JPS6049473A - Color code reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the information quantity of a recording medium having plural colors by separating the reflected beams given from a recording medium to which the information is recorded in color codes and converting each beam into electric signals to deliver the corresponding signals. CONSTITUTION:The light is irradiated from a light source 2 to a recording medium 1 to which the information is recorded in color codes. The light given from the medium is separated into three primary colors, i.e., red (r), green (g) and blue (b) respectively by a prism 3. These separated beams are converted into electric signals by photodetectors 4-1, 4-2 and 4-3 respectively and delivered to a host device of a computer, etc. in the form of digital signals of 3 bits R, G and B. The color transmitting filters of three primary colors are also available instead of the separation of light. Thus the information is recorded on the medium 1 in color codes, and a discriminating method using colors is applied as an information discriminating means. As a result, the information quantity of the medium can be increased.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an input device that reads information on a medium on which information is recorded using a plurality of colors.

Conventionally, this type of device has only been able to record information in a single color on a recording medium and in a single color on an information recording medium, and there has been a certain limit to the amount of information that can be written.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to increase the amount of information held by a recording medium by providing an apparatus that can read information on a medium recorded in a plurality of colors for each color.

According to the present invention, there is a light source that irradiates a medium on which information is recorded using a color code, a spectrometer that separates light reflected from the medium into multiple colors, and a device that converts each of the separated lights into electrical signals and responds accordingly. A color code reader is obtained which is characterized in that it has a light receiver that outputs a signal and provides information to an information processing device such as a computer using color as an information transmission means.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail using drawings showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1 showing a first embodiment of the present invention, a recording medium 1 on which information is recorded using color codes (colors) is irradiated with light from a light source 2. As shown in FIG. The light from the medium 1 obtained by this light is separated by the prism 3 into three primary colors: red r, green g, and blue. The separated light is converted into an electric signal by each of the light receivers 4-1, 4-2 and 4-3, and output as a 3-bit R, G, B digital signal to a host device such as a computer.

In FIG. 2 showing a second embodiment of the present invention, a medium 1 on which information is recorded using color codes is irradiated with light from a light source 2, and the light from the medium 1 is emitted in each color corresponding to three primary colors. The light is separated into red r, green g and blue by transmission filters 7-1, 7-2 and 7-3. Each of the separated lights is transmitted to the respective light receivers 7-1, 7-2 and 7-3.
The signal is converted into an electrical signal and output as a 3-bit R, G, B digital signal.

In the first and second embodiments, information can be written on the recording medium 1 using a plurality of color codes.
The amount of information it holds will increase dramatically.

As described above, the present invention can increase the amount of information held by a recording medium by recording information on a medium using a color code and introducing color distinction as a means for identifying information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are diagrams showing a first and second embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A medium on which information is recorded using a color code, a light source that irradiates light onto the medium, a mantissa spectrometer that separates the light from the medium into multiple color lights, and converts each light from the spectrometer into an electrical signal. A color code reader characterized in that the color code information recorded on the medium is read as a digital signal by reading the color code information recorded on the medium as a digital signal.