Bar code reader and its misreading detecting method

• US 6,554,190 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuno, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/717,317
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/462.25, 235/462.07, 235/462.05, 235/462.1
• US Class Current: 235/462.25
• 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: G06K 7/1473 error correction

Abstract

A bar code reader having a reading circuit for reading a bar code, an analyzing circuit for decoding the bar code read by the reading circuit into a numerical code, and a data transfer circuit for transferring the numerical code to a host device, comprises a misreading information table for registering a misreading code corresponding to a bar code which has been converted into a mistaken numerical code in the past and a correct code corresponding to the original correct numerical code of the same bar code, and a misreading detecting circuit for detecting a misreading code in accord with the numerical code decoded by the analyzing circuit, from the misreading codes registered in the misreading information table and supplying the detected result to the data transfer circuit.

Claims

1. A bar code reader having reading means for reading out a bar code, analyzing means for decoding the bar code read by the reading means into a numerical code, and data transfer means for transferring the numerical code to a host device, comprising:

a misreading information table for registering a misreading code corresponding to a bar code having been converted into a mistaken numerical code in the past and a correct code corresponding to an original correct numerical code of the same bar code; and

misreading detecting means for detecting the misreading code in accord with the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means, from the misreading codes registered in said misreading information table, and supplying the detected result to the data transfer means.

2. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

connecting means for connecting said misreading information table to said misreading detecting means in a removable way.

3. A bar code reader as claimed in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table.

4. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

connecting means for connecting said misreading information table to said misreading detecting means in a removable way, wherein

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table.

5. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table, and

registers the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means into said misreading information table as the misreading code after transition to the registration mode.

6. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

connecting means for connecting said misreading information table to said misreading detecting means in a removable way, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table, and

registers the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means into said misreading information table as the misreading code after transition to the registration mode.

7. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table, and

said misreading detecting means

includes a counter for subtracting one from a counter value every time of receiving the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means, combines together the numerical codes decoded by the analyzing means in the order of receiving until the counter value becomes 0 since the counter value of the counter is set, and registers the combined numerical codes into said misreading information table as the correct code.

8. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

connecting means for connecting said misreading information table to said misreading detecting means in a removable way, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table, and

said misreading detecting means

includes a counter for subtracting one from a counter value every time of receiving the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means, combines together the numerical codes decoded by the analyzing means in the order of receiving until the counter value becomes 0 since the counter value of the counter is set, and registers the combined numerical codes into said misreading information table as the correct code.

9. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table,

registers the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means into said misreading information table as the misreading code after transition to the registration mode,

includes a counter for subtracting one from a counter value every time of receiving the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means, combines together the numerical codes decoded by the analyzing means in the order of receiving until the counter value becomes 0 since the counter value of the counter is set, and registers the combined numerical codes into said misreading information table as the correct code.

10. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

connecting means for connecting said misreading information table to said misreading detecting means in a removable way, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table,

registers the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means into said misreading information table as the misreading code after transition to the registration mode,

includes a counter for subtracting one from a counter value every time of receiving the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means, combines together the numerical codes decoded by the analyzing means in the order of receiving until the counter value becomes 0 since the counter value of the counter is set, and registers the combined numerical codes into said misreading information table as the correct code.

11. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

notifies occurrence of bar code misreading to the host device when detecting the misreading code in accord with the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means.

12. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

connecting means for connecting said misreading information table to said misreading detecting means in a removable way, in which

said misreading detecting means

notifies occurrence of bar code misreading to the host device when detecting the misreading code in accord with the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means.

13. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

transfers to a registration mode when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is a predetermined code for transferring said means to the registration mode for registering the misreading code and the correct code into said misreading information table, and

notifies occurrence of bar code misreading to the host device when detecting the misreading code in accord with the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means.

14. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

notifies occurrence of bar code misreading to the host device when detecting the misreading code in accord with the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means, and

selects one of transfer methods of transferring only the correct code, transferring only the misreading code, and transferring both the correct code and the misreading code, as the transfer method of the detected result to be transferred to the host device by the data transfer means.

15. A bar code reader as set forth in claim 1, in which

said misreading detecting means

notifies occurrence of bar code misreading to the host device when detecting the misreading code in accord with the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means,

selects one of transfer methods of transferring only the correct code, transferring only the misreading code, and transferring both the correct code and the misreading code, as the transfer method of the detected result to be transferred to the host device by the data transfer means, and

changes setting of the transfer method of the detected result to be supplied to the data transfer means, based on the content of a predetermined code for specifying the transfer method, when the numerical code decoded by the analyzing means is the predetermined code for specifying the transfer method.