Sensor device

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor device having an optical sensor (1) in the form of a code reader and having a code, which is detected by the code reader. The code reader has an image sensor (4), an evaluation unit and an output structure (10). A code is detected with the image sensor (4), wherein an output signal is generated from the sensor signal of the image sensor (4), which is output via the output structure (10). A code in the form of a hybrid code (11) is read with the code reader, wherein the hybrid code (11) is a 2D barcode (11a), which contains the data content of a 1D barcode (11b). The data content of the 1D barcode (11b) is ascertained in the evaluation unit and output via the output structure (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sensor device. Background Technology

[0002] This sensor device includes an optical sensor in the form of a code reader and a code that can be detected by the code reader.

[0003] This code reader can have an image sensor as a receiver, i.e., a camera, which can capture an image of the code to be detected. The sensor signal from the image sensor, i.e., the image of the code, is analyzed in a parsing unit, where the corresponding code is decoded based on the sensor signal. The decoding result is then output through the output structure of the code reader.

[0004] This type of barcode reader can be used to detect both 1D and 2D barcodes, such as QR codes or data matrix codes. Compared to 1D codes, 2D barcodes can encode significantly more data with less space requirements, thus reducing the risk of confusion between different codes. Furthermore, 2D barcodes can be equipped with security codes containing redundant data or error correction mechanisms.

[0005] To implement this sensor device, four steps are typically required. First, a data processing system is needed to generate the code content. Then, the code needs to be created, for example, through printing, to apply the code to the object to which it will be marked. Next, in the application environment, a code reader can read the code. Finally, the code content is parsed in the last step.

[0006] In closed-loop applications, all four method steps are executed and controlled by an operator. A typical application scenario for this is deploying and retrieving codes on boxes or similar objects in an automated warehouse.

[0007] In open-loop applications, these four methodological steps are performed by different companies.

[0008] To enable such open-loop applications, standardization is necessary. This standard specifies all aspects of the application, such as the data content and symbology of the code, the size and layout of the code, and the code structure, such as the number of digits limited by the 1D barcode. Furthermore, the standard defines the print quality and contrast of the code. Finally, the standard also defines the reading requirements for code readers.

[0009] An example of this open-loop application is in the field of medical technology. There, for example, codes are used to identify blood samples. In these applications, 1D barcodes have been the standard for identifying blood samples for many years, and these 1D barcodes can be read using a barcode scanner.

[0010] For this type of application that uses code to identify blood samples, the following steps are required: 1) A data processing system used to generate code content.

[0011] 2) Create (print) the code and deploy it on the sample container.

[0012] 3) Read the codes in the laboratory and / or using analytical instruments.

[0013] 4) A data processing system used to parse code content.

[0014] The drawback of 1D barcodes used according to current standards is that only a small amount of data can be encoded in these codes, making accurate identification of blood samples difficult. Furthermore, the information encoded in 1D barcodes can only be adequately secured using the simplest checksum.

[0015] Therefore, it is desirable to use 2D barcodes instead of 1D barcodes for blood sample identification. Large amounts of data can be encoded in 2D barcodes with minimal space requirements, and this data can also be encoded in error-proofing ways within 2D barcodes.

[0016] To change the standard from 1D barcodes to 2D barcodes in this open-loop application for blood sample identification, complex conversions must be performed across different companies or institutions to execute the four methodological steps outlined above. Consequently, data processing systems in equipment, particularly in physician clinics, hospitals, emergency services, and thousands of blood analysis instruments in thousands of laboratories, must be modified. Summary of the Invention

[0017] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sensor device of the type described at the beginning, which simplifies standard conversion in open-loop applications.

[0018] To address this task, the features of claim 1 are proposed. Advantageous embodiments and reasonable extensions of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0019] This invention relates to a sensor device having an optical sensor in the form of a code reader and having a code that is detected by the code reader. The code reader has an image sensor, a parsing unit, and an output structure, wherein the code is detected using the image sensor. An output signal is generated based on the sensor signal from the image sensor, and this output signal is output through the output structure. The code reader reads a code in the form of a hybrid code, wherein the hybrid code is a 2D barcode containing the data content of a 1D barcode. The data content of the 1D barcode is extracted in the parsing unit and output through the output structure.

[0020] The basic concept of this invention is to provide a 2D barcode in the form of a hybrid code, which also contains the data content of a 1D barcode.

[0021] The code reader of the sensor device of the present invention has an image sensor as a receiving unit, which can read 2D barcodes. If a mixed code is read using the code reader, the data content of the 1D barcode contained in the mixed code is detected and decoded in the parsing unit of the code reader, and the data content is output as an output signal through the output structure.

[0022] This greatly simplifies the standard conversion in open-loop applications, because the required methods and steps in open-loop applications do not need to be converted to the new standard all at once, but can be converted in a selectable sequence.

[0023] Here, the old standard is coordinated with the reading of 1D barcodes, while the new standard extends to the reading of 2D barcodes.

[0024] By using the hybrid code of the present invention, it is possible to convert the code data content and the method steps of creating, for example, printing codes and placing them on objects into 2D barcodes at an early stage.

[0025] Because the present invention uses a hybrid code read by a code reader according to the invention, these special 2D barcodes can be used during the transition from the old standard to the new standard. Importantly, the code reader outputs the data content of the 1D barcode contained in the hybrid code as an output signal; therefore, the data processing for parsing the code information does not need to be converted to the new standard using 2D barcodes, and the 1D barcodes can still be used according to the old standard.

[0026] A preferred embodiment of an open-loop application that can be implemented using the sensor device according to the invention is to identify a blood sample based on a code applied to the sample or to a sample container used to store the sample.

[0027] Even in such applications, the standard conversion from 1D barcodes to 2D barcodes can be significantly simplified using the sensor device according to the invention, because the standard conversion does not need to be performed all at once for all four method steps used to implement the application, but can be performed in a time-decoupled manner for each method step.

[0028] This is particularly advantageous because, in such applications, numerous, even thousands, institutions and enterprises are involved in executing the various methodological steps, thus standard conversion can take several years. Using the sensor device according to the invention, standard conversion can be performed sequentially over time according to the various methodological steps.

[0029] According to an advantageous implementation, a code reader is used to detect a 2D barcode in a first field of view of the mixed code and a 1D barcode in a second field of view of the mixed code.

[0030] In particular, the data content of a 1D barcode is contained within a defined location in a 2D barcode.

[0031] The field of view in which 1D barcodes are identified, i.e., the field of view, can be a part of the field of view (field of view) in which 2D barcodes are identified.

[0032] According to the first variant, the detection of the hybrid code using the code reader of the sensor device according to the invention can be performed as follows: the code reader detects and decodes only the 2D barcode of the hybrid code. In the parsing unit, the data content of the 1D barcode is extracted from the decoded 2D barcode, and this data content is output through the output structure.

[0033] This variant can only be implemented when the data content of the 1D barcode is contained in a fixed, preset position within the 2D barcode of the hybrid code.

[0034] According to the second variant, a code reader detects and decodes the mixed-code 1D and 2D barcodes. The data content of the 1D barcode is extracted from the decoded 2D barcode and compared with the decoded 1D barcode. This data content is output through the output structure only if the information of the 1D barcode is determined to match during the comparison.

[0035] By comparing two types of information about 1D barcodes, redundancy detection of 1D barcode information is achieved, and higher error prevention is obtained when detecting 1D barcode information.

[0036] According to the third variant, a code reader detects and decodes the mixed 1D and 2D barcodes. The data content of the 1D barcode is extracted from the decoded 2D barcode. The 1D barcode data content is output through the output structure only if this data content matches the decoded 1D barcode to at least a predetermined degree of consistency.

[0037] This also enables redundancy detection of 1D barcode information in the hybrid code, where a higher error tolerance is allowed, resulting in higher availability.

[0038] To identify 1D barcode information, only one method is needed to completely detect the 1D barcode information. When using the second method for identification, a limited error range is allowed during code detection. Within this error range, it is only required that the 1D barcode information determined by the two methods must be consistent to a preset degree of consistency.

[0039] In the second and third variants, it is not necessary to place the 1D barcode data content in a fixed, preset position on the hybrid code.

[0040] Advantageously, other output signals can also be output through the output structure of the code reader.

[0041] In particular, it enables the code reader to output status messages through the output structure.

[0042] Here, the status message can indicate that the 1D barcode and / or 2D barcode has been successfully decoded.

[0043] Alternatively, the status message indicates the decoding quality of the 1D and / or 2D barcodes.

[0044] Finally, it is also possible to output the data content of the decoded 2D barcode using the output signal.

[0045] Depending on the advantageous configuration, the output structure of the code reader is either a serial interface or a fieldbus.

[0046] Furthermore, advantageously, the image sensor of the code reader is a matrix-type CCD array or CMOS array.

[0047] Optionally, the code reader may have an illumination unit that illuminates the field of view of the image sensor.

[0048] Advantageously, the lighting unit has an array of light-emitting diodes that emit light beams. Attached Figure Description

[0049] The invention is explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show: Figure 1 : A schematic diagram of an optical sensor embodiment of the sensor device according to the present invention.

[0050] Figure 2 : Hybrid code embodiment of the sensor device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Figure 1 An embodiment of the optical sensor 1 of the sensor device according to the present invention is shown in a highly illustrative and non-proportional manner. The optical sensor 1 is configured as a code reader, by means of which 1D barcodes and 2D codes can be detected.

[0052] The electronic components and sensor components of the optical sensor 1 are integrated into a housing 2 made of non-transparent material.

[0053] Circuit board 3 is housed within housing 2 as a central electronic component. An image sensor 4 and multiple light-emitting diodes 5 surrounding the image sensor 4 are mounted on the mounting side of circuit board 3, serving as sensor components. The image sensor 4 is, for example, composed of a matrix-type CCD or CMOS array. The light-emitting diodes 5, emitting light beams, constitute an illumination unit, illuminating the field of view of the image sensor 4.

[0054] Image sensor 4 is housed in a tube 6, which is essentially a hollow cylinder made of opaque material. A lens 7 is disposed in front of image sensor 4 within tube 6, and this lens is used to focus a light beam onto image sensor 4.

[0055] A disk 8 is disposed in the front wall of the housing 2. The disk is made of a transparent material, that is, a material that allows light beams to pass through.

[0056] A microcontroller 9 constituting the analytical unit is mounted on the component side opposite to the mounting side. Alternatively, other computing units may be arranged to replace the microcontroller 9.

[0057] A light beam emitted by LED 5 is guided to the detection area via disk 8. This beam, originating from a code applied to the object, is guided to image sensor 4 via disk 8 and lens 7. The sensor signal generated by image sensor 4 is analyzed in the analysis unit. Here, the code is decoded in the analysis unit based on the code information contained in the sensor signal, and this code information is output as the output signal of optical sensor 1.

[0058] The output signal is output through output structure 10, which is advantageously composed of a serial interface or a fieldbus.

[0059] Open-loop applications can be particularly realized using the sensor device according to the invention.

[0060] An example of this open-loop application is in the medical technology field. In medical technology, for instance, codes are used to identify blood samples.

[0061] For this type of application that uses code to identify blood samples, the following steps are required: 1) A data processing system used to generate code content.

[0062] 2) Create (print) the code and deploy it on the sample container.

[0063] 3) Read the codes in the laboratory and / or using analytical instruments.

[0064] 4) A data processing system used to parse code content.

[0065] In these applications, 1D barcodes have been the standard for identifying blood samples for many years, and these 1D barcodes can be read using barcode scanners.

[0066] To transition to the new standard of using 2D barcodes to identify blood samples, a sensor device according to the present invention can be used. By using the sensor device of the present invention, the four method steps described above do not all need to be simultaneously converted to the new standard.

[0067] Therefore, the sensor device according to the invention has a hybrid code 11 for marking blood samples ( Figure 2 This mixed code can be used Figure 1 The code reader shown reads the code.

[0068] Figure 2 The hybrid code 11 shown consists of a 2D barcode 11a, which also contains a 1D barcode 11b.

[0069] According to the present invention, although the entire hybrid code 11 is read by a code reader, only the data content of the 1D barcode 11b in the hybrid code 11 is detected and the data content is output to the external unit as an output signal.

[0070] Therefore, the four method steps described above for open-loop applications are divided as follows: the generation and creation of the code have been converted to the standard of 2D barcode 11a. These 2D barcodes 11a can also be read using a code reader (method step 3). However, subsequent processing of the code is performed on 1D barcode 11b in the data processing system, allowing the data processing system to still operate using the older standard of 1D barcode 11b.

[0071] Typically, the code reader can also output status messages as additional output signals.

[0072] For example, a status message indicates that the 1D barcode 11b and / or 2D barcode 11a have been successfully decoded.

[0073] In addition, the status message indicates the decoding quality of the 1D barcode 11b and / or the 2D barcode 11a.

[0074] The reading process of the hybrid code 11 is carried out by the reader as follows: the 2D barcode 11a is read in the first field of view, and the 1D barcode 11b is read in the second field of view.

[0075] The 2D barcode 11a of the hybrid code 11 typically contains the data content of the 1D barcode 11b, wherein the data content is advantageously located at a fixed, predetermined position of the 2D barcode 11a.

[0076] As an example, the sequence ABCDEF is included in the 2D barcode 11a, where A, B, C, D, E, and F are the data content of the 2D barcode 11a. Here, A, B, and C represent the data content of the 1D barcode 11b within the 2D barcode 11a.

[0077] According to the first variant of the code detection scheme, the data content ABCDEF is detected by reading the mixed code 11, but only the data content ABC is output as the output signal.

[0078] According to the second variant, a code reader is used to detect the 1D barcode 11b and 2D barcode 11a of the mixed code 11, so that the data content ABC is determined by detecting the 1D barcode 11b, and the data content ABCDEF is determined by detecting the 2D barcode 11a.

[0079] According to the first sub-variant scheme, the data content ABC of the 1D barcode 11b must be completely identical to the subsequence ABC in the data content ABCDEF of the 2D barcode 11a. Only under this condition will the information ABC of the 1D barcode 11b be output as an output signal.

[0080] According to the second sub-variant scheme, the fault-tolerant parsing is performed in such a way that the data content of the 1D barcode 11b and the subsequence of the 1D barcode 11b in the data content of the corresponding 2D barcode 11a only need to be consistent to a preset degree, so that the information of the 1D barcode 11b in the output hybrid code 11 is used as the output signal.

[0081] If, for example, when reading the 1D barcode 11b of the mixed code 11, the data content AXC is obtained, where X is an error message, but when reading the 2D barcode 11a of the mixed code 11, the data content ABCDEF is correctly obtained, then the consistency of the data content is sufficient, and the output signal ABC, which is the 1D barcode information, is output by the code reader as an output signal.

[0082] List of reference numerals (1) Optical sensor (2) Shell (3) Circuit board (4) Image sensor (5) Light Emitting Diode (6) Tube (7) Lens (8) Disc (9) Microcontroller (10) Output structure (11) Mixed code (11a) 2D barcode (11b) 1D barcode

Claims

1. A sensor device having an optical sensor (1) in the form of a code reader and having a code, the code being detected by the code reader, wherein, The code reader has an image sensor (4), a parsing unit, and an output structure (10), wherein the image sensor (4) is used to detect codes, and wherein an output signal is generated based on the sensor signal of the image sensor (4), and the output signal is output through the output structure (10). The code reader is characterized in that it reads codes in the form of a hybrid code (11), wherein the hybrid code (11) is a 2D barcode (11a), the 2D barcode contains the data content of a 1D barcode (11b), and the data content of the 1D barcode (11b) is obtained in the parsing unit and the data content is output through the output structure (10).

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The code reader detects a 2D barcode (11a) in the first field of view of the hybrid code (11) and a 1D barcode (11b) in the second field of view of the hybrid code (11).

3. The sensor device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The data content of the 1D barcode (11b) is contained in the defined position of the 2D barcode (11a).

4. The sensor device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The code reader detects and decodes only the 2D barcode (11a) of the hybrid code (11), and extracts the data content of the 1D barcode (11b) from the decoded 2D barcode (11a) in the parsing unit and outputs the data content through the output structure (10).

5. The sensor device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The code reader detects and decodes the 1D barcode (11b) and the 2D barcode (11a) of the hybrid code (11), extracts the data content of the 1D barcode from the decoded 2D barcode (11a), compares the data content with the decoded 1D barcode (11b), and outputs the information through the output structure (10) only when it is determined that the information of the 1D barcode (11b) is consistent during the comparison.

6. The sensor device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The code reader detects and decodes the 1D barcode (11b) and the 2D barcode (11a) of the hybrid code (11), extracts the data content of the 1D barcode from the decoded 2D barcode (11a), and outputs the data content of the 1D barcode (11b) through the output structure (10) only when the data content is consistent with the decoded 1D barcode (11b) to at least a preset degree of consistency.

7. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The code reader outputs a status message through the output structure (10).

8. The sensor device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The status message indicates that the 1D barcode (11b) and / or 2D barcode (11a) has been successfully decoded.

9. The sensor device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The status message indicates the decoding quality of the 1D barcode (11b) and / or the 2D barcode (11a).

10. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The data content of the decoded 2D barcode (11a) is output using the output signal.

11. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The output structure of the code reader is a serial interface or a fieldbus.

12. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The image sensor (4) of the code reader is a matrix-form CCD or CMOS array.

13. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The code reader has an illumination unit that illuminates the field of view of the image sensor (4).

14. The sensor device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The lighting unit has an array of light-emitting diodes (5) that emit light beams.

Images