JPH01255960A - Betting ticket refunding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a ticket surface data from being read in an unjustly sent condition by printing random data on a betting ticket when the betting ticket is automatically read, thereafter, detecting the reading error of the random data, and judging normality and abnormality. CONSTITUTION:When a betting ticket 10 is conveyed to a prescribed position, ticket surface information and the random data on the ticket surface are read as light and shade 20. After the reading and binarizing 21, they are stored into an image data storing means 22. Next, image data are read by the storing means 22, whether or not the random data (mainly the list of figures) are read as a reference data string is decided 25, and at the time of the abnormality, the ticket surface information is controlled so as not to be displayed on a display means 24.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] This invention relates to a voting ticket refund device that utilizes pattern recognition processing technology used in horse racing, bicycle racing, etc.

The purpose is to minimize the display of numerical character information on voting tickets based on incorrect identification results.

The brightness information of the numbers and letters printed on the surface of the voting ticket that is transported for ticket reading.

Image data is generated by optically reading and binarizing it, and also using pattern recognition techniques.

In a voting ticket refunding device that identifies and displays numerical and character information printed from this image data, positions such as those located at paired positions of random data printed in paired rows on the ticket surface are used. It is configured to detect whether or not there is an abnormality in random data information, and when the random data abnormality detecting means detects that there is an abnormality, processing is performed so as not to display the identified numerical character information on the face of the ticket.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a voting ticket refund device using pattern recognition processing technology used in horse racing and the like.

In order to improve the efficiency of voting ticket refund processing, the voting ticket refund device can automatically identify numerical and character information such as group number information and voting amount information printed on the surface of the voting ticket for which a refund is requested. At the same time, this identification result is displayed to avoid trouble with the refund requester.

From now on, in order to increase the credibility of voting ticket refund processing, it is necessary to increase the reliability of the identification results of the printed information on the ticket face.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 6 shows an example of numerical and character information printed on the surface of a voting ticket. As shown in this figure, on the face of the voting ticket 10, group number information 11 representing the group number of the race, and voting amount information I1 representing the amount of voting for that group number! 12
are printed in association with each other. Further, random data 14 required by the voting ticket refund device is also printed on both ends of the ticket surface in order to realize communication with the center system.

The voting ticket refund device reads the brightness information of the numerical and character information on the ticket surface printed in this way, and generates image data by converting it into a binary value. FIG. 7 shows the configuration of an apparatus for reading brightness information. As shown in this figure, the voting ticket 10 is fed by the feed roller 5, and the line image sensor 1 is irradiated with light from the lamp 3 via the light guide 4.

It detects the brightness information on the face of the ticket that is sent to it. Once the image data is obtained in this manner, the voting ticket refund device uses a pattern matching method to identify the numerical and character information on the ticket surface from the generated image data. Specifically, this pattern matching process is performed on each of the predetermined processing areas, as delimited by the broken lines in Figure 6 (the broken lines are not printed on the actual ticket). This will continue to be the case. and.

The voting ticket refund device processes the identification results to display them to the refund requester.

However, since it may happen that the feeding roller 5 cannot smoothly feed the voting ticket 10, an error may occur in the result of identifying the numerical and character information on the ticket surface. Conventionally, due to such erroneous identification.

If the displayed numerical character information differs from the actual information on the ticket, for example, an operator working on a refund can use the keyboard to correct the numerical character information and correct the refund process. It was configured so that it could continue.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, the incorrect display of numerical character information on voting tickets is
In addition to giving a window of distrust to the refund requester, if the number of times this message is displayed increases, the operator will also feel uneasy about the system. In particular, incorrect display of the 1st group number information 11 and the voting amount information 1112 is extremely inconvenient because it is directly related to the refund amount.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a voting ticket refund device that minimizes the display of numerical and character information on voting tickets based on erroneous identification results. This is intended to increase the reliability of refund processing.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic structure of the present invention.

In the figure, 10 is the voting ticket, 13 is the voting content information printed on the surface of the voting ticket 1o, including 2 group number information and voting amount information, and 14 is the voting information printed on the surface of the voting ticket 10. random data that is necessary for the voting ticket refund device to communicate with the center system; 20 is a light/dark information detection means that contains voting content information 13 and random data 14; 21 is a binarization means for optically detecting the brightness information of the
22 is an image data storage means that binarizes the light and dark information detected by the light and dark information detection means 20, and identifies the presence of image data by the turn recognition method through the binarization processing of the binarization means 21. Intended for displaying numerical character information.

25 is a random data anomaly detection means, and voting ticket 1
This is to detect whether or not there is an abnormality in the random data information located at the position of the pair of random data 14 printed in the form of a pair of columns on the face of the 0 card, or at a position in the vicinity thereof. be.

[Effect]

When the random data abnormality detection means 25 detects an abnormality, it means that the random data information is not properly located within the image data processing area where it should be located. Therefore, 5 identified voting content information 1
There is a high possibility that the identification result in step 3 is incorrect.

From now on, in the present invention, the random data abnormality detection means 25
detects that there is an abnormality.

The identified numerical and character information on the face of the ticket is invalidated and processed so as not to be displayed on the display means 24. This process makes it possible to drastically reduce the display of numerical and character information on voting tickets based on erroneous identification results.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail according to examples.

FIG. 2 shows a system configuration diagram for realizing the voting ticket refund device of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 30 is an operation console that includes an optical system, a ticket transport section, and a display section; 31 is a console that reads brightness information on the face of a voting ticket 10 (not shown) inserted into the operation console 30;
32 is a reading data area for storing image data;

A memory section includes a work area for pattern matching processing and random data anomaly detection processing, and a data storage section for storing data necessary for executing the processing; 33 is a pattern matching processing means and random data; A recognition control unit 34 is a main control unit that communicates with the center system.

Before entering into the explanation of the processing contents of the present invention, we will specifically explain what happens when there is an abnormality in feeding the voting ticket 10.

As explained in FIG. 7, the voting ticket 10 is
transported by. Therefore, a slip phenomenon inevitably occurs, and the image data that will be read from the voting ticket 10 will be artificially stretched in the conveying direction. That is, the voting ticket 10 of FIG. 6 is partially stretched as shown in FIG. 3, and therefore the data of L& cannot be sampled as image data. Of course, on the contrary, the image data read from the voting ticket 10 may be artificially shrunk in the transport direction. In any case, 9 If something like this happens, 2Mi number information 11, voting amount information 12
And each number, etc. of the random data 14 must exist in a processing area (an area set near the number, etc.) that is uniquely determined from the reading start position of the image data. However, it would end up entering a processing area at a different location. Therefore, erroneous identification will occur.

Therefore, the present invention uses random data 14 printed in paired rows at both ends of the voting ticket 10 as shown in FIG. When it is detected, the system will not display it even if an identification result is obtained. In this way, the reason why the random data 14 is used to detect transport abnormalities is that the size of the numbers of the random data 14 is smaller than the size of the numbers of the 9 group number information 11 and the voting amount information 12. Therefore, even a relatively small expansion/contraction causes deviation from the normal processing area, and thus conveyance abnormalities can be detected with high accuracy.

Next, the content of specific processing of the present invention will be explained.

When sensor means (not shown) detects that the voting ticket 10 has been conveyed to a predetermined position, the line image sensor of the optical system of the console 30, which has a scanning direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, periodically The reading section 31 starts reading the brightness information, and as a result, the reading section 31 reads the 1st group number information 11. Generate image data of voting amount information 12 and random data 14.

The data is stored in the read data area of the memory section 32. By executing this process, image data of the area of the voting ticket 10 shown in FIG. 6 is stored.

Subsequently, this stored image data is divided into predetermined processing areas. Since the printing contents of the voting ticket 10 are determined, the size and position of this processing area are uniquely determined in advance on the image data.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the size of the processing area for each number of the random data 14 is the smallest rectangle divided by broken lines.

Next, in each of the five divided processing areas, a cutting process is performed to extract the number (character) position. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, this processing is achieved by projecting the image data within the processing area in the transport direction and scanning direction, and setting even one black pixel to "11". .

By executing this process, a cutout area can be set in the vicinity of the numbers (letters). After this, mask matching processing is performed on this cutout area.

By calculating which of the pre-registered numbers (letters) it is most similar to, the number (letter) information of the image data in the cutout area is identified.

In the present invention, in the process of extracting each number from the random data 14, for example, if there is no number at all, the position of the number crosses the boundary of the processing area, or there are two or more numbers, etc. When a similar abnormality is detected, a process is executed to check whether a similar abnormality exists in the processing area located at the same position of another random data 14 or at a position adjacent to the WI. If an abnormality is detected by executing this process, it is determined that the voting ticket 10 was not conveyed smoothly, and the operation console 3 displays the identification result.
Perform processing to stop displaying 0. To explain using the example shown in FIG. 5, random data 14 located in the bottom row
When performing identification processing, if it is detected that the 7th row cannot be cut out, it is checked whether the 7th row of the random data 14 located at the bottom row cannot be cut out, and the cutout is performed in the same way. If it is not possible, the display on the console 30 is stopped. At this time, if the judgment of this conveyance abnormality is displayed by lighting an LED, it will be helpful for the operator.
It becomes convenient.

In this manner, the present invention is configured to constantly detect conveyance abnormalities, which are the most frequent cause of misidentification of printed information on voting tickets, from the image data itself.

When it is determined that there is an abnormality, the identification result is not displayed.

Although the illustrated embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the display of numerical and character information on voting tickets based on erroneous identification results, thereby increasing the reliability of voting ticket refund processing. Become.

Furthermore, since conveyance abnormalities can be detected, failures in the G yarn feeding mechanism can also be detected.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle configuration of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining conveyance abnormality. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the extraction process. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating random data abnormality detection processing. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the printing contents of the voting ticket. FIG. 7 is a block diagram for detecting brightness information on the face of a ticket. In the figure, 10 is a voting ticket, 11 is program number information, 12 is voting amount information, 14 is random data, 20 is brightness information detection means, and 22 is image data storage means. 23 is a pattern matching execution means, 24 is a display means,
25 is a random data anomaly detection means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Image data is generated by optically reading and binarizing the brightness information of numerical and character information printed on the surface of the voting ticket (10) being conveyed, and pattern recognition is also performed. In a voting ticket refund device that uses a method to identify and display numerical and character information printed on the ticket surface from the image data of the ticket surface, a pair of column formats are formed on the ticket surface of the voting ticket (10). Random data anomaly detection means (25) for detecting whether or not there is an anomaly in the random data information located at a position that is a pair of the random data (14) printed in or at a position in the vicinity thereof. ), and when the random data anomaly detection means (25) detects that there is an anomaly, processing is performed so that the identified numerical character information on the face of the ticket is invalidated and not displayed Refund device.