Portable terminal device, program for reading information, and recording medium having the same recorded thereon

• US 20040016814A1
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Takeharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,090,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/007 Selecting or switching between a still picture apparatus or function and another apparatus or function H04N2201/0022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A portable terminal device and a program for reading information, which can read a code correctly with simple operations, and a recording medium having the program recorded thereon. A portable telephone 10 with a camera has a camera 12 for inputting information of an image of interest, a small light 13, which emits light through the operation of ON/OFF button 21 while reading a bar code, an LCD display part 15 for displaying information, and a control part 31 including a CPU for controlling the whole device. The control part 31 switches photography modes depending on the existence of objects such as natural images or bar codes. The control part 31 recognizes a bar code when the device switches to a mode for bar code photography. Then, the device notifies a user of the results of the recognition and then performs a predetermined process based on the content of the recognition.

Claims

1. A portable terminal device comprising:

image pick-up means for picking up an image;

photography procedure switching means for switching to a bar code as an object to be photographed;

display means for displaying the image obtained by the image pick-up means; and

code recognition means for recognizing the picked-up image of the bar code when the device is switched to bar code photography mode by the photography procedure switching means.

2. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the photography procedure switching means changes an image capture area in the image pick-up means, depending on the type of bar code.

3. The portable terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the photography procedure switching means changes at least one or more of the factors of gradation property, contrast, brightness, white balance, exposure, focus depth, edge enhancement, and resolution between a natural image and a bar code image.

4. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the photography procedure switching means has frame rate control means,

wherein the frame rate control means, when switching to bar code photography mode, displays an image obtained by the image pick-up means at a high frame rate on the display means until the code recognition means starts up and displays an image at a frame rate necessary for the code recognition means after the code recognition means starts up.

5. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising lighting means for lighting the object.

6. The portable terminal device according to claim 5, comprising lighting switching means for turning on/off the lighting means.

7. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, comprising notifying means for giving notice of a result recognized by the code recognition means.

8. The portable terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the notifying means gives notice of the recognition result via sound, voice, or a message displayed on the display means.

9. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising timer setting means for measuring a setting time,

wherein the notifying means gives notice of recognition failure when a bar code is not recognized within a period set by the timer setting means.

14. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the image pick-up means picks up a moving/still image with an area-type solid-state image sensing device.

15. The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the portable terminal device is a portable telephone or portable information terminal.

10. A portable terminal device comprising a camera for picking up an image and a display part for displaying the picked-up image, both being built into the device,

wherein a marker indicating camera position is provided.

11. The portable terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the marker is provided on the surface of a main body just at the back of an opening of the camera by a printing, an inscription, or a sticker.

12. The portable terminal device according to claim 10, comprising marker display means for displaying image information indicating the marker on the display part when the display part is located on the main body just at the back of the opening of the camera.

13. The portable terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the marker display means deletes the display of the image information indicating the marker in synchronization with the shutter operation of the camera or a notice of image pick-up result, or switches on/off the display of the image information indicating the marker in accordance with user'"'"'s instruction.

16. A computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program causing a computer to operate a portable terminal device comprising:

image pick-up means for picking up an image;

photography procedure switching means for switching to a bar code as an object to be photographed;

display means for displaying the image obtained by the image pick-up means; and

code recognition means for recognizing the picked-up image of the bar code when the device is switched to bar code photography mode by the photography procedure switching means.

17. A program causing a computer to operate a portable terminal device comprising:

image pick-up means for picking up an image;

photography procedure switching means for switching to a bar code as an object to be photographed;

display means for displaying the image obtained by the image pick-up means; and

code recognition means for recognizing the picked-up image of the bar code when the device is switched to bar code photography mode by the photography procedure switching means.