JPH02233189A - Mail treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten a treatment time by judging the top and bottom as well as inside and outside of mail at a stroke by scanning the fed mail by an optical scanning means and performing the detection of the presence, shape and position of a seal and the judgement of the directionality thereof from the obtained image data. CONSTITUTION:Flap detection parts 14, 15 detecting the flap (seal, overlap width) of mail P by an optical scanning means are arranged so as to be connected to a feed means consisting of the taking-out device 12 of the mail P and the feed path 13 thereof. A seal detection means detecting the presence, shape and position of the seal from the image data obtained from the above mentioned scanning means and a judge means 30 judging the directionality of the fed mail such as the top and bottom as well as inside and outside thereof corresponding to the detection result are connected to said detection parts. At this time, the judge signal of the top and bottom as well as inside and outside of the mail is outputted to a control part 31 and a gate driving part 33 is driven to perform the change-over of each gate.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention is directed to a mail processing device such as a mail sorting and stamping machine, in which the directionality of the transported mail, such as front and back, top and bottom, etc. The present invention relates to a mail processing device that determines a mail processing device.

(Prior Art) In recent years, mail items have been automatically processed by mail processing devices. This system selects only standard-size mail items from mail items collected from various locations, detects stamps and postage stamps, arranges postmarks and directions, and then reads postal codes and sorts them by destination. .

However, with the above-mentioned devices, the direction of the mail is determined by detecting stamps, etc., and it is not possible to determine the top and bottom, front and back sides of the mail at once, and the drawback is that the efficiency of arranging the mail is poor. there were.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, conventional mail processing devices have the disadvantage that they are unable to determine the top and bottom, front and back sides of mail items all at once, resulting in poor sorting efficiency. .

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a mail processing device that can determine the top and bottom, front and back sides of mail items at once, and improve the efficiency of sorting. It's about doing.

[Configuration of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems)] The mail processing device of the present invention includes a conveying means for conveying mail, a scanning means for optically scanning the mail conveyed by the conveying means, and a scanning means for optically scanning the mail conveyed by the conveying means. Seal detection means for detecting the presence, shape, and position of a seal from the image information obtained by the scanning means, and a determination for determining the direction of the mail to be conveyed by the conveyance means according to the detection result of the seal detection means. It consists of means.

(Function) This invention optically scans the mail to be transported, detects the presence, shape, and position of the envelope from the image information obtained by this scanning, and detects the presence or absence, shape, and position of the envelope in accordance with the detection results. It is designed to determine the orientation of objects.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a mail sorting, sorting, stamping machine according to the present invention.

That is, first, a large number of mail items P such as sealed letters are sent to the supply section 11.
is set to

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the above-mentioned postal item P usually has a stamp, a postmark mark, and address information on the front side, and a seal (flap, adhesive margin) 1 on the back side. Only.

By starting to take out the mail from the supply section 11, the suction chamber type take-out device 12 picks up one piece of mail P.
The sheets are taken out one by one and conveyed on the conveyance path 13. The flap (sealing, pasting margin) 1 of the transported mail P is detected by flap detection sections 14 and 15 that are arranged opposite to each other with a transport path 13 interposed therebetween.

Subsequently, a receipt stamp is stamped on the back side of the mail P by a stamp section 16 or 17 disposed opposite to each other on the transport path 13 to confirm receipt.

Then, the mail P that has passed through the stamp section 16 or 17
If the direction determination result is obtained by the gate 18 provided at the end of the conveyance path 13, the route is transferred to the divided conveyance path 19;
If the direction determination result is not obtained, the reversal conveyance path 20
It is designed to lead you to each.

After the mail P guided to the reversing conveyance path 20 is reversed, it joins the conveyance path 13 before the flap detection sections 14 and 15 at its terminal end.

Further, the mail P guided to one sorting conveyance path 19 is sorted and accumulated in each stacking section 22a1, . . . by sorting gates 21a, . There is.

The sorting gates 21a, . . . are controlled to be sorted according to the judgment results of a front/back and upper/lower judging section, which will be described later. For example, in the stacking section 22a1..., mail P is sorted and stacked with the front side facing up, the front side facing down, the back side facing up, and the back side facing down.

Further, mail P that is not sorted by the sorting gates 21a, . . . is stacked in a reject stacking section 23.

The flap detection section 14 (15) is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
As shown in the figure, a light source 41 that irradiates light onto one surface of the mail P being transported from a direction (above) substantially horizontal to the mail P, and an imaging lens 4 that guides the reflected light from the mail P
2. A line sensor 43 that forms an image of the light guided by the imaging lens 42; a light source 51 that irradiates light onto one side of the transported mail P from a direction (downward) substantially horizontal to the mail P; Imaging lens 5 that guides the reflected light from the mail P
2, and a line sensor 53 that forms an image of the light guided by the imaging lens 52. As a result, the line sensor 43 outputs a detection signal for shadows against light from above, and the line sensor 43 outputs a detection signal for shadows against light from above.
3 outputs a detection signal for shadows against light from below.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the electric circuit. That is,
The front/back/up/down determining section 30 is the flap detecting section 14, 15.
The front and back sides and top and bottom of the mail P are determined based on flap detection signals from the mailpiece P. The front/back/top/bottom determination unit 30 performs line segment equalization processing and connection processing based on the detection signals from the flap detection unit 14 or each line sensor 43, 53 of 15, and uses the pattern obtained by this connection processing to Detect three points: midpoint (lowest point or highest point) A1 starting point B1 terminal point C of the line segment, determine whether it is a U-shape, an inverted U-shape, or a straight-shape from the coordinates of these three detected points,
Depending on the result of this determination, flap determination signals for front side upward, front side downward, back side upward, and back side downward are output.

For example, when an image signal as shown in FIG. 7 is supplied from the line sensor 43 of the flap detection section 14 or 15, the front/back/top/bottom determination section 30 performs line segment equalization processing and connection processing to produce the image signal shown in FIG. The pattern shown is obtained,
From this pattern, the midpoint (lowest point) of the line segment A1 Starting point B
, the end point C, the U-shape is determined from the coordinates of the detected three points, and a back side upward signal or front side upward signal is output depending on the result of this determination.

Further, when an image signal as shown in FIG. 9 is supplied from the line sensor 53 of the flap detection section 14 or 15, the front/back/top/bottom determination section 30 performs line segment equalization processing and connection processing to produce the image signal shown in FIG. 10. A pattern as shown is obtained, and from this pattern, the midpoint (highest point) A of the line segment, and the starting point B1
Three terminal points C are detected, an inverted U-shape is determined from the coordinates of the detected three points, and a back downward signal or front downward signal is output in accordance with the determination result.

The flap determination signal from the front/back/up/down determination section 30 is supplied to the control section 31. The control unit 31 drives the gate drive unit 33 in accordance with flap determination signals from the front/back and up/down determination units 30 and detection signals from conveyance detectors 32 provided on each conveyance path. Accordingly, the gates 18, 21a1, . . . are switched. Further, the control unit 31 controls the stamping unit 16,
17, a receipt stamp is stamped on the back side of the mail P.

Next, the operation in such a configuration will be explained.

For example, now, the take-out device 12 is started to operate, and the respective conveyance paths 13, 19, and 20 are driven. Then, the mail P from the supply section 11 is taken out one by one by the take-out device 12,
It is transported on a transport path 13.

A flap detection signal corresponding to the flap 1 is obtained from the flap detection sections 14 and 15 for the transported mail P, and is supplied to the front/back/top/bottom determination section 30.

Thereby, the front/back/top/bottom determining unit 30 determines whether the mail P is front/back/top/bottom according to the flap detection signals from the flap detection units 14, 15, and outputs the determination results to the control unit 31. That is, when an image signal as shown in FIG. 7 is supplied from the line sensor 43 of the flap detection section 14, the front/back/top/bottom determination section 30 performs line segment equalization processing and connection processing to produce an image signal as shown in FIG. A pattern is obtained, and from this pattern, the midpoint (lowest point) of the line segment A1 the starting point B1
The three terminal points C are detected, the U-shape is determined from the coordinates of the detected three points, and a back surface upward signal is output in accordance with the determination result.

Further, when an image signal as shown in FIG. 7 is supplied from the line sensor 43 of the flap detection section 15,
The upper and lower determining unit 30 performs line segment equalization processing. A pattern as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained by the , J process, and from this pattern, the midpoint (lowest point) of the line segment A1 starting point B, terminal point C
The U-shape is determined from the coordinates of the detected three points, and a surface upward signal is output in accordance with the determination result.

Further, when an image signal as shown in FIG. 9 is supplied from the line sensor 53 of the flap detection section 14, the front/back/top/bottom determination section 30 performs line segment equalization processing and connection processing as shown in FIG. 10. A pattern is obtained, and from this pattern, the middle point (highest point) of the line segment A1 starting point B1 terminal point C 3
A point is detected, an inverted U-shape is determined from the coordinates of the detected three points, and a backside downward signal is output in accordance with this determination result.

Further, when an image signal as shown in FIG. 9 is supplied from the line sensor 53 of the flap detection section 15, the front/back/top/bottom determination section 30 performs line segment equalization processing and connection processing as shown in FIG. 10. A pattern is obtained, and from this pattern, the middle point (highest point) A, the starting point B, and the terminal point C are
Points are detected, an inverted U-shape is determined from the coordinates of the detected three points, and a surface downward signal is output in accordance with this determination result.

Therefore, when the control unit 31 is supplied with a determination signal indicating that the front side is upward from the front/back side and up/down determining unit 30, the gate driving unit 3
3 to switch each gate.

As a result, the corresponding mail P is stamped with a receipt stamp in the stamping section 17 and then stacked in the stacking section 22a.

Further, when the control section 31 receives a judgment signal indicating that the surface is facing downward from the front/back/top/bottom judgment section 30, the control section 31 drives the gate driving section 33 to switch each gate. As a result, the corresponding mail P is stamped with a receipt stamp in the stamping section 17 and then stacked in the stacking section 22b.

Further, when the control section 31 receives a judgment signal indicating that the back surface is upward from the front/back/top/bottom judgment section 30, it drives the gate driving section 33 to switch each gate. As a result, the corresponding mail P is stamped with a receipt stamp in the seal section 17 and then stacked in the stacking section 22c.

Further, when the control section 31 receives a judgment signal indicating that the back side is facing downward from the front/back/top/bottom judgment section 30, the control section 31 drives the gate driving section 33 to switch each gate. As a result, the corresponding postal items P are stamped with a receipt stamp in the stamp section 17 and then collected in the stacking section 22d.

Note that if the direction is not determined by the above determination process, the control unit 31 switches the gate 18 to supply the corresponding mail P to the conveyance path 13 again via the reversing conveyance path 20, and causes the determination process to be performed again. .

The mail P whose direction has not been determined even in this second determination process is sorted and conveyed to the reject stacking section 23 and stacked.

As mentioned above, the transported mail is optically scanned,
The detection signal obtained by this scanning determines the presence, shape, and presence of the seal.
The position is detected, and the directionality of the transported mail is determined based on the detection result, such as the top and bottom, front and back of the mail, so it is possible to determine the top, bottom, front and back of the mail at once, and it is possible to quickly check the assortment. Efficiency can be improved and processing time can also be shortened.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the mail to be transported is a sealed letter, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other mail such as postcards may be mixed and transported. In this case, a stamp detector, a fare meter mark detector, an information amount detector, etc. are provided to determine whether the front or back side of a postcard or the like is up or down.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, the top and bottom of the mail,
It is possible to provide a mail processing device that can determine front and back sides at once and improve the efficiency of sorting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mail sorting, sorting, and stamping machine, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the configuration of the flap detection section. FIGS. 7 and 9 are diagrams showing image signals obtained by the flap detection section. This figure and FIG. 10 are diagrams showing patterns obtained by performing uniformization processing and binarization processing on image signals. P... Mail, 1... Flap, 13... Conveyance path, 14, 15... Flap detection section, 30... Front and back sides,
Up/down determination section, 31...control section, 43, 53...line sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A conveying means for conveying mail; a scanning means for optically scanning the mail conveyed by the conveying means;
A mail item comprising: seal detection means for detecting the shape and position; and determination means for determining the directionality of the mail item conveyed by the conveyance means according to the detection result of the seal detection means. Processing equipment.