Optical character reader with internal memory and data processor

• US 5,467,458 A
• Filed: 05/19/1992
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Shoichi, Takata, Kazuhiko, Katsura, Hiroo, Nagato, Takafumi, Otsuka, Shinsuke, Takahashi, Yoshiharu, Takeda, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Application Number:
  US07/885,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS, 364/900 MS, 395/400 MS, 395/424 MS
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments

Abstract

An optical character reader is provided, which comprises an input for allowing a plurality of commends to be input; a reading device for reading recorded data; a memory having a first region for storing read date, a second region for storing character data corresponding to the read data, and a third region for storing the character dates an output device for supplying at least one of the character data stored in the second region of the memory and the character data stored in the third region of the memory to the information processing device; and a data processor, when a memory command is input from the input, which stores the read data in the first region of the memory, converts the read data which is stored in the first region of the memory into character data, and stores the character data in the second region of the memory, and when a read command is input from the input, which transfers the character data stored in the second region of the memory to the third region.

Claims

1. An optical character reader comprising:

input means for inputting one of a plurality of commands;

reading means for reading recorded data;

memory means having a first region for storing read data, a second region for storing character code corresponding to the read data, and a third region for storing the character code;

output means for supplying at least one of the character code stored in the second region of the memory means and the character code stored in the third region of the memory means to an information processing device; and

data processing means, when a read command is input from the input means, for storing the read data in the first region of the memory means, for converting the read data stored in the first region of the memory means into character code, and for storing the character code in the second region of the memory means, and, when a memory command is input from the input means, transferring the character code stored in the second region of the memory means to the third region of the memory means so as to store the character code stored in the second region of the memory means in the third region of the memory means until the next memory command is input from the input means,

wherein the data processing means outputs the character code stored in the second region of the memory means, when a data transmission command is input from the input means, and

wherein the data processing means outputs the character code stored in the third region of the memory means to the output means, when a memory data transmission command is input from the input means.

2. An optical character reader according to claim 1, wherein the data processing means outputs the character code stored in the second region of the memory means from the output means, when a transmission command is input from the input means.

3. An optical character reader according to claim 1, wherein the output means has conversion means for converting at least one of the character code stored in the second region of the memory means and the character code stored in the third region of the memory means into an infrared signal.

4. An optical character reader comprising:

input means for inputting one of a plurality of commands and for allowing a plurality of characters to be input;

reading means for reading recorded data;

memory means having a first region for storing the read data, a second region for storing a character data corresponding to the read data, a third region for storing one of character data cut out from the character data, a fourth region for storing a cutout starting character input from the input means, a fifth region for storing a cutout ending character input from the input means, and a sixth region for storing character data cut out from the character data,

output means for supplying the character data stored in the sixth region of the memory means to an information processing device; and

data processing means, when a read command is input from the input means, for storing the read data in the first region of the memory means, for converting the read data stored in the first region of the memory means into character data, for storing the character data in the second region of the memory means, for cutting out one of the character data from the character data stored in the second region of the memory means, for storing the one of the character data in the third region of the memory means, for specifying character data to be cut out from the character data stored in the second region of the memory means by comparing the character stored in the third region of the memory means with the cutout starting character stored in the fourth region of the memory means and the cutout ending character stored in the fifth region of the memory means so as to cut out the specified character data from one character corresponding to the cutout starting character to one character corresponding to the cutout ending character data in the second region of memory means, and for storing the specified character data in the sixth region of the memory means.

5. An optical character reader according to claim 4, wherein the data processing means outputs the character data stored in the sixth region of the memory means from the output means.

6. An optical character reader according to claim 4, wherein the output means has conversion means for converting the character data stored in the sixth region of the memory means into an infrared signal.

7. An optical character reader according to claim 4,

wherein the input means further allows a plurality of numerals to be input;

the memory means further has a seventh region for storing a character number input from the input means and an eighth region for storing a character number counter; and

when a read command is input from the input means, the data processing means cuts out the one of the character data from the character data stored in the second region of the memory means and stores the one of the character data in the third region of the memory means, increases the character number counter stored in the eighth region of the memory means one by one every time the one of the character data is cut out, specifies character data to be cut out from the character data stored in the second region of the memory means by comparing the one of the character data stored in the third region of the memory means with the cutout starting character stored in the fourth region of the memory means and the cutout ending character stored in the fifth region of the memory means and by comparing the character number stored in the seventh region of the memory means with the character number counter stored in the eighth region of the memory means, and stores the specified character data in the sixth region of the memory means.

8. An optical character reader comprising:

input means for inputting one of a plurality of commands;

reading means for reading recorded data;

memory means having a first region for storing the read data, a second region for storing character data corresponding to the read data, a third region for storing predetermined character data to be removed, and a fourth region for storing character data in which the character data to be removed is removed from the character data;

output means for supplying the character data stored in the fourth region of the memory means to an information processing device; and

data processing means, when a read command is input from the input means, for storing the read data in the first region of the memory means, for converting the read data stored in the first region of the memory means into character data, for storing the character data in the second region of the memory means, for specifying character data in which the all predetermined character data to be removed is/are removed from the character data stored in the second region of the memory means by comparing the character data stored in the second region of the memory means with the predetermined character data to be removed, which is stored in the third region of the memory means, and for storing the specified character data in the fourth region of the memory means.

9. An optical character reader according to claim 8, wherein the data processing means outputs the character data stored in the fourth region of the memory means from the output means, when a transmission command is input from the input means.

10. An optical character reader according to claim 8, wherein the output means has a conversion means for converting the character data stored in the fourth region of the memory means into an infrared signal.

11. An optical character reader comprising:

input means for inputting one of a plurality of commands;

reading means for reading recorded data;

memory means having a first region for storing the read data, a second region for storing line data converted from the read data, and a third region for storing the character data converted from the line data;

output means for supplying the character data stored in the third region of the memory means to an information processing device; and

data processing means, when a read command is input from the input means, for storing the read data in the first region of the memory means, for converting the read data stored in the first region of the memory means to one or more line data processed with a line as a unit, for storing the one or more line data in the second region of the memory means, for specifying one line data from the one or more line data stored in the second region of the memory means on the basis of a relative position of the line data with respect to the read data, for converting the specified line data to character data, and for storing the character data in the third region of the memory means.

12. An optical character reader according to claim 11, wherein the data processing means outputs the character data stored in the third region of the memory means from the output means, when a transmission command is input from the input means.

13. An optical character reader according to claim 11, wherein the output means has a conversion means for covering the character data stored in the third region of the memory means to an infrared signal.

14. An optical character reader comprising:

input means for inputting one of a plurality of commands;

reading means for reading recorded data,

memory means having a first region for storing the read data, a second region for storing character data corresponding to the read data, a third region for storing character data converted from the character data, and a fourth region for storing a translation dictionary;

output means for supplying the character data stored in the third region of the memory means to an information processing device; and

data processing means, when a read command is input from the input means, for storing the read data in the first region of the memory means, for converting the read data stored in the first region of the memory means into character data, for storing the character data in the second region of the memory means, for selecting character data of a specific language from the character data stored in the second region of the memory means based on the result of a comparison of the character data with data of the translation dictionary, for converting the selected character data into character data of another language with reference to the translation dictionary stored in the fourth region of the memory means, and for storing the converted character data in the third region.

15. An optical character reader according to claim 14, wherein the data processing means outputs the character data stored in the third region of the memory means from the output means, when a transmission command is input from the input means.

16. An optical character reader according to claim 14, wherein the output means has conversion means for covering the character data stored in the third region of the memory means into an infrared signal.