JPH0788437A - Handling device for paper leaf - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance handling efficiency by reducing the throughput of mail which has been undiscriminated by means of a handling device for mail. CONSTITUTION:A handling device for mail is equipped with a supply part 1 for supplying mail A, a detector which is provided in the supply part 1 and detects the supplying state of mail A, a scanner 5, a discrimination part 2, a conveyance system 9 for conveying mail A passed through the scanner 5, a column pass part 10 and an undiscriminating buffer part 12. The scanner 5 is provided in the supply part 1 and reads information such as a zip code and an address recorded on the surface of mail A as an image. The discrimination part 2 decides a sorting box 11 by recognizing the image read by the scanner 5 and controls supply of each mail A in accordance with the state of detection in the respective detectors. The column pass part 10 sorts mail A conveyed by the conveyance system 9 into the correspondent sorting box 11. Undiscriminated mail A is accumulated in the undiscriminating buffer part 12 and returned to the supply part 1 by control of the discrimination part 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a postal matter processing apparatus for reading information recorded on the surface of a paper sheet, such as a postal matter, for image recognition and sorting the paper sheet into a corresponding sorting box. Related to the paper sheet processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a paper sheet processing apparatus for reading information on paper sheets, for example, a zip code and an address written on a postal matter, etc. by image recognition and sorting them into corresponding boxes, there is, for example, a postal matter processing apparatus. However, the time to read the postal code and address from the mail is determined based on the processing speed of the entire device.For example, if the postal code and address are written on a wide area of the surface of the mail, Although the postal code and address of a mail piece can be recognized and identified without being completely read, in this case, the mail cannot be identified and is accumulated in the unidentifiable pocket due to a problem on the device side. Once the mail is stored in the unidentifiable pocket, it will be reprocessed from the beginning, and improvement in processing efficiency is desired.

In a conventional mail processing apparatus, when a scanner reads character information recorded and printed on the surface of a mail conveyed at a predetermined speed, such as a zip code and an address, an image reading process and an image are performed. A limit time (100 msec, etc.) is set for each step such as recognition processing. Therefore, the scanner scans and scans the surface of the mail within the time that the mail passes through itself, and the discriminating unit recognizes the image based on the image data read by the scan, and the classification of the mail is classified. I have decided on my pocket. The image recognition time of this discriminating unit is also determined, and at least after the mail passes through the scanner and before it passes through the stepped path, the image recognition must be performed to determine the classification pocket which is the sorting destination of the mail. .

Further, when the information is not completely read by the above-mentioned scanning and scanning, the postal matter becomes unidentified and is sorted into unidentifiable boxes (excluding collection boxes, etc.) other than the sorting boxes provided in the sorting section. . The mail items sorted in the unidentifiable box are manually sorted as those that cannot be sorted by this device.

By the way, among the mail items sorted in the unidentifiable boxes of this mail processing device, there are many mail items in which the address is correctly entered (which can be classified by this mail processing device).

[0006] For example, in the case where this mail processing device processes a mail piece in which information other than the mail address such as an advertisement is scattered near the mail address, the image of the mail address area is cut out from the entire image read by the scanner. It takes time to recognize the part of the postal code and address, and the limit time is exceeded, and the determination unit will determine the destination during the process, and as a result of this determination, it will be classified into an unidentifiable box. It

However, it is not a good idea to classify even the mail items with the correct address into the unidentifiable boxes, because the processing efficiency of the entire apparatus is lowered and the work by the person is increased.

[0008]

As described above, in the above-mentioned conventional mail processing apparatus, that is, the paper sheet processing apparatus, even if the mail address is correctly written, each processing step can be performed in a limited time. Therefore, for example, when a lot of characters are written on the mail, the destination is determined during the image reading or the image recognition process, and as a result, it is classified into the unidentifiable box and the manual reclassification is performed. However, there is a problem in that the processing efficiency is reduced due to the requirement of.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and improves the processing efficiency by correctly classifying paper sheets such as mails in which a lot of character information is written without making them indistinguishable. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper sheet processing apparatus that can be used.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the paper sheet processing apparatus of the present invention reads the information recorded on the surface of the paper sheet and stores it in a plurality of boxes based on the information. In a paper sheet processing apparatus for classifying the paper sheets, information reading means for reading information recorded on the surface of the paper sheets, and image recognition for image recognition based on the information read by the information reading means Means and a paper sheet sorting means for distinguishing the paper sheet based on the image recognition result of the image recognition means into a box for distinguishing and classifying the paper sheet and an unidentifiable box, and the paper sheet sorting means. The paper sheets re-feeding means for accumulating the paper sheets sorted in the unidentifiable box and re-supplying them to the information reading means in the standby state, and re-feeding them to the information reading means by the paper sheet re-feeding means. The information reading means for the supplied paper sheets It has and a time adjustment means for information reading time and image recognition time of the image recognition unit longer than normal.

The information reading means of the paper sheet processing apparatus varies the image reading scan within the reading time range adjusted by the time adjusting means.

[0012]

According to the present invention, paper sheets that have been identified poorly in the first image reading process are accumulated in the paper sheet re-supplying means. Then, when the information reading means enters the standby state, the paper sheets there are re-supplied. At this time, the information reading time and the image recognition time of the paper sheet are set longer than usual, and the image reading process and the image recognition process are performed.

Therefore, the paper sheets that could not be classified because the image reading time and the image recognition time were short are now classified by the second processing, and the paper sheets that are conventionally unidentifiable, The number of paper sheets that require so-called manual reprocessing is reduced, and the processing efficiency can be improved.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a mail processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the paper sheet processing apparatus of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mail processing apparatus is roughly classified into a supply unit 1 for supplying a mail A and a mail A.
Is divided into a discriminating section 2 for discriminating the mail, a sorting section 3 for sorting and accumulating the postal matter A, and the like.

The supply unit 1 is provided with a plurality of detectors (not shown) for detecting the supply state of the mail A at various places.
Further, the feeding section 1 is provided with a conveyor belt 4 for feeding the postal matter A one by one. Further, the supply unit 1 is provided with a scanner 5 for reading, as an image, character information such as a postal code and an address recorded on the surface of the mail A supplied by the conveyor belt 4. The scanner 5 includes a speed adjuster 6 for adjusting the transfer speed of the transfer belt 4 to a normal speed and a speed lower than the normal speed, and the surface of the postal matter A within the time of the speed adjusted by the speed adjuster 6. And a scanning unit 7 for scanning an image to read an image. The speed adjuster 6 is provided with an operation / display panel 8.

The sorting unit 3 is provided with a transport system 9 for transporting the postal matter A that has passed through the scanner 5. Further, the postal matter A conveyed by the conveying system 9 is sent to the sorting section 3.
A step pass unit 10 that divides the data according to an instruction from the determination unit 2 is provided. Further, in the sorting unit 3, a plurality of boxes in which the mail items A sorted by the step pass unit 10 are accumulated, for example, a sorting box in which the mail items A identified by the discriminating unit 2 are accumulated according to each destination. From the pocket 11, the unidentifiable buffer unit 12 as the sheet mail re-supplying unit for accumulating the postal items that the scanner 5 cannot read, the postal items that the identification unit 2 cannot identify, and the like. An evacuation collection box 13 or the like is provided in which the mail A re-supplied to the supply unit 1 is further collected if it cannot be identified. The unidentifiable buffer unit 12 is arranged adjacent to the supply unit 1 even in the partition unit 3. Each box including the unidentifiable buffer unit 12 is provided with a detector for notifying the discriminating unit 2 of the accumulated amount of the postal matter A. The unidentifiable buffer unit 12 is provided with rollers 14 and the like for returning the postal matter A accumulated therein to the transport belt 4 of the supply unit 1 according to an instruction from the determination unit 2. Further, the partitioning section 3 is provided with a jam / full lamp 15 and a speaker 16 which indicate that a plurality of boxes are full.

Next, the configuration of the control system of this mail processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the control system of this mail processing apparatus is mainly provided in the discrimination unit 2. In the discrimination unit 2, a photoelectric conversion unit 21 that converts the image information obtained by the scanning unit 7 of the scanner 5 into an analog signal, and the analog signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion unit 21 is a binary digital signal (image). A / D conversion unit 22 for converting into a data), and image recognition processing is performed by a predetermined program based on the image data input from the A / D conversion unit 22 via the input port 23 A central processing unit 24 (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) having a function of identifying character information such as an address and an address to determine a destination classification box, and instructing to distribute the supply of the mail A according to the detection status of each detector. ), A read only memory 25 (hereinafter referred to as a ROM) that stores the program of the CPU 24,
A pattern memory 26 for temporarily storing image data obtained by the CPU 24, such as a postal code and an address, a CPU 24
The output port 27 for sending the instruction (command) to the speed regulator 6 and the stage pass unit 10 and the like.

Next, the operation of the mail processing apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In this mail processing apparatus, when the mail A is supplied from the supply unit 1 one by one to the scanner 5 (step
301), the scanner 5 reads the character information such as the postal code and address on the mail piece by the scanning unit 7 within a normal time limit (step 302), and the photoelectric conversion unit 21 photoelectrically converts the photoelectrically converted A / D. The image data digitized by the conversion unit 22 is taken into the CPU 24 of the determination unit 2 via the input port 23. The image data taken in by the CPU 24 is stored in the pattern memory 26 as fine pixel data.

Next, the judging section 2 takes out the image data from the pattern memory 26, and the scanner 5 passes the step pass section 1
Image recognition processing is performed within the time before the mail A reaches 0.

As a result of this image recognition processing, when the CPU 24 identifies the destination from the image data (step 303),
The regular sorting pocket 11 corresponding to the address is determined, and the step pass unit 10 is instructed to sort the mail item A through the output port 27, and the step pass unit 10 is instructed by the delivery system 9 to send the mail. The article A is sorted into the regular sorting pocket 11 (step 304).

On the other hand, as a result of the image recognition processing, if the image data cannot be identified (step 303) and the image recognition processing this time is the first time (step 305), the CPU 24 causes the mail item which has obtained the image data. Instead of putting A in the stacking box for exclusion 13, it is first sorted and stored in the unidentified buffer section 12 (step 306). In the scanning unit 7, a mail item whose character information could not be read within the normal time limit is stored in the unidentifiable buffer unit 12 because the destination cannot be identified even if the image data of the mail item is recognized.

Now, the CPU 24 monitors the amount of the postal matter A such as the sorting pocket 11 and the feeding section 1 by the respective detectors in the apparatus at predetermined time intervals, and the detector provided in the feeding section 1 causes the scanner to scan. When it is detected that the postal matter A to be supplied to No. 5 is no longer in the supply section 1 (when the supply section 1 is in the standby state) (step 307), the CPU 24 performs the normal processing of the postal matter supply speed of the supply section 1. The speed regulator 6 is instructed through the output port 27 to make the speed slower than the hour speed.

The CPU 24 uses the unidentified buffer unit 1
Mails accumulated in the unidentifiable buffer unit 12 by driving the second roller 14 (items that are unidentifiable in the first process)
Are taken out, merged with the conveyor belt 4 of the supply unit 1, and supplied again to the scanner 5.

At this time, since the postal matter supply speed of the supply unit 1 is slower than the normal processing speed, the scanning unit 7 takes a lot of time to scan the postal matter because of the slow speed. The range setting on the mail when performing this scanning is performed by changing the processing execution algorithm of the CPU 24. Scanner 5
The CPU 24 monitoring each unit by each detector also determines whether the postal matter supplied to the unit is from the supply unit 1 or the unidentified buffer unit 12.

When the postal matter supplied to the scanner 5 is from the unidentifiable buffer section 12, for example, the time limit of the scanning process performed by the scanning section 7 is, for example, 100 msec to 15 msec.
Since the processing time is extended to 0 msec or the like, the CPU 24 takes more time than the normal processing to perform the maximum processing that can be processed within the extended time (processing such as address detection and increase of cutout candidates).

The postal matter that can be read by this means (such as one having a large number of characters even if the letter of the address is beautiful or having a wide range of entry of the letter) depends on the zip code and the address recognized by the image by the CPU 24. The regular division pocket 11 of the division section 4 is divided and accumulated.

Further, as a result of supplying the postal matter A from the unidentifiable buffer section 12 to the scanner 5 again, the postal matter A which has become unreadable is rejected as an unreadable article (step 308) and the stacking box 13 for exclusion. It is divided into.

[0031] The result of this series of processing is displayed on the monitor of the operation / display panel 8.

As described above, according to the mail processing apparatus of the present embodiment, even the mail A that cannot be read or identified due to the determined time limit is again supplied to the scanner, and at that time, the mail. Since the character information of (1) is read over a longer time than the normal processing, the number of mail items A can be unreadable and the mail processing efficiency of the apparatus itself can be improved.

Further, in the second image recognition process, since the process of cutting out the areas such as the postal code and the address can be performed over time, the postal code and the address can be identified more accurately.

[0034]

As described above, according to the paper sheet processing apparatus of the present invention, the paper sheets initially determined to be indistinguishable are re-supplied to the waiting information reading means for a longer time than usual. Since the processing is performed in step S1, it becomes possible to sort the paper sheets that were conventionally indistinguishable due to the time limit, and the processing efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a mail processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a control system of the mail processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of this mail processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: postal matter, 1 ... supply section, 2 ... determination section, 3 ... sorting section, 4
... conveyance belt, 5 ... scanner, 6 ... speed adjuster, 7 ... scanning section, 8 ... operation / display panel, 9 ... conveyance system, 10 ... step path section, 11 ... sorting box, 12 ... unrecognizable buffer section, 13
... Exclusion collection box, 14 ... Roller, 15 ... Jam / full lamp, 16 ... Speaker, 21 ... Photoelectric conversion part, 22 ... A /
D converter, 23 ... Input port, 24 ... CPU, 25 ... R
OM, 26 ... Pattern memory, 27 ... Output port.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A paper sheet processing apparatus for reading information recorded on the surface of a paper sheet and dividing the paper sheet into a plurality of boxes based on the information, Information reading means for reading the recorded information, image recognition means for recognizing the image based on the information read by the information reading means, and for identifying the paper sheet based on the image recognition result of the image recognition means Paper sheet sorting means for sorting into a box to be sorted and an unidentifiable box that cannot be identified, and the sheet sheets that have been sorted into the unidentifiable box by this sheet sheet sorting means are accumulated, and the information is read on standby. For the paper sheet re-supplying means for re-supplying to the means, and for the paper sheet re-supplied to the information reading means by the paper sheet re-supplying means, the information reading time of the information reading means and the image recognition means Image recognition time is longer than normal Sheet processing apparatus characterized by comprising a time adjusting means for. 2. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information reading unit changes the image reading scan within a reading time range adjusted by the time adjusting unit. Processing equipment.