Abstract:
Management information, which is information about hardware in or software installed in the bar-code reader, is stored in a storage unit is the bar-code reader. The management information may be acquired from an external unit or read from a bar code.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1) Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a bar-code reader and more particularly to the management of the bar-code readers.  
           [0003]    2) Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Products are managed by providing a bar code to the product and identifying the product by reading this bar code optically. Since the bar code labels can be prepared at a low cost by printing etc., by using such bar code labels, it is possible to reduce the management cost substantially.  
           [0005]    The bar-code labels attached to the products are read using a bar code reader. Such a bar code reader generally includes an optical system like a laser reader, a charged coupled device (CCD) camera etc. The bar code reader receives light that is reflected from a bar code label, determines a pattern of the white lines and the black lines in the bar code from the optical power of the light reflected, and then decodes this pattern to obtain character data that is a pattern of numerals and characters. Such a bar code reader has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Application No. 2000-251008.  
           [0006]    Each bar-code reader in a shop, for example, is provided with an identification number, i.e., a serial number, for recognizing the bar-code reader. The identification number is directly written or printed on a surface of the bar-code reader, or written or printed on a paper and that paper is stick to the bar-code reader.  
           [0007]    For example, if a bar-code reader needs repairing, a service person recognizes the bar-code reader that needs repairing and notes down the identification number attached to that bar-code reader or inputs the identification number into an information terminal, for management of the bar-code reader. However, manual operation of noting down or inputting the identification number is a tedious work and there is a possibility of making a mistake. Some of the bar-code readers are embedded in a cash counter, and in that case, it is not so easy to read the identification number attached to the bar-code reader.  
           [0008]    Conventionally, components in and software installed in the bar-code reader are also managed manually. For example, the laser source used for irradiating laser beam onto a bar code needs to be replaced periodically, and what type of laser source is used in each of the bar-code readers and the laser source of which bar-code reader should be replaced when, is managed manually.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to at least solve the problems in the conventional technology.  
           [0010]    A bar-code reader according to one aspect of the present invention includes a reading unit that reads a bar code optically to thereby acquire a scan data; a decoding unit that processes the scan data to thereby decode contents of the bar code; a storing unit that stores the contents of the bar code if the contents of the bar code is management information that is information about any one of hardware of and software installed in the bar-code reader.  
           [0011]    A bar-code reader according to another aspect of the present invention includes a communicating unit that receives management information from an external unit, the management information being information about any one of hardware of and software installed in the bar-code reader; and a storing unit that stores the management information received by the communicating unit.  
           [0012]    The other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a POS system that use a bar-code reader according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the bar-code reader;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is an illustration of an optical system in the bar-code reader;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an example of reader-management information;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a process performed by a controller;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is an illustration of a process of reading out the reader management information in response to a request from a point-of-sales (POS) management device; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bar-code reader. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]    Exemplary embodiments of a bar-code reader according to the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying diagrams.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a POS system that uses a bar-code reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. This POS system includes a plurality of POS terminals  3  and  4  that are connected to a POS management device  1  via a network  2 .  
         [0022]    A bar-code reader is connected to each of the POS terminals. Concretely, a bar-code reader  10  is connected to the POS terminal  3  and a bar-code reader  5  is connected-to the POS terminal  4 . The bar-code reader  10  irradiates laser beam on a bar code and creates bar-code data that indicate a bar-code pattern, from the light reflected from the bar code. Further, the bar-code reader  10  decodes the bar-code data and creates character data of numerals and alphabets. The bar-code reader  10  then transmits the character data to the POS terminal  3 . The POS terminal  3  transmits product information based on the character data, to the POS management device  1 .  
         [0023]    The bar-code reader  5 , similar to the bar-code reader  10 , creates character data from the bar code and transmits the character data to the POS terminal  4  and other POS terminals that are not shown in the diagram. The POS terminal  4 , similar to the POS terminal  3 , transmits product information based on the character data, to the POS management device  1 .  
         [0024]    Similarly, the bar-code readers that are not shown in the diagram create character data from the bar code and transmit the character data to the POS terminals. The POS terminals transmit the product information to the POS management device  1 . Thus, the POS management device  1  can perform product management by collecting the product information from the POS terminals  3  and  4 , and the POS terminals that are not shown in the diagram.  
         [0025]    In the POS system that is shown in FIG. 1, the bar-code reader manages the device by storing information of a configuration of the bar-code reader. Concretely, the bar-code reader  10  stores reader-management information  19   a  in a reader manager  19 .  
         [0026]    The reader-management information  19   a  includes versions or identification information for identifying the bar-code reader  10  and versions or identification information for identifying computer programs and components which are included in the bar-code reader  10 . Since it is necessary to store the information irrespective of whether the power supply is made to the bar-code reader  10  or not, it is desirable that the reader manager  19  is a non-volatile memory.  
         [0027]    The bar-code reader  10  acquires the information that is to be stored in the reader manager  19  from the bar code or the POS terminal  3 . When obtaining the information from the bar code, the bar-code reader  10  reads bar-code data either by scanning a bar code  6   a  with an optical system  15  or by scanning a bar code  6   b  with a touch scanner  12 .  
         [0028]    The bar-code reader  10  converts the bar-code data to character data and decides whether to store the character data in the reader manager  19  based on the content of the character data or to transmit the character data to the POS terminal  3 . Acquiring the information from the bar code is useful in a case of acquiring information of the bar-code reader  10  or in a case of acquiring information of each component of the bar-code reader  10 .  
         [0029]    For example, while storing an identification number of the bar-code reader  10  in the reader manager  19 , the identification number is written on an identification plate in the form of a bar code and the identification number may be read at the time of shipment or delivery.  
         [0030]    Similarly, for the components, an identification number of the component can be stored by reading the bar code during manufacture or during replacement of the component. Particularly, for a component like a laser device that needs to be replaced periodically, by storing the date and time of replacement, the subsequent time of replacement can be predicted.  
         [0031]    A method of acquiring information from the POS terminal is useful for version management of a computer program. For example, when there is a correction in a computer program that is used by the bar-code reader, the computer program that is subjected to correction is stored in the POS management device  1  and the computer program is then transmitted to the bar-code reader via the network  2  and the POS terminal  3 . Further, the computer program that is stored in a storage unit  18 , is updated by overwriting.  
         [0032]    When the computer program is updated, by storing a version and a revision of the updated computer program in the reader manager  19 , the management of the version of the program that is stored in the bar-code reader  10  can be performed.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the bar-code reader  10 . The bar-code reader  10  includes a host interface  13 , a controller  14 , an optical system  15 , a display  16 , a touch-scanner interface  17 , the storage unit  18 , and the reader manager  19 .  
         [0034]    The controller  14  controls the bar-code reader  10  and executes processing by reading the computer program that is stored in the storage unit  18 . Concretely, the storage unit  18  stores a laser control program  31 , a bar-code processing program  32 , a communication program  33 , and a reader management program  34 .  
         [0035]    The optical system  15  includes a motor  21 , a laser device  22 , and an optical receiver  23 . The controller  14  controls the optical system  15  by using the laser control program  31  and scans the bar code with laser beam.  
         [0036]    The controller  14  receives the bar-code data that is read by the touch scanner  12  via the touch-scanner interface  17 . Therefore, when the controller  14  reads the bar code, the optical system  15  and the touch scanner  12  can be used alternately.  
         [0037]    Concretely, if a product size is big enough to allow the handling of the product by both hands of a shop assistant, the shop assistant lifts the product with both hands and reads the bar code by placing the bar code affixed to the product, near the optical system  15 . If the size of the product is not big enough to allow the handling with both hands of the shop assistant, the shop assistant lifts the product up with one hand and reads the bar code by placing the touch scanner  12  on the bar code with other hand. For a product that cannot be lifted up easily, the shop assistant carries the touch scanner  12  to the position where the bar code is affixed on the product and reads the bar code.  
         [0038]    The controller  14  decodes the bar-code data that is read, by executing the bar-code processing program  32  and converts the bar-code data to the character data. The controller  14 , upon completion of the conversion to the character data, informs the completion of the bar-code reading by the display  16 . The display  16  has an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a speaker, and informs the successful completion of the bar-code reading by glowing the LED and sending an audible message from the speaker.  
         [0039]    The display  16 , apart from the completion of the bar-code reading, informs messages like an error message. The display  16  may be equipped with a display like a seven segment display. Information to be informed can be increased by providing such a display.  
         [0040]    Upon conversion of the bar-code data, the controller  14  makes a judgment of whether the character data indicates the product information or is data of the bar-code reader or of the components of the bar-code reader. If the character data is data of the product, the controller  14 , uses the communication program  33  and transmits the character data to the POS terminal  3  via the host interface  13 . If the character data is data of the bar-code reader or of the components of the bar-code reader, the controller  14  stores the character data in the reader manager  19  as the reader-management information  19 a. In this case, the controller  14  executes the reader-management program  34 .  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 3 is an illustration of the configuration of the optical system  15 . The optical system  15  includes a motor controller  41 , the motor  21 , a polygon mirror  45 , a plane mirror  44 , a curved mirror  46 , a laser controller  42 , the laser-device  22 , the optical receiver  23 , and an A/D converter  43 .  
         [0042]    The motor controller  41  controls the rotation of the motor  21  by the control from the controller  14 . The polygon mirror  45  is connected to the motor  21  and rotates according to the rotation of the motor  21 .  
         [0043]    The laser controller  42  causes the laser device  22  to emit by the control from the controller  14 . Laser beam emitted from the laser device  22  passes through an aperture in the curved mirror  46  and is reflected from the plane mirror  44 . Further, the laser beam is reflected from the polygon mirror  45  and irradiated on the bar code  6   a.    
         [0044]    The light reflected from the bar code  6   a  is reflected from the polygon mirror  45  is again reflected from the plane mirror  44  and then focused by the curved mirror to be input to the optical receiver  23 . The optical receiver  23  is realized, for example by a photodiode and inputs the intensity of the reflected light that is input to the A/D converter  43  as electric signal. The A/D converter  43  converts the electric signal to a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to the controller  14 .  
         [0045]    Since the motor  21  rotates the polygon mirror  45 , an angle of reflection of the laser beam that is reflected from the plane mirror  44  varies with time. Therefore, the bar code  6   a  can be scanned by shifting the irradiating position of the laser beam on the bar code  6   a.    
         [0046]    The controller  14  decodes the bar-code data that is acquired by scanning the bar code  6   a  by the optical system  15  and converts the bar-code data to character data. The controller  14  then transmits the character data to the POS terminal  3  if the data is related to the product. If the character data is management information, the controller  14  stores the character data in the reader manager  19 .  
         [0047]    The reader-management information  19   a  that is stored in the reader manager  19  is described below by referring to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example of the reader-management information  19   a . The reader-management information  19   a  includes reader-identification information  51  as information of the bar-code reader  10 . Concretely, the reader identification information  51  is data. of serial numbers and versions of the bar-code reader  10 .  
         [0048]    The information of components or computer programs of the bar-code reader is associated with the reader identification information  51 . Concretely, an optical-system identification number  52 , a laser control program identification number  56 , a bar-code processing program identification number  57 , and a communication program identification number  58  are associated with the reader identification information  51 .  
         [0049]    The optical system identification number  52  is data of the configuration of the optical system  15 . The laser control program identification number  56  is data that identifies the laser control program  31 . Version information  56   a , which indicates a version of the laser control program  31 , is added to the laser control program identification number  56 .  
         [0050]    Similarly, the bar-code processing program identification number  57  is data that identifies the bar-code processing program  32 . Version information  57   a , which indicates version of the bar-code processing program  32 , is added to the bar-code processing program identification number  57 . The communication program identification number  58  is data that identifies the communication program  33 . Version information  58   a , which indicates version of the communication program  33  is added to the communication program identification number  58 .  
         [0051]    Moreover, information of components of the optical system  15  is associated with the optical system identification number  52 . Concretely, a motor identification number  53 , a laser device identification number  54 , an optical receiver identification number  55  are associated with the optical system identification number  52 . The motor identification number  53  is information of the motor  21 . Concretely, the motor identification number  53  stores information like a product number of the motor  21 .  
         [0052]    Similarly, the laser device identification number  54  is information of the laser device  22  and information like product number of the laser device  22  is stored. The optical receiver identification number  55  is information of the optical receiver  23  and concretely, information like a product number of the optical receiver is stored.  
         [0053]    Date and time of laser device replacement  54   a  is added to the laser device identification number  54 . The laser device  22  reaches the end of life after having used for certain time and needs to be replaced. The subsequent time of replacement of the laser device  22  can be predicted from the date and time of replacement that is recorded.  
         [0054]    Thus, the reader management information  19   a  stores hierarchically, information corresponding to the configuration of the bar-code reader  10 . Therefore, the required information of the configuration of the bar-code reader  10  can be read out from the reader management information  19   a , and used.  
         [0055]    A process of reading out management information from the bar code by the controller  14  and storing the management information in the reader manager  19  is described below by referring to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the process that is performed during a scan operation of the controller  14 . The controller  14  scans the bar code  6   a  by using the optical system  15  and acquires bar-code data (step S 101 ). Concretely, the controller  14  scans the bar code  6   a  by rotation of the motor  21  and emission of light from the laser device  22 .  
         [0056]    Further the controller  14  decodes the bar-code data and creates character data (step S 102 ). Then, the controller  14  makes a judgment of whether the bar code  6   a  indicates the management information or not, by checking the character data (step S 103 ). For example, the controller  14  embeds in advance, a specific character pattern that indicates whether it is the management information or not. The judgment of whether the bar code  6 a indicates the management information or not, is made by checking if the specific character pattern is there or not.  
         [0057]    If the bar code  6   a  does not indicate the management information (step S 103 , No), the controller  14  makes a judgment of the bar code  6   a  indicating product data, and transmits the character data to the POS terminal (step S 104 ), thereby ending the process. Whereas, if the bar code  6   a  indicates the management information (step S 103 , Yes), the controller makes a judgment of whether the management information is there in the reader management information  19   a  or not (step S 105 ).  
         [0058]    If there is management information in the reader management information  19   a  (step S 105 , Yes), for example if the character data is a laser device identification number and if laser device identification information is there in the reader management information  19   a , the controller  14  updates the information by overwriting the management information (step S 106 ), and ends the process.  
         [0059]    On the other hand, if there is no management information in the reader management information  19   a  (step S 105 , No), for example if the character data is a laser device identification number and if laser device identification information is not there in the reader management information  19   a , the controller  14  adds the management information to the reader management information  19   a  (step S 107 ) and ends the process.  
         [0060]    The reading of a bar code by using the optical system  15  is explained here. A bar code is read by using the touch scanner  12  in a similar manner. In other words, when bar code data that is acquired from the touch scanner  12  is decoded, a judgment of whether the bar code indicates the management information, or not is made. If the bar code indicates the management information, the management information is written in the reader manager  19 .  
         [0061]    The reader management information that is stored in the reader manager  19  can be read out when required. FIG. 6 is an illustration of a process of reading out the reader management information in response to a request from the POS management device  1 .  
         [0062]    The POS management device  1  transmits a management-information check request to the POS terminal  3  via the network  2 . The POS terminal  3 , upon receiving the management-information check request, requests the bar-code reader  10  to read out the management information. The bar-code reader  10  receives the request from the POS terminal  3  via the host interface  13 . The bar-code reader  10  reads out the management information from the reader management information  19   a  and transmits the management information to the POS terminal  3 . The POS terminal  3  transmits the management information that is received from the bar-code reader  10 , to the POS management device  1  via the network  2 .  
         [0063]    Thus, the POS management device  1  receives the information of the bar-code reader  10  by transmitting the management-information check request to the POS terminal  3 . Therefore, the POS management device  1  collects information of the bar-code readers that are connected to the plurality of POS terminals via the network  2  and can perform collective management of the information of the bar-code readers.  
         [0064]    For the transmission of the management information, the bar-code reader  10  uses the host interface  13  that is used in transmission of the product data. Therefore, the bar-code reader  10  can transmit the management information to the POS terminal or the POS management device  1  without providing a new communication device.  
         [0065]    The reader management information  19   a  is read not only upon the request from the POS management device  1 . For examples, the POS terminal  3  can make a request for the management information or the bar-code reader  10  can read out the management information independently (without the request).  
         [0066]    In such a configuration, the management information is stored in the reader manager  19 . However, the storing of the management information is not restricted only to such storing method. The management information can be stored by any method of storing, provided that the management information can be read when required.  
         [0067]    For example, the management information may be stored by affixing a seal having a bar code printed on it, within a range that allows reading by the optical system  15 . FIG. 7 is an illustration of a configuration of a bar-code reader in which the management information is affixed by a seal.  
         [0068]    The bar-code reader  10  includes reading windows  11  and  11   a  that include a transparent material like glass. The reading window  11  is a reading window that is used in normal bar-code scan. While reading a bar code that is affixed to a product, the optical system  15  irradiates laser beam through the reading window  11 . In this case, the optical system  15  has to scan the bar code such that the bar code can be read irrespective of a direction in which the bar code is placed. For this, in FIG. 7, the optical system  15  scans the bar code by using a scan pattern  61 , which is called as delta scan.  
         [0069]    The reading window  11   a  is used while reading a bar-code seal that indicates the management information. The bar-code seal can be read when required by affixing the bar code seal to the reading window  11   a . Therefore, for example, if a bar-code seal that indicates a serial number of the bar-code reader  10  is affixed to the reading window  11   a , the serial number is not required to be stored necessarily in the reader manager  19 . When the serial number of the bar-code reader  10  is required, the serial number can be acquired by scanning the reading window  11   a.    
         [0070]    Since the bar code can be affixed on the reading window  11   a  according to the scan direction of the laser beam, in FIG. 7, the bar code can be scanned by using a scan pattern  62 , which is called as single scan.  
         [0071]    Thus, in a case of providing the reading window  11   a  independently for reading the bar code that indicates the management information, a scanning process of scanning the reading window  11  and a scanning process of scanning the reading window  11   a  are included in the laser control program  31 . As a result of this, the reading windows  11  and  11   a  can be used alternately.  
         [0072]    The reading window  11   a  need not be necessarily independent from the reading window  11  and the bar-code seal can be affixed to the reading window  11 . In such a case, it is advisable to affix the bar-code seal in a position that does not hinder the normal scanning process.  
         [0073]    When the bar-code seal for the management information is affixed inside the reading window  11 , the bar code may be allowed to be read out by the same scanning process for the bar code of the product and the bar-code seal for the management information, or by different scanning processes.  
         [0074]    Thus, according to the present embodiments, the bar-code reader  10  is equipped with the reader manager  19  and the information of the device configuration is stored as the reader management information  19   a . As a result of this, it is possible to read out information like the version information of the computer program, the product number of the component, the serial number of the bar-code reader, when required. Moreover, due to the configuration that allows reading of the serial number, the product number etc., from the bar code, the load of inputting information like the serial number and the product number, on user is reduced. This enables to perform efficient management.  
         [0075]    Furthermore, the information of the device configuration that is received via the POS terminal  3  is stored in the reader manager  19 . As a result of this, the version of the computer program can be updated automatically. Since the date and time of replacement of parts is recorded, the management of time of replacement of parts can be performed.  
         [0076]    Thus, according the present invention, manual operation in the management of the bar-code readers can be reduced.  
         [0077]    Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.