JP2002119922A - Coding system and device for treating mail - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coding system, in which an operator efficiently enables coding treatment in a short time by operation of little fatigue. SOLUTION: In the coding system, at the time for distributing the image of rejected mail to the terminal of each video coding, when at least a part of an address can not be recognized or at least a part of a postal code number can not be recognized, the part incapable of recognizing the read image is manifested and indicated. Only the address or the postal code number of the part incapable of recognition is inputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mail processing apparatus for reading an address or a postal code of a postal matter, and sorting the postal matter based on the sorting information corresponding to the read address or the postal code. In the article processing apparatus, the operator inputs the address or the zip code of the postal matter for which the address or the zip code could not be read, while viewing the entire image displayed by the video coding terminal, and interprets it by the corresponding classification information. The present invention relates to a video coding system for sorting mail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, mail processing apparatuses using a video coding terminal have been developed. This type of mail processing apparatus reads, for example, an address or a zip code written on a mail by a recognition unit of an optical character reader, and sorts the mail by a zip code or a delivery area according to corresponding classification information. And so on.

[0003] The entire image of a mail item whose address or zip code could not be read is displayed on the display unit of the video coding terminal, and the operator inputs the address or zip code while viewing the display screen. Processing), and sorts mails according to the corresponding sorting information. This makes it possible to compensate for the limitations of the machine classification by the optical character reader.

[0004]

However, in a conventional video coding system, an image of a postal matter rejected because an address or a postal code cannot be read is used.
In the order rejected by the recognizing unit, the image data is distributed to the video coding terminals. At the video coding terminal, the operator looks at the entire image, inputs all the images, and performs the coding process. For this reason, from the viewpoint of the operator, handwritten / printed characters and the like are randomly generated in the reject image to be distributed, so that the efficiency of keying (coding process) is low, and fatigue is increased due to long-time work, and errors are caused. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coding system and a mail processing apparatus which enable an operator to perform a coding process efficiently in a short time with less fatigue.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A coding system according to the present invention comprises a reading means for reading an image on a postal matter on which an address or a zip code is described, and recognizes the address or zip code from the image read by the reading means. And a display means for explicitly displaying a part in which the image read by the reading means cannot be recognized when at least part of the address cannot be recognized or at least part of the postal code cannot be recognized by the recognition means. And a video coding terminal having input means for inputting only the address of the unrecognizable part or the postal code of the unrecognizable part in accordance with the display of the display means.

[0007] The coding system of the present invention comprises a reading means for reading an image on a postal matter on which an address or a zip code is described, a recognition means for recognizing an address or a zip code from an image read by the reading means, and A display means for explicitly displaying one character which cannot recognize the image read by the reading means when one character of the address cannot be recognized or one character of the postal code cannot be recognized by the recognition means; A video coding terminal having input means for inputting only one character of an unrecognizable address or only one character of a postal code.

A mail processing apparatus according to the present invention has a reading means for reading an image on a mail having an address or a zip code written thereon, and a recognizing means for recognizing the address or the zip code from the image read by the reading means. And a sorting means for sorting the corresponding mail based on the address or postal code recognized by the recognition means, and a case where at least a part of the address cannot be recognized or at least a part of the postal code cannot be recognized by the recognition means. Display means for explicitly displaying a part of the image read by the reading means that cannot be recognized, and input means for inputting only the address of the unrecognizable part or the postal code of the unrecognizable part according to the display of the display means. A video coding terminal having Or it is composed of a processing means for dividing the corresponding mailpieces are by the sorting means based on the zip code.

A mail processing apparatus according to the present invention has a reading means for reading an image on a postal matter on which an address or a zip code is described, and a recognizing means for recognizing the address or the zip code from the image read by the reading means. And a sorting means for sorting the corresponding postal matter based on the address or zip code recognized by the recognition means, and reading by the reading means when one character of the address or one character of the post code cannot be recognized by the recognition means. A video coding terminal having display means for explicitly displaying one character that cannot recognize the received image, and input means for inputting only one character of an unrecognizable address or only one character of a postal code corresponding to the display of the display means, Based on the address or zip code completed by inputting the input means of the video coding terminal, Is composed of a processing means for dividing the corresponding mailpiece has a minute unit.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a mail processing system according to the present invention. This mail processing system includes a reading sorting machine 1 and a video coding system 2.

The reading / sorting machine 1 reads an address and a zip code on the postal matter P, recognizes the address and the zip code from the read contents, and recognizes the address, the zip code recognition result or the address from the video coding system 2. This is a sorting machine that sorts postal items P by postal code, and prints a bar code corresponding to the recognition result on each postal item P.

The reading / sorting machine 1 is set, for example, in a state where postal matter of handwriting or print type is mixed, and a supply unit 1 for supplying the set postal matter P,.
0, a scanner unit 11 having a photoelectric conversion unit 11a for reading an entire image on each mail piece P supplied by the supply unit 10, and a conveyance for delaying the conveyance of the mail P passing through the scanner unit 11. Delay unit 12, the transport delay unit 1
A bar code printing unit 13 for printing a bar code corresponding to an address and a zip code on the postal matter P that has passed through 2; addressing the postal matter P that has passed through the bar code printing unit 13; Recognition for recognizing the address and postal code from the image from the photoelectric conversion unit 11a and the sorting unit 14 that sorts the postal matter P based on predetermined sorting information (sorting box number) corresponding to the address and postal code input result from the system 2. It comprises a unit 15 and a control unit 16 for controlling the above-mentioned units. Transport delay unit 12
Is the rejected mail P that could not be recognized by the recognition unit 15
The address is long enough to obtain time from the video coding system 2 for inputting the address and zip code (for example, delayed transport for 8 to 12 seconds). The transport section main body 1a is
0, a scanner unit 11, a transport delay unit 12, a barcode printing unit 13, and a sorting unit 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the recognizing unit 15 detects, from the image supplied from the photoelectric conversion unit 11a, an area in which an address and a postal code are described in the form and position of the area. A detecting section 21; a character line detecting section 22 for detecting a character line in which an address and a postal code are described in the area detected by the area detecting section 21;
The character detecting unit 23 detects and cuts out the characters of the character line detected one by one, that is, detects and cuts out the character information corresponding to the address (postal code). A reference pattern of two types of characters, a reference pattern in a direction predetermined for each character in the character / address dictionary 25 and a reference pattern in a direction rotated by 90 degrees with respect to that direction. Recognition by matching methods with these reference patterns, etc., and reject attributes (discrimination of handwritten or printed type / rejected character information / recognition result of read characters / words) and recognition result Character / address recognizing unit 24 for generating rejected data, an image memory 26 storing an image supplied from the photoelectric conversion unit 11a, -Object attribute (handwritten or printed print distinction / reject character information / read character-word recognition result), the recognition result to the reject data corresponding, and the image from the image memory 26 the video coding system 2
And a reject data control unit 27 for outputting to The character / address recognizing unit 24 is further adapted to distinguish between handwritten and printed characters, and to determine the writing direction of the address and postal code. As a method for distinguishing handwritten or printed type, for example, it is performed as described in JP-A-64-14682. That is, a parameter which is a characteristic of the read character is extracted, and the parameter is compared with a reference value to distinguish a handwritten character or a print type.

The parameters include (1) character height, (2) lower end position of character, (3) character width, (4) character pitch, (5) character area, (6) line , (7) Leftmost character position of line, (8) Line spacing.

As for the writing direction of the address and the postal code, the writing direction is determined based on which of the two reference patterns for each character in the character / address dictionary 25 has been recognized. For example, if a character is recognized by a reference pattern in a predetermined direction among the above two types of reference patterns, the line direction is already known by the character line detection unit 22. The writing direction is determined based on and the direction of the line. If the address or zip code of which the attribute is unrecognizable is one digit, the reject data control unit 27 outputs only the unrecognizable character as an image.

FIG. 3A shows a postal matter P on which a handwritten address and a postal code are described as the reject attribute.
FIG. 3 (b) shows a postal matter P in which the address and zip code of the printing type are described, and FIG. 4 (b) shows a postal matter P in which the address and zip code are described in the normal direction. (Posting direction B) The postal matter P in which the writing direction of the address and postal code is not normal (predetermined direction) is shown in FIG. 4A (writing direction A). The video coding system 2 includes an image distribution server 3 and video coding terminals 4,.

The image distribution server 3 includes a reject attribute supplied from the reject data control unit 27 (discrimination of handwritten or printed characters / rejected character information / recognized character / word recognition result), image, and rejection according to the recognition result. The data is distributed to the corresponding video coding terminals 4,... According to the reject attribute. As shown in FIG. 1, the memory control unit 31, the image memory 32, the video distribution control unit 33, the timing control unit 34, And a desk input / output control unit 35.

The memory control unit 31 rejects the reject attribute from the reject data control unit 27 and rejects in accordance with the recognition result (partially recognized address and postal code as recognition contents up to the middle of the image recognition unit 15). The data and the read image of the mail P are supplied, the reject data is output to the video distribution control unit 33, and the image is output to the image memory 26. Further, the memory control unit 3
Numeral 1 is for outputting an image stored in the image memory 32 to the corresponding video coding terminal 4 in accordance with the content of distribution from the video distribution control unit 33. Image memory 3
Numeral 2 sequentially stores images supplied from the memory control unit 31. The video distribution control unit 33 determines the distribution table 33 based on the supplied reject attribute and the recognition result.
The video coding terminal 4 to be distributed is determined with reference to a, and the determination result is output to the image memory 32 in response to an image request from the timing control unit 34. The distribution table 33a stores the number of the video coding terminal 4 corresponding to the reject attribute and the recognition result. The timing control unit 34 includes a desk input / output control unit 35
The image output request is output to the video distribution control unit 33, and the address and zip code from the desk input / output control unit 35 are output to the control unit 16 in the reading and sorting machine 1. The desk input / output control unit 35 controls each video coding terminal 4
The input unit 4b receives an input from the input unit 4b, and outputs an address and a postal code from the input unit 4b to the control unit 16 in the reading / sorting machine 1 via the timing control unit 34, and outputs an image from the input unit 4b. The output request is output to the video distribution control unit 33 via the timing control unit 34.

Each of the video coding terminals 4 has an image display unit 4a such as a CRT and an input unit 4 such as a keyboard.
The image from the image memory 32 is displayed on the image display unit 4a in a state where the part where the address and the postal code are recognized and the part where the postal code is not recognized can be distinguished by the underline or the like. The operator inputs an address and a zip code of the image which is not recognized by the input unit 4.
"b" is input. The address and zip code completed by the input of the input unit 4b are output to the desk input / output control unit 35.

Each of the video coding terminals 4,... Corresponds to an operator whose assigned attribute is determined, and an image of the assigned attribute is distributed.
For example, to the video coding terminals 4,..., An image in which the address or the postal code is handwritten, an image in which the address or the postal code is printed, and an image rotated 90 degrees are distributed, respectively. An image in which the number of digits of an unrecognizable address or zip code is a predetermined number of digits is delivered, and the number of digits of the unrecognizable address or zip code is 1
Digit images are to be distributed.

Next, the coding process in the above configuration will be described.

That is, when the address and the zip code are only partially recognized by the recognizing unit 15 of the reading and sorting machine 1, the reject data control unit 27 rejects the rejected attribute and the recognition result (recognition up to the middle of the image recognition unit 15). The reject data corresponding to the partially recognized address and postal code as contents and the read image of the postal matter P from the image memory 26 are supplied to the memory control unit 31 in the image distribution server 3.

The memory control unit 31 outputs the supplied reject attribute and the recognition result to the video distribution control unit 33, outputs the read image to the image memory 32, and stores the read image in the image memory 32. The video distribution control unit 33 also determines the distribution table 33 based on the supplied reject attribute and the recognition result.
The video coding terminal 4 to be distributed is determined with reference to “a”, and the determination result is output to the timing control unit 34 and the image memory 32.

As a result, the corresponding image stored in the image memory 32 is output to the determined video coding terminal 4 and displayed on the image display unit 4a of the video coding terminal 4. In response to this display, the address and zip code of the part that the operator has not been able to recognize are input through the input unit 4b. The address and zip code completed by the input of the input unit 4b are sent to the control unit 1 of the reading and sorting machine 1 via the desk input / output control unit 35 and the timing control unit 34.
6 is output.

A bar code corresponding to the destination and the postal code from the video coding system 2 is printed by the control unit 16 at the bar code printing unit 13, and the postal matter P on which the bar code is printed is the destination name and the postal code. Are sorted by the sorting unit 14 based on predetermined sorting information (sorting box number) corresponding to.

As described above, the operator of the video coding terminal inputs information necessary for classifying the postal matter that cannot be read by the recognition unit while viewing the image of the postal matter, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the entire system. Is to increase. Even if it cannot be read by the recognition unit, various recognition result information (attribute of the mail to be processed) is stored in the recognition unit in the reading process, in order to improve the keying efficiency in the video coding terminal. There is a lot of useful information. Focusing on this, when distributing the image of the rejected mail to each video coding terminal, the attributes of the mail to be processed are used to control so that the operator of the video coding terminal can input information more efficiently. By doing so, it is possible to realize a system in which the keying efficiency is higher than in the conventional case where rejected images are simply distributed in temporal order.

That is, whether or not the keying efficiency is improved by controlling the image distribution can be determined if the operator of the video coding terminal is controlled to process only the handwritten postal code, for example. This is because it is possible to input information while viewing only a certain place. In addition, if control is performed so that only one digit rejected mail is processed, the operator of the video coding terminal is required to input only one digit, and it is expected that the input rhythm will not be disrupted and the keying efficiency will be improved.

If the attribute information on the address writing direction is used, the image of the mail in the writing direction A shown in FIG. 4A is rotated by 90 degrees on the image display section 4a as shown in FIG. The keying efficiency is improved by displaying an image in such a manner that the operator can easily see it.

[0029]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a coding system and a mail processing apparatus that enable an operator to efficiently perform a coding process in a short time with less fatigue.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a mail processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a recognition unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a description example of a postal matter.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a description example of a postal matter.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of an image on an image display unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reading sorter 1a ... Transport division part main body 2 ... Video coding system 3 ... Image distribution server 4 ... Video coding terminal 4a ... Image display part 4b ... Input part 10 ... Supply part 11 ... Scanner part 12 ... Transport delay part 13 ... Bar code print unit 14 ... Division unit 15 ... Recognition unit 16 ... Control unit 27 ... Reject data control unit 31 ... Memory control unit 32 ... Image memory 33 ... Video distribution control unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A reading means for reading an image on a postal matter on which an address or a postal code is described, a recognizing means for recognizing an address or a postal code from an image read by the reading means, and an address for recognizing the address by the recognizing means. Display means for explicitly displaying a part in which the image read by the reading means cannot be recognized when at least a part of the information cannot be recognized or at least a part of the postal code cannot be recognized; and A video coding terminal having input means for inputting only the address of the unrecognizable part or the postal code of the unrecognizable part. 2. A reading means for reading an image on a postal matter on which an address or a postal code is described, a recognizing means for recognizing an address or a postal code from an image read by the reading means, and an address for recognizing the address by the recognizing means. Display means for clearly displaying one character that cannot be recognized by the reading means when one character of the postal code or one character of the postal code cannot be recognized, and an address which cannot be recognized according to the display of the display means. A video coding terminal having input means for inputting only one character or only one character of a postal code which cannot be recognized. 3. Reading means for reading an image on a postal matter on which an address or a zip code is described, recognition means for recognizing an address or a zip code from the image read by the reading means, and recognition by the recognizing means. Sorting means for sorting the corresponding postal matter based on the address or zip code to be received, and reading by the reading means when at least part of the address cannot be recognized or at least part of the zip code cannot be recognized by the recognition means. A video coding terminal having display means for explicitly displaying a part which cannot recognize the received image, and input means for inputting only the address of the unrecognizable part or the postal code of the unrecognizable part according to the display of the display means. Based on the address or zip code completed by the input means of the video coding terminal. Mail processing apparatus being characterized in that includes a processing means for dividing the corresponding mailpiece by the sorting means Te. 4. A reading means for reading an image on a postal matter on which an address or a postal code is described, a recognizing means for recognizing an address or a postal code from an image read by the reading means, and a recognizing means by the recognizing means. Classification means for classifying the corresponding postal matter based on the address or zip code to be received, and when the recognition means cannot recognize one character of the address or one character of the postal code, the image read by the reading means is read. A video coding terminal comprising: display means for explicitly displaying an unrecognizable character; input means for inputting only one character of an unrecognizable address or only one character of an unrecognizable postal code according to the display of the display means; Based on the address or zip code completed by the input means of the coding terminal Mail processing apparatus being characterized in that includes a processing unit that sorts mails, the corresponding by partitioning means.