JPS6027074A - Information reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read the information printed with high density by using a window and a window gathering for restoration after showing ''0'' and ''1'' with white/ black picture elements and black/white picture elements respectively and reading the synchronizing signal and a print code added with a frame area. CONSTITUTION:A scanner 1 forms an image at a 1-dimensional image sensor 4 via a lens system 3 to the short side direction of a pattern 2 and delivers a read picture signal (a) to an accumulating device 6 via a drive circuit 5. The signal (a) is binary coded by a binary coding circuit 10, and the frame area of a binary coded signal (e) is detected by a picture array circuit 11. The signals at and after said frame area are accumulated to a memory 12. The contents of the memory 12 designated by the sequence signals (f) and (g) of the short and long side directions respectively transmitted from a recognizer 13 are delivered to a recognizing part 14 in the form of a signal (h). The part 14 recognizes a print code pattern by means of a window (an area consisting of four read picture elements) and a window gathering (a gathering of read picture elements consisting of three windows) and restores the value (''0'' with white and ''1'' with black) of record picture elements to deliver it to an information converting part 15.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention encodes information such as an audio signal in binary, reads the encoded code information, and restores the recorded binary information from the read signal. , relates to an information reading device that obtains information such as the original voice.

Conventional configuration and its problems Traditionally, audio information, product code information, etc. are encoded in binary and printed, the printed information is read, and the original audio information and product code information are restored. As a printing encoding method, a bar code as shown in FIG. 1 is often used. However, this barcode method has the problem that the amount of information recorded is small because information is printed only one-dimensionally.

Purpose of the Invention In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a method for restoring original information from a record carrier on which two-dimensional recording has been performed, which can increase the amount of recorded information when recording information in binary form. The present invention provides an information reading device that can read information.

Structure of the Invention According to the present invention, binary information 0 is placed adjacent to the first recording pixel and second recording pixel in this order, and binary information 1 is placed adjacent to the first recording pixel and the first recording pixel. a binary information recording area in which the pixels are arranged adjacent to each other in this order and are sequentially recorded in the row direction, and when the recording in the row direction is completed, the binary information is shifted in the column direction and the binary information is recorded again in the row direction; On both sides of a row in the binary information recording area, the first . a row designation area in which the second recording pixels are recorded in the column direction;
The first . Alternatively, for a record carrier having a frame area recorded by one of the second recording pixels, each of the recording particles is scanned optically finer than the recording density in the record carrier. scanning means for scanning an area and converting it into an electrical signal; binarization means for converting the electrical signal converted by the scanning means into binary information; and information corresponding to the information recorded in the frame area and the line indication area. storage means for extracting and storing binary information converted by the binary conversion means corresponding to information recorded in the binary information recording area, based on the binary information converted by the binary conversion means; recognition means for taking a plurality of adjacent pixels recorded on the record carrier as one reading unit, reading out information corresponding to the plurality of reading units from the storage means, and restoring the read information; By providing this, the above purpose is achieved.

Description of examples An embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

Note that a pattern read by an information reading device in an embodiment of the present invention, that is, a print pattern of binary information will first be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 2, the frame area A is an area consisting of all black pixels, and this frame area A is an area having a constant width and consisting of N2 recording pixels. Note that a recording pixel is the minimum recording unit when printing black or white. The value N2 is 1
Any value above is N2-
Set it to 4.

On the other hand, area B is a column indicating area indicating whether it is the direction of the odd-numbered short side, that is, the direction of the arrow X, or the direction of the even-numbered short side,
For the odd numbered pixels, as shown in Figure 3(a), it starts with white, and white and black are alternately adjacent, and consists of N1 recording pixels, while for the even numbered pixels, as shown in Figure 3(b). As shown in
It starts with black, and consists of one recording pixel, with white and black adjacent to each other alternately. This value N1 is equal to the number of windows in the window set used in the device described later. In the case of this embodiment, the number of window bushes in the window set is 3, which is N1-3. N, as mentioned above: 3
．． A part of the printed pattern in the case of N2:=4 is shown in FIG.

Area C in FIG. 2 is a binary information recording area for printing binary information such as audio signals and product codes. Binary information 0 consists of two recording pixels as shown in Fig. 5(a), and is printed and encoded in the order of white pixel and black pixel, while binary information 1 consists of two recording pixels as shown in Fig. 6(b). consists of two recording pixels,
Print encoding is performed in the order of black pixels and white pixels. For example, when binary information 01011101 is printed and encoded, Fig. 6 (
Printing will be as shown in C).

Note that the print recording density when printing binary information is arbitrary. Print recording density is determined from the printing technique and the reading density of the scanning device that scans the printed code information. For example, the recording density is 4 pixels/mJ, 32 per short side direction.
When recording bit binary information and recording 500 information areas in the long side direction, the dimensions of the printed information including the frame area are 18.5x127m1, and the printed The amount of information in the system is 16000 bits,
A recording density of 4 pixels/in is fully possible with current printing technology, and the reading density of the scanning device that scans this is 16 pixels/in even when scanning at a fineness four times the recording density, which is currently possible. This is fully possible with facsimile technology, etc.

Figure 6 shows 80 bits of binary information, 8 bits in the short side direction,
The print coded image is shown when 10 lines are recorded in the long side direction. The table below shows the 80-bit binary information shown in FIG. 6.

(The following is a margin) Table 1 and the following are information reading devices in an embodiment of the present invention that read print-encoded patterns as described above.
The configuration will be explained with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 7, a scanning device 1 forms an image on a one-dimensional image sensor 4 via a lens system 3 in the short side direction of a printed code pattern 2, and sends a read image signal a to a storage device 6 via a drive circuit 6. Output. Note that the light source 7 is provided to illuminate the printed code pattern. Furthermore, the scanning device 1 is provided with a sensor 8 for detecting the amount of movement at the contact portion with the printed code pattern surface, and detects that scanning is in progress every time the scanning device 1 moves on the printed code pattern by the reading density interval amount. A pulsed scanning busy signal is output to the storage device 6.

When the scanning busy signal is turned on, the storage device 6 outputs a reading start signal C and a reading lock signal d. These signals c and d are generated by the control circuit 9. The drive circuit 5 of the scanning device 1 reads the image signal a read by the image sensor 4 based on the signals c and d and outputs it to the storage device 6. The read image signal a input to the storage device 6 is 2
The signal is converted into a binary signal by the value conversion circuit 1o. The binarization circuit 10 is constituted by a conventionally well-known analog comparator. Binarized signal e
The frame area A is detected by the image alignment circuit 11, and the signals after the detected frame area are stored in the memory 12.

Note that FIG. 8 shows a timing chart of each block mentioned above. FIG. 8 @) shows the output signal a from the scanning device 1 when scanning a portion 850 of the printed line number pattern. The binarization circuit 1o compares the input value with the threshold value 851 (Fig. 8 (b)), and outputs a binarized signal e (Fig. 8 (c)) in which white is level ○ and black is level 1. do. 8) is the reading start signal output to the scanning device 1 (
This is the same signal as C), and the image alignment circuit 11 can use this signal to know the start of one scan. Image alignment circuit 1
1 is the read lock signal d (8th
Read the binarized signal e using the figure (g)) and read the level 1
The signal is stored in the memory 12 from the time when at least one black signal is detected. In the example of FIG. 9, the binary signal e
is stored in the memory 12 from the position of time T in the signal shown in FIG. The value is determined from the relationship between recording density and reading density. For example, if the recording density is 4 pixels/mm and the reading density is 16 pixels/mm, the frame area made up of 4 recording pixels will have 1 reading pixel.
6 pixels good luck. In this case, the value is -14, taking into consideration level changes during reading and quantization errors. By providing the image alignment circuit 11 in this manner, the memory 12 can
When storing the print code pattern area, the storage start position can be set as the start position of the frame area, and the memory capacity is sufficient to store the print code pattern area when scanned at the permissible inclination.

The specified contents of memory 12 are output. FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the printed code pattern and the accumulated printed code information. FIG. 9 shows a case where the scanning device 1 scans at an inclination of about 16° with respect to the short side direction of the printed code pattern, that is, the direction of arrow X. Further, in this example, the reading density is four times the recording density. The value of the pixel stored in the storage device 6 is expressed as s v (L:+) when the sequential reading order in the short side direction is 1 and the reading order in the long side direction is 3. For example, the 9th
The reading pixels 1000 in the figure are black, and the order in the short side direction is i+1. Since the order in the long side direction is j −3, v (
i+1. j~3)-1. The storage device 6 outputs, as a signal, the contents of the memory 12 specified by the order signal 6 in the short side direction and the order signal g in the long side direction from the recognition unit 14 of the recognition device 13. The recognition unit 14 recognizes the printed code pattern based on the recognition method described below, restores the recorded pixel value (0 for white, 1 for black), and outputs it to the information conversion unit 15. The information conversion unit 15 restores binary information that has been converted into a printing code from the restored recorded pixel values and outputs it.

The restoration uses windows and window sets to restore the printed code. Windows and window sets are defined as follows.

(a) Four reading pixels ((i, ko) + (i+1.ko)
.

(1,j+1), (i,+1.j+1')) is called a window, and using the first pixel position L], W1
It is expressed as +J. Also, the value of each read pixel constituting the window is v
(i, j)=ZA, j+ v(i+1.j) −
vi+1. j, V(i, j+Q=7)2 j+'+
V(i-z, j+su=ZA-+-+, j-11 (however, L% t) prq is O or 1, p14i or i+1.
When q is j or J+1), Wl and Ko are windows Wi+3
The value of W is also 3-<v, so j.

la1+ 1+ , 11 rυi+j++, Z'i+1
+j+1) Table b-j.

(b) A set of read pixels consisting of three windows is called a window set. The window set is denoted by WSk, (i, j). (However, k indicates the number of the window set, and (i, j) indicates the position of the first window in the window set indicated by the number.) The windows that make up the window set are located approximately on the center of the recording pixel. It is arranged so that it is located. Table 2 shows the position of the condition corresponding to the window set number k.

(Leaving space below) Table 2 The 11 window sets shown in Table 2 have a reading angle of approximately 2o when the reading density is four times the recording density.

This is a case where you are allowed to do so. Three windows W1+l + vvp+ ql Wu+ forming the window set WSk, (k, j)
Each value of v is a set WSk, (i, j) (7)
value toyohi, wsk(1+ :l) :(wll:I
It is expressed as IWp+q,"4v).

Next, a procedure for recognizing a printed code pattern when the reading density is four times the recording density will be explained with reference to FIG.

Step 101...In the initialization step, l, j
are the reading position of the read image, that is, the reading coordinate signals f, g sent from the recognition device 13 to the storage device 6. x
, y is the recording pixel position of the recorded printing code, and the recording coordinate signal (C
It is gr.

Step 102...Next, the first window in which all the read pixels constituting the window are 1 (black) is detected.

Steps 103, 104+105... The window position is updated by one. ENDi is the final pixel position in the direction of arrow X of the read image, and ENDj is the final pixel position in the direction of arrow Y.

Step 106--The frame area A is detected.

LOTH(W, j) is a function defined as follows.

LGTH (W engineering, Ko) -1 (However, 'sail, J-light +1.
Co...=? 1-1-1-+, ko\(Wi+l, j
) Step 107: Move the window to the edge of the detected frame area A.

Step IQ8, 109... It is checked that the window position is at the end of the frame area A.

Step 110...Move the window to the white pixel of the first synchronization signal. Function S OH1(p, ql Wp,
q-(010, o+0), i-1<-p≦i+1.
j-1(q(ko→-1)) means that the window at position (i, j) is i-1' in the direction of arrow X;: p 4 i+1; <Move within the range of +1,
Wp, window Wp that becomes q-(0, Or C'+ O),
q and convert its position (p, q) to a new (i, j
).

Step 111... 'p by function SC: H1,
q''(C1+'O+OsO) is detected or not.

Steps 1.12, 113, 114...Synchronization signal pattern is set. Here, l is a ternary set of variables of values of the window set, and is expressed in the order of the first window value, the second window value, and the third window value. It's a trench, the window value is (0
, O, Op O), the window value is ('L 1+
When L 1), it is expressed as .

Step 115: Using the given synchronization signal pattern, each window position of the window set used for restoration is determined. Function S CH2(p, q, k l wskp, q
=z, i-1≦p≦i+1. Cor1≦q<:j+1
), the position is i-1≦p≦1+1゜j-1≦q≦j +
This is a function that detects a window set WSk whose value is 2 within the range of 1 from the window sets in Table 2, and determines the window position (i, j) and the number k of the window set.

Step 116... Checks whether a window set is detected or not. If detected, step 117 sets the scanning origin (xs, YS) of the first recording line.
The restored position and value of the recorded pixel is output to the information converter. Here, 〆(n) indicates that when the value of the n-th window in the window set is ■, it is 1 when it is o+1.

Step 118: In order to restore the next recorded pixel, move the window set and update the value of the window set to be compared.
x'). Kokote MOVE (WSki, j(2)) is a function that moves the window set WSk located at position (i, j) to the second window position of the current window set. Also, 5L (
e> is a function that shifts the ternary variable mi to the left by one digit. At this time, ■ is set as a temporary value in the third term.

Step 119... Second synchronization signal. The third recording pixel and the value of the recording pixel in the area C where the binary information is printed and encoded are restored. Here, the function SCH3 (Ryoq, ZI
WS"p, q=!, 'ASK('y 1+ o), 1-
1≦p≦i+1. j−1≦q≦J+1) is the position (1
, j) as i−1〈p＜i+
1. When moving within the range of j-1 x q < j+1, the value of the window set is given.Detect the position that matches the value Z multiplied by the mask given by the variable MASK, and combine that position and the window set. This is a function that gives a value of 2. (However: MASK
- (1, 1, O) is given, and it is checked whether only the term indicated by 1, that is, the first term and the second term, match among the nine animals.

Step 120...It is checked whether or not the value of the window set has been detected. If detected, the recorded pixel position is updated in step 121, and the restored recorded pixel value is transferred to the information converter. Output to 15.

Step 122: It is checked whether the restoration of the values of the recorded pixels in the area where the binary information is printed and encoded has been completed, and if it has not been completed, the restoration of the next recorded pixel is performed, If the process is completed, the synchronization signal is restored in steps 124 to 131.

Step 132: Inspects whether recording pixel restoration of all recording lines has been completed in the direction of arrow Y;
If it has not been completed, the window position (i, j) is updated to the scanning origin of the next recording line, and the recording pixels of the next recording line are restored. When the restoration of the recorded pixels for each recording line has been completed, the recognition procedure of the printed code pattern is completed, and the information converter 15 converts the printed code pattern into binary data according to the synchronization signal convention and the binary information printing encoding convention. The information is restored, and the restored binary information is output as the output h' of the recognition device 13.

The above recognition procedure can cope with reading changes during manual scanning by determining the position of the window set for each recording line. Although the above recognition procedure has been described for the case where the reading scanning density is four times the recording density, it can also be applied to other reading densities by making the window positions of the window set correspond to the reading density.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when printing and encoding binary information, binary information 0 is encoded with white/black pixels, 1 is encoded with black/white pixels, and the synchronization signal and frame area are When reading and restoring the printed code pattern for the printed code,
By restoring it using windows and window sets, it is possible to read information printed with high density.

In addition, in this embodiment, the pixel colors in the printing encoding of binary information have been explained using white and black, but the pixel colors are not limited to white and black, and the two colors can be distinguished. Any combination of colors that is possible is fine.

It is obvious that the invention can also be applied to printing methods such as those using magnetic ink. Furthermore, error correction 11-. It is also possible to increase the recognition rate by asking the code.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention is capable of restoring original information from a record carrier on which two-dimensional recording has been performed, which allows the amount of recorded information to be increased when information is binarized and recorded. Furthermore, when manual scanning is performed, it is possible to respond to changes in the reading angle, which has a significant effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a barcode, which is one of the printing encoding methods, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a printing code pattern used in an information reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
(b) is a plan view of a synchronization signal pattern in the same printed code pattern, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a printed code pattern in the same printed code, and FIG. 7 is a block wiring diagram of an information reading device in an embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 8 is a timing chart of the same device, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the printed code pattern and the reading pixels when the scanning device scans the printed code pattern with an inclination, and FIG. 10 <a) to (d) ) is a flowchart of the speech recognition procedure in the same device. 1...Scanning device, 6...Storage device, 1
0... Binarization circuit, 11... Image alignment circuit, 12... Memo 1c 13... Recognition device, 14... Recognition unit, 16... Information conversion unit. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
Figure 2 Figure 'io (α) Figure 1'θ (b+th, 1011 1st Qj U11 (d) 449

Claims (1)

[Claims] Binary information 0 is placed adjacent to the first recording pixel and second recording pixel in this order, and binary information 1 is placed adjacent to the second recording pixel and the first recording pixel in this order. a binary information recording area in which binary information is recorded adjacent to each other in the row direction, and when the recording in the row direction is completed, it is shifted in the column direction and binary information is recorded again in the row direction; On each side of the row of the area, the first . A row designation area in which the second recording pixels are recorded in the column direction, and around the binary information recording and row designation area, the number of pixels for identifying the Mfl binary information recording area is Each area of the record carrier is scanned optically finer than the recording density of the record carrier, with respect to a record carrier having a frame area recorded by one of the first and second recording pixels. scanning means for scanning and converting it into an electrical signal; and 2 for converting the electrical signal converted by the scanning means into binary information.
The evolving means and the binary information converted by the binarizing means corresponding to the information recorded in the frame area and the line indication area are used to convert the binary information corresponding to the information recorded in the binary information recording area north. a storage means for extracting and storing the binary information converted by the means; and a storage means for taking a plurality of mutually adjacent pixels recorded on the record carrier as one reading unit, and storing information corresponding to the plurality of reading units; An information reading device comprising a recognition means for reading information from the computer and restoring the read information.