JP5101443B2 - Form sorter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a form sorting processing apparatus used for sorting forms in financial institutions such as banks, and more specifically, a form having temporary holding means capable of temporarily holding a form being sorted. The present invention relates to a configuration of a sorting processing apparatus.

  Traditionally, financial institutions such as banks process a large number of forms of payment, such as payment forms for paying public charges and payment forms for payment of national taxes, social insurance premiums, etc. Has been. As a method for sorting these forms, for example, a method is adopted in which data described in the form is read, the type of the form is determined based on the data, and the sort process is automatically performed for each type of form. And about the form sort processing apparatus using such a sort processing method, an apparatus that can efficiently process many types of forms and can increase the degree of freedom of the work time of the worker and reduce the work load. The present applicant has proposed (Patent Document 1).

The form sorting processing device proposed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a temporary holding unit that temporarily holds a form obtained by reading written data is provided. And, for example, for a form that has not been read correctly, or a form that has been read successfully but whose storage location (pocket) has not been specified, it is temporarily held in the temporary holding section. Like to do. On the other hand, forms that are normally read and whose storage destination is specified are classified and stored in a pocket. It should be noted that it is preferable to provide a plurality of temporary storage units for convenience.
JP 2006-143369 A

  In the case of the configuration of Patent Document 1, since a form that cannot be classified and stored can be temporarily held by the temporary holding unit, it is possible to efficiently process many types of forms and further reduce the burden on the worker during sorting work. . However, it has been found that the following problem occurs in the form sorting processing apparatus of Patent Document 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as a conventional form sorting processing apparatus).

  In the conventional form sorting processing apparatus, before the form passes through the temporary holding unit, it is necessary to decide whether to discharge the form into a pocket outside the apparatus or to hold it in the temporary holding unit inside the apparatus. Therefore, conventionally, the form is transported at a predetermined determination position set upstream of the transport path from the temporary storage section (or the temporary storage section located upstream of the transport path when there are a plurality of temporary storage sections). It is configured to confirm whether or not the destination (the pocket or the temporary holding unit corresponds in the configuration of Patent Document 1) has been determined. If the transport destination is determined at the predetermined determination position, the transport of the form is continued as it is toward the determined transport destination. On the other hand, if the transport destination is not determined at the predetermined judgment position, the transport of the form cannot be continued as it is, so the transport of the form is temporarily stopped and the transport of the form is resumed when the transport destination is determined. It will be.

  In addition, the predetermined determination position can be said to be a determination position that is set as a position to stop the conveyance of the form when the conveyance destination is not determined when the form reaches the position. The determination position is expressed as a stop determination position.

  Conventionally, even with the above-described configuration, there is almost no situation where the conveyance stops because the conveyance destination is not specified at the stop determination position. However, the user of the form sorting processing apparatus wants the form sorting processing apparatus to support as many types of forms as possible. For this reason, it has been considered to increase the types of forms that can be handled by the conventional form sorting processing apparatus. As a result, the frequency at which the conveyance stops at the stop determination position increases and the time required for the sorting process increases. This is because the number of corresponding forms has been increased, so the proportion of forms with a long processing time from reading the data written on the form until the destination is determined increases, and the destination is not determined by the stop judgment position. This is because many situations have occurred.

  For this reason, it is conceivable to lengthen the conveyance path and increase the distance to the stop determination position so that even a form with a long processing time can be handled. However, this is not preferable because the size of the form sorting processing apparatus is increased.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a form sorting processing apparatus that can efficiently sort various forms without enlarging the apparatus as much as possible.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a form sorting processing apparatus that takes a form into the apparatus and performs a sorting process, and is connected to the transport path for transporting the form taken into the apparatus and the transport path. A plurality of temporary holding means capable of temporarily holding the form, a form information obtaining means for obtaining information for determining the type of the form, and a transport destination based on the information obtained by the form information obtaining means Control means for determining and controlling conveyance of the form, and the conveyance means being conveyed to the stop judgment position set as a position for stopping conveyance of the form when the control means cannot determine the conveyance destination Form position confirmation means for confirming whether or not the form has arrived, wherein the control means temporarily holds when the stop determination position and the form are temporarily held in the temporary hold means When the by varying is characterized by controlling the transport of the document.

  In this configuration, there are a plurality of temporary holding means for temporarily holding the form. Then, the stop determination position is changed by utilizing a plurality of temporary holding means. For this reason, compared with the conventional configuration in which the stop determination position is fixed, it is possible to increase the time until the stop determination position is reached after obtaining information for determining the type of the form as much as possible, The frequency at which the conveyance of the form is stopped can be reduced. In order to reduce the frequency at which the conveyance of the form is reduced, the conveyance path is not lengthened, but the stop decision position is changed, and information for determining the form type is acquired and then the stop decision position is reached. Therefore, the increase in the size of the form sorting processing apparatus can be suppressed. A configuration having a plurality of temporary holding means has been conventionally proposed because of the advantage that a large amount of forms can be sorted at a time. For this reason, the present invention has an advantage that the processing speed of the form can be improved without enlarging the apparatus as much as possible, especially for the form sorting processing apparatus having a plurality of temporary holding means.

  In the form sorting processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the control unit controls the conveyance so that the temporary holding destination is located on the downstream side of the stop determination position and is the temporary holding unit closest to the stop determination position. preferable. By configuring in this way, it is possible to make the effect of making the time from reaching the stop determination position as long as possible after acquiring information for determining the type of the form as much as possible.

  In the form sorting processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the control unit changes the stop determination position according to the status of the plurality of temporary holding units. For example, the temporary holding means cannot be used when there is no room for storing the form (full), or when the temporary holding means is out of order. For this reason, it is preferable to consider such a situation when changing the stop determination position, and according to this configuration, it is possible to efficiently perform the document sorting process by preventing unnecessary stoppage during the sorting process.

  Further, in the form sorting processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the control unit initializes the stop determination position when each form is transferred, and the transfer is performed when the form reaches the initially set stop determination position. When the destination is not determined, the stop determination position may be forwarded to change the stop determination position to the downstream side of the transport path from the previously set position. The control unit may further advance the stop determination position when the transport destination is not determined even when the form arrives at the previously determined stop determination position.

  According to this configuration, the stop determination position is postponed according to the processing time until the conveyance destination of each form is determined. For this reason, it is easy to reduce the frequency at which the conveyance of the form is stopped by sufficiently obtaining the time to reach the stop determination position even for the form having a long processing time until the conveyance destination is determined. Further, in this configuration, there is a low possibility that the frequency of stopping the conveyance varies depending on the number of sheets to be sorted, and a large amount of forms can be processed stably and efficiently.

  In the form sorting processing apparatus having the above configuration, the control unit may change the stop determination position from the downstream side to the upstream side of the transport path when the temporary holding unit is full. According to this, when the number of forms to be processed is relatively small, the stop determination position is on the downstream side, and the time until the stop determination position is reached after obtaining information for determining the type of the form is lengthened. it can. For this reason, improvement in processing efficiency can be expected especially when the number of forms to be processed is relatively small. Further, even when the number of forms is large, the number of times of stopping the conveyance can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which the stop determination position is fixed, and the processing efficiency can be improved as compared with the conventional case.

  In the form sorting processing apparatus configured as described above, the form information acquisition means includes reading means for reading the description data described in the form, and recognition means for recognizing the description data read by the reading means. As good. According to this configuration, since the type of the form is determined based on the data described in the form, it is easy to perform a variety of forms sorting process.

  In the form sorting processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the form position confirmation unit may include a plurality of optical sensors arranged on the conveyance path. In addition, the form position confirmation unit starts measuring time when one optical sensor arranged on the upstream side of the transport path from the plurality of temporary holding units and the form is detected by the optical sensor. It is good also as having a timer. This configuration is effective when the form transport speed is constant. Further, the form position confirmation means includes one optical sensor arranged on the upstream side of the conveyance path with respect to the plurality of temporary holding means, and the form advances by a certain distance when the form is detected by the optical sensor. It is good also as having a pulse number measurement means which starts measurement of the number of pulses generated every time. The pulse may be obtained, for example, by using a pulse motor as a motor for driving the conveyance, or by an encoder (pulse generation means) that generates a pulse when the output shaft of the motor for driving the conveyance rotates by a certain amount, for example. You may get it.

  According to the form sorting processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to perform the form sorting process for a wide variety of forms by reducing the frequency with which the conveyance of the form is stopped during the sorting process. That is, a wide variety of forms can be processed efficiently. In addition, since the stop determination position is changed, and the time until the stop determination position is reached after the information for determining the type of the form is acquired, the increase in size of the apparatus can be suppressed.

  Exemplary embodiments of a form sorting apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, first, the overall configuration of the form sorting processing apparatus of the present embodiment and the outline of the form sorting processing operation will be described. Then, in the form sorting processing apparatus of this embodiment, how to determine a plurality of temporary holding destinations and perform temporary holding will be described with reference to two embodiments.

(Outline of the configuration of the form sorter)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a form sorting apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the form sorting processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a form sorting processing apparatus main body 10 and an external control device 20. The form sorting processing apparatus main body 10 includes a hopper 101, a feeding roller 102, a conveyance path 103, an endorser 104, a form data reading unit 105, a plurality of temporary storage units 106A to 106D, a discharge roller 107, and a plurality of discharge rollers 107. Pockets 108A to 108K, a sorting process control unit 109, and a plurality of optical sensors 110A to 110D are provided.

  The external control device 20 includes a control unit 201, a display unit 202, and an operation unit 206. The control unit 201 includes a recognition unit 203, a data storage unit 204, and a correction unit 205.

  A plurality of forms are set in the hopper 101, and the forms set in the hopper 101 are fed out one by one by the feeding roller 102 and taken into the form sorting processing apparatus main body 10. Forms taken into the form sorting processing apparatus main body 10 are conveyed one by one through a conveyance path 103 formed in the form sorting processing apparatus main body 10.

  The endorser 104 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path 103 and prints a management serial number on a form taken into the form sorting processing apparatus main body 10. This management serial number is a management number assigned in association with the form data and the form body, which will be described later. By using this management serial number, the corresponding form data can be specified from the form body. The corresponding form can be identified from the data.

  A form data reading unit (reading unit) 105 has an optical character reading function such as an image scanner, and is an input for reading an image image of information described on the surface of a form to be sorted and loading it into the apparatus. Part. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the image of the form 30 is optically read to generate image image data. The form data reading unit 105 outputs the read image data to the data storage unit 204. Further, the form data reading unit 105 reads the image images on both sides and outputs them to the data storage unit 204 when information is written on both the front and back sides of the form.

  Temporary holding units (temporary holding units) 106A to 106D (hereinafter, when temporary holding units 106A to 106D are collectively expressed, they may be expressed as temporary holding unit 106). This is a holding unit that temporarily holds a form from which image data has been read until it is discharged out of the apparatus. As a method of using such a temporary storage unit 106, for example, it is possible to use such a method that the form data reading unit 105 temporarily holds all of the forms read from the image data. In addition, for example, it is possible to use only a form in which the image data of the read form is not normally recognized by the recognition unit 203 among the forms whose image data is read by the form data reading unit 105. It is.

  In the case of the former, there is an advantage that data can be surely confirmed and corrected in all forms in which image image data is read, and sorting errors can be reliably prevented. In the latter case, since the number of data to be confirmed / corrected can be reduced, the processing efficiency of the form can be further improved. Further, in addition to the above two examples, for example, when there are many types of forms to be sorted, it may occur that the pocket 108 for sorting and storing cannot be specified. Therefore, a form in which such a pocket 108 is not specified is temporarily stored. It is also possible to use the temporary holding unit 106 for holding.

  The form sorting processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality (four) of temporary holding units 106. By providing a plurality of temporary holding units 106, a large amount of forms can be held in the temporary holding unit 106 in a single process, so that efficient form processing is possible even when a large amount of forms are sorted.

  By the way, as described above, if a variety of forms are to be handled in accordance with the user's request, the processing time until the transport destination is determined (also referred to as whether or not to temporarily hold the form) is increased. There is a problem that the ratio of the form increases and the frequency of stopping the conveyance of the form at the stop determination position increases. However, in the form sorting processing apparatus 1 including a plurality of temporary holding units 106 as in the present embodiment, the stop determination position can be changed. In addition, by changing the stop determination position in this way, it is possible to reduce the frequency of conveyance stop that has been a problem in the related art without increasing the length of the conveyance path. This is a feature point of the form sorting processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, and details will be described later.

  Here, the configuration of the temporary holding unit 106 that temporarily holds a form will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of the temporary storage unit 106. Here, an example in which the temporary holding unit 106 has a cassette structure is shown. The cassette 301 is formed in a box shape, and a horizontally long slit-shaped form entrance 302 is opened at an upper position on one side surface so that the form P can enter and exit in the longitudinal direction. In this configuration example, two tapes TA and TB (hereinafter, two tapes may be collectively referred to as a tape T) are used, and a form P is placed between the tape TA and the tape TB. The case where it comprised so that it may be pinched | interposed and stored in the direction is shown. For the tape T, for example, a uniaxially stretched tape is used. Moreover, it is preferable that the surface of the tape T is coated with silicon or the like to prevent jamming due to adhesion of an adhesive.

  As shown in FIG. 3, rollers 303 </ b> A and 303 </ b> B through which the tapes TA and TB pass are provided vertically opposite to each other at a position closest to the inside of the form entrance / exit 302. Further, on the back side of the roller 303A provided on the upper side, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a first take-up roller 304A having a reel shape provided with a guide flange for tape is provided with a first take-up roller 304A. The shaft 305A is attached via a tension applying torque limiter 306A. Further, on the lower side of the roller 303B provided on the lower side, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a first take-up roller 304B having a reel shape provided with a guide flange for tape is provided with a first take-up roller 304B. The shaft 305B is attached via a tension applying torque limiter 306B. Further, idlers 309A and 309B are arranged in the vicinity of the first winding roller 304A and the first winding roller 304B.

  At a substantially central position between the first winding rollers 304A and 304B, a second winding roller 307 having an axial length equal to or longer than the form width is provided on the second winding shaft 308. It is supported. FIG. 5 is a main part perspective view for explaining the storage of the form P in the second winding roller 307. The tapes TA and TB wound around the second winding roller 307 are guided to the first winding rollers 304A and 304B via the rollers 303A and 303B and idlers 309A and 309B, respectively.

  In FIG. 5, the tape width of the tape TA and the tape TB is shown to be approximately 1/3 of the form width. However, the tape width is not particularly limited, and the form can be surely attached to the tape TA and the tape. Any width can be set as long as it can be accommodated and fed out by TB. In consideration of the fact that stamps etc. are affixed to the forms, the tape width of the tape TA and the tape TB should be such that the part where the stamps etc. are affixed can be covered with the tape TA and the tape TB. Is preferred. By setting the tape widths of the tape TA and the tape TB to such a width, it is possible to store and feed out the form while preventing the peeling of the stamp or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a sensor S ₁ for detecting the presence or absence of the form P is provided at a predetermined distance from the outer peripheral surface of the second winding roller 307 on the outer periphery of the second winding roller 307. Are arranged. As a result, even if one form P is wound around the second winding roller 307, this can be detected.

In addition, in the cassette 301, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of form detection sensors S ₂ provided between the rollers 303A and 303B and the second winding roller 307 with the tape T interposed therebetween, the rollers 303A and the idler. A sensor T ₃ for detecting both ends of the tape T provided with the tape T sandwiched between 309A is disposed.

  Further, outside the form entry / exit 302 of the cassette 301, a transfer device 310 is provided for transferring or taking out the form P to / from the form entry / exit 302. The conveying device 310 can be constituted by, for example, a pair of upper and lower belts or roller rows.

When a form is delivered into the temporary holding unit 106 configured as described above, the second winding shaft 308 is rotated clockwise (in the direction of the arrow) in the drawing by a drive system (not shown) as shown in FIG. Let As a result, the second winding roller 307 rotates clockwise (in the direction of the arrow), and the tape T is wound around the second winding roller 307. At this time, the rotational speed of the second winding shaft 308 is set so that the winding speed V ₁ of the tape TA, TB is larger than the transport speed V ₂ of the transport device 310, and acts to pull in the form P, Form jams are prevented.

  Further, when the tapes TA and TB are wound by the second winding roller 307, the first winding rollers 304A and 304B try to rotate counterclockwise by the pulling action of the tape T. Since the roller shafts 305A and 305B do not rotate counterclockwise, tension is generated on the tapes TA and TB. When the tension exceeds a predetermined value, a torque greater than a predetermined value is applied to the torque limiters 306A and 306B, and the first winding rollers 304A and 304B rotate counterclockwise (arrow direction). As a result, a tension corresponding to the set torque of the torque limiter is always applied to the tapes TA and TB.

In this way, when the storage of the form P to be stored is completed, the drive system is stopped. At this time, the number of accommodated the form P is counted by the slip detection sensor S _2. Then, going to house the form P by repeating the above action every time there is a housing command of the form P, but if housing a predetermined amount progressed housing of the form P, the end of the tape T is detected by the sensor S _3, Stop receiving any more. As a result, the tape T can be prevented from being damaged and the form can be securely stored.

  When the form P is discharged, the second winding shaft 308 rotates counterclockwise (arrow direction) in the drawing as shown in FIG. 6 by a drive system (not shown), and the second winding roller 307 is moved. The tapes TA and TB are rewound by rotating counterclockwise (arrow direction). At this time, the first take-up shafts 305A and 305B are given power from the drive system at a take-up speed faster than the speed at which the tapes TA and TB are rewound. As a result, since the first winding rollers 304A and 304B attempt to wind the tape TA and TB at a speed higher than the speed at which the tape TA and TB are rewound, the tape TA and TB do not sag and the tape TA, Tension is generated in TB. When the tension exceeds a predetermined value, a torque exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the torque limiters 306A and 306B, and slipping occurs. As a result, a tension according to the set torque of the torque limiters 306A and 306B is always applied to the tapes TA and TB.

In this way, as the tapes TA and TB are rewound from the second take-up roller 307, the form P between the tapes TA and TB is ejected from the form entrance 302 and delivered to the transport device 310. The drive system and form P number of sheets to be discharged is detected by the slip detection sensor S ₂ is stopped, the discharge from the escrow unit 106 of the form is completed. Then, every time there is a command for discharging the form P, the above operation is repeated to discharge the form P. When all of the forms P are discharged, the sensor S ₁ detects the “form not stored”, The control device side is notified that the form stored in the second winding roller 307 has been exhausted. The relationship between the velocity V ₂ of the speed V ₁ and the transfer apparatus 310 of the tape T at the time of discharge of the form is a V ₁ <V _2, towards the V ₂ are increased by a predetermined amount, while preventing jamming of the form It acts to pull out the form P.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the recognition unit 203 has a character recognition function such as an OCR (Optical Character Reader), for example, and identifies characters from the image data of the form read by the form data reading unit 105 and converts them into a document. Recognition means. In the recognition unit 203, characters are identified from the image data read by the form data reading unit 105 and output to the data storage unit 204, converted into a document, recognized, and output to the data storage unit 204. The form data reading unit 105 and the recognition unit 203 are embodiments of the form information acquisition unit of the present invention.

  The data storage unit 204 is a data storage unit that stores the image data of the form read by the form data reading unit 105 and the recognition data of the form recognized by the recognition unit 203 by identifying characters and converting them into documents. .

  The correction unit 205 is a correction unit that checks and corrects the form recognition data recognized by the recognition unit 203 and stored in the data storage unit 204. When confirming and correcting the recognition data, the image data and the recognition data of the corresponding form are displayed on the display unit 202, and the validity of the recognition data is confirmed by visually comparing them. If there is an error, the operation unit 206 is used to correct the recognition data. The operation unit can be performed using a normal keyboard, mouse, or a touch panel function provided in the display unit 202.

  As described above, the recognition unit 203, the data storage unit 204, and the correction unit 205 are provided in the external control device 20, and the processing in the recognition unit 203, the data storage unit 204, and the correction unit 205 can be externally operated. The sorting processing apparatus main body 10 can be downsized, and the form sorting processing apparatus 1 has a higher degree of freedom in shape and arrangement. As the external control device 20 including the recognition unit 203, the data storage unit 204, and the correction unit 205, for example, a general personal computer can be used.

  In the present embodiment, the external control device 20 is configured to perform processing such as correction of recognition data, but is not limited to this configuration. That is, for example, the function provided in the external control device 20 may be provided integrally in the form sorting processing device main body 10. Further, for example, another personal computer or the like can be connected to the external control device 20 via a network, and the personal computer can access the correction unit 205 to perform the confirmation / correction processing of the recognition data. By adopting such a form, the recognition data is stored, and when the payment slip is held in the temporary holding unit 106, the processing in the form sorting processing apparatus 1 is interrupted, and another personal computer separated from the form sorting processing apparatus 1 It is possible to perform confirmation / correction processing. Thus, another worker can immediately perform another batch of form processing work, and a plurality of batches of form processing work can be simultaneously and smoothly performed by a plurality of workers.

  The pockets 108 </ b> A to 108 </ b> K are storage means for sorting and storing the forms, and are arranged on the outer side surface of the form sorting processing apparatus main body 10. The form is transported from the temporary storage unit 106 through the transport path 103, and a plurality of discharge rollers 107 are provided at the end of the transport path 103, and are discharged into the pockets 108 by the discharge rollers 107. In the present embodiment, a plurality (11) of pockets 108 are provided, but a predetermined form preset for each pocket is sorted and stored.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the pocket is provided as the form storage means has been described. However, for example, a plurality of stackers are provided in the form sorting processing apparatus 1, and the stacker is used in place of the pocket 108. It is also possible.

  For example, based on the recognition result in the recognition unit 203, the sorting processing control unit 109 determines whether to hold the form taken into the form sorting processing apparatus main body 10 in the temporary holding unit 106 or to discharge it into the pocket 108. (Determines the transport destination) and functions as control means for controlling the transport of the form. In this embodiment, the sorting process control unit 109 includes a specific data storage unit (not shown) that stores sorting destination specifying data for specifying the pockets 108A to 108K for sorting and storing the forms. However, the sorting destination specifying data may be included in other components such as the data storage unit 204.

  Although details will be described later, the sorting process control unit 109 according to the present embodiment controls the conveyance of the form by changing the stop determination position and the temporary holding destination when the form is temporarily held in the temporary holding unit 106. It also has a function to

  The plurality of optical sensors 110 </ b> A to 110 </ b> D are an example of a form position confirmation unit that confirms whether or not the form conveyed on the conveyance path 103 has reached the stop determination position. The optical sensor 110A is disposed at a predetermined position on the upstream side of the transport path 103 from the temporary storage unit 106A and on the downstream side of the transport path 103 from the temporary storage unit 106B. The optical sensor 110B is disposed at a predetermined position on the upstream side of the transport path 103 from the temporary storage unit 106B and on the downstream side of the transport path 103 from the temporary storage unit 106C. The optical sensor 110C is disposed at a predetermined position on the upstream side of the transport path 103 from the temporary storage unit 106A and on the downstream side of the transport path 103 from the temporary storage unit 106D. The optical sensor 110D is disposed at a predetermined position on the upstream side of the transport path 103 from the temporary storage unit 106D.

  Each of the optical sensors 110 </ b> A to 110 </ b> D has a pair of light emitting units and a light receiving unit, and the pair of light emitting units and the light receiving unit are arranged with the conveyance path 103 interposed therebetween. Then, when the form passes through the optical sensor, the light to the light receiving unit is blocked, so that the passage of the form can be detected. In the present embodiment, a transmissive photo interrupter is used, but a reflective photo interrupter may be used as a matter of course.

  The display unit 202 includes an operation screen in the processing of the form sorting processing device 1, image image data of a form read by the form data reading unit 105, and recognition data of the form recognized by the recognition unit 203 by identifying characters and converting them into documents. Data such as is displayed.

(Outline of sort processing operation of form sort processing device)
Next, regarding the sorting processing operation of the form sorting processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, a payment notice for paying a utility bill (hereinafter simply referred to as a payment notice), which is an example of a form. An example of the sorting process will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a sorting process procedure of the form sorting processing apparatus. 8 to 14 are diagrams showing display screens of the display unit 202 during the form sorting process.

  First, the worker turns on the form sorting processing apparatus 1. When the power is turned on, an initial screen as shown in FIG. The operator uses the operation unit 206 such as a keyboard to select the “Public utility (F1)” button on the display screen. When the “Public Fee (F1)” button is selected, a screen of “Public Money Collecting System” as shown in FIG.

  Here, the screen of FIG. 9 will be briefly described. The “work day input (F1)” button is a button for selecting a screen for inputting a work day. The button of “Summary process (F2)” is a button for selecting a screen of a summary process menu. The “master maintenance (F3)” button is a button for selecting a screen for setting and changing the type of handled form and other data necessary for determination. The “data maintenance (F4)” button is a button for selecting a screen for searching past data. The “backup (F5)” button is a button for selecting a screen for performing data backup. The “return (F12)” button is a button for returning to the initial screen shown in FIG.

  Next, the worker sets, in the hopper 101, a mixture of various types of payment forms as a form to be sorted. Then, the operator uses the operation unit 206 such as a keyboard to select the “Summary Processing (F2)” button on the “Public Money Summary System” screen shown in FIG. When the “Summary Process (F2)” button is selected, a “Summary Process Menu” screen as shown in FIG. 10 is displayed.

  Here, the screen of FIG. 10 will be briefly described. The “public money input (F1)” button is a button for selecting a public money input menu. The “daily inquiry (F2)” button is a button for selecting a screen for inquiring total data for each day. The “daily schedule printing (F3)” button is a button for selecting a print screen of the aggregate data for each day. The “Monthly total inquiry (F4)” button is a button for selecting aggregated data in units of one month. The “Monthly calendar print (F5)” button is a button for selecting a print screen of the monthly total data. The “annual inquiry (F6)” button is a button for selecting a screen for inquiring total data for each year. The “Annual Chart Print (F7)” button is a button for selecting a print screen of aggregate data for each year. The “print slip (F8)” button is a button for selecting a print screen such as a schedule to be attached when a slip is sent to an external organization such as a city, prefecture, or country. The “return (F12)” button is a button for returning to the “public money collecting system” screen shown in FIG.

  Next, the “Public money input (F1)” button is selected on the “Summary processing menu” screen shown in FIG. When the “public money input (F1)” button is selected, a “public money input menu” screen shown in FIG. 11 is displayed. On the “public money input menu” screen, a “new input (F1)” button is a button for selecting a “public money input” screen for performing a new public money input process. The “resume interrupt input (F2)” button is a button for selecting a processing screen for data read in the past. By selecting this “interrupt input restart (F2)” button, the sorting process can be started from the confirmation / correction process of the recognition data stored in the data storage unit 204. The “Return (F12)” button is a button for returning to the “Summary Processing Menu” screen shown in FIG.

  Next, when the “new input (F1)” button is selected on the screen of FIG. 11, the “public money input” screen shown in FIG. 12 is displayed. Here, the “public money input” screen will be briefly described. The “public money input” screen includes a recognition data display field 202-1 in which the contents of the recognition data are displayed, and a payment slip data that cannot be read by the scanner. In the manual input total column 202-2 in which the total of the payments is displayed, the OCR total column 202-3 in which the total of the number of payments recognized by the OCR and the total of the payment amount is displayed, and the recognition data display column 202-1 A selection display field 202-4 for displaying the selected data, an OCR read number display field 202-5 for displaying the number of payment slips read by OCR, and a batch number input field 202-8 for inputting the data batch number. And comprising.

  Also, a “start scan (F1)” button that is a scan start button, an “image input (F2)” button for selecting a data correction screen, and a “delete (F3)” button for deleting data And a “move cursor (F4)” button for operating the cursor, a “discharge (F5)” button for discharging a payment slip held in the temporary holding unit 106, and a “public money input menu” shown in FIG. A “return (F12)” button for returning to the screen and a “pocket change (F6)” button for changing pocket setting conditions and the like are provided.

  Next, specific processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the “Scan start (F1)” button is selected on the “Public money input” screen shown in FIG. 12, the scanner is activated, and the feeding roller 102 operates to process the payment slips set on the hopper 101 one by one. It starts to be taken into the device 1 (step S101).

  The payment slip taken into the form sorting apparatus 1 is transported along the transport path 103 and first passes through the endorser 104. When the payment slip passes through the endorser 104, a predetermined management serial number is printed on the payment slip by the endorser 104 (step S102). The payment slip that has passed through the endorser 104 is conveyed to an image scanner that is a form data reading unit 105. When the payment form is conveyed to the form data reading unit 105, the form data reading unit 105 (image scanner) starts reading the image image data of the information described on the surface of the payment form, and the read image image data is used as the data. The data is output to the storage unit 204. The data storage unit 204 stores the read image data (step S103). In addition, a dialog “scanning” is displayed on the image image data reading screen.

  When the image image data of the payment slip is stored in the data storage unit 204, the recognition unit 203 generates recognition data by identifying characters from the image image data stored in the data storage unit 204 by OCR, and the recognition data is The data is output to the data storage unit 204. The data storage unit 204 stores this recognition data (step S104). The recognition unit 203 determines the type of payment form from the recognition data.

  When the recognition data is stored in the data storage unit 204, the sorting process control unit 109 determines whether the payment slip can be sorted and discharged based on the type discrimination result in the recognition unit 203 (step S105). . If recognition by OCR is normal and the type of payment slip can be distinguished, it is determined that the payment slip can be sorted and discharged, recognition by OCR is not normal, and the type of each payment slip is If it is not discriminated, it is determined that it is impossible to sort and discharge the payment slip.

  If it is determined that it is impossible to sort and discharge the payment slip (No at Step S105), the payment slip is transported to the temporary holding section 106 and held (Step S109). In this embodiment, there are a plurality of temporary holding units 106. How to use a plurality of temporary holding units 106 will be described later. Although the payment slip sorting process will be described subsequently, it is also possible to interrupt the sort processing when the payment slip is held in the temporary holding unit 106 and perform the following processing after a predetermined time has elapsed.

  When the payment note is temporarily held in the temporary holding unit 106, the recognition data of the temporarily held payment note is confirmed and corrected. To check and correct the recognition data, select the recognition data you want to check and correct from the “Public money input” screen showing the OCR reading result as shown in FIG. 13, and click the “Image input (F2)” button. It is performed on the screen of FIG. 14 obtained by selection.

  In the screen shown in FIG. 13, the content of the recognition data is displayed in the recognition data display column 202-1 of the “public money input” screen, and the total number of payments recognized by the OCR is displayed in the OCR total column 202-3. And the total of the payment amount is displayed. Further, the data selected in the recognition data display column 202-1 is displayed in the selection display column 202-4, and the number of payment slips read by OCR is displayed in the OCR read number display column 202-5. The payment data that is not normally recognized in the recognition data display column 202-1 includes, for example, red for payment data for which no type is input, yellow for payment data for which no amount is input, In this way, distinction is made according to a predetermined color, and data with uncertain items can be seen at a glance.

  14 includes a recognition data display field 202-1, an image display field 202-6 for displaying an image, and a recognition data confirmation / correction field 202-7 for inputting correction data. Is displayed. Information of the selected recognition data is displayed in the recognition data confirmation / correction column 202-7. Further, the correction screen shown in FIG. 14 includes a “previous form” and “next form” buttons for performing continuous processing of forms, “range selection start” used for operations such as moving image images, and “drag mode”. , “Rotate (90 degrees)”, “enlarge / reduce”, and “full screen display” buttons.

  The operator compares the display of the image display field 202-6 and the recognized data confirmation / correction field 202-7 on the screen of FIG. 14 to confirm the validity of the recognized data. If there is no item to be corrected, the “Confirm (F1)” button on the screen of FIG. 14 is selected. As a result, the confirmation of the recognition data is completed, and the recognized recognition data is handled as formal recognition data.

  If there is an item to be corrected, the item to be corrected is selected in the recognition data confirmation / correction column 202-7 on the screen of FIG. 14, the correction data is input, and finally "Finalize (F1)" is selected. Select a button. As a result, the confirmation / correction of the recognition data is completed, and the corrected data is stored in the data storage unit 204 and handled as formal recognition data (step S110).

  Then, the sorting process control unit 109 determines whether or not the correction is correctly performed, that is, whether or not the payment slip can be sorted and discharged based on the corrected recognition data (step S111). If the correction is not correct (No at step 111), the process returns to step S110. If the correction is correct (Yes at step S111), the sorting process control unit 109 determines whether there is a discharge instruction (step S112). If there is no discharge instruction (No at Step S112), Step S112 is repeated. If there is a discharge instruction (Yes at step S112), the process proceeds to the next step S106, and the sorting and storing process of the payment slip held in the temporary holding unit 106 is performed.

  Returning to step S105, when it is determined that the payment can be sorted and discharged (Yes at step S105), the sorting processing control unit 109 determines whether there is a type determination result in OCR, a payment slip discharge destination, That is, it is determined whether or not the corresponding pocket 108 exists (step S106). When the recognition data is confirmed / corrected, it is determined whether or not there is a delivery destination of the payment slip based on the type determination result based on the predetermined data included in the recognized / corrected recognition data.

  Here, if the corresponding pocket 108 exists (Yes at step S106), the pocket 108 from which the payment slip is discharged is designated, and the conveyance to the pocket 108 is controlled. As a result, the payment slip is discharged into the predetermined pocket 108 for each type and sorted and stored (step S107). Then, data confirmation / correction of the delivery slip discharged into the pocket 108 and sorted and stored is performed (step S108). If there is no item to be corrected, the “Confirm (F1)” button on the screen of FIG. 14 is selected. As a result, the confirmation of the recognition data is completed, and the recognized recognition data is handled as formal recognition data.

  If there is an item to be corrected, the item to be corrected is selected in the recognition data confirmation / correction column 202-7 on the screen of FIG. 14, the correction data is input, and finally "Finalize (F1)" is selected. Select a button. As a result, the confirmation / correction of the recognition data is completed, and the corrected data is stored in the data storage unit 204 and handled as formal recognition data.

  Returning to step S106, if the corresponding pocket 108 does not exist (No in step S106), the payment notice is conveyed to the temporary holding unit 106 and held (step S113). Here, a payment slip of the type specified in the order of the number of pockets 108 or more, or a payment slip for which the type is determined by OCR but the discharge destination pocket is not specified is put on hold.

  The sorting process control unit 109 determines whether there is an instruction to change the pocket designation type (step 114). If there is no instruction to change the pocket designation type (No at step 114), the process returns to step S106, and the determination as to whether there is a delivery destination for the payment slip is repeated. If there is an instruction to change the pocket designation type (Yes at step 114), the designation type of the corresponding pocket 108 is changed (step S115).

  Next, the sorting process control unit 109 determines whether there is a discharge instruction (step S116). If there is no discharge instruction (No at step S116), step S116 is repeated. If there is a discharge instruction (Yes at step S116), the following steps S107 and S108 are performed, and the sorting and storing process of the payment slip held in the temporary holding unit 106 is performed. In the case of a payment slip of a type specified in the order of the number of pockets 108 or more, when the pocket 108 is empty, the “discharge (F5)” button is selected to issue a discharge instruction. In addition, in the case of a payment slip whose type has been identified by OCR but the discharge destination pocket is not specified, after selecting the “Pocket change (F6)” button and designating the discharge destination pocket, Select the “discharge (F5)” button to issue a discharge instruction. As described above, a series of processes for sorting and storing payment notices is completed.

  As described above, in the form sorting processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the form type described in the form has not been read normally, or the form type has been read normally. A form for which (pocket) is not specified is temporarily held in the temporary holding unit 106. On the other hand, forms that are normally read out and whose storage destination is specified are classified and accommodated in pockets (storage means). For this reason, it is possible to efficiently process many types of forms, and it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of the operator's work time and reduce the work load.

(Example of using multiple temporary storage units)
Next, a usage example of a plurality (four) of temporary holding units 106A to 106D in the form sorting processing device 1 of the present embodiment will be described in order by giving two embodiments.

(First embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the sorting process control unit 109 included in the form sorting processing apparatus 1 determines the temporary holding unit 106 that is downstream of the stop determination position and closest to the stop determination position as a temporary holding destination, and selects the form as a temporary holding destination. Hold temporarily. Then, the stop determination position is changed from the downstream side to the upstream side of the conveyance path 103 according to the storage status of the temporary holding unit 106, and the temporary holding destination is also changed from the downstream side to the upstream side.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in which the form sorting processing apparatus 1 determines a temporary holding destination for each form in the first embodiment. In performing the sorting process for each form, the sorting process control unit 109 confirms the storage status of the temporary holding destination determined in accordance with the setting of the stop determination position at that time. Specifically, it is confirmed whether or not the form can be temporarily held at the temporary holding destination set at that time (step S201). This confirmation can be understood by confirming the detection result of the both-end detection sensor S ₃ (see FIG. 3) provided in the temporary holding unit 106.

  Note that at the beginning of the sorting process, all of the four temporary storage units 106A to 106D are normally empty. Therefore, in the present embodiment in which the stop determination position is changed from the downstream side to the upstream side, at the beginning of the sorting process, the stop determination position is upstream from the temporary holding unit 106A and from the temporary holding unit 106B. It is set to a predetermined position on the downstream side (the position where the optical sensor 110A is disposed corresponds). In this case, “temporary hold destination to be set” in FIG. 15 corresponds to the temporary hold unit 106A.

  If more forms can be stored in the set temporary hold destination (Yes in step S201), the stop determination position and the temporary hold destination that are already set are maintained as set (step S202). On the other hand, if the set temporary holding destination is full and the form cannot be stored further (No in step S201), it is confirmed whether or not the stop determination position can be changed upstream (step S203). If the stop determination position can be changed to the upstream side (Yes at Step S203), the stop determination position and the temporary holding destination are changed to the upstream side (Step S204). If the stop determination position cannot be changed to the upstream side (No at Step S203; for example, when the temporary holding unit 106D is full), since there is no temporary holding destination, for example, that fact is displayed on the display unit 202, and the form is displayed. Stop the transport.

  Note that when the stop determination position is changed to the upstream side, the temporary holding unit of the temporary holding destination is changed to be one upstream temporary holding unit. As a specific example, when the stop determination position is set at a predetermined position on the upstream side of the temporary holding unit 106A and on the downstream side of the temporary holding unit 106B, the stop determination position is on the upstream side of the temporary holding unit 106B. The stop determination position is changed to a predetermined position (corresponding to a position where the optical sensor 110B is disposed) on the downstream side of the holding unit 106C. Accordingly, the setting of the temporary holding destination is changed from the temporary holding unit 106A to the temporary holding unit 106B.

  When the stop determination position and the temporary holding destination are determined (steps S202 and S204), it is confirmed whether or not there is a next form to be sorted (step S205). If there is no next form to be sorted (Yes at step S205), the process for determining the temporary holding destination is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a next form to be sorted (No at step S205), the same processing (step S201 to step S204) as the previous form is repeated.

  Note that the temporary hold destination determination process described above is performed at least at a position upstream of the stop determination position set at that time and possibly set as the next stop determination position. Processed to end before the form arrives.

  As described above, in the configuration of the first embodiment, the stop determination position is sequentially changed from the upstream side to the downstream side according to the storage status of the temporary holding units 106A to 106D, and the temporary holding destination is changed to the temporary holding unit 106A, The temporary holding unit 106B, the temporary holding unit 106C, and the temporary holding unit 106D are sequentially changed in this order. In this configuration, when the number of forms to be processed is relatively small, the stop determination position is on the downstream side, and the time until the stop determination position is reached after acquiring information for determining the form type is lengthened. it can. For this reason, improvement in processing efficiency can be expected especially when the number of forms to be processed is relatively small. Further, even when the number of forms is large, the number of times of stopping the conveyance can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which the stop determination position is fixed, and the processing efficiency can be improved as compared with the conventional case.

(Second Embodiment)
Also in the second embodiment, as in the case of the first embodiment, the sorting process control unit 109 included in the form sorting processing apparatus 1 is the temporary holding unit 106 that is downstream of the stop determination position and closest to the stop determination position. Is determined as a temporary hold destination, and the form is temporarily held. However, the process for changing the stop determination position is different.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an operation in which the form sorting apparatus 1 determines a temporary holding destination for each form in the case of the second embodiment. In performing the sorting process for each form, the sorting process control unit 109 performs initial setting of the stop determination position (step S301). This initial setting is set to a predetermined position on the upstream side of the temporary holding unit 106D (a position where the optical sensor 110D is disposed) if the temporary holding unit 106D is not full. If the temporary storage unit 106D is full, for example, a predetermined position (a position where the optical sensor 110C is disposed) is downstream of the temporary storage unit 106D and upstream of the temporary storage unit 106C. In this way, the stop determination position that is initially set is sequentially shifted to the downstream side depending on the storage status of the temporary storage unit 106. If any of the temporary holding units 106A to 106D is full, the sorting process is interrupted. In the present embodiment, the initial setting of the stop determination position needs to be completed before the form reaches the optical sensor 110D.

  Next, the sorting process control unit 109 confirms whether or not the form conveyed on the conveyance path 103 has reached the stop determination position (step S302). For example, when the predetermined position upstream of the temporary holding unit 106D is initially set as the stop determination position, it is determined that the stop determination position has been reached when the form is detected by the optical sensor 110D, and the optical sensor 110D If the form is not detected, it is determined that the form has not reached the stop determination position.

  If it is determined that the form has not reached the stop determination position (No at Step S302), Step S302 is repeated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the form has reached the stop determination position (Yes in step S302), the sorting process control unit 109 confirms whether the transport destination of the target form has been determined ( Step S303). In the present embodiment, that the transport destination has been determined indicates a state in which it is determined that the form is to be held in the temporary holding unit 106 or discharged into the pocket 108.

  If the transport destination has not been determined (No at Step S303), it is determined whether or not the stop determination position can be changed downstream (Step S304). When the stop determination position cannot be changed to the downstream side, it corresponds to the case where all of the temporary holding parts downstream from the temporary holding part corresponding to the current stop determination position are full or the current stop determination position. The case where there is no temporary reservation part downstream from a temporary reservation part etc. is mentioned.

  Specifically, for example, when a predetermined position upstream from the temporary holding unit 106D is initially set as a stop determination position (the position where the optical sensor 110D is disposed corresponds), the predetermined position is downstream from the temporary holding unit 106D. When all of temporary holding units 106A to 106C are full, it is determined that the stop determination position cannot be changed downstream. In addition, for example, when a predetermined position (a position where the optical sensor 110A is disposed) downstream from the temporary storage unit 106B and upstream from the temporary storage unit 106A is initially set as the stop determination position, the temporary storage is performed. Since there is no temporary holding section downstream from section A, it is determined that the stop determination position cannot be changed downstream. If the sorting process control unit 109 determines that the stop determination position cannot be changed downstream (No in step S304), the sorting process control unit 109 stops the conveyance of the form.

  On the other hand, when the stop determination position can be changed downstream (Yes at Step S304), the stop determination position is changed (Step S305). In principle, the change of the stop determination position is performed so that only one temporary holding destination moves downstream from the previously set stop determination position. However, the temporary holding destination corresponding to the case where the stop determination position is moved may be full. In this case, the stop determination position is further changed downstream. Specifically, for example, when a predetermined position upstream from the temporary holding unit 106D is initially set as the stop determination position, when changing the stop determination position, the temporary holding unit is downstream from the temporary holding unit 106D. A predetermined position (corresponding to the position where the optical sensor 110C is arranged) upstream of 106C is set as the stop determination position. However, for example, when the temporary holding unit 106C is full but the temporary holding unit 106B has a space, the stop determination position is a predetermined position (downstream from the temporary holding unit 106C and upstream from the temporary holding unit 106B). The position where the optical sensor 110B is disposed is changed to the corresponding).

  When the stop determination position is changed, the process returns to step S302, and it is confirmed whether or not the form has reached the changed stop determination position. Then, when the stop determination position is reached, it is confirmed whether or not the transport destination is determined (step S303). At this time, if the transport destination has not been determined (No at Step S303), Steps 306 and 307 are executed based on the stop determination position whose setting has been changed.

  If the transport destination is determined in step S303 (Yes in step S303), the temporary hold is closest to the stop determination position that is downstream of the initially set stop determination position or the stop determination position that has been changed. Is determined as a temporary holding destination (step S306). Specifically, for example, when a predetermined position upstream from the temporary holding unit 106D is initially set as the stop determination position, the temporary holding unit 106D becomes the temporary holding destination. Further, when the stop determination position is changed to a predetermined position downstream of the temporary storage unit 106D and upstream of the temporary storage unit 106C due to the setting change, the temporary storage unit 106C becomes the temporary storage destination.

  When the temporary holding destination is determined (step S306), it is confirmed whether or not there is a next form to be sorted (step S307). If there is no next form to be sorted (Yes at step S307), the process for determining the temporary holding destination is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a next form to be sorted (No at step S307), the same processing as the previous form is repeated.

  As described above, in the configuration of the second embodiment, for a form having a long processing time for determining the transport destination, the stop determination position is postponed downstream, and the temporary holding destination is changed. Therefore, even a form with a long processing time for determining the form transport destination can be processed without stopping the transport. Even if the number of forms temporarily suspended increases, the conveyance stop frequency does not easily increase compared to the first embodiment, and the processing efficiency of the forms can be further increased.

  Note that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment described above, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the embodiment described above, the number of the temporary holding units 106 is four. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is widely applicable to a form sorting processing apparatus having a plurality of temporary holding units. is there.

  In the first embodiment described above, the stop determination position is changed from the downstream side to the upstream side according to the storage status of the temporary storage unit 106. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the stop determination position may be changed from the upstream side to the downstream side according to the storage status of the temporary storage unit 106. Also in this case, since the stop determination position fluctuates, the conveyance stop frequency can be reduced as compared with the conventional case where the stop determination position is fixed.

  In the embodiment described above, the temporary holding destination is the downstream side of the stop determination position and the temporary holding unit closest to the stop determination position. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, the temporary holding destination may be a temporary holding unit on the downstream side of the stop determination position, and is not necessarily the temporary holding unit closest to the stop determination position. Even in such a case, the conveyance stop during the document sorting process can be reduced by the change of the stop determination position.

  In the embodiment described above, the form reading unit 105 and the recognition unit 203 are used as means for acquiring form information in order to determine the transport destination. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the present invention can be applied to a form sorting processing apparatus having a structure in which the size of a form is acquired to determine the transport destination.

  In the embodiment described above, it is configured to determine whether or not the form has reached the stop determination position using the plurality of optical sensors 110A to 110D. In other words, the form position confirmation means is constituted by a plurality of optical sensors. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the form position confirmation means is arranged upstream of the temporary holding units 106A to 106D and can detect that the form has passed, and measure the time when the form is detected by the optical sensor. It is good also as a structure provided with the timer to start. When the conveyance speed of the form is constant, it can be detected that the form has arrived at the stop determination position based on the measurement time by the timer.

  Further, the form position confirmation means is arranged upstream of the temporary holding units 106A to 106D and can detect that the form has passed, and when the form is detected by the optical sensor, the form is at a certain distance. It is good also as a structure provided with the pulse number measurement means which starts the measurement of the number of pulses generated whenever it advances. The pulse in this case can be obtained, for example, by using a pulse motor as the motor that drives the conveyance path. Further, for example, it can be obtained by an encoder that outputs a pulse when an output shaft of a motor (for example, a DC motor) for driving the conveyance path rotates by a certain amount. For example, a microcomputer may be used as the pulse number measuring means. In this configuration, the form conveyance speed may be variable, and it is possible to detect that the form has reached the stop determination position by measuring pulses.

  In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the case of a utility bill payment form as a sort processing target form is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is widely applied to various forms that can read and categorize information on the face of a ticket, such as payments for revenues such as national taxes and social insurance premiums, and securities. Is possible.

  The form sorting apparatus according to the present invention can efficiently sort various forms without enlarging the apparatus as much as possible. Therefore, it is very useful as an apparatus for performing a form sorting process.

These are the figures explaining the schematic structure of the form sort processing apparatus concerning this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an image of a form. These are sectional drawings explaining the example of 1 structure of a temporary storage part. These are the principal part perspective views which show the peripheral part of a 1st winding roller. These are the principal part perspective views for demonstrating accommodation of the form to the 2nd winding roller. These are sectional drawings explaining the example of 1 structure of a temporary storage part. These are the flowcharts for demonstrating the sorting process procedure of a form sort processing apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display unit during a form sorting process. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display unit during a form sorting process. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display unit during a form sorting process. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display unit during a form sorting process. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display unit during a form sorting process. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display unit during a form sorting process. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display unit during a form sorting process. These are the flowcharts of 1st Embodiment which show the operation | movement in which a form classification processing apparatus determines a temporary holding place with respect to each form. These are the flowcharts of 2nd Embodiment which show the operation | movement in which a form classification processing apparatus determines a temporary holding place with respect to each form.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Form sort processing apparatus 10 Form sort processing apparatus main body 20 External control apparatus 30 Form 101 Hopper 102 Feeding roller 103 Conveyance path 104 Endorser 105 Form data reading part (reading means, form information acquisition means)
106A-106D Temporary holding part (temporary holding means)
107 discharge rollers 108A to 108K pockets 109 sorting process control unit (control means)
110A-110D optical sensor (form position confirmation means)
201 control unit 202 display unit 203 recognition unit (recognition unit, form information acquisition unit)
204 Data storage unit 205 Correction unit 206 Operation unit

Claims (10)

A form sorting processing apparatus that takes a form into the apparatus and performs sorting processing,
A transport path for transporting the form taken into the apparatus;
A plurality of temporary holding means connected to the conveyance path and capable of temporarily holding the form;
Form information acquisition means for acquiring information for determining the type of the form;
Control means for determining the transport destination based on the information obtained by the form information acquisition means and controlling the transport of the form;
Form position confirmation means for confirming whether or not the form transported on the transport path has reached a stop determination position set as a position for stopping transport of the form when the transport destination cannot be determined. And comprising
The form sorting processing apparatus characterized in that the control means controls the conveyance of the form by changing the stop determination position and a temporary hold destination when the form is temporarily held in the temporary hold means.   2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the conveyance so that the temporary holding destination is the downstream side of the stop determination position and the temporary holding unit closest to the stop determination position. Form sorter.   The form sorting processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit varies the stop determination position according to the status of the plurality of temporary holding units.   The control means initializes the stop determination position in transporting each form, and when the transport destination is not determined when the form reaches the initially set stop determination position, The form sorting processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stop determination position for changing the stop determination position to the downstream side of the conveyance path from the position set in (1) is forwarded.   5. The control unit further forwards the stop determination position when the transport destination is not determined even when the form arrives at the stop determination position that has been forwarded. The form sorting processing device described in 1.   4. The form sorting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit changes the stop determination position from the downstream side to the upstream side of the transport path when the temporary holding unit is full.   The form information acquisition means includes reading means for reading description data described in the form, and recognition means for recognizing the description data read by the reading means. The form sorting processing apparatus according to any one of the above.   The form sorting processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the form position confirmation unit includes a plurality of optical sensors arranged in the conveyance path.   The form position confirmation means includes one optical sensor arranged on the upstream side of the transport path with respect to the plurality of temporary holding means, and a timer that starts measuring time when the form is detected by the optical sensor; The form sorting processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by comprising:   The form position confirmation means includes one optical sensor arranged on the upstream side of the transport path with respect to the plurality of temporary holding means, and whenever the form is detected by the optical sensor, the form advances every predetermined distance. The form sorting processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a pulse number measuring unit that starts measurement of the number of generated pulses.

Images