JPS5975372A - Optical character recognition hand scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To confirm from the outside of a scanner body whether or not a character is positioned exactly in a read area by providing a transparent or semitransparent case part on the scanner body. CONSTITUTION:An OCR hand scanner 1 is provided with a recognizing part 3 for reading successively and optically a character on a paper surface 2 when it scans on the paper surface, and a confirming means 5 for confirming the character read by the recognizing part 3 from the outside of a scanner body 4. The means is constituted of a transparent case part 16 provided on the tip part of the body 4, and a slit plate 17 fitted to the lower end of an optical path 12a of an optical path cylinder 12 of the recognizing part 3. The case part 16 is provided in order to confirm a read character from the outside, and the slit plate 17 has a square-shaped hole in the center, and by this hole, an irradiation range of light from a light source lamp 7 is controlled, so that a position of a character can be confirmed exactly by indicating a read area 18 of the character.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical Field of the Invention] This invention relates to an OCR hand scanner that optically reads characters.

(3) [Prior Art] Conventionally, in OCR hand scanners that optically read characters by holding them in the hand and scanning them, the tip of the scanner body, ie, the A mark such as a notch or a step is provided on the scanner body at the J reading location, and the position of the character being read is confirmed by this mark.

[Problems with the Prior Art] In the above-mentioned OCR hand scanner, the characters being read are hidden by the tip of the scanner body, making it impossible to see the characters from the outside. For this reason,
With the OC'R hand scanner mentioned above, it is difficult to know exactly where the characters being read are in the reading area, or from which character to which character they have scanned. Furthermore, since marks such as notches and stepped portions provided at the tip of the scanner body are far from the reading area, there is a drawback that the position of the characters being read cannot be accurately confirmed.

For these reasons, the above-mentioned OCR hand scanner has a problem in that it is difficult to always read characters well, and the rate of misreading is high.

(i) [Objective of the Invention] This invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is possible to check from outside the scanner body whether the characters are correctly positioned within the reading area, and it is possible to check whether the characters are correctly positioned within the reading area. Another object of the present invention is to provide an OCR hand scanner that can read data well.

(5) [Summary of the Invention] This invention provides a scanner body with a transparent case portion or a semi-transparent case portion so that characters being read through the case portion can be confirmed from outside the scanner body. This is what I did.

In addition, in this invention, the range of light irradiated from the light source of the OCR hand scanner is regulated by a slit plate to indicate the reading area of characters.

Further, according to the present invention, the illumination device irradiates a point of light at the center of the character to be read, or a frame of light surrounding the character to be read, so that the position of the character can be accurately confirmed. .

(+1) (First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and 1 in the figures is an OCR hand scanner.This OCR hand scanner 1 is as shown in FIG. a recognition unit 3 that sequentially optically reads characters on the paper surface 2 when the paper surface 2 is scanned;
This OCR hand scanner 1 is also equipped with a confirmation means 5 for confirming the characters being read by the recognition section 3 from outside the scanner body 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recognition unit 3 includes a light source lamp 7 that irradiates light onto the characters on the paper surface 2 through a lens 6, and an image of the characters irradiated by the light source lamp 7. An image sensor 1o that forms an image through a lens 8 and an optical filter 9, and these light source lamps 7 and image sensor 1o
and a circuit board 11 to which is connected. In this case, the light source lamp 7, the image sensor 10. Each lens 6.8 and optical filter 9 are attached to the optical path tube 12 as shown in FIG. That is, this optical path tube 1
2 consists of two optical paths 12a and 12b, one optical path 1
A light source lamp 7 and a lens 6 are attached to the optical path 2a, and an image sensor 10, an optical filter 9, and a lens 8 are attached from above to the other optical path 12b. The optical path tube 12 is fixed within the scanner body 4 by screws 13. Further, electronic components 1, 4, etc. such as LSI and resistors are attached to the lower surface of the circuit board 11, and a connection cord 15 is connected to the circuit board 11.

On the other hand, a confirmation means 5 for confirming the characters being read by the recognition unit 3 from outside the scanner body 4 is a transparent case part provided in the scanner body 4 at the tip of the scanner body 4, that is, near the part where the characters are read. 16, and the optical path tube 1
The slit attached to the lower end of the optical path 12a of 2&17
It is made up of sharp edges. In this case, the transparent case part 16 is used to confirm the characters being read from the outside, and allows internal light to be emitted to the outside and external light to enter the interior and be read. It is preferable to use a semi-transparent material that does not affect the image of the characters. Further, the slit plate 17 has a rectangular hole in its center, and this hole regulates the range of light irradiated from the light source lamp 7 to indicate the reading area 18 of characters. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, this reading area 18 has a rectangular shape that is larger than one character on the paper surface 2 and smaller than the inner diameter of the transparent case part 16, Indicates reading range.

According to the OCR hand scanner 1 configured in this way, when the paper surface 2 is scanned and characters are sequentially read by the recognition section 3, the characters being read are transmitted from outside the scanner body 4 through the transparent case section 16. This allows you to see where the characters are being read, and also to know exactly which characters have been scanned. In this case, especially if the transparent case part 16 is made of a semi-transparent material, light from the outside will not enter the inside and affect the image of the characters being read. Can read text well.

In addition, in the OCR hand scanner 1, the slit plate 17 restricts the irradiation range of the light from the light source lamp 7 to indicate the character reading area 18, making it easy and accurate to align the characters during scanning. This can reduce the rate of misreading due to misalignment of letters.

For this reason, the OCR hand scanner 1 described above can read characters well, has a small reading area 18, can make the image sensor 10 small, and can perform high-speed scanning. Become.

C.r) [Second Embodiment] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the same parts as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. The OCR hand scanner 20 of this second embodiment is similar to the slit plate 17 of the first embodiment described above.
A lighting device 21 is provided instead. That is, in this illumination device 21, as shown in FIG.
Accordingly, a dotted light 23 as shown in FIG. 5 is irradiated onto the center of the character being read. In this case, the light emitting diode 22 emits light 23 of a color different from this light so as not to be confused with the light from the light source lamp 7 of the recognition unit 3.
It is designed to irradiate. Note that 24 in FIG. 5 indicates the irradiation range of light from the light source lamp 7.

In the OCR hand scanner 20 configured in this way, when the paper surface 2 is scanned and the recognition unit 3 sequentially reads the characters, the dot-shaped light 23 from the light emitting diode 22 is used to detect the characters being read. Since it is possible to check from the outside through the transparent case part 16 whether or not it is located in the center, the characters can be read correctly, and therefore the same effect as in the first embodiment described above can be achieved. be.

Embodiment FIGS. 6 to 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the same parts as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. The OCR hand scanner 30 of this third embodiment is provided with another lighting device 31 in place of the lighting device 21 of the second embodiment described above. That is, this illumination device 31 has a light emitting diode 32, a lens 33, and a slit plate 34 attached to another optical path 12a of the optical path tube 12 in this order from the top, as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the slit plate 34, as shown in FIG. 7, has a rectangular frame-shaped sulin 34a formed in its center. Therefore, the lighting device 31 has light emitting diodes 3 passing through the slits 34a of the slit plate 34.
As shown in FIG. 8, the light 2 is emitted as a frame-shaped light 35 surrounding the characters being read.

This frame-shaped light 35 indicates the character reading area of the recognition unit 3, and has a different color so as not to be confused with the light from the light source lamp 7. Note that 36 in FIG. 8 indicates the irradiation range of light from the light source lamp 7.

Also in the OCR hand scanner 30 configured in this way, when scanning the paper surface 2 and sequentially reading characters with the recognition unit 3, the frame-shaped light 3 configured by the illumination device @31 is used.
Since it is possible to confirm whether or not the characters read within 5 are correctly positioned, the same effect as in the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the OCR hand scanner according to the present invention, since the scanner body at least near the part where characters are read is formed of a transparent case, the characters being read are exposed to the outside of the scanner body. Therefore, it is possible to accurately scan the characters.

Further, in the OCR hand scanner of the present invention, the light from the light source of the recognition section is regulated by the slit plate to indicate the character reading area, so that the characters can be read correctly.

Furthermore, in the OCR hand scanner of the present invention, the illumination device irradiates a point of light at the center of the character being read or a frame of light surrounding the character being read. Can read characters correctly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a schematic perspective view of the OCR hand scanner, FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the state near the characters being read, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show the second embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the OCR hand scanner, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the state near the characters being read, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the OCR hand scanner.
Figure 8 shows the third embodiment, and Figure 6 shows its OCR.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the hand scanner, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the slit plate, and FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the state of the vicinity of the characters being read. 1.20.30...OCR hand scanner, 2
...Paper, 3...Recognition section, 4...
...Scanner body, 5... Confirmation means, 7...
...Light source lamp, 16...Transparent case part 11
7...Slit plate, 18...Reading area, 21.31...Mark/illumination device, 23...
Point-shaped light, 35... Frame-shaped light. Patent applicant Casio Computer Co., Ltd. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 4 Figure 6 Figure 8 Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an OCR hand scanner that optically reads characters sequentially by scanning the characters, a transparent case part is provided that allows the characters being read to be seen through from outside the scanner body. An OCR hand scanner, characterized in that it is equipped with a confirmation means. (2) A patent characterized in that the transparent case portion of the confirmation means is semi-transparent to prevent light entering from outside the scanner body from affecting the characters being read. An OCR hand scanner according to claim 1. (8) Claim 1, characterized in that the confirmation means includes a slit plate that regulates the irradiation range of light from the light source of the OCR hand scan and indicates the reading area of characters. , OCR hand scanner according to item 2. (4) The OCR hand according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the confirmation means is an illumination device that irradiates a point of light to the center of the character being read. scanner. (5) The OCR hand scanner according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the confirmation means includes an illumination device that irradiates a frame-shaped light surrounding the characters being read.