JPH02114385A - Character collating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove the generation of miscollation by calculating a number part in the data of a character group to be collated with data in a 2nd copy or after and rewriting the contents of a storage means to change the contents to corresponding data. CONSTITUTION:The data of the contents of a read character group are compared with the data of a character group to be collated which are previously inputted from an allocation table 42 through an input device 38 and stored in a storage means 36 by a comparing/deciding means 28 and their identity is decided. In the 2nd copy or after, the number parts of the data of the contents of the character group read out of the copy and the data of the character group to be collated are calculated by a number calculating means in stead of inputting these data from the allocation table 42 through the input device 38 and the contents of the storage means 36 are rewritten to change the contents by the data corresponding to the 2nd copy. Thus, miscollation can be removed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to character matching for comparing a lottery number allocation table with a printed lottery number in the printing process of lottery numbers, for example. Regarding equipment.

[Prior Art] When printing securities consisting of multiple sheets, such as lottery tickets,
A predetermined number of lottery tickets are printed on a sheet of paper and later cut into each lottery ticket. In the step of printing the lottery number part, which needs to be different for each lottery, consecutive numbers are printed, with 10,000 tickets being 10, for example. In other words, as shown in Figure 3, for example, in the first printing on which the lottery numbers are printed, the group numbers and numbers of 5 or more digits are different for each room lottery, but the last 4 digits of the lottery numbers are different. The number is the same as "0000°. This consecutive number increases each time a page is printed.
In the second printing, the last four digits of each lottery ticket are "0001", and in the 10,000th printing, they are "9999". The lottery number portion is printed based on the lottery number allocation table in which the lottery numbers corresponding to each room lottery are written on the printed book. Lottery numbers printed according to the allocation table in this manner are strictly checked because, due to the nature of lottery tickets, printing errors such as wrong numbers cannot be tolerated. in general,
During the printing process, workers carry out sampling inspections of printed books according to predetermined inspection standards, and similar sampling inspections are also carried out during the lottery number printing process, but this part in particular is not sampled due to its importance. Both the number of samples and the locations checked are large, and double and triple checks are performed by multiple people. The printing of lottery numbers is checked by comparing the position of each lottery ticket on the printed book and its corresponding lottery number with the allocation table.

In addition to checking the lottery numbers, workers in the printing process usually have to check many other things, such as the density of the print, water level, and amount of ink.
When checking the lottery numbers by an operator, there is a risk of making a mistake in comparing the numbers with the number allocation table.

[Problem 8 to be Solved by the Invention] Due to the above-mentioned circumstances, there has been a demand for increasing the reliability of printing lottery numbers, especially by automating the checking of lottery numbers. On the other hand, in current image information processing technology, it is well known that printed numbers can be read by optical methods, but the currently commonly used optical character reading devices are capable of reading characters, symbols, The structure is such that it scans the entire paper surface on which characters such as numbers are printed and reads them. If this device were used as is to check the lottery numbers mentioned above, it would take too much time to read, and the device would The whole thing ends up being expensive. In addition, in order to mechanically check lottery numbers using such an optical reading device, it is necessary to input the lottery numbers written on the allocation table as data to be checked. It is not easy to enter all the lottery numbers for the room lottery.

This invention was made based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is a character matching device that reads a group of characters such as a lottery number at a predetermined position on a printed matter and compares it with a layout table as a printed manuscript. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is relatively inexpensive, has a short operating time, and allows input of a group of characters to be collated from a layout table into an apparatus easily.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned problems, a character matching device according to the present invention includes a stand equipped with an inspection stand capable of placing a printed matter in a fixed position, and a character group such as a lottery number on the printed matter. an optical reader that optically reads and converts it into an electrical signal;
A transport device that is supported by a pedestal and can hold an optical reading device and move it to a predetermined position on the inspection table, and data about a group of characters such as lottery numbers, etc., including consecutive numbers from an allocation table of lottery numbers, etc. an input device capable of inputting a character group, such as a lottery number to be matched, a storage means capable of storing information about the content and position in the printed matter, and data about the position of the character group to be matched in the printed matter from the storage means; a control means for instructing the conveying device to read the optical reading device and move the optical reading device to a predetermined position; data of a group of characters on the printed matter read through the optical reading device at the predetermined position;
a comparison/judgment means for comparing data regarding the content of the character group to be verified stored in the storage means to determine the identity; Calculating the difference between the serial number and data about the serial number stored in the storage means,
A control device including a number calculation means for rewriting data about the content of the character to be verified stored in the storage means in accordance with this difference, and an output device for outputting the verification result determined by the comparison determination means. It is characterized by being prepared.

[Operation] In the character verification device according to the present invention configured as described above, the first copy of printed matter is placed at a fixed position on the inspection table, and is stored in the storage means according to instructions from the control device. The optical reading device is moved to a predetermined position on the inspection table, that is, to a predetermined position on the print book, via a transport device according to the data about the position of the characters to be verified on the print book, and the optical reading device is moved to a predetermined position on the inspection table, that is, on the print book, The characters of the printed book are read. The data regarding the content of the read character group is compared with the data of the character group to be collated, which was previously inputted from the allocation table via the input device and stored in the storage means, in the comparison determination means, and the identity is determined. be judged. This verification result is output via an output device. The second and subsequent printings are checked in the same way, but in the second and subsequent printings, the data of the character group that is compared with the data about the content of the character group read from the printing is Instead of being input from the allocation table via the device, the number part is calculated by the number calculation means,
By rewriting the contents of the storage means, the data is changed to correspond to the second print.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of a character matching device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment relates to a device for printing a group of characters consisting of letters, numbers, etc., especially lottery numbers for lottery tickets, etc., which allocates lottery numbers by comparing the table with the printed copy.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the entire character matching device according to the present invention. In the figure, a pedestal 10 has an inspection table 12 on its inclined upper surface, and a printed book 14 is placed on the inspection table 12. The inspection table 12 is a table that attracts, positions, and holds the print book 14 so that the print book 14 is always fixed in a fixed position, and is also equipped with a lighting device to illuminate the print book 14. . The pedestal 10 is provided with a transport device 16 in the X-Y direction above the inspection table 12.

The transport device 16 includes a pair of rails 18 that extend along both side edges of the inspection table 12 in the Y direction.

A pair of carriers 20 that engage with each rail 18 and move on the rails 18 are incorporated in the pair of rails 18, and these carriers 20 are moved by a drive mechanism disposed within the pedestal 10. They are driven at the same position on the inspection table 12 in the Y direction. The transport device 16 further includes two rails 22 extending in the X direction and extending between a pair of carriers 20. A carrier 24 is engaged with the rail 22, and the carrier 24 is movable on the rail 22. An optical reading device 26 is attached to the carrier 24 so as to be able to read a group of characters such as letters, symbols, numbers, etc., in this case a lottery number, on the printed book 14 on the inspection table 12. As a result, the optical reading device 26 uses the X-Y direction conveying device 16 in accordance with a command from the control device described later.
It is movable to a predetermined position on the examination table 12. The optical reading device 26 has a light source consisting of a red light emitting diode and a 2048-bit image sensor arranged in a row, and when the image sensor scans a plane, it reads the plane, that is, the print. It reads the lottery numbers above and converts them into electrical signals. Optical reading device 2 that recognizes characters using electrical signals from an image sensor
A control unit 6 is provided on the side of the transport device 16.

The character matching device according to the present invention incorporates a general microcomputer, and the entire device constitutes a microcomputer system. As shown in FIG. 1, this system includes the optical reading device 26 and the transport device 1 described above.
6, a microcomputer body 30, a keyboard 32, and a CRT, which together with the control unit of the optical reading device 26 constitute the control device 28.
Display 34, disk drive device 36, OCR
It is equipped with a hand reader 38 and a printer 40, which is not shown in this figure. The layout table 42 in which the lottery numbers and their positions on the printed book are written has an OCR number attached to the upper right part thereof. The above-mentioned data regarding the lottery numbers and their printing positions written in the layout table 42 are stored in a floppy disk of the floppy disk device 36, which is an external storage device, in correspondence with the OCR numbers. Therefore, by simply reading the OCR number of the allocation table 42 using the OCR number reader 38, data regarding the lottery numbers listed in the allocation table 42 can be read from the floppy disk. The data regarding the lottery numbers written in the allocation table is input for the first copy of every 10 tickets.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic connection relationship between the microcomputer main body 30 and other devices in this system. The microcomputer main body 30 includes a keyboard 32 and an O
A CR hand reader 38 is connected. The OCR hand reader 38 can optically read the allocation table 42, especially the OCR number, and input it to the microcomputer main body 30, which is the control device 28. A floppy disk device 36 is connected to the microcomputer 30 as an external storage medium that forms part of a storage circuit that is a storage means, and stores various data such as the contents of character groups, that is, lottery numbers, and their positions on the printed book. can be exchanged. The microcomputer 30 serving as the control device 28 is further connected to the transport device 16 in the X-Y direction to which the optical reading device 26 is attached, and the control circuit in the control device 28 serving as the control means is as follows.
The transport device 16 is controlled according to data regarding the position of the lottery number on the printed book.

The microcomputer main body 30 as the control device 28 includes a control circuit, a memory circuit that stores data about a group of characters to be compared, and a memory circuit that stores data about a group of characters to be compared, and compares this data with data about a group of characters read through an optical reading device. It is equipped with a comparison judgment circuit as a comparison judgment means for judging the identity based on the above information, and is further provided with a number calculation circuit as a number calculation means. This number calculation circuit is O from the allocation table.
This is a circuit for calculating lottery number data for the second and subsequent printings based on the lottery number data for the first printing that is read through the CR hand reader. As shown in Figure 3, a lottery number consists of a series number consisting of letters and numbers, and a consecutive number.For example, if 10,000 tickets are printed as 10 tickets, the consecutive numbers for each lottery are consecutive. Since the numbers increase by 1, the lottery number data for the second and subsequent printings is as follows.
It can be calculated based on the data of the lottery number for the first print that is input from the layout table to the storage circuit via the input device. For the second and subsequent printings, the number calculation circuit calculates the difference between the data read through the optical reader and the data stored in the storage circuit, and uses this difference to determine the lottery number to be matched. Create data and rewrite the contents of the data stored in the storage circuit.

The operation of the character matching device according to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration will be explained using an example in which it is used for inspecting lottery numbers. A lottery number is printed based on the layout table 42, and a first printed copy is obtained. 1st printing 1
4 is placed at a predetermined position on the examination table 12 as shown in FIG. 1 in order to compare it with the layout table, and is fixed by suction to the table of the examination table. Regarding the layout table 42 corresponding to the first printed book 14, the OCR number is detected by the OCR hand reader 38 and sent to the microcomputer main body 30 as the control device 28.
The lottery number to be checked according to the OCR number and data regarding the position where the lottery number should be printed are sequentially read from the floppy disk device 36. A certain lottery ticket on the printing book 14, for example, a lottery ticket in the first column on the leftmost side and the first row on the topmost side (hereinafter, (1,
1) Lottery numbers to be verified,
When the data indicating the position where the lottery number is to be printed is read out, the XY force direction conveying device 1 is first controlled from the control circuit of the control device 28 in accordance with the data indicating this position.
6, and in accordance with this signal, the transport device 16 moves the optical reader 26 to a predetermined position on the table. Since the printed book 14 is fixed at a fixed position on the table as described above, the optical reading device 26 is moved to the position of the lottery number to be verified. The optical reading device 26 is scanned at this position by a distance necessary to read the lottery numbers, reads a specific group of characters on the printed book 14, that is, the (1, 1) lottery lottery numbers, and identifies the characters to be matched. It is sent to the control device 28 as group data. The sent data is sent to the control device 28
A comparison/judgment circuit in the memory compares the data with the data to be verified that has already been read out, and determines whether the data is identical. The determination results of these data in the comparison and determination circuit, that is, the collation results of the lottery numbers, are outputted to the CRT display 34 and printer 40, which are output devices, via an output circuit within the control device 28. This matching operation is performed in order for the lottery ticket (1.2) in the second row of the first column, and the lottery ticket (1.3) in the third row of the first column. This is done for all the lots printed in the book.

When comparing the second and subsequent prints, the operation of the character matching device is almost the same as the operation for the first print, but in this case, the lottery number of each room and the number on the print are It is not necessary to enter the position of the controller into the control device based on a separate allocation table. Data regarding the lottery number to be checked and its printing position for the second print are based on data corresponding to the first print that is read into the memory circuit of the control device 28. , is created by changing only the data regarding the consecutive numbers by the number calculation circuit. In the number calculation circuit, the number (
1. Layout table 4 corresponding to the first printing in which the data regarding the lottery numbers in 1) is stored in the memory circuit.
It is compared with the data to be verified in No. 2, and the difference is calculated. This difference is the same for both lottery numbers on the second printing, and the lottery numbers are printed in the same position on both the first and second printings. There is. From this, the data to be compared for the second and subsequent printings is calculated by the number calculation circuit based on the data of the lottery number to be matched for the first printing stored in the memory circuit. It is obtained by changing the consecutive numbers by the difference. In the second and subsequent printings, the lottery number read by the optical reading device 26 is compared in the comparison judgment circuit of the control device 28 with the data of the lottery number to be verified that has been rewritten by the number calculation circuit. The identity is determined, and the result of matching the lottery numbers is displayed on the CRT display 3.
4 and the printer 40.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the character matching device according to the present invention is configured as described above, the operating time is short and the device is relatively inexpensive. By using this device to check the printed lottery numbers as described above, it becomes possible to mechanically check the lottery numbers between the printed book and the layout table, which was previously done visually by an operator. This completely prevents verification errors and also makes it possible to save labor in this process. Since the character matching device according to the present invention further includes a number calculation circuit in the control device,
When collating the second and subsequent printings, there is no need to input the data of the layout table corresponding to the second and subsequent printings into the control device, which reduces the time required for this input and also reduces the input time. Mistakes are eliminated, and there is no need to confirm input data.

It should be noted that the character matching device according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is clear that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. In the embodiment, a case is described in which the character matching device according to the present invention matches lottery numbers, but it can also be used to match numbers of traveler's checks, securities, etc. in addition to lottery tickets. Further, the consecutive number part of the lottery number to be verified does not need to be a consecutive number as long as it is a character that changes based on a certain rule. Furthermore, in this example, 10,000 sheets are printed as 10 pieces, but
As long as there is a fixed relationship between the lottery numbers on a single sheet of paper (that is, the differences are the same), they do not all need to be the same.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the entire character matching device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the connection relationship between the microcomputer built into the character matching device and other external devices in the character matching device according to the present invention. 3 and 3 are diagrams for explaining the procedure for printing lottery numbers in a lottery. 14... Printed matter, 16... Conveying device, 26... Optical reading device, 28... Control device, 30... Microcomputer body, 38... OCR hand reader 42...
Allocation table. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue 2nd

Claims (1)

[Claims] Character verification for inspecting printed matter in which a group of characters including numbers that change regularly, such as serial numbers, are printed at predetermined positions by comparing the contents of the group of printed characters with a printed manuscript. An apparatus comprising: a pedestal comprising an inspection stand on which the printed matter can be placed in a fixed position; an optical reader that optically reads a group of characters on the printed matter and converts it into an electrical signal; , a transport device supported by the pedestal and capable of holding the optical reading device and moving it to a predetermined position on the inspection table; and an input device capable of inputting data about the character group from the printed manuscript. and a storage means capable of storing data regarding the content and position on the printed matter of the character group to be verified; reading data regarding the position of the character group to be verified on the printed matter from the storage means; a control means for instructing the conveyance device to move the reading device to the predetermined position; data of a group of characters on the printed matter read through the optical reading device at the predetermined position; a comparison/determination means for comparing the stored data regarding the content of the character group to be verified and determining the identity; Calculating the difference between the data regarding the number and the data regarding the number stored in the storage means, and writing the data regarding the number of the character group to be verified stored in the storage means in accordance with this difference. 1. A character matching device comprising: a control device including a number calculating means for changing; and an output device outputting a matching result determined by the comparing and determining means.