JP2603702B2 - Multi-barcode reader with automatic preprocessing identification function - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-barcode reader capable of rapidly reading a plurality of types of barcodes.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, when one barcode reader is used to respond to requests for reading multiple types of barcodes,
The user had to replace the ROM or change the switch settings.

However, this is inconvenient, and recently, barcode readers that can handle a plurality of types of barcodes without replacing ROMs or changing switch settings have been commercialized. All of these products execute decoding processing in parallel for each of multiple types of barcodes to be read, and if there is a code type that completes decoding processing without rejection, stop decoding processing there. Thus, reading of a plurality of types of barcodes is realized.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, when the decoding process is performed in tandem for each of the target barcode types, the reading completion time greatly varies depending on the code type, and the code type in which the waiting order of the decoding process is later is lower. In this case, the reading completion time is prolonged.

Further, in the tandem processing in the decoding means, the processing path that passes through the completion of the reading of the barcode to be scanned becomes very complicated. In addition, since the identification process of the target code type is performed on the entire barcode, the number of processing patterns to be assumed becomes extremely large, and the calculation of an allowable error for identification becomes complicated. Moreover, since the calculation is inseparable from the performance of each decoder, there is also the inconvenience that if the processing program in the decoding means is changed, the calculation must be performed again.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to the present invention, in order to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, a bar code portion is first cut out from a binarized scanning signal by providing a margin detecting means. Next, the cut-out signal is passed through an automatic identification unit to identify the type of the barcode to be scanned. Then, based on the identification result, one decoder corresponding to the identification code type in the decoding means (this means includes a plurality of decoders respectively corresponding to the plurality of code types) is activated.

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus configuration of the present invention for executing such processing. Reference numeral 11 in the figure denotes a barcode to be scanned. Reference numeral 12 denotes a scanner, which generates an analog signal according to the light reflectance of a bar constituting a bar code or the space between bars.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a binarizing unit that converts an analog signal from the scanner 12 into a binary digital signal depending on whether the signal is larger or smaller than a threshold signal generated from the signal itself.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a margin detecting unit which cuts out only a portion related to a bar code from the digital signal from the binarizing unit 13 by removing unnecessary information. Since the bar code information is provided between the margins before and after the scanning direction, the clipping is performed by detecting the margins before and after the scanning direction and extracting a signal between the margins.

15 is an automatic identification means. The identification means 15 identifies the code type of the barcode cut out by the margin detection means, using a unique characteristic portion found in each of the barcodes to be read as a determination material.

Decoding means 16 executes decoding processing for the code type based on the code identification result from the automatic identification means 15.

[Action]

When only the information of the bar code portion is extracted by the margin detecting means 14, extra information such as printed matter mixed before and after the bar code information is removed, and the amount of information to be processed is reduced. Code type identification processing,
The decoding process by the decoding means 16 is facilitated.

In addition, if the bar code type to be scanned is identified by the automatic identification means 15 before proceeding to the decoding process, there is no need to perform useless decoding processing assuming a code type not to be scanned, and it is possible to respond immediately without waiting in order. The read operation can be completed quickly by one decoding operation by shifting to the decoding operation performed by the decoded decoder.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a barcode reader for processing information signals from a scanner using a microprocessor.
In this reader, a binarizing circuit 21 is used as a specific example of the binarizing means 13 described in FIG. Also, the first
In the figure, a margin detecting means 14, an automatic identification means 15, and a decoder means 16 are a microprocessor 22, a ROM 23, an R
AM24 is shared. That is, according to the program and constant stored in the ROM 23, the microprocessor 22
The M24 is used to execute barcode information cutout processing by margin detection, automatic code type identification processing for the information, and decoding processing corresponding to the identification code type.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the margin detection by the microprocessor 22. First, a front margin is detected in a step, and a rear margin is detected in a step. Information on a bar code portion existing between the margins before and after the front margin is extracted and sent to a code type identification process. Here, the front margin is a margin taken in earlier in time. That is, in the case of a forward scan (the direction of the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2), the front margin is a left margin, the rear margin taken in later in time is a right margin, and in the case of a reverse scan, the front and rear margins are. The left / right relationship is reversed.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the code type automatic identification processing by the microprocessor 22. Thus, first,
In the step, the rear guard bar and the message part around it are identified. Then, in this step, if it is determined what the code type of the bar code to be scanned is, the identification is terminated, and if not, the process proceeds to the next step. Similarly, if the code type is found in the step, the identification is terminated. If not, the process proceeds to the step. If the identification is not possible in this step, the process proceeds to the step. Since the step is an identification process stepping into the inside of the message portion, it is possible to surely understand what the code type is by this step.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart in the case where the microprocessor 22 decodes the barcode information after code type identification. In this decoding process, if the code type identification result obtained from the automatic identification means is, for example, a JAN code, a JAN code decoder is selected from decoders provided corresponding to each of the code types to be read. It is executed by invoking it.

〔effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, only barcode information is cut out from the binarized scan signal,
Since the code type is identified based on the information and the corresponding decoder is started based on the result, unnecessary information processing is eliminated, the execution time is short as a whole, and the time variation due to the code type is small, and the multi-barcode reader is small. Can be realized.

Further, since the barcode information is cut out and the code type is identified separately from the decoding process, the allowable error for the identification can be easily calculated irrespective of the content of the decoding process.

Therefore, the ease of use, performance,
The effect of increasing the reliability and widening the range of use can be obtained, and can contribute to the further spread of information processing using bar codes.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a multi-barcode reader of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a margin detecting process by a microprocessor. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of code type automatic identification processing by the microprocessor, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of decoding processing by the microprocessor. 11 bar code, 12 scanner, 13 binarization means, 14 margin detection means, 15 automatic code type identification means, 16 decoding means, 21 binarization circuit, 22 … Microprocessor, 23… ROM, 24… RAM.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A bar code reader capable of reading a plurality of types of bar codes, wherein a margin related to a bar code scanning direction is detected from a binarized scanning signal, and only a signal related to the bar code is detected. Margin detecting means for extracting
Automatic identification means for identifying the code type of the bar code to be scanned based on the extracted signal, and decoding means including a plurality of decoders corresponding to each of the plurality of code types,
A multi-barcode reader with a preprocessing automatic identification function, characterized in that one decoder corresponding to the identification code type in the decoding means is started based on the identification result by the automatic identification means.