JP6196957B2 - Form handling device and diagnostic method for form handling device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a form handling apparatus that performs transactions using a form of financial transaction and a diagnosis method for the form handling apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art An automated teller machine (ATM; Automated Teller Machine, hereinafter referred to as ATM) is known as a transaction apparatus that performs financial transactions. Currently, ATMs are widely installed and used not only at financial institution stores but also at public facilities such as stations and commercial facilities. In recent years, there are models that support not only cash deposits and withdrawals but also automatic payment services for forms represented by Paige (registered trademark).

  For example, as a model that handles forms, an ATM including a scanner or an electronic camera that provides a set position for setting forms on the customer operation display surface and reads the form from above with the set position as a reading range is also proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-184361 A

  In many cases, such ATMs are operated in an unattended state, such as being installed in a place where an administrator or the like is not nearby, or having a usage time set outside the business hours of the store. For this reason, ATM is required to have a function of automatically detecting a failure.

  However, among various failures that occur in ATMs, it is not easy to detect defects in the form reading unit. The phenomenon that “the form cannot be read normally” occurs not only when a part of the sensor device is out of order, but also when foreign matter is attached to the imaging unit. Furthermore, it may occur due to a problem on the user side such as a form not being set correctly. As described above, since a factor other than the failure of the reading unit is assumed in the event that “the form cannot be read normally”, it is not easy to determine the failure of the reading unit alone. For this reason, the failure detection of the reading unit is delayed, and there is a concern that the user who performs the transaction using the form may be inconvenienced.

  In one aspect, the present invention is to automatically detect a failure of a reading unit and improve convenience for a user.

  To achieve the above object, a reading table having a mounting surface on which a medium is mounted, a diagnostic pattern is set on the mounting surface, a reading unit for reading a reading target area on the mounting surface, and a reading A storage unit for storing reference information as a criterion for determining whether or not the reading by the reading unit is normal, and reading information of the diagnostic pattern by operating the reading unit during a period when the reading unit is not operated by the transaction processing unit And a form handling device having a diagnostic unit for diagnosing the reading unit by comparing the read information with the reference information.

  According to one aspect, the form handling device automatically diagnoses the reading unit during a period in which transaction processing is not performed, so that it is possible to prevent the user from being inconvenienced by the failure of the reading unit being detected, User convenience can be improved.

It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the form handling apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the figure which showed schematic structure of ATM of 2nd Embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the pattern for a diagnosis of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of ATM. It is a functional block diagram of ATM. It is the figure which showed the state of the reading stand seen from the scanner. It is the figure which showed an example of the form set instruction | indication screen. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a medium removal instruction screen. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the process at the time of starting. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the form handling process. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the diagnostic process. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the form reading process. It is the figure which showed an example of the other pattern for a diagnosis.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a form handling apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  The form handling apparatus 1 includes a reading table 2, a reading unit 3, a storage unit 4, a diagnosis unit 5, and a transaction processing unit 6. The reading table 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a diagram in which a part to be explained is cut out, and the reading table 2 is installed on the side surface of the form handling apparatus 1 or the like.

  The reading table 2 includes a placement surface 2a on which a medium such as a form is placed. In the first embodiment, a medium is used in which information relating to a transaction is recorded in an optically readable state. Further, a diagnostic pattern 2c for diagnosis of the reading unit 3 is set in advance in the reading target area 2b on the placement surface 2a by printing or the like. In the diagnostic pattern 2c, for example, figures, characters, images, and the like are set in such a manner that the reading unit 3 can read them.

  The reading unit 3 optically reads the reading target area 2b of the placement surface 2a in accordance with an instruction from the transaction processing unit 6 or the diagnosis unit 5, generates read information, and outputs the read information to the instruction source. The reading unit 3 includes a scanner or an electronic camera as an optical reading unit. The read information to be generated may be the optically read image information itself or information obtained by performing a predetermined process on the image information. For example, when the reading unit 3 has an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) function in order to acquire characters written on a medium, recognition obtained by performing character recognition processing on image information It may be text information.

  The storage unit 4 stores reference information that is a criterion for determining whether or not the reading of the reading unit 3 is normal. The reference information is, for example, an original image of the diagnostic pattern 2c or an image of the diagnostic pattern 2c read by the reading unit 3 in a normal state. Further, when a character is included in the diagnostic pattern 2c, character information related to this character may be used.

  The diagnosis unit 5 instructs the reading unit 3 to perform a reading operation during a period when the transaction processing unit 6 does not operate the reading unit 3. During the period when the transaction processing unit 6 does not operate the reading unit 3, nothing is set on the reading table 2, and the reading unit 3 can read the diagnostic pattern 2c on the mounting surface 2a. High nature. The diagnosis unit 5 diagnoses the reading unit 3 by comparing the reading information of the diagnostic pattern 2 c read by the reading unit 3 with the reference information stored in the storage unit 4.

  When the transaction using the medium is instructed, the transaction processing unit 6 outputs a reading instruction to the reading unit 3 to acquire reading information of the medium set on the mounting surface 2a of the reading table 2, Transaction processing is performed based on the read information.

An operation using the reading unit 3 of the form handling apparatus 1 having such a configuration will be described.
The form handling apparatus 1 processes a financial transaction based on an instruction from a user. When a transaction using a medium is instructed by the user, the transaction processing unit 6 activates the reading unit 3 and optically reads the medium set on the mounting surface 2a of the reading table 2 from the reading unit 3. Get reading information. The read information may be image information of a medium captured by the reading unit 3, or may be information obtained by performing character recognition processing on the image information. Based on the read information acquired from the reading unit 3, the transaction processing unit 6 performs the transaction described in the medium after performing character recognition when character recognition processing is not performed.

  On the other hand, the diagnosis unit 5 gives a reading instruction to the reading unit 3 during a period when the transaction processing unit 6 does not operate the reading unit 3, and performs a diagnosis for confirming whether the reading unit 3 operates normally. . The diagnosis can be performed except for a period from when the transaction processing unit 6 requests the reading unit 3 to read the medium until the reading result is obtained. For example, when the form handling apparatus is activated, it can be performed during a waiting period for waiting for a new user, a period after the reading of the medium by the reading unit 3, and the like. Further, the diagnosis processing unit 6 may be activated by the transaction processing unit 6 during a period from when the transaction processing unit 6 starts a transaction using a medium to when a reading instruction is output to the reading unit 3.

  The diagnosis unit 5 instructs the reading unit 3 to perform reading, and acquires the reading information of the reading target of the mounting surface 2a. During the period when the transaction processing unit 6 does not operate the reading unit 3, the possibility that the medium is set on the placement surface 2a is low, and the reading unit 3 is highly likely to read the diagnostic pattern 2c. The diagnosis unit 5 detects a failure of the reading unit 3 based on the reading information acquired from the reading unit 3 and the basic information. For example, the image information read by the reading unit 3 is compared with the image information of the diagnostic pattern 2c set in the basic information, and the reading unit 3 is diagnosed depending on whether or not they match. If the diagnostic pattern 2c includes characters, the diagnostic character 2c obtained by recognizing the image of the diagnostic pattern 2c read by the reading unit 3 and the diagnostic information set in the basic information. The diagnosis may be made by comparing the character information of the pattern 2c.

  When the user makes a diagnosis while operating the form handling apparatus 1, there is a possibility that a medium or the like is placed on the reading table 2, and thus the diagnosis may be performed a plurality of times. At this time, the user may be prompted to remove the medium from the reading table 2 and then diagnosed again.

  As described above, in the form handling apparatus 1, the reading unit 3 is diagnosed using the diagnostic pattern 2 c set in advance on the reading table 2 by the diagnosis unit 5 during the period when the transaction processing unit 6 does not operate the reading unit 3. To do. For this reason, the malfunction of the reading part 3 can be detected at an early stage, and measures such as notification to the monitoring center and suspension of the form handling device can be taken. Thereby, the trouble that the transaction of the user who instructed the transaction using the medium stops in the middle can be prevented, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a case where the form handling apparatus 1 is applied to ATM will be described as a second embodiment. In the following description, among the parts of the ATM, the components related to the handling of the form are collectively referred to as a form handling apparatus. Taxes and other public funds and various settlements can be electronically settled like account debits, but are often settled in cash using forms. ATMs can be used for a long time, and are installed in places other than financial institutions such as stations and stores, so that users can use them easily. For this reason, the further improvement of a user's convenience is calculated | required.

  First, a configuration example of the ATM according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ATM according to the second embodiment. The configuration illustrated in FIG. 2 is an example, and the arrangement and configuration of each unit can be arbitrarily set.

The ATM 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes a reading table 12, a scanner 13, a customer operation unit 14, a card / receipt unit 15, a bill processing unit 16, and a numeric keypad input unit 17.
The reading table 12 is provided on the outer surface of the ATM 10 and has a placement surface 12a on which a document to be read is placed. A diagnostic pattern 20 is set on the mounting surface 12a.

  The scanner 13 is provided above the placement surface 12 a of the reading table 12 and optically reads the reading target area 12 b of the reading table 12. When a form is set on the reading table 12, form reading information is generated, and when no form is set, reading information of the diagnostic pattern 20 is generated. The scanner 13 is an embodiment of the reading unit 3 of the first embodiment.

  The customer operation unit 14 includes a display and a touch panel, and performs transaction operation guidance and instruction reception. The card / receipt unit 15 inserts and discharges a card in a transaction using a card such as a cash card or a credit card. In addition, the receipt issued at the end of the transaction is discharged. The banknote processing unit 16 processes the delivery of banknotes during deposit and withdrawal transactions. The numeric keypad input unit 17 includes keys for inputting numbers and the like, and accepts user instructions in cooperation with the touch panel of the customer operation unit 14.

  A transaction process using a form will be described. The user operates the customer operation unit 14 or the numeric keypad input unit 17 to instruct a transaction using the form, and sets the form on the reading table 12 in accordance with the guidance displayed on the customer operation unit 14. In the ATM 10, the scanner 13 reads the form and displays a transaction content confirmation screen based on the transaction information detected from the read information on the customer operation unit 14. The user confirms the transaction contents at the customer operation unit 14 and, when performing the transaction, inserts cash into the banknote processing unit 16 or inserts a cash card or the like into the card / receipt unit 15 to perform payment processing. . After payment is completed, a receipt is output from the card / receipt unit 15. If a card was used for the transaction, the card will be returned along with the receipt. The user receives these and completes the transaction.

Thus, a transaction using a form is a transaction that is established when the scanner 13 correctly reads the form. If the scanner 13 is defective, the transaction cannot be performed.
Therefore, in the ATM 10, the scanner 13 is diagnosed during a period when the form is not read. During this period, nothing is set on the reading table 12, and the scanner 13 is very likely to be able to read the diagnostic pattern 20. Details of the diagnostic processing of the scanner 13 in the ATM 10 will be described later.

Next, the diagnostic pattern will be described.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a diagnostic pattern according to the second embodiment.
In the example shown in FIG. 3, a character pattern 21 is set on the placement surface 12 a of the reading table 12 as a diagnostic pattern.

In the character pattern 21, characters optically readable by the scanner 13 are arranged over the reading target area 12 b of the scanner 13 indicated by a dotted line.
The scanner 13 has an OCR function, reads an image of the character pattern 21, performs OCR processing on the read image information, and converts the image information into recognized character information.

  The ATM 10 stores character information of characters constituting the character pattern 21 in the device. By comparing the recognized character information of the scanner 13 with the character information stored in the apparatus, it is diagnosed whether or not the scanner 13 has read the reading target area 12b correctly.

  Furthermore, since the character pattern 21 has characters arranged over the reading target area 12b, if character position information is added to the reference information, the recognized character information of the scanner 13 is compared with the reference information. It is also possible to determine which area is not read correctly. The position information is information that can specify, for example, the number of rows and columns in a character matrix.

  Although FIG. 3 shows an example in which numbers are arranged as the character pattern 21, any character may be arranged as long as it is an object of character recognition processing. For example, English characters, kana, kanji, etc. may be arranged or mixedly arranged.

Next, the hardware configuration and operation of the ATM 10 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the ATM.
The ATM 10 includes a control unit 110, a display 14a, a touch panel 14b, a scanner 13, a card / receipt processing unit 150, a banknote processing unit 160, a numeric keypad 170, and an interpersonal sensor control 180.

  The controller 110 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 111, a random access memory (RAM) 112, a first hard disk drive (HDD) 113a, a second HDD 113b, an external communication interface 114, a display processing unit 115, a key processing unit 116, and an I / O. An O (Input / Output) control unit 117 is provided, and each is connected via a bus 118. The control unit 110 is also an example of a computer.

  The CPU 111 controls the overall operation of the ATM 10. The RAM 112 temporarily stores at least part of an OS (Operating System) program and application programs to be executed by the CPU 111. The RAM 112 stores various data necessary for processing by the CPU 111.

  The first HDD 113a and the second HDD 113b store the OS and application programs. The first HDD 113a and the second HDD 113b are duplexed for system protection, but may be configured with only one of them.

The external communication interface 114 is connected to the external network 120 and transmits / receives data to / from the host computer.
A display 14 a is connected to the display processing unit 115. The display 14a constitutes the customer operation unit 14 together with the touch panel 14b. The display processing unit 115 displays various information such as operation guidance on the screen of the display 14a under the control of the CPU 111.

  A touch panel 14b is connected to the key processing unit 116. The touch panel 14b is formed in the upper layer of the display 14a. The key processing unit 116 detects the position on the screen where the user's finger or the like touches or approaches the touch panel 14b, and notifies the CPU 111 of it.

  The I / O control unit 117 is connected to the scanner 13, the card / receipt processing unit 150, the banknote processing unit 160, the numeric keypad 170, and the personal sensor control 180. Under the control of the CPU 111, the I / O control unit 117 notifies each connected unit of an instruction from the CPU 111 and sends information acquired from each unit to the CPU 111 via the bus 118.

  The scanner 13 is provided on the outer surface of the ATM 10, and under the control of the CPU 111, optically reads the reading target region 12b of the reading table 12 on the outer surface of the device and generates image information. It also has a character recognition function, and performs character recognition processing on image information to generate recognized character information. When the form is set in the reading target area 12b, the recognized character information of the form is generated, and when the form is not set, the recognized character information of the diagnostic pattern 20 is generated.

  The card / receipt processing unit 150 is provided in the card / receipt unit 15 and controls card taking-in and discharging, and receipt discharging. The banknote processing unit 160 is provided in the banknote processing unit 16 and controls banknote deposit / withdrawal and door opening / closing in accordance with instructions from the CPU 111. The numeric keypad 170 is provided in the numeric keypad input unit 17 and outputs information on the numeric keypad pressed by the user. The interpersonal sensor control 180 controls an interpersonal sensor that detects the approach of a person, and detects that a user has approached the ATM 10.

  With the hardware configuration as described above, the processing functions of the embodiment of the present invention can be realized. In addition, said structure is an example and the combination of the structure part of ATM10 is determined suitably. Of the above configuration, unnecessary ones may be deleted, for example, a biometric authentication unit using palm veins or finger veins, a non-contact IC unit corresponding to a non-contact IC, a coin processing unit, or the like may be added. .

Next, the ATM processing function will be described.
FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of ATM.
The ATM 10 includes a reading control unit 210 that controls reading by the scanner 13, a diagnostic unit 220 that diagnoses the scanner 13, an external communication interface 114, a display processing unit 115, a key processing unit 116, a banknote processing unit 160, and a card / receipt process. A transaction processing unit 230 that controls each unit of the unit 150, and performs various transaction processes and diagnosis of the form handling device. The processing function of each unit is realized by the CPU 111 executing a program.

  The scanner 13 includes an imaging unit 131, an imaging control unit 132, and a character recognition unit 133, and executes a reading process for the reading target area 12 b of the reading table 12 in accordance with an instruction from the reading control unit 210. The imaging unit 131 acquires an image of the reading target area 12b. The reading target area 12b includes at least a reading target portion of a form set on the placement surface 12a of the reading table 12 and placed on the reading table 12, and an area where the diagnostic pattern 20 is set. The imaging control unit 132 controls the imaging unit 131 and the character recognition unit 133 in accordance with a reading instruction from the reading control unit 210. The character recognizing unit 133 recognizes the designated range of the image acquired by the imaging unit 131 according to the imaging control unit 132, and generates read information including the recognized character information.

  When the reading control unit 210 receives a reading request by the scanner 13 from the transaction processing unit 230 or the diagnosis unit 220, the reading control unit 210 activates the scanner 13 and obtains reading information. The read information is output to the transaction processing unit 230 or the diagnosis unit 220 as the instruction source.

  The diagnosis unit 220 includes a diagnosis control unit 221, a comparison unit 222, and a reference information storage unit 223. The diagnosis control unit 221 monitors an instruction from the transaction processing unit 230 or an operation state of the transaction processing unit 230, and diagnoses the scanner 13 when the transaction control unit 231 is not handling a form. In the ATM 10, the scanner 13 is diagnosed when it is activated and when a diagnosis is requested from the transaction processing unit 230 until a service can be provided to the customer. The diagnosis control unit 221 makes a reading request to the scanner 13 via the reading control unit 210 and acquires recognized character information of the character pattern 21 read by the scanner 13 via the reading control unit 210. The comparison unit 222 compares the recognized character information acquired from the diagnosis control unit 221 with the reference information stored in the reference information storage unit 223, and notifies the diagnosis control unit 221 whether or not they match. In the reference information storage unit 223, information related to characters set in the character pattern 21 is stored as reference information. For example, each character forming the character pattern 21 is stored together with its position information.

  The transaction processing unit 230 has a plurality of applications that execute various transactions performed by the ATM 10, and exchanges information with the reading control unit 210 and the diagnosis unit 220 to perform various transaction processes. The transaction control unit 231 controls the inter-host communication control unit 232, the display control unit 233, the key input processing unit 234, the deposit / withdrawal control unit 235, and the receipt issuance control unit 236 to perform transaction processing specified by the user. The inter-host communication control unit 232 controls communication with an external host via the external communication interface 114 according to the transaction control unit 231. The display control unit 233 controls the display processing unit 115 and displays a screen on the display 14 a according to the transaction control unit 231. The key input processing unit 234 notifies the transaction control unit 231 of the operation information of the touch panel 14 b input via the key processing unit 116. The deposit / withdrawal control unit 235 controls the bill processing unit 160 in accordance with the transaction control unit 231 to deposit / withdraw bills associated with the transaction. The receipt issuance control unit 236 issues a receipt at the end of the transaction according to the transaction control unit 231 and discharges the receipt issued through the card / receipt processing unit 150.

The operation of the ATM 10 having such a configuration will be described.
First, the state of the reading table 12 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state of the reading table viewed from the scanner. (A) shows a state at the time of diagnosis, and (B) shows a state at the time of handling a form.

  The state shown in FIG. 6A is a state where nothing is placed on the placement surface 12 a of the reading table 12, and the scanner 13 displays the character pattern 21 formed on the placement surface 12 a of the reading table 12. Can be read.

  The state shown in FIG. 6B shows a state in which transaction processing using the form 300 is performed, and the form 300 is placed on the placement surface 12a of the reading table 12 by the user. In a state where the form 300 is placed on the placement surface 12 a of the reading table 12, the character pattern 21 is hidden by the form 300, and the scanner 13 can read information written on the form 300. In the ATM 10, processing is performed on a form whose standard format is determined in advance. As the standard format, for example, a size of at least one direction of the form, a position where transaction information to be read is described, a description format of the transaction information, and the like are determined. In the case of the payment handling slip of the form 300 shown in FIG. 6 as the transaction information, a transaction number including “storage organization number”, “customer number”, and “confirmation number” is printed. The transaction number is a number used for the transaction, and is printed as OCR information 310 and a barcode as well as for customer confirmation printed in the frame. The transaction processing unit 230 performs transaction processing based on the transaction number by controlling the scanner 13 to read the OCR information 310 and acquiring the transaction number. In the state where the form 300 is placed on the reading table 12, only the main part of the form 300 including the portion where the transaction number is printed is placed on the reading table 12, and the remaining part may be held by the customer. Including.

  Next, the diagnostic process of the scanner 13 in the ATM 10 will be described. As described above, the diagnosis unit 220 diagnoses the scanner 13 during a period when the transaction processing unit 230 does not operate the scanner 13 via the reading control unit 210. In the second embodiment, the scanner 13 is diagnosed when the ATM 10 is activated and before the transaction processing unit 230 reads the form in the form handling process.

The first diagnosis process when the ATM 10 is activated will be described.
In the startup process, the ATM 10 checks the operation of each unit. As one of them, the diagnostic unit 220 is activated to check the operation of the scanner 13. In the diagnosis unit 220, the diagnosis control unit 221 instructs the reading control unit 210 to read, and the reading control unit 210 instructs the imaging control unit 132 of the scanner 13 to read the reading target area 12b. The imaging control unit 132 of the scanner 13 receives the instruction, drives the imaging unit 131, and acquires image information of the reading target area 12b of the reading table 12. Since the ATM 10 is activated and nothing should be placed on the reading table 12, the image information of the character pattern 21 shown in FIG. 6A can be acquired. The character recognition unit 133 performs character recognition processing on the image information acquired by the imaging unit 131 to generate recognized character information. If the imaging unit 131 is normal, all characters of the character pattern 21 shown in FIG. 6 are included in the recognized character information. The diagnosis control unit 221 of the diagnosis unit 220 acquires the recognized character information via the reading control unit 210 and sends it to the comparison unit 222. The comparison unit 222 compares the reference information stored in the reference information storage unit 223 with the acquired recognized character information, and notifies the diagnosis control unit 221 of whether or not they match. If the results match, the diagnosis control unit 221 determines that the scanner 13 is normal and proceeds to the next process. If the results do not match, the scanner 13 determines that a failure has occurred, notifies the user or administrator of that fact, and stops the form handling device or the entire ATM 10.

The second diagnosis process before reading the form in the form handling process will be described.
In the transaction processing unit 230, the transaction control unit 231 executes various transactions in response to a user's transaction instruction input via the key input processing unit 234. When the user's transaction instruction is to handle a form, the diagnosis unit 220 is requested to diagnose the scanner 13 before instructing the user to set the form. The diagnosis control unit 221 acquires the recognized character information from the scanner 13 in the same manner as the diagnosis process at the time of activation, and receives a comparison result from the comparison unit 222 as to whether or not the recognized character information matches the reference information. .

  When the comparison result is the same, the diagnosis control unit 221 advances the form handling process first and guides the user to place the form 300 on the reading table 12. FIG. 7 shows an example of a form set instruction screen.

  The form set instruction screen 400 shown in FIG. 7 displays a guide screen 401 and a confirmation button 403 together with a message for instructing to set a form. In the guidance screen 401, a form position 402 when the form 300 to be read is set on the reading table 12 is indicated by a dotted line. The confirmation button 423 is a button that is pressed after the user who sets the form 300 confirms the position of the form 300. The user presses the confirmation button 403 and sets the form 300 on the reading table 12 as in the guidance screen 401. Note that the confirmation button 403 may be pressed after the form is set. Since the scanner 13 is diagnosed in advance and it is confirmed that the scanner 13 operates normally, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem that the form 300 cannot be read.

  On the other hand, when the comparison results do not match, a screen for guiding the user to remove the medium on the reading table 12 is displayed on the display 14a, and the diagnosis is performed again. Since the user who has selected the form handling process may set a medium such as the form 300 on the reading table 12 in advance, such a process is performed in the diagnosis process in the form handling process. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the medium removal instruction screen.

  On the medium removal instruction screen 430 shown in FIG. 8, a message 431 for instructing removal of a medium such as a form from the reading table 12 and a confirmation button 432 are displayed. It is detected that the user has removed the medium from the reading table 12 and pressed the confirmation button 432, and the diagnosis process is performed again. The diagnosis process is repeated until a predetermined time elapses, and when normality cannot be detected even after the predetermined time elapses, it is determined that the scanner 13 has a problem. In this case, the transaction is stopped and a message to that effect is sent to the user. In this way, by performing guidance for removing the form 300 and repeating the diagnosis process, it is possible to prevent a problem that the scanner 13 is regarded as a failure due to an erroneous setting of the form 300.

Next, diagnostic processing performed by the ATM 10 will be described using a flowchart.
First, the first diagnosis process performed at startup will be described.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the startup process.

  The flowchart of FIG. 9 is a diagram mainly showing the procedure of the diagnostic process of the scanner 13, and the details of the diagnostic process of other parts are omitted. The process is started after the initialization process is started, for example, when power is supplied to the ATM 10.

  [Step S01] The CPU 111 confirms the operation of each hardware connected to the CPU 111 as shown in FIG. When the operation check is not completed normally, the ATM 10 is suspended. If the operation check has been completed normally, the process proceeds to step S02.

[Step S02] The CPU 111 activates the OS.
[Step S03] The CPU 111 activates installed application software. Thereby, each processing unit shown in FIG. 5 can start operation.

  [Step S04] The diagnosis unit 220 is activated. The diagnosis unit 220 clears the continuous error number counter. The continuous error frequency counter is a counter that counts the number of detections when the diagnosis unit 220 continuously detects a malfunction of the scanner 13.

[Step S05] The diagnosis control unit 221 requests the scanner 13 to read the reading target area 12b of the reading table 12 via the reading control unit 210, and obtains reading information.
[Step S06] In accordance with the diagnosis control unit 221, the comparison unit 222 compares the acquired read information with the reference information read from the reference information storage unit 223, and determines whether or not they are the same. If both are the same, it is determined that the scanner 13 is normal, and the process proceeds to step S07. If both are not the same, it is determined that the scanner 13 has a problem, and the process proceeds to step S08.

  [Step S07] Since the diagnosis control unit 221 determines that the scanner 13 is normal, the diagnosis control unit 221 starts normal operation of the ATM 10 and takes over the processing to the transaction control unit 231. The transaction control unit 231 instructs the display control unit 233 to display a customer waiting screen on the display 14a so that a user transaction instruction can be accepted. The customer waiting screen is a selection screen for allowing the user to select a desired transaction.

  [Step S08] Since the diagnosis control unit 221 determines that the scanner 13 is defective, the diagnosis control unit 221 pauses its own device (form handling device) and takes over the processing to the transaction control unit 231. The transaction control unit 231 instructs the display control unit 233 to display a pause screen for notifying the user of the pause of its own device (form handling device) on the display 14a.

  [Step S <b> 09] The transaction control unit 231 transmits to the monitoring center suspension information notifying that the own device (form handling device) has been suspended due to a failure of the scanner 13 via the host-to-host communication control unit 232.

  By executing the above processing procedure, the ATM 10 performs diagnosis of the scanner 13 when checking the hardware operation at the time of activation, and when a malfunction is detected, pauses the form handling device and notifies the monitoring center. Thereby, it becomes possible to detect and deal with a problem at an early stage.

Next, the form handling process when the ATM 10 starts normal operation and the form handling is selected by the user, and the second diagnosis process performed in the form handling process will be described.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the form handling process.

  In the transaction processing unit 230, the fact that the form handling has been selected by the user is input to the transaction control unit 231 via the key input processing unit 234. Thereby, the transaction control unit 231 starts a form handling process.

  [Step S <b> 10] The transaction control unit 231 instructs the diagnosis control unit 221 to diagnose the scanner 13, and the diagnosis control unit 221 performs a diagnosis process for the scanner 13. The diagnosis control unit 221 confirms the normal operation of the scanner 13 or detects a malfunction by a diagnosis process. Details of the diagnosis processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

  [Step S11] The transaction control unit 231 checks whether or not the normal operation of the scanner 13 has been confirmed as a result of the diagnostic processing in step S10. If normal operation can be confirmed, the process proceeds to step S12. If a malfunction is detected and normal operation cannot be confirmed, the process proceeds to step S21.

  [Step S12] The transaction control unit 231 instructs the display control unit 233 to display the form set instruction screen shown in FIG. 7 on the display 14a, and instructs the user to set the form on the reading table 12. . Moreover, the transaction control part 231 clears a continuous error frequency counter.

  [Step S13] The transaction control unit 231 instructs the reading control unit 210 to read the reading target area 12b of the reading table 12, and the reading control unit 210 controls the scanner 13 to execute a form reading process. The form is set on the reading table 12 in step S12, and the transaction control unit 231 acquires the recognized character information of the form via the reading control unit 210, and acquires the transaction content. Details of the form reading process will be described later with reference to FIG.

  [Step S14] The transaction control unit 231 instructs the display control unit 233 based on the transaction content acquired in step S13, and displays a transaction content display screen showing the transaction content to the user on the display 14a.

  [Step S <b> 15] The transaction control unit 231 acquires, via the key input processing unit 234, detection information on the operation button press on the transaction content display screen by the user. It is confirmed whether or not the confirmation button is pressed based on the detection information. If the confirmation button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S17. If not, the process proceeds to step S16.

  [Step S16] When the confirmation button is not pressed, the transaction control unit 231 checks whether or not the cancel button is pressed. If the cancel button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S18 without performing the settlement process. If the cancel button has not been pressed, the process returns to step S15 to wait for detection information from the key input processing unit 234.

  [Step S17] Since the confirmation button has been pressed, the transaction control unit 231 determines that the displayed transaction content has been accepted, and performs a settlement process. In the settlement process, the deposit / withdrawal control unit 235 is controlled to perform settlement with cash. Further, the settlement means may be withdrawing a deposit with a cash card or the like. When payment is completed, the receipt issuance control unit 236 issues a receipt. Details of the settlement process are omitted.

  [Step S18] The transaction control unit 231 instructs the display control unit 233 to display a medium reception instruction screen for instructing the user to receive a medium such as a cash card when payment is made using a form, issued receipt, cash card, or the like. This is displayed on the display 14a.

  [Step S19] The transaction control unit 231 displays a transaction end screen for instructing the display control unit 233 to notify the user of the end of the transaction after detecting that the user has received the medium or after a predetermined time has elapsed. 14a.

[Step S20] The transaction control unit 231 instructs the display control unit 233 to display a customer waiting screen to be displayed in a pre-transaction state on the display 14a, and ends the form handling process.
[Step S21] The transaction control unit 231 instructs the display control unit 233 to notify the user of cancellation of the form handling process when the malfunction of the scanner 13 is detected in the diagnosis process of Step S10. This is displayed on the display 14a.

  [Step S22] The transaction control unit 231 increments the continuous error number counter by one. The continuous error number counter is a counter for measuring the number of times that the malfunction of the scanner 13 is continuously detected by the diagnosis in step S10.

  [Step S23] The transaction control unit 231 compares the value of the continuous error number counter counted up in step S22 with the upper limit value, and confirms whether or not the value of the continuous error number counter exceeds the upper limit value. The transaction control unit 231 advances the process to step S24 when the continuous error number counter exceeds the upper limit value, and returns the process to step S10 when it does not exceed the upper limit value, and performs the diagnosis process again.

[Step S24] Since the continuous error counter exceeds the upper limit value, the transaction control unit 231 pauses the form handling device, displays a pause screen on the display 14a, and ends the process.
By executing the above processing procedure, the ATM 10 diagnoses the scanner 13 before reading the form when a transaction for handling the form is selected by the user. As a result, it is possible to prevent a problem that a transaction using a form stops in the middle due to a malfunction of the scanner 13, and it is possible to improve convenience for the user.

  In the operation check at the time of activation, the own apparatus (form handling apparatus) is immediately paused when a malfunction of the scanner 13 is detected. However, the diagnosis in the form handling process does not pause immediately. Since the diagnosis in the form handling process is executed while the user is performing a transaction operation, there is a possibility that the user has placed the form, other medium, baggage, etc. on the reading table 12. Therefore, in one defect detection, the own apparatus (form handling apparatus) is not paused, and when the malfunction of the scanner 13 is detected for a predetermined number of times continuously, the own apparatus (voting handling apparatus) is suspended.

Next, diagnosis processing by the diagnosis unit 220 will be described.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the diagnostic process.
Diagnosis unit 220 is instructed by transaction control unit 231 to start processing.

  [Step S101] The diagnosis control unit 221 instructs the reading control unit 210 to activate the scanner 13, and causes the reading target area 12b of the reading table 12 to be read. Since it is before the form set instruction, nothing is placed on the reading table 12. In the scanner 13, the imaging unit 131 acquires image information of the diagnostic pattern 20, and the acquired image information is subjected to character recognition processing by the character recognition unit 133 to generate recognized character information. The recognized character information is input to the diagnosis control unit 221 via the reading control unit 210.

  [Step S <b> 102] The comparison unit 222 reads the reference information stored in the reference information storage unit 223, compares it with the recognized character information acquired from the diagnosis control unit 221, and sends the comparison result to the diagnosis control unit 221.

  [Step S103] The diagnosis control unit 221 acquires the comparison result by the comparison unit 222 and determines whether or not they match. If the recognized character information matches the reference information, the process proceeds to step S104. If not, the process proceeds to step S105.

[Step S104] Since the recognized character information matches the reference information, the diagnosis control unit 221 confirms the normal operation of the scanner 13 and ends the process.
[Step S105] Since the recognized character information does not match the reference information, the diagnosis control unit 221 instructs the display control unit 233 to display the medium removal instruction screen 430 shown in FIG. 8 on the display 14a.

  [Step S106] The diagnosis control unit 221 confirms whether or not a certain time has elapsed since the start of the diagnosis process. If the predetermined time has elapsed and timed out, the process proceeds to step S107. If it is not time-out, the process proceeds to step S101, and the process from the reading of the reading table 12 is performed again.

[Step S107] When the diagnosis control unit 221 detects a timeout, the diagnosis control unit 221 determines that the scanner 13 has a problem and ends the process.
In step S103, the determination is made based on whether or not the recognized character information matches the reference information. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when comparing with image information, if they are similar within a predetermined allowable range, they may be regarded as matching.

Next, the form reading process will be described.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the form reading process.
After the form set is instructed by the transaction control unit 231, the processing is started.

  [Step S131] The transaction control unit 231 checks whether or not the confirmation button 403 on the form set instruction screen 400 shown in FIG. 7 has been pressed. If so, the process proceeds to step S132. If not, wait until it is pressed.

  [Step S132] When the confirmation button 403 is pressed, the transaction control unit 231 drives the scanner 13 via the reading control unit 210 to execute reading of the form. And the transaction control part 231 acquires recognition character information via the reading control part 210. FIG.

  [Step S133] The transaction control unit 231 acquires the recognized character information as the read information of the form. The recognized character information includes information on characters read from the form. The transaction control unit 231 extracts a transaction number printed at a predetermined position on the form from the recognized character information.

  [Step S134] The transaction control unit 231 transmits the transaction number extracted in step S133 to the host via the host-to-host communication control unit 232, and acquires information regarding the transaction content from the host as a response. When the information corresponding to the transaction number is not detected in the host, it is notified that the number could not be confirmed.

  [Step S135] The transaction control unit 231 checks whether the number has been confirmed based on the response from the host. When confirmation is made at the host and information regarding the transaction content is received, the processing is terminated.

  [Step S136] If the number is not confirmed based on the response from the host, the transaction control unit 231 displays a screen prompting the user to reset the form on the display 14a, and advances the process to Step S131.

  By executing the above processing procedure, the transaction control unit 231 can operate the scanner 13 to read the transaction number printed on the form, and perform a transaction based on the read transaction number.

  The above processing functions can be realized by a computer. In that case, a program describing the processing contents of the functions that the form handling apparatus should have is provided. By executing the program on a computer, the above processing functions are realized on the computer. The program describing the processing contents can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a magnetic storage device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, and a semiconductor memory. Examples of the magnetic storage device include a hard disk device HDD, a flexible disk (FD), and a magnetic tape. Optical discs include DVD, DVD-RAM, CD-ROM / RW, and the like. Magneto-optical recording media include MO (Magneto-Optical disk).

  When distributing the program, for example, a portable recording medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM in which the program is recorded is sold. It is also possible to store the program in a storage device of a server computer and transfer the program from the server computer to another computer via a network.

  The computer that executes the program stores, for example, the program recorded on the portable recording medium or the program transferred from the server computer in its own storage device. Then, the computer reads the program from its own storage device and executes processing according to the program. The computer can also read the program directly from the portable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. In addition, each time a program is transferred from a server computer connected via a network, the computer can sequentially execute processing according to the received program.

  In addition, at least a part of the above processing functions can be realized by an electronic circuit such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a PLD (Programmable Logic Device).

In the above description, the example in which the diagnostic pattern 20 is configured by the character pattern 21 has been shown, but other diagnostic patterns 20 may be used.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of another diagnostic pattern.

  The diagnostic pattern 20 shown in FIG. 13 is a graphic pattern 22 drawn on the mounting surface 12 a of the reading table 12. It has an arrow shape, and the arrow also serves as a guide indicating the arrangement direction of the form 300. In the diagnosis unit 220, the diagnosis control unit 221 acquires image information obtained by reading the graphic pattern 22 by the scanner 13. The comparison unit 222 reads the reference graphic pattern stored in the reference information storage unit 223 and compares it with the acquired image information. The comparison unit 222 determines whether or not they are the same graphic, and notifies the diagnosis control unit 221 of the result. The diagnosis control unit 221 determines that the scanner 13 is normal when it is determined that they are the same graphic, and determines that the scanner 13 is malfunctioning when it is determined that they are not the same graphic.

  In FIG. 3, the character pattern 21 and the graphic pattern 22 are shown in FIG. 13. However, the character pattern 21 and the graphic pattern 22 may be combined instead of being formed separately.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined. Various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Form handling apparatus 2 Reading stand 2a Mounting surface 2b Reading object area | region 2c Diagnosis pattern 3 Reading part 4 Memory | storage part 5 Diagnosis part 6 Transaction processing part 10 ATM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Reading stand 12a Mounting surface 13 Scanner 14 Customer operation part 15 Card / receipt part 16 Bill processing part 17 Numeric keypad input part 20 Diagnosis pattern 21 Character pattern 131 Imaging part 132 Imaging control part 133 Character recognition part 210 Reading control part 220 Diagnosis Unit 221 Diagnosis control unit 222 Comparison unit 223 Reference information storage unit 230 Transaction processing unit 231 Transaction control unit 232 Inter-host communication control unit 233 Display control unit 234 Key input processing unit 235 Deposit / withdrawal control unit 236 Receipt issue control unit

Claims (9)

A reading table including a mounting surface on which a medium is mounted, and a diagnostic pattern set on the mounting surface;
A reading unit for reading the reading target area of the placement surface;
A storage unit that stores reference information that is a criterion for determining whether reading by the reading unit is normal;
When the transaction processing unit does not operate the reading unit, the reading unit is operated to acquire the reading information of the diagnostic pattern, and the reading information is compared with the reference information to diagnose the reading unit. A diagnostic department;
A form handling device. The reading unit performs character recognition processing on image information obtained by optically reading the diagnostic pattern to generate recognized character information, and outputs the read information including the recognized character information to the diagnostic unit.
The diagnosis unit diagnoses the reading unit based on the recognized character information acquired from the reading unit;
The form handling apparatus according to claim 1. The diagnostic pattern includes characters,
The diagnosis unit diagnoses the reading unit based on recognized character information obtained by character recognition of a character included in a read image obtained by reading the diagnostic pattern;
The form handling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The diagnostic pattern has a character string arranged over the reading target area,
The form handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. When the transaction processing unit obtains a transaction instruction using the medium, it instructs the diagnosis unit to diagnose the reading unit before reading the medium, and the diagnosis unit performs normal operation of the reading unit. When the transaction is confirmed, the transaction corresponding to the transaction instruction is performed, and when the reading unit is not confirmed to be normal, the transaction corresponding to the transaction instruction is stopped.
The form handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. In the diagnosis according to the instruction from the transaction processing unit, the diagnosis unit removes the medium on the reading table to the user who has instructed the transaction when the normality of the reading unit cannot be confirmed. After prompting, diagnose the reading unit again,
The form handling apparatus according to claim 5. The diagnostic unit counts up an error number counter each time a transaction using the medium is stopped, and pauses its own device when the value of the error number counter reaches a predetermined number of times.
The form handling apparatus according to claim 5 or 6. The diagnostic unit activates the reading unit when the own device is activated, acquires the read information, and pauses the own device when a failure of the reading unit is detected based on the read information and the reference information. To
The form handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. In the diagnosis method of the form handling device that performs transactions with forms in financial transactions,
The form handling apparatus includes a reading surface on which a medium is placed, a reading table on which a diagnostic pattern is set on the mounting surface, and a reading unit that reads a reading target area on the mounting surface. Prepared,
The diagnostic unit activates the reading unit during a period when the transaction processing unit does not operate the reading unit, and acquires reading information of the diagnostic pattern,
Reading the reference information from a storage unit that stores reference information serving as a criterion for determining whether reading by the reading unit is normal;
Comparing the read information with the reference information to diagnose the reading unit;
Diagnosis method for form handling equipment.

Images