JPH08339476A - Two-dimensional code processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the selectivity pf necessary data as to a two-dimensional code which is large in data capacity and read at a time. CONSTITUTION: The kind of required data among the kinds of data included in the two-dimensional code is set previously in a selective specification table 25 according to process operation, and a data selective taking-out means takes only data of the kind set in the selective specification table 25 out of the data stored in a read data expansion and storage means 23. Consequently, even when all necessary data are included in the two-dimensional code, data required by process operation kinds can easily be selected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a two-dimensional code processing device suitable for use in, for example, a POS system (point-of-sale information management system) in the distribution industry.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, P used in POS system
In the OS terminal, a product data file (PLU file) in which product data such as a product name and a selling price is set corresponding to a unique product code attached to each product in advance is provided in the memory, and a keyboard or the like is provided. When the product code of the sold product is entered by the product data input means, the product data file is searched and the product data such as the product name and the selling price corresponding to the entered product code is read out, and based on these product data Registration processing of product sales data is executed.

In this case, a bar code indicating a product code is printed or attached to each product, and a bar code readable bar code scanner is provided as a product data input means. It is also widely practiced to simplify the work of inputting the product code by reading.

By the way, in recent POS terminals,
In addition to the original product data handled at the store, there are some that allow registration processing of public fee data. For example, some convenience stores and the like carry out public fee transfer business.

Therefore, in order to facilitate the agency business of a transfer agency such as a convenience store, the issuer of the bill for paying the utility bill has the payment invoice (transfer notice slip) 31 shown in FIG. As shown, a bar code 32a relating to subscriber name data, a bar code 32b relating to notification slip issuance number data, a bar code 32c relating to branch / sales office number and billing amount data, etc. are printed.

Therefore, when the customer brings in the payment invoice 31, the data of the bar codes 32a, 32b, 32c printed on the payment invoice 31 is sequentially read by the bar code scanner to be input, thereby The utility bill data can be registered, and the closing process opens the drawer unit so that the money received from the customer can be stored. The clerk who received the money
As a proof of receipt, a stamp is stamped on the payment invoice 31, the reserved copies are stored in the store, and the customers are handed to the customers.

Further, in such a payment invoice 31, data (payee account number, customer name, customer number, etc.) to be used by a financial institution, etc., which actually conducts the transfer for the proxy transfer, is in OCR characters. It is printed. Therefore, these data are taken in by the OCR process and the actual transfer work is performed. Therefore, a normal POS terminal that does not have an OCR processing function cannot perform the transfer processing, and normally, it is performed through a host machine or the like which is a host machine of these POS terminals and which is line-connected to a financial institution. ing.

In order to enable the transfer work to be performed at the POS terminal, for example, data such as the payee account number for use at these financial institutions is also printed on the payment invoice 31 as a bar code. I think it's okay. However, in general, this type of invoice has a limited paper size, and it is not possible to increase the number of barcodes that occupy a certain area. Even if it is possible to print a bar code on these data, the invoice will be full of bar codes, resulting in poor appearance. Furthermore, the number of times the bar code scanner scans the bar code increases accordingly.

By the way, in recent years, a two-dimensional code such as a two-dimensional data code or a two-dimensional bar code, which has a larger amount of information than a bar code, has been attracting attention and is expected to be used as an alternative to the bar code in the field of distribution and the like. . The two-dimensional data code is composed of a rectangular pattern in which data is arranged in a matrix in which at least two sides are straight lines. The two-dimensional barcode is formed by stacking extremely thin barcodes in multiple stages. However, it is known that both can have a considerably large amount of data in arbitrary size as compared with a barcode.

Therefore, even in the example of the bill 31 mentioned above,
For example, if one two-dimensional code that is a pattern including all the data included in the barcodes 32a, 32b, and 32c and the data such as the payee account number for the financial institution is printed, the two-dimensional code scanner It is considered that the scanning and reading can be performed once.

[0011]

However, since the two-dimensional code is created on the basis of all the data that should be held and the data cannot be distinguished for each type in the reading stage, batch reading is performed and analysis is performed by the decoder. Then, after the data is expanded in the buffer on the memory, the data included in the two-dimensional code is used. That is, in the reading stage of the two-dimensional code, it is not possible to distinguish necessary data from unnecessary data, and therefore it is not possible to select and read only the necessary data. This means that if a large amount of data is included in the two-dimensional code by utilizing the large capacity, the data that is not required depending on the processing operation will be included in the processed data. That is, in the case of a two-dimensional code, the size of the data volume and the data selectivity do not match,
It is not always a good idea to include all data in one two-dimensional code.

[0012] For example, in the case of the payment invoice 31, since the types of data handled by the transfer agency business and the transfer business are different, even if a two-dimensional code is used, the barcodes 32a and 32b are actually used. , 32c for transfer agency business and two-dimensional code for transfer business including all data will be printed separately.
After all, there is not much difference from the conventional bar code system, and the reading scanning is required twice.

[0013]

A two-dimensional code processing device of the present invention is a two-dimensional code reading means for reading a two-dimensional code, and two read by the two-dimensional code reading means.
A read data expansion / storing unit that expands and stores the data of the dimension code; a selection designation table in which the type of data required according to the processing operation is preset from the types of the data included in the two-dimensional code; Data selection and extraction means for extracting only the data of the type set in the selection specification table from the data stored by the read data development and storage means.

[0014]

When the two-dimensional code is read by the two-dimensional code reading means, the data is expanded and stored by the read data expansion saving means. Then, when the processing operation is instructed, only the data of the type required according to the processing operation is taken out from the read data expansion / storing means by the data selection extracting means according to the setting of the selection specification table and is provided to the processing operation. To be done. Therefore, even if all the data is included in the two-dimensional code, it is only necessary to handle only the data required for the processing business in each processing business, and the size of the data capacity and the data related to the two-dimensional code. It is compatible with selectability.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The two-dimensional code processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied to a POS terminal in a POS system in a convenience store or the like that also handles a transfer service for public utility charges and a transfer service. The hardware configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

This POS terminal uses a CP as a control unit body.
It is equipped with U1. This CPU 1 has a bus line 2
Via the ROM 3 in which fixed data such as a program is stored in advance, or R for temporarily storing variable data.
AM4 is connected.

Further, the CPU 1 has a communication line interface 5 for connecting to a host computer of a host device or an external financial institution via a bus line 2, a keyboard controller 7 for controlling a keyboard 6, and a display unit 8. 2D data code reader interface (including a decoder) for inputting a 2D data code read by a 2D data code reader 12 and a printer controller 11 for controlling a receipt / journal printer 10 13, a mode switch 14 and an I / O port 16 connected to a drawer opening device 15 for opening a drawer (not shown) are connected.

The keyboard 6 is a keyboard dedicated to a POS terminal in which numeric keys, subtotal keys, closing keys and the like necessary for product sales registration work are arranged. The display 8 is
It displays the name, sale price, payment amount of one transaction, etc. of the registered products for sale, and is provided with a display for a clerk operating the POS terminal and a display for a customer. The printer 10 prints on the receipt paper and the journal paper the names, sales prices, total amounts, etc. of all the products registered for sale in one transaction. The printed paper is discharged from the receipt issuing port for each transaction. It is cut and issued to customers as a receipt, and the journal paper is wound up inside the POS terminal and stored as transaction history. Mode switch 1
Reference numeral 4 denotes a switch for selecting various business modes such as “registration”, “inspection”, “payment”, “setting”, etc. In the present embodiment, it is possible to select a business such as “transfer agency business” or “transfer business”. Has been done.

The two-dimensional data code reader 12 has two
A two-dimensional data code, for example, a two-dimensional data code that optically reads a rectangular two-dimensional data code 17 in which various kinds of data are arranged in a matrix having a configuration in which at least two pieces on the periphery are straight lines as shown in FIG. It constitutes a reading means.

Further, in the RAM 4, a transaction buffer 21, a transfer business transaction buffer 22, and an expansion buffer 23.
A storage area such as is secured. Transaction buffer 2
Reference numeral 1 is for temporarily storing various transaction data at the time of normal transaction processing, and is also used at the time of public utility transfer agency business. The transfer business transaction buffer 22 is for storing the transfer business data when the transfer business is executed by the POS terminal. The expansion buffer 23 is
Two-dimensional data code 17 by the two-dimensional data code reader 12
Is for expanding and storing the read data when it is read, and constitutes the read data expanding / storing means together with the CPU 1 and the like.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, on the bill 24 for payment of public utility charges, which is handled in this embodiment, a single two-value created based on all the data necessary for the payment of the public utility charges.
The dimension data code 17 is printed. In particular,
In addition to the data of the type required for transfer agency operations (slip number, utility bill name, branch / office number, billed amount, subscriber name), the type required only for transfer operations to financial institutions (account number of transfer destination) , A customer name, a customer number) and a two-dimensional data code 17 in which a pattern is created based on the data.

Further, in the front ROM 3, a data format table 25 as shown in FIG. 4 is provided. This data format table 25 includes all types of data (account number of transfer destination, customer name, customer number, slip number, utility charge name, branch office / business) of the data included in the two-dimensional data code 17 of the payment invoice 24. The type of data required according to the processing business (transfer agency business or transfer business) from among the office number, the billing amount, and the subscriber name) is preset, and constitutes a selection designation table. More specifically, the selection bit for transfer agency business,
The transfer business use is a selection bit, the required data type is set to "1", and the unnecessary data type is set to "0".

The function of the data selection / extraction means described later is configured to be executed by the CPU 1 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 3.

Next, the processing control associated with the transfer agency business and the transfer business when the customer brings in the payment invoice 24 and makes the payment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The payment invoice 24 is the one in which the billing source prints the two-dimensional data code 17 of a pattern created based on all the data necessary for issuing the invoice and sends it to each customer.

First, when the customer brings in the payment invoice 24 and wants to make the payment, the clerk operates the keyboard 6 or the like to set the scanning mode of the two-dimensional data code 17 of the payment invoice 24 (step S1). ) 2
The reading operation is performed by the dimensional data code reader 12. At this time, the two-dimensional data code 17 is collectively read by the two-dimensional data code reader 12, and after being analyzed by the decoder in the two-dimensional data code reader interface 13,
These read data are transferred on the bus line 2 (S
2). The CPU 1 reads these transferred data (S3), expands and stores all the obtained bill data in the expansion buffer 23 in the RAM 4 (S4). Next, the processing task to be performed is determined (S5).

Here, when the processing work is the transfer agency work, the selection bit in the data format table 25 in the ROM 3 is referred to, and the data of the type in which a bit "1" is set in this selection bit, specifically, In step S6, only data of types such as slip number and the like are extracted from the expansion buffer 23 and expanded in the work buffer or the like in the RAM 4 (S6). The process of step S6 is executed by the data selection and extraction means. Then, using the data expanded in the work buffer, the transfer agency work process is executed in accordance with the normal product registration process (S7). When the transfer agency business is completed, the data used for this business is R
It is stored in the transaction buffer 21 in the AM 4 (S8) and further displayed on the display 8 or, if necessary, the printer 1
Printing is performed with 0 (S9), and the process ends.

On the other hand, when the processing business is a transfer business to a financial institution, the selection bit in the data format table 25 in the ROM 3 is referred to, and the type of data in which a bit "1" is set in the selection bit, specifically, Data of all types such as account number
It is taken out from the expansion buffer 23 and expanded in a work buffer or the like in the RAM 4 (S10). This step S1
The processing of 0 is executed by the data selection and extraction means. Then, using the data expanded in the work buffer, the processing of the transfer business to the financial institution is executed via the communication line interface 5 or the like (S11). When the transfer business is completed, the data used for this business is stored in the transfer business transaction buffer 22 in the RAM 4 (S12), and the process is completed.

Therefore, when focusing on the handling of public utility charges,
Although the required data type is different between the transfer agency work process and the transfer work process stage, according to the present embodiment, even if the two-dimensional data code 17 including all data is used, Of all the data once expanded in the expansion buffer 23 by batch reading by scanning only, only the data of the necessary type according to each processing operation is selectively taken out and each processing operation is executed, so it is unnecessary. Since it is not necessary to expand various data into the work buffer and handle it, the processability is improved. In addition, from another point of view, the two-dimensional data code 17 can also include the data of the type required for the transfer operation, so that it does not depend on the host machine or the like.
By reading the two-dimensional data code 17 with the two-dimensional bar code reader 12, it is possible to directly carry out the transfer work even at the POS terminal.

In the present embodiment, the example of handling the two-dimensional data code 17 has been described with respect to the payment bill 24 relating to the utility bill, but the present invention is not limited to such an application example.
The present invention can be applied to all things to which a two-dimensional data code can be given. For example, a manufacturer who ships a product includes information about the product as a two-dimensional data code as much as possible,
By presetting the type of data required according to the scale of the store to which the product is delivered, it is possible to automatically retrieve only the data necessary for the processing operation at that store. That is, from the manufacturer's point of view, it is possible to provide a source marking function in which a unique two-dimensional data code can be assigned to each product without considering individual customers.

Although the example of application to the two-dimensional data code 17 as a two-dimensional code has been described, the present invention can be similarly applied to the case of a two-dimensional bar code.

[0031]

According to the present invention, a two-dimensional code reading means for reading a two-dimensional code, a read data expansion saving means for expanding and storing the data of the two-dimensional code read by the two-dimensional code reading means, A selection designation table in which the type of data required according to the processing operation is preset from among the types of data included in the two-dimensional code, and the selection designation table is selected from the data stored by the read data expansion / storing means. Since the data selection and extraction means for extracting only the data of the set type is provided, even if the type of the required data differs depending on the processing work, the data of the required type can be obtained by following the setting of the selection specification table. Since only the read data is stored in the read data expansion storage means and used for its processing work, the 2D code itself has all the necessary data. Be previously moistened with data, in each processing operations will be handled only data required for the processing operations, thus, it is possible to achieve both the size and the data selection of the data capacity for two-dimensional code.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a POS terminal showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a two-dimensional data code.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a payment invoice.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a data format table.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing control of a two-dimensional data code.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional payment invoice.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 two-dimensional code reading means 17 two-dimensional code 23 read data development saving means 25 selection specification table

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A two-dimensional code reading means for reading a two-dimensional code, a read data expansion / storing means for expanding and storing the data of the two-dimensional code read by the two-dimensional code reading means, and the two-dimensional code in the two-dimensional code. A selection designation table in which the type of data required according to the processing operation is preset from among the types of data included in, and the type set in the selection designation table from the data stored by the read data expansion / storing means. A two-dimensional code processing device, comprising: