GB2163266A - Photocopying - Google Patents

Abstract

Winning lottery tickets in a pile 4 are identified, and information from each winning ticket printed on a respective cheque-like voucher together with the winning amount, with the aid of a code reader 5, microcomputer 6, win file 7, variable LCD display 8 for the winning amount, and photocopier 1. The tickets are fed past reader 5 to a masked platen window 2 where images of the unmasked area of a winning ticket (comprising the winner's address and ticket number) and a corresponding LCD display (of the winning amount) are transferred to a copy sheet (Fig. 2). Display 8 may comprise two LCD rows for the winning amount and a further row for the voucher serial number. A hard copy print-out may also be produced for verification purposes. The information in file 7 relating to already fed tickets may be flagged to prevent duplicate printing of vouchers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Voucher generating apparatus The invention relates to apparatus for generating vouchers such as credit slips or cheques.

In the field of lotteries, there is a considerable problem even when winning lottery tickets have been separated from losing tickets in arranging for vouchers such as credit slips or cheques to be prepared for each winner. This is because in a typical lottery there may be a large number of win levels for which different cash prizes are available and/or any one lottery ticket may include a number of games each having different win levels. In the past, these tickets have been manually sorted so that each ticket can be associated with its appropriate win level and a payment voucher of the correct amount is then produced which has to be addressed to the winner whose name and address will appear on the lottery ticket.

It will be appreciated therefore that particularly in the field of lottery ticket processing there is a requirement for rapidly acting apparatus so that a large number of lottery tickets can be processed with a minimum of manual handling. Such apparatus would also have application in other fields where vouchers must be prepared containing information present on instruction sheets.

In accordance with the present invention, we provide voucher generating apparatus comprising indicia transfer apparatus including a window onto which information to be copied is placed; a variable display mounted on the window; a sensor for detecting information on a sheet fed onto the window; and control means for controlling the variable display in response to the information detected by the sensor, the arrangement being such that in use when a sheet is fed onto the indicia transfer apparatus window, information on the sheet and information displayed by the variable display are positioned such that it can be transferred through the window onto a voucher fed through the indicia transfer apparatus.

The indicia transfer apparatus may comprise conventional photocopying apparatus. The indicia transfer apparatus preferably includes an automatic feed system for feeding sheets onto the window so that both information on the sheet and information displayed by the variable display can both be transferred onto a voucher fed through the apparatus.

Preferably, the variable display comprises a plurality of rows of LCDs, at least one row being arranged to display numeric information and another row being arranged to display alpha numeric information. Typically, the alpha numeric row of LCD's will display in words the amount shown in figures by the other row of LCD's. This has particular application where the voucher comprises a cheque.

The numeric row or an additional numeric row could also display a seriai or sequence number.

In one example, where the sheets comprise game tickets,such as lottery tickets, the sensor may be arranged to detect information on the tickets, the control means being arranged to determine from the sensed information the win level of the game ticket.

The information sensed by the sensor may be alpha numeric information which is preferably a code, such as a bar code, indicating the type of win level achieved. Alternatively and in general, the code could be unique to the lottery ticket. In either case, where a code is sensed, the control means conveniently includes a look-up table for determining the win level from the sensed code.

Typically, the control means will comprise a mini or microcomputer. Such a computer can be programmed not only to control the variable display but also to control the overall operation of the apparatus.

Preferably, the sensor comprises an optical or magnetic character reader.

In general, not all the information provided on the sheet should be transferred onto a voucher by the indicia transfer apparatus. It is preferable therefore if a mask is provided on the window whereby when a sheet is placed on the window only a portion of the information on the original sheet is displayed through the window.

In some cases, the elements of the voucher generating apparatus may be integrated into a single unit.

An example of voucher generating apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of the apparatus; and, Figure 2 illustrates schematically a voucher.

The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a conventional photocopying machine 1 such as a Minolta EP650Z. The photocopier 1 has a window 2 onto which information to be copied is placed for exposure through the window whereby vouchers fed through the photocopier are printed with the information visible through the window 2. The photocopier 1 also includes a conventional feed system 3 for feeding sheets from a stack of sheets 4 singly onto the window 2. In this example, it will be assumed that the sheets comprise winning lottery tickets on one side of which is provided the lottery game together with a code to be described below and on the other side of which is provided the winner's name and address.

An optical character reader (OCR) 5 is positioned above the feed path of the tickets in the stack 4 to the window 2 and is connected to a microcomputer 6. If necessary the OCR 5 could be positioned below the feed path if the code to be read was on the downwardly facing surface of the ticket. The OCR 5 is arranged to read a unique number on the ticket as it is fed onto the window 2 and the computer 6 determines from this number the win level on the ticket by reference to a previously generated win file 7 in the form of a look-up table. For example, a bar code could represent a code unique to that ticket, the win file 7 containing details of the win level associated with that particular ticket or alternatively the bar code could represent in coded form the win level itself. Other forms of code could be read by the OCR 5 such as MICR or a punched code.

Two rows of LCDs 8 are mounted on the window 2 in a position adjacent to that portion of the window 2 onto which a ticket will be fed. The LCDs 8 are controlled by the microcomputer 6 in a conventional way to display in numeric and alpha numeric forms respectively the amount corresponding to the win level of the ticket.

A mask 9 is positioned over another portion of the window 2 so that only an address area 10 and a ticket number 11 on the ticket are visible through the window 2. It will be appreciated that in Fig. 1 the areas 1 0, 11 have been indicated although these will be on the underside of each ticket in the stack 4.

In use, a ticket is fed from the stack 4 onto the window 2 by the feed apparatus of the photocopier 1. As the ticket passes underneath the OCR 5, the OCR will read a code on the upper surface of the ticket which is fed to the microcomputer 6. The microcomputer 6 uses the code read by the OCR 5 to access the win file 7 to establish the win level corresponding to that code. If the microcomputer 6 establishes that the fed ticket is a genuine winning ticket then it will cause the two rows of LCDs 8 to display the winning amount in both words and figures. For example: 10.00 TEN POUNDS ONLY Once the ticket has been fed onto the window 2, only the address area 10 and the serial number area 11 will be visible through the window 2 due to the presence of the mask 9.A conventional photocopying process is carried out by feeding a voucher through the photocopier 1 and so the characters displayed by the LCDs 8 and the information in the address area 10 and the ticket number area 11 are transferred onto the voucher as indicated in Fig. 2. The voucher may also include conventional preprinted information which is the same for each voucher. Fig. 2 also illustrates a voucher serial number which could be generated by using a third LCD row (not shown).

In addition, the microcomputer 6 provides a hard copy print-out 1 2 for verification purposes.

In some cases, where the win file 7 contains information relating to each winning ticket, the microcomputer 6 can cause the information in the win file 7 corresponding to a fed ticket to be flagged. Then, if the same ticket was to be fed through again the microcomputer 6 would detect that a voucher had already been printed for this ticket and could cause a cancel message to be displayed by one or both of the rows of LCDs 8 and could cause the apparatus to stop so that the operator is alerted. In addition, if a non-winning ticket was included in the stack 4, this would not be found in the win file 7 and again the microcomputer 6 could be arranged to alert the operator to this fact.

Claims (8)

1. Voucher generating apparatus comprising indicia transfer apparatus including a window onto which information to be copied is placed; a variable display mounted on the window; a sensor for detecting information on a sheet fed onto the window; and control means for controlling the variable display in response to the information detected by the sensor, the arrangement being such that in use when a sheet is fed onto the indicia transfer apparatus window, information on the sheet and information displayed by the variable display are positioned such that it can be transferred through the window onto a voucher fed through the transfer apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the variable display comprises a plurality of rows of LCDs, at least one row being arranged to display numeric information and another row being arranged to display alpha numeric information.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sheets comprise game tickets, the sensor being arranged to detect information on the tickets and the control means being arranged to determine from the sensed information the win level of the game ticket.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information provided on the game ticket comprises a code, the control means including a look-up table for determining the win level from the sensed code.

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor comprises an optical or magnetic character reader.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control means comprises a mini or microcomputer.

7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a mask is provided on the window whereby when a sheet is placed on the window only a portion of the information on the sheet is displayed through the window.

8. Voucher generating apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.