JPH064556A - Business form transmitting terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a business form transmitting terminal equipment which can accurately transmit a bar code image in particular as well as the business forms including the bar codes via a communication circuit. CONSTITUTION:A bar code terminal equipment 21 sends the thermosensible roll paper 22 to a thermal head 24 via the paper feed rolls 231 and 232. Then, the paper 22 printed at the head 24 is ejected. Meanwhile, an inserted bar code business form original 29 is carried out to the inside by the paper feed rolls 232 and 233 to pass through a scanner 27. The scanner 27 reads the image of the original 29 and separates a bar code part from other image parts. Then, the bar code part is properly decoded and at the same time a bar address is set and transmitted. A receiver side receives the decoded bar code and other images. Then, the bar code image generated based on the bar code data is synthesized with received other images and printed at a position designated by the bar address.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication device capable of receiving and placing an order online based on a form using a bar code, and in particular, a form transmitting a form using a bar code. The present invention relates to a transmission terminal device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is considered that a form is transmitted online and various transactions are carried out based on the transmitted form. In this case, in the form used, barcodes are used in combination for column classification display, date display, etc., and this barcode data is also transmitted when the slip is transmitted,
It is desirable to ensure efficient processing of transmitted slips.

FIG. 10 illustrates a system for transmitting form information using such a bar code, and includes a computer 11 which constitutes a control device for controlling the whole. A bar code scanner 12, a printer 13, and a communication device 14 are connected to the computer 11, and the communication device
14 is connected to a communication line 15 (public line or dedicated line). FIG. 11 shows an example of a form with a barcode.

In the system configured as described above, the form data sent from the communication line 15 is input to the communication device 14 and demodulated. This demodulated form data is
It is analyzed by the computer 11, converted into an output format, and sent to the printer 13 to be printed out. In this case, the output format also includes a bar code, and the identification number of a normal form is often expressed by the bar code.

Further, when it is desired to transmit a form image, the facsimile device 16 is used so that the form image can be transmitted and received. That is, the facsimile apparatus 16 transmits the image information of the form, and the bar code information is printed out by the printer 12.

In order to send out a form, when the form already printed with a bar code is read, the bar code scanner 12 is used to read the bar code described in this form. The barcode data read by the barcode scanner 12 is processed by the computer 11 and sent to the communication line 15 via the communication device 14.

However, in the system having such a configuration, in order to transmit the bar code data and the image data read by the facsimile machine, a device corresponding to each of them is required. Further, if the form is transmitted by image only by facsimile, the bar code data displayed on the form is also transmitted as image data, and the quality of the transmitted bar code cannot always be reproduced in good quality. In particular, when an order is placed online, if it becomes difficult to read it electronically due to the deterioration of the image of the bar code, it becomes a serious obstacle in the ordering process.

Further, in the system as shown in FIG. 10, the computer 11, the bar code scanner 12, the printer 13, the communication device 14, and the facsimile device 16 are individually present, and particularly the bar code is read. Bar code scanner 12 and fax machine 16
Will be doubly present.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a computer, a bar code scanner, a printer, a communication device, a facsimile, etc. are integrated, and particularly a form with a bar code is transmitted. On the occasion,
An object of the present invention is to provide a form transmission terminal device capable of obtaining a form in which a barcode is expressed in good quality.

[0010]

A form transmitting terminal device according to the present invention reads image data of a form to be transmitted by a scanner means, separates a bar code from the read image data, and decodes the bar code. Bar code processing means for decoding Further, the facsimile processing means processes the image data other than the bar code, and the digitized bar code information and the image information image-processed by the facsimile processing means are respectively modulated by the corresponding modulating means. Then, it is transmitted to the transmission circuit by the transmission means. Further, a barcode restoring means for restoring a barcode image based on the barcode information received through the transmission circuit, and a facsimile for restoring image data based on the image information received through the transmission circuit. A restoring means is provided, and the restored barcode image is embedded and synthesized in the image data restored by the facsimile restoring means by the barcode synthesizing means.

[0011]

In the form transmitting terminal device configured as described above, the form including the bar code is read and transmitted as an image by the facsimile processing means.
Further, the bar code information included in the form is read by the scanner means, decoded and transmitted, and the decoded bar code data and the image data of the form are respectively transmitted and received via the communication line. Like Then, on the receiving side, the restored barcode image is combined with the transmitted image data of the form and output as a form with a barcode. Especially, the barcode part is digitized and transmitted. The quality is good because it is generated based on the data.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a bar code terminal device 21 that transmits and receives form data with a bar code, and this device 21 incorporates heat-sensitive roll paper 22. This roll paper 22
The paper feed roll 231 after it is pulled out from the roll 221.
It is sandwiched between 2 and 232 and sent to the 24th part of the thermal head.

A printing platen 25 is set in the thermal head 24, and the printing platen 25 heats the thermal roll paper 22 sent to the thermal head 24 at an appropriate pressure.
The thermal head 24 is pressed against the roll paper 22 so that the thermal printing is properly performed on the roll paper 22. The heat-sensitive roll paper 22 thus printed is guided between the discharge rolls 261 and 262, and the roll paper 22 passing between the discharge rolls 261 and 262 is discharged to the outside. A scanner 27 is set between the discharge rolls 261 and 262 and the thermal head.

A head retraction solenoid 28 is connected to the thermal head 24 for performing head retraction. The paper feed roll 233 is set at a position facing the paper feed roll 232 in order to take in the barcode document original 29 inserted from the outside.
2 is connected to the head retraction solenoid 27, performs retraction in synchronization with head retraction,
The introduced form original 29 is sandwiched between the paper feed roll 233. These rolls 231-233, 261, 26
2. Further, the platen 25 is driven by the drive motor 30.

The scanner 27 scans the recording surface of the sent form original 29 and reads the record of the form original 29. The output signal from the scanner 27 is amplified by the amplifying means 41 as shown in FIG. And the amplified output is supplied to the binarizing means 42 to be binarized information. The binarized read information is supplied to the counter means 43 and further to the decoding means 44. The output from the binarizing means is further supplied to the data buffer means 45 for one line, and the output from the counter means 43 is supplied to the bar address generating means 46.

The decoding means 44 outputs the decoded data, the decoding start signal and the decoding end signal, and the decoding start signal and the decoding end signal are supplied to the bar address generating means 46.

The output from the bar address generating means 46 and the output from each of the data buffer means 45 are supplied to a bar image removing means 47, and this bar image removing means is supplied.
The output from 47 is supplied to the resolution conversion means 48, and the output from this resolution conversion means 48 is supplied to the data compression means 49. Then, the output from the data compression means 49, the bar address generation means 46 and the decoding means
The output from 44 is supplied to the data stream synthesizing means 50, and each constituent means from the counting means 43 to the data stream synthesizing means 50 is configured by the microcomputer 40.

The output from the data stream synthesizing means 50 is supplied to the transmitting side of the modem means 51.
The output signal from the modem means 51 is supplied to the line control means 52, and is output from the line control means 52 to a public communication line 53 such as an external telephone line.

The line control means 52 has a bidirectional signal path and has a function of receiving a signal from the public communication line 53 and supplying it to the modem means 51 (reception side) as shown in FIG. Have. The received signal from the modem means 51 is supplied to the data stream analyzing means 54 of the microcomputer 40, and the analyzing means 54 outputs the image data, the decoded data and the bar code address based on the received signal.

The image data output from the data stream analyzing means 54 is supplied to the data expanding means 55, and the output from the expanding means 55 is supplied to the resolution converting means (demodulation) 56, and the resolution converting means 56. Is output to the image synthesizing / synthesizing means 57. The image forming means 57 is also supplied with the bar code address from the data stream analyzing means 54, and the decoded data output from the data stream analyzing means 54 is supplied to the bar code generating means 58.

The bar code generating means 58 is supplied with information from the bar code font table 591 and the character font table 592 which constitute the table memory means 59. The output from the bar code generating means 58 is It is supplied to the image synthesizing means 57. The output from the image synthesizing means 57 is supplied to the printing means 60, and the thermal head 24 is driven by the printing means 60.

A motor 30 for driving the head retraction solenoid 28 is connected to such a microcomputer 40, and a detection signal from an original detection sensor 31 set at the original take-out port is supplied to the microcomputer 40. Although not shown in detail, 40 includes arithmetic means, memory means and the like.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 32 denotes a control panel such as a display and a switch, and signals from the control panel 32 are input to the microcomputer 40. Further, in FIG. 2, the power supply means 61 supplies power to each of the above components, and the electrical means including the microcomputer 40 is a circuit set in the barcode terminal device 21. It is mounted on the board 33.

The main routine of the operation of the terminal device 21 thus constructed will be described with reference to FIG.
This main routine shows the basic operation related to the barcode form in the online data transaction of the barcode terminal device 21, and if the power-on is confirmed in step 201, the reception print processing state is set in step 202. .

The receiving print state is exited by an external operation from the switch or the like of the control panel 32. After exiting from the receiving print state, it is judged in step 203 whether or not the label issuing mode is set, and the label issuing mode is issued. If the mode is confirmed, the process proceeds to step 204 to perform label issuing processing. When it is determined that the label is not in the printing mode, the process proceeds to step 205, it is determined whether the transmission mode is set, and if it is confirmed that the transmission mode is set, the process proceeds to the transmission reading process of step 206. To do. When it is determined in step 205 that the transmission mode is not set, and when the processes of steps 204 and 205 are completed, the process returns to the reception print process of step 202.

FIG. 5 shows the flow of processing in the label issuing processing state in step 204. In step 251 the control panel
The print data from 32 etc. or the received data is input. When the print data is input in this way, in step 252 the head retraction solenoid 28
Is driven, and the retraction of the thermal head 24 and the paper feed roll 232 are set.

If the label issuance processing state is based on an instruction from the control panel 32 or the like, the print contents are stored in the bar code font table 591 of the table memory means 59.
Then, referring to the character font table 592, the print image is formed by the bar code generating means 58 in step 253, and the thermal head 24 is driven by the printing means 60 in step 254. At this time, the drive motor 30 is started, and the paper feed roll 232 is driven by the drive motor 30 in step 255, and the heat-sensitive roll paper 22 is fed out by one line. Then, if it is confirmed in step 256 that the printing is completed, this processing is ended.

Next, the transmission and reception of the barcode form as shown in FIG. 11 and the printing will be described. On the control panel 32 of the bar code terminal device 21, when the bar code form document 29 is set to the reading port after the transmission reading state of step 206 of FIG. 4 is set, step 26 of FIG.
At 1, the insertion of the original is detected. This detection signal is transmitted to the microcomputer 40, and the retraction solenoid 28 is driven in step 262 for retraction of the thermal head 24 and setting of the paper feed roll 232 on the scanner (S) side. At the same time, in step 263, the drive motor 30 is activated to drive the paper feed rolls 232 and 233 to move the form original 29 by one line.

In this state, in step 264, the scanner 27 converts the light and shade of the bar code of the form original 29 into an electric signal, and the amplifying means 41 amplifies it. The amplified information is binarized by the binarizing means 42, and the microcomputer 40
The bar and space widths are measured and digitized by the counting means 43. In step 265, the digitized data is supplied to the decoding means 44, and the decoding means 44 restores the bar code information from the combination of the bar and the space.

This restored bar code information is sent to the modem means 51 and modulated in step 266, and in step 26
At 7, the data is transmitted to the other party (data person) via the public communication line 53. This operation is repeated until the reading of the original 29 is completed in step 268.

FIG. 7 shows the flow of the receiving and printing process.
If the line control means 52 is activated at the data receiving destination, the public communication line 53 is connected, and therefore the data is received in step 271. Then, in the next step 272, the demodulation operation is performed in the modem means 51, and the demodulated data is delivered to the barcode generation means 58.

Here, in step 273, the data is separated into attribute items, and in step 274, the bar code font table 591 is set in the table memory means 59.
To drive.

In step 275, the head retraction solenoid 28 is driven to set the printing state, and the retraction of the thermal head 24 and the paper feed roll 232 are set on the printer (P) side.

The print contents are generated as a print image by the bar code generating means 58 by referring to the bar code font table 591 and the character font table 592 of the table memory means 59, and step 276
The printing means 60 drives the thermal head 24 to print. In step 277, the motor 30 is driven by one line corresponding to this printing operation.

In this case, the demodulated bar code data can be output to a computer or the like connected to the outside. Therefore, if only the bar code information is provided, the bar code information can be surely transmitted. You can

Next, the image transmission of the barcode form (facsimile operation) and the transmission of the barcode form information by separating and combining the barcode data from the barcode form (mix mode) will be described.

In the process flow shown in FIG. 8, the transmission setting in the mixed mode is confirmed in step 302 when the power is turned on in step 301, and the transmission mode setting by the operation of the operation panel 32 is confirmed in step 302. . Further, even at the time of reception, it is determined whether the setting is made by operating the control panel 32 or the like or the setting is made by the data flag of the transmitted signal.

At the time of transmission, if the setting of the mixed mode is confirmed by the operation of the control panel 32 or the like in step 303, first, in step 304, the line connection with the communication partner is performed. If the line connection is established, the document is detected in step 305, and the reading operation of the barcode document 29 is performed in step 306.

Here, the image data binarized by the binarizing means 42 is input to the decoding means 44 and the data buffer means 45, and the form reading process of step 306 is performed. In the operation of the bar code data processing in step 307, the decode enable / disable signal is output as an output signal. That is, the decode enable / disable signal represents the barcode information range of the digitized data string input to the decoding means 44. For example, while the enable / disable signal is "1", it indicates that the barcode range of the digitized data string. There is.

The output of the counting means 43 is supplied to the bar address generating means 46. The bar address generating means 46 determines which position (or at what timing the bar code image) of the scanner 27 exists. The operation is for knowing, and the operation is to integrate the count values obtained by the counter means 43, and the integrated value at the time when the decode enable / disable signal from the tecode means 44 changes from “0” to “1” is the barcode. And the integrated value at the time when the decode enable / disable signal changes from “1” to “0” become the bar code end address, and become the information indicating the bar image existing position in the read image information. In this way, the image processing of the form in step 308 is performed.

The one-line data buffer means 45 exists as a delay means for absorbing the processing delay time in the operation of the counting means 43, the decoding means 44 and the bar address generating means 46. That is, the output signal of the data buffer means 45 and the output of the bar address generation means 46 are synchronized. Thereafter, the output signal of the data buffer means 45 is input to the bar image removing means 47, and the start address and end address signals described above are input to the bar image removing means 47.
While the end address is "1", an operation is performed to reject the read image information (that is, the binarized and delayed data). Specifically, the same operation as the AND gate may be performed.

In the signal after being rejected, the data at the position where the bar code was present is replaced with the data corresponding to "0" or "white". The image data obtained by removing the bar image portion from the image information thus read is converted in data size by the resolution conversion means 48, data compression is performed by the data compression means 49, and the form image processing of step 308 is performed. .

The data compressed in this way is subjected to the data stream processing of step 309 in the data stream synthesizing means 50, and the data stream synthesizing means 50 also includes the decoded data output from the decoding means 44. Further, the bar code start address and end address signals output from the address generation means 46 are input.

Here, the form image data excluding the bar image, the bar code address data, and the bar code decode data are combined and assembled into one data string, that is, a data stream. The data stream is composed of a combination of each block of bar code decode data, bar code address data, and form image data, and an attribute / start flag for indicating the attribute of each block is added in front of each block. Also,
An end flag indicating the end is added after each block data, and the data transfer process to the modem in step 310 is performed.

The modem means 51 modulates the transmitted data stream, but since each data block has a different communication means and a different modulation method, it performs modulation corresponding to each block. Specifically, the attribute / start flag added before each data block is referred to, and the modulation method corresponding to each data block is selected. Then, the modulation ends with the end flag added after each data block.

The signal modulated by the modem means 51 is sent out to the public communication line 53 by the line control means 52. In this case, it is necessary to be connected to the communication partner by the public communication line 53 in advance, and the call control of the partner is performed by the line control means 52.

The line control means 52 sets the dialing call of the other party and disconnects it, or activates the receiving side. These functions are performed by the microcomputer 40 based on the operation on the control panel 32 before reading the form, for example.
Is activated and the line control means 52 is controlled to set. Alternatively, when the bar code corresponding to the other party code written on the bar code form document 29 is read, the microcomputer decodes the bar code and decodes it.
It is also possible to activate 40 and control the line control means 52 to automatically perform dialing of the other party. In this way, the modulation data transfer process of step 311 is performed.

That is, the communication in the mixed mode is "phase A: call setup""phase B: pre-message procedure""phase C: in-message procedure and message transmission""phase D: post-message procedure".
It is divided into the definitions of “Phase E: Call release”, and each data block is transmitted by repeating Phases B to D.

The data to be transmitted is the form image data, the bar code decode data, and the bar code address data individually or in a mixture for each line data of the main operation direction read by the scanner 27. Therefore, the facsimile communication data and the bar code communication data are distinguished.

In this way, in response to the transmission of one line of data from the scanner 27, the driving motor is driven in step 312.
30 is driven for one line, and if the communication for each one line progresses and the end of transmission is confirmed in step 313, the line is disconnected in step 314.

The data transmitted in this manner is received by the other party and printed out. The operation will be described from the standpoint of the receiving side. The transmitted data stream is a bar code terminal in a reception standby state. Received at device 21.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the bar code terminal device 21 on the receiving side, it is determined in step 401 whether or not there is an instruction from the control panel 32, and if a special instruction is given, the process proceeds to step 402 and Change to each mode according to the instruction. If it is confirmed in step 401 that there is no special instruction from the control panel 32, the reception standby state is set in step 403. Then, the transmission data is input to the bar code terminal device 21 in the reception standby state, the reception state is set in step 404, and the line control means 52 connects the line in step 405.

When the line is connected in this way, the received data stream is input to the modem means 51,
Demodulated. At this point, it is unclear what demodulation method should be adopted in the modem means 51, but referring to the attribute / start flag added to each data block included in the data stream, that data block is referred to. Since the procedure and the modulation method can be confirmed, the modem means 51 analyzes the received signal as in step 406, detects the procedure / modulation method of the data stream, and detects the demodulation method and communication according to the procedure. Means step 407
Determine with.

If it is determined in step 407 that the mode is the mixed mode, the process proceeds to step 408 to analyze the data stream, and the data stream demodulated by the modem means 51 is supplied to the data stream analyzing means 54. , The flags added before and after each data block are removed. Then, the bar code decoding data is supplied to the bar code generating means 58, the bar code address data is supplied to the image synthesizing means 57, and the form image data is supplied to the data expanding means 55.

The data decompression means 55 is, for example, MH at the time of transmission.
The image data compressed by the method is restored, and the restored image data is resolution conversion means (decompression).
At 56, the number of pixels corresponding to the print pixel density on the receiving side is converted. In this way, the form image processing of step 409 is performed.

The bar code decoding data from the data stream synthesizing means 54 is subjected to the bar image generating processing of step 410 in the bar code generating means 58. In the processing of this step 410, the contents of the bar code data are the table data of the bar code font table 591 containing the bar code image font of the table memory means 59 and the table data of the character font table 592 containing the ruled lines and characters and frame information. And a barcode image is generated.

The barcode image thus generated is subjected to the print image synthesizing process of step 411 which is set at the position where the barcode of the form image should exist, that is, the position designated by the barcode address data. This image composition can be realized by the same operation as the OR gate, and the detection of the address to be composed in the image is realized by integrating the white line and the black line of the image data whose resolution has been restored. it can.

After the print image synthesizing process is performed in this manner, the thermal head 24 is driven to perform the print process of step 412, and the drive motor 30 is driven for one line in step 413. If it is confirmed in step 414 that the reception is completed, the line is disconnected in step 415, and the reception process is ended.

The printing means is not limited to the method of printing on the roll paper 22 by the heat-sensitive or thermal transfer method as shown in the figure, but any printing method having a resolution necessary for printing a barcode can be appropriately adopted. .

If it is determined in step 407 that the mode is not the mixed mode, the process proceeds to step 416 to determine whether or not the barcode reception mode is set. If it is determined in step 416 that the barcode is not received, step 41
The procedure proceeds to step 7 to perform facsimile communication processing. In the case of normal facsimile data reception, the resolution conversion means 56
Need not be activated. If it is determined in step 416 that the barcode reception mode is not in effect, the flow proceeds to step 418 and shifts to the transmission reading process.

Here, in the case of only the facsimile operation (only in the case of image transmission of the bar code form),
The communication procedure in the above-mentioned bar code transmission and the modulation / demodulation method of the modem means 51 are different. By not performing each operation, the operation of only the facsimile can be realized.

[0062]

As described above, according to the form transmission terminal device of the present invention, the scanner part and the printing part are shared, and the bar code can be transmitted and received by this terminal device. In particular, it extracts the bar code part from the image of the bar code form and transmits the coded bar code data. The receiving side generates a bar code image and combines it with the form image. It becomes possible to reliably transmit and receive data and clearly transmit and receive images of barcode forms, especially barcode images.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a form transmission terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration centered on a microcomputer that controls the transmission side of the terminal device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration centered on a microcomputer that similarly controls the receiving side.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of basic processing in the microcomputer.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a label issuing process of the basic process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart similarly illustrating the flow of a transmission reading process.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the reception printing process.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a transmission reading process in mixed mode.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of reception print processing in a mixed mode.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a conventional barcode and image communication system.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a form including a barcode.

[Explanation of symbols]

21 ... Bar code terminal device, 22 ... Thermal roll paper, 231-23
3 ... Paper feed roll, 24 ... Thermal head, 25 ... Platen, 261, 262 ... Ejection roll, 27 ... Scanner, 28 ... Retraction solenoid, 29 ... Bar code form document, 30 ...
Drive motor, 32 ... Control panel.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A scanner unit for reading image data of a form to be transmitted, a bar code processing unit for separating a bar code from the read image data and decoding the bar code, and excluding the bar code. Facsimile processing means for processing other image data, the digitized bar code information, and the image information image-processed by the facsimile processing means are modulated by corresponding modulation means and transmitted to a transmission circuit. Transmitting means; barcode restoring means for restoring a barcode image based on the barcode information received via the transmission circuit; and image data based on the image information received via the transmission circuit. Facsimile restoration means for restoration and restoration by this facsimile restoration means And a barcode synthesizing unit for synthesizing the restored barcode image by embedding the restored barcode image in the generated image data.