Method and apparatus for optically reading out information stored in a barcode
AssigneeDenso Wave Incorporated
InventorMasahiro HARA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method, whether there is a first bar having a width and located at at least one of both ends of a first black and white pattern is determined. The width of the bar is greater than a maximum width of a second bar. The maximum width of the second bar appears in a second black and white pattern assuming that the black and white pattern is part of the first barcode. The first black and white pattern is determined as readout data of the second barcode when it is determined that there is the first bar having the width greater than the maximum width of the second bar and located at at least one of both ends of the first black and white pattern.
Claims22
1-44. (canceled)
A method of optically reading out one of a first barcode and a second barcode based on their different first and second formats and of decoding information stored in the one of the first and second barcodes, each of the first and second barcodes being composed of linearly-aligned parallel bars, the first format of the first barcode having at least one specified pattern and located at at least one of both ends of the first barcode and defining a maximum number of bars, the second format of the second barcode defining a maximum number of bars, the maximum bars of the second format being smaller than the maximum bars of the first format, part of the first barcode and a part of the second barcode having an identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, the method comprising:
- optically reading out a field of view including at least the identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars and obtaining a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decoding the black and white pattern using an algorithm corresponding to the second format;
- determining whether there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern;
- and
- determining that a result of the decoding is not good when it is determined that there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern.
A method of optically reading out one of a first barcode and a second barcode based on their different first and second formats and of decoding information stored in the one of the first and second barcodes, each of the first and second barcodes being composed of linearly-aligned parallel bars, the first format of the first barcode defining a maximum number of bars, the second format of the second barcode defining no margins at each end of the second barcode and defining a maximum number of bars, the maximum bars of the second format being smaller than the maximum bars of the first format, part of the first barcode and a part of the second barcode having an identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, the method comprising:
- optically reading out a field of view including at least the identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars and obtaining a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decoding the black and white pattern using an algorithm corresponding to the second format;
- determining whether there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern;
- and
- determining that a result of the decoding is not good when it is determined that there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern.
A method of optically reading out one of a first barcode and a second barcode based on their different first and second formats and of decoding information stored in the one of the first and second barcodes, each of the first and second barcodes being composed of linearly-aligned parallel bars, the first format of the first barcode defining a maximum number of bars, the second format of the second barcode defining no margins at each end of the second barcode and defining a maximum number of bars, the maximum bars of the second format being smaller than the maximum bars of the first format, part of the first barcode and a part of the second barcode having an identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, the method comprising:
- optically reading out a field of view including at least the identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars and obtaining a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decoding the black and white pattern using an algorithm corresponding to the second format;
- determining whether there are predetermined distances between both ends of the black and white pattern and corresponding edges of the field of view;
- and
- determining that a result of the decoding is not good when it is determined that there are no predetermined distances between both ends of the black and white pattern and corresponding edges of the field of view.
A method of optically reading out a barcode using an area sensor, the method comprising:
- optically reading out a field of view including a barcode and obtaining a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decoding the black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of pieces of digital data corresponding to the black and white bars;
- setting a plurality of check lines on one external side region of at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern at respective different points in a height direction of the black and white pattern, the check lines extending outwardly from the at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern, the height direction being orthogonal to a length direction of the black and white pattern;
- and
- determining whether the reading out of the barcode is good according to whether a predetermined margin is ensured along individually each of the check lines.
A program product having a computer program and a nonvolatile signal bearing media bearing the computer program, the computer program being designed to optically read out one of a first barcode and a second barcode based on their different first and second formats and of decoding information stored in the one of the first and second barcodes, each of the first and second barcodes being composed of linearly-aligned parallel bars, the first format of the first barcode having at least one specified pattern and located at at least one of both ends of the first barcode and defining a maximum number of bars, the second format of the second barcode defining a maximum number of bars, the maximum bars of the second format being smaller than the maximum bars of the first format, part of the first barcode and a part of the second barcode having an identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, the computer program causing a computer to:
- obtain, from a result of optical reading out of a field of view including at least the identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decode the black and white pattern using an algorithm corresponding to the second format;
- determine whether there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern;
- and
- determine that a result of the decoding is not good when it is determined that there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern.
A program product having a computer program and a nonvolatile signal bearing media bearing the computer program, the computer program being designed to optically read out one of a first barcode and a second barcode based on their different first and second formats and of decoding information stored in the one of the first and second barcodes, each of the first and second barcodes being composed of linearly-aligned parallel bars, the first format of the first barcode defining a maximum number of bars, the second format of the second barcode defining no margins at each end of the second barcode and defining a maximum number of bars, the maximum bars of the second format being smaller than the maximum bars of the first format, part of the first barcode and a part of the second barcode having an identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, the computer program causing a computer to:
- obtain, from a result of optical reading out of a field of view including at least the identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decode the black and white pattern using an algorithm corresponding to the second format;
- determine whether there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern;
- and
- determine that a result of the decoding is not good when it is determined that there is at least one specified pattern stipulated by the first format and located at at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern.
A program product having a computer program and a nonvolatile signal bearing media bearing the computer program, the computer program being designed to optically read out one of a first barcode and a second barcode based on their different first and second formats and of decoding information stored in the one of the first and second barcodes, each of the first and second barcodes being composed of linearly-aligned parallel bars, the first format of the first barcode defining a maximum number of bars, the second format of the second barcode defining no margins at each end of the second barcode and defining a maximum number of bars, the maximum bars of the second format being smaller than the maximum bars of the first format, part of the first barcode and a part of the second barcode having an identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, the computer program causing a computer to:
- obtain, from a result of optical reading out of a field of view including at least the identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decode the black and white pattern using an algorithm corresponding to the second format;
- determine whether there are predetermined distances between both ends of the black and white pattern and corresponding edges of the field of view;
- and
- determine that a result of the decoding is not good when it is determined that there are no predetermined distances between both ends of the black and white pattern and corresponding edges of the field of view.
A program product having a computer program and a nonvolatile signal bearing media bearing the computer program, the computer program being designed to optically read out a barcode using an area sensor, the computer program causing a computer to:
- obtain, from a result of optical reading out of a field of view including at least the identical format of continuously and linearly-aligned parallel bars, a binarized black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of black bars and white bars;
- decode the black and white pattern, the black and white pattern being composed of pieces of digital data corresponding to the black and white bars;
- set a plurality of check lines on one external side region of at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern at respective different points in a height direction of the black and white pattern, the check lines extending outwardly from the at least one of both ends of the black and white pattern, the height direction being orthogonal to a length direction of the black and white pattern;
- and
- determine whether the reading out of the barcode is good according to whether a predetermined margin is ensured along individually each of the check lines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.