JPH064849U - Barcode reader - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To enable automatic registration of reference values by teaching. [Configuration] In the barcode reader, the scanner 1 is
The bar code 5 is scanned with laser light, and the laser light reflected from the bar code 5 is received to obtain bar code data. The teaching mode signal input terminal 12 inputs the teaching mode signal TRC. The memory 22 stores the bar code data obtained by the scanner 1 as a preset value according to the teaching mode signal TRC input to the teaching mode signal input terminal 12. The main controller 20 compares the barcode data acquired by the scanner 1 with the preset value stored in the memory 22.
The output circuit 23 outputs the comparison result of the main control unit 20.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a bar code reader, and more particularly to a bar code reader which irradiates a bar code with a laser beam and reads bar code information by reflected light from the bar code.

[0002]

[Prior art and its problems]

 A bar code is a code that represents characters such as numbers by arranging bar-shaped rectangles called bar code symbols, and was developed for use in distribution information systems. The bar code reader scans the vicinity of the center of the bar code symbol with a laser beam, measures the width of the bar code symbol, and reads the displayed number.

This bar code reader normally reflects a laser light source that emits a laser beam, a scanning unit that includes a motor having a polygonal mirror called a polygonal mirror attached to its rotation axis, and a target bar code. The scanner includes a photoelectric conversion element that receives laser light and converts it into an electric signal, and a decoder that decodes the electric signal obtained by the scanner.

As this kind of bar code reader, a reference value is registered in advance for different kind discrimination, and the read bar code is compared with the reference value to determine whether or not the read value matches the reference value. It is known to output something. In this bar code reader, when registering a reference value, a peripheral device such as a keyboard or a personal computer is connected to the decoder and the reference value is input from them. However, these reference value input methods have problems such as manual input errors and cost increase due to connecting a personal computer.

In order to solve this problem, the present applicant has already proposed that the bar code read by the bar code reader in the teaching mode is registered as a reference value. With this bar code reader, when the bar code is read and a predetermined switch on the decoder is operated while the bar code is being read, the read bar code is registered as a reference value and the registered reference value is displayed. . When the bar code is subsequently read, OK is output when the bar code matches the reference value, and NG is output when the bar code does not match the reference value. As a result, the reference value can be registered only by the barcode reader without manual input.

However, in the configuration, when the teaching of the reference value is performed, the registration has to be performed by a predetermined switch operation, so that the reference value generated by the setup change or the like needs to be manually input each time. Therefore, it is not possible to automatically register the reference value by teaching. An object of the present invention is to enable automatic registration of reference information by teaching.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 A bar code reader according to the present invention irradiates a bar code with a laser beam and reads bar code information by reflected light from the bar code. This reader is provided with a bar code information acquisition means, a teaching mode input terminal, a storage means, a comparison means, and an output means. The barcode information acquisition means scans the barcode with a laser beam, receives the laser beam reflected from the barcode, and obtains the barcode information. The teaching mode input terminal is for inputting the teaching mode signal. The storage means stores the bar code information obtained by the bar code information acquisition means as reference information in accordance with the teaching mode signal input to the teaching mode input terminal. The comparing means compares the barcode information obtained by the barcode information obtaining means with the reference information stored in the storing means. The output means outputs the comparison result of the comparison means.

[0008]

[Action]

 In the bar code reader according to the present invention, when the teaching mode signal is input from the teaching mode input terminal, the bar code information obtained by the bar code information acquisition means is stored in the storage means as reference information. Then, the bar code information acquired by the bar code information acquisition means and the reference information are compared by the comparison means. The comparison result is output by the output means.

Since the teaching mode input terminal is provided here, it is possible to store the obtained bar code information as reference information (reference value) only by inputting a teaching mode signal from the outside to this terminal. it can. Therefore, the reference information can be automatically registered by teaching.

[0010]

【Example】

 FIG. 1 shows a bar code reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the bar code reader is composed of a scanner 1 and a decoder 2 connected to the scanner 1 by a cable 3. On the front surface of the scanner 1, an irradiation window 6 for irradiating the bar code 5 attached to the rear surface of the article 4 (inspection target) with a laser beam, and a light receiving for receiving the light reflected from the bar code 5 Windows 7 and are arranged.

A display unit 8 is provided on the front surface of the decoder 2. The display unit 8 is composed of an LCD 9 for display and a plurality of LEDs 10a to 10d arranged laterally of the LCD 9. The LED 10a is turned on when the preset value as the reference value and the measured value match. The LED 10b is turned on when they do not match. The LED 10c is turned on when a timing signal TIM described later is turned on. The LED 10d is turned on when the teaching mode signal TRC is turned on.

On the rear surface of the decoder 2, various setting switches and dip switches (not shown) are arranged, and an RS232C input / output terminal for connecting to peripheral devices such as a personal computer, a connecting terminal for the scanner 1 and timing. A signal input terminal 11 and a teaching mode signal input terminal 12 (FIG. 2) are arranged. As shown in FIG. 2, the scanner 1 includes a semiconductor laser diode (hereinafter, referred to as LD) 14, a laser lighting circuit 15 for driving the LD 14, a scanning unit 17 having a polygon mirror 16 mounted on a rotating shaft, and a photo sensor. It is mainly composed of a light receiving element 18 formed of a photoelectric conversion element such as a diode, and a light receiving circuit 19 for performing analog processing such as amplification on the output signal of the light receiving element 18.

The decoder 2 includes a main controller 20. The main controller 20 is composed of a micro computer, controls the laser lighting according to the timing signal TIM and the teaching mode signal TRC, and decodes the bar code information by the signal received by the light receiving circuit 19. In addition, the main control unit 20 compares the preset value with the read value. The main control unit 20 includes a scanning unit 17, a laser lighting circuit 15, an A / D converter 21 for converting the analog signal obtained by the light receiving circuit 19 into a digital signal, and the decoded bar code information for 10 scans. A memory 22 for storing and storing a preset value, an output circuit 23 for outputting the comparison result of the decoded bar code information and the preset value, a timing signal input terminal 11, and a teaching mode signal input terminal 12 are connected. There is. The display unit 8 and the output terminal 24 are connected to the output circuit 23.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described. First, in step S1 of FIG. 3, it is determined whether the timing signal TIM is on. When the timing signal is turned on, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, a laser lighting signal is output to the laser lighting circuit 15 to light the LD 14. In step S3, the bar code data is captured by the laser light received by the light receiving element 18. In step S4, it is determined whether the timing signal TIM is on. If it is determined in step S4 that the timing input is turned on, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, it is determined whether or not the barcode data corresponding to the capacity of the memory 22 (for example, 10 scans) has been read. If the data corresponding to the memory capacity has not been fetched, the process returns to step S3 to fetch the bar code data for the next scan. When the data for the memory capacity is fetched, the process proceeds from step S5 to step S6.

In step S6, the laser lighting circuit 15 turns off the laser light. In step S7, the barcode data for 10 scans fetched in the memory 22 is decoded. In step S8, it is determined whether the barcode data has been read. This judgment is made, for example, by comparing the data for 10 scans fetched in the memory 22 and determining whether or not they match. If it is determined that the barcode data cannot be read, the process returns to step S2, the laser is turned on again, and the barcode data is captured. If it is determined that the barcode data can be read, the process proceeds from step S8 to step S9.

In step S 9, the read bar code data is compared with the preset value registered in the memory 22, and it is determined whether or not they match. If the read bar code data matches the preset value, the process proceeds from step S9 to step S10. In step S10, the OK output is output to the outside through the output circuit 23 and the output terminal 24, and the LED 10a of the display unit 8 is turned on. In step S11, it is determined whether or not the timing signal TIM is turned off. If the timing signal TIM is not turned off, wait until the timing signal TIM is turned off. As a result, the OK output is output only once when the timing signal TIM is turned on once. When the operation in step S11 ends, the process returns to step S1 and waits for the next timing signal TIM to turn on.

When it is determined in step S4 that the timing signal TIM is turned off, the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the laser is turned off. In step S13, the read bar code data is decoded. In step S14, the decoded barcode data are compared with each other to determine whether the barcode data has been read. If the barcode data has been read, the process proceeds from step S14 to step S9.

If it does not match the preset value in step S9, or if the bar code data cannot be read in step S14, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the NG output is output to the outside through the output circuit 23 and the output terminal 24, and the LED 10b of the display unit 8 is turned on. When the processing in step S15 is completed, the process proceeds to step S11.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1 that the timing signal TIM is off, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, it is determined whether the teaching mode signal TRC is on. When it is determined in step S17 that the teaching mode signal TR C is off, the process returns to step S1. If it is determined that the teaching mode signal TRC is turned on, the process proceeds to step S18. In step S18, the teach process shown in FIG. 4 is executed. In this teaching process, the operations of steps S21 to S28 and steps S34 to S37 are the same as steps S1 to S8 and steps S12 to S15 of FIG.

When it is determined in step S21 that the timing signal TIM is off, the process proceeds to step S21a. In step S21a, it is determined whether the teaching mode signal TRC is on. When the teaching mode signal TRC is on, the process returns to step S21, and the teaching process is started by the input of the timing signal TIM. When the teaching mode signal TRC is turned off, the process returns to the main routine.

If it is determined in step S28 that the bar code data has been read by comparing the bar code data loaded in the memory 22, the process proceeds to step S29. In step S29, the read barcode data is registered as a preset value in the preset value storage area of the memory 22. In step S30, OK output is performed to the outside through the output circuit 22 and the output terminal 24, and the LED 10a is turned on. In step S31, it is determined whether the timing signal TIM is turned off. Wait until the timing signal TIM turns off, and return to the main routine when the timing signal TIM turns off. When NG output is performed in step S37, the process proceeds to step S31. Further, when the barcode data can be read in step S36, the process proceeds to step S29, and the value read at this time is also registered as a preset value.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, when the timing signal TIM turns on after the teaching mode signal TRC turns on, the teaching process is executed, and the bar code data read at that time is stored in the memory 22 as a preset value. be registered. This enables the teaching mode signal TRC to be turned on immediately before the timing of reading the beginning of a new product even when the barcode of a continuously flowing product is read and then the setup is changed to read the barcode of a new product. By doing so, the preset value can be set automatically.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the case where the timing signal TIM is intermittently turned on / off and the teaching mode signal TRC is turned on during that time has been described. However, as shown in FIG. When the teaching mode signal TRC is turned on regardless of the timing signal TIM, the teaching process is performed as shown in FIG. Here, in steps S42 to S54, the same processing as steps S22 to S35 in FIG. 4 is performed. However, in step S43, it is determined whether the teaching mode signal TRC is turned on instead of the timing signal TIM. If the teaching mode signal TRC is on, the process proceeds to step S44, and if the teaching mode signal TRC is off, the process proceeds to step S51. Further, in step S50, it is determined whether or not the teaching mode signal TRC is turned off.

That is, in the example of FIG. 6, when there is no timing signal TIM or when the teaching mode signal TRC is input regardless of the timing signal TIM, the bar read when the teaching mode signal TRC is input. Code data is registered as a preset value.

[0025]

[Effect of device]

 In the bar code reader according to the present invention, the teaching mode input terminal is provided so that the teaching mode can be executed by an external signal, so that the reference information can be automatically registered by teaching.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a barcode reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control operation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of the teach process.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing a relationship between a timing signal and a teaching mode signal.

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 of another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 of another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Scanner 2 Decoder 12 Teaching Mode Signal Input Terminal 14 LD 15 Laser Lighting Circuit 16 Polygon Mirror 17 Scanning Section 18 Light-Receiving Element 19 Light-Receiving Circuit 20 Main Control Section 22 Memory 23 Output Circuit 24 Output Terminal

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A bar code reader which irradiates a bar code with laser light and reads bar code information by reflected light from the bar code, wherein the bar code is scanned with the laser light, and the bar code is read from the bar code. Bar code information acquisition means for receiving the reflected laser light to obtain the bar code information, a teaching mode input terminal for inputting a teaching mode signal, and a teaching mode signal input to the teaching mode input terminal according to the teaching mode signal. Storing means for storing the barcode information obtained by the barcode information obtaining means as reference information; barcode information obtained by the barcode information obtaining means; and reference information stored in the storage means. A barcode including a comparing means for comparing and an output means for outputting a comparison result of the comparing means. Over da.