JP2629673B2 - Emboss reader - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary] The present invention provides an embossing device for projecting light onto an uneven character or symbol portion (hereinafter referred to as an embossed portion) engraved on a transaction card or the like and reading a shadow produced by the light emission. A reading device, characterized in that an embossed portion is moved at a predetermined speed, and a plurality of shadows caused by a projection angle are read by a two-dimensional sensor and synthesized.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to an emboss reading device for reading a medium recorded by emboss.

A transaction card or the like is provided with an embossed portion in which characters and symbols are raised and recorded, and the embossed portion is imprinted (imprinted) on a receipt or the like in order to prove the transaction by the transaction card. .

Conventionally, this imprint is a method in which receipt paper and journal paper made of pressure-sensitive paper are overlapped with a transaction card, and an image is transferred by pressing an embossed portion with a hard roller. The take-up mechanism of the journal output has a problem that hinders miniaturization of the apparatus.

Therefore, a simple reading device for recording and holding the embossed portion is required.

[Conventional technology]

The imprint mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. 3 using a transaction device as an example.

FIG. 3 (a) is a sectional view of the card processing mechanism, and FIG. 3 (b).
3 shows a top view of the imprinter, and FIG. 3 (c) shows an imprint operation diagram.

In FIG. 3 (a), a transaction card (hereinafter referred to as a card) 7 inserted from the card insertion slot 1 is read magnetically by the magnetic reading unit 2, and a transaction is performed based on the data. Issue receipts and output journals.

For this reason, the printing paper 4 in which two receipts and journal papers are overlapped is fed to the printing unit 5 to print the transaction details, and then the embossed portion of the card 7 is imprinted.

In this imprint, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the card 7 is rotated to overlap the printing paper 4 in the printing direction, the embossed portion 7a is pressed by the roller 8, and the printing paper made of pressure-sensitive paper is used. The image of the embossed portion 7a is transferred to the printer 4. One of the two is ejected together with the card as a receipt, and the other is wound up by the winding mechanism 6 and stored as a journal output.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Although the embossed portion of the card is designed to be transferred by imprinting, it requires an imprinting mechanism such as a rotating mechanism and rollers, and a winding mechanism for journal output. There was a problem that hindered.

For this reason, it is conceivable that the image is read by projecting light on the embossed portion. However, since the embossed portion is usually the same color as the background, it cannot be read.

Therefore, the shading of the embossed portion may be read,
As shown in FIG. 3 (d), when light is projected from one direction, the resulting shadow becomes as shown in FIG. 3 (e). Even if character recognition is possible, an intended contour image of emboss can be obtained. Can not.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an emboss reading device that reads an embossed image.

[Means for solving the problem]

To achieve the above object, the emboss reading device of the present invention has a first
As shown in the diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention, four light projecting means (L) for projecting light onto a recording medium, an image sensor (14) capable of reading a two-dimensional image, and a recording medium moving at a predetermined speed. A combining means (24) for reading and combining the shadows at different positions of the projection angle, wherein the two-dimensional sensor is used to read and combine a plurality of shadows generated by the movement of the recording medium.

[Action]

Since the embossed portion is engraved so that it rises above the card surface, for example, when the card is moved, the light projection angle changes, and the resulting shadow is read by a two-dimensional image sensor, and a plurality of images are read based on the moving speed. Is synthesized.

As described above, the contour of the embossed portion can be read,
This is printed on receipt paper or exists in a file as image data.

〔Example〕

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the emboss reading device according to the embodiment.
This shows an example of reading and combining at two places passing through the sensors S1 and S2.

In the figure, L is a floodlight, which projects the card 7 through the half mirror 10, 14 is a two-dimensional image sensor, which accumulates the image of the card 7 reflected by the half mirror 10, 11 is a plurality of feed rollers for feeding the card 7 at a constant speed, S1 and S2 are sensors for detecting the image reading position, 17 is a reading unit for operating and reading the image data accumulated in the two-dimensional image sensor 14, In the case of a read command based on the sensor S1, the read image data is stored in the image memory A, and in the case of the read command by the sensor S2, the two-dimensional image sensor 14 is stored in the image memory A, B, and C. 18 is a synthesizing unit, which synthesizes the image data of the image memories A and B and stores them in the image memory C, and 19 is a scanning unit which is a card. 7 is a main control unit for controlling each unit. Other transaction devices include a file unit 22 for filing the read embossed image data, a printer 23 for printing the image data, and the like. Prepare.

The sensors S1 and S2 are set at positions where the shadow of the embossed portion 7a by the light emitting lamp L appears on the left and right, respectively, and the optical system detects the image sensor 14 when the card 7 reaches the reading position. It is arranged so that the entire image of the embossed portion 7a is projected.

The operation of the emboss reading device having the above configuration will be described below.

The inserted card 7 is sent to the emboss reading device,
The light emitting position of the light emitting lamp L is moved at a predetermined speed.

When the edge of the card 7 passes through the sensor S1, the main control unit 21 issues a reading command to the reading unit 17, and the reading unit 17 transmits the reading command to the embossing unit 7a input to the two-dimensional image sensor 14.
Is scanned and read and stored in the image memory A.

Next, when the card 7 has passed the sensor S2, the image sensor 14 is read again and stored in the image memory B.

Upon completion of the reading, the card 7 is returned, and the combining unit 18 combines the two sets of image data and stores the combined data in the image memory C.

Since the address of the image data of the embossed portion 7a stored in the image memories A and B corresponds to the interval between the sensors S1 and S2, the address is converted and the corresponding data is synthesized.

The data in the image memory C is stored in the printer 23 as needed.
And is stored in the file 22.

In the above embodiment, the entire image of the embossed portion is read by the two-dimensional image sensor. However, two sets of one-dimensional image sensors are provided at predetermined intervals, and the image data of the embossed portion that enters is sequentially read. Image memory A,
After storing in B, it may be synthesized.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the present invention provides an emboss reading device that projects light onto an embossed portion and reads and combines a shadow appearing as the embossed portion moves. The effect on the transaction terminal and the like, such as data file creation, is extremely large.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining the principle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an emboss reading device of the embodiment, FIG. 3 (a) is a sectional view of a card processing mechanism, FIG. 3 (b) is a top view of an imprinter, FIG. 3 (c) is an imprint operation diagram, FIG. 3 (d) is a diagram showing a problem of the emboss reading, and FIG. 3 (e) is an embossed shadow obtained by the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 (d). FIG. In the figure, 1 is a card insertion slot, 2 is a magnetic reading section, 3 is an imprinter, 4 is a printing paper, 5 is a printing section, 6 is a journal output winding mechanism, 7 is a transaction card, 7a is an embossed section, and 8 is an embossed section. Roller, 10 is a half mirror, 11 is a feed roller, 13 is a lens, 14 is a two-dimensional image sensor, 17 is a reading unit, 18 is a combining unit, 19 is a scanning unit, 21 is a main control unit, 22 is a file device, 23 Denotes a printer, L denotes light emitting means, light emitting lamps A, B, and C denote image memories, and S1 and S2 denote sensors.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An emboss reading device for reading shadows of characters and symbols recorded on a recording medium by embossing in a concave and convex manner, comprising: a light projecting means for projecting light onto the recording medium; And a synthesizing means for reading and combining shadows of the recording medium moving at a predetermined speed at positions with different projection angles, and reading and synthesizing a plurality of shadows caused by movement of the recording medium with a two-dimensional sensor. An emboss reading device.