Information reading device, machine monitoring system using information reading device, and information reading method

Abstract

To provide an information reader capable of reading a desired information code without erroneously reading an unintended information code even when information codes are densely arranged.SOLUTION: An information reading device (10) includes an imaging unit (11) that captures an image including an information code, a display unit (12) that displays a display image generated by combining the captured image including the information code with a detection mark (102) displayed at a position corresponding to a fixed position within an angle of view of the captured image, and a control unit (15) that decodes the information code included in the display image. The control unit decodes the information code when a predetermined time elapses in a state in which the information code is detected in a fixed detection area defined by the detection mark.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information reading device, a machine monitoring system using the information reading device, and an information reading method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an information reading device that reads an information code in the form of a two-dimensional code such as a barcode or a QR code (registered trademark) with a camera, decodes the read information code, and acquires the information contained in the information code. Such an information reading device is implemented as an application function in a mobile computer device such as a smartphone (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6948848 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Various systems are available that process information acquired using such information readers. For example, a machine monitoring system provides a dedicated app that can be used on smartphones, and by reading a QR code through the app, production model information of machines operating on-site and information about workers can be sent to the machine monitoring system gateway, where it can be used for post-mortem analysis.

[0005] The QR code reading function in this dedicated app realizes the functionality of the machine monitoring system by reading two QR codes, for example, "which machine" and "which production model." The former is often done by placing a QR code near the machine, while the latter is sometimes written on the instruction manual, or in some cases, the name of the production model and QR code are printed on paper and the QR code of the target model is read from there. After reading these two QR codes, a confirmation screen for the content to be sent is displayed, and by selecting the send button, the read information is sent to the machine monitoring system gateway.

[0006] With the conventional dedicated app, user convenience was taken into consideration, and when a QR code corresponding to the machine monitoring system was recognized within the camera's field of view, the app would read the contents of the code and automatically transition to the next screen for confirming the contents to be sent. However, when QR codes were densely arranged on a piece of paper, as shown in Figure 2, the app would transition to the screen for confirming the contents to be sent even if an unintended QR code was captured within the camera's field of view, and failure to confirm the contents there could result in incorrect information being sent to the machine monitoring system's gateway.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an information reading device that can read a desired information code without erroneously reading an unintended information code, even if the information codes are densely arranged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information reading device according to a representative embodiment of the present invention comprises an imaging unit that captures an image including an information code, a display unit that displays a display image generated by combining the captured image including the information code with a detection mark that is displayed at a position corresponding to a fixed position within the angle of view of the captured image, and a control unit that decodes the information code included in the display image, wherein the control unit decodes the information code when a predetermined time has elapsed while the information code is detected within a fixed detection area defined by the detection mark. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information reading device that can read desired information codes without erroneously reading unintended information codes, even if the information codes are densely arranged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the information reading device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which QR codes of a plurality of production models are arranged closely together. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which a QR code is read using an information reading device. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a change in the detection mark that also serves as an indicator. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a detection mark and a QR code. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing operation in the information reading device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a machine monitoring system using an information reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an example of a monitoring device used in a machine monitoring system. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a machine management table stored in the monitoring device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] 1. Overview of the embodiment First, a typical embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application will be outlined. In the following description, for example, reference numerals in the drawings corresponding to components of the invention are written in parentheses.

[0012] [1] An information reading device (10) according to a representative embodiment of the present invention comprises an imaging unit (11) that captures an image including an information code, a display unit (12) that displays a display image generated by combining the captured image including the captured information code with a detection mark (102) that is displayed at a position corresponding to a fixed position within the angle of view of the captured image, and a control unit (15) that decodes the information code included in the display image, wherein the control unit decodes the information code when a predetermined time has elapsed while the information code is detected within a fixed detection area defined by the detection mark.

[0013] [2] In the information reading device (10) described in [1] above, the control unit (15) may have a display image generation unit (151) that generates the display image to be displayed on the display unit (12) by combining the detection mark (102) and the captured image, a decoding condition determination unit (152) that determines whether a decoding condition is satisfied when a predetermined time has passed with the information code overlapping the detection mark detected in the display image, and a decoding processing unit (153) that decodes the information code when the decoding condition determination unit determines that the decoding condition is satisfied.

[0014] [3] In the information reading device (10) described in [2] above, the display image generating unit may further display an indicator within the display image, and change the indicator displayed in the display image depending on the elapsed time during which the information code overlapping the detection mark is detected.

[0015] [4] In the information reading device (10) described in [3] above, the indicator may be a progress indicator that indicates the time remaining until the information code is decoded.

[0016] [5] A machine monitoring system according to a representative embodiment of the present invention is a monitoring system including the information reading device according to any one of [1] to [4] above, equipment to be monitored, a node device provided corresponding to the equipment to be monitored, and a monitoring device capable of communicating with the information reading device and the node device, wherein the information reading device reads an information code corresponding to the equipment to be monitored, decodes an identifier for identifying the equipment to be monitored, and reads at least one of an information code of a worker in the equipment to be monitored and an information code of a production model in the equipment to be monitored, and decodes at least one of information on the worker in the equipment to be monitored and information on the production model in the equipment to be monitored, and the node device acquires the operating status of the equipment to be monitored, generates first link data which is information linking the acquired operating status of the equipment to an identifier that identifies the equipment to be monitored, and transmits this to the monitoring device; and the monitoring device updates a table that records data for monitoring the equipment to be monitored using the identifier of the equipment to be monitored in the first link data transmitted from the information reading device and the second link data transmitted from the node device as a key.

[0017] [6] An information reading method according to a representative embodiment of the present invention is an information reading method executed by the information reading device described in [1] above, and includes: an imaging step of capturing an image including an information code; a display step of displaying a display image generated by combining the captured image including the information code with a detection mark displayed at a position corresponding to a fixed position within the angle of view of the captured image; and a decoding step of decoded the information code included in the display image, wherein the decoding step is characterized in that the information code is decoded when a predetermined time has elapsed while the information code is detected within a fixed detection area defined by the detection mark.

[0018] [7] In the information reading method described in [6] above, the decoding step may include a first substep of determining whether the image including the information code captured in the imaging step is in an overlapping state where the detection mark is overlapped; a second substep of displaying an indication of an active state if the first substep determines that the image is in an overlapping state; a third substep of determining whether the overlapping state has been maintained for a predetermined time; and a fourth substep of decode the information code if the third substep determines that the overlapping state has been maintained for a predetermined time.

[0019] 2. Specific examples of embodiments Hereinafter, specific examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components common to the embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0020] <Embodiment> An outline of the configuration of the information reading device according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information reading device according to the present embodiment.

[0021] The information reading device 10 according to this embodiment can be configured as, for example, a portable computer such as a smartphone device, a tablet, a scanner, etc. As shown in FIG. 1 , the information reading device 10 includes an imaging unit 11, a display unit 12, an operation unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a memory / control unit 15.

[0022] The information reading device 10 according to this embodiment realizes predetermined functions by controlling each functional unit within the memory / control unit 15, the imaging unit 11, the display unit 12, the operation unit 13, and the communication unit 14, through an application program interface (API: hereinafter referred to as "application") installed in the memory / control unit 15.

[0023] The imaging unit 11 is configured using an imaging device such as a camera. The imaging unit 11 may be an interface for connecting an imaging device such as a camera to the information reading device 10. The imaging unit 11 is preferably installed in a position where the user can view the display unit 12 while capturing an image of the information code. In the case of a smartphone, the imaging unit 11 is installed on the opposite side of the display. In this case, the imaging unit 11 captures an image of the object to be captured and acquires captured image data. The imaging unit 11 outputs the acquired captured image data to the memory / control unit 15.

[0024] The display unit 12 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 12 displays display image data generated from an image captured by the imaging unit 11. The display unit 12 may be an interface for connecting an image display device to the information reading device 10. In this case, the display unit 12 generates a video signal for displaying the image data and outputs the video signal to the image display device connected to the display unit 12.

[0025] The operation unit 13 is configured using existing input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device (such as a mouse or tablet), buttons, and a touch panel. The operation unit 13 is operated by a user when inputting the user's instructions to the information reading device 10. The operation unit 13 may be an interface for connecting an input device to the information reading device 10. In this case, the operation unit 13 inputs an input signal generated in the input device in response to the user's input to the information reading device 10. The operation unit 13 may be configured using a microphone and a voice recognition device. In this case, the operation unit 13 performs voice recognition on words spoken by the user and inputs character string information of the recognition result to the information reading device 10. In this case, the voice recognition process may be performed by the memory / control unit 15. In this case, the microphone constituting the operation unit 13 may be configured integrally with the voice input unit. The operation unit 13 may be configured in any way as long as it is capable of inputting the user's instructions to the information reading device 10.

[0026] The communication unit 14 is a communication device. The communication unit 14 may be configured as, for example, a network interface. The communication unit 14 communicates data with other devices via a network under the control of the memory / control unit 15. The communication unit 14 may be a device that performs wireless communication or a device that performs wired communication.

[0027] The memory / control unit 15 has a display image generation unit 151, a decoding condition determination unit 152, a decoding processing unit 153, a decoded data processing unit 154, and a communication data generation unit 155 as functional units.

[0028] The memory and control unit 15 is configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The memory and control unit 15 functions as each functional unit of the memory and control unit 15 when the processor executes a program. All or part of the functions of the memory and control unit 15 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and semiconductor storage devices (e.g., SSDs: Solid State Drives), as well as storage devices such as hard disks and semiconductor storage devices built into computer systems. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0029] The display image generation unit 151 is a functional unit that generates a display image to be displayed on the display unit 12 from the captured image data captured by the imaging unit 11 and predetermined image data. Specifically, the display image generation unit 151 combines the captured image data captured by the imaging unit 11 with image data for overlay, such as a detection mark, to generate a display image to be displayed on the display unit 12. In addition to the detection mark, the image data for overlay may include an indicator that is displayed on the display image in a manner corresponding to the elapsed time since the information code superimposed on the detection mark was detected. The indicator may be a progress indicator that shows the remaining time until the information code is decoded.

[0030] The detection mark is a mark set so as to overlap the information code in the image when the information code is located in a predetermined detection area. The detection mark is displayed at a predetermined position on the display image corresponding to a fixed position within the angle of view of the captured image. The detection mark is a mark that defines the detection area of ​​the information code, and when the information code overlaps with the detection mark, it means that the information code is located in the predetermined detection area.

[0031] The decoding condition determination unit 152 is a functional unit that determines whether the decoding condition is satisfied. Specifically, for example, the decoding condition determination unit 152 determines whether the decoding condition is satisfied when a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which an information code overlapping a detection mark is detected in a display image. When an information code overlapping a detection mark is detected, the decoding condition determination unit 152 can detect that the information code is located within a fixed detection area of ​​the image. After detecting that the information code is located within the fixed detection area of ​​the image, the decoding condition determination unit 152 counts the detection time, which is the elapsed time, and determines that the decoding condition is satisfied when the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0032] The decoding condition determination unit 152 sends to the display image generation unit 151 information that it has detected that the information code is located within the fixed detection area of ​​the image. When the display image generation unit 151 receives information that it has detected that the information code is located within the fixed detection area of ​​the image, it changes the display state of an indicator included in the display image to indicate that reading of the information code has become active (a state in which the information code is detected within the fixed detection area of ​​the image). The change in the indicator of the display image displayed on the display unit 12 allows the user to know that reading of the target information code has become active.

[0033] The decoding condition determination unit 152 sends the detection time, which is the elapsed time since it was detected that the information code is located within a fixed detection area of ​​the image, to the display image generation unit 151. Upon receiving the detection time, the display image generation unit 151 changes the display state of an indicator included in the display image to indicate that the detection time has changed. The change in the indicator of the display image displayed on the display unit 12 allows the user to know the elapsed time since the reading of the target information code became active.

[0034] The decoding processing unit 153 is a functional unit that decodes the information code. When the decoding condition determination unit 152 determines that the decoding condition is satisfied, the decoding processing unit 153 decodes the information code and acquires the information decoded into the information code as decoded information (decoded data).

[0035] The decoded data processing unit 154 is a functional unit that performs processing to link the decoded information obtained by decryption with predetermined information. The decoded data processing unit 154 performs processing to link the decoded information with predetermined information in accordance with an input from the operation unit 13. The decoded data processing unit 154 may temporarily store the decoded information so that the decoded information can be linked with other decoded information. The predetermined information to be linked to the decoded information may be information input from the operation unit 13.

[0036] The communication data generation unit 155 is a functional unit that generates the processed data processed by the decoded data processing unit 154 as communication data that can be transmitted to the outside via the communication unit 14. The communication data generation unit 155 may perform processing to generate communication data and transmit it to the outside in response to an input from the operation unit 13.

[0037] 2 to 5 are diagrams for explaining a method for detecting an information code in an information reading device according to this embodiment. The method for detecting an information code in an information reading device according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to these drawings. In this example, a case will be explained in which a smartphone is used as an information reading device to detect a QR code, which is an information code.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which QR codes of multiple production models are arranged close together, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a QR code is read using a smartphone, which is an information reading device.

[0039] In the smartphone that is the information reading device according to this embodiment, as with conventional smartphones, a QR code can be read by sliding it from left to right as shown in Fig. 3 in the position shown in Fig. 2. In such a case, to ensure that the QR code for "Model D" and not "Model C" is read correctly, the smartphone according to this embodiment displays a detection mark at a fixed position within the image displayed on the smartphone display (omitted in Fig. 3).

[0040] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the detection mark that also serves as an indicator.

[0041] The detection mark can also function as an indicator, and when it does, it can indicate the detection state of the QR code by changing as shown in FIG.

[0042] In Figure 4, the detection mark shown on the far left indicates an inactive state where the QR code is not located in the specified detection area, and when the QR code is located in the specified detection area and becomes active, the state of the detection mark displayed on the right hand side of Figure 4 changes depending on the elapsed time.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the detection mark and the QR code. In Fig. 5, (a) shows the case where the QR code is outside the detection area, (b) shows the case where the QR code is inside the detection area, and (c) shows the case where the QR code remains inside the detection area.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 5, an image 100 displayed on the smartphone display shows a detection mark 102 and a QR code that is within the angle of view of the smartphone camera. The detection mark 102 is a mark that allows the user to easily recognize whether the QR code displayed on the display screen is within the detection area. Because the detection mark 102 is displayed at a fixed position on the display screen, the user can place the QR code within the detection area by moving the smartphone so that the detection mark 102 overlaps with the desired QR code.

[0045] 5(a), the detection mark 102 does not overlap with the QR code 101. In this state, it can be seen that the QR code is not within the detection area.

[0046] In the state shown in Figure 5(b), the detection mark 102 and the QR code 101 overlap, and the detection mark 102 is highlighted, but its contents remain unchanged. In this state, it can be seen that the QR code has just entered the detection area.

[0047] In the state shown in Figure 5(c), the detection mark 102 and the QR code 101 overlap, and the detection mark 102 is highlighted, and its content also changes. In this state, it can be seen that some time has passed since the QR code entered the detection area. The display mode of the detection mark 102 can be changed depending on the time it has been overlapping with the QR code. As shown in Figure 5(c), three-quarters of the content of the circle has become opaque, indicating that three-quarters of the time has passed since the QR code entered the detection area and that one-quarter of the time remains until the start of QR code decoding.

[0048] In this way, the information reading device 10 of this embodiment displays a detection mark for the information code, allowing the user to visually grasp where the information code should be located when photographing, and by showing the elapsed time with an indicator, the user can clearly see how far the current reading progress has progressed.

[0049] Next, the operation of the information reading device according to this embodiment will be described.

[0050] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing operation in the information reading device according to this embodiment. In this example, a center circle is displayed as the detection mark, and the center circle also functions as an indicator.

[0051] In the information reading device 10, when the imaging unit 11 captures an image of a QR code, the display image generation unit 151 generates a display image by combining the captured image with a central circle, and displays the image on the display unit 12. The memory / control unit 15 then executes the operations of the processing flow in FIG. 6.

[0052] The decryption condition determination unit 152 determines whether the central circle and the QR code overlap each other. That is, the decryption condition determination unit 152 determines whether the central circle and the QR code overlap each other (step S101).

[0053] If the decryption condition determination unit 152 determines that the central circle and the QR code overlap (step S101: YES), the display image generation unit 151 activates the central circle and the QR code (step S102). The display image generation unit 151 may change the indicator.

[0054] The decoding condition determination unit 152 then determines whether the overlapping state has been maintained for 1.5 seconds. That is, the decoding condition determination unit 152 determines whether the overlapping state has been maintained for 1.5 seconds (step S103). If the decryption condition determination unit 152 determines that the overlapping state has been maintained for 1.5 seconds (step S103: YES), the decryption processing unit 153 starts the process of decoding the active QR code (step S105).

[0055] If the decryption condition determination unit 152 cannot determine that the central circle and the QR code overlap (step S101: NO) or cannot determine that the overlapping state has been maintained for 1.5 seconds (step S103: NO), the display image generation unit 151 deactivates the central circle and the QR code (step S104).

[0056] According to the information reading device of this embodiment, whether or not an information code has entered a predetermined detection position is detected by whether or not it overlaps with a detection mark, and decoding begins on the condition that the detection has continued for a predetermined elapsed time, so even when reading multiple information codes in a closely spaced state, the user can visually recognize which information code to decode and read the desired information code. Of course, it is possible to read a QR code in a state where only a single QR code is arranged, but even when multiple QR codes are closely spaced as shown in Figure 2, it is possible to read the desired information code without erroneously reading an unintended information code.

[0057] Next, a machine monitoring system using the information reading device described above will be described.

[0058] 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a machine monitoring system using an information reading device according to this embodiment. This machine monitoring system is a system that monitors (surveillances) equipment that is a monitoring target. The monitoring contents include the workers working on the equipment that is the monitoring target, the production model, the number of units produced, and the operating status of the equipment that is the monitoring target.

[0059] This machine monitoring system is configured by connecting an information reading device 10 shown in FIG. 1 and node devices 30 corresponding to each of a plurality of pieces of equipment 20 to be monitored to a monitoring device 50 via a network 40.

[0060] The equipment 20 to be monitored is provided with a QR code as an identifier for identifying the equipment 20. The equipment 20 to be monitored is, for example, a production equipment that produces multiple models of products in response to the operations of workers.

[0061] The node device 30 is a device that monitors the number of units produced and the operating status of the equipment 20 that is the monitoring target, and can send this information to the monitoring device via communication; for example, a personal computer or microcomputer with communication capabilities can be used. The node device 30 monitors the operating status of the equipment 20 that is the monitoring target, and sends the number of units produced and the operating status of the equipment 20 that is the monitoring target, along with the identifier of that equipment 20, to the monitoring device. The operating status is information that indicates whether the equipment 20 is operating (ON) or not (OFF).

[0062] The information reading device 10 is a terminal used by a worker who is a user. In this machine monitoring system, when performing production work on a certain model in equipment 20 to be monitored, the worker who is the user can use the information reading device 10 to read his (the worker's) own QR code, read the QR code of the model to be produced from the model's QR code table, and further read the QR code arranged on the equipment 20. The information reading device 10 detects and decodes the QR code read by the user, links the decoded data, and transmits it to the monitoring device 50. The QR code table for this model is a sheet of paper on which QR codes are densely arranged, but the desired QR code can be read using the information reading device 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0063] The network 40 may be the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network), and is not particularly limited.

[0064] The monitoring device 50 is a device that functions as a gateway of the monitoring system. The monitoring device 50 analyzes data sent from the information reading device 10 and the node device 30, and monitors the state of the facility 20. The monitoring device 50 can be configured using an information processing device such as a personal computer.

[0065] Here, the configuration of the monitoring device 50 will be described.

[0066] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of an example of a monitoring device used in a machine monitoring system.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 8, the monitoring device 50 includes a communication unit 51, an input unit 52, an output unit 53, a control unit 54, and a storage unit 55.

[0068] The communication unit 51 is a communication device that communicates with the information reading device 10, the node device 30, and a server device as a higher-level device.

[0069] The input unit 52 is an input device that is operated and input by an operator, and receives inputs that allow the operator to operate the monitoring device 50 in the machine monitoring system and output desired monitoring results.

[0070] The output unit 53 is an output device such as a display, etc. For example, it displays the monitoring results from the monitoring device 50 so that the operator can check them.

[0071] The control unit 54 controls each unit of the monitoring device 50 to realize predetermined operations. The control unit 54 includes a data acquisition unit 541 and a table update unit 542 as functional units.

[0072] The data acquiring unit 541 acquires predetermined data from the information reading device 10 and predetermined data from the node device. In this embodiment, the data (first link data) acquired by the data acquiring unit 541 from the information reading device 10 is data linking the identifier of the equipment 20 with information about the worker. This data may also be linked with information about the production model. The data (second link data) acquired by the data acquiring unit 541 from the node device 30 is data linking the identifier of the equipment with at least one of the number of units produced and the operating status.

[0073] The table update unit 542 updates the machine monitoring table that manages the machine state based on the data acquired by the data acquisition unit 541. The table update unit 542 updates the table 551 stored in the storage unit 55 using the identifier of the data acquired by the data acquisition unit 541 as a key.

[0074] Specifically, the table update unit 542 identifies a record in the table 551 using the identifier of the monitoring target equipment as a key in the first link data, which is data transmitted from the information reading device 10, and the second link data, which is data transmitted from the node device 30, and updates the identified record, thereby updating the table that records the data for monitoring the monitoring target equipment. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably update the monitoring details of the monitoring target equipment that were transmitted as separate data.

[0075] Here, the machine monitoring table stored in the storage unit 55 will be described.

[0076] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a machine monitoring table stored in the monitoring device.

[0077] As shown in Figure 9, the machine monitoring table is a table that uses the equipment to be monitored as a key and has attributes such as the equipment number corresponding to the identifier, the number of units produced, the operating status, the production model, and the worker.

[0078] Of these attributes, the number of units produced and the operating status are updated based on information acquired from the node device 30. The production model and the worker are updated based on information acquired from the information reading device 10.

[0079] As described above, in the information reading device of this embodiment, the control unit decodes the information code when a predetermined time has elapsed while the information code is detected within a fixed detection area defined by the detection mark. With this configuration, it is possible to read an information code when only a single information code is arranged, but it is also possible to read a desired information code without erroneously reading an unintended information code even when multiple information codes are arranged closely together.

[0080] As described above, in the information reading device of this embodiment, the display image generating unit further displays an indicator within the display image, and changes the indicator displayed on the display image according to the elapsed time since the information code overlapping the detection mark was detected. With this configuration, the user can recognize how much time has passed since the detection of the information code began.

[0081] As described above, in the information reading device of this embodiment, the indicator is a progress indicator that shows the remaining time until the information code is decoded. With this configuration, the user can recognize the remaining time until the information code is decoded.

[0082] <<Extended embodiments>>

[0083] The above-mentioned flowcharts and the like are examples for explaining the operation, and are not limited to these. The steps shown in each diagram of the flowchart are specific examples, and the present invention is not limited to this flow. For example, the order of each step may be changed, other processes may be inserted between each step, or processes may be parallelized.

[0084] Some or all of the processing in the above-described embodiments may be performed by software or by using hardware circuits. For example, the control circuit unit is not limited to a microcomputer. At least part of the internal configuration of the control circuit unit may be processed by software.

[0085] The above-described embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10 Information reading device, 11 Imaging unit, 12 Display unit, 13 Operation unit, 14 Communication unit, 15 Memory and control unit, 151 Display image generation unit, 152 Decoding condition determination unit, 153 Decoding processing unit, 154 Decoded data processing unit, 155 Communication data generation unit, 100 Displayed image, 101 QR code, 102 Detection mark, 20 Equipment, 30 Node device, 40 Network, 50 Monitoring device, 51 Communication unit, 52 Input unit, 53 Output unit, 54 Control unit, 55 Storage unit, 541 Data acquisition unit, 542 Table update unit, 551 Table

Claims

1. an imaging unit that captures an image including an information code; a display unit that displays a display image generated by combining the captured image including the information code with a detection mark displayed at a position corresponding to a fixed position within a field of view of the captured image; and a control unit that decodes an information code included in the display image, the control unit decodes the information code when a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the information code has been detected within a fixed detection area defined by the detection mark. Information reading device.

2. 2. The information reading device according to claim 1, The control unit a display image generating unit that generates the display image to be displayed on the display unit by combining the detection mark and the captured image; a decoding condition determination unit that determines whether a decoding condition is satisfied when a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the information code overlapping the detection mark is detected in the display image; a decoding processing unit that decodes the information code when it is determined in the decoding condition determination unit that the decoding condition is satisfied. Information reading device.

3. 3. The information reading device according to claim 2, the display image generation unit further displays an indicator within the display image, and changes the indicator displayed on the display image according to the elapsed time during which the information code overlapping the detection mark is detected. Information reading device.

4. 4. The information reading device according to claim 3, the indicator is a progress indicator that indicates the remaining time until the information code is decoded. Information reading device.

5. An information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; The monitored equipment; a node device provided corresponding to the monitoring target facility; a monitoring system including the information reading device and a monitoring device capable of communicating with the node device, The information reading device reading an information code associated with the monitoring target equipment, decrypting an identifier that identifies the monitoring target equipment, and reading at least one of an information code of a worker at the monitoring target equipment and an information code of a production model at the monitoring target equipment, decrypting at least one of the information of the worker at the monitoring target equipment and the information of the production model at the monitoring target equipment, generating first link data that is information linking the decrypted identifier of the monitoring target equipment with at least one of the information codes of the worker at the monitoring target equipment and the production model at the monitoring target equipment, and transmitting the first link data to the monitoring device; The node device acquiring an operating status of the monitoring target equipment, generating second link data that is data linking the acquired operating status of the monitoring target equipment with an identifier that identifies the monitoring target equipment, and transmitting the second link data to the monitoring device; The monitoring device includes: updating a table that records data for monitoring the monitoring target equipment using an identifier of the monitoring target equipment in the first link data transmitted from the information reading device and the second link data transmitted from the node device as a key; Machine monitoring system.

6. An information reading method executed by the information reading device according to claim 1, comprising: an imaging step of capturing an image including an information code; a display step of displaying a display image generated by combining the captured image including the information code with a detection mark displayed at a position corresponding to a fixed position within an angle of view of the captured image; a decoding step of decoding an information code included in the display image, the decoding step includes decoding the information code when a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the information code has been detected within a fixed detection area defined by the detection mark. How to read information.

7. 7. The information reading method according to claim 6, The decoding step includes: a first sub-step of determining whether or not the image including the information code captured in the imaging step and the detection mark are in an overlapping state; a second substep of displaying an indication of an active state when the overlapping state is determined in the first substep; a third substep of determining whether the overlapping state is maintained for a predetermined time; a fourth substep of decoding the information code when it is determined in the third substep that the overlapping state has been maintained for a predetermined time. How to read information.

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