Setting device, optical information reading system, and optical information reading method for an optical information reading device

Abstract

To enable reading data of a plurality of optical information reading apparatuses to be compared with each other on a space axis.SOLUTION: A setting apparatus comprises: a communication unit which communicates with each optical information reading apparatus; a display unit which displays a list of reading data of any one of the plurality of optical information reading apparatuses acquired via the communication unit; an input unit which receives selection input of any one reading data from the list of reading data displayed on the display unit; and a control unit which acquires a code image having the reading data selected by the input unit from the other optical information reading apparatus connected to the network, and comparison-displays on the display unit the plurality of code images acquired by the different optical information reading apparatuses.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a setting device for an optical information reading device that reads a code given to a workpiece, an optical information reading system, and a method for setting an optical information reading device.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, an optical information reading device is configured to photograph a code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code given to a workpiece by a camera, cut out the code included in the obtained image by image processing, binarize it, and perform a decoding process to read information.

[0003] This type of optical information reading device has been introduced, for example, in various article manufacturing factories and logistics sites, and is used for article traceability and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, as described above, in the manufacturing site, for the traceability of articles, codes are given to and managed for each article. From the perspective of traceability, changes in the reading results between different processes such as the previous process and the subsequent process, that is, changes in the spatial axis, are important.

[0006] However, in the conventional usage form of an optical information reading device, only the reading data output from one optical information reading device is arranged so as to be comparable in the time axis direction to confirm the change in the time axis direction, and the change in the spatial axis of the reading data cannot be confirmed.

[0007] The present disclosure is made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to enable comparison of code images of a plurality of optical information reading devices on a spatial axis.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect of the present disclosure, it can be premised on a setting device for an optical information reading device that is connected to a plurality of optical information reading devices via a network and sets each optical information reading device. The setting device includes a communication unit for communicating with each optical information reading device, a display unit that displays a list of reading data of any one of the plurality of optical information reading devices acquired via the communication unit, an input unit that receives a selection input of any one piece of reading data from the list of reading data displayed on the display unit, and a control unit that acquires a code image having the reading data selected by the input unit from another optical information reading device connected on the network and comparatively displays a plurality of code images respectively acquired by different plurality of optical information reading devices on the display unit.

[0009] That is, as an example, by connecting a first optical information reading device and a second optical information reading device to the setting device, when the first optical information reading device captures a code of an article in a previous process and acquires reading data, a list of the reading data can be displayed on the display unit. When any one piece of reading data is selected from the list of reading data displayed on the display unit, a code image having the selected reading data can be acquired from the second optical information reading device that captures the code of the article in a subsequent process. By comparatively displaying the code image acquired by the first optical information reading device and the code image acquired by the second optical information reading device on the display unit, the user can compare the reading data of a plurality of optical information reading devices on a spatial axis, which is particularly effective for traceability. The comparative display may be a form in which a plurality of code images respectively acquired by different plurality of optical information reading devices are arranged and displayed, or may be a form in which a plurality of code images respectively acquired by different plurality of optical information reading devices are switched and displayed one by one.

[0010] In other forms, an optical information reading system can be constructed that includes a plurality of optical information reading devices installed in each process on the same line, and a setting device that is connected to the plurality of optical information reading devices via a network and sets each optical information reading device. In this case, each optical information reading device has a web server, and a list of the read data can be displayed via a web browser.

[0011] In other forms, the communication unit may further obtain a matching level or decoding time indicating the margin of decoding of each optical information reading device. In this case, the matching level or decoding time of the first optical information reading device corresponding to the read data selected by the input unit and the matching level or decoding time of another optical information reading device corresponding to the read data selected by the input unit can be compared and displayed on the display unit. Also, as comparison display items, for example, the decoding time with respect to the minimum time and the maximum time of the decoding time, the appearance of the optical information reading device such as the type of the optical information reading device that can be understood, the time at the time of decoding execution, etc. can be cited, and all of these comparison display items can be obtained via the communication unit.

[0012] In other forms, it is also possible to search for optical information reading devices existing on the same network, obtain the IP addresses of the searched optical information reading devices, and register them. In this case, if an optical information reading device to be the target of comparison display is selected from among the optical information reading devices corresponding to the registered IP addresses, the information of the selected optical information reading device can be displayed on the display unit.

[0013] In other forms, it is also possible to further obtain the success or failure information of decoding of each optical information reading device, and extract and display only the decoding information that has succeeded or failed in decoding by any one of the optical information reading devices on the display unit.

[0014] In other forms, it is possible to switch between a link display mode in which information from a plurality of optical information reading devices is linked and displayed using common reading data, and a single display mode in which only the information of one optical information reading device is displayed. In the single display mode, the code image can be displayed larger than in the link display mode.

[0015] In other forms, in the single display mode, it is also possible to display trend information regarding the decoding of a single optical information reading device. The trend information may include, for example, the number of readings, reading time, bank usage rate, etc. The display form can also be changed according to the type of trend information.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] As described above, when a list of reading data of one optical information reading device is displayed and any one piece of reading data is selected from the list of reading data, the code image having the selected reading data is acquired from another optical information reading device connected on the network, and a plurality of code images can be displayed and compared on the display unit. Therefore, the user can compare the reading data of a plurality of optical information reading devices on the spatial axis.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0019] FIG. 1 schematically shows the operation of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D according to the embodiments of the present invention, and the operation of the optical information reading system S including the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and the setting device 100. The number of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D constituting the optical information reading system S is not particularly limited, and any plurality of devices may be used. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four optical information reading devices, namely, the first optical information reading device 1A, the second optical information reading device 1B, the third optical information reading device 1C, and the fourth optical information reading device 1D, are provided.

[0020] Also, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece W1 is being conveyed in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 1 while being placed on the upper surface of the conveyor belt B for conveyance. The workpiece W1 is an article such as a package, a product, various parts, an electric product, an electronic device, etc. In the most upstream with respect to the feeding direction of the belt conveyor B, the first process is performed on the workpiece W1, in the middle part, the second and third processes are performed on the workpiece W1, and in the most downstream, the fourth process is performed on the workpiece W1. In each process, for example, printing, pasting, attachment work of parts, etc., various processing, painting, adjustment, etc. are performed.

[0021] At a position separated upward from the workpiece W1 placed on the belt conveyor B in the first process, the first optical information reading device 1A is installed. The first optical information reading device 1A is a code reader configured to be able to photograph the code given to the workpiece W1, decode the code included in the code image obtained by the photographing, and read various information (string data). Also, at a position separated upward from the workpiece W1 placed on the belt conveyor B in the second process, the second optical information reading device 1B is installed, and at a position separated upward from the workpiece W1 placed on the belt conveyor B in the third process, the third optical information reading device 1C is installed, and further, at a position separated upward from the workpiece W1 placed on the belt conveyor B in the fourth process, the fourth optical information reading device 1D is installed. That is, the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D are installed in each process on the same line.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are stationary. When operating the stationary first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, they are fixed to brackets or the like (not shown) so as not to move and are used. Incidentally, the stationary first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D may be used while being gripped by a robot (not shown). Also, the codes of the workpieces W1 in a stationary state may be read by the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. The operation time of the stationary first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D is when performing an operation of sequentially reading the codes of the workpieces W1 conveyed by the conveyor belt B for conveyance.

[0023] The first to fourth steps may be performed on the same conveyor belt B, or some of the steps may be performed on another conveyor belt (not shown), or all of the steps may be performed on different conveyor belts. The workpiece W1 may be conveyed by a conveying device (not shown) other than the conveyor belt B. The first to fourth steps may be performed within the same factory or within different factories. The number of steps is not limited to four.

[0024] Also, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, codes are attached to the outer surfaces of the workpieces W1. The codes include both barcodes and two-dimensional codes. Examples of two-dimensional codes include QR Code (registered trademark), Micro QR Code, Data Matrix (Data code), Veri Code, Aztec Code, PDF417, Maxi Code, etc. Two-dimensional codes are of the stacked type and the matrix type, but the present invention can be applied to any two-dimensional code. The code may be attached by directly printing or engraving on the workpiece W, or may be attached by printing on a label and then pasting it on the workpiece W, and the means and method are not limited.

[0025] The first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are wired-connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC) 130 via a signal line 130a. However, it is not limited to this. The first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D and the PLC 130 may incorporate a communication module and be wirelessly connected to each other. The PLC 130 is a control device for sequence control of the conveyor belt B and the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, and a general-purpose PLC can be used.

[0026] Also, during operation of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, a reading start trigger signal that defines the start timing of code reading is received from the PLC 130 via the signal line 130a. Then, the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D perform code photographing and decoding based on this reading start trigger signal. After that, the decoded result is transmitted to the PLC 130 via the signal line 130a. In this way, during operation of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the input of the reading start trigger signal and the output of the decoded result are repeatedly performed via the signal line 130a between the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D and an external control device such as the PLC 130. Note that the input of the reading start trigger signal and the output of the decoded result may be performed via the signal line 130a between the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D and the PLC 130 as described above, or may be performed via other signal lines not shown. For example, a sensor for detecting the arrival of the workpiece W1 may be directly connected to the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, and the reading start trigger signal may be input from the sensor to the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the optical information reading device 1 is provided with a box-shaped housing 2, a polarizing filter attachment 3, an illumination unit 4, a camera 5, a display unit 6, a power connector 7, and a signal line connector 8. Further, an indicator 9, an aiming light irradiation unit 10, and operation buttons 11 and 12 are provided on the housing 2, and the indicator 9, the aiming light irradiation unit 10, and the operation buttons 11 and 12 are also components of the optical information reading device 1.

[0028] The housing 2 has a shape that is long in a predetermined direction, but the shape of the housing 2 is not limited to the illustrated shape. A polarizing filter attachment 3 is detachably attached to the outer surface on the front side of the housing 2. Inside this housing 2, an illumination unit 4, a camera 5, an aiming light irradiation unit 10, a processor 20, a storage unit 30, a ROM 40, a RAM 41, etc. are accommodated. The processor 20, the storage unit 30, the ROM 40, and the RAM 41 are also components of the optical information reading device 1.

[0029] The illumination unit 4 is provided on the front side of the housing 2. The illumination unit 4 is a part for illuminating at least the code of the work W by irradiating light toward the front of the optical information reading device 1. As also shown in FIG. 3, the illumination unit 4 includes a first illumination unit 4a composed of a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs: Light Emission Diodes), a second illumination unit 4b composed of a plurality of light-emitting diodes, and an illumination driving unit 4c composed of an LED driver or the like for driving the first illumination unit 4a and the second illumination unit 4b. The first illumination unit 4a and the second illumination unit 4b are individually driven by the illumination driving unit 4c and can be lit and extinguished separately. The illumination driving unit 4c is connected to the processor 20, and the illumination driving unit 4c is controlled by the processor 20. Incidentally, one of the first illumination unit 4a and the second illumination unit 4b may be omitted.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, a camera 5 is provided at the central portion on the front side of the housing 2. The optical axis direction of the camera 5 substantially coincides with the light irradiation direction by the illumination unit 4. The camera 5 is a part that photographs a code and acquires a code image including the code. The code image acquired by the camera 5 is stored in the image data storage unit 30a of the storage unit 30. The camera 5 includes an image sensor 5a composed of a light receiving element such as a CCD (charge-coupled device) or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) that receives reflected light from the code applied to the workpiece W1 and illuminated by the illumination unit 4, an optical system 5b having a lens and the like, and an AF module (auto focus module) 5c. The optical system 5b is configured such that light reflected from the portion of the workpiece W1 to which the code is attached is incident, and the incident light is emitted toward the image sensor 5a and forms an image on the imaging surface of the image sensor 5a.

[0031] The image sensor 5a is an image sensor composed of a light receiving element such as a CCD (charge-coupled device) or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) that converts the image of the code obtained through the optical system 5b into an electrical signal. The image sensor 5a is connected to the processor 20, and the electrical signal converted by the image sensor 5a is input to the processor 20 as data of the code image. Further, the AF module 5c is a mechanism that performs focusing by changing the position and refractive index of the focusing lens among the lenses constituting the optical system 5b. The AF module 5c is also connected to the processor 20 and is controlled by the processor 20.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, a display unit 6 is provided on the side surface of the housing 2. The display unit 6 is composed of, for example, an organic EL display, a liquid crystal display, or the like. The display unit 6 is connected to the processor 20 and can display, for example, a code photographed by the camera 5, a character string that is a decoding result of the code, a reading success rate, a matching level, and the like. The reading success rate is the average reading success rate when a plurality of reading processes are executed. The matching level is a reading margin indicating the ease of reading of the code for which decoding has succeeded. This can be obtained from the number of error corrections generated during decoding and can be represented by, for example, a numerical value. The fewer the error corrections, the higher the matching level (reading margin), while the more the error corrections, the lower the matching level.

[0033] A power cable (not shown) for supplying power from the outside to the optical information reading device 1 is connected to the power connector 7. Further, signal lines 130a and the like for communicating with the setting device 100 and the PLC 130 are connected to the signal line connector 8. The signal line connector 8 can be composed of, for example, an Ethernet connector, a serial communication connector such as RS232C, a USB connector, or the like.

[0034] An indicator 9 is provided on the housing 2. The indicator 9 is connected to the processor 20 and can be composed of a light emitter such as a light-emitting diode. The operating state of the optical information reading device 1 can be notified to the outside by the lighting state of the indicator 9.

[0035] On the front side of the housing 2, a pair of aiming light irradiation units 10 are provided so as to sandwich the camera 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the aiming light irradiation unit 10 includes an aiming unit 10a composed of a light-emitting diode or the like, and an aiming drive unit 10b that drives the aiming unit 10a. The aiming unit 10a is for irradiating light (aiming light) forward of the optical information reading device 1 to indicate, for example, the shooting range, the center of the field of view of the camera 5, and the guideline of the optical axis of the illumination unit 4. Specifically, the aiming unit 10a irradiates visible light of a color different from the ambient light (for example, red, green, etc.) into the shooting field of view range of the camera 5, and forms a mark visible to the naked eye on the surface irradiated with the visible light. The mark may be various figures, symbols, characters, etc. The user can also install the optical information reading device 1 with reference to the light irradiated from the aiming unit 10a.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, on the side surface of the housing 2, operation buttons 11 and 12 used when setting the optical information reading device 1 or the like are provided. The operation buttons 11 and 12 include, for example, a select button, an enter button, and the like. In addition to the operation buttons 11 and 12, for example, touch panel type operation means may be provided. The operation buttons 11 and 12 are connected to the processor 20, and the processor 20 can detect the operation states of the operation buttons 11 and 12. By operating the operation buttons 11 and 12, one can be selected from a plurality of options displayed on the display unit 6, or the selected result can be confirmed.

[0037] (Configuration of the Processor) As shown in FIG. 3, the processor 20 can be configured to include, for example, a CPU core and a DSP core. A plurality of these cores may be provided. A high-speed RAM 41 is connected to the processor 20, and each core can access the RAM 41. In addition, a ROM 40 is connected to the processor 20, and each core can access the ROM 40.

[0038] The processor 20 is composed of an imaging control unit 21, a preprocessing unit 22, an extraction unit 23, a decoding unit 24, and a tuning execution unit 25. The imaging control unit 21, the preprocessing unit 22, the extraction unit 23, the decoding unit 24, and the tuning execution unit 25 are parts constituted by the arithmetic processing of the processor 20, and may be constituted by, for example, only hardware, or may be constituted by a combination of hardware and software.

[0039] (Configuration of Imaging Control Unit) The imaging control unit 21 is a unit that controls the AF module 5c shown in FIG. 3, and is configured to be able to perform focusing of the optical system 5b by conventional contrast AF or phase difference AF. Further, the imaging control unit 21 is also a unit that adjusts the gain of the camera 5, controls the light amount of the illumination unit 4, and controls the exposure time (shutter speed) of the image sensor 5a. Here, the gain of the camera 5 is the amplification factor (also called magnification) when amplifying the brightness of the image output from the image sensor 5a by digital image processing. Regarding the light amount of the illumination unit 4, the first illumination unit 4a and the second illumination unit 4b can be controlled and changed separately. The gain, the light amount of the illumination unit 4, and the exposure time are shooting conditions of the camera 5.

[0040] (Configuration of Preprocessing Unit) The preprocessing unit 22 is a part that executes an image processing filter on the coded image. The preprocessing unit 22 executes a noise removal filter for removing noise included in the image generated by the camera 5, a contrast correction filter for correcting contrast, an averaging filter, and the like. The image processing filters executed by the preprocessing unit 22 are not limited to the noise removal filter, the contrast correction filter, and the averaging filter, and may include other image processing filters.

[0041] (Configuration of Extraction Unit) The extraction unit 23 is a part that extracts a code candidate region where a code is likely to exist from the code images acquired by the camera 5. The code candidate region can be extracted based on a feature amount indicating code-likeness, and in this case, the feature amount indicating code-likeness becomes information for specifying the code. For example, the extraction unit 23 can acquire a code image and search for a code in the acquired code image based on a feature amount indicating code-likeness. Specifically, it searches whether there is a part in the acquired code image that has a feature amount indicating code-likeness equal to or more than a predetermined value. As a result, if it can search for a part having a feature amount indicating code-likeness, the region including that part is extracted as the code candidate region. The code candidate region may include regions other than the code, but at least includes a part where the possibility of being a code is equal to or more than a predetermined value. Note that since the code candidate region is merely a region where a code is likely to exist, there may be a case where the region does not actually contain a code as a result.

[0042] (Configuration of the decoding unit) The decoding unit 24 is a part that decodes black-and-white binarized data. For decoding, a table showing the correspondence relationship of the encoded data can be used. Further, the decoding unit 24 checks whether the decoded result is correct according to a predetermined check method. When an error is found in the data, the error correction function is used to calculate the correct data. The error correction function differs depending on the type of code. The decoding unit 24 is configured such that the read data such as the character string data obtained by decoding the code is stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b of the storage unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 as the decoding result.

[0043] The decoding result may include one or both of a matching level described later and a decoding time (reading time) required for decoding. In this case, at least one of the matching level and the decoding time is stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b.

[0044] In addition, the decoding result storage unit 30b can also store information on whether the decoding was successful or not. If the state of the code image is relatively good, the decoding will mostly succeed, so information indicating that the decoding was successful can be stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b as part of the decoding result. On the other hand, if the state of the code image is poor and the decoding fails, information indicating that the decoding failed can be stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b.

[0045] (Configuration of the Tuning Execution Unit) After the tuning execution unit 25 activates the AF module 5c to perform focusing, it changes the shooting conditions of the camera 5 and the decoding conditions of the decoding process, etc., repeats the shooting and decoding process of the code, and based on the matching level indicating the ease of reading the code (the margin of decoding) calculated under each shooting condition and decoding condition, executes a tuning process to determine the optimal shooting conditions and decoding conditions. Specifically, when setting the optical information reading device 1A, the tuning execution unit 25 is a part that changes shooting conditions such as the gain of the camera 5, the light amount of the illumination unit 4, and the exposure time, and image processing conditions in the preprocessing unit 22, and sets various conditions (tuning parameters) to be suitable for decoding. The image processing conditions in the preprocessing unit 22 include the coefficients of the image processing filter (the strength of the filter), the switching of the image processing filter when there are multiple image processing filters, the combination of different types of image processing filters, etc. Appropriate shooting conditions and image processing conditions vary depending on the influence of external light on the workpiece W1 during conveyance, the color and material of the surface to which the code is attached, etc. Therefore, the tuning execution unit 25 searches for more appropriate shooting conditions and image processing conditions, and sets the processing by the imaging control unit 21 and the preprocessing unit 22.

[0046] (Configuration of the Storage Unit) The storage unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 can be configured by a readable and writable storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. However, each of the storage units 30a, 30b, and 30c may be provided in the ROM 40 instead of the above storage device. That is, in this embodiment, a form in which the image data storage unit 30a, the decode result storage unit 30b, and the parameter set storage unit 30c are included in the ROM 40 is also applicable. The image data storage unit 30a is a part that stores the code image acquired by the camera 5. The decode result storage unit 30b is a part that stores the decode result of the code executed by the decode unit 24. The parameter set storage unit 30c is a part that stores various conditions set as a result of the tuning executed by the tuning execution unit 25 and various conditions set by the user.

[0047] As a result of the tuning executed by the tuning execution unit 25, the parameters that make up various conditions set and various conditions set by the user are set, and this is the above parameter set. This parameter set is also the reading condition applied when decoding the code image. The parameter set can also be called a bank, and in this embodiment, a plurality of parameter sets can be stored. The reading condition applied when decoding the code image and the read data are stored in association with each other.

[0048] In this optical information reading device 1A, among the plurality of parameter sets stored in the parameter set storage unit 30c, it is configured to be able to switch from one parameter set to another. The switching of the parameter set can be performed by the user or can be configured to be performed by a switching signal from an external control device such as the PLC 130. When the user performs the switching of the parameter set, the setting device 100 or the operation buttons 11 and 12 may be operated. The selected parameter set is used during the operation of the optical information reading device 1A, and the unselected parameter set is not used during the operation of the optical information reading device 1. That is, it is possible to switch from one parameter set to another.

[0049] The optical information reading device 1A also includes a Web server 15. The Web server 15 is a part for communicating with the setting device 100 and other optical information reading devices 1B, 1C, 1D, etc. Specifically, the Web server 15 is a part for communicating with client software (software operating on the setting device 100, etc.) using protocols such as HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS, and has a function of transmitting data to the setting device 100 and other optical information reading devices 1B, 1C, 1D, etc. in response to requests from a Web browser. The Web server 15 can be constructed in the first optical information reading device 1A by hardware or software, or a combination of both. The Web server 15 is connected to a network N such as the Internet and can communicate with the setting device 100 and other optical information reading devices 1B, 1C, 1D, etc. mutually. Note that the second to fourth optical information reading devices 1B to 1D are configured in the same way as the first optical information reading device 1A.

[0050] (Configuration of the setting device) The setting device 100 is a device for connecting to a plurality of optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D via a network and performing settings for each optical information reading device 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D. As shown in the block diagram in FIG. 4, the setting device 100 includes a display unit 101, a keyboard 102 and a mouse 103, a communication unit 104 for communicating with each optical information reading device 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, a processor 105, and a storage unit 106. By miniaturizing the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, it becomes difficult to perform all the settings of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D only with the display units 6 and buttons 11, 12, etc. of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D. Therefore, a setting device 100 is prepared separately from the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and various settings of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D can be performed by the setting device 100 and the setting information can be transferred to the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D.

[0051] The setting device 100 can use a general-purpose or dedicated electronic computer, a portable terminal, or the like. The communication unit 104 is a part connected to the same network N as the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. Through this communication unit 104, it can communicate with the Web servers 15 of the respective optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, enabling data transmission and reception. For example, the communication unit 104 accesses the Web server 15 of the first optical information reading device 1A to obtain the code image stored in the image data storage unit 30a of the first optical information reading device 1A, and the reading data, reading conditions, setting conditions, installation conditions, etc. stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b. Not limited to this, the communication unit 104 can communicate with the Web servers 15 of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D set in any one process, and can also communicate with the Web servers 15 of all the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D.

[0052] When at least one of the matching level and the decoding time is stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b, the communication unit 104 can obtain at least one of the matching level and the decoding time stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b. Since the decoding result is stored in association with the matching level or the decoding time, if the decoding result is specified, the matching level or the decoding time is also automatically specified, and both can be obtained. Also, when the decoding success / failure information is stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b, the communication unit 104 can obtain the decoding success / failure information stored in the decoding result storage unit 30b.

[0053] When the reading conditions are stored in the parameter set storage unit 30c, the communication unit 104 can also obtain the reading conditions stored in the parameter set storage unit 30c. Since the decoding result is stored in association with the reading conditions, if the decoding result is specified, the reading conditions are also automatically specified, and both can be obtained.

[0054] The display unit 101 is composed of a liquid crystal display or the like. The display unit 101 can acquire the read data of any one of the plurality of optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D via the communication unit 104 and display the acquired read data in a list format. A list of the read data acquired via the communication unit 104 can be displayed, for example, via a web browser.

[0055] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, assume a case where the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 are flowing in order on the belt conveyor B. Focusing on the workpiece W1, it reaches the first step, the second step, the third step, and the fourth step in this order. As management data of the workpiece W1, there may be a case where it is desired to register whether or not the workpiece W1 has flowed without skipping the intermediate steps from the first to the fourth steps. The same applies to the workpieces W2 and W3.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6, the IP addresses of the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D (simplified as the first to fourth readers in the figure; the same applies to other drawings) installed in the first to fourth steps are set in advance. As shown as an example, on the display unit 101 of the setting device 100, by specifying the IP address of the first optical information reading device 1A, it is possible to display the read data of the first optical information reading device 1A and the code image acquired by the camera 5 of the first optical information reading device 1A via a web browser. The read data and code images stored in the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are called records.

[0057] Hereinafter, the specific processing of the setting device 100 will be described using the timing chart shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the "reader of the access destination" refers to the optical information reading device that functions as a web server, and the "other readers" refer to the optical information reading devices other than the "reader of the access destination".

[0058] First, the user executes "1. Enter IP address". An example of the IP address is shown in Fig. 6. Next, the web browser executes "2. Query the reader at the access destination". For example, when the first optical information reading device 1A is the reader at the access destination, when querying the first optical information reading device 1A, the first optical information reading device 1A "3. Returns the code of the web application". When the web browser receives the code, it executes "4. Start the application".

[0059] After that, the user starts "5. Link monitor". This link monitor is the link monitor application, which is an application for checking the states of a plurality of optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D connected on the network N. The screen of the application is as shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, etc., which will be described later.

[0060] When the user starts "5. Link monitor", the web browser executes "6. Query the list of reading results" on the first optical information reading device 1A, which is the reader at the access destination. The first optical information reading device 1A that has received the query "7. Returns the list of reading results". At the time of this return, a plurality of reading data stored in the first optical information reading device 1A are transmitted to the setting device 100. The transmitted reading data are stored in the storage unit 106 of the setting device 100. Also, the web browser executes "8. Query the list of reading results from other readers". The second to fourth optical information reading devices 1B, 1C, and 1D that have received the query "9. Return the list of reading results". At the time of this return, a plurality of reading data stored in the second to fourth optical information reading devices 1B, 1C, and 1D are transmitted to the setting device 100. The transmitted reading data are stored in the storage unit 106 of the setting device 100.

[0061] After the read data is transmitted, the setting device 100 "displays the result list of the reader at the access destination". This is the display step. When the reader at the access destination is the first optical information reader 1A, the result list transmitted from the first optical information reader 1A is displayed on the display unit 101. A specific example of the display form via the web browser is shown in FIG. 8.

[0062] FIG. 8 shows an example of a link monitor screen 300 for extracting records having the same read data from a plurality of optical information readers 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and displaying a code image, a reading time, etc. In the header section 301 of the link monitor screen 300, it is possible to set the conditions for filtering / searching, and a filter setting area 301a, a search setting area 301b, a reader selection area 301c, and a period designation area 301d are provided. In the filter setting area 301a, conditions for selecting the target (display target) to be displayed on the link monitor screen 300 from among a large number of records are set. For example, conditions such as "display all", "display only errors", etc. can be set. An error is a record for which reading was impossible or reading failed. In the search setting area 301b, it is possible to set conditions for searching for records having the specified read data from among the target records to be displayed. In the period designation area 301d, it is possible to designate the period for extracting the display target.

[0063] In the reader selection area 301c, an optical information reading device to be displayed below the header section 301 is selected from among a plurality of optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the setting device 100 includes a search section 105c, a registration section 105d, and a selection section 105e. The search section 105c is a section that searches for the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D existing on the same network N. If there are optical information reading devices on the network N other than the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, those optical information reading devices are also searched. The registration section 105d is a section that acquires and registers the IP addresses of the optical information reading devices searched by the search section 105c. The registration destination of the IP address of the optical information reading device may be the storage section 106. The selection section 105e is a section that selects an optical information reading device to be the target of comparison display from among the optical information reading devices corresponding to the IP addresses registered by the registration section 105d. Specifically, when the user operates the reader selection area 301c to perform a selection operation on the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the selection section 105e detects the selection operation and selects the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D.

[0064] Below the header section 301 of the link monitor screen 300, a reader display area 302 and a record display area 303 for displaying a list of read data are provided. In the reader display area 302, information on the optical information reading device selected by the selection section 105e is displayed. In this example, the first to fourth optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are displayed, but if only one is selected, only one can be displayed. In the reader display area 302, a first area 302a is provided for displaying, as information on the optical information reading device, a name for identifying the optical information reading device, a model, an illustration, a photograph, etc. showing the appearance of the optical information reading device, and the control section 105a causes the information on the optical information reading device selected by the selection section 105e to be displayed in the first area 302a. Since it becomes possible to determine the model, etc. from the appearance of the optical information reading device, it is easy to know which model of optical information reading device is installed in which process.

[0065] Also, in the reader display area 302, a second area 302b is provided where the code image captured by the optical information reading device is displayed. Further, in the reader display area 302, a third area 302c is also provided for displaying the matching level (MLV) when decoding with the optical information reading device, the decoding time (time), and the grade. The grade refers to the print quality of the code, with A being the best and F being the worst. Below the third area 302c, a graph display area 302d is provided for graphically displaying the decoding time. The upper horizontal line in the graph display area 302d indicates the maximum value of the reading time, and the lower horizontal line indicates the minimum value of the reading time. By looking at this, it is possible to know how much the reading time varies.

[0066] In the record display area 303, a list of the read data extracted and selected by the header unit 301 is displayed. If the reading is successful, an ID (identification information) is assigned and stored in the storage unit 30, and that ID is displayed in the record display area 303. In the record display area 303, the date and time when the read data was acquired and the reading time are displayed in association with the ID. "Error" displayed in the record display area 303 indicates data for which the reading has failed. In the record display area 303, the read data of the selected optical information reading device may be displayed in chronological order. The display direction of the read data may be vertical or horizontal. In the vertical direction, the top may be the oldest data, or the bottom may be the oldest data. In the horizontal direction, the left may be the oldest data, or the right may be the oldest data.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 4, the processor 105 of the setting device 100 includes a control unit 105a and an input unit 105b. When the user selects, for example, the first optical information reading device 1A surrounded by a thick frame among the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D displayed in the reader display area 302 of the link monitor screen 300 by an operation such as a mouse 103, the input unit 105b receives the input operation. When the first optical information reading device 1A is selected, the control unit 105a extracts only the reading data acquired by the first optical information reading device 1A and displays it in the record display area 303.

[0068] In addition, only the decoding information that has succeeded or failed in decoding by any of the optical information reading devices can be extracted and displayed in the record display area 303. For example, since the communication unit 104 of the setting device 100 also acquires the success or failure information of the decoding of each optical information reading device, the control unit 105a may extract only the decoding information that has succeeded in decoding by any of the optical information reading devices based on the success or failure information and display it in the record display area 303, or only the decoding information that has failed in decoding by any of the optical information reading devices can be extracted and displayed in the record display area 303.

[0069] Next, in "11. Select one result" in FIG. 7, one of the reading data is selected from the list of results displayed in the record display area 303. When the reading data is displayed in time series, any one of the reading data displayed in time series can be selected.

[0070] At this time, the input operation by the user is received by the input unit 105b. That is, the input unit 105b is a part that receives the user's selection input of any one of the reading data from the list of reading data displayed in the record display area 303 of the link monitor screen 300 of the display unit 101. Specifically, by detecting an operation such as a mouse 103, it is possible to detect which reading data has been selected from the reading data displayed in the record display area 303. This step is the input step.

[0071] Thereafter, the web browser executes "12. Display the result of the reader at the access destination" in FIG. 7. Further, the web browser requests "13. Request the acquisition of the corresponding image". The corresponding image is a code image having the read data selected by the user. The first optical information reader 1A, which is the reader at the access destination that has received the request, executes "14. Reply with the corresponding image" and transmits the code image having the read data to the setting device 100.

[0072] The web browser executes "15. Image display" and displays the code image transmitted from the first optical information reader 1A in the second area 302b of the link monitor screen 300 shown in FIG. 8.

[0073] Next, the web browser "searches for and displays the same result from the list of results of other readers" and "requests the acquisition of the corresponding image". Specifically, the control unit 105a requests a code image having the read data of the same work as the read data selected by the input unit 105b from the second to fourth optical information readers 1B, 1C, and 1D connected to the network N.

[0074] The requested second to fourth optical information readers 1B, 1C, and 1D execute "18. Reply with the corresponding image", and the web browser "compares and displays the results of the readers". That is, the control unit 105a acquires code images having the read data of the same work as the read data selected by the input unit 105b from the second to fourth optical information readers 1B, 1C, and 1D, and compares and displays the plurality of code images respectively acquired by the different plurality of optical information readers 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D on the display unit 101. The code images displayed here are all images of the same work taken, but are images acquired in different processes.

[0075] For example, as shown in the second region 302b of the reader display region 302 in FIG. 8, a plurality of code images respectively acquired by the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D can be displayed side by side. Although not shown, a plurality of code images respectively acquired by the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D may be displayed vertically. Further, the comparison display may be a form in which a plurality of code images respectively acquired by the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are not simultaneously displayed but are switched and displayed in order. It is also possible to make a comparison by switching and displaying without simultaneously displaying a plurality of code images. This step is the display step.

[0076] In the reader display region 302 of the link monitor screen 300 displayed on the display unit 101, a third region 302c capable of displaying the matching level and the decoding time is provided. Therefore, the control unit 105a compares and displays the matching level or the decoding time of the first optical information reading device 1A corresponding to the reading data selected by the input unit 105b from the read data with the matching level or the decoding time of the other optical information reading devices 1B, 1C, and 1D corresponding to the reading data selected by the input unit 105b. Both the matching level and the decoding time may be compared and displayed, or only one of them may be compared and displayed. By displaying the matching level or the decoding time directly below the code image, the relationship between the code image and the matching level or the decoding time can be intuitively understood.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 9, when a record displayed as "error" among the records displayed in the record display region 303 is selected, since it cannot be associated with the reading data of the other optical information reading devices 1B, 1C, and 1D, no code image is displayed in the reader display region 302, and no information is displayed in each of the regions 302a, 302b, and 302c.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 10, it is also possible to display the settings at the time of capturing the code image in a comparable form. The setting comparison screen 400 shown in FIG. 10 is provided with a header section 401, a reader display area 402, and a record display area 403, similar to the link monitor screen 300. The reader display area 402 has a first area 402a, a second area 402b, and a third area 402c, similar to the link monitor screen 300, but does not have the graph display area 302d. Instead, a condition display area 404 is provided on the setting comparison screen 400.

[0079] The settings at the time of capturing the code image are displayed in the condition display area 404. Examples of the setting items to be displayed include the distance between the optical information reading device and the work (reading distance), the installation angle of the optical information reading device (tilt angle, pitch angle, etc.), bank information, lighting information, the applied image processing filter, etc. However, other conditions related to shooting, lighting, image processing, etc. may also be included. Bank information is information indicating which parameter set was used to acquire the code image. Lighting information is information regarding the lighting states of the first lighting unit 4a and the second lighting unit 4b.

[0080] In this way, the control unit 105a acquires the reading conditions at the time of capturing the code image, together with a plurality of code images captured by different optical information reading devices corresponding to the same decoded information, and causes the display unit 101 to display them in comparison.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 105a can link and display the information of the plurality of optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D using the read data as a key. This display mode is called the linked display mode. In the linked display mode, the control unit 105a generates a linked display screen 410 as shown in FIG. 11 and causes it to be displayed on the display unit 101. The linked display screen 410 is provided with a plurality of display areas 411 for displaying the information of the optical information reading devices. In the linked display mode, the code images and the read results corresponding to the read data acquired by the plurality of optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, and 1C and selected by the input unit 105b are displayed for each optical information reading device. Also, the reading conditions at the time when each optical information reading device acquired the read data can be displayed.

[0082] Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 105a can also cause only the information of one optical information reading device 1A selected by the user to be displayed on the display unit 101. The single display screen 415 shown in FIG. 12 is provided with a display area 416 for displaying the information of one optical information reading device 1A. In the single display mode, the code image corresponding to the read data acquired by one optical information reading device 1A and selected by the input unit 105b is displayed, and the reading conditions at the time when the read data was acquired are displayed. That is, the control unit 105a can switch between the linked display mode and the single display mode. The switching of the display mode is performed by detecting the user's operation.

[0083] In the single display mode shown in FIG. 12, since only the information of one optical information reading device needs to be displayed, the code image is enlarged compared to the display screen 410 in the linked display mode shown in FIG. 11. Thereby, the code image can be easily confirmed.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 13, in the single display mode, the control unit 105a can also acquire trend information regarding the decoding of one optical information reading device 1A and cause it to be displayed on the display unit 101. FIG. 13 shows a trend information display screen 420. A selection area 421 for selecting an optical information reading device is provided on the trend information display screen 420. By operating the selection area 421 by the user, an arbitrary optical information reading device can be selected. The control unit 105a collects the number of readings of the selected optical information reading device for a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be several days, or may be one week, one month, etc. In this example, since the first optical information reading device 1A is selected, the number of readings of the first optical information reading device 1A is collected.

[0085] A graph display area 422 is provided on the trend information display screen 420. A graph with the horizontal axis being the date (time) and the vertical axis being the number of readings is displayed in the graph display area 422. In the graph, a line indicating the number of read start triggers received by the first optical information reading device 1A, a line indicating the number of successful readings of the first optical information reading device 1A, and a line indicating the number of failed readings of the first optical information reading device 1A are generated. Thereby, the user can easily grasp the trend information of the first optical information reading device 1A.

[0086] As the trend information, in addition to the number of readings, for example, the reading time, the bank usage rate, etc. may also be used. The user can select from the number of readings, the reading time, and the bank usage rate to obtain the trend information. The graph can be switched according to the selected trend information. For example, in the case of the number of readings, the maximum, minimum, and average can be calculated and displayed by the control unit 105a. By displaying the bank usage rate, it is possible to grasp which bank is frequently used.

[0087] (Selection of usage status) FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the setting of the usage state. When the user sets the usage state, when the tuning setting button 432 on the setting screen 430 shown in FIG. 15 is operated, the process proceeds to step SA1 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, and the selection of the usage state of each optical information reading device 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D is accepted. Specifically, the input unit 105b is configured to be able to accept the selection of the usage state of each optical information reading device 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D when the execution of the setting application is selected. For example, by generating and displaying on the display unit 101 a screen that allows the user to select any one of the usage states of "reading a stationary work", "reading a moving work", "hands-free", and "print verification", the user can operate the mouse 103 or the like to select the usage state of each optical information reading device 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D from among the above four options. This selection operation is received by the input unit 105b.

[0088] "Reading a stationary work" means a usage state in which a code is read while the work is stopped. "Reading a moving work" means a usage state in which a code is read while the work is moving. "Hands-free" means a usage state in which each optical information reading device 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D is fixed, and for example, the work is held in front of each optical information reading device 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D by hand and read. "Print verification" means a usage state in which the print applied to the code is verified.

[0089] If "reading a stationary work" is selected in step SA1, the user is asked to confirm the selection result in step SA2. If there is no problem as a result of the confirmation, the process proceeds to step SA3, the setting is transmitted, and the process proceeds to the screen for executing the reading. If the user cancels as a result of the confirmation, the process proceeds to step SA5 and returns to the previous step.

[0090] If "Read Moving Workpiece" is selected in step SA1, the process proceeds to step SA6. After performing the workpiece position setting as an option for "Read Moving Workpiece", the upper limit setting process for the exposure time is carried out. In the upper limit setting process for the exposure time, the code length setting and the workpiece moving speed setting are performed, and then the process proceeds to step SA2. These setting items are displayed on the display unit 101.

[0091] Also, if "Hands-Free" is selected in step SA1, the process proceeds to step SA7. After performing the workpiece position setting as a hands-free option, the upper limit setting process for the exposure time is carried out. In the upper limit setting process for the exposure time, the code length setting and the workpiece moving speed setting are performed, and then the process proceeds to step SA2. These setting items are displayed on the display unit 101.

[0092] Also, if "Print Verification" is selected in step SA1, the process proceeds to step SA8. As a print verification option, the print verification standard selection and the setting of the presence or absence of calibration are performed. These setting items are displayed on the display unit 101.

[0093] In this way, the control unit 105a is configured to cause the display unit 101 to display different setting items, for example, when used for "Read Stationary Workpiece" and when used for "Read Moving Workpiece". That is, since the display unit 101 displays the setting items corresponding to the usage state selected by the input unit 105b, the user may perform the tuning setting according to those setting items.

[0094] (Setting Application) The tuning by the tuning execution unit 25 described above is performed when setting each of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. Before starting the operation of each of the optical information reading devices 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the user performs the startup operation of the setting application for setting. When the setting application starts up, the control unit 105a generates a setting screen 430 as shown in FIG. 15, for example, and displays it on the display unit 101.

[0095] On the setting screen 430, there are provided an image display area 431 where a code image captured by the camera 5 is displayed, a tuning setting button 432, a tuning start button 433, a test button 434, and a result display area 435. When it is detected that the tuning setting button 432 has been operated, various settings related to tuning can be made. Also, when it is detected that the tuning start button 433 has been operated, the tuning execution unit 25 executes the above-described tuning. The test button 434 is a button to be operated after tuning, and attempts the code reading process. The result of the attempt is displayed in the result display area 435.

[0096] (Operation of the optical information reading system) Next, a specific example of the operation of the optical information reading system S will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 16. This flowchart starts when an abnormality occurs in the reading of the code. In step SB1, the user views the link display screen 410 shown in FIG. 11 and checks the operating state of the optical information reading system S. If the user determines in step SB1 that various settings need to be modified, the process proceeds to step SB4; otherwise, it proceeds to step SB2. In step SB2, the reading history of the optical information reading device with a reading abnormality is checked. At this time, for example, the trend information can also be checked on the trend information display screen 420 shown in FIG. 13. If the user determines in step SB2 that various settings need to be modified, the process proceeds to step SB4; otherwise, it proceeds to step SB3.

[0097] In step SB3, the difference between the read data and various information and that of the previous process is compared and confirmed on the link monitor screen 300 shown in FIG. 8 and the setting comparison screen 400 shown in FIG. 10. For example, the difference between the first process and the second process and the difference between the second process and the fourth process are compared. If the user determines in step SB3 that various settings need to be modified, the process proceeds to step SB4. In step SB4, setting editing is performed to eliminate the cause of the reading abnormality. For example, the setting screen 430 shown in FIG. 14 is displayed.

[0098] That is, when analyzing the reading abnormality, the reading history of one optical information reading device is checked in step SB2. If it is determined that setting modification is necessary, the setting application is launched to prompt the user to perform tuning etc. on the setting screen 430 and support the setting editing.

[0099] Also, in step SB2, the reading history of one optical information reading device is checked, and the data of successful reading can be selected and compared with the reading data of other optical information reading devices. Thereby, for the same code, the differences between different optical information reading devices can be confirmed. As a result of confirming the differences, if a specific process has relatively large variations in reading time compared to other processes, the reading conditions, installation conditions, etc. of the process with large variations are reexamined. Thus, the link monitor can also be used from the perspective of predictive maintenance.

[0100] (Timeline display) FIG. 17 shows a timeline display screen 500 which is a display form different from the link monitor screen 300 shown in FIG. 8. The header part 501 of the timeline display screen 500 is provided with a filter setting area 501a, a search setting area 501b, a reader selection area 501c, and a period designation area 501d, similar to the link monitor screen 300 shown in FIG. 8. Below the header part 501 of the timeline display screen 500, a reader display area 502, a code image display area 503, and a reading time display area 504 are provided. The reading time display area 504 is in the direction in which the time advances from left to right, and the time when the code was read is displayed by a vertical line 504a. This is because the time required for reading the code is extremely short with respect to the entire time span. The color of the vertical line 504a can be changed, for example, between those with successful reading and those with failed reading. Also, the color of the vertical line 504a can be changed between those with unstable reading and those with successful reading. Furthermore, the color of the vertical line 504a can be changed between those with unstable reading and those with failed reading.

[0101] In the reading time display area 504, a cursor line 504b is also displayed. Since the cursor line 504b is displayed at the time when the record selected by the user is obtained, when the user selects another record, the cursor line 504b is displayed so as to move accordingly.

[0102] Among the reading results obtained by the second optical information reading device 1B installed in the second step, for example, it is assumed that the vertical line 504c has a reading failure. In this case, since the workpiece does not flow into the third step which is the subsequent step, it can be understood that the third optical information reading device 1C has not been able to obtain the reading result corresponding to the vertical line 504c.

[0103] In addition, in the reading time display area 504, an event mark 504d indicating the time when various events occur is also displayed. The types of events are the startup of the application, the change of settings, the occurrence of a system error, etc. By displaying the event mark 504d, it is possible to confirm whether there has been any influence on the reading.

[0104] The time scale of the reading time display area 504 is shown by taking one day as an example, but it is not limited to this and can be changed by operating the adjustment unit 504e. By the user operating the adjustment unit 504e, the time scale can be made shorter or longer than one day. In addition, a display switching unit 504f is also provided in the reading time display area 504. By the user operating this display switching unit 504f, it is also possible to switch the display and non-display of each indicator.

[0105] (Operation and effect of the embodiment) As described above, when selecting any one of the read data from the list of read data displayed on the display unit 101, a code image having the read data can be acquired from another optical information reading device connected to the network N, and a plurality of code images respectively acquired by different optical information reading devices can be compared and displayed on the display unit 101. Therefore, for example, when the code of the work W1 is photographed and read data is acquired in the previous process, the code images of the same work W1 acquired in the subsequent process can be compared on the spatial axis, which is particularly effective for traceability.

[0106] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed in a limiting sense. Further, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0107] As described above, the optical information reading device according to the present invention can be used, for example, when reading a code such as a two-dimensional code.

Explanation of Signs

[0108] 1A First optical information reading device 1B Second optical information reading device 15 Web server 100 Setting device 101 Display unit 104 Communication unit 105a Control unit 105b Input unit 105c Search unit 105d Registration unit 105e Selection unit N Network S Optical information reading system

Claims

1. An optical information reader setting device that is connected to a plurality of optical information readers via a network and sets each optical information reader, comprising: a communication unit for communicating with each optical information reader; a display unit that acquires, via the communication unit, and displays a list of reading data of any one of the plurality of optical information readers; an input unit that accepts a selection input of any one piece of reading data from the list of reading data displayed on the display unit; a control unit that acquires a code image having the reading data selected by the input unit from another optical information reader connected on the network, and compares and displays a plurality of code images respectively acquired by different optical information readers on the display unit.

2. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the optical information readers has a web server, the communication unit accesses the web server of a first optical information reader among the plurality of optical information readers to acquire the code image and the reading data, the control unit causes the reading data of the first optical information reader to be displayed on the display unit in time series, and compares and displays on the display unit the code image acquired by the first optical information reader corresponding to the reading data selected by the input unit from the reading data displayed in time series and the code image acquired by another optical information reader corresponding to the reading data selected by the input unit.

3. The setting device according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit further acquires a matching level or a decoding time indicating a margin of decoding of each optical information reader, the control unit compares and displays on the display unit the matching level or the decoding time of the first optical information reader corresponding to the reading data selected by the input unit from the reading data displayed in time series and the matching level or the decoding time of another optical information reader corresponding to the reading data selected by the input unit.

4. The setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a search unit that searches for optical information readers existing on the same network; a registration unit that acquires and registers the IP addresses of the optical information readers searched by the search unit. A selection unit that selects an optical information reading device to be the subject of comparison display from among the optical information reading devices corresponding to the IP addresses registered by the registration unit. The control unit is a setting device that displays the information of the optical information reading device selected by the selection unit on the display unit.

5. In the setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The communication unit further acquires information on whether the decoding of each optical information reading device is successful or not, The control unit is a setting device that extracts only the decoding information that has succeeded or failed in decoding by any one of the optical information reading devices and displays it on the display unit.

6. In the setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The communication unit further acquires the reading conditions of each optical information reading device, The control unit is a setting device that comparatively displays on the display unit the reading conditions at the time when a plurality of code images captured by different optical information reading devices corresponding to the same decoding information and the code images are captured.

7. In the setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The control unit can switch between a link display mode in which the information of the plurality of optical information reading devices is linked and displayed using the common reading data, and a single display mode in which only the information of one optical information reading device is displayed. In the single display mode, the control unit is a setting device that displays a code image corresponding to the reading data acquired by the one optical information reading device and selected by the input unit, and also displays the reading conditions at the time when the reading data is acquired.

8. In the setting device according to claim 7, The control unit is a setting device that displays trend information regarding the decoding of the one optical information reading device in the single display mode.

9. In the setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A setting device in which a monitor application for checking the states of a plurality of optical information reading devices connected on the network and a setting application for setting each optical information reading device are executable.

10. In the setting device according to claim 9, When the setting application is selected, the input unit can accept a selection of the usage state of the optical information reading device, The control unit is a setting device that displays on the display unit the setting items corresponding to the usage state selected by the input unit.

11. An optical information reading system comprising a plurality of optical information reading devices installed in each process on the same line, and a setting device connected to the plurality of optical information reading devices via a network for setting each optical information reading device, wherein each of the optical information reading devices, a Web server that communicates with the setting device, a camera that captures a workpiece with a code assigned thereto and acquires a code image including the code, a decoding unit that decodes the code image acquired by the camera, and a storage unit that stores the code image and the reading data by the decoding unit, wherein the setting device, communicates with the Web server of the optical information reading device installed in one process, and a communication unit that acquires the reading data stored in the storage unit of the optical information reading device, a display unit that displays a list of the reading data acquired via the communication unit via a Web browser, an input unit that accepts a selection input of any one of the reading data from the list of the reading data displayed on the display unit, and a control unit that requests an output of a code image of a workpiece corresponding to the reading data selected by the input unit to an optical information reading device installed in another process, and compares and displays a plurality of code images obtained in each process corresponding to the same reading data. An optical information reading system.

12. An optical information reading method in which a plurality of optical information reading devices are connected via a network and each optical information reading device is set, a display step of displaying a list of reading data of any one of the plurality of optical information reading devices, an input step of accepting a selection input of any one of the reading data from the list of the reading data displayed in the display step, and a display step of acquiring a code image having the reading data selected in the input step from another optical information reading device connected on the network, and comparing and displaying a plurality of code images respectively acquired by different plurality of optical information reading devices on a display unit. An optical information reading method comprising:

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