Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2003-06-24
Le, Thien M. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
C235S454000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581826
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to reader apparatuses, particularly to a reader apparatus allowing optimization of the card insert state.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 1
shows a usage of a reader apparatus
3
that reads out a two-dimensional bar code or two-dimensional dot code (generically referred to as “pattern code” hereinafter when distinction therebetween is not required) printed on a card
1
.
Card
1
is a business card formed of paper or plastic, for example. One plane (referred to as “print plane” hereinafter) has the company name, individual name, telephone number, face picture, and a pattern code
2
printed, as shown in FIG.
2
. Pattern code
2
is a color code having a width WC, corresponding to a pattern code of a plurality of color elements such as cyan, magenta and yellow.
Card
1
is to be inserted into a card slot unit
3
B provided at the top face of a package case
3
A in the state as shown in
FIG. 1
(print plane of card
1
facing the front with pattern code
2
located at the bottom side). When card
1
is inserted in this manner, reader apparatus
3
reads out predetermined information from pattern code
2
of card
1
to execute a process based on the information read out.
FIG. 3
shows an example of the internal structure of reader apparatus
3
. An LED (Light Emitting Diode) array
11
is a light source projecting a color beam of red (R), green (G) or blue (B) to the region of pattern code
2
of card
1
according to a light source switch signal output from an image data reader unit
12
.
A reader device
13
is formed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensing device to pick up the color pattern of pattern code
2
to provide the resultant image data to a data processing unit
14
. Data processing unit
14
also receives a synchronizing signal in synchronization with the readout operation from image data reader unit
12
. Data processing unit
14
binarizes the image data from reader device
13
in synchronization with the synchronizing signal from image data reader unit
12
to carry out a pattern determination process. The processed result is provided to a process execution unit
15
. Process execution unit
15
executes a predetermined process according to the result of the pattern determination process supplied from data processing unit
14
. For example, a process to output a speech of greeting is carried out.
An example of the structure of an optical system unit
20
constituting the equipment of the optical system of reader apparatus
3
will be described hereinafter with reference to
FIGS. 4 and 5
.
FIG. 4
is a cross sectional view of a structure of optical system unit
20
viewed from the direction of Y axis in
FIG. 1
(cross section taken along line A-A'). In other words, the position of respective components of optical system unit
20
on the X axis and Z axis is shown in FIG.
4
.
FIG. 5
shows the structure of optical system unit
20
viewed from right above reader apparatus
3
of FIG.
1
. In other words, the position of respective components of optical system unit
20
on the Y axis and Z axis is shown in FIG.
5
.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, LED array
11
is installed so that the center point C
11
of a light emitting plane
11
A on the X axis is located on the center line LC of pattern code
2
of card
1
inserted in card slot unit
3
B. Card slot unit
3
B has a card slot depth L
3
that ensures the foregoing position relationship between LED array
11
and card
1
. The print plane of card
1
in
FIG. 2
also shows the position relationship between LED array
11
and pattern code
2
(the position relationship between center point C
11
and center line LC). On the Y axis, LED array
11
is installed lower than a perpendicular line LP from a predetermined position (for example, the center point) of card
1
as shown in FIG.
5
.
A reflective mirror
21
is installed so that the center point C
21
is located identical to center point C
11
of LED array
11
on the X axis as shown in
FIG. 4
, and so that center point C
21
is located on perpendicular line LD from card
1
on the Y axis as shown in FIG.
5
. Lens
22
is installed light below reflective mirror
21
on the X axis, i.e. at a position identical to reflective mirror
21
on the Y axis as shown in FIG.
5
. Reader device
13
is installed right below lens
22
on the X axis and at a position identical to reflective mirror
21
and lens
22
on the Y axis.
In optical system unit
20
, LED array
11
directs a light beam of red (R), green (G) or blue (B) to pattern code
2
at each shifted point during the scanning operation on pattern code
2
of card
1
(parallel movement on the Y axis) as shown in FIG.
2
. Reflective mirror
21
provides (reflects) to lens
22
the reflected light from pattern code
2
caused by the light from LED array
11
. Lens
22
gathers and provides to reader device
13
the input light from reflective mirror
21
. Reader device
13
converts the light from lens
22
into an electronic signal.
The quantity of light from LED array
11
is largest around the center point C
11
, and becomes smaller as a function of distance from center point C
11
. In general, the optical path length WR of the light from LED array
11
is set greater than the width WC of pattern code
2
(
FIGS. 2 and 4
) so that sufficient quantity of light is projected on pattern code
2
to read out information properly. Accordingly, light emitting plane
11
A of LED array
11
has a diameter R greater than light path width WR, and faces card
1
as shown in FIG.
4
. When center line LC of pattern code
2
of card
1
coincides with center point C
11
of light emitting plane
11
A on the X axis, slot depth L
3
of card slot unit
3
B will become larger than diameter R of light emitting plane
11
A. In the state where card
1
is inserted in card slot unit
3
B, the name, telephone number and picture printed on card
1
will be partially hidden by reader apparatus
3
, as shown in FIG.
6
. The user cannot view the entire information.
If the information printed on card
1
is hidden when inserted in card slot unit
3
B (during reading of pattern code
2
) to obstruct the user's visual confirmation, there was a problem that the meaning could not be conveyed sufficiently to the user of reader apparatus
3
when the information corresponding to pattern code
2
and the information provided on card
1
(for example, face picture or name) are to be used in correspondence.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a reader apparatus that prevents information located at a predetermined position on a card from being hidden even when the card is inserted in the reader apparatus.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a reader apparatus includes a reception unit receiving a card on which a pattern code is attached, a light emitting unit having a light emitting plane for emitting a light beam of a first light path width smaller than the width of the light emitting plane, a guide unit for guiding the light emitted from the light emitting unit to the pattern code on the card received through the reception unit, and a reader unit receiving light guided by the guide unit and reflected from the pattern code of the card. The guide unit includes a portion facing the card received through the reception unit. That facing portion has a length smaller than the width of the light emitting plane of the light emitting unit.
By such a reader apparatus of the above structure, the card reception depth or insertion depth in the reception unit can be set smaller than the conventional one. Since the card can be inserted into the reception unit of the reader apparatus so that the information provided at a predetermined position of the card is not hidden, the user can view the information. The card insert position can be optimized.
In the reader apparatus of the present invention, the guide unit preferably functions to convert the light of a first light path
Caputo Lisa M
Dickstein , Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, LLP
Le Thien M.
Omron Corporation
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