Patent Publication Number: US-2011073649-A1

Title: Method and system for recognizing barcode

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to an image processing method and system, and more particularly to a method and system for recognizing a plurality of types of barcodes using a hand-held data processing device. 
     2. Related Art 
     Barcodes have been widely applied in many industries and bring a lot of convenience. Commonly used barcode reading equipment is an optical barcode scanner, which is formed by a scanner with a built-in optical sensing element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) and a decoder circuit. The scanner is used to scan a barcode, convert the barcode into an analog signal, and transmit the analog signal to the decoder for barcode decoding. The decoder is accomplished through hardware, and thus is faster than recognition program for recognizing barcodes. However, it is not easy to expand the function of the barcode reading equipment, and the types of barcodes supported by the barcode reading equipment cannot be increased. 
     Currently, many image processing technologies related to barcode recognition have been proposed, so that barcode recognition is no longer limited to customized barcode scanners or barcode reading devices. With the development of technologies, hand-held data processing devices further integrate wireless communication technologies, image capturing modules, program execution functions and other functions. Among such hand-held data processing devices, mobile phones and personal digital assistant (PDA) phones equipped with image capturing modules are the most popular. Currently, recognition programs applied to the hand-held data processing devices have been developed, so that the recognition programs in the hand-held data processing devices can be directly used for barcode interpretation and recognition, as long as the image capturing module of the hand-held data processing devices capture an image or frame containing a barcode. 
     US Patent Publication US20070214155 discloses a system and method for reading data using a hand-held wireless communication device. A data servo system pre-stores a plurality of batches of data. A machine-readable code is printed on a surface of an object or displayed on a displaying device. The machine-readable code contains an icon field and a description field. The description field stores a brief description of the machine-readable code. The icon field stores an icon pattern, and the icon pattern is corresponding to one of the plurality of batches of data. A hand-held wireless communication device has an image capturing device, a recognition program, a displaying device, and an input device. When it intends to read data corresponding to the machine-readable code, the input device generate a read signal, the image capturing device captures the machine-readable code, the recognition program obtains the icon field and the description field carried in the machine-readable code by recognition, and a read instruction and the icon pattern of the pointer field are transmitted to the data servo system over a wireless network according to the read signal, such that the data servo system finds out and reads corresponding data according to the icon pattern. 
     Since barcode recognition for the image or frame containing the barcode is accomplished through complex operations and image processing procedures, it is rather difficult for the hand-held data processing device with limited data processing capability. Limited by the data processing capability, the hand-held data processing device has to choose between the response time and the recognition efficiency in order to realize barcode recognition, and it is really hard to make a compromise. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for recognizing a barcode, which can improve the poor barcode recognition efficiency of a hand-held data processing device. 
     The method for recognizing a barcode provided by the present invention includes the following steps: capturing a target frame containing a barcode by an image capturing module of a hand-held data processing device, in which the hand-held data processing device has a wireless communication interface and the image capturing module; acquiring the barcode in the target frame; transmitting the barcode and a recognition request by the wireless communication interface of the hand-held data processing device to a recognition server over a wireless network, in which a recognition program supporting a plurality of types of barcodes is installed to the recognition server, and the recognition server is connected to the wireless network; performing recognition on the barcode by the recognition program of the recognition server, and returning a recognition result to the hand-held data processing device over the wireless network; and receiving the recognition result by the hand-held data processing device, and displaying the recognition result on a screen. 
     Accordingly, the present invention also provides a hand-held data processing device for recognizing a barcode. The hand-held data processing device comprises an image capturing module, a control module, a wireless communication interface, and a screen. The image capturing module is used for capturing the target frame containing the barcode. The control module is used for controlling the image capturing module to capture the target frame containing the barcode, acquiring the barcode in the target frame to generate a recognition request corresponding to the barcode, and receiving a returned recognition result of the barcode. The wireless communication interface is connected to the control module, for connecting to the wireless network to transmit the barcode and the recognition request to a recognition server over the wireless network, and receive the recognition result returned by the recognition server. The screen is connected to the control module, for displaying the target frame containing the barcode and the recognition result. 
     According to the method for recognizing a barcode and the hand-held data processing device, the present invention further provides a system for recognizing barcode, which includes a recognition server and means for barcode recognition. The recognition server is connected to a network with a communication interface, for receiving a barcode and a recognition request from a hand-held data processing device, and returning a recognition result over the network. The means for barcode, such as a recognition program installed to the recognition server, processes the recognition request to perform recognition on the received barcode, and generating the recognition result to be returned by the recognition server. 
     The method and system for recognizing barcode and the hand-held data processing device provided by the present invention enable the user to conveniently use the hand-held data processing device for barcode recognition, and has no limitation in geographic location. In addition, since the barcode is recognized through wireless transmission and remote operation, barcode recognition can be conveniently and rapidly performed anytime and anywhere without being limited by the data processing capability of the hand-held data processing device. 
     The technical solutions and embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and the content of the detailed description is sufficient for persons skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and to implement the present invention there accordingly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system for recognizing a barcode according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a circuit block diagram of a hand-held data processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method for recognizing a barcode according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a system for recognizing barcode and a hand-held data processing device  20  for recognizing a barcode provided in an embodiment of the present invention are shown. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the system for recognizing barcode includes a recognition server  10  and a recognition program  11 . The recognition program  11  is provides for supporting a plurality of types of barcodes, and is installed to the recognition server  10 . The recognition server  10  includes a communication interface  12 . The communication interface  12  is used for connecting to a network, such as a wireless network  30 . The wireless network  30  may be a mobile communication network, a wireless Internet network, or a wireless local area network. 
     It should be noted that, a solid line connecting the communication interface  12  and the wireless network  30  in  FIG. 1  is used for representing a data flow between the communication interface  12  and the wireless network  30 , but not intended to limit the connection manner between the communication interface  12  and the wireless network  30 . The communication interface  12  may be a wireless communication module, for example, a mobile communication module supporting a GPRS/CDMA/WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA/LTE mobile communication network or a wireless communication module supporting Wi-Fi/WiMAX/Wireless Lan, and is connected to the wireless network  30  in a wireless manner. Alternatively, the communication interface  12  may be a wired communication module, for example, a network card, and is connected to a base station providing the wireless network  30  in a wired manner. 
     By executing the recognition program  11  and connecting the communication interface  12  to the wireless network  30 , the recognition server  10  receives a barcode and a corresponding recognition request sent from a remote end. After processing the recognition request, the recognition program installed to the recognition server  10  performs recognition on the received barcode and generates a recognition result. The recognition result contains barcode type and barcode information. Finally, the recognition server  10  returns the recognition result of the barcode to the remote end sending the recognition request over the wireless network  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the hand-held data processing device  20  may be a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable navigation device (PND), a smart phone, or a barcode scanning device with wireless communication transmission function. The hand-held data processing device  20  includes an image capturing module  21 , a storage unit  22 , a control module  23 , a wireless communication interface  24 , and a screen  25 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the image capturing module  21  is used for capturing a target frame containing the barcode. The image capturing module  21  is a digital camera including a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) or charge-coupled Device (CCD), and is preferably a high-resolution digital camera with autofocus (AF) function, so as to clearly capture the target frame. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the storage unit  22  is used for temporarily storing the target frame containing the barcode. And the storage unit  22  also stores a barcode locating and capturing program  221 . The barcode locating and capturing program  221  is used for locating the barcode in the target frame, so as to acquire the barcode. 
     The storage unit  22  varies with the type of the hand-held data processing device  20 , and is, for example, a built-in or an external NAND Flash memory card for use in a portable device. If the hand-held data processing device  20  is a notebook, the storage unit  22  may be a combination of a system memory and a hard disk. 
     The control module  23  is used for controlling the image capturing module  21  to capture the target frame containing the barcode. After the control module  23  executes the barcode locating and capturing program  221 , the control module  23  finds out the barcode from the target frame so as to acquire the barcode in the target frame, and generates a recognition request corresponding to the barcode. Finally, the control module  23  transmits the barcode and the recognition request to the recognition server  10  over the wireless network  30 , and receives a recognition result returned by the recognition server  10 . The control module  23  includes a processor, a system logic chip set, a screen interface and the like for processing information. The processor and the system logic chip set may be separately disposed on a plurality of electronic elements of a circuit board, and may also be a system-on-a-chip (SoC). The control module  23  for use in the hand-held data processing device  20  is generally an SoC. 
     The wireless communication interface  24  is connected to the control module  23 , and is used for connecting to the wireless network  30 , so as to transmit the barcode and the recognition request sent by the control module  23  to the recognition server  10  over the wireless network  30 . Meanwhile, the wireless communication interface  24  receives the recognition result returned by the recognition server  10 , and transmits the recognition result to the control module  23 . The wireless communication interface  24  may be a mobile communication module supporting a GPRS/CDMA/WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA/LTE mobile communication network or a wireless communication module supporting Wi-Fi/Wireless Lan/WiMAX. The specification of the wireless communication interface  24  is dependent on the type of the wireless network  30 , and the wireless communication interface  24  may also support a plurality of specifications at the same time. 
     The screen  25  is connected to the control module  23 , and when the control module  23  controls the image capturing module  21  to capture the target frame, the control module  23  generates a corresponding image display signal to enable the screen  25  to display the target frame, so as to allow the user to confirm whether the target frame contains the barcode, thereby ensuring that the image capturing module  21  is positioned in a correct orientation to capture the barcode. When the control module  23  receives the recognition result returned by the recognition server  10  through the wireless communication interface  24 , the control module  23  generates a corresponding image display signal, and transmits the corresponding image display signal to the screen  25 , such that the screen  25  displays the recognition result according to the image screen signal. 
     In addition, the hand-held data processing device  20  further includes an input unit  26  connected to the control module  23 . The input unit  26  is operated by the user to send an input signal to the control module  23 , so that the control module  23  is driven to activate the barcode locating and capturing program  221 , or send a confirmation instruction when the user confirms that the target frame displayed on the screen  25  contains the barcode, so as to enable the control module  23  to control the image capturing module  21  to capture the barcode in the target frame, and send the barcode and the recognition request. The input unit  26  may be a key, a joystick, a mouse, a touchpad, or a trackball. The input unit  26  may also be a touch panel directly laminated on the screen  25 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , according to the system for recognizing barcode, the present invention further provides a method for recognizing a barcode. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , according to the method, firstly, the user moves the hand-held data processing device  20  to align the image capturing module  21  with the barcode, and operate the input unit  26  to the control module  23 , so as to activate a barcode capturing function of the hand-held data processing device  20  (Step  110 ). At this time, the control module  23  controls the image capturing module  21  to capture the target frame, and to display the target image on the screen  25 . 
     When the user confirms that the target frame displayed on the screen  25  contains the barcode or the barcode locating and capturing program  221  confirms that the target frame contains the barcode through image features, the control module  23  manually or automatically controls the image capturing module  21  of the hand-held data processing device  20  to capture the target frame containing the barcode (Step  120 ). 
     Then, by executing the barcode locating and capturing program  221 , the control module  23  acquires the barcode in the target frame and generates a recognition request corresponding to the barcode (Step  130 ). 
     Through the wireless communication interface  24  of the hand-held data processing device  20 , the control module  23  transmits the barcode and the recognition request to the recognition server  10  over the wireless network  30  (Step  140 ), and waits for the returning of a recognition result from the recognition server. 
     As described above, the recognition program  11  supporting a plurality of types of barcodes is installed in the recognition server  10 , and the recognition server  10  is connected to the wireless network  30 , so that when the recognition server  10  receives the barcode and the recognition request, the recognition program  11  of the recognition server  10  performs recognition on the barcode, and generates the recognition result containing barcode type and barcode information (Step  151 ). Then, the recognition server  10  returns the recognition result to the hand-held data processing device  20  over the wireless network  30  (Step  152 ). 
     The control module  23  of the hand-held data processing device  20  receives the recognition result through the wireless communication interface  24 . According to the recognition result, the control module  23  generates a corresponding image display signal, and transmits the corresponding image display signal to the screen  25 , such that the screen  25  displays the recognition result according to the image screen signal (Step  160 ). 
     While the present invention has been described by the way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention need not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.