Abstract: A bar code reading apparatus includes a light source device including at least one laser diode light source and having a function of emitting a plurality of laser beams, a mirror device, allowing the laser beams to pass therethrough, and directing reflected light in a specific direction, a deflection device having a deflector for receiving the laser beams passing through the mirror device and forming scanning lines for scanning a bar code symbol on an object to be read, a photoelectric transducer device for receiving reflection light corresponding to the laser light reflected by the object to be read through the deflection device and the mirror device, and a decoding device for decoding a signal obtained by the photoelectric transducer device. The laser beams radiated from the light source devices are emitted at different timings. The decoding device decodes the signal obtained by the transducer device in accordance with the timings of the laser beams emitted from the light source device.

Abstract: A bar code reading device includes a code reading section for reading a bar code attached to an article by emitting a light beam through a window and receiving therethrough the light beam reflected from the bar code, and a manual input section for inputting article information by operation of a keyboard. In the bar code reading device, the manual input section includes a transparent liquid crystal display panel, a transparent touch sensor panel disposed on the liquid crystal display panel, and a control circuit for selectively setting one of a manual input mode and an automatic reading mode, driving the liquid crystal display panel so as to display an image of keyboard in the manual input mode and to erase the image of keyboard in the automatic reading mode, and reading key-in data entered by touching portions of the touch sensor panel with reference to the image of the displayed keyboard in the manual input mode.

Abstract: An improved disc player which is capable of preventing unnecessary movement of a pickup through simple construction so as to protect the pickup against any damage.

Abstract: A money can be withdrawn from one's bank account with a cash data corresponding to the to-be-drawn money amount written in the storage area of a portable IC card or the like. The bank account consists of a first storage area of account balance and transaction data and a second storage area for data indicative of a money amount shifted from the first account as cash data. In case of a money deposit, a data corresponding to a money amount to be deposited is subtracted from a cash data stored in the IC card or the like, and the data corresponding to the money amount to be deposited is written into the first storage area. The data indicative of the drawn money amount stored in the above-mentioned second storage area is updated. Also, when a money is transferred from his bank account to another's account, such as for a commercial transaction, the intended transaction amount is first compared against the cash data stored in the IC card or the like.

Abstract: An IC card reader comprising card positioning or guide means, optionally means for verifying that the card is present in the reader in a position suitable for being read, and contact elements for providing electrical connection with conducting pads on the IC card, whereby circuits are established with the apparatus containing the IC card reader. The reader further comprises: a rocking lever (400 including a central pivot (41); an actuating cam (47) on one side of the pivot and against which a card (2) being inserted comes to bear at the end of its insertion stroke, thereby pivoting the lever from a rest position to a pressure-applying position; a pressure cam (51) on the other side of the pivot for bearing against the card when the rocking lever is in its pressure-applying position, thereby bending the card towards the contact elements (4); and resilient return means (45, 46) returning the rocking lever to its rest position when it is not engaged by a card inserted in the reader.

Abstract: A recognition method and apparatus is disclosed which provides information on what type of barcode is to be recognized and the strategy to be applied in identifying and decoding the barcode. For N raster lines of a dimension "x", an array of one byte sums of dimension "x" is created. The sums are the sum of the "1" bits in the rectangular binary image input array in the N lines of the image. A new array can be generated which will have a dimension equal to the number of changes from black to white in the original "x-y" digital image. The values in this array will represent the length of each run of same color pels. These runs are then normalized according to rules of a particular barcode standard being handled.

Abstract: A scanning method and scanning system according to the present invention determines the bar code data printed on a pair of concatenated, two-segment bar code labels, which labels have been scanned by repeatedly sweeping a beam in a succession of scanning passes to determine the left segment data and the right segment data of each of the pair of labels. The labels are of the type in which the left segment data and the right segment data are combinable to form a valid checksum. During scanning, it is noted if a left segment and a right segment were scanned during a single scanning pass across either or both of the pair of labels. Left segment data from a first left segment is combined with right segment data from a first right segment. If a valid first checksum results, the same left data is combined with right segment data from a second right segment. If a valid second checksum results, then left segment data from the second left segment is combined with right segment data from the first right segment.