Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-05
2004-04-06
St. Cyr, Daniel (Department: 2622)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S494000, C235S462450
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715684
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 11-251512, filed on Sep. 6, 1999; and No. 11-307078, filed on Oct. 28, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a code-reading apparatus configured to be used for manual scanning of recording media, such as paper sheets, on which data including audio data, image data, and text data is recorded as codes that can be optically read by manual scanning, thereby allowing the codes to optically read and to reproduce the data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,403 proposes a technique that allows various types of data including audio data, image data, and text data to be printed and recorded on recording media, such as paper sheets, as optically readable codes that can be manually scanned and read.
FIG. 1
shows a physical format of an optically readable dot code disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,403. A dot code
1
is basically composed of multiple rectangular bocks
2
that are two-dimensionally arranged to be adjacent to each other.
Each of the blocks
2
is composed of a data-dot pattern section
3
, markers
4
, and a block-address pattern section
5
. The data-dot pattern section
3
contains data items that are sectional according to the individual blocks of various types of data, such as audio data, in a predetermined arrangement of dot images of white dots and black dots that correspond to “0” and “1” that represent values of the aforementioned sectional data. Each of the markers
4
is composed of a predetermined number of consecutive black dots and are arranged at each of four corners of the individual bocks
2
. The markers
4
thus arranged are used as reference points that allow detection of the individual dots (data dots) in the data-dot pattern section
3
. The block-address pattern section
5
comprises error-detecting symbols and error-correcting symbols. The block-address pattern section
5
is arranged between the markers
4
to allow identification in reading of the multiple bocks
2
, each of which is unique in the contents.
In
FIG. 1
, the vertical and horizontal lines in the block
2
are virtual lines drawn for convenience of indicating positions of the individual dots. Also, in
FIG. 1
, the black dots are recorded, while the white dots are not recorded; and portions of the white dots are shown in the ground color of the recording medium.
FIG. 2
shows an electric-function block configuration of a reading apparatus for use of manual scanning and optical reading of the dot code
1
.
The reading apparatus is configured of at least an image pickup section
6
, a binarizing section
7
, a binarized image memory
8
, a reconstituting section
9
, a demodulating section
10
, and a reproducing section
11
. The image pickup section
6
comprises an illuminating section making of a light-emitting device (LED) or the like and being provided for illuminating the dot code
1
, an optical system for imaging light reflecting from the dot code
1
and an area sensor, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD), for picking up the imaging light that is provided from the optical system. The binarizing section
7
uses a predetermined binarizing threshold and thereby binarizes an image signal outputted from the image pickup section
6
. The binarized image memory
8
stores binarized image data which is binarized by the binarizing section
7
. The reconstituting section
9
reads the binarized image data stored in the binarized image memory
8
, thereby detects the dots, assigns one of the values “0” and “1” to each of the detected dots, and outputs data thereof. The demodulating section
10
demodulates the data outputted from the reconstituting section
9
. The reproducing section
11
performs processing such as error processing and expansion processing, thereby reproducing the original data, such as the audio data, and outputting the reproduced data.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the overall size of the dot code
1
is larger than a view field
6
A of the image pickup section
6
. However, the image pickup section
6
moves in the scanning direction as indicated by an arrow shown in the figure, and serially picks up section by section for the dot code
1
, thereby allowing the whole dot code
1
to be read out.
In other words, although the whole dot code
1
cannot be picked up in one shot (one frame), when data dot patterns and block address patterns thereof can be read in units of the blocks, data of the individual blocks can be collected according to the block addresses, and the original data can thereby be reconstituted. In this way, code-reading can be implemented by manual scanning.
The reconstituting section
9
reads binarized image data stored in the binarized image memory
8
and thereby detects each of the aforementioned dots. The reconstituting section
9
first locates the marker
4
, then references the centroid position of the marker
4
that has been located, and thereby obtains a dot-reading reference position. Subsequently, from the dot-reading reference position, the reconstituting section
9
detects a dot-reading point for reading each of the dots arranged in the data-dot pattern section
3
, determines whether the detected dot-reading point is white or black, assigns one of the values “0” and “1” thereto, and outputs the corresponding data.
Such being the configuration, the dot code is printed and recorded with high-density print quality. Therefore, even if the print included some geometrical skews, read-out thereof would be able to be appropriately implemented.
For data such as audio data inputted as a recording object, modulation is preliminarily performed at printing and recording of the dot code
1
. Thus, the demodulating section
10
performs processing that returns the modulated data to the state of original data, that is, to the premodulation state.
Specifically, the aforementioned modulation is preliminarily performed to facilitate the detection of the marker
4
in the reconstituting section
9
. The modulation is performed so that the number of consecutive black dots in the data-dot pattern section
3
, which differentiates the individual dots in the data-dot pattern section
3
from the marker
4
, resultantly becomes smaller than the number of the consecutive black dots.
For example, suppose the maximum diameter of the marker
4
is equivalent to the size allowing five pieces of the black dots to be printed and recorded in the data-dot pattern section
3
are adjacently arranged in a predetermined direction. In this case, the modulation is performed for data such as audio data inputted as described above so that the number of consecutive black dots in modulated data (that is, after the modulation processing is performed) becomes smaller than five.
The individual configuration members are packaged in, for example, a pen-shape casing, thereby allowing manual operation to be performed for optical reading of the dot code
1
printed and recorded on a sheet-like recording medium, such as a paper sheet.
Specifically, as shown in
FIG. 3
, a reading opening provided is on an end portion of a reading apparatus
12
, is positioned so as to be in contact with a recording medium
13
, and is moved in a manner of tracing the dot code
1
printed and recorded on the recording medium
13
in the scanning direction, thereby outputting, for example, sounds.
As described above, according to the reading apparatus described above, easy manual operation allows optical reading to be implemented for the code recorded on the recording medium. Compared to a reading apparatus that requires a recording medium to be fitted in a predetermined position and that mechanically (i.e., automatically) operates to read a code recorded on the recording medium, handiness in handling of the above-described apparatus is further improved, and also, the usability thereof is significantly improved.
Thus, the reading apparatus is advantageous w
Fukuda Hiroyuki
Kikuchi Mutsumi
Matsui Akira
Cyr Daniel St.
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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