Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-20
2004-05-11
Lee, Diane I. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S462150, C235S462180
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732931
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for reading to be used in POS (point of sales) system or distribution control, and installed, for example, at a shop cashier counter for optically reading article barcodes given to articles. More particularly this invention relates to a method of and apparatus for reading that may be controllable according to personal characteristics such as habits or rhythm of operators.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, in POS system or distribution control, it is widely practiced to read the barcodes attached to articles (“article barcode”) by using a barcode reader, and process and manage merchandise accounting settlement.
FIG. 19
explains operation by using a conventional barcode reader
20
. The cashier counter
10
is installed in the shop, and this is the counter where the customer
50
purchasing the article
70
in the shop pays for the purchase amount of the article. The barcode reader
20
is installed for optically recording the article barcode
71
attached to the article
70
.
FIG. 20
shows in detail the article barcode
71
. The article barcode
71
is composed of white bars (having high reflectivity) for reflecting the beam (laser light) emitted from the barcode reader
20
, and black bars (having low reflectivity) for absorbing the beam according to the arrangement specified in JAN (Japan Article Number) standard. Other barcode standards include UPC (Universal Product Code) and EAN (European Article Number).
The article barcode
71
expresses, from left to right in the diagram, characters of “49” corresponding to the country code, “02100” to the article manufacturer code, “03139” to the article item code, and “4” to the check digit code.
The casing
21
incorporates the reading window
22
and the operation panel
23
. The reading window
22
is made of reinforced glass or the like, and has a function of guiding the beam (laser light) emitted from an optical unit (not shown) built in the casing
21
into an upper reading space, and a function of guiding the reflection beam reflected by the article barcode
71
existing in the reading space into the optical unit. The operation panel
23
comprises function keys, numeric keys, and others, and used for various settings and inputs.
An electric configuration of the barcode reader
20
is explained by referring to FIG.
21
. In the diagram, same parts as in
FIG. 19
are identified with same reference numerals. In the barcode reader
20
, an optical unit
24
has a function of emitting beams B
1
, B
2
, and B
3
of laser light sequentially and continuously to the reading window
22
.
The optical unit
24
also has a function of receiving reflected beam R
1
, R
2
, or R
3
of any one of beams of B
1
, B
2
, and B
3
reflected by the article barcode
71
through the reading window
22
, and issuing as reflected beam signal Sr
1
, Sr
2
, or Sr
3
.
More specifically, the optical unit
24
for realizing this function comprises a laser light generator for generating laser light, a polygon mirror having a reflecting plane, a motor for rotating and driving the polygon mirror, and a trihedral mirror for dividing the laser light reflected by the polygon mirror into beams B
1
, B
2
, and B
3
, and reflecting toward the reading window
22
. The optical unit
24
has a reflected beam detector for receiving reflected beam R
1
, R
2
, or R
3
, and converting into reflected beam signal Sr
1
, Sr
2
, or Sr
3
.
The barcode demodulator
25
executes demodulation process of generating demodulated data corresponding to the characters of the article barcode
71
, on the basis of the reflected beam signal Sr
1
, Sr
2
, or Sr
3
.
This barcode demodulator
25
comprises an A/D (Analog/Digital) converter for converting reflected beam signal Sr
1
, Sr
2
, or Sr
3
into digital data, and a bar width counter for counting the black bar width and white bar width of black bars and white bars of the article barcode
71
.
The barcode demodulator
25
further comprises a demodulator for demodulating the characters of the article barcode
71
, and obtaining the demodulation result as demodulated data, on the basis of the demodulation table showing the correlative relation of the combination of black bar width and white bar width and the characters, and the demodulation table of the counting result of the bar width counter.
The controller
26
controls output of laser light in the optical unit
24
, controls payment on the basis of demodulated data from the barcode demodulator
25
, and controls communication with outside. The speaker
27
generates a reading sound upon completion of reading of article barcode
71
.
The setting unit
28
sets, for example, operation interval, reading time, double read ban time, volume and/or tone of reading sound, and other setting information (parameters) as default values. In this barcode reader
20
, only the person in charge of the manufacturer of the barcode reader
20
is allowed to set initially or set again the setting information.
FIG. 22A
is a time chart showing the operation interval, reading time, and double read ban time composing the setting information. In the diagram, operation interval T
1
a
is an effective time interval from operation for reading an article barcode given to a certain article (for example, first article) (time t
1
a
) to operation for reading an article barcode given to other article (for example, second article) (time t
3
a
). In this operation interval T
1
a
, only one operation is valid for one kind of article.
That is, in this operation interval T
1
a
, if two operations are attempted consecutively for two articles of different kinds, only the first operation is valid. The second operation is invalid. This is intended to prevent reading error due to mixing of reading results of barcodes given to two different articles.
Reading time T
2
a
is an effective time from start of reading of a barcode given to a certain article (for example, first article) (time t
1
a
) until end of reading (time t
2
a
) In this operation interval T
2
a
, only one operation is valid for a same article.
That is, in this reading time T
2
a
, if two operations are attempted consecutively for one article, only the first operation is valid. The second operation is invalid. This is intended to prevent double reading of a barcode concerning a same article.
Double read ban time T
3
a
is a duration from end time of reading time T
2
a
(time t
2
a
) till end time of operation interval T
1
a
(time t
3
a
), and this is the time to ban double reading of a same article. Therefore, operation in the double read ban time T
3
a
is invalid.
Thus, in the conventional barcode reader
20
, the operation interval, reading time, double read ban time, and volume and/or tone are set by default as setting information. Therefore, the operator is requested to operate according to the setting information.
The memory unit
29
stores the setting information set in the setting unit
28
(operation interval, reading time, double read ban time, and volume and/or tone). The display unit
30
is a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), which displays the article name, subtotal amount and total amount to the customer. The interface
31
makes communications with an external device. A bus
32
connects the parts.
The host device
33
is connected to the interface
31
. In a shop having many cashier counters, many barcode readers, not shown, are connected to the host device
33
.
The host device
33
is installed in the shop, and collects and processes POS data relating to sales, article stock information, and others from the barcode reader
20
. The host device
33
is connected to the upper level device
34
. In a company running a plurality of shops, a plurality of host devices (at a plurality of s-hops) are connected to the upper level device
34
. The upper level device
34
is to collect and process POS data of each shop.
In this configuration, when the customer
50
shown in
FIG. 19
puts a shopping basket
60
containing a plurality of articl
Fujitsu Limited
Lee Diane I.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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