High speed scan bar code reader which can read more than one type of bar

Abstract

A bar code reader using a high speed scanner, containing: a scanning unit scanning a surface on which a bar code is printed; a bar width detecting unit successively detecting widths of bars; a bar width storing unit storing the widths; an address generating unit generating an address of the bar width storing unit at which each of the widths is to be stored; a fast screening unit determining whether a set of widths successively detected by the bar width detecting unit satisfies a predetermined condition for the set of widths constituting a complete bar code; and a bar code decoding unit reading a set of successive widths from the generated address, and decoding the bar code determined by the complete bar code detecting unit. A type of bar code detecting unit detecting a type of bar code constituted by the detected widths, and an address & type storing unit storing the detected type of bar code, together with information on the generated addresses for the widths of the bar code, may be inserted. The bar code decoding unit contains specific type decoding units for respectively decoding types of bar codes. The bar code decoding unit reads the stored widths from the addresses indicated by the information stored in the address & type storing unit, and decodes the bar code using one of the specific type decoding unit corresponding to the type stored in the address & type storing unit together with the above information.