# US 2021/0081702 A1 · Symbol reading device, symbol reading method, and symbol reading system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0081702 A1 - Document ID: US20210081702A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/902,183 - Filed: 2020-06-15 - Published: 2021-03-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-18 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hidehiro NAITO; Hitoshi IIZAKA; Shinsuke YAJIMA; Atsushi MIYASHIMA; Takuya TAKASU; Takeshi WATANABE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210081702A1 ## CPC - G06K 7/0008: {General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer} - G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - G06F 18/22: Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures - G06F 18/25: Fusion techniques - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A symbol reading device includes a plurality of reading units and a processor. The reading units read symbols on articles conveyed along a conveyance path. The processor is configured to acquire symbol information from a plurality of articles and store the symbol information in association with each of the reading units that read the symbols on respective articles, then identify a reading unit that can be substituted by another reading unit based on the symbol information associated with the reading units. The identified reading unit in then placed into a power saving state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A symbol reading device, comprising: a plurality of reading units configured to read symbols on articles being conveyed along a conveyance path; and a processor configured to: acquire symbol information by controlling the plurality of reading units to read symbols on each respective article in the plurality of articles and store the symbol information in association with each of the reading units in the plurality that respectively has read the symbols on each of the articles, identify a first reading unit in the plurality that can be substituted by another reading unit in the plurality based on the symbol information associated with each of the reading units, and control the first reading unit to enter into a power saving state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The symbol reading device according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies the first reading unit by calculating a contribution value based on the symbol information associated with each of the reading units. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The symbol reading device according to claim 1, wherein the reading units in plurality of reading units are cameras. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The symbol reading device according to claim 1, wherein the reading units in the plurality of reading units are optical scanners. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The symbol reading device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: identify a second reading unit to enter into the power saving state by calculating a contribution value excluding the first reading unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The symbol reading device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the first reading unit to return to a normal power state from the power saving state after a predetermined condition is satisfied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The symbol reading device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when no symbol has been read by any reading unit for a predetermined period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The symbol reading device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when a predetermined time of day arrives. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The symbol reading device according to claim 1, further comprising: an arch-shaped body on which the plurality of reading units are attached. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The symbol reading device according to claim 9, wherein the conveyance path passes through the arch-shaped body. ### Claim 11 A symbol reading method, comprising: acquiring symbol information, with a plurality of reading units, by reading symbols on each respective article in a plurality of articles conveyed along a conveyance path and storing the symbol information in association with each of the reading units in the plurality that respectively read the symbols on each of the articles; identifying a first reading unit in the plurality that can be substituted by another reading unit in the plurality based on the symbol information associated with each of the reading units; and controlling the first reading unit to enter into a power saving state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The symbol reading method according to claim 11, wherein the first reading unit is identified by calculating a contribution value based on the symbol information associated with each of the reading units. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The symbol reading method according to claim 11, wherein the reading units in plurality of reading units are cameras. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The symbol reading method according to claim 11, wherein reading units in the plurality of reading units are optical scanners. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The symbol reading method according to claim 11, further comprising: identifying a second reading unit in the plurality to enter into the power saving state by calculating a contribution value excluding the first reading unit; and controlling the second reading unit to enter into the power saving state. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The symbol reading method according to claim 11, further comprising: controlling the first reading unit to return from the power saving state after a predetermined condition is satisfied. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The symbol reading method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when no symbol has been read for a predetermined period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The symbol reading method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when a predetermined time of day arrives. ### Claim 19 A symbol reading system, comprising: a conveyer on which articles are conveyed; and a symbol reading device including: a plurality of reading units configured to read symbols on articles being conveyed by the conveyor; and a processor configured to: acquire symbol information by controlling the plurality of reading units to read symbols on each article in a plurality of articles conveyed by the conveyor and store the symbol information in association with each of the reading units that respectively read the corresponding symbols on each article, identify a first reading unit in the plurality of reading units that can be substituted by another reading unit in the plurality based on the symbol information associated with each of the reading units, and control the first reading unit to enter into a power saving state. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The symbol reading system according to claim 19, wherein the symbol reading device has an arch-shaped body on which the plurality of reading units are attached, and the conveyer conveys articles through the arch-shaped body.