JP3012624U - Overwriting mark reading device for prepaid cards - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a prepaid card reading device which has a simple structure and is effective for discrimination of overwriting marks. [Configuration] Based on the signal captured by the image sensor 3,
An image forming means 4 for forming an overwriting mark image printed on the surface of the prepaid card 10, a contour extracting means 5 for extracting a contour of the formed overwriting mark image, and an inclined straight line crossing the vicinity of the center from the extracted contour. Is provided with a straight line detecting means 6 for detecting a circle, a circular detecting means 7 for detecting a circle from the extracted contour, and a mark determining means 8 for determining an overwriting mark based on the detection result of the inclined straight line or the circular detection result.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a prepaid card reading device, and more particularly to a reading device for an overwriting mark printed on the surface of a prepaid card.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Recently, as a prepaid card, mainly for the purpose of data tampering and fraud prevention, the balance is printed and displayed as binary data on the surface of a paper or plastic card with a gray mark, and the display is updated each time the balance is updated. Cards are being used. In such a prepaid card, a balance display consisting of a series of marks is additionally printed alongside the old balance display for each transaction.

In such a prepaid card, when many transactions are made while the print space for displaying the balance is limited, the space becomes full in a short period of time, and subsequent writing and recording becomes impossible. . Therefore, overwriting has been proposed in order to record many transactions in a limited small print space. In such an overwritten prepaid card, as shown in FIG. 2, the first printing on the prepaid card 10 is performed by the slanted cross mark 12, and the second printing is performed by the smeared circle mark 11, and the center is 1 Overwriting is performed in the same manner as the center of the inclined cross mark 12 of the second printing.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, there has never been a device that can accurately read out a print made on a prepaid card having the above-described overwriting structure without misreading. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a prepaid card reading device which has a simple configuration and is effective for discriminating overwriting marks.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The overwriting mark reading device of the prepaid card of the present invention has a tilted cross mark on either side of "0" or "1" of each bit of the balance data composed of binary values on the card surface. An image is displayed on a prepaid card reading device in which the other side is displayed as a balance with no mark, and has a dimension that covers the inclined cross mark, and is overwritten with a filled circle mark that has the same center as the inclined cross mark. Based on the signal from the sensor that captures the overwriting mark printed on the card surface, the image forming means for forming the overwriting mark image and the contour of the overwriting mark image formed by the image forming means are extracted. Contour extracting means, an inclined straight line detecting means for detecting an inclined straight line crossing the vicinity of the center from the extracted contour, and a circular shape detecting hand for detecting a circle from the extracted contour. When, characterized by being configured with a mark judging means for judging based-out overwriting marks on the detection result or the circular detection result of the inclined straight line.

[0006]

[Action]

 In the prepaid card overwriting mark reading apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, when there is a filled circle mark, the circle detecting means detects the detection of a circle from the extracted contour. When the filled circle mark does not exist and only the inclined cross mark exists, the inclined straight line detecting means detects the inclined straight line of the inclined cross mark. Further, when neither the filled circle mark nor the slanted cross mark exists, neither the circular detection means nor the slanted straight line detection means detects an image. Based on the above result, the mark determination means determines the overwriting mark.

Further, when the filled circle mark is not detected over the entire printing surface of the prepaid card, it is the first recording, and when even one filled circle mark is detected, it is the second (overwritten) recording. Easily determined to be present. As described above, the first recording or the overwriting recording can be discriminated, and "0" and "1" can be discriminated depending on the presence or absence of each mark. As a result, it is possible to write twice in a small print space, and it is possible to handle more transaction records.

[0008]

【Example】

 The prepaid card which is the object of the present invention has, on the surface thereof, either the "0" or "1" side of each bit of the balance data composed of binary values, and the inclined cross mark in the first recording. , The balance is displayed on the other side with no mark, and in the second (overwriting) recording, the filled circle mark that has the same size as the inclined cross mark and the center is the same as "0". It is assumed that one side of "1" and the other side are displayed as unbalanced. It is desirable that the inclined cross mark and the filled circle mark be constructed in black. In addition, at least one of the balance data printed and displayed on the surface of the card is a mark.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of an overwriting mark reading apparatus for a prepaid card according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of the overwriting mark reading device of the present invention. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. An overwriting mark reading apparatus 1 for a prepaid card according to the present invention comprises an image sensor 3 for capturing an overwriting mark printed on the card surface, an image forming means 4 for forming an overwriting mark image based on a signal from the image sensor 3, A contour extracting means 5 for extracting the contour of the overwritten mark image formed by the image forming means 4, a tilt straight line detecting means 6 for detecting a tilt straight line crossing the center of the extracted contour, and a circle for detecting the extracted contour. A circular detection step 7 for performing the circular detection, and a mark determination means 8 for determining an overwriting mark based on the detection result of the inclined straight line or the circular detection result. Further, there are provided limit switches SW1 to SWn which are turned on by the card tip, and card tip position detecting means 2 which detects the card tip position based on signals from the limit switches SW1 to SWn and sends the signal to the image forming means 4.

Next, the operation will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, when the prepaid card 10 is fed in the direction of the arrow by a conventional constant-speed feeding mechanism (not shown), and the print on the surface of the prepaid card 10 advances to a position where it can be captured by the linear image sensor 3, the prepaid card 10 10. The tip turns the limit switch SW1 on, the card tip position detecting means 2 sends a trigger signal to the image forming means 4, and the image forming means 4 takes in the image signal from the linear image sensor 3 to form an image. When this image is sent to the contour extracting means 5, the contour extracting means 5 outputs the extracted contour information.

When the filled circle mark 11 exists at the position of interest, the circle detection means 7 detects the circle on the outer periphery of the filled circle mark 11 and sends it to the mark determination means 8. As a result, it is determined that the filled circle mark 11 exists at the target position on the prepaid card surface.

On the other hand, when the filled circle mark 11 does not exist at the position of interest on the prepaid card surface and only the slanted cross mark 12 exists, only the slanted straight line detection means 6 outputs the slanted straight line detection signal to the mark determination means 8. To do. Therefore, the mark determination means 8 determines that the filled circle mark does not exist at the target position on the prepaid card surface, and only the inclined cross mark 12 exists.

Next, when neither the filled circle mark 11 nor the tilted cross mark 12 exists, neither the tilted straight line detection means nor the circled detection means outputs a signal. Therefore, the mark determination means 8 determines that neither the filled circle mark 11 nor the slanted cross mark 12 exists at the position of interest on the surface of the prepaid card.

Further, when the filled circle mark is not detected over the entire printing surface of the prepaid card, it is the first recording, and when even one filled circle mark is detected, the second recording (overwriting) is performed. Easily determined to be present. As described above, the first recording or the overwriting recording can be discriminated, and "0" and "1" can be discriminated depending on the presence or absence of each mark. The slanted cross mark has, for example, a line that crosses at a slant angle of 45 degrees, that is, a straight line portion that has an angle with the traveling direction of the card, so the effect of noise generated when the card progresses is mitigated, and accurate contour extraction is possible become.

[0015]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, in the overwriting mark reading device of the prepaid card according to the present invention, when the filled circle mark is present, the circle detecting means detects the outer circle, and the filled circle mark is not present. If there is only a cross mark, the inclined straight line detection means outputs a detection signal, and if neither the filled circle mark nor the inclined cross mark exists, neither the circular detection means nor the inclined straight line detection means outputs a detection signal. , It is possible to determine the presence or absence of a mark and the type of the mark with a high enough accuracy for practical use. Further, the first recording or the overwritten recording can be easily discriminated. As a result of the above, it is possible to write twice in a small print space, and it is possible to handle a larger number of transaction records.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of an overwriting mark reading device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory view of the overwriting mark reading device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Overwrite mark reading device for prepaid card 2 Card tip position detecting means 3 Linear image sensor 4 Image forming means 5 Contour extracting means 6 Inclination straight line detecting means 7 Circular detecting means 8 Mark determining means 10 Prepaid card 11 Filled circle mark 12 Inclination Cross mark SW1 to SWn Limit switch CPU Microcomputer M memory

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A balance is displayed on the card surface by an inclined cross mark on either side of "0" or "1" of each bit of the balance data composed of binary numbers and no mark on the other side. And a prepaid card reading device having a size that covers the inclined cross mark and overwritten with a filled circle mark that has the same center as the inclined cross mark,
An image forming means for forming an overwriting mark image and an outline of the overwriting mark image formed by the image forming means are extracted based on a signal from the image sensor capturing the overwriting mark printed on the card surface. Contour extraction means,
An inclined straight line detecting means for detecting an inclined straight line that crosses the vicinity of the center from the extracted contour, a circular detecting means for detecting a circle from the extracted contour, and an overlapping result based on the detection result of the inclined straight line or the circular detection result. An overwriting mark reading device for a prepaid card, characterized in that it comprises a mark judging means for judging a writing mark.