JPS59123078A - Handy type bar code reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate exactly a bar code by discriminating bar code information contained in a detecting signal by setting the number of pulses of a synchronizing pulse signal as a reference. CONSTITUTION:When scanning is executed by turning on a read switch 19 and moving a reader body 9 from the lower part of a bar code card 2 to the upper part, in case when a moving speed is varied, the width of a bar code detecting signal of a photodiode 10b becomes large, but each pulse width of a synchronizing pulse signal is also varied, therefore, the number of pulses itself of the synchronizing pulse signal corresponding to the width of the detecting signal is not varied. Accordingly, either a thin bar or a thick bar is discriminated and its reading can be executed by counting the number of synchronizing pulses.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a handy barcode league (scanner) for reading predetermined barcode information by a manual scanning operation.

For example, in the assembly process of automobiles, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, vehicle type information such as specifications and models for each vehicle body is slit-shaped in the form of barcodes 3 and 4 on the thin metal board 2a itself. Punch out and form this into a barcode card 2
This barcode card 2 is assigned to each body Bo in advance.
The barcode card 2 is photoelectrically read each time on the part of the body B that is attached to a part of the body (the wheel house part in FIG. 1), which is conveyed on a conveyor in each assembly process on the assembly line. The present applicant has proposed a production system in which parts suitable for each specification, model, etc. are assembled and subjected to fc machining or other processing based on instructions from the barcode information.

In such a production system, for example, when a worker uses a handheld barcode reader to read the above barcode information each time, the barcode is stamped and printed. When using a conventional pen-type barcode reader regardless of the type of device, if the moving speed of the barcode reader changes during scanning, accurate determination of thin bars and thick bars may not be possible. There is a problem that the barcode cannot be read for the intended purpose unless it is repeated. These phenomena become more pronounced as the number of barcodes increases.

In addition, in order to deal with the above-mentioned problems, in so-called printing type barcode labels, some reference bars are printed into the original barcode arrangement.
By using this reference bar as a reference, you can read barcodes accurately without being affected by changes in scanning speed! 7, but in this case, the label itself becomes larger and the control becomes more complicated, so the above-mentioned approach, which requires a large amount of barcode information and tends to be disadvantageous due to its shape, is also available. This method is difficult to apply to blank-type barcode cards.

This invention was made in view of the above points, and is a handy bar that enables accurate reading of a large number of barcodes without the need for a reference bar and without being affected by speed changes during scanning. It is an object of the present invention to provide a code reader, and for this purpose, in the present invention, in addition to a barcode detection element, the barcode card can be inserted into a reader body having a barcode insertion slot. A guide roller that rotates while guiding the barcode, and a speed detection means that is rotationally driven by the guide roller and generates a synchronous pulse signal in synchronization with the detection signal from the barcode detection element, thereby detecting the barcode. The feature is that the barcode information included in the signal is determined based on the number of pulses of the synchronization pulse signal.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

3 and 4 show an embodiment of the present invention, 5 is a data display panel equipped with a data display panel 6, a display operation switch 7, a power switch 8, etc., 9 is a reader main body, and 2 is a As mentioned above, the predetermined barcode 3,
4 is a barcode card stamped and formed in two rows. 10a and iob are light emitting diodes and photodiodes as barcode detection elements for reading barcodes 8 and 4; these light emitting diodes 10a and photodiode 10b are connected to the card insertion slot 1
Two pairs of barcode cards 1 and 1 are provided facing each other with the barcode card 2 inserted therebetween, and the barcode information of each column is read completely photoelectrically and outputted as an electrical signal.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a pair of guide rollers for guiding the barcode card 2. When the barcode card 2 is inserted through the card insertion slot 11, these guide rollers 12 come into contact with the barcode card 2, and are inserted into the reader body. 9 and the barcode card 2 relative to each other. 'E7j, 13 A rotary encoder as a means for detecting the moving speed of the beam reader main body 9. The rotary encoder 13 is rotatably supported within the leader main body 9 and has a large number of slits formed around its entire circumference. It is composed of a slit disk 14, and a light emitting diode 15a and a photodiode 15b, which are arranged to face each other with the slit disk 14 in between. and,
A gear 16 coaxially provided with the slit disk 14 and a gear 17 coaxially provided with one of the guide rows 212.
are engaged with each other via an intermediate gear 18. Therefore, the slit disk 14 rotates in accordance with the relative movement between the barcode card 2 and the reader body 9, that is, the rotation of the guide roller 12, and thereby the photodiode 15b outputs a synchronizing pulse signal according to changes in the amount of received light. In other words, the speed of the reader main body 9 during scanning can be output in the form of a pulse signal via the guide roller 12Th.

Next, the operation of the barcode reader having the above configuration will be explained together with its operating procedure using FIGS. 5 and 6.

First, the basic scanning operation is to turn on the reading switch 19'iON, place the card insertion slot 11 of the reader body 9 against the lower end of the barcode card 2, and insert the reader body 9 from below the barcode card 2. Move it up and scan. At this time, two rows of barcodes 3 are displayed by the light emitting diode 10a and the photodiode 10b.
, 4 are read, and at the same time the guide roller 12'
As the slit disk 14 rotates through the slit disk 14, the moving speed of the reader main body 9 is outputted as a synchronizing pulse signal.

Then, the barcode card 2 at this time and the photodiode 10 which is the reading detection signal of this barcode card 2
The main relationship between the output signal of B and the synchronizing pulse signal from the 7-otodiode 15b is shown in FIG. If it remains constant until the reading is completed, the pulse width of the synchronization pulse signal will be uniform, and the width a from the rising edge of the synchronizing pulse to the falling edge will be the barcode 3 of a thin bar. C is read as a thick bar code 4.

On the other hand, if the moving speed of the reader main body 9 during scanning is not constant and changes during scanning, for example,
When the barcode 4 in the thick bar in Figure (5) is read, if its moving speed changes to t (becomes slower than before), the amount of light received by the photodiode 10b increases at 7t as described above, as shown in Figure 6 (C ) As shown in the photodiode 10b
The width C of the barcode detection signal in FIG.
The amount of light received at 5b and the width of the individual pulses of the periodic pulse signal also vary as shown in 7' (Fig. 5(C)).
Therefore, the number of pulses of the synchronizing pulse signal corresponding to the width C of the detection signal itself does not change. That is,
As shown in FIG. 5(B) and FIG. 5(C), as the moving speed of the reader body 9 changes, the photodiode 10
Although the detection signal width of b changes, the synchronization pulse width of photodiode 15b also changes in the same way, so the number of synchronization pulses (corresponding to each barcode width) included between signal widths a and e remains constant. Therefore, if the number of synchronization pulses is set to f, it is possible to reliably distinguish between thin bars and thick bars and read them. Incidentally, the above signal processing process is shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the moving speed of the reader main body changes during scanning, fine pars can be maintained.

Since each barcode on the thick bar can be reliably distinguished, its reliability can be improved, and since there is no need to provide a reference bar, the card itself can be made smaller, especially when This is advantageous when the blank type barcode has many digits.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a car body with a barcode card attached, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of part A in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the hand-held barcode reader of the present invention. , FIG. 4 is a sectional explanatory view of the main part of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a time chart for explaining the operation of the barcode reader,
FIG. 6 is the same flow chart. 2...barco)'car)'', :!s, 4...
- Barcode, 9...Reader body, 10a...Light emitting diode (code detection element), 10b...Photodiode (barcode detection element), 11...
Card insertion slot, 12... Guide roller, 18... Rotary encoder (speed detection means). Engraving of drawings (no change in content) Figure 2 Procedural amendment (voluntary) January 1982 - January 1711 Patents filed on December 28, 1982 (8) 2, Name of invention Handheld barcode reader 3. Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Applicant (899) Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. 4, Agent 104 Higashi J; (Tokyo Chuo 1 Me Akashicho 1-29 1 & IF Kai Building 5) Drawing 6, contents of correction

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A barcode detector for detecting the barcode is provided in the reader body which has a card insertion slot for inserting a barcode card with a predetermined barcode attached.
an element, a guide roller that rotates while guiding the barcode card when the barcode card is inserted into the card insertion slot, and a guide roller that is rotationally driven by the guide roller and detects a A speed detection means for generating a synchronization pulse signal in synchronization with the detection signal is provided, and barcode information included in the detection signal from the barcode detection element is determined based on the number of pulses of the synchronization pulse signal. A handy barcode league.