Optical information reading apparatus and related information reading method
First Claim
1. An optical information reading apparatus comprising:
- image pickup means having a two-dimensional imaging visual field for capturing an image of a reading objective containing an information code recorded thereon;
guide light irradiating means for irradiating a guide light on said reading objective to indicate a reading portion; and
processing mean for performing read processing of said information code based on the image picked up by said image pickup means, wherein the guide light emitted from said guide light irradiating means indicates a two-dimensional region as a reading portion that is narrower than said imaging visual field, detecting means is provided for detecting an irradiated position of said guide light on said imaging visual field of said image pickup means, and said processing means primarily selects an information code entirely contained in said two-dimensional region as a read processing objective based on detection result of said detecting means, when a plurality of codes are present in the two-dimensional region indicated by said guide light.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A guide light indicating a rectangular reading portion, smaller than an imaging visual field of an area sensor, is irradiated on a reading objective. A control unit, under the irradiated guide light, causes the area sensor to capture a first image. Then, the control unit detects the position of the guide light based on captured first image data. Then, with no irradiation of the guide light, the control unit causes the area sensor to capture a second image. The control unit then estimates an existing region of a two-dimensional code in the second image. The control unit selects, as a processing objective, only a code that is completely contained in the reading portion and executes the decode processing only for the selected code. When failed in a reading operation, the control unit expands a processing objective region and executes the decode processing again.
13 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An optical information reading apparatus comprising:
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image pickup means having a two-dimensional imaging visual field for capturing an image of a reading objective containing an information code recorded thereon;
guide light irradiating means for irradiating a guide light on said reading objective to indicate a reading portion; and
processing mean for performing read processing of said information code based on the image picked up by said image pickup means, wherein the guide light emitted from said guide light irradiating means indicates a two-dimensional region as a reading portion that is narrower than said imaging visual field, detecting means is provided for detecting an irradiated position of said guide light on said imaging visual field of said image pickup means, and said processing means primarily selects an information code entirely contained in said two-dimensional region as a read processing objective based on detection result of said detecting means, when a plurality of codes are present in the two-dimensional region indicated by said guide light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for optically reading an information code comprising the steps of:
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irradiating a guide light indicating a two-dimensional reading portion, which is smaller than an imaging visual field of image pickup means, on a reading objective;
capturing a first image of said reading objective under irradiation of said guide light;
detecting the position of said guide light based on captured first image data;
capturing a second image of said reading objective after stopping irradiation of said guide light;
estimating an existing region of an information code in the second image;
selecting, as a processing objective, only an information code that is completely contained in said two-dimensional reading portion when a plurality of codes are present in said two-dimensional reading portion indicated by said guide light; and
executing decode processing only for said selected information code. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification