JPH08202806A - Optical information reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To easily recognize read completion by the eyesight of a user by changing the light emitting color of a light emitting elements, which is emitted at the time of reading an information mark and the light emitting color of the light emitting elements, which is emitted when the reading of the information mark is completed. CONSTITUTION: Plural number of LED light emitting elements 31 emitting red and LED light emitting elements 32 emitting green are alternately arrayed and arranged in an LED modeule 30 (30a). When the switch of a reader is turned on, a microcomputer 150 transmits a first LED driving command to a first LED driving circuit 140. A bar code is irradiated with red light by respective LED 31 of LED 30a. When the reading of bar code data completes, the microcomputer 150 transmits a driving stop command to the first LED driving circuit 140 and transmits a second LED driving command to a second LED driving circuit 141. Then, each LED 32 irradiates green light.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical information reader, and more particularly to an optical information reader such as a bar code reader for reading information symbols.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an optical information reading device such as a bar code reader, when light is radiated on an information symbol such as a bar code, the radiated light is reflected by the information symbol such as a bar code. The reflected light reflected is imaged on the reading sensor. The reading sensor reads the reflected light formed into an image, outputs an information symbol such as a bar code as an analog signal, converts the output analog signal into a digital signal in an analog / digital conversion means, and quantizes it. By performing the differential processing (differential processing), the bar boundaries (black and white boundaries) of the barcode are detected, and the barcode reading is completed by detecting the boundaries. When notifying the user of the completion of reading the barcode, for example, a sounding body such as a buzzer is used to sound the sounding body, or an LED element is used to cause the LED element to emit light. Was informed of the completion of reading the barcode.

[0003]

However, in the notifying means as described above, for example, when notifying using a sounding body such as a buzzer, the environment in which an optical information reading device such as a bar code reader is used, For example, there is a problem in that it is difficult to recognize that a buzzer sound or the like is generated due to insufficient volume of a sounding body such as a buzzer due to a surrounding noise environment or the like. In addition, the sound volume of a sounding body such as a buzzer causes an unpleasant feeling for the user.

Further, when the LED element is used for notification, the LED element is small and difficult to see, which causes a problem that it is difficult for the user to confirm that the LED element emits light. Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and based on the knowledge that the line of sight of the user is always directed to the information symbol, the completion of reading can be easily confirmed by the user's eyes. An object is to provide an optical information reading device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a light emitting means for irradiating an optically readable information symbol with light, and a reflected light generated by the light emitted from the light emitting means reflected on the information symbol are predetermined. And an optical information reading device which is arranged at a predetermined position, and which receives light formed by the image forming means and converts the received light into an electric signal. The first feature of the configuration of the present invention is that the above-mentioned light emitting means has a plurality of light emitting elements, and emits light when the information symbol is read and the emission color of the light emitting element that emits light when reading the information symbol. The purpose is to change the emission color of the light emitting element. A second feature of the configuration of the present invention is that a light emitting element that emits light of a plurality of colors is used as the above light emitting element.

[0006]

In the present invention configured as described above, the luminescent color emitted at the time of reading the information symbol and the luminescent color emitted at the completion of reading the information symbol are different from each other. The user, who is looking at the information symbol, can easily confirm the change in the luminescent color, and the special effect that the visibility of the reading completion of this kind of optical information reading device is significantly improved. Occurs.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a bar code reading device which is an optical information reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the bar code reader is
The casing 10 is provided, and a reading port 11 is formed in a rectangular shape on the reading tip side of the bent portion of the casing 10 so as to face the barcode label Bc.

In the casing 10, a plurality of LEDs for irradiating the bar code label Bc with light are arranged side by side.
The module 30, an image forming lens 50 for forming an image of the light reflected by the barcode label Bc on the line image sensor 60 via the mirror 40, and an optical signal formed by the image forming lens 50 into an electric signal. A line type image sensor 60 (for example, composed of 2048 CCD sensors) for conversion, and a control device 100 (FIG. 3) for reading the information content of the barcode label Bc based on electric signals from the DC power source 70 and the image sensor 60. And a substrate 80 on which the reference (see) is arranged.

Although not shown, in the casing 10, an LED lamp and a buzzer for indicating the completion of reading the barcode, a connector and a cable for connecting the information content of the barcode label Bc to an external device are arranged. It is set up. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the LED module 30 of the present invention, and FIG. 2A shows an LE that emits red light.
This shows an LED module 30a in which a plurality of D elements 31 and LED elements 32 that emit green light are arranged alternately. In addition, FIG. 2B shows L that emits red and green light.
The LED module 30b in which a plurality of ED elements 33 are arranged and arranged is shown.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a block circuit of the control device 100 described above. In FIG. 3, the control device 100
Is a noise removal and amplification circuit 110 that removes noise generated in the output signal from the image sensor 60 to shape the waveform, and amplifies the waveform-shaped signal, and the amplified analog output signal to a digital signal sequentially. Analog / digital conversion (A / D conversion) circuit 120 for conversion
And a driving circuit 130 that drives each CCD sensor of the image sensor 60 based on a command from the microcomputer 150, and a first L that drives each LED of the LED module 30 based on a command from the microcomputer 150.
ED drive circuit 140 and second LED drive circuit 141
And various kinds of arithmetic processing based on the digital signal output from the A / D conversion circuit 120, and outputs the arithmetic result to the output circuit 160, and the data output from the microcomputer 150 to the outside. It is composed of an output circuit 160 for sending to the device.

Next, the operation of the bar code reading apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. When the switch of the bar code reading device is turned on and the microcomputer 150 is in a driving state, the microcomputer 150 sends a first LED driving command to the first LED driving circuit 140. Then, based on the first LED drive command from the microcomputer 150, the first L
Each LED of the LED module 30 is driven by the ED driving circuit 140 (for example, the LED module 30 of FIG. 2A).
In the case of a, each LED 31 emits red light, and in the case of the LED module 30b of FIG. 2B, each LED 33 emits red light. )
Emits red light.

When the red light is emitted from the LED module 30 toward the bar code label Bc,
The reflected light from the barcode label Bc reaches the mirror 40 while diffusing. At this time, the mirror 40 changes the optical path of the reflected light from the barcode label Bc in the direction of the image forming lens 50, and the reflected light is formed in the image forming lens 5.
Make it reach 0. The reflected light that has reached the imaging lens 50 passes through the imaging lens 50 and passes through the image sensor 60.
An image is formed on the light receiving surface of.

Next, when the reflected light forms an image on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 60, the microcomputer 150 causes CC
The D sensor drive command is sent to the drive circuit 130. Then, under the command from the microcomputer 150,
The drive circuit 130 of the image sensor 60 drives the image sensor 6 as an electric signal sequence corresponding to the light intensity received by each light receiving element (CCD sensor element) of the image sensor 60.
Output from 0. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the barcode on the barcode label Bc is formed of a bar portion and a space portion, and the reflectance of the irradiated light is different between the bar portion and the space portion. The light reception intensity (signal level) becomes low in the bar portion, and the light reception intensity (signal level) becomes high in the space portion. Therefore, the image sensor 60 outputs the electric signal sequence corresponding to the light intensity (signal level) received by each light receiving element (CCD sensor element) of the image sensor 60.

The electric signal output from the image sensor 60 is a noise removal and amplification circuit 110 of the control device 100.
Is input to In the noise removing / amplifying circuit 110, noise generated in the electric signal containing the information of the bar code output from the image sensor 60 is removed and waveform shaping is performed, and then the waveform shaped signal is amplified. The analog signal containing the amplified bar code information is input to the A / D conversion circuit 120, and the analog signal is converted into a digital signal in the A / D conversion circuit 120.

In this way, after the analog signal is converted into the digital signal in the A / D conversion circuit 120,
This digital signal is input to the microcomputer 150, and the input digital signal is subjected to signal processing and output to the output circuit 160 as bar code data. When the bar code data is output to the output circuit 160, the bar code data is transmitted to an external device (not shown).

Further, the bar code data is output by the output circuit 160.
Then, the microcomputer 150 sends a command for completion of reading the barcode data to operate an LED lamp and a buzzer (not shown) for indicating the completion of reading the barcode. At the same time, the microcomputer 150 sends a drive stop command to the first LED drive circuit 140 and sends a second LED drive command to the second LED drive circuit 141.

The microcomputer 150 is the second LE.
When the D drive command is sent to the second LED drive circuit 141, the second LED drive circuit 141 drives the LE based on the second LED drive command from the microcomputer 150.
Each LED of the D module 30 (for example, L of FIG. 2A)
In the case of the ED module 30a, each LED 32 is shown in FIG.
In the case of the LED module 30b of (b), each LED 33
Emits green light. ) Emits green light.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the red light radiated on the barcode Bc at the time of reading the barcode Bc changes to green light when the reading of the barcode Bc is completed. The user, who always keeps his line of sight on the bar code Bc, can easily confirm the change of the luminescent color, and the visibility of the completion of reading of this kind of bar code reader is remarkably improved. It produces a special effect.

In the above embodiment, the LED lamp and the buzzer for indicating the completion of reading the bar code are provided, but the LED lamp and the buzzer may be omitted. Although the image forming lens 50 is provided between the barcode label Bc and the image sensor 60, the image forming lens 50 need not be provided if the image sensor has an image forming member.

Although an example in which a CCD sensor is used as the image sensor 60 has been described, any sensor element such as a photodiode that can detect the intensity of light may be used in addition to the CCD sensor.

Further, in the above embodiment, the LED module 30 is used as a light source for irradiating the bar code label Bc with light, but it may be any one that emits light of a plurality of colors such as a laser diode and a lamp. Any light source may be used. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the bar code reading device is described as the optical information reading device, but the present invention can be applied to any optical information reading device other than the bar code reading device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a barcode reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the LED module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 (a) is a diagram showing an example of an LED module of the present invention in which two types of LEDs that emit different colors are alternately arranged. , (B) are diagrams showing an example in which LEDs emitting two different colors are juxtaposed to form an LED module.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a circuit block of the control device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Casing, 30 ... LED module, 40 ... Mirror, 50 ... Imaging lens, 60 ... Image sensor, 7
0 ... DC power supply, 80 ... Board, 100 ... Control device, 150
… Microcomputer, Bc… Bar code

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A light emitting means for irradiating an optically readable information symbol with light, and light reflected by the light emitted from the light emitting means to the information symbol to form an image at a predetermined position. An optical information reading device comprising: an image means; and a light receiving means arranged at the predetermined position for receiving the light imaged by the image forming means and converting the received light into an electric signal. The light emitting means has a plurality of light emitting elements, and the light emitting color of the light emitting element that emits light when reading the information symbol and the light emitting color of the light emitting element that emits light when reading of the information symbol are different from each other. Characteristic optical information reader. 2. The optical information reading device according to claim 1, wherein a light emitting element that emits light of a plurality of colors is used as the light emitting element.