JP2005235063A - Recording medium taking device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable various types of recording medium with a single insert slit to be dealt with by providing only one insert slit for a recording medium. <P>SOLUTION: When the recording medium M is inserted in to the insert slit S, a camera C is started up and the recording medium M during an inserting step is pictured. Then, a first medium image for identifying the type of the recording medium M is read from a memory device and the first medium image and a first camera image obtained by picturing are compared and verified and the type of the inserted recording medium is determined by detecting the first medium image which approximately matches in terms of medium shape. From connectors A1 to A4, a connector appropriate for the type of the determined recording medium is set at a connection position of the recording medium and the connector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium taking-in apparatus and a program for taking in a recording medium inserted from an insertion slot and connecting it to a connector.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image printing apparatuses called print vendors that automatically deal with customers and print and sell images read from recording media such as memory cards have been installed and popular in streets and buildings ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

In the above-mentioned print vendors, there are a plurality of insertion slots corresponding to a plurality of types of recording media so as to be able to cope with recording media of various shapes and sizes such as memory sticks, memory cards, SD (Secure Digital) cards, etc. Generally, a recording medium take-in device dedicated to the type is installed behind the insertion slot.
JP 2001-325661 A

  However, providing an insertion port corresponding to all of a wide variety of recording media requires a lot of installation space inside and outside the apparatus, which limits the apparatus configuration. Also, for customers, if there are a lot of recording media insertion slots, it will be confusing which insertion slot the recording media they bring should be inserted, and the recording media may be accidentally inserted into different types of insertion slots. The situation is also conceivable.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium take-in device that can handle a variety of recording media with a single insertion slot for a recording medium.

The invention according to claim 1 is a recording medium capturing device,
A single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A discriminating means for discriminating the type of the recording medium inserted into the insertion slot;
A plurality of types of connectors corresponding to each of the plurality of types of recording media;
Based on the determination result by the determination means, a connector that matches the inserted recording medium is selected from the plurality of types of connectors, and the selected connector is moved to a connection position with the inserted recording medium. Connector moving means;
It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 3 is a recording media capturing device,
A single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A discriminating means for discriminating the type of the recording medium inserted into the insertion slot;
A plurality of types of connectors corresponding to each of the plurality of types of recording media;
Media conveying means for conveying the inserted recording medium to a connection position with a connector suitable for the inserted recording medium, based on the determination result by the determining means;
It is provided with.

The invention according to claim 14
On the computer,
A function for discriminating the type of recording medium inserted in a single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A function of selecting a connector suitable for the inserted recording medium from a plurality of types of connectors based on the determination result of the determination, and moving the selected connector to a connection position with the inserted recording medium; ,
It is a program for realizing.

The invention according to claim 15 is:
On the computer,
A function for discriminating the type of recording medium inserted in a single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A function of transporting the inserted recording medium to a connection position with a connector suitable for the inserted recording medium, based on the determination result by the determination;
It is a program for realizing.

  According to the invention described in claims 1 and 14, a single insertion slot into which a plurality of types of recording media can be inserted is provided, the type of the recording medium inserted into the insertion slot is determined, and the type of recording medium Is moved to the connection position with the inserted recording medium, so that one insertion port can handle a plurality of types of recording media.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the insertion guide is provided for each size of the recording medium, the insertion of the recording medium can be guided so as to be inserted through an appropriate insertion path for each size.

  According to the third, fourth, and fifteenth aspects of the present invention, a single insertion slot into which a plurality of types of recording media can be inserted is provided, the type of the recording medium inserted into the insertion slot is determined, and The connector that matches the recording medium is moved to the connection position with the inserted recording medium, and the inserted recording medium is transported to the connection position, so a single insertion port supports a plurality of types of recording media. be able to.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the type of the recording medium can be determined in the insertion process.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, since the shape is recognized based on the photographed image of the recording medium in the insertion path, and the type of the recording medium is determined from the shape, it is actually inserted among a plurality of types of connectors. A connector that matches the shape of the recording medium can be set at the connection position.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the shape is recognized based on the photographed image of the recording medium to be inserted, and the type of the recording medium is determined from the shape, so that the recording medium is determined before insertion. The connector can be set at an early stage.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, the shape of the fitting portion is recognized based on the photographed image of the fitting portion with the connector of the inserted recording medium, and the type of the recording medium is determined from the shape of the fitting portion. Since it discriminate | determines, the connector suitable for the shape of the fitting part of a recording medium can be set among several types of connectors.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the shape can be recognized based on the amount of bending of the elastic body caused by the insertion of the recording medium, and the type of the recording medium can be determined from the shape.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the type of the recording medium can be determined from the weight of the recording medium.

  According to the invention described in claim 11, since the recording medium conveyed from the insertion port is discharged to the insertion port, the insertion and discharge of the recording medium can be automated, and the recording medium is forced by the user. Or the situation where it is pulled out can be avoided.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of types of recording media are taken in through a single insertion port and connected to a connector suitable for the type of the inserted recording media, and images are recorded from the recording media connected to the connector. Data is read out and image printing is performed. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the installation space of the recording medium capturing device in the image printing apparatus, and it is possible to cope with a plurality of types of recording media with a simple apparatus configuration.

  According to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, since the recording medium is transported to the printed material discharge position, both the recording medium and the printed material can be returned to the user.

  In the present embodiment, an example of an image printing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a print vendor) provided with a recording medium capturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an appearance of a print vendor 10 in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, on the front surface of the print vendor 10, a touch panel T for performing a printing operation and a single insertion slot S for inserting various recording media on which image data to be printed are recorded are provided. Yes. Further, on the right side of the touch panel T, there are provided a printing fee entry slot 18a (for banknotes), 18b (for coins), and a return lever 18c for instructing return of change. Furthermore, a fishing return port 18d, a printed matter outlet 17a, and a receipt outlet 17b are provided in the lower part.

FIG. 2 shows the internal configuration of the print vendor 10.
As shown in FIG. 2, the print vendor 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, an input device 12, a display device 13, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 14, a communication unit 15, a storage device 16, a printing device 17, and a monetary process. The apparatus 18 includes a recording medium reader 19, a recording medium take-in apparatus 20, and a camera C.

  In addition to the system program stored in the storage device 16, the CPU 11 stores in the RAM 14 a print processing program (see FIG. 10) according to the present invention, a recording medium capture processing program (see FIG. 11) that is a subroutine of the print processing program, and the like. Expand and control the overall processing operation in cooperation with the program.

  In the printing process, when detection information indicating that the recording medium M is inserted is input from the recording medium capturing device 20, the process proceeds to the recording medium capturing process. When the recording medium capturing process is completed, the recording medium reading device 19 is controlled to read out the image data requested to be printed from the captured recording medium M, and a printing fee corresponding to the printing condition input from the input device 12 is calculated. At the same time, a refund amount corresponding to the deposit amount is calculated, and the money processing apparatus 18 is made to exchange the printing fee and refund. Next, a thumbnail of the image data read by the recording medium reading device 19 is created and displayed on the touch panel T so as to be selectable. When the customer selects and inputs an image to be printed out of all the displayed images and selects and inputs the print condition, the selected image data is transferred as print data to the printing device 17 together with information on the print condition. Execute printing. When printing is completed, the setting of the recording medium capturing device 20 is initialized.

  In the recording medium take-in process, the camera C is activated to shoot the recording medium in the insertion process. Next, a reference image for specifying the type of the recording medium M is read from the storage device 16, the reference image is compared with a camera image obtained by photographing, and a reference image whose media shape substantially matches is detected. To determine the type of the recording medium M inserted. Next, the recording medium take-in device 20 is controlled to set the connector corresponding to the determined type of the recording medium M to the connection position between the recording medium and the connector, and the setting is made again with the recording medium M in the insertion process by the camera C. The photographed connector is photographed. Then, a reference image for specifying the set connector is read from the storage device 16, the reference image and the camera image obtained by photographing are compared and collated. If they substantially match, the set connector is an appropriate connector. It is determined that there is, and this process is terminated. On the other hand, if they do not substantially match, an error notification is given that the connector setting has failed. In other words, the determination unit can be realized by the cooperation of the recording medium loading processing program and the CPU 11.

  The input device 12 generates an operation signal corresponding to the pressed position pressed on the touch panel T and outputs the operation signal to the CPU 11.

  The display device 13 displays various information such as a print condition setting screen such as the number of prints and a print size, an error message, and the like on a monitor display integrated with the touch panel T in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 11.

  The RAM 14 forms a work area for temporarily storing various programs executed by the CPU 11 and data related to these programs.

  The communication unit 15 includes a communication terminal such as a PHS terminal and a communication interface such as a modem, and performs data communication with an external device on the communication network via the communication terminal. For example, data to be printed can be received from a customer terminal device via the communication unit 15.

  The storage device 16 is composed of a magnetic or optical recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and stores a print processing program, a recording medium loading processing program, data processed by each program, and the like in addition to a system program. Further, the storage device 16 stores the image data group read from the recording medium M by the recording medium reading device 19.

  The storage device 16 stores a reference image for determining the type of the recording medium M inserted into the insertion slot S and a reference image data group for determining the type of connector set in the recording medium capturing device 20. In addition, a media image management table 161 for managing each stored reference image is stored.

  In the media image management table 161, as shown in FIG. 3, for each recording medium name (for example, “X”, “Y”, etc.), a reference image (hereinafter, referred to as the type of the recording medium M) is specified. The image file name of the first media image (for example, “X1.img” is the first media image of the medium “X”), and a reference image (hereinafter, referred to as a connector for the type of the recording medium M). An image file name of the second media image (for example, “X2.img” for the second media image of the media “X”) is stored.

  The first media image is an image obtained by photographing the appearance of the recording medium M. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the first media image is obtained by photographing the recording medium M from above immediately after being inserted into the insertion slot S. . 4B, for example, as shown in FIG. 4B, a predetermined time elapses after the recording medium M is inserted into the insertion slot S, and the connector A with respect to the recording medium M is connected to the recording medium M. FIG. 6 is an image showing a state where both the recording medium M and the connector A are projected from above, taken after being moved to.

  The printing device 17 is a printing unit including one or more printers for print photographs. The printing device 17 scans and exposes a photosensitive material (photographic paper, sticker, etc.) with a light beam modulated in accordance with print data input from the CPU 11. An image is formed, and the exposed photosensitive material is subjected to a development process, followed by a drying process to perform photographic printing. Then, the printed matter is discharged to the printed matter outlet 17a. The printing device 17 includes a printer for printing receipts, and prints receipts based on receipt data input from the CPU 11. The printed receipt is discharged to the receipt discharge port 17b.

  The money processing device 18 calculates money of bills or coins deposited from the charge insertion ports 18a and 18b, and outputs information on the deposited amount to the CPU 11. Moreover, when the information of the refund amount is input from the CPU 11, a bill or a coin corresponding to the return amount is output to the refund port 18d.

  The recording media reading device 19 is a recording media reading means for reading and inputting image data to be printed from the recording media fetched by the recording media fetching device 20.

  The recording medium capturing device 20 includes a common insertion slot S into which various recording media having a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory card, a smart media card, an SD card, and a PC card can be inserted. Then, the recording medium is taken into the apparatus and connected to connectors corresponding to various recording media. Note that the recording medium M is not limited to that of the semiconductor memory, and magnetic or optical recording media such as FD, CD, and MO (Magneto Optic) may be applied. An insertion slot corresponding to the optical recording medium is provided separately.

In FIG. 5, the front view of the insertion port S is shown.
As shown in FIG. 5, both sides of the insertion slot S are formed in a step shape so as to be inserted into different insertion positions corresponding to the recording media M having different sizes. It serves as an insertion guide when inserting the recording medium from the position to the connection position with the connector at the back. That is, the recording medium M having the minimum size is guided to the lowermost stage, and the recording medium M having the maximum size is guided to the uppermost stage. Further, a camera C is installed at the upper back of the insertion slot S. The camera C is photographing means for photographing an image in the process of inserting the recording medium M from above according to a photographing instruction from the CPU 11, and outputs photographed image data obtained by photographing to the CPU 11. In the present embodiment, the type is determined using a photographed image photographed from above the recording medium M. However, the photographing direction is not particularly limited as long as the shape of the recording medium M can be specified. C may be installed on the side surface or below the conveyance path.

FIG. 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of the internal configuration of the recording medium capturing device 20.
As shown in FIG. 6, the recording media take-in device 20 is configured to include a media insertion portion 20a and a connector setting portion 20b on the back side of the insertion slot S, and when the recording medium M is inserted into the media insertion portion 20a. Of the plurality of types of connectors A1 to A4 provided in the connector setting unit 20b, the connector corresponding to the type of the inserted recording medium M is pushed out to the media inserting unit 20a, and the inserted recording medium M is pushed out. Any one of the connectors A1 to A4 is connected.

Hereinafter, each part 20a, 20b is demonstrated with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the media insertion portion 20a.
As shown in FIG. 7, the media insertion unit 20 a is provided with a light emitting unit 21 and a light receiving unit 22 for detecting that the recording medium M is inserted in the vicinity of the insertion slot S. When the recording medium M is inserted, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 21 is blocked by the recording medium M. Therefore, when the recording medium capturing device 20 detects that the light receiving unit 22 does not receive the light, the recording medium M detects the insertion of the recording medium M. Detection information for notification is generated and output to the CPU 11.
Further, a camera C is installed on the conveyance path of the recording medium M, and the ceiling portion of the conveyance path is opened so that the camera C can photograph the insertion process of the recording medium M.

  Furthermore, a stopper 23 is provided at the connection position between the recording medium M and the connector A to prevent the recording medium M from being inserted further into the back side, that is, the connector setting unit 20b side beyond the connection position. . In this embodiment, even if the recording medium M is inserted and completely pushed to the position of the stopper 23 so that the customer can insert and remove the recording medium M, one end of the recording medium M is exposed to the outside of the insertion slot S. In addition, the position of the stopper 23 is determined.

  The connector pin a1 of each connector A1 to A4 is arranged according to the insertion position of the recording medium M that matches the connector A. As described with reference to FIG. 5, since the insertion guide S is provided for each size of the recording medium M in the insertion slot S, each recording medium M is inserted at a different insertion position depending on the size. Become. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the connector A corresponding to the recording medium M inserted at the lowermost position corresponds to the position of the hole m1 of the recording medium M inserted at the lowermost position. A connector pin a1 is disposed below A. The connector A corresponding to the recording medium M inserted in the middle stage is provided with a connector pin a1 near the center of the connector A as shown in FIG. 8B, and the recording medium inserted in the uppermost stage. The connector A corresponding to M is provided with a connector pin a1 on the upper part of the connector A as shown in FIG.

Next, the connector setting unit 20b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional side view of the connector setting portion 20b, and FIG. 9B is a top view of the connector setting portion 20b shown in FIG. 9A.
As shown in FIG. 9A, in the connector setting unit 20b, the connector storage unit 25 that stores the connectors A1 to A4 corresponding to the various recording media M in separate racks can be moved up and down by the lifting mechanism n1. ing. The elevating mechanism n1 is a connector moving means composed of a motor n11 and a gear n12 and a worm gear n13 which are transmission mechanisms for converting the rotational motion of the motor n11 into linear motion. That is, when the gear n12 attached to the motor n11 is rotated by the rotational motion of the motor n11, the worm gear n13 meshing with the gear n12 is moved in the axial direction, and the connector housing portion 25 is moved up and down.

  Flat cables F 1 to F 4 are connected to the connectors A 1 to A 4, and the flat cables F 1 to F 4 are connected to the recording medium reading device 19. Data read from the recording medium M via the connectors A1 to A4 is output to the recording medium reader 19 via the flat cables F1 to F4.

  Further, an extrusion mechanism n2 that pushes out the connectors A1 to A4 to the conveyance path of the recording medium M is installed adjacent to the connector storage unit 25. The extrusion mechanism n2 includes a motor n21, a pinion n22 connected to the motor n21, and a plate member n24 provided with a rack n23. The pinion n22 and the rack n23 are transmission mechanisms that convert the rotational motion of the motor n21 into linear motion. That is, when the pinion n22 attached to the motor n21 is rotated by the rotational motion of the motor n21, the plate member n24 that meshes with the pinion n22 moves in the extrusion direction. When the plate member n24 moves to the connector side, any of the connectors A1 to A4 moved to the connector push-out position is pushed out to the conveyance path of the recording medium M.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, a storage mechanism n3 is provided in each of the connectors A1 to A4. The storage mechanism n3 connects each connector A1 to A4 and the connector storage portion 25 with the spring member n31, so that each connector A1 pushed out to the conveyance path of the recording medium M using the expansion and contraction action of the spring member n31. -A4 is pulled back to the original storage location of the connector storage unit 25 and stored. Specifically, when each of the connectors A1 to A4 is pushed out to the connection position with the recording medium M by the push-out mechanism n2, the spring member n31 is in an expanded state following that. When the recording medium M is removed from the connectors A1 to A4 and the pushing operation of the pushing mechanism n2 is released, the pushed connectors A1 to A4 are pulled back to the connector housing portion 25 by the restoring force of the extended spring member n31. Stored.

Next, the operation of the print vendor 10 in this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a printing process executed by the print vendor 10.
In the printing process shown in FIG. 10, first, it is detected in the recording medium take-in device 20 whether or not the recording medium M has been inserted into the insertion slot S, and when it is detected that the recording medium M has been inserted (step S1; Y) The process proceeds to the recording medium take-in process in step S2.

  With reference to FIG. 11, the recording medium taking process in step S2 will be described. It should be noted that at the start of this process, the lifting mechanism n1 and the pushing mechanism n2 are not activated and are set to their initial positions. The initial position of the elevating mechanism n1 is a position when the connector housing portion 25 is not lifted or lowered, and the initial position of the pushing mechanism n2 is a position when the connector is not pushed out.

  In the recording medium take-in process shown in FIG. 11, first, the camera C is turned on, the operation is started (step S201), and shooting is performed (step S202). A photographed image obtained by this photographing is referred to as a first camera image. Next, data of the first media image is read from the storage device 16, and the first camera image obtained by photographing and the read image group of the first media image are sequentially compared and collated (step S203). Whether or not there is a first media image that substantially matches the shape of the recording medium M of the first camera image is determined (step S204).

  If there is no substantially identical first media image (step S204; N), it is determined based on the first camera image whether or not the recording medium M has been inserted more than a certain distance (step S205). For example, if it is determined that the recording medium M has been inserted up to the center of the conveyance path and has been inserted more than a certain distance (step S205; Y), a message notifying the insertion error of the recording medium M is displayed on the touch panel T. Then, error notification is performed (step S206), and the process proceeds to the next process, that is, the process of step S3 shown in FIG. If it is determined that the recording medium M has not been inserted beyond a certain distance (step S205; N), the process returns to step S202, and photographing is performed again.

  On the other hand, when there is a first media image that substantially matches the shape of the recording medium M of the first camera image (step S204; Y), the recording medium of the first media image and the inserted recording medium M are of the same type. The connector corresponding to the determined type of recording medium M is selected from the connectors A1 to A4 stored in the connector storage unit 25 (step S207).

  Next, the elevating mechanism n1 is activated, and the connector accommodating portion 25 is moved up and down by the elevating mechanism n1, and the selected connector is set to the pushing position (step S208). In the example shown in FIG. 9A, for example, when the connector A1 is selected, it is not moved up and down because it is already set at the pushing position, but when the connector A2 is selected, it is moved up by the lifting mechanism n1. Thus, the connector A2 is set to the pushing position.

  Next, the extrusion mechanism n2 is activated, and the connector set at the extrusion position by the extrusion mechanism n2 is pushed out to the connection position with the recording medium M (step S209). As shown in FIG. 9A, the connector A1 set at the pushing position is pushed out by the pushing mechanism n2.

  Next, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous shooting (step S210). If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, that is, as shown in FIG. When the camera is moved to the connection position and arranged (step S210; Y), photographing is performed again by the camera C (step S211). An image obtained by this shooting is referred to as a second camera image. Next, the second media image corresponding to the type of the recording medium M determined from the storage device 16 is read, and the captured second camera image is compared with the read second media image (step). In step S212, it is determined whether or not the shape of the recording medium or the connector substantially matches (step S213).

  For example, when the shape of the recording medium or connector does not substantially match (eg, the connector is not photographed, the connector has a large number of connector pins, the size of the recording medium or the connector is different) (step S213; N), a connector setting error occurs. A message notifying that it has occurred is displayed on the touch panel T, and an error notification is made (step S206). Then, the process proceeds to the next process, that is, the process of step S3 in FIG. On the other hand, if they substantially match (step S213; Y), the power of the camera C is turned off and the operation is stopped (step S214). At this time, in the recording medium take-in device 20, the recording medium M inserted by the customer is connected to one of the connectors A1 to A4 that is selected and pushed out as a connector corresponding to the type of the recording medium M. Then, the process proceeds to the next process, that is, the process of step S3 in FIG.

  In step S3 shown in FIG. 10, in the recording medium reading device 19, image data is read from the recording medium M connected to any one of the connectors A1 to A4 in the recording medium capturing device 20. Next, thumbnails are created using the read image data (step S4) and displayed as a list on the touch panel T. The customer selects an image to be printed from each thumbnail displayed in the list. In the print vendor 10, when an image to be printed is selected and input by the customer via the touch panel T (step S5), an operation screen for selecting a print condition such as a print type such as a print size and a print type and a number of prints. Is displayed on the touch panel T.

  Next, when the printing conditions such as the printing type and the number of prints are selected and input by the customer (step S6), the printing fee is calculated according to the selected printing condition, and guidance is given to insert the printing fee. When the printing fee is deposited by the customer through the fee entry ports 18a and 18b, if there is a difference between the printing fee and the deposit amount, the difference is calculated as a refund amount, and the money corresponding to the return amount is charged as a fee. It is discharged to the refund port 18d (step S7).

  Next, the image data selected as the print target is read from the storage device 16 as print data, and the print data is transferred to the printing device 17 together with the print instruction information such as the print type and the number of prints selected by the customer. In the printing device 17, printing of print data is executed in accordance with the inputted print instruction information (step S8). When printing is started and the recording medium M inserted into the insertion slot S is removed by the customer and the recording medium M is detached from the connector (step S9; Y), the plate member n21 is moved to the initial position by the operation of the extrusion mechanism n2. Returned. When the plate member n21 is returned to the initial position, the connector is pulled back to the initial position of the connector storage portion 25 by the restoring force of the storage mechanism n3. When the position is returned to the initial position, the operation of the extrusion mechanism n2 is turned off (step S10).

  When the connector is stored in the connector storage unit 25, the connector storage unit 25 is moved up and down by the operation of the elevating mechanism n1 and returned to the initial position. When the position is returned to the initial position, the operation of the elevating mechanism n1 is turned off, the process returns to step S1, and the use of the next printing service is awaited.

  As described above, various recording media M can be inserted through a single insertion slot, the type of the recording medium M inserted into the insertion slot is discriminated, and a connector corresponding to the type is designated as the recording medium M. Therefore, it is possible to cope with a plurality of types of recording media M with a single insertion port. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to install a plurality of recording media capturing devices corresponding to each type, the degree of freedom in design can be improved without occupying the device space.

  In addition, the process of inserting the recording medium is photographed, and the shape of the inserted recording medium is recognized by comparing the photographed image with the media image of the recording medium stored in advance as a reference image for discrimination, The type of the recording medium can be easily determined from the shape.

  The contents described in the present embodiment are a suitable example of the print vendor 10 and the recording medium capturing device 20 to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, in the above description, in order to determine the type of the inserted recording medium M, the camera C is installed on the upper part of the conveyance path of the recording medium M and an image taken from the upper surface of the recording medium M is obtained. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the camera C is installed on the back side of the insertion slot S, for example, as shown in FIG. 12A, to photograph the fitting portion with the connector of the recording medium M. The type of the recording medium M may be determined based on the image (see FIG. 12B). At this time, a photographed image of a fitting portion with a connector in various recording media M is stored in advance as a basic image, and the shapes such as the number, shape, and arrangement position of holes to be fitted with the connector pins of the recording media M are collated. By comparison, the type of the recording medium M can be determined.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the camera C may be attached to the upper portion of the insertion slot S, and the recording medium to be inserted may be photographed to determine the type of the recording medium instead of the recording medium insertion process. Accordingly, since the type of the recording medium can be determined before being inserted, the connector can be set at an early stage.

  Further, instead of recognizing the shape of the recording medium M from the photographed image and determining the type, the thickness of the recording medium M may be detected and the type of the recording medium M may be determined based on the detected thickness. . For example, as shown in FIG. 14 (a), a pair of protrusions 42 are installed at positions that are vertically opposite to each other in the vicinity of the insertion port S of the recording medium M, and the amount of deflection is measured below the protrusions 42 that are installed on the lower side. A piezoelectric element 41 as means is provided. An elastic body 43 such as rubber is attached to the tip of the projecting portion 42 so as to contact the inserted recording medium M. When the recording medium M is inserted, the recording medium M first comes into contact with the elastic body 43 provided on the upper and lower protrusions 42. Therefore, when the recording medium M is further pushed in, the operation shown in FIG. As shown, the elastic body 43 provided on the upper and lower protrusions 42 bends, and the recording medium can be inserted into the back side. Then, the bending stress of the elastic body 43 generated by press-fitting the recording medium M between the elastic bodies 43 is converted into an electric power value by the piezoelectric element 41. If the thickness of the recording medium is different, the amount of flexure of the elastic body also changes. Therefore, by storing the power value obtained by press-fitting various recording media M in advance, recording from the power value detected by the piezoelectric element 41 is possible. The type of the medium M can be determined.

  In the above description, the customer manually inserts and removes the recording medium M. However, the recording medium take-in device 20 automatically transports the recording medium M to the connection position with the connector or discharges it to the insertion slot S. It is good also as a structure provided with the media conveyance means to perform. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a pair of transport rollers 51 are provided as media transport means on the upper and lower inner walls in the vicinity of the insertion slot S, and when the insertion of the recording medium M is detected, the transport rollers 51 are driven by motor drive. Then, the recording medium M is conveyed to the connection position with the connector. After the printing is completed, the conveyance roller 51 is rotated in the reverse direction to that during insertion, the recording medium M is removed from the connector, the recording medium is conveyed in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, and is discharged to the insertion port S. By automatically controlling the attachment / detachment of the recording medium in this manner, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being forcibly pushed or pulled out, and to prevent damage to the recording medium or the recording medium capturing device 20. Can do.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15, an electronic balance 52 as weight measuring means is installed below the conveying roller 51 installed on the lower side, the weight of the inserted recording medium M is weighed, and recording is performed from the weight. The type of the medium M may be determined.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 16, two sets of transport rollers 51 and 53 serving as discharge means are provided near the insertion port S and near the back side, and after printing is finished, the inserted recording medium M is transported to the transport rollers 51 and 53. Then, it may be transported to the inside of the recording medium take-in device 20 and discharged together with the printed matter printed out by the printing device 17. In this case, an elevating mechanism n1 for moving the connector storage unit 25 up and down is disposed in the upper part of the connector storage unit 25, and the lower part of the connector storage unit 25 is made hollow so as to communicate with the discharge guide plate for printed matter. The recording medium M conveyed to the inside by the conveying rollers 51 and 53 falls toward the discharge guide plate, and is discharged to the printed material outlet 17a together with the printed material.

In addition, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of the print vendor 10 in the present embodiment can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In addition to using the recording medium M to print an image as in the print vendor 10 described above, for example, a device for transferring the data of the recording medium M to a server or a home personal computer, music data or moving image data of the recording medium M You may apply to the apparatus etc. which write in another recording medium (CD etc.).

1 is an external view of a print vendor 10 in an embodiment to which the present invention is applied. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a print vendor 10. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a media image management table 161 in the storage device 16. FIG. (A) is a figure which shows the example of an image of a 1st media image, (b) is a figure which shows the example of an image of a 2nd media image. 3 is a front view of an insertion slot S. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the recording medium capturing device 20. FIG. It is a figure which shows the media insertion part 20a. It is a figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the connector pin of a connector, (a) is a figure which shows the example by which the connector pin a1 was arrange | positioned in the lower part of the connector A according to the recording medium M inserted in the lowest stage. (b) is a diagram showing an example in which a connector pin a1 is arranged at the center of the connector A in accordance with the recording medium M inserted in the middle stage, and (c) is in accordance with the recording medium M inserted in the uppermost stage. FIG. 6 is a view showing an example in which a connector pin a1 is disposed on the upper part of the connector A. It is a figure which shows the connector setting part 20b, (a) is the cross-sectional side view, (b) is the top view. 4 is a flowchart for explaining print processing executed by the print vendor. 6 is a flowchart for describing a recording medium taking process executed in a printing process. (A) is a figure which shows the example which installed the camera C in the back of the insertion port S, (b) is an example of the picked-up image of the fitting part with the connector of the recording medium M image | photographed with the camera C in the installation position. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example in which the camera C was installed in the upper part of the insertion port S. FIG. (A) It is a figure which shows the structural example of the media insertion part 20a in the case of discriminating the kind from the thickness of the recording medium M, (b) is a figure which shows a mode that the recording medium M was inserted by the structure. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the media insertion part 20a in the case of automatically conveying the recording medium M to the connection position with a connector. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the recording medium taking-in apparatus 20 in the case of automatically conveying the inserted recording medium M, and discharging with printed matter.

Explanation of symbols

10 Print vendor 11 CPU
12 Input device 13 Display device T Touch panel 14 RAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Communication part 16 Memory | storage device 161 Media image management table 17 Printing apparatus 18 Money processing apparatus 19 Recording media reading apparatus 20 Recording media taking-in apparatus 20a Media insertion part 20b Connector setting part S Insert port C Camera

Claims (15)

A single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A discriminating means for discriminating the type of the recording medium inserted into the insertion slot;
A plurality of types of connectors corresponding to each of the plurality of types of recording media;
Based on the determination result by the determination means, a connector that matches the inserted recording medium is selected from the plurality of types of connectors, and the selected connector is moved to a connection position with the inserted recording medium. Connector moving means;
A recording medium take-in device comprising:   The recording medium capturing device according to claim 1, wherein an insertion guide corresponding to a size of each recording medium is provided in the insertion port. A single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A discriminating means for discriminating the type of the recording medium inserted into the insertion slot;
A plurality of types of connectors corresponding to each of the plurality of types of recording media;
Media conveying means for conveying the inserted recording medium to a connection position with a connector suitable for the inserted recording medium, based on the determination result by the determining means;
A recording medium take-in device comprising:   Based on the determination result by the determination means, a connector that matches the inserted recording medium is selected from the plurality of types of connectors, and the selected connector is moved to a connection position with the inserted recording medium. The recording medium capturing device according to claim 3, further comprising a connector moving unit.   5. The recording according to claim 1, wherein the discriminating unit discriminates a type of the recording medium in an insertion process of the recording medium from the insertion port to a connection position with the connector. Media capture device. In the vicinity of the recording medium conveyance path from the insertion port to the connection position with the connector, a photographing means for photographing an image of the inserted recording medium is installed,
The discriminating unit recognizes the shape of the recording medium based on a photographed image of the recording medium obtained by the photographing unit, and discriminates the type of the recording medium from the shape. The recording media capturing device according to any one of the above. In the vicinity of the insertion port, a photographing means for photographing the recording medium to be inserted is installed,
The discriminating unit recognizes the shape of the recording medium based on a photographed image of the recording medium obtained by the photographing unit, and discriminates the type of the recording medium from the shape. The recording media capturing device according to any one of the above. At the back of the insertion port, a photographing means for photographing the fitting portion with the connector of the inserted recording medium is installed,
The discriminating means recognizes the shape of the fitting portion based on the photographed image of the fitting portion with the connector of the recording medium obtained by the photographing means, and discriminates the type of the recording medium from the shape. The recording media capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the recording media capturing device is a recording media capturing device. Provided with an elastic body in the vicinity of the opening of the insertion port so that the inserted recording medium is in contact, and comprises a bending amount measuring means for measuring the bending amount of the elastic body generated when the recording medium is inserted,
The discriminating unit recognizes the shape of the recording medium from the measured value of the measured deflection amount, and discriminates the type of the recording medium from the recognized shape. The recording media take-in device described in 1. Comprising weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the recording medium inserted into the insertion slot,
10. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a type of the recording medium based on a weight of the recording medium measured by the weight measurement unit. Device.   The media transport means is configured to transport a recording medium inserted from the insertion port and transported to a connection position with a connector in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, and to eject the recording medium to the insertion port. The recording media capturing device according to claim 3 or 4. A recording medium reading means for reading image data from a recording medium connected to the connector;
Printing means for printing an image based on the read image data;
The recording medium capturing device according to claim 1, comprising:   13. The recording medium removing device according to claim 12, further comprising a discharge unit that removes the recording medium connected to the connector after data is read from the recording medium and conveys the recording medium to a discharge position of the printed matter. Device. On the computer,
A function for discriminating the type of recording medium inserted in a single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A function of selecting a connector suitable for the inserted recording medium from a plurality of types of connectors based on the determination result of the determination, and moving the selected connector to a connection position with the inserted recording medium; ,
A program to realize On the computer,
A function for discriminating the type of recording medium inserted in a single insertion slot into which multiple types of recording media can be inserted;
A function of transporting the inserted recording medium to a connection position with a connector suitable for the inserted recording medium, based on a determination result by the determination;
A program to realize

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