JP2008310624A - Medium collation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an error in authenticity determination from being induced when a region used for determining authenticity is disturbed by rays of light when a portion of media is locally reflected to generate an improper image due to the influence of the external light or warpage of a medium in imaging the medium. <P>SOLUTION: This medium collation apparatus is configured to create a histogram from image data read from the medium, and to, when deciding that the medium is not correctly placed from the distribution shape of the histogram, execute guidance for correctly replacing the medium. Thus, it is possible to secure that the medium is always correctly placed, and to correctly determine the authenticity of the medium, and to reduce any error from being caused in the authenticity determination. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a medium verification apparatus that verifies the authenticity of a medium such as a driver's license, and more particularly to a medium verification apparatus that executes whether or not a medium is correctly placed at an irradiation position before starting verification.

  In general, this type of medium collation apparatus irradiates light from a light source toward the medium, the irradiated light is reflected from the surface of the medium, and an optical image is taken from the entire surface of the reflected medium. This captured image image data is collated by comparing the image data of a real medium that has been captured in advance.

As an example of such a medium collation apparatus, in recent years, an apparatus that improves collation accuracy using a specific technique of irradiating a medium by switching a plurality of lights having different wavelength bands is known (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).
In this case, the image of the medium to be verified such as a license is imaged using a plurality of wavelengths, and the image of the imaged medium is compared with image data of a real medium imaged in advance after imaging. This is to determine authenticity with high accuracy.
JP 2002-42204 A

  However, in an imaging configuration that does not use a lid that suppresses the medium installed at the irradiation position for acquiring the image of the medium from above, the reflection direction becomes unstable due to the influence of external light or the warping of the medium itself. In some cases, part of the image data of the imaged medium becomes excessively bright. In this case, the specific area of the image data used for authenticity determination becomes very bright, which may cause erroneous determination of authenticity.

  In addition, since it is assumed that the medium is correctly placed at the irradiation position, the image data of the entire surface of the medium is different from the image data when captured due to the difference in placement and warpage, and this error is included. If the image data is compared with the image data of a real medium that has been imaged in advance, an error in authenticity determination occurs.

  Furthermore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, even if image data captured at a plurality of wavelengths is used, it is assumed that the medium is always placed correctly. There are many false judgment errors.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a medium collation apparatus in which image acquisition is not hindered due to warping of the medium or the like when acquiring image information of the medium.

  The present invention includes an installation base on which a medium is installed, a light source that irradiates light on the medium installed on the installation base, and an imaging unit that irradiates the medium with light from the light source and reads an image on the surface of the medium. A control unit that compares the image information read by the imaging unit with registered image information that has been captured and stored in advance and verifies the authenticity of the medium; and an output unit that outputs the result of the verification In the medium verification apparatus, the control unit reads the entire surface of the medium irradiated with light from the light source using the imaging unit, and the medium is based on the image information of the entire surface of the read medium. Determination means for determining whether or not the apparatus is correctly placed on an installation base is provided, and output information corresponding to the determination result of the determination means is output by the output means.

  According to the present invention, when the medium is collated, if there is an abnormality in the reflection of light from the medium, the medium is not placed correctly, so that the collation cannot be started and the medium is repositioned. Can do. For this reason, it is possible to ensure the verification start condition for starting the reading after confirming that the medium is always in the proper posture at the start of the verification of the medium, and to prevent an error in the authenticity determination.

  A configuration of an embodiment of the medium collating apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The drawings show a medium image image reading apparatus provided as a medium collating apparatus of the present invention. The medium image image reading apparatus is an automatic contract apparatus such as an unmanned contract terminal employed in a contract system such as consumer finance. Prepared for. Then, at the time of the automatic contract, the image image reading device reads the image image data of the medium such as a license and a document and collates them.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image image reading device, FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a medium reading state correctly placed using the image image reading device, and FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the medium reading state put stably.

  The image image reading apparatus includes a light source 11 for irradiating light, an installation base 12 on which a sheet-like medium is placed in a plane, and an image capturing camera (CCD) 13 for reading light reflected from the entire surface of the medium. And a display 81 (see FIG. 8) for displaying and guiding how to place and reposition the medium on the screen, and a control unit 61 (see FIG. 6) for controlling and managing these image acquisition devices. Then, the image data of the medium read by the imaging camera 13 is checked against the registered image data that has been registered in advance as reference data to determine authenticity.

  By the way, in this image image reading apparatus, it is checked whether or not the installation posture of the medium placed on the installation table 12 is appropriate in the medium reading stage, and after confirming that the medium is correctly placed, the process proceeds to authenticity determination operation. It has an installation posture confirmation function. As a result, the medium collating operation is performed after the medium installation conditions are satisfied, so that stable collating performance can be ensured.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the sheet-like medium is correctly installed corresponding to the planar installation surface of the installation table 12, the irradiation light 22 emitted from the light source 11 at a certain inclination angle. Irradiates uniformly the upper surface of the medium 21 such as a license installed on the installation table 12. Of the reflected light reflected from the irradiated medium 21, the specularly reflected light 23 travels in a direction not corresponding to the imaging camera 13, so that the regular reflected light 23 is not acquired by the imaging camera 13. On the other hand, the scattered light 24 is acquired by the imaging camera 13. Therefore, if the medium 21 is correctly installed on the installation table 12, appropriate image data can be acquired.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, as an example of the case where the medium 31 is not correctly installed, if the medium 31 is warped and deformed, the reflection when the irradiation light 32 irradiated from the light source 11 is reflected by the medium 31. Of the light, the specularly reflected light 33 may not be reflected in a normal direction depending on the direction of the curved surface of the medium 31 whose part has been deformed, but may be reflected together with the scattered light 34 in the acquisition direction of the imaging camera 13. In such a case, part of the image data of the imaged medium 31 may become excessively bright. For this reason, the data in the specific area of the image data used for the authenticity determination becomes invalid, which causes a false determination.

  Therefore, it is necessary to confirm that the medium is correctly placed. In this case, if the read image data is analyzed, it can be confirmed whether or not the medium is correctly placed. FIG. 4 is a chart showing a histogram of appropriate image image data, and FIG. 5 is a chart showing a histogram of image image data of an inappropriate medium.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4, a histogram representing a single scattered light peak 41 composed of a collection of scattered light is obtained from image image data read with the medium properly placed on the installation table. The histogram can determine the distribution shape of the light quantity from the image information of the entire surface of the medium read by the imaging camera 13. By creating the histogram, the brightness frequency distribution state, the variation state, and the like can be known. And since it is the single scattered light peak 41, uniform brightness is obtained from the medium surface, and it can be analyzed that a normal image is read.

  On the other hand, FIG. 5 shows image image data acquired in a state where the medium is unstablely placed on the installation table, and has two peaks, a scattered light peak 51 and another small specular light peak 52. A histogram representing 51 and 52 is obtained. In this case, the specular reflection light peak 52 composed of a collection of specular reflection light is detected on the bright region side of the histogram, so that the medium is warped or the medium is bent or the direction is different. It can be understood that the posture in which the medium is installed is inappropriate and that the wrong image is read.

  As described above, the control unit 61 (see FIG. 6) analyzes the histogram of the image image data read from the medium by the imaging camera 13, and the presence or absence of specular reflection light generated when the medium is placed in an inappropriate posture. It can be determined from. When regular reflection light is detected on the bright region side of the histogram from the analysis result of the histogram, it can be determined that the medium is not placed correctly.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control circuit of the image reading apparatus. In the control unit 61, the imaging camera 13 and the input unit 62 are connected to the control information input system, and the light source 11, the display 81, the collation information storage unit 63, and the determination unit 64 are connected to the control information output system.

The input unit 62 is provided, for example, as a confirmation button or a cancel button that is displayed on the screen of the display 81 so as to allow touch input.
The display 81 displays on the liquid crystal screen a placement guide for placing the medium at a predetermined position on the installation table 12 (see FIG. 8). In addition, a repositioning guide for correcting the medium warp and the like is displayed on the same screen (see FIG. 9).

  The collation information storage unit 63 stores the reference image image data in order to compare and collate the image image data of the medium read by the imaging camera 13 with the reference image image data.

  The determination unit 64 compares and compares the histogram of the image image data of the medium read by the imaging camera 13 with the histogram of the reference image image data stored in advance in the verification information storage unit 63 so that the medium is installed on the installation table. 12 is determined whether or not the image data has been read with the posture correctly placed.

  Then, based on the determination result of the determination unit 64, the control unit 61 confirms with the image image data read in a posture in which the medium is correctly placed on the installation table 12, and a collation start condition for determining the authenticity of the medium And the collation operation for authenticity determination is started. On the other hand, if it is determined that the image data is read in a posture in which the medium is not correctly placed, the display 81 is instructed to display the medium correctly.

Next, the processing operation of the image image reading apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 and the display explanatory diagrams of FIGS.
First, the processing operation when the medium 21 is correctly placed will be described.
As shown in FIG. 8, the display 81 displays a medium placement guidance screen 81A so that the medium 21 is placed at a predetermined position as shown in FIG. 8 (step S71). In accordance with this display guide, the operator correctly places the medium 21 at a predetermined position on the installation table 12 (step S72). Thereafter, when the operator touches the “confirm” button (input unit 62) according to the confirmation input guidance screen (step S73), the scattered light 24 of the medium image reflected from the entire surface of the medium 21, as shown in FIG. Is read by the imaging camera 13 (step S74).

  In this case, since the medium 21 is correctly placed, the regular reflection light 23 is sufficiently weaker than the scattered light 24. Then, the control unit 61 analyzes the brightness distribution of the read image data to form a histogram, and calculates the number of peaks and the peak position of the brightness distribution (step S75). The controller 61 determines the number of peaks and the peak position, and if only the scattered light peak 41 is present, it is determined that the medium is correctly placed (step S76). As a result, the control unit 61 determines that the medium verification start condition is satisfied, shifts to the medium verification operation, and determines the authenticity of the medium by a method different from the histogram, such as light / dark comparison (step S77).

Next, the processing operation when the medium 21 is not placed correctly will be described.
As shown in FIG. 8, the display 81 displays a medium placement guidance screen 81A so as to place the medium 21 at a predetermined position as shown in FIG. 8 (step S71). With reference to this display guide, the operator places the medium on the installation table 12. At this time, when the operator does not follow the display guidance and does not place the medium correctly at the predetermined position of the installation table 12, or when the medium 31 is deformed in a bow or wave shape, or is bent. 3 (step S72), and then when the operator touches and inputs the “confirm” button according to the confirmation input guidance screen (step S73), as shown in FIG. The imaging camera 13 reads both the scattered light 34 and the specularly reflected light 33 of the medium image image thus obtained (step S74).

  In this case, since the medium 31 is not placed correctly, the regular reflected light 33 is not sufficiently weakened in brightness than the scattered light 34. Then, the control unit 61 analyzes the brightness distribution state of the read image data and forms a histogram, and calculates the number of peaks and the peak position of the brightness distribution (step S75). The control unit 61 determines the number of peaks and the peak position. If the regular reflection light peak 52 is present on the bright region side of the histogram in addition to the scattered light peak 51, it is determined that the medium is not placed correctly (step S76). ).

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 61 causes the display unit 81 to correct the warp of the medium and display the medium repositioning guidance screen 81B for correctly repositioning the medium at a predetermined position, as shown in FIG. (Step S78). When the operator correctly repositions the medium 21 on the installation table 12 in accordance with the display guidance on the medium repositioning guidance screen 81B (step S79), the same processing as the processing of the correctly placed medium after step S73 described above. After proceeding to the procedure, the control unit 61 determines that the medium is correctly placed, starts the above-described medium collation operation, and executes the medium authenticity determination.

  In this embodiment, when the medium 31 is not correctly placed, the repositioning of the medium 31 is shown as an example of guidance means to the operator. However, it is not an output by display, but by voice or guidance of an attendant. Can also be realized.

  As described above, it is possible to determine in advance whether or not the medium has been correctly placed immediately before authenticating the medium. Therefore, if there is a problem, the operator can be immediately guided to correctly place the medium. In addition, since it has an installation posture confirmation function in which the medium is always placed after reading it correctly, it is possible to accurately determine the authenticity of the medium.

In correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the configuration of the above-described embodiment,
The imaging means of this invention corresponds to the imaging camera 13 of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The output means corresponds to the display 81,
The registered image information corresponds to the collation information storage unit 63,
Although the determination means corresponds to the determination unit 64, the present invention is not limited only to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many embodiments can be obtained based on the technical idea shown in the claims. it can.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image image reading apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating a reading state of a proper medium correctly placed using an image image reading apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a reading state of a medium placed unstable using an image image reading apparatus. The chart which shows the histogram of appropriate image image data. The chart which shows the histogram of improper image data. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the image image reading apparatus. 6 is a flowchart showing processing operations of the image image reading apparatus. The display explanatory view which shows the how to put the medium guidance screen. The display explanatory drawing which shows the medium replacement guide screen.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Light source 12 ... Installation stand 13 ... Imaging camera 21, 31 ... Medium 22, 32 ... Irradiation light 23, 33 ... Regular reflection light 24, 34 ... Scattered light 41, 51 ... Scattered light peak 52 ... Regular reflection light peak 81 ... Indicator 81A ... Media placement guidance screen 81B ... Media placement guidance screen

Claims (5)

A mounting base for installing the medium;
A light source for irradiating light to a medium installed on the installation table;
Imaging means for irradiating the medium with light from the light source and reading an image of the medium surface;
A control unit for comparing the image information read by the imaging unit with the registered image information that has been previously captured and stored, and for checking the authenticity of the medium;
Output means for outputting the result of the collation;
A medium collation apparatus comprising:
The controller is
The entire surface of the medium irradiated with light from the light source is read using the imaging unit, and it is determined whether the medium is correctly placed on the installation table based on the image information of the entire surface of the read medium. Provided with a judging means,
A medium collating apparatus that causes the output means to output output information corresponding to a determination result of the determination means. The determination means includes
A histogram representing the light intensity distribution shape is created from the image information of the entire surface of the medium read by the imaging means, and specular reflection light generated when the medium is placed in an inappropriate posture is detected from the histogram. The medium collating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medium collating apparatus determines that the medium is not placed correctly. The determination means includes
A histogram representing the light intensity distribution shape is created from the image information of the entire surface of the medium read by the imaging means, and in addition to the scattered light peak consisting of a collection of scattered light, the histogram is regularly reflected to the bright area side of the histogram. The medium collating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the posture is determined to be inappropriate when a specularly reflected light peak composed of a collection of light is formed. The determination means determines whether or not the medium is correctly placed from the image information of the entire surface of the medium read by the imaging means, and if it is determined that the medium is not correctly placed, the medium is output by the output means. When it is determined that the medium is correctly placed after guiding that the medium is correctly placed, it is determined that a medium collation start condition is satisfied, and the control unit starts the medium collation operation. 4. The medium verification device according to 3. The correctly placed medium based on comparing image image data read by the imaging means from the correctly placed medium with image image data of a real medium that has been captured and stored in advance. The medium verification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein verification of the authenticity of the medium is performed.

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