Recognition apparatus, recognition method, storage medium, management system, and conveyance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10121040-B2
Application number	US-201715497500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A recognition apparatus includes one or more processors, a memory to store a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to extract an optically-readable symbol from an optically captured image including an image of the optically-readable symbol, the optically-readable symbol including a first cell line having a plurality of first cells, and one or more second cell lines each having one or more second cells, each of the one or more second cell lines connected to respective ones of the plurality of first cells of the first cell line, recognize first information expressed by the first cell line included in the extracted optically-readable symbol, recognize second information expressed by the one or more second cell lines included in the extracted optically-readable symbol, and acquire identification information included in the optically-readable symbol based at least in part on the first information and the second information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recognition apparatus comprising:
one or more processors;
a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
extract an optically-readable symbol from an optically captured image including an image of the optically-readable symbol, the optically-readable symbol including a first cell line having a plurality of first cells, and one or more second cell lines each having one or more second cells, each of the one or more second cell lines connected to respective ones of the plurality of first cells of the first cell line;
recognize first information expressed by the first cell line included in the extracted optically-readable symbol;
recognize second information expressed by the one or more second cell lines included in the extracted optically-readable symbol;
synthesize the recognized first information and the recognized second information based on connection information of the first cells composing the first cell line and connection information of the one or more second cells in the one or more second cell lines; and
acquire identification information included in the optically-readable symbol based at least in part on the recognized first information and the recognized second information.

2. The recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
recognize the second information respectively expressed by the one or more second cell lines by processing the one or more second cell lines in parallel.

3. The recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
extract the optically-readable symbol based on a shape set for the optically-readable symbol.

4. The recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
extract the optically-readable symbol based on color information of each of pixels in the optically captured image including the image of the optically-readable symbol.

5. The recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
recognize one of the second cell lines and one of the first cells composing the first cell line connected to the one of the second cell lines as the second information.

6. The recognition apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
recognize a color transition between adjacent cells among the one or more of second cells composing one of the second cell lines and one of the first cells composing the first cell line connected to the one of the second cell lines as the second information.

7. The recognition apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
recognize the number of times of color transition between adjacent cells of the first cells composing the first cell line as the first information, and
recognize a value obtained by detecting a color transition between adjacent cells among the one or more of second cells composing one of the second cell lines and one of the first cells composing the first cell line connected to the one of the second cell lines as the second information.

8. The recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
recognize a color transition between adjacent cells among the first cells composing the first cell line as the first information.

9. The recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first information indicates the number of digits set for the identification information.

10. The recognition apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of instructions stored in the memory further cause the one or more processors to:
recognize a sequential order of the first cells composing the first cell line as the first information to determine the number of digits set for the first cell line.

11. A management system comprising:
the recognition apparatus of claim 1 ; and
a management apparatus including circuitry, the circuitry being configured to:
acquire the optically captured image including an image of the optically-readable symbol, the optically-readable symbol being attached on a face of an article and including the first cell line and the one or more second cell lines that together express the identification information;
acquire the identification information based on the recognized first information and the recognized second information;
acquire position information indicating a position of the optically-readable symbol included in the optically captured image, and
correlate the identification information and the position information to manage the identification information and the position information in association.

12. A conveyance system comprising:
the management system of claim 11 ; and
a conveyance control apparatus to control an operation of a conveyance apparatus based on an instruction,
wherein the conveyance control apparatus receives the identification information from the management system, acquires a position indicated by the position information correlated to the identification information received from the management apparatus of the management system, and controls an operation of the conveyance apparatus locating at the position corresponding to the acquired position information.

13. A method of recognizing optically-readable information, the method comprising:
extracting an optically-readable symbol from an optically captured image including an image of the optically-readable symbol, the optically-readable symbol including a first cell line having a plurality of first cells, and one or more second cell lines each having one or more second cells, each of the one or more second cell lines connected to respective ones of the plurality of first cells of the first cell line;
recognizing first information expressed by the first cell line included in the extracted optically-readable symbol;
recognizing second information expressed by the one or more second cell lines included in the extracted optically-readable symbol;
synthesizing the recognized first information and the recognized second information based on connection information of the first cells composing the first cell line and connection information of the one or more second cells in the one or more second cell lines; and
acquiring identification information included in the optically-readable symbol based at least in part on the recognized first information and the recognized second information.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the recognizing step recognizes the second information respectively expressed by the one or more second cell lines by processing the one or more second cell lines in parallel.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the extracting step extracts the optically-readable symbol based on a shape set for the optically-readable symbol.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the recognizing step recognizes one of the second cell lines and one of the first cells composing the first cell line connected to the one of the second cell lines as the second information.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the recognizing step recognizes a color transition between adjacent cells among the first cells com

Assignees

• Katayama Hiroshi
• Kudo Koichi
• Okamoto Toshihiro
• Sadasue Tamon
• Oikawa Ken
• Bando Hanako
• Maeda Daisuke
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Katayama Hiroshi
• Kudo Koichi
• Okamoto Toshihiro
• Sadasue Tamon
• Oikawa Ken
• Bando Hanako
• Maeda Daisuke

Classifications

• G06K7/1443 Primary

  locating of the code in an image · CPC title

• G06K7/1456

  determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore · CPC title

• G06K7/10712 Primary

  Fixed beam scanning · CPC title