Reading device and program

Abstract

To provide a reading device capable of efficiently reading information to be read regardless of whether an imaging unit is attached to a holding body or detached from the holding body.SOLUTION: A reading device of the embodiment comprises: a setting change unit capable of changing setting conditions related to capturing an image by an imaging unit according to output by a detection unit for detecting whether the imaging unit is attached to or detached from a cart; and a reading control unit for controlling to read information contained in the image captured by the imaging unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The embodiment of the present invention relates to a reading device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a reading device in which an imaging unit for capturing an image of, for example, a barcode can be used either in a state where it is fixed to a stand as a holder, or in a state where it is detached from the stand and held by hand (Patent Document 1).

[0003] When the imaging unit of such a reading device is fixed to the stand and used, the target to be read is brought close to the imaging unit, an image of the target is captured, and the information is read. This method of use has the advantage that, for example, the user does not need to hold the imaging unit, and can use both hands to capture images of the target to be read one after another and read the information. On the other hand, when the imaging unit is used in a state where it is removed from the stand, the imaging unit is held in the hand and pointed toward the target to capture an image and read the information. This method of use has the advantage that, for example, when reading information on a heavy target to be read, the user can read the information without holding the heavy target to be read.

[0004] The above-mentioned reading device is advantageous in that the user can select how to use it depending on the situation in which it is used, but no consideration is given to efficient reading in each of the different usage conditions. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a reading device and a program capable of performing reading efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The reading device of the embodiment includes an imaging unit that captures an image of a reading target that exists within a predetermined range centered on a reading position, a detection unit that detects whether the imaging unit is attached to a cart, a setting change unit that changes a reading distance, which is one of the setting conditions of the imaging unit, to a longer reading distance, which is one of the setting conditions of the imaging unit, based on a data table in which setting conditions related to imaging of the imaging unit are stored, when a detection result of the detection unit indicates that the imaging unit is not attached to the cart, compared to when the imaging unit is attached to the cart, and a reading control unit that controls reading of information included in the image captured by the imaging unit, and the cart includes a pair of handles formed on the left and right for moving the cart, a support unit provided on a frame located between the pair of handles, and a support unit provided in front of the handles. A first placement section for placing a basket and a second placement section for placing an item disposed below the first placement section The imaging unit is detachably attached to the support part, and when attached to the support part, images a side where a customer holding the handle is located, and the data table includes: A first setting condition for imaging the imaging unit in a state where the imaging unit is attached to the support part, and a second setting condition for imaging the imaging unit in a state where the imaging unit is not attached to the support part, the product being placed on the second placement part. Suitable for imaging Second Save the setting conditions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reading device according to an embodiment attached to a cart. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detachable configuration of the reading device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a POS system to which the reading device is applied. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the reading device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the reading device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing setting conditions of the imaging unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a chart showing data exchange in a POS system. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for changing settings of the reading device. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the reading device is mounted on a cart and in use. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the reading device in use after being removed from the cart. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A reading device according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The reading device according to the embodiment is applied to a POS (Point of Sales) system using a cart. The reading device captures an image of a barcode attached to a product and reads information for identifying the product. However, the form of the reading device is arbitrary and is not limited to these.

[0009] First, the cart 2 with the reading device 1 attached will be described. The cart 2 constitutes a holder that detachably holds the reading device 1, and is a pushcart used in stores such as supermarkets, capable of carrying and transporting products purchased by customers. As shown in FIG. 1, the cart 2 includes a handle 3, a basket placement section 4, casters 5, a battery holder 6, and a support member 7. In addition, the cart 2 detachably mounts a tablet terminal 8 via an attachment section (not shown).

[0010] The reading device 1 comprises a reading window 1A, an instruction unit 1B consisting of a button, and a grip (not shown). The reading window 1A is formed facing the side where a customer holding the handle 3 is positioned. An imaging unit (described later) captures an image of the object to be read (a barcode attached to a product in this embodiment) through the reading window 1A. The function of the instruction unit 1B will be described later. The grip is provided so that the customer can hold the reading device 1 when it is removed from the cart 2.

[0011] The handles 3 are formed on the left and right sides and are used by customers to move the cart 2 by gripping them. The basket placement section 4 is formed at a position forward of the handles 3 and is used to place a basket K for storing products purchased by the customer. The casters 5 are rotatably attached to the four legs of the cart 2. The battery holder 6 holds a battery 10 that supplies power to the reading device 1. The battery 10 and the reading device 1 are connected via an expandable power line L1. The support member 7 is integrally attached to the frame 2A located between the pair of handles 3, 3 and holds the reading device 1 in a detachable manner. When the reading device 1 is held by the support member 7, an imaging unit (described later) is attached to the cart 2, and when the reading device 1 is removed from the support member 7, the imaging unit is removed from the cart 2.

[0012] Next, a configuration for the cart 2 to detachably hold the reading device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The support member 7 attached to the frame 2A has a pair of recesses 7A, 7A located in the center in the left-right direction and at both ends in the front-rear direction. The support member 7 also has a protrusion 7B on its upper surface. The protrusion 7B is provided to detect whether the reading device 1 is held by the cart 2, as will be described in detail later.

[0013] Meanwhile, the reading device 1 is provided at its bottom with a pair of sliding bodies 1D, 1D that can slide in the front-rear direction. The sliding bodies 1D, 1D are detachably fitted into the recesses 7A, 7A of the support member 7. The sliding bodies 1D, 1D are normally biased in a direction approaching each other by a spring (not shown), and move in a direction away from each other by operating a button (not shown) provided on the grip. In the figure, 1F, 1F are inclined surfaces formed at the ends of the sliding bodies 1D, 1D that approach each other.

[0014] The reading device 1 has a recess 1E on its underside. The recess 1E receives the protrusion 7B when the reading device 1 is held on the support member 7 by fitting the slide bodies 1D, 1D into the recesses 7A, 7A. The reading device 1 has a detection unit 9 that detects the attachment / detachment state of the imaging unit to the cart 2. 9A is an operator of the detection unit 9, which is normally biased by a spring (not shown) to protrude into the recess 1E, and moves upward when pressed by the protrusion 7B to turn on the switch of the detection unit 9. When the reading device 1 is held on the support member 7 as shown in FIG. 2, the operator 9A turns on the switch of the detection unit 9. As a result, the detection unit 9 detects that the reading device 1 is held on the support member 7 and the imaging unit is attached to the cart 2.

[0015] When the user operates the button (not shown) from this state, the slide bodies 1D, 1D move in a direction away from each other and are removed from the recesses 7A, 7A. In this state, the user can remove the reading device 1 from the support member 7 by moving the reading device 1 upward. When the reading device 1 and the cart 2 are released from being held, that is, when the imaging unit is not attached to the cart, the operating element 9A is released from the pressure from the convex portion 7B and moves downward, turning off the switch of the detection unit 9. The detection unit 9 detects the attachment / detachment state of the reading device 1 having the imaging unit to the cart 2 as described above. The detection unit 9 is not limited to the above configuration, and can widely adopt a configuration known as this type of detection unit, such as one that optically detects the attachment / detachment state of the reading device 1 to the cart 2. In order to hold the reading device 1 on the support member 7, the user only needs to move the reading device 1 from above toward the support member 7. In this way, the inclined surfaces 1F of the slider 1D come into contact with the corners of the support member 7 and are pushed apart, after which the slider 1D fits into the recesses 7A, resulting in the state shown in FIG.

[0016] Next, the entire POS system using the cart 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The reading device 1 and the battery 10 held in the battery holder 6 are connected by a power line L1. The reading device 1 and the tablet terminal 8 are connected by a connection line L2, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus). The reading device 1 and the tablet terminal 8 can communicate with each other and send and receive information via the connection line L2. The tablet terminal 8 and the accounting device 15 are connected by a communication line M, such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or short-distance wireless communication. The accounting device 15 and the tablet terminal 8 can communicate with each other via the communication line M and send and receive information.

[0017] The reading device 1 captures an image of a barcode or the like attached to a product and reads a symbol (information for identifying the product) from the image. In the following, capturing an image of a barcode and reading a symbol is referred to as the reading device 1 reading a symbol. The reading device 1 transmits the read symbol to the tablet terminal 8.

[0018] The tablet terminal 8 has a table that stores symbols in association with product codes that identify the products to which the symbols are attached, and a product master that stores product information of the products (product name, product price, etc.) in association with the product codes. The tablet terminal 8 receives the symbol read by the reading device 1 and executes a sales registration process. The sales registration process refers to a process of storing product information of the product in memory by referring to the above table and product master based on the received symbol. The tablet terminal 8 also transmits the product information stored by the sales registration process to the accounting device 15.

[0019] The accounting device 15 executes accounting processing based on the received product information. Accounting processing includes displaying the total amount and tax amount related to the transaction based on the product information, calculating and displaying change based on the deposit received from the customer, and issuing a receipt on which the product information and payment information (total amount, deposit amount, change amount, etc.) are printed.

[0020] Next, the hardware of the reading device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The reading device 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 33, a memory section 34, and the like. The CPU 31 is the main controller. The ROM 32 stores various programs. The RAM 33 expands programs and various data. The memory section 34 stores various programs. The CPU 31, the ROM 32, the RAM 33, and the memory section 34 are connected to one another via a bus 35. The CPU 31, the ROM 32, the RAM 33, and the memory section 34 constitute a control section 300. That is, the control section 300 executes control processing of the reading device 1 by the CPU 31 operating in accordance with the control programs stored in the ROM 32 and the memory section 34 and expanded in the RAM 33.

[0021] The RAM 33 includes a barcode section 331. The barcode section 331 stores a symbol read from an image of a barcode captured by an imaging section, which will be described later.

[0022] The memory unit 34 is composed of a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disc drive (HDD), a flash memory, etc., and maintains the stored contents even when the power is cut off. The memory unit 34 includes a control program unit 341. The control program unit 341 stores a control program for controlling the reading device 1.

[0023] The control unit 300 is connected to the instruction unit 1B, the detection unit 9, the display unit 41, and the imaging unit 42 via the bus 35 and the controller 36. The instruction unit 1B allows a user to instruct a change in the setting conditions related to the imaging of the imaging unit 42. The display unit 41 displays various information to the user (customer) of the reading device 1. The imaging unit 42 captures an image of the barcode attached to the product through the reading window 1A. The setting conditions related to the imaging of the imaging unit 42, such as the focal length, the brightness of the lighting, the shutter speed, and the camera gain (the strength of the ability of the image sensor to sense light), can be changed.

[0024] The control unit 300 is also connected to a power supply unit 43 via a bus 35. The power supply unit 43 is connected to the battery 10 via a power line L1. The control unit 300 is also connected to a communication I / F 44 via the bus 35. The communication I / F 44 can transmit and receive information to and from the tablet terminal 8 via a connection line L2.

[0025] Next, the functional configuration of the reading device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The reading device 1 reads information included in an image captured by the imaging unit 42 and transmits this information to the tablet terminal 8 by following a control program stored in the control program unit 341 and deployed in the RAM 33.

[0026] The reading control unit 301 controls reading of a barcode symbol, which is information included in an image captured by the imaging unit 42, and stores the read symbol in the barcode unit 331. The data transmission unit 302 transmits the symbol stored in the barcode unit 331 to the tablet terminal 8.

[0027] The detection signal receiving unit 303 receives a signal from the detection unit 9. The detection unit 9 outputs a signal to the detection signal receiving unit 303 when the operator 9A is not pressed against the convex portion 7B of the support member 7 (when the reading device 1 is not held and attached to the support member 7). The instruction unit 1B outputs a signal to the instruction signal receiving unit 304 when the button is pressed by the user. The instruction signal receiving unit 304 receives a signal from the instruction unit 1B, and maintains the receiving state until a reset signal is input. This reset signal is output from the detection signal receiving unit 303 when the detection signal receiving unit 303 is not receiving a signal from the detection unit 9, that is, when the reading device 1 is attached to the support member 7.

[0028] The setting change unit 305 can change the setting conditions related to the imaging of the imaging unit 42 according to the output of the detection unit 9. In detail, when the detection signal reception unit 303 receives a signal from the detection unit 9, the setting change unit 305 determines that the reading device 1 is not held by the support member 7 and that the imaging unit 42 is not attached to the cart 2, and can change the setting conditions related to the imaging of the imaging unit 42 described above. Here, making the setting conditions changeable includes a case where the setting conditions are changed only on the condition that the detection signal reception unit 303 receives a signal from the detection unit 9, and a case where the setting conditions are changed when other conditions are satisfied in addition to the detection signal reception unit 303 receiving a signal from the detection unit 9. In the embodiment, the latter example is adopted. That is, the setting change unit 305 changes the setting conditions related to the imaging of the imaging unit 42 on the condition that the instruction signal reception unit 304 receives a signal from the instruction unit 1B in a state where the detection signal reception unit 303 receives a signal from the detection unit 9.

[0029] Specific setting conditions are as shown in FIG. 6. In a state where the detection signal receiving unit 303 does not receive a signal from the detection unit 9, that is, in a state where it is recognized that the reading device 1 is held on the cart 2, the imaging unit 42 performs imaging under the first setting condition. In the first setting condition, the following conditions are set with respect to the second setting condition: 1. the luminance value of the illumination of the imaging unit 42 is low, 2. the shutter speed of the imaging unit 42 is high, 3. the camera gain (sensitivity) of the imaging unit 42 is low, and 4. the focal length of the imaging unit 42 is close. In the first setting condition, the reading distance is set to about 10 centimeters, and the imaging unit 42 can image a reading object that exists in a certain range centered on a position 10 centimeters from the reading window 1A. The reading distance is the distance from the reading window 1A at which the imaging unit 42 can image the reading object. In the embodiment, the setting items 1 to 4 above are each set to a value suitable for a case where the reading object exists in a place about 10 centimeters from the reading window 1A.

[0030] Then, when the detection signal receiving unit 303 and the instruction signal receiving unit 304 receive signals, the setting change unit 305 changes the setting condition of the imaging unit 42 to the second setting condition. The second setting condition is set such that, compared to the first setting condition, 1. the luminance value of the illumination of the imaging unit 42 is increased, 2. the shutter speed of the imaging unit 42 is decreased, 3. the camera gain (sensitivity) of the imaging unit 42 is increased, and 4. the focal length of the imaging unit 42 is increased. In this embodiment, as a more preferable example, the second setting condition is different from the first setting condition in all setting items. However, the second setting condition may be different from the first setting condition, for example, only in the luminance value of the illumination. In the second setting condition, the reading distance is set to about 30 centimeters, and the imaging unit 42 can capture an image of a reading object that exists in a certain range centered on a position 30 centimeters from the reading window 1A. In this embodiment, the above setting items 1 to 4 are set to values ​​suitable for the case where the object to be read is located approximately 30 centimeters away from the reading window 1A.

[0031] Next, the processing of the POS system when a customer makes a purchase will be described with reference to Fig. 7. First, when the imaging unit 42 captures an image of a barcode attached to a product that the customer is about to purchase, the reading device 1 reads a symbol from the captured image. The reading device 1 then transmits the read symbol to the tablet terminal 8. The reading device 1 transmits the symbol to the tablet terminal 8 every time the customer captures an image of a barcode attached to a product.

[0032] The tablet terminal 8 performs the sales registration process described above based on the received symbol. When the customer operates the tablet terminal 8 to instruct it to perform a transaction, the tablet terminal 8 transmits product information of the product for which the sales registration process has been performed to the accounting device 15. The accounting device 15 performs the transaction based on the product information received from the tablet terminal 8.

[0033] Next, the control of the control unit 300 of the reading device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The reading control unit 301 judges whether or not a symbol has been read based on the image captured by the imaging unit 42 (S11). If a symbol has been read, the read symbol is stored in the barcode unit 331 (S12), and this is transmitted to the tablet terminal 8 by the data transmission unit 302 (S13).

[0034] On the other hand, if it is determined in S11 that no symbol has been read, the setting change unit 305 determines whether the detection signal receiving unit 303 has received a detection signal from the detection unit 9 (S14). If it is determined that the detection signal receiving unit 303 has not received a detection signal, the setting change unit 305 determines whether the setting condition of the imaging unit 42 is set to the first setting condition shown in Fig. 6 (S15). If it is the first setting condition, the process returns to S11. If it is not the first setting condition in S15, the setting change unit 305 sets the setting condition of the imaging unit 42 to the first setting condition in S16 and returns to S11.

[0035] If the detection signal receiving unit 303 receives a detection signal in S14, the setting change unit 305 determines whether a signal is input from the instruction unit 1B to the instruction signal receiving unit 304 (S17), and if no signal is input, the process returns to S11. If it is determined in S17 that a signal is input from the instruction unit 1B to the instruction signal receiving unit 304, the setting change unit 305 sets the setting condition of the imaging unit 42 to the second setting condition (S18), and returns to S11.

[0036] By the processing by the setting change unit 305, when the reading device 1 is held in the cart 2, the setting condition of the imaging unit 42 is set to the first setting condition. When the reading device 1 is not held in the cart 2 and the indicator 1B is operated, the setting condition of the imaging unit 42 is set to the second setting condition. In this way, the setting change unit 305 can change the imaging condition of the imaging unit 42 according to the input to the detection signal receiving unit 303, in other words, the output of the detection unit 9.

[0037] Next, a method of using the reading device 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 shows a usage state in which the reading device 1 is held in a cart 2. A customer picks up a product to be purchased from a display shelf on which the products are placed, and brings the barcode attached to the product close to the reading window 1A. The imaging unit 42 captures an image of the barcode. The reading control unit 301 controls reading a symbol, which is information for identifying the product, from the captured image. In this usage state, the customer can hold the product in his / her hand and move it to a desired position, so that the barcode is often positioned close to the reading window 1A (for example, about 10 centimeters from the reading window 1A) as an action for reading the symbol of a normal barcode.

[0038] Since the reading device 1 is held on the cart 2, the signal from the detection unit 9 is not input to the detection signal receiving unit 303. Therefore, the setting change unit 305 sets the imaging condition of the imaging unit 402 to the first setting condition based on the process shown in Fig. 7. The first setting condition is a setting condition for the imaging unit 42 to image an object to be read that exists in a certain range centered on a position about 10 centimeters from the reading window 1A (hereinafter referred to as the first reading position).

[0039] When the barcode attached to the product is located at the first reading position, the imaging unit 42 captures an image of the barcode and notifies the customer of the completion of the image capture using sound, light, or the like. As described above, when the reading device 1 is held in the cart 2, the customer often positions the product at the first reading position to read the barcode. On the other hand, the setting conditions for the image capture of the imaging unit 42 are set to capture an image of a certain range centered on the first reading position. Therefore, the customer can capture an image by the imaging unit 42 by performing normal operations without being particularly conscious of it. Therefore, the reading efficiency of the reading device 1 is good. If the customer does not position the barcode at the first reading position in normal operations, the customer can position the barcode at the first reading position to read the symbol.

[0040] Next, a case where the reading device 1 is used after being removed from the cart 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. For example, when a customer purchases a heavy product, if the customer attempts to read the symbol with the reading device 1 held in the cart 2, the customer must carry the heavy product while reading, which is laborious. In such a case, the symbol can be easily read by removing the reading device 1 from the cart.

[0041] FIG. 10 shows an example of purchasing a product in a box containing multiple PET bottle drinks, as an example of use of the reading device 1 removed from the cart 2. In this case, the customer first places the product on the lower level of the cart 2, without using the reading device 1 held in the cart 2, since the product is heavy. The customer then removes the reading device 1 from the cart 2, operates the instruction unit 1B, and then aims the reading window 1A at the barcode BC attached to the box to read the symbol. In this method of use, the customer is far away from the product, so the customer often positions the reading window 1A at a location away from the barcode (for example, about 30 centimeters from the reading window 1A).

[0042] Since the reading device 1 is not held in the cart 2, the detection signal receiving unit 303 receives a signal from the detection unit 9. Furthermore, when the customer operates the instruction unit 1B, the instruction signal receiving unit 304 receives a signal. Therefore, the setting change unit 305 sets the imaging condition of the imaging unit 402 to the second setting condition based on the process shown in FIG. 8. The second setting condition is a setting condition for the imaging unit 42 to image an object to be read that exists in a certain range centered on a position about 30 centimeters from the reading window 1A (hereinafter referred to as the second reading position).

[0043] When the barcode attached to the product is located at the second reading position, the imaging unit 42 captures an image of the barcode and notifies the customer of the completion of the image capture using sound, light, or the like. As described above, when the reading device 1 is not held in the cart 2, the customer often positions the product at the second reading position to read the symbol. On the other hand, the setting conditions for the image capture of the imaging unit 42 are set to capture an image of a certain range centered on the second reading position. Therefore, the customer can capture the image by the imaging unit 42 by performing normal operations without being particularly conscious of it. Therefore, the symbol reading efficiency is good, similar to when the reading device 1 is held in the cart and used. If the customer does not position the barcode at the second reading position in normal operations, the customer can position the barcode at the second reading position to read the symbol.

[0044] As described above, the reading device 1 of the embodiment can change the setting conditions of the imaging unit 42 according to the output of the detection unit 9 that detects the attachment / detachment state of the reading device 1 equipped with the imaging unit 42 to the cart 2. Therefore, in both the state where the reading device 1 is attached to the cart 2 and the state where it is removed from the cart 2, the setting conditions of the imaging unit 42 can be set to match the normal actions of the customer. Therefore, in both of the above states, the barcode can be efficiently imaged, resulting in good symbol reading efficiency. In particular, since the setting conditions are changed so that the reading distance becomes longer when the reading device 1 is removed from the cart 2, it is suitable for a POS system using the cart 2 used as described above.

[0045] Further, the setting change unit 305 does not change the setting conditions of the imaging unit 42 only when there is an input from the detection unit 9 to the detection signal receiving unit 303, but changes the setting conditions only when there is also an input from the instruction unit 1B to the instruction signal receiving unit 304. Therefore, even if the reading device 1 is supported by the cart 2 in an incomplete state in which the detection unit 9 cannot detect the attachment of the reading device 1 to the cart, the setting conditions can be set to appropriate setting conditions. Specifically, in the above-mentioned incomplete holding state, the customer uses the reading device 1 with the understanding that the reading device 1 is being held by the cart 2. In this state, the customer operates to position the barcode at the first reading position with a short reading distance. On the other hand, the setting change unit 305 sets the setting conditions of the imaging unit 42 to the first setting conditions so as to match the customer's operation, despite the input to the detection signal receiving unit 303. Therefore, even if the reading device 1 is held in the cart 2 in an incomplete state, it is possible to efficiently read.

[0046] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0047] For example, in the embodiment, the reading device 1 is applied to a POS system using a cart 2, but it can also be applied to a POS system in which a POS terminal is installed. Also, the reading device 1 may not be an apparatus that captures an image of a barcode, but an apparatus that captures an image of the product itself and reads the symbol. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to POS systems, and can be applied to various reading devices, such as an apparatus in which an imaging unit captures an image of an object to be read and reads the information, and which can be used in either a state where it is attached to a holder or a state where it is detached from the holder.

[0048] Furthermore, when the setting change unit 305 determines that the reading device 1 is not attached to the cart 2, it can change the setting conditions of the imaging unit 42 so that the reading distance becomes longer. However, this is a setting suitable for application to a POS system using the cart 2 of the embodiment, and settings can be made according to the use of the system to which the reading device 1 is applied. For example, contrary to the embodiment, it is also possible to change the setting conditions of the imaging unit 42 so that the reading distance becomes shorter when it is determined that the reading device 1 is not attached to the cart 2.

[0049] In addition, in the embodiment, the entire reading device 1 is detachable from the cart 2, but only the imaging unit 42 may be detachable. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the reading device 1 is described as being equipped with a program for operating the reading device 1 as described above, but the program executed by the reading device 1 may be provided via a network such as the Internet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Reading device 2 Cart (support) 9. Detection Unit 42 Imaging unit 301 Reading control unit 305 Setting change section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0051] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-162100 A

Claims

1. an imaging unit that captures an image of a reading target that exists within a predetermined range centered on a reading position; A detection unit that detects an attachment / detachment state of the imaging unit to / from the cart; a setting change unit that, when a detection result of the detection unit indicates that the imaging unit is not attached to the cart, changes a reading distance, which is one of the setting conditions of the imaging unit, to a longer reading distance compared to when the imaging unit is attached to the cart, based on a data table in which setting conditions related to imaging of the imaging unit are stored; a read control unit that controls reading of information included in the image captured by the imaging unit; Equipped with The cart has a pair of handles formed on the left and right sides for moving the cart, a support portion provided on a frame located between the pair of handles, a first placement portion for placing a basket provided in front of the handles, and a second placement portion for placing a commodity disposed below the first placement portion, the imaging unit is detachably attached to the support part, and in a state where the imaging unit is attached to the support part, images a side where a customer holding the handle is positioned; the data table stores a first setting condition related to imaging of the imaging unit in a state where the imaging unit is attached to the support part, and a second setting condition related to imaging of the imaging unit in a state where the imaging unit is not attached to the support part and suitable for imaging of the commodity placed on the second placement part, Reading device.

2. A reception unit that receives an instruction to change the setting conditions of the imaging unit, The reading device according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting change unit changes the setting condition of the imaging unit from the first setting condition to the second setting condition when the reception unit receives a change instruction in a state in which it is determined that the imaging unit is not attached to the cart based on the output of the detection unit.

3. A reading device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the second setting condition of the data table is stored as at least one of the following, relative to the first setting condition: increasing the brightness value of the lighting of the imaging unit, decreasing the shutter speed of the imaging unit, increasing the camera gain of the imaging unit, and increasing the focal length of the imaging unit.

4. A computer controls a reading device that reads information of an image captured by an imaging unit that captures an image of a reading target that exists within a predetermined range centered on a reading position, a setting change unit that, when a detection result from a detection unit that detects whether the imaging unit is attached to the cart indicates that the imaging unit is not attached to the cart, changes a reading distance, which is one of the setting conditions of the imaging unit, to a longer reading distance compared to when the imaging unit is attached to the cart, based on a data table in which setting conditions related to imaging by the imaging unit are stored; a read control unit that controls reading of information included in the image captured by the imaging unit; and make it work. The cart has a pair of handles formed on the left and right sides for moving the cart, a support portion provided on a frame located between the pair of handles, a first placement portion for placing a basket provided in front of the handles, and a second placement portion for placing a commodity disposed below the first placement portion, the imaging unit is detachably attached to the support part, and in a state where the imaging unit is attached to the support part, images a side where a customer holding the handle is positioned; the data table stores a first setting condition related to imaging of the imaging unit in a state where the imaging unit is attached to the support part, and a second setting condition related to imaging of the imaging unit in a state where the imaging unit is not attached to the support part and suitable for imaging of the commodity placed on the second placement part, program.

Images