JP2007126244A - Paper sheet processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper sheet processing device capable of surely detecting a double feed state even when thick paper sheets and thin paper sheets are transported by being stacked on one another. <P>SOLUTION: A number described on one surface of a paper sheet 11 in process of transport is read by a number reader 14, a pattern on the other surface of the paper sheet is read by a pattern reader, and the thickness of the paper sheet is measured by a thickness measurement device 16. A determination means 17 acquires thickness information corresponding to the read number from a paper sheet table 18 and determines double feed when the read pattern has high similarity to a pattern dictionary of relatively thin paper sheets registered in the paper sheet table 18 even when the thickness measurement value of the paper sheet 11 is close to the upper limit of the acquired thickness information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention conveys a mixture of relatively thick paper sheets and relatively thin paper sheets with numbers on one side and symbols on the other side, such as gift certificates. The present invention relates to a paper sheet processing apparatus capable of detecting the two-sheet picking when being performed.

  In general, a paper sheet such as a gift certificate has a number indicating the type on the back side of the paper sheet, and by reading this number, the paper sheet is classified and tabulated by type. Yes. In a processing apparatus that performs such totalization, paper sheets are transported one by one, the number assigned to the paper sheets is read by an OCR device or the like in the transport process, and the paper sheets are sorted by a sorting mechanism according to the read result. Class. In this case, the paper sheets must be conveyed one by one. However, it is not always transported one by one, and so-called two-sheet picking may occur in which two gift certificates are transported in an overlapping state. Such two-sheet picking causes a mistake in the paper sheet classification result, so it is necessary to take measures such as detecting the state of two-sheet picking and rejecting.

Conventionally, when detecting two sheets of paper sheets, the thickness of the paper sheets is detected in the middle of conveyance, and if this thickness is equal to or more than two sheets, it is determined that the paper sheets are stacked. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-95483

  However, in the case of paper sheets such as the above-mentioned gift certificate, it may not be possible to detect two sheets by simply measuring the thickness. For example, the thickness of a paper sheet (paper sheet A) with a large circulation amount is set to 130 μm, and the thickness of a rare thin paper sheet (paper sheet B) is set to 85 μm. The lower limit of the allowable thickness range for discriminating the paper sheet A is 115 μm, and the upper limit is 1.5 times 195 μm. Further, it is assumed that the OCR device that reads the number written on the back side of the paper sheet faces the back side of the paper sheet being conveyed.

  In such a state, when the paper sheet B is conveyed in a state where it overlaps the surface of the paper sheet A, the OCR device detects the number of the paper sheet A. Further, when the paper sheet A and the paper sheet B are transported in an overlapping manner in this way, the thickness may be 200 μm, and there is almost no difference from the 195 μm thickness tolerance allowable range of the paper sheet A. For this reason, two sheets of paper sheets A and B cannot be detected, and it may be erroneously determined that one sheet of paper sheets A is picked.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a paper sheet processing apparatus capable of reliably detecting a two-sheet taking state even when a thick paper sheet and a thin paper sheet are transported in an overlapping manner.

  When a paper sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention is transported in a mixture of relatively thick paper sheets and relatively thin paper sheets with numbers on one side and symbols on the other side, respectively. A sheet processing apparatus capable of detecting a two-sheet taking of a number, a number reading device for reading the number of the paper sheet being conveyed, a pattern reading device for reading a pattern, a thickness measuring device, and the paper sheet The upper limit value and the lower limit value of the thicknesses are registered for each number, and the paper sheet classification in which information about at least a part of the images of the relatively thin paper sheets is registered as a pattern dictionary. Thickness information corresponding to the table and the number read by the number reading device was obtained from the paper sheet table, and the thickness measurement value of the paper sheet measured by the thickness measuring device was obtained. Even if the value is close to the upper limit value of the thickness information, the symbol reading device Read symbols, characterized by comprising a determination means for determining the two-up the higher the degree of similarity to said symbol dictionary registered in the paper sheet table.

  According to the present invention, when at least a part of an image of a thin paper sheet pattern is registered as a pattern dictionary, and an image corresponding to this pattern dictionary is detected, the thickness measurement value is compared. Even if the value is close to the thickness discrimination allowable value of the thick paper sheet, it is determined that two sheets are taken, so even if the thick paper sheet and the thin paper sheet are transported in an overlapping manner, 2 It is possible to reliably detect the state of the sheet

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a paper sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows a paper sheet processing apparatus according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a paper sheet (for example, a gift certificate). A number indicating the type of the paper sheet is described on one surface (for example, the back surface), and a design is provided on the other surface (for example, the front surface). Are listed. For this paper sheet 11, taking a gift certificate as an example, a general gift certificate with a large circulation volume and a relatively thick (about 130 μm) and a relatively thin book ticket or a music card (about 85 μm) that are rarely present. ) There is a gift certificate.

  Reference numeral 12 denotes an insertion port, which is loaded in a state where the above-described thick paper sheets and relatively thin paper sheets are mixed. The paper sheets 11 put into the insertion port 12 are taken out one by one by a separating device (not shown), and are sequentially conveyed one by one to the left in the drawing by the carrying device 13. Therefore, a relatively thick paper sheet taken out from the input port 12 and a relatively thin paper sheet flow through the transport path of the transport device 13 one by one.

  Reference numeral 14 denotes a number reading device which is arranged to face one surface (in this case, the back surface) of the paper sheet 11 being transported by the transport device 13 and reads the number written on the back surface of the paper sheet 11. Reference numeral 15 denotes a symbol reading device, which is also arranged opposite to the other surface (in this case, the front surface) of the paper sheet 11 being conveyed by the conveying device 13 and reads the symbols described on the surface of the paper sheet 11. Reference numeral 16 denotes a thickness measuring device which is disposed on the transport path of the transport device 13 and measures the thickness of the paper sheet 11 moving on the transport path.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the thickness measuring device 16 includes a reference roller 21 serving as a measurement reference, a displaceable detection roller 22 in contact with the reference roller 21, and a displacement amount of the detection roller 22. Is formed of an angle sensor 25 that converts an electric signal into an electric signal via an arm 23 and a fulcrum shaft 24. In this thickness measuring device 16, the reference roller 21 and the detection roller 22 are arranged above and below the horizontal conveyance path by the conveyance device 13, and when the paper sheet 11 is conveyed in the illustrated arrow direction. The detection roller 22 moves up and down according to the thickness of the paper sheet 11, and the angle sensor 25 outputs an electrical signal (thickness signal) according to the amount of movement of the detection roller 22.

  Reference numeral 17 denotes a determination unit which inputs the reading result by the number reading device 14 and the pattern reading device 15 and the measurement result by the thickness measuring device 16 and is using the data registered in the paper sheet classification table 18 to be described later. It is determined whether or not two sheets of paper have been removed.

  The paper sheet classification table 18 has a data structure as shown in FIG. That is, the number which is described in the paper sheet 11 and represents the type, and the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the thickness are registered for each number. Taking a gift certificate as an example of the paper sheet 11, in the example shown in the figure, the first, second, and fourth paper sheets, that is, the numbers “12340031”, “12340021”, “12340219” have a large circulation amount and are relatively thick. (Approx. 130 μm) Corresponds to a general gift certificate, the third paper sheet, that is, the number “65270114”, corresponds to a relatively thin (approx. 85 μm) gift certificate such as a rare book certificate or music card. . For the first, second and fourth comparatively thick (about 130 μm) gift certificates, the lower limit value (115 μm in the example in the figure) and the upper limit value (195 μm in the example in the figure) for the type determination. ) Is registered. Also, the lower limit value (75 μm in the example in the figure) and the upper limit value (110 μm in the example in the figure) for the type determination are registered for the third relatively thin (about 85 μm) gift certificate in the figure. ing.

  Also, in this paper sheet classification table 18, information about at least a part of the image of a relatively thin paper sheet, that is, a gift certificate (such as a book certificate) of the third number “65270114” is stored in the pattern dictionary. Is registered with the name “AbCdEf”.

  In addition, the paper sheet classification table 18 registers the paper sheet type, the vertical dimension, the horizontal dimension, and the like for each paper sheet.

  Returning to FIG. 1, reference numeral 19 denotes a sorting mechanism, and the determination device 17 transfers the paper sheet 11 determined to be two-sheeted (two paper sheets overlap) from the conveying device 13 to the reject unit 21. Reject. Reference numeral 20 denotes a storage unit that stores paper sheets conveyed by the conveying device 13 by classifying them for each number read by the number reading device 14, for example.

  In the above configuration, the sheets fed into the insertion slot 12 are taken out one by one by a separation device (not shown) and conveyed one by one to the left in the drawing by the conveyance device 13. In this transport process, each paper sheet 11 is read by the number reading device 14 with the number written on the back surface, and with the design reading device 15 with the symbol written on the front surface, and the thickness thereof is further reduced. The thickness is measured by the thickness reading device 16, and these reading results and measurement results are input to the determination means 17.

  Here, it is assumed that the paper sheet 11 is a so-called two-sheet take-up state in which two sheets are overlapped. For example, a relatively thin (about 85 μm) gift certificate of the third number “65270114” is superimposed on a relatively thick (about 130 μm) gift certificate of the first number “12340031” in the paper sheet classification table 18. It shall be.

  In this case, the number reading device 14 reads the number “12340031”, and the symbol reading device 15 reads the symbol corresponding to the symbol dictionary name “AbCdEf”. Furthermore, the thickness reader 16 detects the thickness of the two gift certificates superimposed.

  Here, the thickness where the first and third gift certificates overlap is originally 215 μm, but may be 200 μm or less depending on the state of each gift certificate. Therefore, the measured value obtained by the thickness reading device 16 is not different from the thickness upper limit value 195 μm for type determination of the number “12340031”. For this reason, it is erroneously determined as one gift certificate with the number “12340031” in spite of the conventional method of taking two.

  However, in the present invention, since the symbol read by the symbol reader 15 is a symbol corresponding to the symbol dictionary name “AbCdEf”, it is erroneously determined as one gift certificate with the number “12340031” as in the past. Rather, it can be correctly determined that one gift certificate with the number “12340031” and two gift certificates with the number “65270114” are taken.

  That is, the determination unit 17 obtains thickness information (thickness determination lower limit value and upper limit value) corresponding to the number read by the number reading device 14 from the sheet table 18 and is measured by the thickness measurement device 16. Even if the thickness measurement value of the paper sheet 11 is close to the upper limit value of the obtained thickness information, the pattern read by the pattern reading device 15 is registered in the paper sheet table 18. If the degree of similarity is high with respect to the symbol dictionary, it is determined as a gift certificate with the number “65270114”, and since the thickness does not match the symbol, it is determined that two copies are taken.

  What is determined to be a two-sheet removal is rejected by the sorting mechanism 19 to the reject unit 21 and is again input to the input port 12. Finally, all the paper sheets 11 are stored in the storage unit 20 by being classified by type.

  Here, the symbol dictionary to be registered in the paper sheet classification table 18 may be only a thin paper symbol that is rarely present. In addition, the pattern to be read may be an image of a part of the design of the paper sheet that has been designated in advance as long as the pattern dictionary can be determined.

  Note that, when a thick paper sheet overlaps a thin paper sheet, the thin paper sheet number is read, and the thickness information of the thin paper sheet is used for thickness determination. In this case, the thickness measurement value in the state where two sheets overlap each other far exceeds the upper limit value for thickness judgment of thin paper sheets, so even if there is no symbol dictionary for thick paper sheets, only two thickness measurement values are required. Can be determined.

  In this way, it is possible to reliably determine the two-sheet taking of the thin paper sheet and the thick paper sheet, which has been difficult to determine conventionally, by adding the pattern dictionary of the thin paper sheet to the determination condition. Can properly handle paper sheets.

It is a schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the paper sheet processing apparatus by this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the thickness detection apparatus used for one embodiment same as the above. It is a figure which shows the data structure of the paper sheet classification | category table used for one Embodiment same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Paper sheet 13 Conveyance apparatus 14 Number reader 15 Pattern reader 16 Thickness measuring device 17 Judgment device 18 Paper sheet classification table

Claims (1)

Paper sheets with numbers on one side and symbols on the other side, capable of detecting two-sheet picking when a relatively thick paper sheet and a relatively thin paper sheet are conveyed together A processing device,
A number reading device for reading the number of the paper sheet being conveyed, a design reading device for reading the design, and a thickness measuring device;
For each number assigned to the paper sheet, an upper limit value and a lower limit value thereof are registered, and information on at least a part of the image of the relatively thin paper sheet is registered as a pattern dictionary. A paper sheet classification table,
Thickness information corresponding to the number read by the number reading device is obtained from the paper sheet table, and the thickness measurement value of the paper sheet measured by the thickness measuring device is the obtained thickness information. Even if the value is close to the upper limit value, the determination means for determining that two symbols are taken if the symbol read by the symbol reader has a high similarity to the symbol dictionary registered in the paper sheet table And a paper sheet processing apparatus.

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