JPS6278685A - optical character reader - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a hand-held optical character reading device for reading codes such as characters and bar codes. At least one of the synthesizers is provided, and the system detects, based on information formed on an image sensor, that the character/code to be read has protruded from the edge of the reading field of view of the reading device, and activates the display device, etc. This is to notify the user that a leak has occurred.

(Conventional technology) In the distribution industry such as supermarkets and department stores, in order to quickly obtain information necessary for management such as sales management and product management, information collected for each individual product and at the purchasing and delivery stages are used. A system that inputs various types of information generated into a computer, processes, processes, and transmits the information so that each department can use it effectively according to its own purpose, the so-called POS.
(Point of 5ales) systems are becoming widespread. A manual scanning type optical character reading device as shown in FIG. 9 is used to input information, which is more efficient in input time than manual input using a keyboard.

As shown in FIG. 9, the hand-scanning type optical character reading device is constructed by holding a hand scanner l at 1,200 degrees and moving the reading head 4 against the surface of a medium 3 on which a character string is written. Read character by character.

On the other hand, the hand scanner 21 shown in FIG. You can also read multiple lines of text. This hand scanner 21 can read one or more lines of character strings simply by holding the reading head over the medium 23 without moving it.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> By the way, in the optical character reading device shown in FIG. 9, when reading a long number of digits with a large amount of information, the characters are scanned by hand, which sometimes leaves the reading field of view. .

On the other hand, in the optical character reading device shown in FIG. 1O, it is necessary to completely cover the character string to be read in order to keep the character string to be read within the reading field of view. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, when the character string on the medium 5a is in contact with the opening 5b of the reading head, there is a problem in that the user cannot confirm that the literature has deviated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical character reading device that notifies a user when a character string to be read deviates from the reading field of view.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention that achieves the above object includes a means for detecting that a character string to be read protrudes from the reading field of view from information formed on an image sensor, and a means for detecting that a character string to be read has protruded from the reading field of view, It is characterized by having a means for notifying this.

<Example> Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows its circuit configuration. In both figures, reference numeral 41 denotes a hand scanner that reads information such as characters and barcodes, which covers information written on a recording medium 43, irradiates it with a light source 45, and transmits the reflected light through a lens 48 to a plurality of photoelectric converters. Light is focused on an image sensor 44 in which elements are arranged two-dimensionally, and its signal output is amplified by an amplifier circuit 47, then converted into a white/black digital signal using a binarization unit 50, and the signal is sent to a screen buffer. Based on the recognition results sent from the recognition unit 52 in step 51, the recognition result processing unit 54 determines whether the characters are unreadable or whether the number of digits conforms to a predetermined format. If the recognition result is compatible, the recognition result is sent to an external device.

On the other hand, the reading line position detection unit 5 reads from the contents of the screen buffer 51.
3, it is detected whether the read line is out of the field of view, and the detection result is input to the recognition result processing section 54.

The recognition result processing section 54 sends corresponding processing parameters to the reading failure information processing section 55 based on the detection result.

In the reading failure information processing section 55, the notification display 48. In order to drive the notification sound generation section 48, the corresponding processing parameters are sent to the display processing section 58 and the sound generation processing section 57.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a reading line position detection method in the reading line position detecting section 53. Reference numeral 61 indicates the screen of the image sensor, which is divided into grids for each pixel. First, a logical sum 62 is taken for each row of pixels of the image sensor, and the state is detected in black that extends in the vertical direction. As a result, when black starts from the top end, it is determined that the read character string protrudes to the second side of the reading field of view. Also, when black starts from the bottom edge, it is similarly determined that it protrudes to the bottom. Furthermore, secondly, take the logical sum 63 for each column of the image sensor,
Detects the state of black extending in the horizontal direction, and as in the first case, when the black starts from the leftmost edge, it goes to the left, and when it starts from the rightmost edge, it goes to the right, and the read character string extends beyond the reading field of view. It is determined that

An embodiment of the reading line position detection method shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, for each pixel of the image sensor, the logical sum of each row or each column of pixels arranged in a grid on the image sensor is obtained from the binary screen information as 1 for black and O for white. is calculated by the OR operator 11a via the register llb. Using the calculation result as an address, refer to information recorded in a ROM (read-only memory) LLC, and if the calculation result indicates an overflowing state, output the corresponding parameter to the recognition processing unit. .

Next, a second embodiment using the reading line position detection method shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. When a character string 10c that protrudes from the reading field of view range 10a is detected, and if there is a character string 10b to be read within the reading field of view and it is recognized as a character string, the character string 10c that extends outside the reading field of view range 10a is not notified. ,
It is assumed that the operation has been performed correctly, and the recognition result is output to an external device. In this case, if a character string to be read is not recognized within the reading field of view, a protrusion is notified.

FIG. 6 shows a specific example using a display. Reference numeral 71 is a reading character string departure direction indicator using a light emitting diode. For example, if the character string extends to the -1- side, indicator A lights up. FIG. 7 shows a specific example using a buzzer. A buzzer 81 is made to sound at different frequencies depending on the direction in which the read character string deviates. FIG. 8 shows a specific example of announcing the departure direction using synthesized speech.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the present invention, a character string of at least one line and multiple digits can be read by simply holding a hand scanner over a sheet of paper or a medium to be read. By notifying the user that the line has been exceeded, the user can be informed of the cause of the erroneous operation in an easy-to-understand manner, and a device with higher operability can be realized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram showing the circuit configuration of this embodiment, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reading line position detection method, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the reading line position detection method. FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8 are various types of notification means. In an explanatory diagram showing a specific example, FIG. 9, and in the drawings, 41 is a hand scanner, 43 is a recording medium, 44 is an image sensor, 48 is a notification display section, 48 is a notification sound generation section, 50 is a binarization section, 51 52 is a screen buffer, 52 is a recognition unit, 53 is a reading line position detection unit, 54 is a recognition result processing unit, 55 is a reading failure information processing unit, 58 is a display processing unit, and 57 is a sound generation processing unit. Special edition 1+! Applicant Sumitomo Electric Industries Co., Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Hikamen Shibu (and 1 other person) Figure 1 Figure 2-J

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) An image sensor that captures multiple written characters, symbols, etc. in the field of view when the hand scanner is held over a medium to be read without moving, and a digital camera that binarizes the signals output from the image sensor. In an optical character reading device having a digitization section and a recognition section that recognizes the characters, symbols, etc. based on the digitization signal output from the digitization section, by detecting the digitization signal. Extrusion determining means for determining whether or not characters, symbols, etc. to be read protrude from the reading field of view; and notification means for notifying that the characters, symbols, etc. to be read protrude when it is determined by the extrusion determining means that they protrude. An optical character reading device comprising: (2) In claim 1, the protrusion determination means includes means for performing an OR operation on the binarized signal for each row or each column, and a combination of the results of the OR operation when the binarized signal protrudes. 1. An optical character reading device comprising means for storing a coded state and detecting a state outside the logical sum combination state. (3) The optical character reading device according to claim 1, characterized in that the notification means is a voice notification device that provides notification using synthesized speech. (4) The optical character reading device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means is a light emitting diode. (5) The optical character reading device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means is a buzzer.