Inspection object reading device and inspection object reading method

Abstract

To provide a test specimen reading device capable of increasing the barcode reading success rate compared to conventional methods, and a test specimen reading method.SOLUTION: The test specimen reading device includes plural self-luminous barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F.The barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F are arranged to cover the entire surface where the barcode 107 is provided and so that the optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F of the irradiation light are inclined at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the horizontal direction with respect to the normal vectors 105A, 105B, and 105C of the inspection surface on which the barcode 107 of the inspection object 101 is provided and an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method for reading a barcode attached to an inspection object. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a "transport device configured to hold and transport containers having barcode labels in an automated system in an in vitro diagnostic environment, where the barcode labels can be read by multiple peripheral readers," and states that "a dual spring arrangement allows for consistent capture of the container when it is loaded onto the transport device and held within the transport device during the transport operation. A centrally located spring housing allows for efficient space utilization. A mirrored dual slot design is provided, providing unobstructed space for each slot, thereby allowing a completely unobstructed view of the container to be constructed by imaging the same container in both slots (sequentially) and fusing the resulting data."

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a technology that makes it possible to read symbols attached to the periphery of an item on a conveying line without changing the orientation of the item. This technology involves providing multiple symbol readers that irradiate a container with a barcode attached with laser light from different directions, and by combining the readable ranges of each symbol reader for the container, the entire periphery of the side of the container becomes a readable range and the barcode is read. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2019-525169 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-134512 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A barcode reader is known as a device for reading a barcode attached to an object to be inspected.

[0006] Many test objects are rod-shaped, such as test tubes, and in most cases a barcode is attached along the length of the test object, but the attachment position is not always consistent.

[0007] Therefore, there are several technologies for automatically reading inspection objects on a conveyance line whose barcodes are attached in various positions.

[0008] One example of this is the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, which is a technology for holding a container on a conveyor line without blocking the barcode surface. Also, Patent Document 2 is a technology for reading the entire periphery of an item using multiple barcode readers.

[0009] Conventional barcode reading systems are designed to illuminate the barcode from the front, which reduces the success rate of reading due to the strong specular reflection light returning to the light receiving unit.

[0010] When reading a barcode attached to an object being inspected on a conveying line, the surface of the barcode is curved, so the object being inspected moves to avoid the barcode reader's specular reflection area, but this does not solve the essential problem.

[0011] Furthermore, when reading a barcode on a stationary object to be inspected or when the barcode surface is not curved, there is a problem in that specular reflection cannot be avoided with a configuration in which light is irradiated from the front.

[0012] The present invention provides an inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method that can increase the success rate of barcode reading compared to conventional methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The present invention includes a plurality of means for solving the above problems, and examples thereof include: It has a circular cross section and ribs that support its sides at at least three points. An inspection object reading device that reads a barcode provided on an inspection object, comprising a self-luminous barcode reader Two or more It is equipped with Two or more The barcode reader Two or more Irradiation light emitted from the barcode reader Irradiation area combining is arranged to cover the entire surface on which the barcode is provided, and the optical axis of the irradiation light is inclined at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the horizontal direction and at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the vertical direction with respect to the normal vector of the inspection surface on which the barcode is provided of the inspection object. The two or more optical axes are all deviated from the normal vector of the inspection surface, and each of the optical axes is deviated from all of the other optical axes. The ribs are plates parallel to one of the optical axes and are discretely arranged on the side surface of the inspection object. It is characterized by the presence of [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the success rate of reading barcodes can be improved compared to the prior art. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of barcode readers according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of barcode readers according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the inspection object reading device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the test object reading device of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the test object reading device and test object reading method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the following embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the specific configuration can be changed within the scope of the concept and spirit of the present invention.

[0017] In the configuration of the invention described below, the same or similar configurations or functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0018] In this specification, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used to identify components and do not necessarily limit the number or order.

[0019] To facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings etc. may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings etc.

[0020] Example 1 A first embodiment of an inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection object reading device according to the first embodiment, and Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing an example of the arrangement of a barcode reader according to the first embodiment.

[0021] The test object reading device 100 shown in Figure 1 is a device for reading a barcode 107 provided on a test object 101 having a circular cross section, and is composed of barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F, and test object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F.

[0022] The barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F are each a self-luminous reader and are arranged around the inspection object 101 at equal intervals.

[0023] More specifically, six barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F are arranged around the inspection object 101 at intervals of 60°.

[0024] In addition, the optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F of the respective barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F are all offset from the normal vectors 105A, 105B, and 105C of the inspection surface (the surface on which the barcode 107 is affixed), and each optical axis 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F is offset from all the other optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F so that they do not overlap.

[0025] Furthermore, the irradiated light emitted from the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F covers the entire side of the test object 101 on which the barcode 107 is provided, making it possible to scan the barcode 107 by any one or more of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F.

[0026] The inspection object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F are members that support the side of the inspection object 101 at at least three points (six points in FIG. 1), and are arranged discretely on the side of the inspection object 101. Furthermore, the inspection object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F are arranged between the multiple barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the test piece holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F are each plates parallel to one of the optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F, and are designed not to interfere with the respective optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F.

[0028] Therefore, the inspection object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F are arranged at equal intervals on the side surface of the inspection object 101 in a pinwheel shape.

[0029] 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating an example of the arrangement of the barcode reader in Example 1. Fig. 2 shows the inspection object reading device 100 as viewed from above, and Fig. 3 shows the inspection object reading device 100 as viewed from the side.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, for barcode reader 102A, when normal vector 105A perpendicular to tangent 106 at the point where inspection object 101 intersects with optical axis 104A is defined, optical axis 104A of the irradiated light is positioned so as to be tilted horizontally at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value with respect to normal vector 105A of the inspection surface on which barcode 107 of inspection object 101 is located.

[0031] More specifically, the barcode reader 102A is positioned so that the angle between the optical axis 104A and the normal vector 105A is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 20° in the horizontal direction, and more preferably 10°, and the optical axis 104A and the normal vector 105A on the surface of the barcode 107 are not parallel to each other.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the barcode 107 is affixed along the longitudinal direction of the test object 101, and therefore the optical axis 104A of the irradiated light is positioned so as to be tilted perpendicularly at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value with respect to the normal vector 105A of the test surface on which the barcode 107 of the test object 101 is located.

[0033] More specifically, the barcode reader 102A is positioned so that the angle between the optical axis 104A and the normal vector 105A is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 30° in the vertical direction, more preferably 15° in the vertical direction, and similarly to the case of the horizontal direction, the barcode reader 102A is positioned so that the normal vector 105A on the surface of the barcode 107 is not parallel to the optical axis 104A.

[0034] 3, the surface of barcode 107 is illuminated from below in the vertical direction, but the same applies to a configuration in which the surface is illuminated from above. It goes without saying that the angle between optical axis 104A and normal vector 105A needs to be set within the reading field of barcode reader 102A.

[0035] The layout relationships shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are the same for the other barcode readers 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F, and so details are omitted here.

[0036] The configuration of the test object reading device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an example and is not limited to this.

[0037] In FIG. 1, six barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F are arranged at equal intervals of 60° around the inspection object 101. Therefore, a normal vector 105A perpendicular to a tangent 106 at the point where the inspection object 101 and the optical axis 104A of the barcode reader 102A intersect is the same as a normal vector 105A perpendicular to a tangent 106 at the point where the inspection object 101 and the optical axis 104D of the barcode reader 102D intersect with the inspection object 101. Normal vector 105B perpendicular to tangent 106 is common to the normal vector perpendicular to tangent 106 at the point where optical axis 104E of barcode reader 102E intersects with object 101, and normal vector 105C perpendicular to tangent 106 at the point where optical axis 104C of barcode reader 102C intersects with object 101 is common to the normal vector perpendicular to tangent 106 at the point where optical axis 104F of barcode reader 102F intersects with object 101, but this arrangement is not limited to these and can be modified as appropriate.

[0038] For example, the number of barcode readers is determined by the sensing range of the barcode readers. What is important is to determine the number of barcode readers so that the total sensing range of the multiple barcode readers is greater than 360° around the entire circumference of the object 101 so that the object 101 does not need to be rotated.

[0039] When the cross section of a test tube such as the test object 101 in Figure 1 is circular, the barcode surface is curved, and the barcode surface is distorted when viewed from the barcode reader near the boundary between adjacent illuminated lights, which raises concerns about a decrease in reading accuracy. For this reason, it is desirable to install more barcode readers than the minimum required and to partially overlap their sensing ranges to achieve stable reading.

[0040] It is also desirable to provide the same number of ribs for holding the test object as the number of bar code readers, but this is not particularly limited, and one or more ribs may be provided.

[0041] The user sets up the test object 101 so that it fits within the test object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F, and activates the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F. Once reading is complete with any of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F, the user picks up and removes the test object 101, and sets up the next test object 101. By repeating this process, information on the required number of test objects 101 is read.

[0042] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0043] The inspection object reading device 100 that reads the barcode 107 provided on the inspection object 101 of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 of the present invention is equipped with self-luminous barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F, and is arranged so that the illumination light emitted from the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F covers the entire surface on which the barcode 107 is provided, and the optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F of the illumination light are inclined at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value horizontally and at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value vertically relative to the normal vectors 105A, 105B, and 105C of the inspection surface on which the barcode 107 of the inspection object 101 is provided.

[0044] This prevents specularly reflected light from returning to the light receiving parts of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F, and increases the success rate of reading the barcode 107, thereby achieving more stable barcode reading than before.

[0045] Furthermore, the combined illumination area of two or more barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F covers the entire surface, and two or more optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F are all offset from the normal vectors 105A, 105B, and 105C of the inspection surface, and each optical axis 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F is offset from all other optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F. This allows for more reliable detection of the barcode 107 and prevents reading failures due to light emission from other barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F.

[0046] Furthermore, the test object 101 has a circular cross section and further includes test object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F that support the side of the test object 101 at at least three points. The test object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F are plates parallel to one of the optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F and are discretely arranged on the side of the test object 101. This prevents the test object 101 from wobbling when reading the barcode 107, thereby reducing reading failures. Furthermore, the test object holding ribs 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F also prevent the irradiated light from being blocked, reliably avoiding a decrease in reading efficiency.

[0047] The barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F are arranged at equal intervals around the inspection object 101, and are arranged so that the angles formed by the optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, and 104F and the normal vectors 105A, 105B, and 105C are greater than 0° and less than 20° in the horizontal direction, and greater than 0° and less than 30° in the vertical direction. By arranging 103C, 103D, 103E, and 103F between multiple barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F, it is possible to create an arrangement in which light reflected by barcode 107 returns more efficiently to barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F, thereby enabling reading of barcode 107 with even higher accuracy.

[0048] <Example 2> Second Embodiment An inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection object reading device according to the second embodiment.

[0049] The test piece reading device 100A of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is configured to prevent reflection of irradiated light by test piece holding ribs 202A and 202B.

[0050] 4 are made of a material or color that absorbs irradiated light, and are configured to prevent reflection of irradiated light 201A, 201B. This absorbs unnecessary irradiated light 201A, 201B that is irradiated to areas other than the barcode 107 out of irradiated light 201A, 201B emitted from the barcode reader 102A, and only diffusely reflected light of irradiated light 201C directly onto the object 101 is returned to the light receiving section of the barcode reader 102A.

[0051] The test piece holding ribs 202A, 202B are preferably made of non-metallic material and are preferably black in color.

[0052] Here, the inspection object holding ribs 202A and 202B have two roles: to keep the inspection object 101 in a vertical position, and to prevent the light beams emitted from the multiple barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, and 102F from intersecting with each other.

[0053] Therefore, it is desirable that the inspection object holding ribs 202A, 202B are thin plates so as not to cover the surface of the barcode 107. For example, the above conditions can be met by discretely arranging thin plates measuring approximately 50 mm in length, 20 mm in width, and 2 mm in thickness around the inspection object.

[0054] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the inspection object reading device and inspection object reading method of the first embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0055] The test object reading device and test object reading method according to the second embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the test object reading device and test object reading method according to the first embodiment described above.

[0056] Furthermore, the inspection object holding ribs 202A, 202B are configured to absorb the irradiated light, thereby cutting out unnecessary irradiated light 201A, 201B, and only the diffusely reflected light of the irradiated light 201C directly onto the inspection object 101 is returned to the light receiving section of the barcode reader 102A, thereby further increasing the success rate of reading the barcode 107.

[0057] Example 3 An inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the inspection object reading device according to the third embodiment.

[0058] The inspection object reading device 100B of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is configured to read the entire circumference of the inspection object 101 on the belt conveyor 301 with four barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D.

[0059] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a region where barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D scan the inspection object 101 in all directions is provided in a portion of the belt conveyor 301 that transports the inspection object 101, and the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D read information about the inspection object 101 located in the region.

[0060] On the belt conveyor 301, the inspection objects 101 are transported in one direction in order on the belt conveyor 301.

[0061] To explain an example of reading a barcode on the inspection object 101, barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D are arranged around the inspection object 101 to avoid specular reflection. These barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D are constantly emitting light, and while a plurality of inspection objects 101 are transported in sequence on the belt conveyor 301, the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D pass through an area where the inspection objects 101 are scanned in all directions, and reading of the barcode 107 is completed by one or more of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D. This eliminates the need to stop the belt conveyor 301 when reading, making it possible to improve the throughput of transportation.

[0062] Furthermore, as in the inspection object reading device 100C shown in FIG. 6, the four barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D can be arranged at staggered positions so that the irradiated light does not overlap, and the inspection object 101 can be configured to scan parts of all directions in sequence while it is being transported.

[0063] In the conveyance line to which the inspection object reading device 100C is applied, the inspection object 101 is conveyed in one direction in order by the belt conveyor 301, and a quarter of the circumference of the inspection object is read in that order from the barcode reader 102D to the barcode reader 102A.

[0064] Just before entering the reading range of barcode reader 102D, all barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D are activated, and first a 90° range of the entire circumference is read by barcode reader 102D. If barcode 107 can be read, it is transported as is; if it cannot be read, barcode reader 102C is activated; if reading fails, barcode reader 102B is activated; and if reading fails again, barcode reader 102A is activated in this order to read barcode 107. When reading by barcode reader 102A is complete, reading of the entire 360° circumference of test object 101 is complete.

[0065] Instead of causing all of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D to emit light at the same time, it is possible to cause only the corresponding barcode reader 102A, 102B, 102C, or 102D to emit light when a sensor or the like that detects the test object 101 recognizes that the test object 101 has been transported to the reading area.

[0066] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the inspection object reading device and inspection object reading method of the first embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0067] The test object reading device and test object reading method according to the third embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the test object reading device and test object reading method according to the first embodiment described above.

[0068] In addition, belt conveyors 301, 301A, and 301B that transport inspection objects 101 are provided with areas where barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D scan inspection objects 101 in all directions. By reading information about inspection objects 101 located in these areas, barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D can read barcodes 107 of inspection objects 101 being transported, thereby improving reading efficiency.

[0069] Furthermore, by arranging the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D in a staggered manner so that the light emitted from them does not overlap, and sequentially scanning a portion of the barcode 107 in all directions while the object 101 is being transported, it is possible to prevent the light emitted from the other barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D from interfering with the reading of the light reflected from the barcode 107, and it is possible to read the barcode 107 more efficiently.

[0070] Although the embodiment in which the belt conveyor 301 is used as the conveying device has been described, the conveying device is not limited to this, and may be an electromagnetic conveying device or a self-propelled type in which the holder of the inspection object moves by itself.

[0071] Example 4 An inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection object reading device according to the fourth embodiment.

[0072] The inspection object reading device 100D of this embodiment shown in Fig. 7 controls the light emission timing of multiple barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D. Although Fig. 7 illustrates a case where four barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D are used, two or more barcode readers may be used.

[0073] 7 is connected to barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D, and controls the timing of light emission so that the barcode readers emit light at different times. This controller 401 may be any device, such as a PC, that can communicate with barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D, and is not particularly limited.

[0074] This controller 401 can terminate the reading operation if the reading of the barcode 107 is successful, and if the reading of the barcode 107 fails, can select one of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D that has not yet emitted light and emit light.

[0075] For example, if the barcode reader 102A is first activated and successfully reads the barcode 107 attached to the test object 101, the remaining barcode readers 102B, 102C, and 102D are not activated.

[0076] If reading by barcode reader 102A fails, one of barcode readers 102B, 102C, and 102D is selected and made to emit light. After that, light emission by barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D is repeated until reading of barcode 107 is successful. Eventually, reading of barcode 107 is completed by one of barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D.

[0077] If reading by all of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D fails, an error may be reported, or reading may be performed again by the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D in that order.

[0078] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the inspection object reading device and inspection object reading method of the first embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0079] The test object reading device and test object reading method of the fourth embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the test object reading device and test object reading method of the first embodiment described above.

[0080] Furthermore, by further providing a controller 401 that causes the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D to emit light at different timings, it is possible to automate the reading control.

[0081] Furthermore, if the controller 401 succeeds in reading the barcode 107, it ends the reading operation, and if it fails to read the barcode 107, it selects one of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D that has not yet emitted light and makes it emit light, thereby eliminating the influence of the light emitted by the adjacent barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D during reading and further increasing the success rate of reading. Also, since there may be barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D that do not emit light in some cases, there is an effect of suppressing wear on the readers.

[0082] <Example 5> An inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the inspection object reading device according to the fifth embodiment.

[0083] An inspection object reading device 100E of this embodiment shown in FIG. 8 has a configuration in which the posture of the inspection object 101 is changed.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 8, the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical test object 101 is fixed in place by test object holding jigs 501A and 501B so that the barcode 107 can be read with the test object 101 laid horizontally.

[0085] The inspection object holding jigs 501A and 501B are made of a material that transmits the irradiated light emitted from the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D, such as transparent glass.

[0086] Even in such a case, the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D are irradiated. light The optical axes 104A, 104B, 104C, and 104D are arranged so as not to be parallel to the normal vectors of the side surfaces of the object 101 to be inspected.

[0087] In addition, the test used in Example 1 InspectionA rib for holding the test object may also be used. Figure 9 shows an example of another configuration for an inspection object reading device 100F in which the barcode 107 is read with the test object 101 laid horizontally.

[0088] As shown in Figure 9, the inspection object holding ribs 103A, 103B, and 103C are discretely arranged below the inspection object 101 to prevent the inspection object 101 from falling. The barcode readers 102B and 102C irradiate the inspection object 101 from between the inspection object holding ribs 103A, 103B, and 103C. The inspection object holding ribs 103A, 103B, and 103C are not required above the inspection object 101, and the barcode readers 102A and 102D irradiate the upper half of the inspection object.

[0089] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the inspection object reading device and inspection object reading method of the first embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0090] The test object reading device and test object reading method according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the test object reading device and test object reading method according to the first embodiment described above.

[0091] Example 6 An inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection object reading device according to the sixth embodiment.

[0092] The inspection object reading device 100G of this embodiment shown in FIG. 10 has a configuration that corresponds to a case where the shape of the inspection object 601 is different from that of the first embodiment and the like.

[0093] As shown in Figure 10, if the barcode 107 of the inspection object 601, which has a square cross section, is affixed to one or more of the four sides, the inspection object reading device 100G is composed of barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D, and L-shaped inspection object holding ribs 602A, 602B, 602C, and 602D.

[0094] In this case, the four corners of the inspection object 601 are fixed by L-shaped inspection object holding ribs 602A, 602B, 602C, and 602D. The L-shaped inspection object holding ribs 602A, 602B, 602C, and 602D prevent the inspection object 601 from rotating, and ensure that the surface of the barcode 107 does not move out of the irradiation range of the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D.

[0095] Furthermore, the barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D are positioned so that the irradiation optical axis is not perpendicular to the surface of the barcode 107. For example, when applied to the conveyance line of the third embodiment, if the surface of the barcode 107 is flat, such as a rectangle, the angle between the irradiation optical axis and the surface of the barcode 107 does not change even if the inspection object 601 is translated. Therefore, by shifting the irradiation optical axis from the normal vector of the surface of the barcode 107 in advance, it is possible to avoid a decrease in reading accuracy due to specular reflection.

[0096] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the inspection object reading device and inspection object reading method of the first embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0097] The test object reading device and test object reading method according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the test object reading device and test object reading method according to the first embodiment described above.

[0098] Example 7 An inspection object reading device and an inspection object reading method according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection object reading device according to the seventh embodiment.

[0099] The inspection object reading device 100H of this embodiment shown in FIG. 11 is suitable for reading inspection objects 101 conveyed on belt conveyors 301A and 301B arranged in multiple rows.

[0100] FIG. 11 shows a configuration in which the barcode 107 is read while the test object 101 is being transported on two horizontal belt conveyors 301 and 301B.

[0101] 11, belt conveyors 301A and 301B similar to those in Example 3 are arranged adjacent to each other. In this case, barcode readers 102C and 102E located between the belt conveyors 301A and 301B are arranged so that the optical axis of the irradiation light from each of them is tilted at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the horizontal direction and at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the vertical direction with respect to the normal vector of the inspection surface on which the barcode 107 of the inspection object 101 is provided. In addition, by arranging them so that they irradiate the inspection object 101, it becomes possible to arrange them so that the irradiation optical axes of each of them do not interfere with each other's irradiation optical axes.

[0102] The other barcode readers 102A, 102B, 102D, 102F, 102G, and 102H are positioned so that the optical axis of the irradiated light is tilted at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the horizontal direction and at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the vertical direction relative to the normal vector of the inspection surface on which the barcode 107 of the inspection object 101 is located.

[0103] The configuration is not limited to two rows horizontally, but by increasing the number of belt conveyors, it is possible to realize a multi-row configuration of three or more rows.

[0104] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the inspection object reading device and inspection object reading method of the first embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0105] The test object reading device and test object reading method of the seventh embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the test object reading device and test object reading method of the first embodiment described above.

[0106] <Other> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. The above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the described configurations.

[0107] It is also possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment, or to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G, 100H...Inspection body reader 101...Inspection object (circular cross section) 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, 102F, 102G, 102H...Barcode reader 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, 103F, 202A, 202B...Ribs for holding test object 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, 104F...Optical axis 105A, 105B, 105C...Normal vector 106...Tangent line 107...Barcode 201A, 201B, 201C…Irradiation light 301, 301A, 301B...Belt conveyor (transport device) 401...Controller 501A, 501B... Jig for holding test object 601...Inspection object (cross section is square) 602A, 602B, 602C, 602D...L-shaped inspection body holding rib

Claims

1. An inspection body reader that reads a barcode provided on an inspection body having a circular cross section and ribs supporting its sides at at least three points, Equipped with two or more self-luminous barcode readers, The two or more barcode readers An illumination area formed by combining illumination lights emitted from two or more of the barcode readers covers the entire surface on which the barcode is provided, and the optical axis of the irradiated light is inclined at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the horizontal direction and at an angle greater than 0° in absolute value in the vertical direction with respect to a normal vector of an inspection surface on which the barcode of the object to be inspected is provided, two or more of the optical axes are all deviated from the normal vector of the inspection surface; each of said optical axes being offset with respect to all other said optical axes; The ribs are plates parallel to one of the optical axes and are discretely arranged on the side surface of the test object.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

2. 2. The test piece reading device according to claim 1, The barcode readers are arranged at equal intervals around the test object; an arrangement such that an angle between the optical axis and the normal vector is greater than 0° and less than 20° in the horizontal direction, and greater than 0° and less than 30° in the vertical direction; The rib is disposed between the plurality of barcode readers.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

3. 3. The test piece reading device according to claim 2, Six of the barcode readers are provided, Six of the barcode readers are arranged at 60° intervals around the test object; The angle between the optical axis and the normal vector is 10° in the horizontal direction and 15° in the vertical direction.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

4. 2. The test piece reading device according to claim 1, The rib is configured to absorb the irradiated light.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

5. 2. The test piece reading device according to claim 1, a transport device that transports the inspection object is provided with an area in which the barcode reader scans the inspection object in all directions; The barcode reader reads information about the test object located in the area.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

6. 6. The test piece reading device according to claim 5, The area is configured by disposing the barcode readers at different positions so that the irradiated light does not overlap, and scanning parts of the area in all directions in sequence while the inspection object is being transported.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

7. 2. The test piece reading device according to claim 1, Further provided is a controller that causes the barcode reader to emit light at different times.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

8. 8. The test piece reading device according to claim 7, If the reading of the barcode is successful, the controller ends the reading operation, and if the reading of the barcode is unsuccessful, the controller selects one of the barcode readers that has not yet emitted light and causes it to emit light.

1. A test object reading device comprising:

9. A test object reading method for reading a barcode, comprising: The barcode is read by a plurality of barcode readers, each of which is offset from all the normal vectors of the inspection surface, and each of which is a plate parallel to one of the optical axes and is discretely arranged on the side of the inspection object. The barcode is read by a plurality of barcode readers, each of which is offset from all the other optical axes, and the ribs are plates parallel to one of the optical axes and are discretely arranged on the side of the inspection object. A method for reading an object to be inspected, comprising:

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