JPH06208636A - Bar code reader for terminal equipment in cashless system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the bar code reader for a terminal equipment, which can be conveniently handled, with a cashless system as the object of application so as to settle a price to be paid inside an institute by using a bar code applied to a wrist band carried by a customer. CONSTITUTION:This bar code reader is provided to read a bar code 9 by inserting a wrist band wound around-the wrist of a user himself to the inside of the equipment. Concerning this device, a bar code reader 3 is incorporated, a housing 1 of a read operating part opening a wrist inserting port 2 on the front face is fitted on a main body 6. The housing 1 is linked and supported through an elevation angle adjusting mechanism composed of a hinge shaft 10 and a rotary damper 11 to the main body, and the user can adjust the posture of the housing 1 in any desired direction by inclining it backward corresponding to the height of the user himself.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code reader for a terminal applied to a cashless system applied to leisure facilities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As the above cashless system,
A bar code representing a personal identification code is attached to the wristband that is lent to the customer at the time of check-in to the facility, and the wristband with the barcode is used to settle the purchase price of goods purchased at vending machines in the facility. The method to be carried out is known in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-122790. There are two payment methods: a prepaid method that pays a predetermined amount at check-in and a postpaid method that pays the price at checkout.

Further, in such a cashless system, a bar code reader is attached to each terminal such as a vending machine installed in the facility, and a user can carry a bar code around the wrist and carry the bar code. The wristband is inserted into a bar code reading device to read the bar code, and information is exchanged with a host computer provided at the front of the facility for settlement processing.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a conventional configuration of the above-mentioned bar code reading device. In the figure, 1 is a housing of a reading operation unit having a list insertion opening 2 on the front surface thereof, 3 is a bar code reader incorporated therein, 4 is information of amount verification, balance inquiry (in case of prepaid payment method), etc. A display for displaying the contents, 5 is various operation buttons, 6 is a main body having a control unit 7 such as a transmission controller and a power source, and the housing 1 is fixedly installed on the main body 6 as a mounting base. There is. In addition, 8 is a wrist band that is carried around the wrist of each customer,
Reference numeral 9 is a bar code representing the personal identification code displayed on the wristband 8 when the customer checks in.

With such a structure, when the user uses the wristband with the bar coded wristband 7 facing upward and inserts his / her wrist from the front of the housing 1 into the wrist insertion port 2 in the direction of arrow P, the bar The contents of code 8 are read,
The information content is transmitted to the host computer through the control unit 7 and the data transmission path, and the necessary settlement processing is performed online.

[0006]

By the way, the above-mentioned conventional bar code reader has the following problems in terms of handleability and function. (1) The housing 1 of the reading operation unit incorporating the bar code reader 3 is mounted on the main body 6 at a predetermined height position, and the wrist insertion opening 2 opened on the front surface thereof has a certain elevation angle. It is fixed by setting to. For this reason, in order for the user to insert the wrist around which the wristband 8 is wound into the wrist insertion opening 2 of the housing 1 in a straight line,
In accordance with the height of the wrist insertion port 2, a tall person bends his body low, and a short person stretches his / her back, which imposes an unreasonable posture. Especially for a short person, even if the wrist can be inserted into the wrist insertion opening 2, the display 4 and the operation buttons 5 are difficult to see, and the bar code 9 of the wrist band 8 is inserted with the hand inserted in the back of the wrist insertion opening 2. It is difficult to visually confirm whether or not is correctly oriented to the barcode reader 3, and therefore a barcode reading error is likely to occur.

(2) In the conventional device, when reading a bar code,
In the present situation, the bar code reader is used with the power supply turned on so that the bar code reader 3 is always kept in the standby state during the use time of the facility regardless of the standby time. Therefore, keeping the power supply of the bar code reader in the ON state at all times during standby other than handling by the user not only consumes extra power but also shortens the useful life of the bar code reader.

(3) When the barcode 9 of the wristband 8 worn by the user on the wrist is misaligned and a reading error occurs during the reading of the barcode, the fact is displayed on the display. The user is notified by lighting a lamp or a buzzer sound, but in this case, people unfamiliar with the cashless system often cannot understand immediately what to do and are confused.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a bar code representing a personal identification code is attached to a wristband lent to a customer at the time of check-in to a facility,
For the barcode reader of the terminal used in the cashless system that uses the wristband with barcode to settle payments in the facility, the above-mentioned problems are solved to improve the handleability and function. An object of the present invention is to provide a bar code reading device whose surface is improved.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises a bar code reader as follows. (1) When installing the housing of the reading operation unit with the built-in bar code reader and opening the list insertion opening on the front side on the main body, the housing is attached to the base via the manual angle-of-attack adjusting mechanism. .

(2) The bar code reader detects the insertion state of the wrist inside the list insertion port with respect to the housing of the reading operation section having the bar code reader built-in and having the list insertion port opened on the front surface. Insertion detection means such as a photoelectric switch for supplying a power ON signal is provided. (3) A voice that informs the user of the suitability of the operation at the time of reading the bar code to the reading operation section that has a built-in bar code reader and has a list insertion port, information display, etc. on the front surface of the housing. Equipped with message means.

[0012]

According to the structure of the above (1), the housing of the reading operation portion is connected and supported on the main body through the hinge shafts on both left and right sides, and the housing is pushed backward by using a handle or the like. Alternatively, when the housing is pulled forward, the housing tilts in the front-rear direction about the hinge axis to change the angle of attack of the wrist insertion opening, and the housing is held stationary at the adjusted position by the braking force of the rotary damper. Therefore, if the user adjusts the direction (angle of attack) of the housing to the desired angle according to his / her height, the wrist with the wristband wrapped around can be freely placed in the wrist insertion slot of the housing in a comfortable posture while standing. In addition to being able to insert into the, it is possible to visually confirm whether the bar code of the wristband is correctly oriented to the bar code reader.

Further, according to the configuration of the above item (2), the power of the bar code reader is turned off in the standby state of the bar code reader. Here, when the user inserts his / her wrist into the list insertion port, the photoelectric switch automatically detects the insertion of the wrist and operates, and based on this operation signal, the bar code reader is turned on from the power off by a command from the control unit. The bar code reader is switched to the standby state where it can be read, and then the bar code of the wristband is read. When the user finishes reading the bar code and pulls it out of the wrist insertion port, the photoelectric switch is restored and the power is turned off again.
The bar code reader becomes FF and returns to the standby state.

Further, in the configuration of the above item (3), when the bar code of the wrist band is correctly read at the time of reading the bar code, for example, a voice message of "Read OK" is transmitted through the speaker equipped in the housing to the user. Let us know. When a reading error occurs and the bar code cannot be read, a voice message such as "Reading error, please check the direction of the wristband again and insert it again" is played. Thereby, even an inexperienced user can conveniently take appropriate action according to the content of the message without being confused.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings of the respective embodiments, the same members corresponding to FIGS. 7 and 8 are designated by the same reference numerals. Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment corresponding to claim 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the housing 1 of the reading operation unit is mounted on the main body 6,
Both left and right sides of are connected to the main body 6 via hinge shafts 10. Further, the main body 6 side is provided with a rotary damper 11 coupled to the tip of the hinge shaft 9, and the rotary damper 1
The braking action of 1 holds the housing 1 stationary at a desired angle of attack. The rotary damper 11 has, for example, a configuration in which a gear coupled to the hinge shaft 10 and a driven gear that meshes with the gear are combined with a brake. Further, a handle 12 for manual operation is provided on the side surface of the housing 1, and these constitute an attack angle adjusting mechanism of the housing 1. Reference numeral 13 denotes a stopper that is attached to the front and rear ends of the bottom of the housing 1 so as to face the upper surface of the body 6, and the stopper 13 serves to regulate the range of adjustment of the elevation angle of the housing 1.

With such a structure, when the user holds the handle 12 and tilts the housing 1 rearward or pulls it toward the front, the housing 1 tilts in the front-rear direction about the hinge shaft 10. For example, if the handle 12 is pulled forward from the position indicated by the solid line in FIG.
Changes to the horizontal position indicated by the chain line. Therefore, a tall user pushes the handle 12 rearward to move the housing 1 to a rearward tilted posture and adjusts so that the wrist insertion port 2 faces obliquely upward, and conversely, for a short person, the housing 1 is not horizontal. It is possible to adjust so as to shift to a forward leaning posture. That is, the posture of the housing 1 of the reading operation unit can be freely adjusted to the most convenient angle according to the person's height. Further, if the angle of attack of the housing 1 is adjusted to the above-mentioned state, the wristband 9 with a barcode wrapped around the wrist can be inserted properly and easily, so that the possibility of a barcode reading error is reduced. The display 4 arranged on the front surface of the housing is easy to see and the operation buttons 5 are also easy to operate.

Embodiment 2: FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are claims 2 of the present invention.
It shows an embodiment corresponding to. In this embodiment, the photoelectric switch 1 in which the light emitting portion 14a and the light receiving portion 14b are arranged inside the wrist insertion opening 2 so as to sandwich the insertion passage.
4 (wrist insertion detection means) is equipped. The operation signal of the photoelectric switch 14 is input to the control unit 7 incorporated in the main body 6, and the barcode reader 3 is supplied through the control unit 7.
Of the power of O depending on whether the wrist is inserted into the wrist insertion slot 2
N, OFF control is performed.

With such a configuration, when the bar code reader is in a standby state (no user is present), the bar code reader 3 is turned off by a command from the control section 7. When the user inserts the wrist wrapped with the wrist band 8 into the wrist insertion opening 2 from this state, the optical path of the photoelectric switch 9 is blocked and the switch is operated. Based on this signal, a command from the control unit 7 is issued. The bar code reader 3 is switched from power OFF to ON to switch to the reading standby state, and at the same time, the bar code 9 of the wrist band 8 attached to the wrist through the wrist insertion port 2 is read to perform predetermined information processing. Then, when the bar code reader is pulled out from the wrist insertion opening 2 after reading the bar code, the photoelectric switch 14 returns to operate, the bar code reader 3 is switched off, and the bar code reader returns to the standby state.

Embodiment 3 FIGS. 5 and 6 show an embodiment corresponding to claim 3 of the present invention. In this embodiment, a speaker 15 is built in the housing 1 of the reading operation unit, and a voice circuit 16 incorporated in the control unit 7 constitutes a voice message device. Reference numeral 17 is a display lamp individually corresponding to "in handling", "reading OK", and "reading error".

With such a structure, when the bar code is read, the "handling" lamp is turned on, and when the bar code 9 of the wristband 8 is correctly read,
From the voice circuit 16 through the speaker 15, for example, utter a message "Reading is OK" and at the same time, read "Reading OK".
Turn on the "K" lamp. When a reading error occurs, a voice message "Reading error, please check the direction of the wristband again and insert it again" is sent through the speaker 15 and at the same time the "Reading error" lamp is turned on. As a result, even an inexperienced user can take appropriate action according to the content of the voice message without being confused. Further, by utilizing this voice message function, a voice message explaining the operation procedure of the machine can be sent to the user in addition to the suitability of the reading operation described above.

The above-described first to third embodiments can be implemented in an appropriate combination. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to vending machines in a facility, but also to a terminal such as a balance inquiry machine installed in a facility in a cashless system of a prepaid settlement method (prepaid method).

[0022]

As described above, the bar code reading device of the present invention has the following effects. (1) According to the configuration of claim 1 of the present invention, it is possible to manually adjust the mounting posture of the housing of the reading operation unit having the built-in barcode reader to a desired angle according to the height of the person. This is possible, and the handleability of the barcode reader can be greatly improved as compared with the conventional configuration.

(2) According to the second aspect of the present invention,
Turn on the power of the barcode reader in the standby state other than when handling
By using FF, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed to save power, and the useful life of the functional parts of the barcode reader can be extended. (3) According to the configuration of claim 3 of the present invention, even a user who is unfamiliar with the machine can easily understand the necessary operation procedure by the voice message, and will not be confused even if a reading error occurs during use. It is convenient to take appropriate measures.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a bar code reader according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the housing in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a bar code reader according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the housing in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a bar code reader according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a front view of the housing in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a conventional barcode reading device.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the housing in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Housing for reading operation unit 2 Wrist insertion slot 3 Bar code reader 4 Display 7 Control unit 8 Wrist band 9 Bar code 10 Hinge shaft 11 Rotation damper 14 Photoelectric switch 15 Speaker

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cash for giving a barcode representing a personal identification code to a wristband lent to a customer at the time of check-in to a facility, and using the wristband with the barcode to settle payments in the facility. A bar code reading device for a terminal intended for a wireless system, in which a bar code reader is built in and a housing of a reading operation section having a list insertion opening on the front is installed on the main body. Is a bar code reader for a terminal in a cashless system, wherein the bar code reader is attached to a base via a manual angle-of-attack adjusting mechanism. 2. A cash for giving a bar code representing a personal identification code to a wristband lent to a customer at the time of check-in to a facility, and using the wristband with the barcode to perform settlement processing of payment amount in the facility. In the bar code reading device of the terminal for which the wireless system is implemented, in which the list insertion opening is opened on the front surface of the housing of the reading operation unit having the built-in bar code reader, inside the list insertion opening of the housing, 1. A bar code reading device for a terminal in a cashless system, comprising insertion detecting means such as a photoelectric switch for detecting the inserted state of a wrist and giving a power ON signal to the bar code reader. 3. A cash for giving a bar code representing a personal identification code to a wristband lent to a customer at the time of check-in to a facility, and using the wristband with the barcode to settle payments in the facility. This is a bar code reader for terminals that implements a wireless system, in which a bar code reader is equipped with a list insertion port, an information display, etc. in the housing of the bar code reader. A bar code reading device for a terminal in a cashless system, which is equipped with a voice message means for notifying a user of the suitability of the operation by voice when reading.