JP4089116B2 - Medium residual detection device for image scanner - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention is used to prevent a medium once read by an image scanner from being unnecessarily left on the image scanner in a predetermined process on a system using the image scanner. Specifically, for example, it is effectively used to prevent forgetting to remove a customer medium such as an identification card at an unmanned store terminal (hereinafter referred to as RBT) operated by a financial institution.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, in order to prevent forgetting to remove the media of a conventional image scanner,
(1) A hard sensor is installed in the image scanner medium setting portion, and the presence or absence of the medium is detected by the sensor after predetermined processing is completed.
(2) It is determined (assumed) that the medium has been removed by opening and closing the lid of the apparatus for setting the medium to which the image scanner is attached.
(3) Read again with an image scanner to check if there is any remaining medium, send the image data to a remote manned terminal, etc., and check it visually.
Such a method was taken.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, there are the following problems as described above. In other words, in the case of (1), it is costly to provide each device with a hard sensor. This is particularly true in large systems that include many devices. In addition, when using a commercially available image scanner or the like, a work load and a cost load are required for developing a sensor suitable for the device. This is enormous especially when different types of commercially available image scanners are used in a single system.
In the case of (2), even if it is determined that the medium is removed by opening / closing the lid, it is only a determination that it is assumed that the opening / closing operation of the lid itself can be performed without removing the medium. In other words, there may be a situation in which the medium remains even though the lid is actually opened and closed, and absolute medium removal cannot be detected. In other words, this determination is only an assumption.
In the case of {circle around (3)}, processing time and communication load are applied because of the reliable method, and human load such as visual confirmation is applied.
The present invention completely solves the above problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or method for performing reliable medium residual detection while reducing cost load, requiring no human load, and further shortening processing time.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, in the present invention, in a system including a medium reading process by an image scanner, the image data obtained as a result of reading without placing any medium on the image scanner is compressed. The first storage means for storing and holding the size data of the compressed file in advance, the re-reading means for reading the image again after obtaining the predetermined processing, and acquiring the image data, and the image data obtained by the re-reading means Re-read image data compression means for performing compression processing; second storage means for holding size data of a compressed file obtained by the re-read image data compression means; the first storage means; and the second storage means Size comparison means for comparing the size data of the compressed file stored and retained, and the comparison means When it is determined that there is a difference above a certain threshold over data, in which some kind of medium to the image scanner, characterized in construction in that it comprises a medium residual determining means for determining the remaining. In operation, in a system that includes medium reading processing by an image scanner, after finishing predetermined processing, the image is read again and the image data is subjected to compression processing. When comparing the size of the file that has been subjected to compression processing to the image data that has been read without placing a medium, and determining that there is a difference of a certain threshold or more between each other, the image scanner should By determining that the medium remains, it is determined whether or not the medium remains in the image scanner after predetermined processing is completed.
[0005]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
【Example】
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, an RBT system for a financial institution considered to be effective to incorporate the technology of the present invention is taken as an example, but of course the present invention is not limited thereby. The RBT system generally operates an RBT, which is an unmanned sales office terminal that allows customers to perform transactions that were not possible with conventional ATMs, such as opening a new account or applying for a loan, without having to go to a financial institution customer System. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an RBT system. As a configuration, an RBT 10 on which a customer operates a transaction is connected to an operator terminal 20 installed in a remote RBT operation management center via an INS network or the like.
[0006]
FIG. 2 is a device block diagram of the RBT 10. A control unit 11 that includes a CPU, a memory, and the like, executes a program loaded in the memory, controls each connected I / O device, an image scanner 12 that acquires image data of a medium such as a certificate, an image scanner 12, a hard disk 13 that stores the size data of a compressed file obtained by compressing image data that has been read without placing anything on it, a screen controller 14, a microphone / speaker 15, a printer 16, a card reader 17, It comprises a card issuing machine 18, a medium transport mechanism 19 and the like. The operator terminal 20 includes a control unit, a screen display unit, a headset, and the like. However, the operator terminal 20 is not directly related to the invention of the present application, and is not illustrated.
[0007]
FIG. 3 is a module structure diagram of software for controlling the control unit 11 and the image scanner 12 of the RBT 10 to perform medium remaining detection. This software is the most characteristic part of the present invention, and is normally stored in the memory in the control unit 12, operates in accordance with an instruction from a higher-level application, and has a function of returning a medium remaining detection result to the higher-level application. . The upper I / F unit 31 that controls the interface with the upper application, the reading unit 32 that instructs the image scanner to read an image in response to a request from the upper I / F unit 31, and the image read by the reading unit 32 A compression unit 33 that performs compression processing on the data, and a residual determination unit 34 that detects whether the medium is left standing based on the size of the compressed file.
[0008]
Next, the operation of the present invention having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the transaction business, and a new application transaction in the RBT of a consumer financial institution is taken as an example. A new application is a business of applying for a small card loan and issuing a loan card on the spot after examination. However, the invention of the present application is not particularly related to the entire business, and has only a novel technical idea only in the function of detecting the remaining medium due to forgetting to remove a medium such as an identification card which is brought by the customer.
[0009]
In FIG. 4, the customer first selects a consultation service from the main menu of the RBT 10. (S41)
Next, the customer sets an identification card (license / insurance card, etc.) on the image scanner 12 of the RBT 10 in order to verify the identity required for the application in accordance with the screen guidance of the RBT 10. When the identification card is set, the RBT 10 acquires an image of the identification card by the image scanner 12, and transmits the image to the operator terminal 20 of the RBT operation management center. The operator terminal 20 performs a predetermined process by printing or displaying the received image data. (S42)
[0010]
When the image data can be transmitted to the operator terminal 20, the RBT 10 side guides the customer to take out the medium as the identification card. (S43)
Next, the customer inputs predetermined transaction information related to the transaction. (S44)
Here, in response to the medium take-out guidance in S43, in order to confirm whether the customer has definitely taken out the medium, the medium remaining confirmation process is operated in parallel with S44. (S45)
[0011]
(Detailed flow of S45)
A detailed flow of the medium remaining confirmation process in S45 will be described with reference to FIG.
S451: In S45, a medium reading request is received from the host application.
S452: Upon receipt of the request, the image scanner 12 reads again with the designated DPI and the number of colors by the reading unit 32 of FIG. Note that DPI is generally read at about 150 to 240 DPI in normal business, but it is not necessary to read at high density DPI due to its nature in this processing. Therefore, in order to minimize the processing time, reading is performed with the smallest possible (coarse) DPI. The number of colors is binary.
[0012]
S453: The image data read again in S452 is subjected to software compression processing by the compression unit 33 in FIG. 3, and the file size of the compressed image data is derived.
[0013]
Here, the reason why compression processing is required will be described. That is, to compare the size of the compressed file in later processing, but with binary image data that is not subjected to compression processing, it simply represents white and black with bit off / on, so the size of the image data It cannot be compared. In other words, binary image data has no difference in size from data read by an image scanner without placing anything.
Therefore, the compression algorithm makes a difference between the file sizes of a pattern in which black is mixed (when some medium is read) and an all-white pattern (when no medium is placed). However, the type of compression algorithm is not particularly limited here.
[0014]
S454: The size of the compressed file of the image data that has been acquired and stored in the hard disk 13 in advance by the residual discriminating unit 34 in FIG. 3 and that has been read in the image scanner 12, and the compressed file derived in S453 The size is compared, and it is determined whether or not the difference is within the range of the threshold value + −10%. If the difference is within the threshold value + -10%, the process proceeds to S445. If the difference is greater than the threshold value + -10%, the process proceeds to S456.
[0015]
S455: It is determined that there is no possibility that the medium remains, and this is notified to the upper application via the upper I / F 31.
S456: It is determined that there is a possibility that the medium remains, and this is notified to the upper application via the upper I / F 31 and the process ends.
(End of detailed flow of S45)
[0016]
Returning to the flowchart of the transaction business in FIG. If it is determined in S45 that there is no residual medium, nothing is performed because there is no problem. However, if it is determined that there is a residual medium, the transaction information input step in S44 is interrupted, and the process in S44 is temporarily interrupted. Perform media removal guidance. (S46)
Here, the customer notices that the medium as the identification card has not been taken out from the image scanner 12, and after taking out the medium, presses the confirmation key (S47).
[0017]
After S47, the customer continues the step of S44 again. In parallel, the medium remaining confirmation process of S45 is performed again. (S44, S45)
If all the processes in S44 are completed and it is confirmed in S45 that there is no remaining medium, a predetermined card is issued from the card issuing machine 18, and the process of importing the contract into the RBT 10 is completed.
(S48, S49)
[0018]
In this process, the procedure for detecting the remaining medium during the transaction information input by the customer is described. However, the remaining medium confirmation process in S45 may be performed after the customer operation is completed.
By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been made about the detection of the remaining forgotten medium of the customer, but in the business transaction, the process of taking the contract with the customer into the RBT 10 as in S49 which is the last process in FIG. is there. At this time, there may be a case where the contract with the customer, which is an important medium, fails to be taken into the RBT 10 due to a hardware operation error or the like, that is, the important medium may be left on the image scanner. In order to prevent the customer's important media such as contracts from being abused by a third party, the important media must never be left in a device used by an unspecified number of people like the RBT 10.
[0020]
For this reason, the medium remaining confirmation process of the present invention detects not only the customer's forgetting to remove the medium but also the medium remaining in the step (S49) where the medium may fail to be mechanically loaded into the RBT 10. Can be applied in parallel.
[0021]
In the embodiment, the RBT system of the financial institution has been described. However, it can be used for all unmanned terminals that may cause forgetting to remove the medium by using an image scanner such as a securities contract terminal or a ticket issuing machine. is there.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the following effects can be expected. That is, it is not necessary to install a costly hard sensor and to develop and load a sensor according to each of the commercially available image scanners in the remaining detection detection confirmation means for the medium to be read of the system using the image scanner. There is no accuracy of detection confirmation, no open / close operation of devices such as lids, etc. Furthermore, there is no load to confirm the reread result by human eyes, and the processing time is shortened only by software control Reliable detection of the remaining medium is possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an RBT system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an RBT device.
FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a medium remaining detection software module.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a transaction business.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of medium remaining confirmation processing.

Claims (2)

In operation, in a system that includes media reading processing with an image scanner,
First storage means for preliminarily storing and holding compressed file size data obtained by performing compression processing on image data obtained as a result of reading without placing any medium on the image scanner;
After completing the predetermined processing, re-reading means for reading the image again and acquiring the image data;
Reread image data compression means for compressing image data obtained by the reread means;
The second storage means for holding the compressed file size data obtained by the reread image data compression means, the first storage means, and the compressed file size data stored in the second storage means are compared. Size comparison means to
When the comparison means determines that there is a difference of a certain threshold value or more between the data, the image scanner includes a medium remaining determination means that determines that some medium remains, thereby completing a predetermined process. After that, an image scanner medium remaining detection device for determining whether or not the medium remains in the image scanner. In operation, in a system that includes media reading processing with an image scanner,
After completing the predetermined processing, the image is read again, and the compression processing is performed on the image data as a result of performing the compression processing on the image data and the data size of the file that is read without placing any medium on the image scanner. By comparing the size of the file that has been subjected to processing, and when it is determined that there is a difference of a certain threshold or more between each other, it is determined that there is some medium remaining in the image scanner. After finishing the process, it is determined whether or not the medium remains in the image scanner.

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