JP6757152B2 - Banknote processing system and banknote processing method - Google Patents

Description

The techniques disclosed herein relate to banknote processing systems and banknote processing methods.

In Patent Document 1, for paper sheets having serial numbers in at least two places, character images related to a plurality of serial numbers are read out, and these logical sum images are generated, and a continuous block of dots is formed. If there are a plurality of dots, a technique is disclosed in which a dot group having the longest peripheral length is used as a character composite image of the digit.

Japanese Patent No. 5241650

By the way, in paper sheets (for example, banknotes), an image, characters, or the like (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as a background image or the like) may be printed on the background of the serial number area on which the serial number is printed. Depending on the density and position of these background images and the like, it may be difficult to separate and read the serial numbers from the background images and the like. For example, a high-density line art constituting a background image or the like may overlap a part or all of the serial number, and the serial number may not be read well. In such a case, even if a character composition technique as in Patent Document 1 is used, it is difficult to obtain a correct character image because the result of character composition including the overlap of line art can be obtained. In some cases. That is, the reading accuracy of the serial number may deteriorate.

The technique disclosed herein has been made in view of this point, and an object thereof is to improve the detection accuracy of serial numbers in paper sheets on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed.

The technique disclosed herein relates to a banknote processing system, in which the banknote processing system identifies a type of banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed, and acquires image information of the banknote, and the above-mentioned identification unit. Based on the type of banknote identified by the identification unit, a character image cutting unit that cuts out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the banknote, a character template for character recognition, and the banknote. A storage unit that stores the priority set for each digit of the serial number according to the type, and a serial number recognition unit that refers to the character template and determines the constituent characters of each digit of the serial number based on the priority. And have.

According to this configuration, the serial number integration unit determines the constituent characters of each digit based on the priority for each digit of the serial number. As a result, in serial number recognition, it is possible to set how to determine the constituent characters constituting the serial number for each digit, and it is possible to improve the serial number detection accuracy (recognition rate). Specifically, when a plurality of serial numbers are printed on a banknote, for example, due to a background image, character spacing, or the like, the digits that are likely to be misread in the plurality of serial number areas may differ from each other. In such a case, if the recognition result of any one of the plurality of serial numbers is adopted, the recognition rate of the serial numbers may decrease. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above, since the constituent characters of each digit are determined by using the priority , the detection accuracy of the serial number can be improved.

Further, the technique disclosed here relates to a bill processing system, and the bill processing system identifies a type of bill on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed, and also serves as an identification unit for acquiring image information of the bill. , A character image cutting unit for cutting out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill based on the type of the bill identified by the identification unit, a character template for character recognition, and the above. Character information acquisition that acquires the character information of each digit of each of the plurality of serial number areas by referring to the storage unit that stores the priority set for each digit of the serial number according to the type of the bill and the character template. It is provided with a unit and a serial number integration unit that determines and integrates the constituent characters of each digit by selecting the character with the higher priority for each digit from the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit. ..

According to this configuration, since the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit is selected and integrated with the higher priority for each digit, the serial number detection accuracy can be improved.

Further, the technique disclosed here relates to a bill processing system, and the bill processing system identifies a type of bill on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed, and also serves as an identification unit for acquiring image information of the bill. , A character image cutting unit that cuts out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill based on the type of the bill identified by the identification unit, a character template for character recognition, and the above. The character information of each digit of each of the plurality of serial number areas is referred to by a storage unit that stores a character determination method indicating how to determine the character for each digit of the serial number according to the type of the bill and the character template. A character information acquisition unit for acquiring characters and a serial number integration unit for determining and integrating the constituent characters of each digit based on the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit using the character determination method. , The character determination method includes a method using an evaluation value indicating the certainty of identification and a method using a priority, and in the serial number integration unit, the evaluation value is obtained for a digit for which the priority is set. Regardless of the result of, the constituent characters of the relevant digit are determined based on the character information obtained from the serial number with high priority .

According to this configuration, the serial number integration unit uses a character determination method indicating how to determine the characters for each digit of the serial number, and the constituent characters of each digit based on the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit. And integrate. As a result, in serial number recognition, it is possible to set how to determine the constituent characters constituting the serial number for each digit, and it is possible to improve the serial number detection accuracy (recognition rate). Specifically, when a plurality of serial numbers are printed on a banknote, for example, due to a background image, character spacing, or the like, the digits that are likely to be misread in the plurality of serial number areas may differ from each other. In such a case, if the recognition result of any one of the plurality of serial numbers is adopted, the recognition rate of the serial numbers may decrease. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above, the constituent characters of each digit are determined and integrated by using the character determination method, so that the serial number detection accuracy can be improved.

In the digit that determines the constituent characters using the evaluation value , the numbering integration unit determines the evaluation value related to all of the character information acquired from the plurality of serial number areas by the character information acquisition unit. If it is less than or equal to the standard, a predetermined error character may be used as a constituent character of the digit.

According to this configuration, when the evaluation value is less than or equal to the predetermined standard, the error character is regarded as the constituent character. It is possible to avoid determining the constituent characters based on the character information that is likely to be. As a result, the accuracy (reliability) of the serial number recognition (serial number detection) of the bill processing system can be improved.

When the character information by the character information acquisition unit cannot be acquired from the serial number area set to have a high priority in the digit in which the priority is set , the serial number integration unit may obtain other serial numbers. The constituent characters may be determined based on the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit from the corresponding digits of the area.

According to this configuration, even when the character information cannot be acquired from the serial number area set to have a high priority in the digit for which the priority is set , the serial number recognition result can be complemented.

When the character information by the character information acquisition unit can be acquired from the numbering area set to have a high priority in the digit in which the priority is set , the numbering integration unit may obtain other numbering areas. It may be compared with the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit from the corresponding digit of, and if it is different, a predetermined error character may be used as a constituent character of the corresponding digit.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the constituent characters from being determined based on the character information that may be erroneously recognized. In other words, the reliability of the serial number detection of the banknote processing system can be improved.

In the storage unit, digit information to be detected for different numbers is stored according to the type of the bill.
Among the character information of each digit acquired by the character information acquisition unit, the character information related to the digit targeted for the different number detection is further collated with each other, and the different number detection unit for detecting the different number is further provided. , May be.

According to this configuration, the different number detection unit collates the character information related to the digits targeted for different number detection by the different number detection method indicating whether or not the different number is detected for each digit of the serial number. , Detect different numbers. As a result, it is possible to reduce false detection of different numbers on banknotes . Specifically, for example, in the case of a bill having a poor recognition rate in a specific digit due to the influence of a background image or the like, by excluding the digit from the target of different number detection, false detection of different number is reduced and different number detection The rate can be improved.

The different number detection unit detects the different number of the character information of each digit acquired by the character information acquisition unit, which includes character information whose evaluation value indicating the certainty of recognition is lower than a predetermined reference. It may be excluded from the target.

According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce false detection of different numbers by excluding digits whose evaluation value is lower than a predetermined standard from the target of different number detection.

The character template includes character attribute information in which the character attribute of each digit of the serial number is associated with the type of the bill , and a character list for each attribute for character recognition corresponding to the character attribute, and the character information acquisition unit. May recognize characters based on the attribute-specific character list corresponding to the character attribute information of the respective digits when acquiring the character information of each digit of the serial number area. In addition, the character attribute information may indicate whether the character of each digit of the serial number is a number, an alphabetic character, or other characters, depending on the type of the banknote. ..

According to this configuration, since the character information acquisition unit recognizes characters based on the character list for each attribute according to the character attribute information, the type of character to be recognized (for example, numbers, alphabetic characters, or other characters). Is limited, and erroneous recognition can be less likely to occur.

When the character information acquisition unit acquires character information, the storage unit stores characters that are easily misrecognized between different character attributes as related characters, and the character information acquisition unit stores the characters as related characters. When the character attribute information related to the digit to be acquired indicates a plurality of character attributes and the result of character recognition related to the digit is a related character, the recognized character is a predetermined error character. It may be replaced with.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the constituent characters from being determined based on the character information that may be erroneously recognized. In other words, the reliability of the serial number detection of the banknote processing system can be improved.

Further, the technique disclosed herein is a banknote by a banknote processing device that identifies the type of banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote, and a banknote management unit that manages the banknote processing device. In relation to the processing method, in this bill processing method, the serial number is printed on the bill management unit from the image information of the bill acquired by the bill processing device based on the type of the bill identified by the bill processing device. With reference to the character image cutting step for cutting out a plurality of serial number areas and the character template for character recognition, the serial number is set based on the priority set for each digit of the serial number according to the type of the banknote. The confirmation step of determining the constituent characters of each digit is executed.

According to this method, the constituent characters of each digit of the serial number are determined based on the priority set for each digit of the serial number. As a result, in serial number recognition, the constituent characters constituting the serial number can be determined for each digit, and the serial number detection accuracy (recognition rate) can be improved.

Further, the technique disclosed herein is a banknote by a banknote processing device that identifies the type of banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote, and a banknote management unit that manages the banknote processing device. In relation to the processing method, in this bill processing method, the serial number is printed on the bill management unit from the image information of the bill acquired by the bill processing device based on the type of the bill identified by the bill processing device. A character image cutting step for cutting out a plurality of serial number areas, a character information acquisition step for acquiring character information of each digit of the plurality of serial number areas by referring to a character template for character recognition, and the character information. By selecting the one with the higher priority set in advance for each digit from the character information acquired in the acquisition step, the constituent characters of each digit are determined, and the serial number integration step to be integrated is executed.

Further, the technique disclosed herein is a banknote by a banknote processing device that identifies the type of banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote, and a banknote management unit that manages the banknote processing device. In relation to the processing method, in this bill processing method, the serial number is printed on the bill management unit from the image information of the bill acquired by the bill processing device based on the type of the bill identified by the bill processing device. A character image cutting step for cutting out a plurality of serial number areas, a character information acquisition step for acquiring character information of each digit of the plurality of serial number areas by referring to a character template for character recognition, and a banknote Using the character determination method set for each digit of the serial number according to the type, the serial number integration step of determining and integrating the constituent characters of each digit based on the character information acquired in the character information acquisition step. The character determination method includes a method using an evaluation value indicating the certainty of identification and a method using a priority, and in the serial number integration step, the digit for which the priority is set is included. Determines the constituent characters of the digit based on the character information acquired from the serial number having the higher priority regardless of the result of the evaluation value.

According to the above-mentioned banknote processing device, in paper sheets on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed, the optimum characters are determined for each digit according to the type of paper sheets, and those characters are integrated and written. Since the number is generated, the detection accuracy of the serial number can be improved.

It is a schematic block diagram of the whole banknote management system. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the banknote management system. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the banknote. It is a figure which shows an example of the character attribute information. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the serial number recognition process. It is a figure which shows an example of a character confirmation list. It is a flow chart which shows the operation of the banknote management system. It is a flow chart which shows the operation of a serial number recognition process. It is a flow chart which shows the operation of the different number detection process. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the different number detection process.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a banknote management system. Further, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a banknote management system.

The bill management system 1 includes a bill processing device 2 and a bill management unit 3 that manages the bill processing device 2.

-Structure of banknote processing device-
The bill processing device 2 is a bill sorting machine having a function of taking in loose bills, counting the bills, classifying the bills according to the type and state of the bills, and collecting the bills.

The banknote processing device 2 is transported by a hopper 21 on which bills are placed and the bills are taken in one by one, a first transport unit 22 that conveys the bills taken in from the hopper 21, and a first transport unit 22. The identification unit 23 that identifies the banknotes to be counted, a plurality of stackers 24, 24, ... That collect the banknotes to be counted (for example, banknotes other than the reject banknotes), and the reject stacker 25 that collects the reject banknotes. It is provided with a second transport unit 26 that transports the identified banknotes to the stacker 24 or the reject stacker 25 of the classification destination. The first transport unit 22, the identification unit 23, the second transport unit 26, and the bill management unit 3 are housed in a rectangular box-shaped housing 12. On the upper surface of the housing 12, a hopper portion 21 is provided at one end on the short side, and a reject stacker 25 is provided at the end on the other short side. Further, on the lower side of the front surface of the housing 12 (the side surface on the long side in front of FIG. 1), outlets for a plurality of stackers 24, 24, ... Are provided, and outlets for the plurality of stackers 24, 24, ... On the upper side, an operation display unit 28 extending to both outer sides along the longitudinal direction of the front surface of the housing 12 is provided.

Note that FIG. 1 shows an example in which the banknote processing device 2 includes four stackers 24, 24, ... As a plurality of stackers, and in the following, it is assumed that the stackers 24, 24, ... Are four. explain. However, the number of stackers 24, 24, ... Is not limited to four, and may be more than four or less.

The four stackers 24, 24, ... Are arranged substantially horizontally side by side, and banknotes classified according to the type and state of the banknotes are conveyed and accumulated. The classification conditions can be appropriately set from the operation display unit 28. Then, the banknotes that do not meet any of the classification conditions for the four stackers 24, 24, ... Are transported to the reject stacker 25 and accumulated.

The identification unit 23 is configured to identify the denomination, authenticity, and positive / loss of each of the bills to be transported. Specifically, the identification unit 23 has a line sensor 23a and a magnetic sensor 23b, and acquires the characteristics of the banknote. The identification unit 23 determines whether the characteristics of the banknotes match the characteristics of the various stored banknotes, and identifies the currency, denomination, year of issue, old and new, authenticity, and positive / loss. The old and new are information indicating the version of the banknote. For example, if it is a 100 yuan bill, it is information that identifies whether it corresponds to the old edition (4th edition of 1980, 4th edition of 1990, revised edition) or the new edition (5th edition of 2005).

In addition, the identification unit 23 acquires image information of the banknote when identifying the banknote. The identification unit 23 acquires the entire image of the banknote as image information, cuts out a serial number area including the serial number from the entire image, creates a serial number area image, and further, based on the serial number area image. To create a binarized segment image for each character. The identification unit 23 performs OCR processing on the binarized segment image and reads the serial number. At least one of the entire image, the serial number area image, and the binarized segment image is stored in the processing side storage unit 29.

Further, the identification unit 23 and a first communication unit 23c (described as a communication unit in FIG. 2) configured to be able to communicate with the management side communication unit 33 of the banknote management unit 3 described later via a wired or wireless communication line. It has.

The banknote processing device 2 further comprises, for example, a processing side control unit 20 based on a well-known microcomputer, an operation display unit 28, a processing side storage unit 29 for storing various information, and a wired or wireless communication line. It is provided with a second communication unit 27 (described as a communication unit in FIG. 2) configured to be able to communicate with an external device (not shown) or the like via the device. In the processing side control unit 20, the above-mentioned hopper unit 21, first transport unit 22, identification unit 23, four stackers 24, 24, ..., Reject stacker 25, second transport unit 26, and operation display unit 28 are used as signals. Is connected so that it can be sent and received. Further, the processing side control unit 20 is configured to input / output various signals to and from the bill management unit 3 via the first communication unit 23c. The processing side control unit 20 acquires, for example, currency, denomination, issue year, old / new, authenticity, and positive / loss identification information from the identification unit 23, and banknote information including image information of the banknote, and the acquired banknote information. A part or all of the above is stored in the processing side storage unit 29, and is appropriately transmitted to the banknote management unit 3 via the first communication unit 23c.

The operation display unit 28 is an operation unit for inputting information to the bill processing device 2, and is a display unit for displaying information of the bill processing device 2.

-About banknotes to be processed-
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of banknotes to be processed by the banknote processing device 2. FIG. 3 is assumed to be a banknote M1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as a banknote M1) having a currency A (issued in country A) and an amount of "1000". As illustrated in FIG. 3, a multi-digit serial number is printed on the banknote M1 in order to identify the banknote M1. The serial number may have different numbers of digits and character attributes of each digit depending on the type of banknote. In addition, the position of the serial number area, which includes the printed portion of the serial number and surrounds the outer circumference of the serial number, in the banknote may also differ depending on the type of banknote.

The type of banknote can be identified by, for example, currency (country of issue) and denomination. By identifying the type of the banknote, the position of the serial number area in the banknote can be specified. In order to more accurately identify the position of the serial number area in the banknote, the type of banknote may be identified more finely using information such as the year of issue, old and new, in addition to the currency (country of issue) and denomination. .. In addition, the type of banknote may be identified by a method other than the above.

It is assumed that the banknote M1 of FIG. 3 has two serial numbers printed on one side of the banknote M1, that is, there are two serial number areas, and the serial number is 9 digits. Specifically, serial numbers are printed on the lower left side and the upper right side of the bill, respectively. Here, for convenience of explanation, in the banknote M1, the serial number area on the lower left side of the banknote is referred to as the first serial number area R1, and the serial number printed in the first serial number area R1 is referred to as the first serial number N1. Similarly, in the banknote M1, the serial number area on the upper right side of the banknote is referred to as the second serial number area R2, and the serial number printed in the second serial number area R2 is referred to as the second serial number N2. Further, the same number is printed on the first serial number N1 and the second serial number N2, and the serial numbers printed on the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 are generically referred to, and the same number as described above. In the case of describing, it may be simply referred to as a serial number NZ. The serial number NZ is the first digit, the second digit, and so on, in order from the left side.

In the following description of the present embodiment, the banknote M1 of FIG. 3 will be described as a banknote to be processed. In the banknote M1, the 8th and 9th digits of the first serial number N1 (left side) overlap the first serial number N1 and the background image, and erroneous recognition of the serial number NZ is likely to occur. And. Further, the first and second digits of the second serial number N2 (right side) have a narrower interval than the first serial number N1 (left side), and the serial number NZ is compared with the first serial number N1. Misrecognition is likely to occur. Further, it is assumed that the fifth digit (number "3") of the first serial number N1 (left side) has dirt (not shown) extending in the vertical direction of the banknote attached to the left end of the number. For convenience of explanation, various assumptions are made in this paragraph, but the present invention can be applied and the same effect can be obtained even when each of the above assumptions is not made.

-Structure of banknote management unit-
The bill management unit 3 is configured to manage the connected bill processing device 2, and includes a management side control unit 30 for performing various controls and a management side communication unit 33 for communicating with the bill processing device 2. , A management side storage unit 34 for storing various information is provided. Various information is stored in advance in the management side storage unit 34, and for example, information on banknotes acquired by the identification unit 23 or the like (described as result data 40 in FIG. 2) is registered and managed. The information stored in advance in the management side storage unit 34 includes, for example, a character template 34a, a related character list 34b, a character confirmation list 34c, a position information 34d of the serial number area, and a different number detection method 34e, which will be described later. There is.

The management side control unit 30 collates the recognition results of the first serial number N1 and the second serial number N2 with the serial number recognition unit 35 that recognizes the serial number NZ of the banknote, and detects that the recognition results are different from each other. It is provided with a different number detecting unit 36. The serial number recognition unit 35 includes a character image cutting unit 37, a character information acquisition unit 38, and a serial number integration unit 39. For convenience of explanation, the management side control unit 30 is divided into the above blocks, but since the management side control unit 30 is composed of, for example, one or a plurality of CPUs, microcomputers, and the like, the block configuration is provided. Can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the management side control unit 30, the character image cutting unit 37 and the character information acquisition unit 38 may be provided outside the serial number recognition unit 35. Further, the serial number recognition unit 35 and the different number detection unit 36 may be configured as one control block.

The character image cutting unit 37 is based on the type of banknote received from the processing side control unit 20 via the processing side and management side communication units 23c and 33, and the first and second serial number areas R1 from the image of the banknote. , R2 is cut out. Specifically, the character image cutting unit 37 receives the result of the identification unit 23 of the banknote processing device 2 identifying the banknote M1, and the banknote stored in the position information 34d of the serial number area of the management side storage unit 34. The position information and the size information of the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 related to M1 are acquired. Although not shown, the position information 34d in the serial number area includes position information on the bill in the serial number area and size information according to the type of bill. The character image cutting unit 37 cuts out the images of the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 from the image information of the bill M1 based on the position information 34d of the serial number region related to the bill M1. That is, the character image cutting unit 37 cuts out an image of the serial number area related to all the serial numbers, for example, when a plurality of serial numbers are printed on the banknote.

The character information acquisition unit 38 refers to the character template 34a to be described later stored in the management side storage unit 34, and for each of the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 cut out by the character image cutting unit 37, respectively. Get the character information of the digit. Specifically, the character information acquisition unit 38 collates the characters recognized by character recognition using OCR or the like with the characters included in the character list stored in the character template 34a. When using the character template 34a, the character list for each attribute to which the character attribute information is added may be referred to. By doing so, the types of characters to be recognized are limited as compared with the case where all the characters are to be collated, so that erroneous recognition can be less likely to occur.

Specifically, the character template 34a includes character attribute information in which the type of banknote and the character attribute of each digit of the serial number are associated with each other, and an attribute-specific character list used as a collation source of characters of each character attribute. .. The character attribute information indicates what kind of attribute the character of each digit of the serial number is. Character attributes are, for example, numbers, alphabetic characters, or other specific characters (eg, Cyrillic characters used in ruble banknotes).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of character attribute information. In the character attribute information, the type of banknote and the character attribute of each digit of the serial number are associated with each other. In the example of FIG. 4, the types of banknotes are classified by currency (country of issue) and amount, and for each banknote of each category, the character attribute of each digit of the serial number is, for example, "English character". , "Numbers" and / or "other letters". In FIG. 4, referring to the column in which the banknote M1 (“currency A” and the amount is “1000”) is described, the first and second digits of the serial number NZ are English characters, and the third to ninth digits are. You can see that it is a number. The currency D column shows an example in which the type of banknote to which old and new information is added is associated with the character attribute of each digit of the serial number.

Further, the character information acquisition unit 38 recognizes the characters of each digit in the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2, and associates the later-described "evaluation value" indicating the certainty of the recognition with each recognition result. To do.

In the above character recognition, a related character list may be used. The related character list is a list of related characters in which characters that are easily misrecognized among different character attributes are associated with each other. Specifically, related characters include those having similar shapes between different attributes, such as "I" whose attribute is "alphabet" and "1" whose attribute is "number". included.

Specifically, when the related character list is used, the character information acquisition unit 38 indicates that the character attribute information indicates a plurality of character attributes, for example, in the third and fourth digits of the currency C in FIG. And, as described above, when "I" which is an "alphabet character" or "1" which is a "number" is recognized, the recognized character is a predetermined error character (for example, "?" ”). In this way, characters that may be misrecognized by making the related characters "I (alphabet)" and "1 (number)" that may be misrecognized as error characters instead of being constituent characters. It is possible to avoid determining the constituent characters based on the information. As a result, the accuracy of the serial number recognition of the bill processing system 1 can be increased, and the reliability of the serial number detection can be enhanced.

The related characters may be registered in the processing side storage unit in advance, or may be configured to be inputtable by the user from the operation display unit 28 of the bill processing device 2.

The serial number integration unit 39 uses the character recognition results of the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2 acquired by the character information acquisition unit 38 and the character confirmation list 34c related to the banknote M1 to generate a serial number. The constituent characters of each digit to be adopted as the recognition result of NZ are determined. Here, the constituent characters refer to the characters of each digit constituting the serial number determined as the recognition result by the serial number recognition unit 35. The serial number NZ determined by the serial number integration unit 39 is added to the bill information related to the bill M1 and stored in the management side storage unit 34.

The character confirmation list 34c is a list in which the type of banknote and the character confirmation method set for each digit of the serial number NZ are associated with each other. FIG. 6 shows an example of the character confirmation list. Specifically, in FIG. 6, each type of banknote (for each currency and amount) is divided into an upper row and a lower row, a character determination method is defined in the upper row, and whether or not to perform complementary processing described later in the lower row. Is stipulated. In the character determination method in the upper row, the place described as "left priority" means that the serial number on the left side, that is, the first serial number N1 is preferentially adopted. Similarly, the place described as "right priority" means that the serial number on the right side, that is, the second serial number N2 is preferentially adopted. Then, the place described as "evaluation value" means that the serial number having the higher "evaluation value" is adopted from the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2.

The different number detection unit 36 receives the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit 38, and collates the character information related to the digits targeted for different number detection by using the different number detection method described later. Then, if the serial number of the banknote is different as a result of collation, a warning to that effect is displayed on the operation display unit 28, or the result of detecting the different number is added to the banknote information related to the banknote to be processed. It is saved in the management side storage unit 34.

-Explanation of operation of banknote management system-
Next, the operation of the banknote management system will be described in detail.

(Regarding serial number recognition processing)
Hereinafter, the serial number recognition process will be described in detail with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 7 and 8.

First, the operator places the banknotes to be processed on the hopper 21 and then operates the operation display unit 28 to start taking in the banknotes M1, M1, ... When the bill sensor (not shown) detects the placement of the bills M1, M1, ... On the hopper 21, the bill processing device 2 may automatically start taking in the bills M1, M1, ... ..

The banknotes M1, M1, ... Placed on the hopper 21 are taken into the banknote processing device 2 one by one, then transported by the first transport unit 22 and pass through the identification unit 23. The identification unit 23 acquires identification information (information necessary for identifying banknotes such as currency, denomination, year of issue, old and new, authenticity, and / or correct loss) related to the passing banknote M1. Then, the processing side control unit 20 is notified. The processing side control unit 20 determines the transport destinations corresponding to the banknotes, that is, the four stackers 24, 24, ..., Or the reject stacker 25, based on the identification information and the preset classification rule. .. Under the control of the processing side control unit 20, the second transport unit 26 transports the bills M1, M1, ... To the transport destination (S11). When the banknote M1 passes through, the identification unit 23 acquires banknote information including image information of the banknote (S12). The bill information and the identification information may be the same, or may include information different from each other. The processing side control unit 20 stores the bill information acquired by the identification unit 23 in the processing side storage unit 29, and transmits the bill information to the bill management unit 3 via the first communication unit 23c (S13).

The management side control unit 30 of the bill management unit 3 receives the bill information related to the bill M1 via the management side communication unit 33 (S21), and performs the serial number recognition process (S22).

Hereinafter, the serial number recognition process of the banknote management unit 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. It should be noted that the banknote M1 of FIG. 3 will be described as being processed as in the above description.

First, the character image cutting unit 37 is a banknote of currency A and an amount of "1000" from the management side storage unit 34 based on the currency and amount information identified by the identification unit 23 of the banknote processing device 2. The position information and size information of the serial number area, that is, the position information and size information of the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 in the banknote M1 are acquired. After that, the character image cutting unit 37 cuts out the images of the respective serial number areas R1 and R2 from the image of the banknote based on the position information of the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 (S31).

Subsequently, the character information acquisition unit 38 refers to the character template 34a stored in the management side storage unit 34, and with respect to each of the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 cut out by the character image cutting unit 37. The character information of each digit is acquired (S32).

Specifically, FIG. 5A shows the acquisition result of the character information related to the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 of the banknote M1 by the character information acquisition unit 38. In FIG. 5, the characters recognized by the character information acquisition unit 38 are described in the upper part of the columns of the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2, and the "evaluation value" related to the recognition of the characters is described in the lower part. Is described.

In FIG. 5, it is assumed that the larger the "evaluation value" is, the higher the certainty of recognition is, "1" is the maximum value, and "0" is the minimum value. Further, when the value is "0.2" or less, the certainty of recognition is insufficient, and the character information acquisition unit 38 replaces the error character indicating the recognition error with the recognized character. In FIG. 5, "?" Is used as the error character, and the same applies to other figures. However, the error character is not limited to "?", And may be another character as long as it is not confused with the characters constituting the serial number. It should be noted that, according to the "evaluation value", the character information acquisition unit 38 appropriately determines whether or not to replace the recognized character with an error character, and by what criteria the character information acquisition unit 38 replaces with an error character. It is a matter that can be done. For example, the setting may be changed for each user who uses the bill processing system 1.

In the example of FIG. 5A, an example in which the serial number NZ “FH12345467” of the banknote M1 is read is shown. Specifically, the first serial number N1 of the banknote M1 is recognized as "FH12845887", indicating that the evaluation value of the first digit "F" is "0.9". The same applies to the second and subsequent digits of the first serial number N1, and the evaluation value thereof is "0.9,0.95,0.9,0.35,0.95,0.95.0.85,0". .4, 0.5 ". Here, in the fifth digit of the first serial number N1, erroneous recognition occurs due to the influence of dirt, and the "evaluation value" is low. Further, in the 8th and 9th digits of the 1st serial number N1, the 1st serial number N1 and the background image overlap, and the 9th digit character is correctly recognized, but the 8th digit character. Is not recognized correctly. In addition, the evaluation values of the 8th and 9th digits are "0.4" and "0.5", which are lower than those of the other digits.

Similarly, the second serial number N2 is recognized as "A? 123456?", And its evaluation value is "0.5, 0.2, 0.9, 0.9, 0.8, 0.9.0". 9.9, 0.8, 0.2 ". Here, in the first and second digits of the second serial number N2, the first digit is erroneously recognized as "A" due to the narrow interval, and the second digit cannot recognize the character. , The recognized character is replaced with the error character "?" As described above. Further, the ninth digit of the second serial number N2 is also replaced with the error character "?" Because the character could not be recognized.

When the character information acquisition unit 38 acquires the character information of each digit, the serial number integration unit 39 determines the constituent characters of each digit based on the acquired character information.

Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given based on the flow of FIG. The following processing shall be performed mainly by the serial number integration unit 39, unless otherwise specified.

Specifically, in step S34, the character recognition result of the first serial number N1 and the first serial number N1 related to the mth digit of the first serial number N1 (m is less than or equal to the number of digits of the serial number and is a natural number starting from 1). 2 It is determined whether or not the character recognition result of the serial number N2 is equal. When the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2 are equal to each other (YES in S34), the equal character is confirmed as the m-th digit constituent character, and the process returns to step S34 to confirm the constituent character of the next digit. move on. In the following, after the constituent character of the m-th digit is determined, the process returns to step S34 and proceeds to the finalizing process of the constituent character of the next digit in the same manner as described above.

For example, in the example of FIG. 5A, in the first digit, "F" which is the recognition result of the first digit of the first serial number N1 and "F" which is the recognition result of the first digit of the second serial number N2 ". Since it is different from "A" (NO in S34), the flow proceeds to step S35.

In step S35, referring to the character confirmation list, either "(1) the character confirmation method is the" evaluation value "" or "(2) either the left or right is prioritized (" left). It is judged whether or not it is "priority" or "right priority").

In the case of (1) above, of the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2, the recognition result having the higher evaluation value is determined as the m-th digit constituent character (S42). On the other hand, in the case of the above (2), the flow proceeds to step S36. In the first digit of FIG. 5A, the character determination method is “left priority”, so the flow proceeds to step S36.

In step S36, in the character determination method, whether or not the character information acquisition unit 38 correctly recognizes the character in the target digit of the serial number of the one having the higher priority (hereinafter, also referred to as the priority side). Check if. Whether or not character recognition is performed correctly can be determined based on, for example, an evaluation value. Specifically, for example, when the evaluation value is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, it is determined that character recognition has not been performed correctly. In the example of FIG. 5, when the evaluation value is "0.2" or less, it is determined that the character recognition is not performed correctly.

In the first digit of FIG. 5A, the character confirmation method is "left priority" and the character recognition by the character information acquisition unit 38 is correctly performed (YES in S36), so that the priority side "F", which is the recognition result of the first digit of the first serial number N1, which is the serial number, is determined as the constituent character of the first digit. After that, the flow returns to step S34 and proceeds to the process of confirming the constituent characters of the second digit. In the second digit of FIG. 5A, the serial number integration unit 39 determines “H”, which is the recognition result of the second digit of the first serial number N1, as a constituent character in the same manner as the first digit.

Subsequently, in the 3rd to 7th digits of FIG. 5A, since the character determination method is the "evaluation value", the flow proceeds to step S42 via step S35, and the serial number integration unit 39 respectively In the digit of, the one with the higher "evaluation value" is determined as a constituent character (see the shaded area in FIG. 5B). Specifically, the serial number integration unit 39 determines "1", "2", and "4" of the first serial number N1, which have high "evaluation values", as constituent characters in the third, fourth, and sixth digits, respectively. To do. Similarly, in the 5th and 7th digits, the serial number integration unit 39 determines "3" and "5" of the second serial number N2, which have high "evaluation values", as constituent characters. In the eighth digit of FIG. 5A, the character determination method is "right priority" and the character recognition in the character information acquisition unit is correctly performed. Therefore, the serial number integration unit 39 has one digit. In the same manner as for the eyes, "6", which is the recognition result of the eighth digit of the second serial number N2 on the priority side, is determined as the constituent character of the eighth digit.

Subsequently, in the 9th digit of FIG. 5A, up to S34 and S35 are the same as the 8th digit, but the processing from step S36 is different. Specifically, although the character determination method is "right priority", the character recognition of the right serial number, that is, the second serial number N2 is not performed correctly. Therefore, in step S36, a NO determination is made, and the flow proceeds to step S37.

In step S37, the character confirmation method of the character confirmation list 34c is referred to, and it is confirmed whether or not the "complementary processing" is set, in other words, the setting of the presence or absence of the "complementary processing". If "completion processing" is not set in step S37 (indicated as "no completion" in FIG. 6), the flow proceeds to step S44, and the serial number integration unit 39 sets the error character "?" In m digits. Confirmed as a constituent character of the eye. On the other hand, if "complementary processing" is set in step S37 (described as "complementary" in FIG. 6), the flow proceeds to step S38.

In step S38, it is confirmed whether or not the character information acquisition unit 38 correctly recognizes the m-th digit character in the serial number of the one that is not considered to have high priority (hereinafter referred to as the non-priority side). .. When the serial number is printed on three or more places on the banknote, the character information acquisition unit 38 correctly recognizes the m-th digit character in at least one of the serial numbers on the non-priority side. Check if it is. In step S38, when the character of the m-th digit on the non-priority side is correctly recognized (YES in S38), the serial number integration unit 39 determines the character of the m-th digit on the non-priority side as a constituent character (YES in S38). S45). On the other hand, in step S38, if the character in the m-th digit is not correctly recognized even on the non-priority side (NO in S38), the serial number integration unit 39 configures the error character "?" In the m-th digit. Confirmed as a character (S46).

In the 9th digit of FIG. 5A, the character recognition of the second serial number on the non-priority side is correctly performed (YES in S38), so that the serial number integration unit 39 is 9 of the second serial number N2. "7", which is the recognition result of the digit, is confirmed as the constituent character of the ninth digit.

As described above, the serial number integration unit 39 determines the constituent characters of each digit as the recognition result of the serial number NZ based on the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit 38. After fixing the constituent characters of each digit, the serial number integration unit 39 adds the confirmed serial number NZ to the bill information related to the bill M1 and registers it in the management side storage unit 34 (see the result data 40 in FIG. 2). ). In the example of FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the serial number integration unit 39 is able to obtain "FH12345467" as a result of integrating the serial number NZ of the banknote M1. That is, the serial number recognition unit 35 can correctly recognize the serial number NZ of the bill M1.

Although FIG. 6 shows an example in which a plurality of lines are continuously specified with respect to the presence / absence of completion processing, the presence / absence of completion may be specified for each column. Further, as illustrated in the column of currency B in FIG. 6, the same provision may be used in a plurality of amount areas regarding the character determination method and / or the presence / absence of complement processing. By enabling such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required for input by the character determination method and the person who sets the completion process (for example, the device provider or the device administrator).

(Different number detection process)
Hereinafter, the different number detection process will be described in detail with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 8 and 9.

For example, in FIG. 8, the different number detection process may be performed after step S32, that is, after the character information acquisition unit 38 acquires the character information related to the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 of the banknote M1. it can. The place where the different number detection process is performed is not limited to after step S32 in FIG. 8, and may be performed independently of the serial number detection process. However, by performing after step S32 in FIG. 8, the same character information can be used as the acquisition result of the character information by the character information acquisition unit 38.

Hereinafter, the different number detection process of the banknote management unit 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. It is assumed that the different number detection method 34e of the bill M1 is set as shown in FIG. 10 (b).

Specifically, the different number detection method 34e is set for each digit of the serial number NZ, and the digit described as "target" in FIG. 10B is the target of different number detection. It shows that. On the other hand, in FIG. 10B, the digit described as "non-target" indicates that it is not the target of different number detection. In other words, even if the characters recognized in the digits to be processed in the first and second serial number areas R1 and R2 are different from each other, the different number is not detected or the different number is detected. It means not to (mask).

Unless otherwise specified, the following processing shall be performed mainly by the different number detection unit 36.

In step S51, the different number detection unit 36 refers to the different number detection method 34e of the management side storage unit 34, and the mth digit (m is less than or equal to the number of digits of the serial number and is a natural number starting from 1) is the different number. Determine if it is the target of detection.

As shown in FIG. 10B, since the first digit is “non-target” for detecting different numbers (NO in S51), the process proceeds to the second digit without detecting different numbers. Similarly, the second digit is also “non-target” for detecting the different number, and the process proceeds to the third digit.

In FIG. 10B, since the third digit is the “target” for detecting different numbers (YES in S51), the “evaluation value” related to the character recognition of the third digits of the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2. Is higher than the prescribed standard. Here, it is assumed that the predetermined reference value is set to "0.2". The above-mentioned predetermined reference value is not limited to "0.2" and can be set arbitrarily.

Since the evaluation value of the third digit of the first serial number N1 is "0.95" and the evaluation value of the third digit of the second serial number N2 is "0.9" (YES in S52), the third digit. The different number determination of the eyes is carried out (S53).

Since the character recognition results of the third digits of the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2 are both "1" (NO in S53), the different number detection unit 36 does not have different numbers in the third digit (FIG. 10). Then, in step S55, it is determined that "mth digit = OK"), the process returns to step S51, and the process proceeds to the fourth digit. The 4th, 6th, and 7th digits are the same as the 3rd digit, and it is determined that they are not different numbers. Further, the 8th and 9th digits are "non-targets" for different number detection, and the determination of different number detection is not performed.

As described above, if it is determined that the numbers are not different, the process proceeds to the next digit in order, and when all the digits to be judged are not different numbers, the different number detection unit 36 adds the different number information relating to the fact that the different number detection result is "no different number" to the bill information of the bill M1 and registers it in the management side storage unit 34.

On the other hand, if a different number is detected in even one of the m digits to be determined, the flow proceeds to step S54 via step S53, and the different number detection unit 36 is different in the different number detection process. The operation display unit 28 displays that the number has been detected. Further, the different number detection unit 36 adds the different number information relating to the different number detection result of "there is a different number" to the bill information of the bill M1 and registers it in the management side storage unit 34. As a specific example, processing of different numbers in the fifth digit of the banknote M1 will be described.

In the processing of the fifth digit, steps S51 and S52 are the same as the description of the third digit. On the other hand, in step S53, the character recognition result of the fifth digit of the first serial number N1 is "8", whereas the character recognition result of the fifth digit of the second serial number N2 is "3". (YES in S53), the flow proceeds to step S54. Then, in step S54, as described above, the different number detection unit 36 causes the operation display unit 28 to display that the different number has been detected in the fifth digit of the bill M1, and the number detection result is “there is a different number”. The different number information related to the above is added to the bill information of the bill M1 and registered in the management side storage unit 34 to end the different number detection process.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed, the character determination method is set for each digit, so that the serial number detection accuracy (note) is compared with the conventional technique. Number recognition rate) can be improved. Specifically, in the prior art, each of the plurality of serial numbers is considered as one, one of them is selected, or the plurality of read serial numbers are combined to obtain the serial number recognition result. However, in the method of selecting either one, even in the case where a character recognition error is likely to occur in different digits in the first and second serial numbers N1 and N2 as in the banknote M1 of FIG. Only one of 1 and 2 serial numbers N1 and N2 can be selected, and there is room for improvement in terms of detection accuracy. Further, even when the synthesis technique as shown in Patent Document 1 is used, it is not possible to prevent erroneous recognition due to overlapping of background images. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the combination of digits adopted as the constituent characters can be set for each digit so that the recognition accuracy is high according to the type of banknote. As a result, it becomes possible to determine the constituent characters in consideration of the background image, the character spacing, and the like, and the detection accuracy can be improved as compared with the conventional case.

In addition, for banknotes on which multiple serial numbers are printed, the target / non-target setting for different number detection is set for each digit, so that erroneous recognition occurs in character recognition by the character information acquisition unit. Easy digits (for example, digits in which the background image overlaps the serial number) can be excluded from the target of different number detection. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the different number determination is "there is a different number" for a normal bill. That is, the accuracy of determining different numbers can be improved.

In the above embodiment, as an example of the character confirmation method, a confirmation method based on "priority", a confirmation method based on "evaluation value", a combination thereof, and the presence or absence of "complementary processing" have been described. In this way, by setting the character confirmation method for each digit for each type of paper leaf, it is possible to set the optimum character confirmation method according to the type of paper leaf, and for the type of paper leaf. Regardless, it becomes possible to improve the detection accuracy of the paper leaf serial number. The character determination method is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, all digits of the serial number NZ may be determined based on the "evaluation value", or a standard other than "priority", "evaluation value", and "complementary processing" is set, and the standard is set as a character. It may be applied to the confirmation method.

Further, in step S36 of FIG. 8, when the character recognition on the priority side is correctly performed (YES in S36), the serial number on the priority side is determined as the m-th digit constituent character in step S43. , Not limited to this. For example, in step S43, the character recognition result on the priority side and the character recognition result in the serial number area on the non-priority side are compared, and when the character recognition results are different from each other, a predetermined error character (for example, "?" ”) May be the constituent character of the m-th digit. As a result, the accuracy of the serial number recognition of the bill processing system 1 can be increased, and the reliability of the serial number detection can be enhanced.

Further, in the above embodiment, a banknote management system for managing banknotes has been described as an example of paper leaves, but the management target is not limited to banknotes. For example, it may be other paper sheets on which the serial number is printed, such as securities, checks, bills, gift certificates, and the like. Specifically, when a plurality of serial numbers are described on the paper sheets, the technique of the above embodiment can be applied and the same effect can be obtained.

1 Banknote processing system (paper leaf processing system)
23 Identification unit 34 Management side storage unit (storage unit)
36 Different number detection unit 37 Character image cutout unit 38 Character information acquisition unit 39 Serial number integration unit

Claims (14)

An identification unit that identifies the type of banknote on which multiple serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote.
A character image cutting unit that cuts out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill based on the type of the bill identified by the identification unit.
A character template for character recognition, a storage unit for storing priorities set for each digit of the serial number according to the type of banknote, and a storage unit.
A banknote processing system comprising a serial number recognition unit that refers to the character template and determines the constituent characters of each digit of the serial number based on the priority . An identification unit that identifies the type of banknote on which multiple serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote.
A character image cutting unit that cuts out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill based on the type of the bill identified by the identification unit.
A character template for character recognition, a storage unit for storing priorities set for each digit of the serial number according to the type of banknote, and a storage unit.
A character information acquisition unit that refers to the character template and acquires character information of each digit of each of the plurality of serial number areas.
It is provided with a serial number integration unit that determines and integrates the constituent characters of each digit by selecting the one with the higher priority for each digit from the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit. A featured banknote processing system. An identification unit that identifies the type of banknote on which multiple serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote.
A character image cutting unit that cuts out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill based on the type of the bill identified by the identification unit.
A character template for character recognition, a storage unit that stores a character determination method indicating how to determine characters for each digit of the serial number according to the type of banknote, and a storage unit.
A character information acquisition unit that refers to the character template and acquires character information of each digit of each of the plurality of serial number areas.
It is provided with a serial number integration unit that determines and integrates the constituent characters of each digit based on the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit using the character determination method.
The character determination method includes a method using an evaluation value indicating the certainty of identification and a method using a priority .
For the digit for which the priority is set, the serial number integration unit determines the constituent characters of the digit based on the character information acquired from the serial number having the higher priority regardless of the result of the evaluation value. A banknote processing system characterized by this. In the digit for which the constituent characters are determined by using the evaluation value, the numbering integration unit has a predetermined evaluation value relating to all of the character information acquired from the plurality of serial number areas by the character information acquisition unit. The banknote processing system according to claim 3, wherein when the value is less than or equal to the standard, a predetermined error character is used as a constituent character of the digit. When the character information by the character information acquisition unit cannot be acquired from the serial number area set to have a high priority in the digit in which the priority is set , the serial number integration unit may obtain other serial numbers. The bill processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the constituent characters are determined based on the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit from the corresponding digits of the area. .. When the character information by the character information acquisition unit can be acquired from the numbering area set to have a high priority in the digit in which the priority is set , the numbering integration unit may obtain other character information from the other numbering area. Claims 2 to 5 are characterized in that, when compared with the character information acquired by the character information acquisition unit from the corresponding digit of the above, and if they are different, a predetermined error character is used as a constituent character of the corresponding digit. The bill processing system according to any one of the above. In the storage unit, digit information to be detected for different numbers is stored according to the type of the bill.
Among the character information of each digit acquired by the character information acquisition unit, the character information related to the digit targeted for the different number detection is further collated with each other, and the different number detection unit for detecting the different number is further provided. The banknote processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that. The different number detection unit detects the different number of the character information of each digit acquired by the character information acquisition unit, which includes character information whose evaluation value indicating the certainty of recognition is lower than a predetermined reference. The bill processing system according to claim 7, wherein the bill processing system is excluded from the target. The character template includes character attribute information in which the character attribute of each digit of the serial number is associated with the type of banknote, and an attribute-specific character list for character recognition corresponding to the character attribute.
The character information acquisition unit is characterized in that when acquiring the character information of each digit of the serial number area, the character is recognized based on the character list for each attribute according to the character attribute information of each digit. The bill processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 8. The character attribute information is characterized in that, depending on the type of the banknote, the character of each digit of the serial number indicates whether the character is a number, an alphabetic character, or another character. The bill processing system according to claim 9. When the character information acquisition unit acquires character information, the storage unit stores characters that are easily misrecognized between different character attributes as related characters.
When the character attribute information related to the digit to be acquired for acquiring the character information indicates a plurality of character attributes and the result of character recognition related to the digit is a related character, the character information acquisition unit The bill processing system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the recognized characters are replaced with predetermined error characters. A method of processing banknotes by a banknote processing device that identifies the type of banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote, and a banknote management unit that manages the banknote processing device.
In the banknote management unit
A character image cutting step of cutting out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill acquired by the bill processing device based on the type of bill identified by the bill processing device.
Referencing the character template for character recognition, and executing the confirmation step of determining the constituent characters of each digit of the serial number based on the priority set for each digit of the serial number according to the type of the banknote. A banknote processing method characterized by. A method of processing banknotes by a banknote processing device that identifies the type of banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote, and a banknote management unit that manages the banknote processing device.
In the banknote management unit
A character image cutting step of cutting out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill acquired by the bill processing device based on the type of bill identified by the bill processing device.
A character information acquisition step for acquiring character information of each digit of the plurality of serial number areas by referring to a character template for character recognition, and
By selecting the character information acquired in the character information acquisition step with the higher priority set in advance for each digit, the constituent characters of each digit are determined, and the serial number integration step of integrating is executed. A banknote processing method characterized by the fact that. A method of processing banknotes by a banknote processing device that identifies the type of banknote on which a plurality of serial numbers are printed and acquires image information of the banknote, and a banknote management unit that manages the banknote processing device.
In the banknote management unit
A character image cutting step of cutting out a plurality of serial number areas on which the serial number is printed from the image information of the bill acquired by the bill processing device based on the type of bill identified by the bill processing device.
A character information acquisition step for acquiring character information of each digit of the plurality of serial number areas by referring to a character template for character recognition, and
Using the character determination method set for each digit of the serial number according to the type of banknote, the constituent characters of each digit are determined and integrated based on the character information acquired in the character information acquisition step. To execute the number integration step,
The character determination method includes a method using an evaluation value indicating the certainty of identification and a method using a priority .
In the serial number integration step, for the digit for which the priority is set, the constituent characters of the digit are determined based on the character information acquired from the serial number having the higher priority regardless of the result of the evaluation value. A banknote processing method characterized by the fact that

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