JPH02144683A - Color bar code reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read out much more information from a bar code by providing a color bar code reader with an interface part for outputting an output signal from a control part for outputting a signal indicating a color discriminated by a color sensing part for discriminating the color of light made incident upon sensor for converting beams having respectively different wavelengths respectively into electric signals to the outside. CONSTITUTION:A sensor head part 1 detects light from a color bar code and outputs electric signals with amplitude values respectively corresponding to the intensity values of red and green beams. The color sensing part 2 receives these two electric signals and discriminates the color of light detected from the color bar code by the sensor head part 1. The control part 3 encodes the ratio of width values of respective bars in the bar code to output the coded signal, i.e. a bar code signal and also encodes the colors of respective bars discriminated by the color sensing part 2 to output the signals. The external interface part 4 receives these bar code signal and coded color signals from the control part 3 and sends them to the external. Thus, a color bar code including much more information by including information also in the colors of the bars can be used.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a barcode reader, and particularly to a color barcode league for reading barcode information from a color barcode.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional barcode readers convert the light from a single-color barcode into a binary code using a sensor, calculate the ratio of the width of each bar from this binary signal, and encode it. The process of outputting the data is performed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this way, conventional barcode readers can only read information from single-color barcodes, so to increase the amount of information represented by a barcode, it is necessary to reduce the bar size of the barcode (or make the barcode longer). However, it is not possible to reduce the dimensions beyond the discrimination limit, and for example, if the part surface on which the barcode label is pasted is narrow, the barcode cannot be made longer.Furthermore, JIS kanji, etc. It is difficult to represent items with a large amount of information using barcodes.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate such drawbacks and provide a color barcode league that can identify the color of a barcode and read more information from the barcode.

[Means to solve the problem]

The color parcode reader of the present invention includes a sensor that converts light of different wavelengths into electrical signals, a color vision unit that identifies the color of the light incident on the sensor based on the electrical signals output by the sensor, and a color vision unit that identifies the color of the light that enters the sensor based on the electrical signals output by the sensor. The present invention is characterized by comprising a control section that outputs a signal representing the identified color, and an interface section that outputs the output signal of the control section to the outside.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a color par-code reader according to the present invention. This color barcode reader includes a sensor head section 1 that has a red LED and a green LED and converts the red light and green light into electrical signals, respectively, and a sensor head section 1 that converts the red light and the green light into electrical signals, respectively. Color vision unit 2 that identifies the color of light incident on the
, a control section 3 that outputs a signal representing the color identified by the color vision section 2 and performs conventional barcode processing, and an external interface section 4 that outputs the output signal of the control section 3 to the outside. There is.

Next, the operation will be explained. The sensor head unit 1 receives light from a color barcode, in which the color of the bar also has information, through its red LED and green LED, and displays the color bar code.
It outputs electrical signals with amplitudes corresponding to the intensities of red light and green light contained in the light from the cord, respectively. Color vision part 2
receives and receives these two electrical signals, and based on their amplitude, the sensor head l identifies the color of the light received from the color barcode. Then, as conventional barcode processing, the control unit 3 encodes the width ratio of each bar of the barcode and outputs the signal, that is, the barcode signal, and furthermore, the color vision unit 2 codes the color of each bar identified by the color vision unit 2. code and output the signal. The external interface section 4 sends these barcode signals and coded color signals to the control section 3.
Take the yoriuke and send it outside.

In this manner, the color barcode reader of the present invention can not only read barcodes and output information regarding the width of each bar, but also identify the color of each bar and output that information. Therefore, by using this barcode reader, it is possible to use a color barcode that includes more information by giving information to the color of the bar.

By the way, the number of information that can be distinguished in one bar is equal to the number of bar widths in conventional barcodes, but in color barcodes it is equal to the number of distinguishable colors multiplied by the number of bar widths, which is significantly smaller. increases to

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the barcode league of the present invention includes a sensor that converts light of different wavelengths into electrical signals, a color vision unit that identifies the color of the light that enters the sensor based on the electrical signals output by the sensor, It includes a control section that outputs a signal representing the color identified by the color vision section, and an interface section that outputs the output δ of this control section to the outside.

Therefore, the color barcode reader of the present invention can not only read a barcode and output information regarding the width of each bar, but also identify the color of each bar and output that information. Therefore, by using this barcode league, it is possible to use color barcodes that contain more information by adding information to the color of the bar.
The amount of information that can be represented by barcodes can be significantly increased. As a result, even when the part surface on which a barcode label can be pasted is narrow and long barcodes cannot be used, it is possible to have a sufficient amount of information. It can be represented by code.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a color barcode reader according to the present invention. ■...Sensor head section 2...Color vision section 3...Control section 4...External interface section

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A sensor that converts light of different wavelengths into electrical signals, a color vision unit that identifies the color of the light that enters the sensor based on the electrical signals output by this sensor, and a signal that represents the color identified by this color vision unit What is claimed is: 1. A color barcode reader comprising: a control section that outputs a signal; and an interface section that outputs an output signal of the control section to the outside.