KR200340332Y1 - Apparatus for reading bar-code in vehicles painting line system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bar code reading device for a vehicle paint line system that detects light blocked and passed by a bar and a space of a bar code with a predetermined waveform, and reads the information represented by the bar code. A barcode formed by selectively puncturing a plurality of bars and spaces on a plate of a predetermined size, a bar code for illuminating the barcode, a plurality of bars of the barcode, and A light receiving unit for generating an electrical signal corresponding to the light blocked and passed by the space, a signal converter for converting the electrical signal into a digital signal, and receiving the digital signal, the bitmap-bitmap is applied to a plurality of bars and spaces of the barcode. A bar code is produced by decoding the bitmap and a bitmap generator for generating a corresponding set of binary bits. Provided is a bar code reading device including a reading unit for reading.

Description

Bar code reading device for vehicle coating line system {APPARATUS FOR READING BAR-CODE IN VEHICLES PAINTING LINE SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a vehicle coating system, and more particularly, to a bar code reading device for a vehicle coating line system that detects light blocked and passed by a bar and a space of a barcode to read information represented by the barcode.

As is well known, a bar-code is a computer-encoded label, which is a letter or number for information on a specific article, for example, the country of manufacture, manufacturer, item, price of the article, etc. Is a combination of black and white bar symbols that are easy to read by a computer and are used for fast data entry.

In order to read information of a specific product or article encoded with a barcode, a barcode reading apparatus such as a barcode scanner is required. The barcode reader illuminates the barcode, and detects the light reflected from the bar and space of the barcode and converts it into a plurality of binary bits (hereinafter, referred to as "bits"). Next, the bar code reading device decodes a plurality of bits and retrieves the information corresponding to the decoded data from the information on the various items represented by the database-coded bar code so that the buyer or seller can purchase the bar code printed product. Or get information about the item. The bar code reading method of the bar code reading apparatus is very diverse according to the bar code representation method, that is, the bar code symbolism (symbology).

The bar code reading device described above has the advantage of being able to process a large amount of data quickly and accurately, so that a bar code reading device is indispensable in the field of producing a large amount of goods or articles, especially in the field of factory automation. have.

Representative examples of factory automation include vehicle production line systems such as vehicle component assembly line systems, vehicle paint line systems, vehicle coating line systems, and the like. Vehicles being produced in the vehicle production line system are each fixed on a truck for each production line and travel on the corresponding line. At this time, a hanger for driving the bogie along each bogie or the corresponding line includes bogie information, for example, the bogie speed for each bogie in the line, the type of vehicle fixed on the bogie, the painting color, and the like. A sticker or tag type barcode indicating information is attached. The system control unit provided in the vehicle production line system executes a command corresponding to the balance information read by the bar code reading device to control the operation of the trolley traveling on the line and other devices included in the vehicle production line system other than the trolley. Under the control of the system control unit, the vehicle painting line system paints the vehicle lying on the vehicle based on the vehicle information.

However, in the conventional vehicle coating line system, it is difficult to read the balance information represented by the barcode due to the barcode damage when painting the vehicle in a specific line of the vehicle coating line system. That is, in the vehicle coating line system, there is always the possibility of paint on the barcode attached to the vehicle when painting the vehicle, and if the barcode is painted over a predetermined thickness, it is impossible to accurately read the balance information represented by the barcode. There is a problem.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above problems, and provides a bar code reading device for a vehicle paint line system that can accurately read a bar code formed by puncturing a bar or a space on a predetermined plate such as steel. There is a purpose.

1 is a view showing a vehicle coating line system having a bar code reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the bar code shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining a mutual arrangement relationship between the sensors forming the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion shown in FIG. 1; FIG.

FIG. 3 (b) is a diagram for explaining a signal form output from each sensor of the light receiving unit shown in FIG. 3 (a).

4 is a diagram for describing a bit generation process of the bitmap generator illustrated in FIG. 1;

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

30: barcode

41: light emitting unit

43: light receiver

45: bitmap generation unit

47: decoding unit

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, a bar code reading device for a vehicle paint line system, which is attached to a predetermined position of a vehicle paint truck, and a plurality of bars on a plate of a predetermined size. ) And to generate an electrical signal corresponding to light blocked and passed by a plurality of bars and spaces of the barcode, the barcode formed by selectively puncturing the space, the light emitting means for illuminating the barcode. Receiving means, signal converting means for converting an electrical signal into a digital signal, bitmap generating means for receiving a digital signal and generating a bitmap, in which a bitmap is a set of binary bits corresponding to a plurality of bars and spaces of a barcode; And a means for reading a barcode by decoding the bitmap.

Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 1 to 4 will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 shows a vehicle painting line system with a barcode reading device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle paint line system is fixed to a vehicle (not shown) that is in production, and a trolley 10 for driving the line, and a sensing unit installed at a predetermined position of the line to sense that the trolley 10 enters and passes ( 20) included in the steel bar code 30 (hereinafter referred to as " bar code ") attached to a predetermined position of the trolley 10, the bar code reading device 40 and the system for reading the information represented by the bar code 30. The system control unit 50 controls the operation of all the elements.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the bogie 10 traveling in a predetermined direction (illustrated as moving from right to left for convenience) enters the first preset position of the line, as shown in FIG. 1, The detector 20 detects an entry of the trolley 10 and transmits a trolley entry signal to the system controller 50. In addition, when the balance 10 passes the second predetermined position of the line, the sensing section 20 transmits the balance passing signal to the system control section 50. In FIG. 1, the sensing unit 20 is separately installed on a corresponding line to detect entry and passage of the trolley 10, but the sensing unit 20 is located within the light emitting unit 41 of the barcode reading device 40. Installed to detect the entry and passage of the balance 10 may generate a balance entry signal and the balance passing signal to transmit to the system control unit 50. When the system controller 50 receives the balance entry signal, the system controller 50 executes operations of all elements constituting the line system until the balance passage signal is received.

The bar code 30 of the present invention is, for example, a space formed by laser cutting and boring a rectangular steel plate having a predetermined length, width, and thickness, and a bar that is not punched by being formed. Is attached at a predetermined position of (10). As a material of the bar code plate according to the present invention, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, acrylic, plastic, pasteboard, or the like may be used. Referring to FIG. 2, which is illustrated by way of example, the bar code 30 includes a starting margin 33, a plurality of unperforated bars 39a-39d, a plurality of perforated spaces 37a-37e, and an ending margin ( 35). For convenience of description, the narrow bars 39b and 39c and the spaces 37a, 37b and 37e in the barcode 30 are represented by bits "0", and the wide bars 39a and 39d and the space 37c, 37d) is assumed to be represented by bit "1". The widths of the bars 39a and 39d and the spaces 37c and 37d represented by the bits "1" are twice as wide as the widths of the bars 39b and 39c and the spaces 37a, 37b and 37e represented by the bits "0". Although bar code symbology has been set, the ratio can be variously changed as necessary. Accordingly, the barcode 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 may be represented as a bitmap of "010010110" for the spaces 37a to 37e and the bars 39a to 39d except for the start and end margins 33 and 35.

More specifically, the bar code reading device 40 of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 1, the light emitting portion 41 for generating light, and the light receiving portion 43 for receiving light from the light emitting portion 41 And a bitmap generator 45 for generating a bitmap, a decoder 47 for decoding a bitmap, and a database 49 for storing information about all the cars 10 traveling on the line. First, referring to FIG. 3, the mutual arrangement relationship between the sensors forming the light emitting part 41 and the light receiving part 43 and the operation thereof will be described in detail.

3 (a) shows the mutual arrangement of the sensors 41a, 43a to 43c forming the light emitting portion 41 and the light receiving portion 43. The light emitting portion 41 formed of one light emitting sensor 41a generates predetermined light under the control of the system controller 50. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the size of the light emitting sensor 41a is the same as the size of each of the detection sensors 43a to 43c forming the light receiving portion 43, the light emitting sensor 41a in the light emitting portion 41 The height and the center where the is located is formed to match the height and the center where the second sensor 43b of the light receiving unit 43 is located. If the trolley 10 continues to enter in the travel direction shown in Fig. 1, the light emitting portion 41 irradiates light to the barcode 30 attached to the preset position of the trolley 10. At this time, the width of the light that reaches the light receiving portion 43 through the spaces 37a, 37b, 37e of the barcode 30 represented by the bit "0" is the width of each of the sensors 43a to 43c of the light receiving portion 43. The width and the height of the light reaching the light receiving portion 43 are between the light emitting portion 41 and the light receiving portion 43 so as to coincide with the heights of the first to third sensors 43a to 43c stacked on the light receiving portion 43, respectively. The distance is adjusted. However, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, if the height of the light reaching the light receiving portion 43 does not coincide with the stacking height of the sensors 43a to 43c, for example, from the top of the first sensor 43a. Even up to the bottom of the third sensor 43c, light may be sensed by the sensors 43a to 43c of the light receiver.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the light receiving unit 43 of the present invention detects light blocked and passed by the bars 39a to 39d and the spaces 37a to 37e of the bar code 30, and a signal for the detected light. Is generated and transmitted to the bitmap generator 45. In detail, the sensors 43a to 43c of the light receiving unit 43 detect light when the light passes through the spaces 37a to 37e, generate a corresponding electric signal, and generate a signal converter coupled to the sensors. (Not shown), the signal converter converts the received electrical signal into a digital logic signal (hereinafter referred to as "logical signal") "1", and also when the light is blocked by the bars 39a to 39d, Outputs a logic signal " 0 &quot;, which will be described later with reference to FIG. The widths of the sensors 41a, 43a to 43c represented by "X" in FIG. 3 (a) are the spaces 37a, 37b and 37e represented by the bit "0" in the barcode 30 and the bar 39b, It is set equal to the width of 39c). The three stacked sensors 43a to 43c forming the light receiving unit 43 may transmit a light signal corresponding to the starting margin 33 of the barcode 30 to the third sensor 43c, the first sensor 43a, The second sensor 43b is arranged so as to be sensed in the order. In more detail, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the center of the second sensor 43b and the center of the first sensor 43a The second sensor 43b is stacked on a frame (not shown) on the first sensor 43a so as to be between the center of the third sensor 43c and the center of the first sensor 43a. Street The third sensor 43c is stacked on a frame (not shown) on the second sensor 43b so as to be.

3 (b) shows the form of a logic signal output from a signal converter coupled to each of the sensors 43a to 43c of the light receiving unit. Since the light generated by the light emitting portion 41 is blocked by the starting margin 33 of the barcode 30 shown in Fig. 2, the signal converter of the light receiving portion outputs a logic signal " 0 ". If the trolley 10 continues to run, the light from the light emitting portion 41 passes through the first space 37a of the barcode 30, so that the signal converter of the light receiving portion senses the passed light and generates a logic signal "1". The light is then blocked by the first bar 39a of the bar code 30, so that the signal converter of the light receiving unit outputs a logic signal "0". The state change of the logic signals "1" and "0" from the signal converter as described above is continued until the end margin 35 of the barcode 30 passes, as shown in Fig. 3 (b), and is output from the signal converter. The width of the clock-shaped waveform is the same as the bar and space width of the barcode 30 shown in FIG. The signal converter coupled to each of the sensors 43a to 43c of the light receiving unit transmits a logic signal as shown in FIG. 3B to the bitmap generator 45 shown in FIG. 1 as the cart 10 travels.

The bitmap generator 45 generates a bitmap from the sensed logic signal from the light receiver 43 and transmits the bitmap to the decoder 37. Referring to FIG. 4, a process of generating a bitmap by using the bar code 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 in the bitmap generator 45 will be described.

The sensors 43a to 43c of the light receiving unit block the light that is blocked and passed by the bars 39a to 39d and the spaces 37a to 37e of the barcode. Since the sensing is performed in the order of 43b, the state of the logic signal received from the third sensor 43c through the signal converter is less than that of the logic signal received from the first sensor 43a through the signal converter. Change faster than the state of the logic signal received via the signal converter from the second sensor 43b. Changes as fast as In addition, the state of the logic signal received from the first sensor 43a through the signal converter is less than the state of the logic signal received from the second sensor 43b through the signal converter. Changes as fast as

From this, the bitmap generator 45 at the time when the state of the logic signal received from the second sensor 43b of the light receiver via the signal converter changes from "1" to "0" or "0" to "1" In addition, bit 0 or 1 is generated by comparing the states of the respective logic signals received from the first and third sensors 43a and 43c of the light receiving unit through the signal converter. For example, the bar code 30 shown in FIG. 2 is generated by the bitmap generator 45 and the logic signal input to the bitmap generator 45 through a signal converter from the sensors 43a to 43c of the light receiver. Table 1 shows the resulting bitmaps.

Logic signal input through the signal converter from the first sensor Logic signal input from the second sensor through the signal converter Logic signal input through the signal converter from the third sensor Bits generated by the bitmap generator time One One 0 0 t ₁ 0 0 0 One t ₂ One One 0 0 t ₃ 0 0 One 0 t ₄ One One One One t ₅ 0 0 One 0 t ₆ One One One One t ₇ 0 0 0 One t ₈ One One 0 0 t ₉

As can be seen from Table 1 and FIG. 4, at the point in time when the state of the logic signal received from the second sensor 43b through the signal converter changes, the signal converter from the first and third sensors 43a and 43c is changed. If the states of the received logic signals are the same, the bitmap generator 45 generates bit "1". If the states of the logic signals received through the signal converters from the first and third sensors 43a and 43c are different, The bitmap generator 45 generates bit "0". In particular, it is known that the bitmap generator 45 generates bit "0" or "1" only when the states of the logic signals received through the signal converters from the first and second sensors 43a and 43b are the same. Could be.

On the other hand, the trolley 10 traveling in a certain direction along the corresponding line is changed back to the original direction after the driving direction of the trolley 10 is changed to the reverse driving direction for a predetermined time due to a defect such as minute breakage or bending of the corresponding line. You can also drive the line. In this case, the bitmap generator 45 according to the present invention generates an error according to the change of each logic signal received through the signal converter from the first and second sensors 43a and 43b of the light receiver shown in Table 2 below. ) Detects and corrects bits.

Bogie Driving Direction Forward direction Logic signal input through the signal converter from the first sensor Logic signal input from the second sensor through the signal converter Logic signal state change One One 0 One 0 0 One 0

Here, the forward direction of the trolley 10 means that the starting margin 33 of the barcode 30 attached to the trolley 10 traveling in a predetermined direction along the corresponding line is the third sensor 43c, the first sensor 43a, It means the direction of sensing in the order of the second sensor (43b). When the trolley 10 travels along the corresponding line in the forward direction, the states of the respective logic signals received by the bitmap generator 45 through the signal converter from the first and second sensors 43a and 43b of the light receiving unit are shown in Table 2 below. The state change indicated in is repeated sequentially.

For the light-receiving unit in, t _4, the time of Figure 4 will be described example the first and second states of each of the logic signal received on sensor bitmap generator 45 via the signal converter from (43a, 43b) "0" / "0", when the cart 10 continues to move the line in the forward direction, the bitmap generator 45 through the signal converter from the first and second sensors 43a and 43b between t ₄ and t _5. The state of each of the logic signals received at) should change to state "1" / "0" as shown in Table 2. However, when the trolley 10 moves in the reverse driving direction for a predetermined time due to an external defect of the corresponding line, the states of the respective logic signals are the states previously received by the bitmap generator 45 at time t ₃ to t ₄ , That is, it changes to "0" / "1", and the state may be changed to "0" / "0" at time t ₄ by moving the trolley 10 in the original travel direction. Therefore, the bit map generation unit 45 t ₄ is generated a bit "0" that has been already generated at the time when a second time. In this case, the bitmap generation unit 45 of the present invention is based on the state change of the logic signal received from the first and second sensors 43a and 43b of the light receiving unit through the signal converter shown in Table 2. first and second sensors (43a, 43b) of the last time the error bit is generated by being changed the change of state of the logic signal that is received via the signal converter from the bit (i. e., in this case, t ₄ time bit "0") Correct the bit error by deleting it. The bitmap generator 45 transmits the final bitmap generated as described above to the decoder 47 shown in FIG.

The decoding unit 47 reads the data represented by the barcode 30 by decoding the received bitmap, and retrieves the balance information corresponding to the read data from the database 49 and transmits it to the system control unit 50.

The system control unit 50 searches for a command corresponding to the balance information received from the decoding unit 47 from a database (not shown) in the system control unit 50, and based on the retrieved command, Control the operation. For example, suppose that FIG. 1 shows a vehicle painting line system, the system controller 50 controls the operation of a painting apparatus (not shown) to paint the vehicle based on a command corresponding to the balance information.

For convenience of description, the bar code reading device has been described with reference to the vehicle coating line system. However, if the information needs to be read from the perforated bar code moving in a constant direction, the bar code reading device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be used.

The bar code reading device for a vehicle paint line system according to the present invention detects light that is blocked and passed by an unperforated bar and a punctured space of a barcode by three sensing sensors and receives a signal converter from three sensing sensors. By generating a binary bit by comparing the state changes of the respective logic signals, even if foreign matter such as paint on the surface of the barcode, the information represented by the barcode can be accurately read.

In addition, the bar code reading device for a vehicle paint line system according to the present invention detects and corrects an error bit that may be generated by temporarily changing a driving direction of a vehicle due to a defect such as breakage or warpage of a vehicle paint line. It can accurately reproduce the bitmap represented by.

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments merely represent some of the various embodiments to which the principles of the present invention are applied. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims (9)

A bar code reading device for a vehicle paint line system, A bar code attached to a predetermined position of a vehicle paint truck and formed by selectively drilling a plurality of bars and spaces in a plate of a predetermined size, Light emitting means for illuminating the barcode; Light-receiving means for generating an electrical signal corresponding to light blocked and passed by the plurality of bars and spaces of the barcode; Signal conversion means for converting the electrical signal into a digital signal, Bitmap generation means for receiving the digital signal and generating a bitmap, wherein the bitmap is a set of binary bits corresponding to a plurality of bars and spaces of the barcode; Means for reading the barcode by decoding the bitmap Bar code reading device comprising a. The method of claim 1, The predetermined size plate is made of a rectangle having a predetermined length, width and thickness, the barcode reading device made of any one of steel, stainless, aluminum alloy, acrylic, plastic and pasteboard. The method of claim 1, And the plurality of bars of the bar code are not punctured, and the plurality of spaces are punctured. The method of claim 1, And a width of a bar and a space of the bar code in which the binary bit of the bitmap is "1" is twice as wide as a width of the bar and a space of the bar code in which the binary bit of the bitmap is "0". The method of claim 4, wherein The light emitting means is embodied as one light emitting sensor for generating predetermined light, The light receiving means is implemented by stacking three sensing sensors having the same size, And a width of each of the three sensing sensors of the light receiving means is equal to the width of each of the bar and space of the bar code whose binary bit is "0". The method of claim 5, The height and center of the light emitting sensor is formed to match the height and center of the second detection sensor of the three detection sensors of the light receiving means, The width of the light passing through the plurality of spaces of the barcode to the light receiving means is the width of each of the three sensing sensors, and the height of the light reaching the light receiving means is the total height of the stacked three sensing sensors. Bar code reading device is formed to be the same as each. The method of claim 6, The width of each sensor of the light emitting and receiving means is represented by X, and the distance between the centers of the second and first sensing sensors of the three sensing sensors of the light receiving means is The second sensing sensor is stacked on the first sensing sensor so that the distance between the centers of the third and first sensing sensors is A bar code configured to sense light passing and blocked by the plurality of spaces and bars of the bar code in the order of the third, first and second sensor by stacking the third sensor on the second sensor so that Reading device. The method of claim 5, The bitmap generating means may be configured via the signal converting means from the second and third sensing sensors when a logic state of a signal received from the first sensing sensor through the signal converting means is changed. Bar code reading device generating bit "1" if the logic state of the received signal is the same, and bit "0" if it is not the same. The method of claim 5, And the bitmap generating means detects and corrects an error bit based on a change in logic state of the signal received from the three sensing sensors through the signal converting means.