of the present invention is the barcode symbol reading device used for reading the barcode symbol according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the barcode symbol image data is acquired. A binarization conversion unit that converts the analog signal read by the reading unit into binary data, and extracts the one-dimensional barcode symbol region candidate from the binary data obtained by the binarization conversion unit The barcode is obtained from the barcode area candidate and scanned in the horizontal direction of the center starting point in the height direction of the bar to perform the decoding as the one-dimensional barcode symbol, and after decoding the one-dimensional barcode symbol, It obtains the reference position detection pattern of the two-dimensional bar code symbol based on the coordinates of the four corners of the area candidates of the two-dimensional bar code symbol Subsequently, a control unit having a barcode symbol reading mode for obtaining a contour from the reference position detection pattern and performing a decoding process as the two-dimensional barcode symbol, and the barcode symbol output from the control unit The display unit for displaying the reading result is provided.

  Since the barcode symbol according to claims 1 and 2 of the present invention has the above-described configuration, a large amount of information can be displayed and, for example, the barcode area on the tag can be kept small. This is a very good effect.

  In addition, since the barcode symbol reading method and reading apparatus according to the present invention have the above-described configuration, the one-dimensional barcode symbol and the two-dimensional barcode symbol can be read at the same time, thereby reducing the processing time. It is possible to achieve a very excellent effect that it is possible to realize

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a barcode symbol according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing of the tag on which the barcode symbol of FIG. 1 was printed. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of the barcode symbol reader in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the barcode symbol reading device in FIG. 3. FIG. It is an image figure which shows the reading point of the barcode symbol in FIG.

Hereinafter, a barcode symbol, a reading method thereof, and a reading apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 show an embodiment of a barcode symbol according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3 to 5 show an embodiment of a barcode symbol reading method and reading apparatus according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the barcode symbol 1 has a two-dimensional barcode symbol 2 having an error correction function and a one-dimensional barcode symbol 3. In this case, a two-dimensional barcode symbol 2 having an error correction rate of 25% is used, and the bar height dimension of the one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 is larger than the vertical dimension of the two-dimensional barcode symbol 2. The one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 is set to a quarter of the error correction rate, and the lowermost position of the portion excluding the reference position detection patterns 2a and 2a set to the two-dimensional barcode symbol 2 Are superimposed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the barcode symbol 1 is printed on the tag 4, the one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 uses the same color as the two-dimensional barcode symbol 2 with an opaque background. Is printed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, such a barcode symbol 1 reading apparatus 10 includes an operation switch unit 11, a reading unit 12 that acquires image data by operating the operation switch unit 11, and a reading unit 12 that reads the image data. A binary conversion unit 13 for converting the analog signal into binary data, and decoding as a one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 from the data binarized by the binarization conversion unit 13, and a two-dimensional barcode A control unit 14 having a barcode symbol reading mode for performing a decoding process as the symbol 2, a display unit 15 for displaying the reading result output from the control unit 14, and the reading result by using wireless (or infrared) An external output unit 16 for transmitting to the terminal is provided.

  When the barcode symbol 1 is read using the barcode symbol reader 10, as shown in FIG. 4, first, in step S1, the operation switch unit 11 is operated to read the barcode symbol 1 by the reading unit 12. Image data is acquired in the reading mode.

  The analog signal read by the reading unit 12 is converted into binary data by the binarization conversion unit 13 in step S <b> 2 and sent to the control unit 14.

Next, in step S3, the control unit 14 performs expansion processing on the binary data in the vicinity of the upper, lower, left, and right corners in step S3, and then performs reduction processing to remove character strings, frame lines, and dirt clumps, and then step S4. A labeling process is performed in step S5, and region candidates for the one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 are extracted in step S5.

Subsequently, in step S6, as shown in FIG. 5, this in a barcode area candidate 3 A search of the center origin P of the bar height direction about the central starting point P, the left-right direction as shown by an arrow In step S7, decoding as a one-dimensional barcode symbol (for example, JAN code) 3 is performed.

Then, in the step of decoding one-dimensional bar code symbol 3, two-dimensional bar code symbol 2 of the reference position detection pattern 2a, the 2a calculated based on the coordinates of the four corners of the bar code area candidate 2 A In step S8, in step S9 An outline is obtained from the reference position detection patterns 2a and 2a and decoded as a two-dimensional barcode symbol 2, and the reading results of the one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 and the two-dimensional barcode symbol 2 are displayed on the display unit 15. Reading is completed at that time.

In step S7, when the decoding of the one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 fails, the center starting point P is shifted in the bar height direction by, for example, 1 / n unit of the bar height of the one-dimensional barcode symbol 3. Repeat the scan in the horizontal direction.

  As described above, in the barcode symbol reading method and reading apparatus according to this embodiment, the one-dimensional barcode symbol 3 and the two-dimensional barcode symbol 2 can be read at the same time, and therefore the processing time can be shortened. It becomes.

  The configuration of the barcode symbol and the reading device thereof according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the barcode symbol 1 and the reading device 10 according to the above-described embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Barcode symbol 2 Two-dimensional barcode symbol 2a Reference | standard position detection pattern 3 One-dimensional barcode symbol 10 Barcode symbol reader 12 Reading part 13 Binary conversion part 14 Control part 16 Display part

Claims (4)

A bar code symbol that displays information,
A two-dimensional barcode symbol with an error correction function;
A one-dimensional barcode symbol whose bar height dimension is equal to or less than an error correction rate with respect to the vertical dimension of the two-dimensional barcode symbol;
The two-dimensional barcode is placed in an appropriate position on the two-dimensional barcode symbol except for the reference position detection pattern set for the two-dimensional barcode symbol with the background opaque and the two-dimensional barcode. A bar code symbol printed with the same color as the symbol.   The one-dimensional barcode symbol is overlaid at the lowermost position of the portion excluding the reference position detection pattern on the two-dimensional barcode symbol with the background being opaque and using the same color as the two-dimensional barcode symbol. The bar code symbol according to claim 1, wherein the bar code symbol is printed. A barcode symbol reading method used for reading a barcode symbol according to claim 1 or 2,
Subsequent to obtaining the image data of the barcode symbol, binarization processing is performed on the image data to extract the one-dimensional barcode symbol region candidate,
Scanning in the horizontal direction of the center starting point in the height direction of the bar obtained from this barcode area candidate, and performing decoding as the one-dimensional barcode symbol,
After decoding the one-dimensional barcode symbol, obtain the reference position detection pattern of the two-dimensional barcode symbol based on the coordinates of the four corners of the region candidate of the two-dimensional barcode symbol;
A barcode symbol reading method, wherein a contour is obtained from the reference position detection pattern and decoding processing as the two-dimensional barcode symbol is performed. A barcode symbol reader for use in reading a barcode symbol according to claim 1 or 2,
A reading unit for obtaining image data of the barcode symbol;
A binarization conversion unit that converts the analog signal read by the reading unit into binary data;
The one-dimensional barcode symbol area candidate is extracted from the binary data obtained by the binarization conversion unit, and scanned in the horizontal direction of the center starting point in the height direction of the bar obtained from the barcode area candidate. decodes as the one-dimensional bar code symbol, in after decoding the one-dimensional bar code symbol, the reference position of the two-dimensional bar code symbol based on the coordinates of the four corners of the region candidate of the two-dimensional bar code symbol A control unit having a barcode symbol reading mode for obtaining a contour from the reference position detection pattern and performing a decoding process as the two-dimensional barcode symbol after obtaining the detection pattern;
A bar code symbol reading device, comprising: a display unit that displays a reading result of the bar code symbol output from the control unit.

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