JPS63213092A - Code forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily form a code pattern arranged code elements in a measure state on a plane with the operation of a keyboard and to recognize the result with eyes by forming the code pattern with the aid of painting code elements whose optical characteristic is varied at a finite stage in the measure state on the plane. CONSTITUTION:A code pattern forming part 4 is a box-shape, an inkjet system chromatophore painting part 1 is arranged in the part 4 in four columns and two rows and in the measure state. When the code pattern 3 is formed by painting the code element 2 whose optical characteristic is varied at the finite stage in the measure state on a card 51, a decimal code inputted from the keyboard 6 is converted to a digital signal with four bits through negative logic OR gates 5a-5d, and this digital signal is transmitted to a said code pattern forming part 4. By receiving that, the code pattern in the measure state is printed on the card 51. As the code pattern is in the measure state, it is not difficult to be read out like a bar-code.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a code creation device.

[Conventional technology]

In general, barcodes are known as a method of coding and reading for the identification and classification of goods, etc., and in recent years, barcodes have been used as barcodes.
It is widely used for LESI (point of sale information management) systems.

In such a device, there is a coding method described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application No. 60-5558 as shown in FIG.
Some of them are described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-1078 shown in the figure and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-20664 shown in FIG.

First, Fig. 7 shows two types of elements 21: wide and narrow.
．． A so-called bar code is shown that uses the number 22 to represent numbers, etc., and is identified by the spacing and arrangement between these elements.

In addition, the number 23 is separately imprinted using ink having optical characteristics different from that of the ink material for this barcode, making it possible to visually identify the barcode.

On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows an engineering reading device for reading barcodes 32, in which a transparent plate 31 is placed on the top surface of a housing 30, and a slide type scanner 33 is placed inside the housing. It is something.

In use, after placing the article 34 with the barcode 32 attached on the transparent plate 31, the scanner 33 is activated.

The scanner 33 is equipped with a light source 35 and a light receiver 36, from which light output corresponding to the code of the barcode 32 can be obtained.

FIG. 9 is a simplified version of the one shown in FIG. 8, in which a small window 41 is provided at the bottom of a rod-shaped housing 40, and a light source 42 and a light receiving element 43 are arranged facing this small window 41. It is something. In use, the bar code is read by placing a small window on the bar code and moving the bar-shaped housing 40 in a predetermined direction.

However, in the conventional method described above, a pulse wave is obtained by tracing the barcode and this is decoded, so the information content in a unit packet becomes complicated, making it difficult to create a barcode. However, it has the disadvantage that it is difficult to judge the content visually.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, in the case where numbers are imprinted separately from the barcode, it is easy to visually determine the content, but there is a drawback that the code production process becomes complicated.

Moreover, the signals obtained by reading are time-series (serial) signals, and since reading has directionality, a complicated scanner or the like is required, resulting in high costs.

Further, since reading takes a certain amount of time and there is a limit to the processing speed of the read signal, there is a limit to the reading speed, and deviations from this limit may result in reading errors.

Furthermore, when the information obtained from this serial signal is processed by a microcomputer, an interface for parallelizing the information is essential, which increases the cost.

Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed a code recognition method in which codes can be read instantaneously and reliably, information directly parallelized can be obtained, and a serial-parallel interface is not required.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned matters, and its technical object is to provide a code creation device that can easily create a code using the code recognition method previously proposed by the applicant.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above technical problem, the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a code pattern creation unit 4 that arranges the color substance application parts l in a grid pattern and forms a code pattern 3 by applying code elements 2 having optical characteristics different in finite steps on a plane in a grid pattern; A control section 5 that controls the coating contents of each color body coating section 1 of this code pattern creation section 4, and a keyboard 6 that sets the control contents of this control section 5.
This is a code creation device.

[Effect]

A code pattern is formed by applying code elements 2 whose optical properties differ in finite steps in a grid pattern on a flat surface.

The information represented by this code element 2 is input and set from the keyboard 6.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 6.

For explanation, the apparatus used to implement the previously proposed code recognition method will be briefly explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. First, on a card 51, eight code elements 2 whose optical characteristics are different in finite steps are arranged in a grid pattern, thereby forming a code pattern 3.

This code pattern 3 is constructed by applying color retention to an opaque background, and is colored in one of nine levels of lightness from white to black.

This card 51 has three holes 54 for positioning and is connected to a string 55 for connecting to a product (not shown), so that a code can be read by a code reader 56. There is.

This code reader 56 includes a base 57 on which the card 51 is placed, a ball 58 erected on this base 57, and a code reading head 59 slidably provided on this pole 59 via a support arm 9a. It consists of The base 57 has a protrusion 7a for fixing the card 51 in a predetermined position.
is provided at a position corresponding to the hole 54, and the code reading head 59 is placed at a position covering the card 51.

The code reading head 59 has a light irradiating means 60 facing the code element 2 located in each square of the code pattern 3.
and photodetecting means 61, 62, and 63 are arranged, respectively, to detect the optical characteristics (brightness) of each square.

These light detection means 61, 62, and 63 are composed of three phototransistors so that they can also detect hue, and each phototransistor is equipped with a red, blue, and green filter to separate the reflected light.

If the code element 2 has a hue, the output balance from each phototransistor takes on a unique form depending on the hue. These light detection means 61 , 62 , and 63 are provided in eight sets, the same number as the code element 2 , and the hue signal is converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter 14 and input to the central processing unit 65 . The digitized hue signal is compared with a reference value stored in advance in the ROM 66 to determine the hue.

This determination result is compared with data previously stored in the RAM 6'7 as specific information contents (for example, numbers and alphabets), and can be displayed on the display 68 or stored in the internal memory (RAM 67). The amount of information is determined by the type of hue and the number of code elements 2 (squares), and in the above example, there are 9 brightnesses and 8 sets of code elements 2 (squares), so there are 40353607 types from 78.

In this way, the code pattern is formed by arranging the code elements in a grid pattern on a plane, so there is no need to decipher a complex code like a barcode, and the information content can be determined by visual inspection. Furthermore, since the optical characteristics of each square are detected by arranging the light irradiating means and the light detecting means facing each square of the code pattern, parallel processing is easy and the code can be read instantly. It has the advantage of being

Furthermore, there are no restrictions on reading speed, there is no risk of reading errors as with barcodes, and there is no requirement for exact dimensions like with barcodes, so pattern formation is easy. This has an advantage.

Of course, the card 51 can be used by attaching it to a product.
It can also be used in place of a mill sheet in so-called TQC, and can be effectively used for quality control and work efficiency.

Although the code recognition device has been briefly described above, the device for creating this code will be explained below.

The code pattern generating section 4 has a box shape, and a total of eight chromophoric coating sections 1 are arranged in a square shape in four columns and two rows inside the box. Further, the pigment body application section 1 is equipped with an inkjet nozzle and an ink reservoir (neither of which are shown), so that ink of a desired concentration can be ejected.

This code pattern creation unit 4 is for forming a code pattern 3 by coating the card 51 with code elements 2 whose optical properties are different in finite steps in a grid pattern, and is designed to form a code pattern 3 at a predetermined position on the card 51. It is now fixed to .

A control section 5 is connected to the code pattern creation section 4 for controlling the coating content of each color body coating section l. Furthermore, a keyboard 6 is connected to the control unit 5, and control contents can be set using the keyboard 6.

The control unit 5 inputs the IO base code from the keyboard 6 to 4.
It converts into a bit binary code, and is constructed by connecting negative logic OR gates 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d and a pull-up resistor PR as shown in the figure.

The relationship between the code input from the keyboard 6 and each output ABCD of the negative logic OR gates 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d is shown in FIG. As is clear from this figure, the gate output is the decimal code input from the keyboard 6 converted into a 4-bit digital signal.
A digital signal is sent to the code pattern creation section 4.

Upon receiving this signal, the code pattern creating section 4 changes the ink density of the pigment body coating section 1 into nine gradations and injects the ink onto the card 51.

In this way, when creating a code, it is only necessary to operate the keyboard 6, so the creation is easy. Furthermore, processing contents can be saved by storing the binary code in a storage element (not shown).

In use, the code pattern creating section 4 is placed at a predetermined position on the card 51, and desired data is input using the keyboard 6. Then, ink having a density corresponding to the data is ejected from the color substance coating section 1 and applied to the card 51.

In this embodiment, the code element 2 is expressed in achromatic colors with nine gradations, but the code element 2 is not limited to this example, and may be expressed in chromatic colors. In this case, three or four pigment body coating parts l are required for one code element 2.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, a code pattern in which code elements are arranged in a grid on a plane can be easily formed by keyboard operation.

Therefore, when decoding, there is no need for complicated processing unlike when using barcodes, and the information content can be determined by visual inspection.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 6 show embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram, FIG. 2 is a code table diagram, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the entire device, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are FIG. 4 is a plan view of the code, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device used for implementation, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the device, and FIGS. FIG. 9 shows a conventional code creating device, FIG. 7 shows a bar code, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the main part of the code reading device, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view of another code reading device. l... Plastid coating part, 2... Code element, 3...
・Code pattern, 4... code pattern creation section, 5
...Control unit, 6.Keyboard, 51...
・Card, 56... Code reader, 59
... code reading head, 60 ... light irradiation means, 61
・62・63...Light detection means. Patent applicant: Dai Mineyama]

Claims (1)

[Claims] a code pattern creation unit 4 that arranges the color substance coating units 1 in a grid pattern, and forms a code pattern 3 by applying code elements 2 having optical characteristics different in finite steps on a plane in a grid pattern;
A code creation device characterized by comprising a control unit 5 for controlling the coating content of each color body coating unit 1 of the code pattern creation unit 4, and a keyboard 6 for setting the control content in the control unit 5.