Optical Information Reading Device

• US 20160034736A1
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Original Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Inventors: Nagata, Hidezumi, Nakagawa, Takuki, Kamimura, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 9,430,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1404 Methods for optical code recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1495 the method including an image compression step
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Provided is an optical information reading device that displays, as an image, information that can be conveniently checked in setting work and in maintenance work. A decoding unit decodes image data acquired by an imaging element, and an arithmetic operation unit arithmetically operates a matching level indicating easiness of the decoding of a code, stability of the decoding, a margin of the decoding or pixel-per-cell in the decoding unit. Furthermore, a UI management unit and an image display device display, as an image, at least one of the matching level, the image data acquired by the imaging element, and an average success rate (reading success rate) of the decoding obtained by decoding a plurality of pieces of image data obtained by capturing an image of the code a plurality of times.

Claims

1. A fixed optical information reading device comprising:

an instruction unit provided in the fixed optical information reading device;

an imaging section that captures an image of a code provided in a workpiece;

a decoding section that decodes image data acquired by the imaging section;

an arithmetic operation section that arithmetically operates a matching level indicating easiness of the decoding of the code, stability of the decoding, a margin of the decoding, or pixel-per-cell in the decoding section;

an image display section that displays, as an image, at least one of the matching level, the image data acquired by the imaging section, and an average success rate of the decoding obtained by decoding a plurality of image data obtained by capturing the image of the code a plurality of times; and

a reading condition control section that controls a reading condition including an imaging condition of the imaging section, and an image processing condition in the decoding section, wherein

the reading condition control section can perform tuning which is processing of searching for the reading condition suitable for the reading of the code, by an instruction from the instruction unit, and

after the tuning ends, the image display section displays at least one of the matching level, the image data acquired by the imaging section, and the average success rate of the decoding obtained by decoding the plurality of pieces of image data obtained by capturing the image of the code the plurality of times.

2. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, wherein when the tuning starts, the image display section displays, as a progress status of the tuning, at least one of a moving picture of a live view based on the image data obtained by the imaging section, and a character string obtained by decoding the image data by the decoding section, the matching level, and the average success rate, which are results of the tuning.

3. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting mode in which the tuning is executed, an operation mode in which the decoding is executed for each of a plurality of workpieces conveyed on a line, and a maintenance mode in which the reading condition is corrected, wherein

the image display section,

in the setting mode, displays the character string obtained by decoding the image data, the matching level, the moving picture of the live view, and a communication state of an input/output terminal for communication between the optical information reading device and external equipment or a connection state of the external equipment to the input/output terminal,

in the operation mode, displays the character string obtained by decoding the image data, the matching level, the moving picture of the live view, and the average success rate, and

in the maintenance mode, displays the character string obtained by decoding the image data, the matching level, the moving picture of the live view, and the communication state of the input/output terminal for communication between the optical information reading device and the external equipment or the connection state of the external equipment to the input/output terminal.

4. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, wherein the image display section switches a display content in accordance with the instruction inputted to the instruction unit.

5. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image size reducing section that reduces a longitudinal/lateral size of the image data acquired by the imaging section, wherein

the image display section displays the image data whose size is reduced by the image size reducing section as a still picture or the moving picture.

6. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 5, wherein the image size reducing section reduces the size of the image data by thinning out the image data at predetermined intervals, or leaving pixel data of a central area of the image data and discarding pixel data of a peripheral area of the image data.

7. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, wherein the image display section replaces, with a substitute symbol, a character string other than an ASCII code of character strings obtained by decoding the image data by the decoding section to display the resultant string character.

8. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, wherein the image display section displays the matching level and the average success rate side by side.

9. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 3, wherein when the tuning is completed in the setting mode, the image display section displays the matching level and the average success rate.

10. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an indicator that indicates whether the decoding section succeeds or fails in the decoding, based on each piece of the image data.

11. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 10, wherein

in the operation mode in which the decoding is executed for each of the plurality of workpieces conveyed on the line,

the image display section displays the moving picture of the live view, and

the indicator indicates whether the decoding section succeeds or fails in the decoding each time the imaging section captures the image of the code of the workpiece.

12. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 10, wherein

in the operation mode in which the decoding is executed for each of the plurality of workpieces conveyed on the line,

the image display section displays the matching level, and the indicator indicates whether the decoding section succeeds or fails in the decoding each time the imaging section captures the image of the code of the workpiece, and

when an instruction to switch the display is inputted, the image display section displays the moving picture of the live view or the character string obtained by decoding the image data.

13. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, comprising:

a support member that supports the image display section;

a substrate that extends in a direction perpendicular to the support member and is engaged with the support member to support the support member, and

a push-button type switch arranged in the substrate, in which a pressing surface exists on a same side as a display surface side of the image display section.

14. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 13, wherein

the switch comprises a selection key and a confirmation key, the selection key for selecting a display item or a setting item, the confirmation key for confirming the item selected with the selection key, and

the selection key and the confirmation key are provided on a side close to the substrate of two longitudinal sides of the image display section.

15. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 14, wherein the indicator is provided between the selection key and the confirmation key, and is mounted on the substrate, the indicator for indicating whether the decoding section succeeds or fails in the decoding, based on each piece of the image data.

16. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an instruction section that instructs the reading condition control section to start the tuning.

17. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, wherein the image display section is provided in a first surface of a plurality of outer surfaces of a housing making up the optical information reading device, and a light source that illuminates the code provided in the workpiece is provided in a second surface, which is a surface on an opposite side of the first surface.

18. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 1, wherein the instruction unit comprises an input unit provided on an outer surface of a housing of a housing making up the optical information reading device.

19. The fixed optical information reading device according to claim 18, wherein the input unit comprises a select key and enter key.