JPH0233685A - Picture signal processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a picture signal string equal to the fact that the orthogonal scanning is executed to a bar code by reading the picture signal including the bar code, obtaining the central line of a bar code area and taking out the picture signal of a prescribed pitch along the central line. CONSTITUTION:A binary picture signal is generated by a binary picture signal generating means 1 from a picture signal including a read bar code and stored into a binary picture signal storing means 2. The code of the prescribed run length is stored into a run length code storing means 4. The thin width and thick width codes prepared by counting the white and black runs of a stored binary picture signal and the longitudinally and horizontally converted binary picture signal are compared with the stored run length code and a pattern area is detected. A central line calculating means 9 calculates the central line of a pattern area picture signal, further, the inclination angle of the central line is decided and the picture signal along the central line is taken out by an inclination picture signal generating means 11. Thus, the picture signal equal to the fact that the orthogonal scanning is executed to the bar code can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image signal processing device for decoding a bar code in a rask-scanned image signal.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, information processing systems using electronic computers have become widespread, and barcode reading devices are widely used as data entry devices for these systems. These barcode reading devices are hand-scanned, and the operator moves the reading device orthogonally to the barcode bar, or the barcode is placed within a predetermined window and scanning lines are run in multiple directions. In this way, a method is adopted in which both signals obtained by scanning with a scanning line cut perpendicularly to the bar are decoded.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention On the other hand, image processing devices and systems that capture image signals obtained by raster scanning an image and perform various types of processing are becoming widespread. When there is a barcode in the document image of these image processing devices and systems, it is very effective and useful to decipher the code and manage and utilize it as image attribute information. The range is also wide.

However, it is rare for the image processing device's original reading scanning direction to be orthogonal to the direction of the bars in the barcode in the original, so there is no chance of extracting an image signal sequence perpendicular to the bars directly from the reader's own code sequence. Very few.

An object of the present invention is to obtain both signal sequences equivalent to an image signal sequence scanned orthogonally to a bar, from an image signal read by raster scanning, without imposing any restrictions on the inclination angle of the bar code.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the first problem, the present invention provides a binary image signal generating means for generating the binary image signal, and a binary image signal storage means for storing the binary image signal. a run length code storage means for storing a code of a predetermined run length; an aspect-converted image signal readout means for reading out the vertically-horizontally converted binary image signal from the two-image signal storage means; run length counting means for counting white and black runs and generating run length data; narrow/thick width code generation means for converting a predetermined amount of run length data into codes indicating narrow width and wide width; and said run length. Cord and narrow width
pattern area determination means for comparing wide codes to determine whether or not the area is a predetermined pattern area; pattern area image signal generation means for generating an image signal that is black or white only in the case of the predetermined pattern area; and the pattern area A center line calculation means for calculating the center line of the image signal, an inclination angle determination means for determining the inclination angle of the center line, and extracting the image signal from the binary image signal storage means described in [) 1 along the center line. A tilted image signal generating means is provided.

According to the above configuration, first, the binary image signal generated by the binary image signal generation means is stored in the two-value image signal storage means for the subsequent stage. Further, in advance, the run length code storage means PC encodes and stores a pattern of run length columns when a predetermined number of black bars in the barcode are noted. In other words, the shape of a barcode is predetermined by standards such as JIS, and in the example, the bar width, character spacing gear, and bar ratio are narrow bar...-10 thick bar...・-・ 2111 Character spacing gear, bar, 232, expressing one character with 7 bars, 1
It has various characteristics, such as the fact that there are only two wide bars in the characters. Focusing on these characteristics, patterns in which combinations of narrow bars, wide bars, and gaps between characters occur are coded and stored, for example, as 01 for a narrow bar and 1 for a wide bar and a gear knob between characters.

On the other hand, the run length counting means counts the number of consecutive white pixels (or black pixels) of the binary pixel signal from the binary pixel signal generating means and sets it as the white run length (or black run length). This counting is repeated until the run length data is sequentially generated.

Next, in the narrow width/wide width code generation means, the run length data is sequentially retrieved, and for a predetermined number of run length data, the start position of the first rough pixel of the run and the end position of the last run are counted and patterned. At the same time, it notifies the area image signal generation means, and also generates a narrow/broad code in which a predetermined number of run length data is set to 0 for a narrow run length and 1 for a wide run length, and notifies the pattern region determination means. . The pattern area determining means reads out the run length code from the run length code storage means, compares it with the narrow and wide codes, and notifies the pattern area image signal generation means of whether or not they match. The pattern area image signal generating means sends a black image signal (or white image signal) to the line buffer initialized in advance between the start position and the end position only when a compliance notification is received from the previous stage for each run length data. signal), and a manipulated image signal is generated repeatedly until the end of the line, and is used as a pattern area image signal.

Next, in the center line detection means, the pattern area image signal is associated with a coordinate system in which the main investigation direction is the X-axis and the sub-investigation direction is the Y axis, and the point Pi (xi,
yi) center in the X-axis direction and the correlation coefficient ``and the least squares approximation straight line y==a '' x-)-b...
(1) is obtained, and the straight line of Equation (11) is set as the first center line.

Next, the vertically and horizontally converted image signal reading means reads out the binary image signal subjected to the vertical and horizontal conversion from the binary image signal storage means,
The run length counting means, narrow width/wide width code generation means, pattern area determination means, pattern area image signal generation means, and center line calculation means perform the same processing as described above on these vertical/horizontal converted binary image signals. The center of the direction, the correlation coefficient r, and the least square approximation straight line X2aey1b...(1) are determined, and the straight line in equation (1) is set as the second center/line.

Next, in the case of r −; r, the inclination angle determining means uses equation (1) as the center and line, and
(In the case of r, Equation (1) is used as the center line and is notified to the subsequent tilt image signal generation means.

Finally, in the tilted image signal generation means, one signal having a predetermined width along the center line is extracted from the binary image signal storage means and used as the two desired signals.

In this manner, the present invention makes it possible to obtain an image signal scanned by a scanning line perpendicular to the bar from both signals read by the rask scan.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image signal processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a binary image signal generation means for reading an image including a barcode and converting it into a binary image signal, 2 is a binary image signal storage means for storing the binary image signal, and 3 is a binary image signal. Vertical/horizontal conversion image signal readout means for changing the position of the binary image signal sent from the artist number storage means 2 (that is, the position rotated by 900 degrees) and reading it out; 4 is a predetermined run length; Run length code storage means 5 stores a code of , run length counting means 5 counts white and black runs of the binary image signal and generates run length data; 6
7 is a narrow width/wide width code generating means for converting a predetermined amount of run length data into a code indicating narrow width and wide width; 7 is a means for comparing the run length code with the part width/wide width code to determine whether it is a predetermined pattern area. 8, pattern area image signal generation means that generates a black image signal only in the case of a predetermined pattern area/region; 9, center line calculation means that calculates the center line of the pattern area image signal; Reference numeral 9 denotes a tilted image signal generating means for extracting an image signal from the binary image signal storage means 2 along the centerline calculation, and lO denotes an image signal to be generated. In this embodiment, the run length code storage means 1, the run length counting means 5, the narrow/wide code generation means 6, the pattern area determination means 7, and the pattern area image signal generation means 8 constitute the pattern area detection means. do. In addition, in this embodiment, the binary image signal has one for white and one for black, and the scanning area is 200 mm x 300 mm.
mm, and the scanning line density is 10; @/mm 1 The main specifications of the barcode are assumed as shown in Table 1. Further, the pattern area determining means is entirely configured to evaluate seven bars.

Table 1 First, the binary image signal generating means 1 is composed of a scanner using a CCD array sensor, and receives a reading start signal,
The line synchronization signal, both binary signals of the image including the barcode, and the pixel synchronization signal are notified to the binary image signal storage means 2 and the run length counting means 5.

In the binary image signal storage means 2, the binary image signal is stored for the subsequent stage.

Next, the generation pattern of narrow bars and wide bars (including gaps between characters) starting from a black par is stored in advance in the run length code storage means 4. The pattern is shown in Figure 2 when there is one wide bar, and Figure 3 when there are two wide bars.
In the figure, if there are 3 thick bars, in Figure 4 there are 4 thick bars.
When there are 5 thick bars, the pattern is shown in Figure 5, and when there are 5 wide bars, it is as shown in Figure 6. Each pattern is stored in the form of a binary code where the narrow bar is 0 and the wide bar is 1. has been done.

Next, the run counting means 5 counts white runs and black runs, assuming that the beginning of the line is white, and notifies the narrow/wide code generation means 6 of the numbers. In this case, odd numbers mean white runs,
Even numbers mean black runs.

Next, the functions of the narrow/wide code generating means 6 and the pattern area determining means 7 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7 showing a more detailed configuration. In FIG. 7, 11 is a binary image signal,
4 is a run length code storage means, 5 is a run length counting means, 61
62 is a delayed run length register that stores the delayed run length data for 7 runs, 62 is a total run length register that stores the total value for 7 run length data, and 63 is a delay run length register that stores the delayed run length data for 7 runs. A pixel position counter that counts and stores the pixel start position of the first run and the end position of the last run, and 6.1 is the first thin bar that generates the thin/broad code when there is one thick bar. Width/thick width code generation means, 65 has 2 thick bars
The second narrow width code that generates the narrow width code and the wide width code when there are
66 is a third narrow/thick code generating means for generating a narrow/thick code when there are three thick bars; 67 is a third narrow/thick code generating means for generating a narrow/thick code when there are four thick bars; Fourth narrow/thick code generation means for generating wide/thick codes, 68
71 is a fifth narrow/thick code generation means for generating a narrow/thick code when there are five thick bars, and 71 evaluates a narrow/thick code when there is one thick bar. 72 is a second pattern area determining means that evaluates the narrow width/thick width code when there are two wide bars; 73 is the narrow width when there are three wide bars;・Third pattern area determination means for evaluating wide code; 74 is a fourth pattern area determining means for evaluating narrow and wide codes when there are four Daifuku bars;
75 is a fifth pattern area determining means for evaluating the narrow/wide code when there are five wide bars; 7 is a pattern area image signal generating means; 61
．． Narrow width with 62.63.64.65.66.67.68
Consists of wide code generation means, 71, 72.73.74
．． 75 constitutes a pattern area determining means. The pixel position counter 63 has target run length data 1! (1 is an even number)
The sum of the previous run lengths is counted as the pixel start position, and the sum of the run lengths at wealth+6th run length data difference is counted as the pixel end position, and the result is notified to the pattern area image signal generation means 7.

Next, the delay run length register 61 is as shown in FIG. 8 and operates as follows. In other words, the delay register group is 7.
registers rllllr2, r3, [4, r5, '6,
rl, and when the run length data column is 11, rl is 111, r2 is li+t, r3 is 11+
2, 11÷3 for r4, 11+4 for r5, 1 for 6
1+5, li+6', H is stored in rl. In addition, the total run length register 62 stores the run length total value (ρ) as ρ−=
li+li+t-1-1i+2-4-1i+3-1-1
Count and store i+4+li-+-5+li+a. Next, in the first narrow/wide code generation means 64, the run length total value (ρ) is the run length total value (ρ) when there is one wide bar in the narrow bar/wide bar determination table. It is determined whether the upper limit value and lower limit value of ρ) are satisfied. If not satisfied, the binary oooooooo code is notified to the first pattern area determining means 71 at the subsequent stage.

Margin below In this example, the upper limit of the run length total value (ρ) is set to a value that has a margin of 142 times or more for the number of pixels read at a predetermined density by scanning lines perpendicular to seven bars. This setting allows barcodes that are tilted within 45 degrees. If satisfied, continue registers rl, r2,
The values of r3, r4, r5, r6, and r7 are the upper limit and lower limit of the narrow bar or the upper limit of the thick bar when there is one thick bar in the thin bar/thick bar judgment table in Table 2. It is determined whether the value and the lower limit are satisfied. If the value of any register does not satisfy any of the upper and lower limits, that is, for any k (15≦7), [the value of k <ρ/181 or 6ρ/13 (rk of In the case of the value, the binary 0 (100000 code is notified to the first pattern area determination means 71 at the subsequent stage. Also, if any of the following is satisfied, if the narrow bar is satisfied, that is, the value of ρ/18hrk) In the case of 3ρ/18, if O1 fat 1 luck par is satisfied, that is, 3
/) / l 3 S r k 1 shift s6ρ/18
The 7-digit binary code ``/''il is notified to the first pattern area determination means 71 in the subsequent stage.The second narrow width/Daifuku code generation means 65 and the third narrow width code generation means 65 are also notified.

The wide code generation means 66, the first narrow and wide code generation means 67, and the fifth narrow and wide code generation means 68 perform similar determinations and generate binary codes, which are then used in the subsequent stages. Second pattern area determining means 72, third pattern area determining means 73, fourth pattern area determining means 7-1
, =s is notified to the pattern area determination means 75. Next, the first pattern area determining means 71 reads out the pattern code shown in FIG. If they match, the pattern area image signal generating means 8 at the subsequent stage is notified of the conformity, and if they do not match, the non-conformity is notified. The second pattern area determination means 72, the m:3 pattern area determination means 73, the fourth pattern definition determination means 74, and the fifth pattern area determination means 75 perform the same evaluation on odor and determine suitability. The non-conformance is notified to the pattern area image signal generation means 8 in the subsequent stage.

Next, in the pattern area image signal generation means 8, an output line buffer (not shown) is initialized at the beginning of the line, and the first pattern area determination means 71 at the previous stage
, the second pattern area determining means 72, the third pattern area determining means 73, the fourth pattern area determining means 74, and the fifth pattern area determining means 75. the starting position of the position counter 63;
Convert the line buffer in the range of the end position to black:4.

By repeating the above operations until the line is completed, a pattern area image signal for one line is generated, and the generation of the pattern area image signal is repeated until the entire area of the document is completed.

Next, the centerline calculation means 9 uses a microcomputer to perform the following calculations to determine the centerline and center of the pattern area. That is, within the pattern area 111''
The black point Pi(xi.

yi) center in the X-axis direction/X is the least square approximation straight line y = asx + b The coefficients a and b of the... (3) ... (5) Find the correlation coefficient r according to the straight line of equation (3) Let be the first center line. The first center line is allowed to have an inclination of ±15 degrees or less with respect to the X axis due to the settings of the narrow bar/thick bar determination table shown in Table 2. This calculation can be realized by the program shown in FIG. In this program, x[] is the X coordinate value of the point sequence Pi, 9[] is the Y coordinate value of the point sequence Pi, n is the number of point sequences, the average value of x-bar in the X-axis direction, and a is the least square approximation straight line. The slope coefficient, b is the displacement coefficient of the least square approximation straight line, and r is the correlation coefficient.

Next, in the vertical/horizontal conversion image signal readout means 3, the value of the point P(x, y) is read from the binary image signal storage means 2 to P'(y, x
) to obtain an image signal that has undergone vertical and horizontal conversion, that is, has been rotated by 900 relative to the original image signal.

The same processing as described above is performed on these vertical/horizontal conversion surfaces (No. 3) in the run length counting means, narrow width/wide width code generation means, pattern area determination means, pattern area image signal generation means, and center line calculation means, and Y11! ll] direction center y and least squares approximation straight line x = a'・y + b' ・ ・
(31) and the correlation coefficient r', and the straight line of (31) is
Let the center line be the center line of The setting of the narrow bar/thick bar determination table shown in Table 2 allows the second center line to have an inclination of 15 degrees or less with respect to the Y axis. That is, a tilt of 45 degrees or more with respect to the X axis is allowed.

Next, the inclination angle determining means 10 evaluates the correlation coefficient ``of the first center line and the correlation coefficient r of the second center line, and if r≧r′ (then, using equation (3) as the center line, , r (r
In this case, formula (3) is used as the center line and is notified to the subsequent tilt image signal generation means 11.

Finally, the tilted image signal generation means 11 also performs the following memory address calculations, and extracts the image signal from the binary image signal storage means 2, using it as an output signal sequence of the apparatus.

That is, when the first center line is adopted, the reading starting point Qo is determined from the barcode width, scanning line density, average value in the X direction obtained in the previous step x1, coefficients a and b of the least square approximation straight line.
(XQO, yqo) is read and binochime X is determined using the following equation (8).

△X==lAr〒“■... ・(7) The point sequence Qj (xqJ, yqJ) is obtained by equation (9).

The coordinate values of the point sequence QJ obtained in this way (XQJ 1y
qi), an image signal is taken out from the binary image signal storage means 2 and used as an output signal sequence of the present apparatus. Similarly, when the second center line is adopted, the reading starting point Qo is obtained from the average value y in the Y direction obtained in the previous step and the coefficients a and b of the least square approximation straight line.
(XQOl yqo) and the reading pitch Δy are determined using the following equation (75, j85).

△y -1/V'〒]]4...... (7
) The point sequence Qj (xqi, ym) is obtained using equation (9).

The coordinate values of the point sequence QJ obtained in this way (XQJ).

yQj), an image signal is taken out from the binary image signal storage means 2 and used as an output signal sequence of the present apparatus.

In this embodiment, limitations are set on the scanning line density and the main specifications of the parcode, but these limitations can be sufficiently implemented even if changed. Although the generating means 11 is realized using a microcomputer, these means can also be realized using a logic circuit or an external storage device.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention records the barcode run length pattern in advance and compares the run length of the image signal read by the LANUTA scan with the above-mentioned stored pattern to scan the barcode area. Detect and find the center line of this area,
By extracting image signals at a predetermined pitch along the center line, it is possible to obtain an image signal sequence equivalent to orthogonal to the barcode. By employing the image signal sequence obtained in this way as an input signal to a conventional barcode P14 reading device, the barcode can be decoded, and the effect is very large.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of an image signal processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a pattern diagram when there is one wide bar in the main part of the device, and FIG. 3 is a pattern diagram of the same wide bar. Figure 4 is a pattern diagram when there are 2 thick bars, Figure 5 is a pattern diagram when there are 4 wide bars, Figure 6 is a pattern diagram when there are 4 wide bars. Pattern diagram when there are 5 pieces,
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the pattern area detection means, FIG. 8 is a diagram of the relationship between the delay run length register group and the total run length register, and FIG. It is a diagram showing a program to be requested. 12 image signal generation means, 2/binary image signal storage means, 3.
Vertical/horizontal conversion image signal reading means, 4. Run length code storage means, 5. Run length counting means, 6. Narrow width/wide width code generation means, 7. Pattern area determination means, 8. Pattern area image signal. Generation means, 9... Center line calculation means, 10
...Tilt angle determination means, 11 tilted image signal generation means. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and 1 other person"Mi; year 1゜neb; nr' 3y2 = O; Sx so: 0゜not
z = nningsx2 − 3x亥Sx. W2Hxsy2-SyneSγ. f (and 2 in W) 2 = 0) + etturn (-1) + Fir (Floa 7) (rI tree Sxy Sx o Sγ
le 2-retrah (0):

Claims (1)

[Claims] Binary image signal generation means for generating a binary image signal from a read image signal including a barcode; Binary image signal storage means for storing the binary image signal; and Binary image signal storage means for storing a code of a predetermined run length. vertically and horizontally converted image signal readout means for reading out the vertically and horizontally converted binary image signal from the binary image signal storage means; a run length counting means for counting runs and generating run length data; a narrow width/thick width code generating means for converting a predetermined amount of run length data into codes indicating narrow width and wide width; pattern area determination means for comparing the width and thick width codes to determine whether or not the area is a predetermined pattern area; pattern area image signal generation means for generating an image signal that is set to 1 or 0 only in the case of a predetermined pattern area; a centerline calculation means for calculating a centerline of a pattern area image signal; a tilt angle determination means for determining a tilt angle of the centerline; and a tilted image for extracting an image signal from the binary signal storage means along the centerline. An image signal processing device comprising signal generation means.