JP2997534B2 - Automatic transaction equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Purpose of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a utility bill inserted by a user in, for example, an automatic transaction apparatus for performing a utility bill payment transaction. The present invention relates to an automatic transaction apparatus having a form processing device for performing processing such as printing the result of a payment transaction.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, a form processing apparatus of an automatic transaction apparatus that performs a payment transaction of a utility bill or the like, a user inserts a form in which payment information is recorded into an insertion slot, thereby taking the form into the apparatus. After reading the recorded pay-in information or printing at a predetermined position, the pay-in information is discharged to the insertion slot. Therefore, in order to prevent the above-described payment information from being read poorly or a print position from being shifted, a skew roller or the like is arranged on the paper conveyance path so that one end of the papers is brought into contact with the conveyance reference plane. And processing such as reading and printing of payment information.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Conventionally, the skew rollers and the like are arranged on a horizontal conveyance path. Therefore, when the inserted forms are weak, the skew rollers and the like are used to adjust the width. In this case, there is a problem that the documents are bent or bent, so that the sheets are not brought into contact with the transport reference surface and cannot be aligned.

In view of the above, the present invention ensures that even if the processed form is weak, one end of the form is securely brought into contact with the conveyance reference surface by a skew roller or the like, and the payment information is not read properly or the printing position is shifted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a form processing apparatus that does not cause any problems.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a receiving means for receiving a recording medium on which information relating to payment is recorded, and the recording medium received by the receiving means. Reading means for optically reading the information from the reader, transaction means for executing a payment transaction based on the information read by the reading means, transport means provided along the receiving means and reading means, and this transport means And a first bending portion bent in a first direction and a second bending portion bent in a second direction opposite to the bending direction of the first bending portion. Laura and
When the rear end of the recording medium is transported to a predetermined position,
Positioning means for simultaneously driving the positioning rollers of the first and second curved portions and pressing the guide blocks provided at one end of the transport means to position the recording medium.

(Operation) Since the positioning is performed by the positioning unit in a state where the documents are bent by the above-described unit, the positioning is performed in a state where the form is stiffer than usual, and the reliable positioning can be performed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an automatic transaction apparatus 100 according to the present invention. That is, the customer operation unit 2 is provided on the front of the housing 1.
Are formed. On the vertical surface 3 of the customer service operation unit 2,
A payment slip (form) as a recording medium, for example, a payment slip for gas charges is inserted, and a transaction medium insertion port 4 for receiving a released receipt and the like, and account information such as a personal identification number and an account number are stored. Card insertion slot 5 for inserting a magnetic card, handling indicator 6a for indicating to the user that handling is in progress, transaction indicator 6b for guiding each transaction such as deposit, payment, payment, etc. which can be handled, use A call button 7 for the user to call a clerk, and a door 8a which can be opened and closed, and a coin deposit / withdrawal port 8 which doubles as a deposit / withdrawal port for a user to insert or receive a large number of coins at once. Is provided.

The horizontal surface 10 of the customer service operation unit 2 is provided with a bill receiving / dispensing port 11 for receiving a large number of bills at a time and receiving change of bills, and the bill receiving / dispensing port 11 is openable and closable. A door 12 is provided. Also, on the horizontal plane 10,
A CRT display device 14 is provided in which a transparent touch panel (touch sensor) is arranged on a color CRT display screen. The CRT display device 14 guides the user by displaying operation procedures and other information on the screen by illustrations, characters or words, etc., and displays the personal identification number, the amount, the account number, and the selection of the transaction by the display. By pressing a display portion corresponding to confirmation, cancellation, or the like, the touch panel detects the depression and outputs a corresponding signal to a main control unit described later, that is, a so-called key operation is performed. The CRT display device 14 changes the contents and the display thereof every time the operation of the machine or the state of the step changes.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
100 a main control unit 81 mainly composed of a microcomputer or the like that controls the overall control, a banknote depositing / dispensing unit 82, a coin depositing / dispensing unit 83, an internal monitor 84 for a clerk, a card unit 85, a transaction medium processing unit 86, CRT display 14
, A voice guidance unit 88 for guiding a user's operation by voice, and the like. Also connected to the main control unit 81 are a transmission control unit 89 for controlling data transmission to and from a host computer (center) (not shown), a main storage unit 90, and a remote monitor 91 for staff provided outside. Have been. Reference numeral 92 denotes a power supply unit that supplies electric power necessary for operating the device 100.

The main control unit 81 controls the respective units according to the operation program of the main storage unit 90 and the like to cause the automatic transaction apparatus 100 to perform a predetermined transaction operation.

The banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 82 accepts the banknotes that are collectively inserted into the banknote deposit and withdrawal port 11, and the authenticity, the amount,
Performs discrimination (identification) of genuine damage, counts of genuine bills, assortment of front and back, etc., and divides the inserted genuine bill into four categories (10,000 yen, 1,000 yen, 5,000 yen, 10,000 yen) And 1,000 yen and 5,000 yen bills and old ones), and the deposited bills are used as paid bills as they are, and the designated amount of bills are released as necessary, thereby dispensing the bills. It is paid out from the mouth 11 at once.

The coin depositing and dispensing unit 83 stores and stores true and false coins, coin type discrimination, and counting of true coins, which are collectively inserted into the coin depositing and dispensing port 8, and, if necessary, for a designated amount. By ejecting coins, the coins are paid out collectively from the coin depositing / dispensing port 8.

The internal monitor 84 is for notifying the staff involved in the operation of the apparatus 100 of the state of the apparatus and the like, and for inputting instructions regarding operations by the staff.

The card unit 85 accepts the magnetic card inserted from the card insertion slot 5 to read account information such as an account number from a magnetic stripe portion on the card, or write to the card as necessary. Things.

The transaction medium processing unit 86 is issued as a receipt by reading, for example, information relating to the payment recorded in the payment slip received from the transaction medium insertion slot 4 or printing the payment slip as necessary. Is what you do.

The main storage unit 90 stores a processing procedure (operation program) related to the operation of the automatic transaction apparatus 100, and stores various kinds of information related to the transaction, for example, a dealer number, an apparatus number unique to the apparatus 100, a transaction record, and the like. It also manages the recording of the operation status of the device 100 and the like.

The remote monitor 91 is an automatic transaction device if necessary.
100 (main control unit 81), so that the state of the device 100 can be monitored from a distance.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a payment slip (invoice) as a recording medium according to the present invention.
It is shown. The payment period Pb of the gas fee is printed with the target period of the fee, the payment deadline, the name of the user, the amount charged, the customer number, the inquiry telephone number, and the like. In addition, the gas bill payment slip Pb can be divided into, for example, four pieces. The receipt P1 to the user, the notification P2 to the issuer, the copy P3 in the receiving financial period, and the other P4 Has become. The gas bill payment slip Pb is inserted in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and the width in the insertion direction is almost the same (insertable) as the width t of the transaction medium insertion port 4.

A in FIG. 3 shows a reading position on the payment slip Pb. At the reading position A, information for machine processing by reading by an optical reading device described later (information relating to payment) is printed.

FIG. 4 shows the transaction medium processing unit 86.
This is to receive the payment slip Pb inserted in the transaction medium insertion slot 4 in FIG. 1 and perform a predetermined process on it.

The transaction medium processing unit 86 is provided at a position corresponding to the transaction medium insertion port 4 in the housing 1. That is,
A transaction medium insertion port 4 is communicated with the front surface of the main body 21, and a shutter that can be opened and closed is provided in the transaction medium insertion port 4.
22 are provided. The shutter 22 includes a solenoid 22
The opening and closing operation is performed by a and the spring 22b, and this opening and closing operation is controlled by the output of the detector 23. The detector 23 is a known device including a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and is configured to optically detect insertion or removal of the payment slip Pb.

A conveyance path 27 provided in a substantially horizontal state from the transaction medium insertion port 4 toward the rear of the main body 21 includes drive rollers 24,.
Each of the drive rollers 24 includes a pinch roller 25 that rolls in contact with the drive roller 24, a guide bottom plate (not shown), and the like, and is driven by a drive motor via a belt (not shown). .

In the middle of the transport path 27, an optical reader 42 for reading payment information (information related to payment) on the payment slip Pb is provided.
Is provided.

The optical reader 42 has a plurality of types of payment form features (for example, the position and content of information to be read,
When the type of payment is specified, the corresponding payment slip format is selected, and the payment information on the payment slip Pb is used (see FIG. 3). (For example, a portion A indicated by a broken line).

The reading device 42 includes, for example, an illumination lamp 42a that illuminates the form P, a contact-type image sensor 42c that converts reflected light from the form P into an electric signal via an imaging lens 42b, and the like. . The illumination lamp 42a has a character information A in the area A where the character information is recorded.
The one that emits light that is non-reflective only in the portion of the underline, that is, the portion that emits light in the underlined portion, for example, emits light of the same color as the underline frame is used.

The output signal of the reading device 42 is sent to a signal processing unit (not shown), where it is digitized and temporarily stored in an image information memory as image information.The stored character information of the image information memory is recorded. The underline has been deleted from the image information of the area A.

Therefore, character extraction processing can be performed without being aware of the presence / absence of an underline.

Behind the optical reader 42 on the transport path 27, a printing mechanism 52 is provided.
Is provided. The printing mechanism 52 prints predetermined information on the payment slip Pb.

In addition, behind the shutter 22 on the transport path 27, the payment slip Pb that has been transported is cut into a receipt P1 for the user + other P4, a notice P2 to the issuer P2, and a copy P3 at the receiving financial institution. A cutter device 60 is provided.

Near the start end of the transport path 27 (between the shutter 22 and the cutter device 60), there is a branch transport path 271 guided from the transport path 27 by the action of a gate integrated with the shutter 22.

At the end of the branch conveyance path 271, the payment slip P
A collection storage 72 for collecting b and the like is provided.

The branch transport path 271 is used as a recovery transport path, a retreat transport path at the rear end of the payment slip protruding from the transport path 27, and via a clutch 30 from a drive motor for driving the drive rollers 24 of the transport path 27. When the cutter is disconnected from the drive (which may be driven by another motor), a notice to the issuer disconnected by the cutter device 60 can be obtained.
It is also used when holding the P2 + P3 part at the holding financial institution in that place.

At the end of the transport path 27, the conveyed payment slips are accumulated through gates 59a, 59b, 59c, and are accumulated at accumulating units 73, 74, 75.
Is provided. The gates 59a, 59b, and 59c are driven by solenoids 59d, 59e, and 59f, respectively, and are stored in the time stacking unit 73 when the gate 59a is shown by a broken line, and in the time stacking unit 74 when the gate 59b is shown by a broken line. When the gate 59c is in the state shown by the dashed line, the gates 59c are each integrated in the integration unit 75.

Further, the payment slip that has been transported when the gates 59a, 59b, 59c are all in the state shown by the solid line is transported to the transport path 272. The transport path 272 is used as a retreat transport path at the tip of the payment slip protruding from the transport path 27.

A drive roller 24e is provided on the curved surface portion 27a near the end of the transport path 27.
A driving roller 24i is provided in parallel with the pinch roller 25e, and a positioning roller 26a is provided in parallel with the pinch roller 25e.
h, the drive roller 24j in parallel with the pinch roller 25h,
An alignment roller 26b is provided.

The alignment rollers 26a and 26b are connected to solenoids 29a and 29a, respectively.
By exciting 9b, it comes into contact with the drive rollers 24i and 24j, and is normally retracted from the form transport surface.

The pitch rollers 25d to 25h are configured to retreat from the form transport surface by exciting the solenoid 28, and are normally in contact with the drive rollers 24d to 24h.

When the forms are taken in and are conveyed until the rear end of the forms passes the printing mechanism and reaches the position of the drive roller 24d, the solenoids 28, 29a, 29b are excited, and the pinch rollers 25d to 25h are turned on. Retreat from the form transport surface and align the alignment rollers 26a, 2
Reference numeral 6b contacts the drive rollers 24i and 24j, respectively. At this time,
The means for transporting the forms is only the drive rollers 24i, 24j in contact with the alignment rollers 26a, 26b, so the alignment rollers 26a, 2j
A guide block (not shown) provided at one end of the transport path when the documents are sent obliquely by the rotation of 6b.
And is transported while being positioned. After completion of alignment, the excitation of the solenoids 28, 29a, and 29b is turned off, and the alignment rollers 26a and 26b are retracted from the form transport surface, and the pinch rollers 25d to 25h are lowered and the drive rollers 24d to 24h form the form. To grip.

Next, the processing operation of the payment slip Pb in the above configuration will be described.

When accepting the payment slip, the solenoid 22a is excited to open the shutter 22, and the transaction medium insertion port 4 is opened.

When the user inserts the payment slip into the transaction medium insertion slot 4, the insertion is detected by darkening the detector 23. Then, the inserted payment slip is sandwiched between the drive rollers 24 and the pinch rollers 25 and is taken into the transaction medium processing unit 86.

As a result, while the payment slip thus taken in is conveyed through the conveyance path 27, the payment information (information relating to the payment, etc.) is read from the reading position corresponding to the format by the optical reader 42 and is recognized.

Since the reading position A is on the rear end side of the payment slip, the leading end of the payment slip protrudes from the transport path 27. Therefore, the gates 59a, 59b, 59
c are all in the state of a solid line and are transported to the transport path 272, where they are aligned by the alignment rollers 26a and 26b described above.

Thereafter, a payment transaction is performed based on the payment information read and recognized by the optical reader 42. When the payment transaction is completed, the payment slip read by the optical reader 42 is conveyed by the drive rollers 24 and the pinch rollers 25 and the predetermined position where the payment slip is to be printed is determined by the printing mechanism 52. Sent to position. At this point, the receipt of the payment slip is printed by the printing mechanism 52.

Then, the payment slip on which the received printing has been completed is conveyed on the conveyance path 27 toward the transaction medium insertion port 4 and sent so that the cutting position X of the payment slip becomes the position of the cutter device 60.

The trailing end of the payment slip passing through the cutter device 60 is a shutter
It is guided to the branch conveyance path 271 by the function of the gate integrated with 22.

Here, the cutter device 60 notifies the publisher P2
+ It is cut into two pieces: P3 part of receipt financial institution and receipt P1 + other P4 part.

When the payment slip is cut, the cut letter P2 and copy P3 are conveyed on the branch conveyance path 271 toward the collection box 72 and sent until they pass through a gate integrated with the shutter 22.

Here, the drive of the drive motor for driving the drive rollers 24... Of the transport path 27 is interrupted by the clutch 30,
Reserved at this location.

Further, the cut receipt P1 and the other receipt P4 are conveyed as they are on the conveyance path 27 toward the transaction medium insertion port 4, and the solenoid 22a is excited, and the shutter 22 is opened. Issued to

When the removal of the receipt P1 and the other P4 by the user is detected by the detector 23, the notice P2 and the copy P3 held on the branch transport path 271 connect the drive of the drive motor via the clutch 30. The transport path 27
Sent up.

Then, the sheet is conveyed on the conveyance path 27 in a direction opposite to the direction of the transaction medium insertion port 4 and is accumulated on the accumulation section via the gates 59a, 50b, 59c.

As described above, the branch transport path 2719 is provided in the vicinity of the start end of the transport path 27 provided in the horizontal state, and the retreat transport path 272 is provided three-dimensionally at the end, and the leading end and the rear end protruding from the horizontal transport path 27 are respectively provided. By guiding to the evacuation transport path 272 and the branch transport path 271, it is long in the insertion direction like the gas bill payment slip Pb,
It is possible to perform a payment transaction by accepting a payment slip that cannot be handled as it is.

In the above embodiment, the gas rate has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to payment of a local tax, automobile tax, and the like in addition to a telephone rate, an electricity rate, and a water rate.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, even when the form to be processed is weak, one end of the form is securely brought into contact with the transport reference plane, and misalignment is caused in the subsequent processing. It is possible to provide an automatic transaction apparatus having a form processing device that does not cause a defect due to the above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The drawings illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, and
The figure shows an external view of the automatic transaction apparatus 100, and FIG.
00 is a block diagram, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a payment slip,
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a form processing apparatus. 24a to 24j Drive rollers 25a to 25h Pinch rollers 26a and 26b Alignment rollers 27a and 27b Conveyed path curved surface 42 Optical reader 52 Printing mechanism

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07D 9/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A receiving means for receiving a recording medium on which information relating to the payment is recorded; a reading means for optically reading the information from the recording medium received by the receiving means; Transaction means for executing a payment transaction based on the first payment means; transport means provided along the receiving means and reading means; a first curved portion formed in the transport means and curved in a first direction; When the rear end of the recording medium is conveyed to a predetermined position, the alignment rollers provided on the second bending portion curved in the second direction opposite to the bending direction of the bending portion Positioning means for simultaneously driving the positioning rollers of the first and second curved portions to press against a guide block provided at one end of the conveying means to position the recording medium. Automatic transaction equipment.