CODE READING APPARATUS AND CODE READING METHOD

• US 20120000980A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kazufumi
• Application Number:
  US13/170,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20120000980A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A code reading apparatus includes: a photographing section configured to photograph an image; a capturing section configured to capture the photographed image; a first reading section configured to detect, from the captured image, a code symbol that represents commodity information indicating a purchase target commodity and read, from the detected code symbol, the commodity information represented by the code symbol; a second reading section configured to continue, if a part of benefit indication that represents benefit information indicating a benefit granted for purchase of the commodity is detected from the captured image, after the part of the benefit indication is detected, the detection of the benefit indication from the image captured anew by the capturing section and read the benefit information represented by the detected benefit indication; and an output section configured to output the commodity information and the benefit information.

Claims

1. A code reading apparatus comprising:

a photographing section configured to photograph an image;

a capturing section configured to capture the photographed image;

a first reading section configured to detect, from the captured image, a code symbol that represents commodity information indicating a purchase target commodity and read, from the detected code symbol, the commodity information represented by the code symbol;

a second reading section configured to continue, if a part of benefit indication that represents benefit information indicating a benefit granted for purchase of the commodity is detected from the captured image, after the part of the benefit indication is detected, the detection of the benefit indication from the image captured anew by the capturing section and read the benefit information represented by the detected benefit indication; and

an output section configured to output the commodity information read by the first reading section and the benefit information read by the second reading section.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if a part of the benefit indication is detected from the captured image, the second reading section continues, for a predetermined time after the part of the benefit indication is detected, the detection of the benefit indication from the image captured anew by the capturing section.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if the benefit indication, a coincidence degree of which with characteristics of the benefit indication set in advance reaches a predetermined value, is detected from the captured image, the second reading section determines that a part of the benefit indication is detected.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storing section configured to store characteristics of the benefit indication and the benefit information represented by the benefit indication in association with each other, wherein

if the benefit indication, a coincidence degree of which with the characteristics of the benefit indication stored in the storing section reaches a predetermined value, is detected from the captured image, the second reading section determines that a part of the benefit indication is detected, after the part of the benefit indication is detected, continues the detection of the benefit indication from the image captured anew by the capturing section, and reads, as the benefit information indicated by the detected benefit indication, the benefit information associated with the characteristics of the detected benefit indication in the storing section.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an informing section configured to inform an operator of omission of reading of the benefit information if a part of the benefit indication is detected.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the informing section displays, on a display section, a message indicating that the benefit information cannot be read and informs the operator of the omission of the reading of the benefit information.

7. A code reading method comprising:

capturing a photographed image;

detecting, from the captured image, a code symbol that represents commodity information indicating a purchase target commodity and reading, from the detected code symbol, the commodity information represented by the code symbol;

continuing, if a part of benefit indication that represents benefit information indicating a benefit granted for purchase of the commodity is detected from the captured image, after the part of the benefit indication is detected, the detection of the benefit indication from the image captured anew and reading the benefit information represented by the detected benefit indication; and

outputting the read commodity information and the read benefit information.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising continuing, if a part of the benefit indication is detected from the captured image, for a predetermined time after the part of the benefit indication is detected, the detection of the benefit indication from the image captured anew.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising informing an operator of omission of reading of the benefit information if a part of the benefit indication is detected.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising displaying, on a display section, a message indicating that the benefit information cannot be read and informing the operator of the omission of the reading of the benefit information.