GB2222819A

GB2222819A - Page turner

Info

Publication number: GB2222819A
Application number: GB8918721A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nobuo Fujimoto; Masashi Inoue
Original assignee: Hitachi Ltd
Current assignee: Hitachi Ltd
Priority date: 1988-08-24
Filing date: 1989-08-16
Publication date: 1990-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-16
Also published as: JPH07119154B2; GB2222819B; GB8918721D0; JPH0257394A

Abstract

In consecutively turning over pages of a pass-book or the like, the number of pages to be consecutively turned over is preset, and upon reception of an instruction to turn over pages greater than the preset number of pages, the instructed pages are divided into blocks based on the preset number of pages. Then, the pages of the pass-book are consecutively turned over independently for each block, to thereby realize a reliable consecutive page turning-over operation for the pass- book.

Description

METHOD OF CONSECUTIVELY TURNING OVER LEAVES OF BANK PASS-BOOK OR THE LIKE A bank business handling apparatus, such as a cash dispenser having as one of its function to enter an account in a bank pass-book or the like, prints a drawn money amount, deposited money amount, balance of the like on a predetermined page of the pass-book every time an account such as a payment account, or deposit account is made.

For such account entry, there occurs a case where a plurality of pages of the pass-book is required to be turned over. For example, there are the following two cases necessiating to turn over a plurality of pages. One case results from en insertion by a customer of a pass-book with its opened page being different from the page at which an account is to be printed out.

The other case results from a necessity of account posting from one type of account at a certain page to another type of account at a different page, if a pass-book contains a plurality type of accounts such as an ordinary deposit and fixed deposit and if an account is required to be divisionally entered into a plurality type of accounts.

There is known a method whereby if a plurality of pages are to be turned over, the pass-book is once ejected out of the apparatus to make the customer to turn over the pages, and then re-inserted into the apparatus. With this method, however, turning over pages is manually carried out, so that automation and reduction in man power in bank business are hindred.

In view of this, there has been proposed a page turningover apparatus for automatically turning over pages of a bank-book, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication JP-A-54-123324. This automatic page turning-over apparatus turns over a single page while a page turning-over roller is rotated once.

Every time a single page is turned over, the pass-book is moved in a predetermined direction to confirm the page code on the turned page. Therefore, it takes a long time for turning over a plurality of pages. To solve this problem, there has been proposed another automatic page turning-over apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication JP-A-57-142398.

With this page turning-over apparatus, a plurality of pages of a pass-book is consecutively turned over without moving the pass-book to another place, thereby reducing the time required for page turning. operation. According to this apparatus, there is calculated a difference between a page number (on which page an account is to be printed out) read from a magnetic stripe recorded in the pass-book and the page number (the actually opened page) optically detected. The pages corresponding to the difference are consecutively turned over. There occurs, however, a large possibility of generating "failure of turning" and "excessive turning", if this apparatus is used for consecutively turning over a large number of pages, depending upon a friction force between the page turning-over roller and leaves of a pass-book.

The "failure of turning" means that a page is not turned over even if the page turning-over roller is rotated once, and the "excessive turning" means that a plurality of pages are turned over although the roller is rotated only once. Such possibility becomes larger as the number of pages to be turned over becomes great. If the number of pages to be consecutively turned over is small, there is little possibility of generating the "failure of turning" or "excessive turning". If the number of pages is large, the possibility becomes large.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a page turning-over method capable of making as small as possible the possibility of generating "failure of turning" and "excessive turning" even if the number of pages as instructed (e.g., from an upper hierarchy apparatus) to be consecutively turned over, is large.

The above object is achieved by presetting the number of pages to be consecutively turned over, and upon reception of an instruction to turn over pages greater than the preset number of pages, dividing the pages as instructed into blocks based on the preset number of pages, to thereby consecutively turn over the pages for each block independently. The turned pages for each divided block are checked if the pages have been turned over correctly, thereby realizing a page turning-over operation for a pass-book more correctly.

The preset number of pages to be consecutively turned over is set, for example, at an empirically obtained value by which the possibility of generating "failure of turning" and "excessive turning" becomes substantially zero, thereby allowing a high reliability consecutive page turning-over operation.

An embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of a pass-book handling apparatus mounted with page turning-over means embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a pass-book with its leaf turned over and opened by the page turning-over means; Fig. 3 illustrates the operation of consecutively turning over pages of a pass-book by the page turning-over means; Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the overall procedure executed by the pass-book handling apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the procedure of a consecutive page turning-over process; and Figs. 6A to 6D illustrate the operation of consecutively turning over pages of a pass-book for each block.

The overall structure of the pass-book handling apparatus mounted with page turning-over means embodying the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1.

There is mounted within an apparatus main body 1 (e.g., an account entering apparatus) a transport unit 2 for receiving or returning a pass-book 20.

The transport unit 2 is constructed of an insert 3 mounted at one end portion of the transport passage, a pair of upper and lower paper guides 4 disposed along the transport passage, and a plurality pair of upper and lower feed rollers 5 disposed at predetermined positions along the transport passage.

When the pass-book 20 is inserted via the insert 3 into the transport unit 2, the upper and lower roller pairs 5, while rotating, squeeze the pass-book 20 to take it within the apparatus along the paper guides 4. When the feed rollers 5 rotate reversely, the pass-book 20 taken within the apparatus is returned to the insert 3.

At predetermined positions of the transport passage within the transport unit 2, there are mounted a magnetic reader/writer 6 for magnetically reading/ writing data from/in the pass-book 20, an optical sensor 7 for reading data from the pass-book 20, a printer 8 for printing data on the pass-book 20, and page turningover means 10.

The pass-book 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The pass-book 20 is a booklet which is opened right and left relative to its binding seam 23, and has a plurality of print pages between the front and back covers thereof. Each page of the pass-book 20 has a plurality of print lines, and is provided with a page code specific to its page. The outside surface of the pass-book cover is provided with a magnetic stripe 21 in which the information necessary for cash account is recorded. The information necessary for account includes fixed information such as an account number, password number and the like, and variable information such as the already printed page number and line, and the like.

The magnetic reader/writer 6 reads data recorded in the magnetic stripe 21 in the pass-book 20. The optical sensor 7 reads the page code 22 in the pass-book 20. The read data are sent via a processing circuit 14 to an upper hierarchy apparatus 9. The printer 8 prints account data on a desired line at a desired page of the pass-book 20 in accordance with an instruction from the upper hierarchy apparatus 9.

The pass-book 20 inserted via the insert 3 is read with the magnetic reader/writer 6 and optical sensor 7, transported to the printer 8 to print data, and if it is not necessary to print data on another page, returned to the insert 6 for reception by the customer.

The page turning-over means 10 is constructed of a page turning-over roller 11 mounted above the transport passage, and a motor 12 for driving the page turning-over roller 11. The motor 12 is electrically connected to the processing circuit via a drive control circuit 13 for controlling the motor 12. When the processing circuit 14 receives an instruction from the upper hierarchy apparatus, the drive control circuit 13 causes the motor 12 to rotate so that the page turningover roller 11 rotates in a counter clockwise direction to turn a page of the pass-book 20.

The operation of consecutively turning over pages is illustrated in Fig. 3. Every time the page turning-over roller 11 rotates once in the counter clockwise direction, one page of the pass-book 20 is turned over. While the pass-book 20 is held in position, the pages from page nl to page nn are consecutively turned over by continuously rotating the page turningover roller 11 n times. It is preferable for the page turning-over roller 11 to have a large friction force against a leaf of the pass-book 20. Therefore, it is made of, for example, rubber or the like substance.

The number of pages of the pass-book 20 to be consecutively turned over is preset at the processing circuit 14. When an instruction to turn over pages greater than the preset number of pages is received from the upper hierarchy apparatus, the pages as instructed to be turned over are divided into blocks based on the preset number of pages. The page turning-over roller 11 consecutively turns over a plurality of pages for each divided block. After completion of consecutively turning over the pages for a block, the pass-book 20 is moved by means of the feed rollers 5 to thereby make flat the turned-over pages of the pass-book 20.

Next, the overall process procedure will be described with reference to Fig. 4. First, an opened pass-book is inserted into the insert 2 (step 401). The data recorded in the magnetic stripe 21 in the pass-book are then read with the magnetic reader/writer 6 (step 402). The customer is identified based on the fixed information in the read data, and the page M of the pass-book 20 to be printed is checked based on the variable information in the read data.

Next, the page code 22 in the pass-book 20 is read with the optical sensor 7 to check the page e actually opened (step 403).

Then, the page M to be printed at this time is compared with the page e actually opened (step 404).

If both the pages M and 6 are coincident with each other, then the pass-book 20is transported to the printer 8 whereat specific account data are printed at the line next to-the last printed line at page M (step 406).

If both the pages M and 6 are not coincide with each other, then the consecutive page turning-over operation is carried out (step 405). Such inconsistency between the pages M and 6 will occur when the customer inadvertently opens the page 6 different from the page M on which account data are to be printed, and inserts it into the apparatus.

After completion of printing at step 406, it is checked if it is necessary to print data on another page of a different type of account (step 407).

If the judgement resulted at step 407 indicates that it is necessary to print data on another page of a different type of account, then the consecutive page turning-over operation is performed (step 408). As described previously, it is necessary to post an entered account from one type of account at a certain page to another type of account at a different page, if a passbook contains a plurality type of accounts such as an ordinary deposit and fixed deposit and if the account is required to be divisionally entered into a plurality type of accounts. In such a case, it is generally required to turn over several pages of the pass-book.

Next, after the consecutive page turning-over operation, specific account data are printed at the opened page with the printer 8 (step 40), the data recorded in the magnetic stripe 21 in the pass-book 20 are renewed (step 410), and the pass-book 20 is returned to the insert 3 (step 411). If the judgement results at step 407 indicates that it is not necessary to print data on another page for a different type of account, then the contents of the magnetic stripe 21 are renewed (step 412) to return the pass-book 20 to the insert 3 (step 413).

Subsequently, after the consecutive page turning-over operation at step 405, account data are printed at page M (step 406) and thereafter, it is checked if it is necessary to print data at another page for a different type of account (step 407).

Next, the consecutive page turning-over process procedure will be described with reference to Fig. 5.

First, the number of pages to be consecutively turned over is preset at the processing circuit 14 (step 501).

Next, if an instruction to turn over pages greater than the preset number of pages, is sent from the upper hierarchy apparatus (step 502), the pages as instructed are divided into blocks based on the number of pages preset at step 501 (step 503).

A plurality of pages of the pass-book 20 for each divided block are consecutively turned over with the page turning-over roller 11 (step 504).

After the consecutive turning-over of the pages for a block, the pass-book 20 is moved with the feed rollers 5 to make flat the turned pages of the pass-book 20 (step 505). Thereafter, the pass-book 20 is transported with the feed rollers 5 to the photosensor 7 to check the page code of the last opened page (step 506).

This page code check is performed in order to determine if the page to be printed this time is coincident with the page last opened during the consecutive page turningover operation for a block.

Next, it is checked if the page turning-over operation for all the divided blocks has been completed (step 507).

If the operation for all the blocks has been completed, the operation terminates. If the judgement resulted at step 507 indicates that the operation for all the blocks has not been completed as yet, then the control returns to step 504 to repeat the consecutive page turning-over operation for the next block.

The operation of consecutively turning over the pages for each block will be described with reference to Figs. 6A to 6D.

It is assumed that the number of pages to be consecutively turned over, as preset at the processing circuit 14, is three. Upon reception of an instruction to turn over five pages from the upper hierarchy apparatus 9, the processing circuit 14 operates to divide the pages as instructed into one block of three pages and another block of remaining two pages.

Then, the drive control circuit 13 operates to continuously rotate the page turning-over roller 11 three times, to thereby consecutively turn over the pages nl to n3 of the pass-book 20, as shown in Fig. 6A.

Subsequently, the pass-book 20 is moved with the feed roller 5 in the direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 6B, to thereby make flat the turned over pages.

Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 6C, the pass-book 20 is moved in a direction indicated by an arrow to the position whereat the consecutive page turning-over operation is carried out with the page turning-over roller 11.

Next, the drive control circuit 13 operates to continuously rotate the page turning-over roller 11 two times, so that the pages n4 and n5 of the pass-book 20 are turned over one after the other.

Thereafter, similar to the preceding block, the pass-book 20 is moved with the feed rollers 5 to make flat the turned pages of the pass-book 20.

As described above, the number of pages to be consecutively turned over is preset, and upon reception of an instruction to turn over pages greater than the preset number of pages, the pages as instructed are divided into blocks based on the preset number of pages.

Then, the pages of the pass-book are consecutively turned over independently for each block. Therefore, even if the number of pages instructed to be turned over, is large, the consecutive page turning-over can be carried out while making as small as possible the possibility of generating "failure of turning" and "excessive turning".

Further, since the consecutive turning-over operation is carried out in units of block, the time required for the turning-operation is becomes shorter than the conventional one where only after a turned over page is checked, the next page is allowed to be turned over. In addition, after the pages for each block have been turned over, the turned over pages are made flat so that it allows a reliable and neat page turning-over operation even for the case a large number of pages are turned over.

Furthermore, after making flat the preset number of turned-over pages, the last turned-over page number is checked so that a correct page turning operation for a pass-book is ensured.

Claims

1. A method of turning over pages of a pass-book comprising the steps of: presetting the number of pages to be consecutively turned over; dividing, upon reception of an instruction to turn over pages greater than said preset number of pages, said instructed pages into blocks based on said preset number of pages; and consecutively turning over the pages of said pass-book independently for each block.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of making flat the turned pages of said pass-book, after said pages for each block have been consecutively turned over.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of checking the last turned page number, after said pages for each block have been consecutively turned over.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said instruction is generated from an upper hierarchy apparatus.

5. A method of turning over pages of a pass-book for a pass-book handling apparatus which includes an insertion/ejection unit for a pass-book, a magnetic reader for reading data recorded in a magnetic recording field in said pass-book, optical reading means for reading a page code in said pass-book, a printer for printing account data onto said pass-book, page turning-over means for turning over pages of said pass-book, transport means for transporting said pass-book, and setting means for setting the number of pages of said pass-book to be consecutively turned over, said method comprising the steps of:: a first step of reading with said magnetic reader the data recorded in said magnetic recording field in said pass-book inserted from said insertion/ejection unit; a second step of reading with said optical reading means said page code in said pass-book; a third step of comparing the data read at said first step with the data read at said second step; a fourth step of transporting, if the comparison result at said third step indicates that it is necessary to turn over a plurality of pages of said pass-book, said pass-book to said page turning-over means by using said transport means; a fifth step of dividing, if the number of pages to be turned over is greater than the number of pages preset by said setting means, said plurality of pages into blocks based on said preset number of pages;; a sixth step of consecutively turning over the pages of said pass-book independently for each block, by using said page turning-over means; a seventh step of transporting, after said plurality of pages have been turned over, said pass-book to said printer by using said transport means; an eighth step of printing account data on the surface of the last turned page by using said printer; and a ninth step of returning, after printing, said pass-book to said insertion/ejection unit.

6. A method of turning over pages of a pass-book for a pass-book handling apparatus which includes an insertion/ejection unit for a pass-book, a printer for printing account data onto said pass-book, page turningover means for turning over pages of said pass-book, transport means for transporting said pass-book, setting means for setting the number of pages of said pass-book to be consecutively turned over, and instruction generating means for generating an instruction to turn over a plurality of pages, said method comprising the steps of:: a first step of transporting said pass-book to said page turning-over means by using said transport means; a second step of dividing, if the number of pages instructed by an instruction generated from said instruction generating means is greater than the number of pages preset by said setting means, said instructed pages into blocks based on said preset number of pages; a third step of consecutively turning over the pages of said pass-book independently for each block by using said page turning-over means; a fourth step of transporting said pass-book to said printer by using said transport means; a fifth step of printing account data on the surface of the last turned-over page by using said printer; and a sixth step of returning, after printing, said pass-book to said insertion/ejection unit.

7. An apparatus for turning over pages of a passbook comprising: means for presetting the number of pages to be consecutively turned over; means for dividing, upon reception of an instruction to turn over pages greater than said preset number of pages, said instructed pages into blocks based on said preset number of pages; and means for consecutively turning over the pages of said pass-book independently for each block.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for making flat the turned pages of said pass-book, after said pages for each block have been consecutively turned over.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising means for checking the last turned page number, after said pages for each block have been consecutively turned over.

10. A pass-book handling apparatus comprising an insertion/ejection unit for a pass-book, a magnetic reader for reading data recorded in a magnetic recording field in said pass-book, optical reading means for reading a page code in said pass-book, a printer for printing account data onto said pass-book, page turning-over means for turning over pages of said pass-book, transport means for transporting said pass-book, and setting means for setting the number of pages of said pass-book to be consecutively turned over, said magnetic reader being adapted to read the data recorded in said magnetic recording field in said pass-book inserted from said insertion/ejection unit, said optical reading means being adapted to read said page code in said pass-book, comprising means being included for comparing the data read by the magnetic reader with the data read by the optical reader, the transporting means being arranged, if the comparison result indicates that it is necessary to turn over a plurality of pages of said pass-book, to transport the pass-book to said page turningover means, the page turning-over means being adapted to turn over consecutively the pages of said pass-book independently for each of a plurality of blocks where said blocks have been obtained by dividing, where the number of pages to be turned over is greater than the number of pages preset by said setting means, said plurality of pages into said blocks based on said preset number of pages, said transporting means being adapted to transport, after said plurality of pages have been turned over, said pass-book to said printer, said printer being adapted to print account data on the surface of the last turned page, and means being included for returning said pass-book, after printing, to said insertion/ejection unit.

11. A pass-book handling apparatus comprising an insertion/ejection unit for a pass-book, a printer for printing account data onto said pass-book, page turningover means for turning over pages of said pass-book, transport means for transporting said pass-book, setting means for setting the number of pages of said pass-book to be consecutively turned over, and instruction generating means for generating an instruction to turn over a plurality of pages, said transport means being adapted to transport said pass-book to said page turning-over means, the page turning-over means being adapted consecutively to turn over the pages of said pass-book independently for each of a plurality of blocks where said blocks have been obtained by dividing, where the number of pages instructed by an instruction generated from said instruction generating means is greater than the number of pages preset by setting means, said instructed pages into said blocks based on said preset number of pages, said transport means being adapted to transport said pass-book to said printer which is adapted to print account data on the surface of the last turned-over page, means being included for returning said pass-book, after printing, to said insertion/ejection unit.

12. Pass-book handling apparatus constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of turning over the pages of a passbook substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.