JPH1049612A - Wireless bar-code hand scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive scanner without any limit of angle of visibility in which the operational switching of a batch mode and an individual mode can be easily attained. SOLUTION: Communication between the scanner 11 and a host device 12 is operated by using an inexpensive acoustic wave interface with wide directivity as an interface. In this case, when communication abnormality is generated, read data are automatically stored in a scanner 11, and after all the reading operations are ended, a transmission key switch 4 is depressed in the neighborhood of the host device 12 so that control for operating the data communication in a batch can be attained. Thus, this device can be made wireless when the layout of a cable is unsatisfactory, and also an input at a remote place can be attained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code hand scanner, and more particularly to a wireless bar code hand scanner without a connection cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a bar code hand scanner has been
It is connected to the OS register by a cable. The reading operation is performed by bringing the barcode reading unit close to the barcode of the product, but the handling is poor due to the cable. Also, depending on the length of the cable, it may not be possible to read a large product that does not ride on the counter of the POS register. Therefore, there is a need for a wireless barcode hand scanner, and there are a wireless barcode hand scanner using a wireless (radio wave) interface and a wireless barcode scanner using an infrared interface.

In addition, every time reading is performed, the reading data is stored in the bar code hand scanner inside the bar code hand scanner so that the reading operation can be performed in a mode other than the communication mode each time the communication is performed, even at a distance greater than a communicable distance.
A batch mode in which data stored by a transmission key is collectively communicated after going to a host device is operated in a handy terminal with a scanner.

However, the conventional wireless barcode hand scanner as described above has the following problems.

[0005] (1) The device is complicated and expensive in the wireless interface. In addition, the infrared interface has strong directivity for both the light emitting element and the light receiving element, and is strongly restricted by the viewing angle.

(2) There is a batch mode which enables a reading operation at a position exceeding a communicable distance by wireless, but it takes time and effort to switch to a normal mode each time. If the mode is fixed every time, if communication is not performed normally, it is necessary to repeat the retry many times, and there is a problem that it is not possible to move to the next operation. There is a problem that the processing time becomes longer.

[0007] Incidentally, those utilizing a sound wave interface related to the present invention include an "information recognition device" described in JP-A-64-10319 (hereinafter referred to as "prior art 1"); There is a “portable underwater wireless communication device” described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 260441 (hereinafter referred to as Prior Art 2).

In the "information recognition apparatus" of the prior art 1, when the input pen is in the vicinity of the console, that is, when the input pen is within the traveling range of the sound pulse from the sound wave transmitter / receiver, the sound pulse is input to the input pen. The reflected sound pulse is received by a sound wave transceiver. When a propagation occurs between a transmission pulse and a reception pulse, a relationship is established between the propagation speed and the distance, and the propagation time from the transceiver to the original transceiver via the reflection point again is a certain value. Then, the distance is required. Thus, the input pen can be made small, lightweight, and good in pointing.

In the “portable underwater wireless communication device” of the prior art 2, the diver has a small mode switch or a small keyboard inserted into an arm or the like as a transmitting means, a modulator,
Having a drive amplifier, etc., a preamplifier as a receiving means,
It has a demodulator, a word-speech synthesizer, a bone conduction earphone, and the like, and further has a circulator and a transducer for transmitting and receiving a sound wave. A plurality of signal words are prepared between the diver and the ship in advance, and the code signal is transmitted and received wirelessly. The speech synthesizer synthesizes speech based on the code signal, and notifies the recipient through the bone-conducting earphone.

However, the invention of the prior art 1 is for obtaining the distance from the reflection time of the sound wave pulse, and the invention of the prior art 2 is for utilizing the ultrasonic wave in the underwater transmission means, and is a wireless bar code hand scanner. Has nothing to do with the invention.

[0011]

As described above, the wireless interface system used in the conventional wireless barcode hand scanner has a problem that the cost is high, and the infrared interface system has a problem that the view angle is strongly restricted. Further, the operation switching between the batch mode and the case-by-case mode is complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless barcode hand scanner which solves the above-mentioned problems, is inexpensive, has no restriction on the viewing angle, and can easily switch the operation between the collective mode and each time.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a wireless barcode hand scanner according to the present invention performs data transmission / reception using a sound wave between a barcode reading unit for reading a barcode and a host device. A sound wave input / output unit having a sound wave interface, and the bar code identification data read by the barcode reading unit is transmitted to the host device through the sound wave input / output unit, and response data from the host device is input and normal. And a control unit for identifying the transmission to the initial state and returning to the initial state.

In particular, the control unit transmits identification data to the host device every time a bar code is read, and stores a bar code identification data by collectively storing the bar code identification data each time receiving a response data from the host device. Batch mode control means for transmitting to the higher-level device and receiving response data from the higher-level device, and automatically shifts to the collective mode control means when the response data is not obtained by the mode control means each time. It is characterized by the following.

Further, a transmission timing input section is provided for giving a transmission timing to the control section at the time of processing by the collective mode control means so as to transmit the stored data to the host device.

That is, the wireless barcode hand scanner according to the present invention can be realized without using an expensive interface, and can realize a function of overcoming a normal abnormality that can always occur in wireless communication. , Using an inexpensive sound interface. When a communication error occurs, the read data is automatically stored in the barcode hand scanner, and after all the reading operations are completed, the transmission key is pressed by the upper-level device to collectively read the data. Controls data communication. This function enables not only wireless connection due to poor cable management but also remote input.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a wireless barcode hand scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a wireless barcode hand scanner, and reference numeral 12 denotes a higher-level device that manages the scanner 11.

In the scanner 11, when the barcode reading section 1 detects the barcode, it recognizes the data and sends it to the control section 5. The control unit 5 has a processing program for each mode and the collective mode. In each mode, the input barcode recognition data is transmitted to the sound wave output unit 2 as it is. In the collective mode, the recognition data is accumulated and the transmission key switch 4 is pressed. At times, the stored data is sent to the sound wave output unit 2. The sound wave output unit 2 has a sound wave interface for transmitting a sound wave according to the input data, and transmits barcode recognition data to the host device 12 by the sound wave interface.

Upon receiving the data normally, the host device 12 sends response data back to the scanner 11. In the scanner 11, the sound wave input unit 3 includes a sound wave interface for receiving response data from the host device 12. The control unit 5 receives the response data from the sound wave interface of the sound wave input unit 3, recognizes that the data communication has been normally completed, and ends a series of operations.

The above data flow is the same as that of a conventional bar code hand scanner except that a communication system using a sound wave interface is adopted.

Next, even if a communication error that is likely to occur in wireless communication occurs, the data is automatically stored in the barcode hand scanner 11, and after the reading operation is completed, the data can be transmitted collectively. FIG. 2 shows the switching flow.

While the apparatus is used at a short distance from the host device 12, there is almost no occurrence of communication abnormality, and during normal communication, processing is performed according to the above-described data flow (every time mode). When a communication error occurs, a normal response from the host device 12 cannot be recognized, and thereafter, the mode automatically shifts to the batch mode, and the read data is accumulated in the barcode hand scanner.

That is, in the individual mode, when a reading operation is performed (step A1), the operation is repeated until the bar code is normally read (step A2).
If the reading is normal, the reading sound is emitted by the sound wave interface, and the reading data (recognition data) is transmitted (step A3).

Here, it is determined whether or not response data indicating that the data has been normally received from the higher-level device 12 has been obtained (step A4). Return to the state. If no response data is obtained, the mode automatically shifts to the batch mode.

After the shift to the batch mode, the data is continuously stored until the transmission key switch 4 is pressed, and the stored data is transmitted by pressing the transmission key.

That is, when the mode is shifted to the batch mode, it is determined that the transmission key switch 4 has been pressed (step B1). If the transmission key switch 4 has not been pressed, a reading operation is performed (step B2), and the bar code is read normally. The operation is repeated until (step B3). If the reading is normally performed, a reading sound is generated by the sound wave interface, the reading data (recognition data) is accumulated, and the process returns to step B1 (step B4).

When the depression of the transmission key switch 4 is detected in step B1, the read data is transmitted (step B5), and the transmission is repeated until normal response data is recognized from the host device 12 (step B6). If there is response data, the stored data is cleared, a processing completion sound is emitted (step B7), and a series of batch mode processing ends, returning to the initial state.

As described above, according to the present invention, by using a sound wave interface for a wireless barcode hand scanner, communication with low directivity and low directivity can be realized.

In the case of a communication error that can always occur in wireless communication, the operation mode is automatically shifted to the batch mode, although retries have been performed many times in the past, thereby improving operability.

In the batch mode, it is possible to input data from a remote place which cannot be clearly reached by the wireless interface, and it is also possible to operate such that a plurality of operators can hold the wireless barcode hand scanner and read and input simultaneously. Becomes

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless barcode hand scanner which is inexpensive, has no restriction on the viewing angle, and can easily switch the operation between the collective mode and each time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a wireless barcode hand scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary flowchart showing the flow of automatic switching between a case mode and a batch mode according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bar code reading part 2 Sound wave output part 3 Sound wave input part 4 Transmission key switch 5 Control part 11 Wireless bar code hand scanner 12 Host device

Claims (3)

[Claims] A bar code reading unit for reading a bar code; a sound wave input / output unit having a sound wave interface for transmitting / receiving data by sound waves to / from a higher-level device; And a control unit for transmitting the read bar code identification data to the upper device, inputting response data from the upper device, identifying that the data has been transmitted normally, and returning to an initial state. Wireless barcode hand scanner. 2. The control unit transmits identification data to the host device each time a barcode is read, and stores a barcode identification data by collectively storing barcode identification data each time receiving a response data from the host device. Batch mode control means for transmitting to the higher-level device and receiving response data from the higher-level device, and automatically shifts to the collective mode control means when the response data is not obtained by the mode control means each time. The wireless barcode hand scanner according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission timing input unit for giving a transmission timing to the control unit during processing of the batch mode control unit and transmitting the accumulated data to the host device. Wireless barcode hand scanner.