JPS6016669B2 - Data transfer method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improving a data transfer method between digital devices that handle digital information, and more specifically, the present invention relates to improving a data transfer method between digital devices that handle digital information. A device equipped with a light vent that converts the signal into an electrical signal,
It relates to a data transfer method between devices that are optically coupled to the device.

Recently, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a simple barcode symbol input device has a keyboard 2, a display 4 for displaying numbers, and a light bezel 3 for scanning a price tag or the like on which a barcode symbol is printed. Alternatively, a portable input device 1 is used which stores the data inputted by the light ben 3 in its internal semiconductor memory 27 (FIG. 2) and operates entirely on a rechargeable battery.

Such a portable input device 1 is particularly widely used in replenishment ordering systems in supermarkets and the like. Next, how this portable input device 1 is used will be explained. The person in charge of ordering checks the quantity of products on the product display shelves in the store, and if the quantity is less than the predetermined quantity, he scans the product card, which is converted into a barcode symbol and affixed to the display shelf, on the spot using the Light Ben 3, and inputs the input device 1. It is stored in the internal memory 27.

Then, by operating the keyboard 2, the replenishment quantity (order quantity) is inputted and stored in the memory 27. This process is then performed for all products to collect order data. Once this work is completed, the flexible input device is taken to a data transmission device installed at a predetermined location in the store, and the order data is transmitted to a host computer at a distribution center or other location via a telephone line connected to this data transmission device. do. The distribution center processes order data sent from each store, issues order slips all at once, and places orders. An example of a block diagram of a flexible input device used in such a replenishment stock ordering system is shown in FIG. To briefly explain this configuration, a keyboard 2, a keyboard encoder 23 that encodes the keyboard, a barcode demodulation circuit 21 that demodulates the barcode signal from the light ben 3, and a display 4 that displays the contents input using the keys and the light ben. and a display drive circuit 22 that drives it, a memory 27 that stores information input from the light ben 3 and the key 2, and an information connector 2 stored in the memory 27.
5 to an external data transmission device (not shown), a control unit 26 that controls the flow of data between the blocks, and a power supply unit that includes a rechargeable battery that supplies the entire power. 2
8 (wiring diagram not shown).

Conventionally, in order to transfer data from this type of device to a data transmission device, the connector 25 was used to physically and electrically connect the device to the transmission device, and the data was transferred in a bit serial or parallel manner. . However, due to the nature of the equipment, it is necessary to connect and disconnect connectors from transmission equipment frequently, resulting in poor contact due to physical abrasion of connector contacts, inability to transmit data due to disconnection, and line noise from transmission equipment connected to an AC power source. There were various problems such as malfunctions due to the influence. The present invention solves these conventional problems at once, and its gist includes a light source and a conversion means that receives light from the light source reflected from a reading medium and converts it into an electrical signal. The pen interface circuit of the device further comprises: a light ben; and a device to which the light ben is connected, which includes a pen interface circuit for demodulating a read signal from the light ben, and a memory means for storing the demodulated digital information; A reading circuit system that controls lighting of Light Ben's light source and demodulates the Suzuki signal from Light Ben, and a transmitting circuit system that controls the Light Ben's light source intermittently according to the transferred data, and one of these circuit systems is enabled. and a switching means for selecting and controlling the argument circuit system when collecting competitive media, and demodulating the read signal from the light ben by using the switching means to select the above-mentioned argument circuit system when collecting competitive media, and also controlling the transmitting circuit when transferring the collecting data. The data transfer method is characterized in that a system is selected by a switching means, a light source of a light ben is turned on and off according to the data to be transferred, and a predetermined modulated light is emitted from the light ben to transfer data.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below according to FIGS. 3 to 6 of the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the light ben 3 for barcode symbol reading and its internal circuit.

There is a lens 31 at the tip of the light ben 3, and this lens 31 is made of artificial ruby or the like in consideration of wear resistance. Immediately after the lens 31, a light emitting diode 32 serving as a light source is attached, and the light emitted from the light emitting diode 32 (usually a Ga-core light emitting diode, and the light is near infrared light) is emitted by the lens 31. The focus is set just in front of the lens. The light emitted from the light emitting diode 32 and reflected from the paper surface on which the barcode is printed is
It is converted into an electrical signal by a phototransistor 33 installed behind the light emitting diode 32, and further passed through an amplifier 34.
After being amplified (signal Sig), it is output to the light interface circuit 41 in FIG. In FIG. 3b, 10 power supply +V, 1 power supply 1V are Ben interface circuit 41
The ground terminal “0” V is connected to the ground of the interface circuit 41. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a digital device having a light vent, which demodulates the signal from the light vent 3 and
a pen interface circuit 41 that modulates the light by intermittent control of the current of the light emitting diode 32 in the pen interface circuit 41; and a keyboard encoder 4 that encodes input from the keyboard 410;
2, a memory 44 for storing digital information input through the light ben 3 and the keyboard 2, a display 49 for displaying the input information, a drive circuit 48 for the display 49, and a drive circuit 48 for controlling the input digital information and for inputting from the keyboard 410. A control unit 43 controls the switching of the mode of the light ben interface circuit between the barcode mode and the data transfer mode based on the above information.The control unit 411 includes a rechargeable battery 411 (wiring omitted) and supplies power to each of the above parts. Consisting of

The light ben 3 is used for normal barcode reading, and is also optically coupled with a light receiving element 46 and a light emitting element 47 attached to a data transmission device 45, and is used for transmitting and receiving data to and from the transmission device 45. 5a and 5b show circuit diagrams of the light-venn interface circuit 41. FIG.

FIG. 6 shows the timing chart. light ben 3
The received light signal Sig is amplified by an amplifier 51, then waveform-shaped by a waveform shaping circuit 52, and periodized by a D-flip-flop 53 to the system clock J. When the power source is turned on, the mode switching flip-flop 56 is reset by the reset signal RES, the barcode enable signal BE becomes "H", and the gate 54 is opened.
The synchronized light reception signal S enters the barcode demodulation circuit 55, and at the same time, the output of the gate 59 is maintained at the "H" level, so that the transistor 51 is conductive, and the light emitting diode 32 in the light vent 3 is A current 1 determined by the power supply +V and the resistor 511 flows, and the light emitting diode 32 emits light.
Therefore, at this time, when the paper surface on which the barcode is printed is scanned with a light ben, the received light signal Si as shown in Fig. 6c is generated.
A bar code signal Bar is obtained through the gate 54.
The signal is input to the barcode demodulation circuit 55 and demodulated. When a transfer mode set signal TXS is input from the control unit 43 to the mode switching flip-flop 56 in response to an operation on the keyboard 410, a transfer enable signal T is generated.
When XE becomes “H” and gate 54 closes, gate 5
7 is opened and the received light signal S is input to the received data input RD of the data transmission circuit 58. At the same time, the gate 59 opens and its output level is the transmission data output SD of the data transmission/reception circuit 68.
The transistor 510 opens and closes depending on the transmission data output SD. At this time, the transistor 512
conducts, the transfer mode lamp 513 lights up, and the operator is informed that the transfer mode has been entered. (Figure 5b). For bit-serial data transfer using light, it is possible to directly use the start-stop synchronization method used in conventional data transmission methods, and the transmission data output SD from the data transmission/reception circuit 58 is transmitted to each data carrier. This is an asynchronous signal with a 1-bit start bit STB and 1-bit stop bit SPB, and this transmission data S
The current 1 flowing through the light emitting diode 32 is interrupted in accordance with D, and the modulated light emitted from the light emitting diode 32 passes through the lens 31 at the tip of the light ben 3 and is irradiated onto the light receiving element 46 of the transmission device 45.

When a series of data is sent, the level of the sent data SD becomes “
The transistor 510 is turned off, the light emitting diode 32 stops emitting light, and a response from the transmission device 45 is waited for.
Please wait for a response as to whether or not the transmission data was successfully transferred. Similarly, in response to the response from the transmission device 45, the light emitting element 47 irradiates the lens 31 at the tip of the light ben 47 with light modulated by the sea bream walking synchronization signal.

This light is converted into an electric signal by the phototransistor 33 and becomes a light reception signal Sig as shown in FIG. 6b. Since the gate 57 is open, the light reception signal S enters the reception data input RD of the transmission/reception circuit 58 and is demodulated. When the data transfer is completed in this way and the barcode enable set signal from the control unit 43 becomes "H", the flip-flop 56 is switched, the signal BE becomes "H" and data transfer is prohibited, and the above-mentioned Barcode reading becomes possible.

- As described above, according to the present invention, there is a device to which a light ben is connected, which includes a pen interface circuit for demodulating the Suzutori signal from the light ben, and a memory means for storing the demodulated digital information. The pen interface circuit includes a reading circuit system that controls lighting of the light source of the Light Ben and demodulates the read signal from the Light Ben, a transmitting circuit system that controls the light source of the Light Ben on and off in accordance with transferred data, and one of these circuit systems. A switching means (flip-flop 56) is provided for enabling and selectively controlling one of the systems, and when a medium is being read, the switching means is used to select the above-mentioned cutting circuit system to demodulate the read signal from the light ben and to output the reading data. At the time of data transfer, the transmitting circuit system is selected by a switching means, and the light source of the light ben is turned on and off in accordance with the data to be transferred to emit a predetermined modulated light from the light ben, thereby transmitting the data. It is possible to optically transfer Kentori data by effectively utilizing the light ben that was used as a Kentori.
This not only greatly improves the reliability and lifespan of this read data transfer, but also eliminates the need for special connectors and other transfer means, making it especially portable for portable devices that are in strong demand to be smaller and lighter. Extremely useful for equipment.

Further expanding this method, a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are installed inside the light ben, and at the time of transmission, the light-emitting element emits light and at the same time, the light-receiving element receives the light emitted by the light-emitting element. It is possible to use the same method as the read-after-write method used in 2008, thereby increasing the reliability of transmission.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a plan view of a conventional portable input device, and Figure 2 is a top view of a conventional portable input device.
Figure 3 is an internal configuration diagram a and circuit diagram b of the light ben used in the present invention, Figure 4 is a block diagram of the digital equipment used in the present invention, and Figure 5 is a block diagram of the input device shown in the figure.
6 is a circuit diagram of a light vent interface circuit used in the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a timing chart at each point of the light vent interface circuit shown in FIG. 5. 3... Light Ben, 41... Light Ben interface circuit, 42... Keyboard encoder. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A light pen including a light source and a conversion means for receiving light from the light source reflected from a reading medium and converting it into an electrical signal; and a paint interface circuit to which the light pen is connected and demodulating the read signal from the light pen. , a device including memory means for storing the demodulated digital information, and the painter interface circuit of the device further includes a reading circuit system that controls lighting of the light source of the light pen and demodulates the read signal from the light pen. and a transmitting circuit system that controls the light source of the light pen intermittently according to the transferred data, and a switching means that selects and controls one of these circuit systems as effective, and when reading the reading medium, The circuit system is selected by the switching means to demodulate the read signal from the light pen, and the transmitting circuit system is selected by the switching means when the read data is transferred, and the light source of the light pen is switched on and off according to the transferred data. A data transfer method characterized in that data is transferred by emitting predetermined modulated light from the light pen.