JPH02300985A - Optical reading device for printing medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the tip end of a bankbook by an optical reading part by providing a focus position compensating member on which a mark is provided and a detection circuit to investigate the presence of output from the optical reading part corresponding to the mark. CONSTITUTION:Before a medium (a) reaches the focus position compensating member 2 of the focusing mechanism F of the optical reading part OSU, the surface of the compensating member 2 is scanned, and the output corresponding to the mark (m) is obtained. On the contrary to this, after the medium (a) reaches the optical reading part, since the output corresponding to the mark (m) disappears as the medium (a) being conveyed covers the compensating member 2 of the focusing mechanism F of the optical reading part, the detection circuit 8 of a medium arrival detecting means can detect the tip end of the medium (a). Thus, since the tip end of the medium (a) being conveyed can be detected without increasing the number of sensors and in addition, within reduced size at present and without executing operation to convey the medium reversely, medium processing time can be shortened.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is directed to a device that is printed at a predetermined position on a conveyed print medium, such as an optical reader of a passbook processing machine used in a financial institution. The present invention relates to a device for optically reading marks such as barcodes.

(Prior Art) Generally, in a passbook processing machine, the page mark (
Barcode or tag code, hereinafter referred to as tag code,
) to read 11 Passbook Processing II (hereinafter referred to as main body).
) Optical reading unit (optical sensor unit).

(hereinafter referred to as O8U) is used.

As shown in Figure 4, the passbook tag code is printed on either the top edge (barcode in this figure) or the bottom edge (tag code in this figure) on the left side of the double-page passbook, but the printing position is Conventionally, the timing for reading the tag code is determined by the financial institution immediately after a predetermined distance Md11 or d1□ from the tip of the passbook in the transportation direction (arrow direction). I calculated the position of the code (dll or dll) and started reading O8U.

To explain in detail based on FIG. 5, in the same figure, Sl and 82
is a sensor consisting of a photocoupler, rl and r2 are conveyance rollers for conveying the passbook, and are composed of a feed roller and a pressure roller arranged opposite each other. The passbook is configured to be transported back and forth to a printing section (not shown) by forward or reverse rotation of a drive means (not shown). O3U is provided between the sensor S2 and the conveyance roller r2, and based on the sensor S2 detecting the tip of the passbook that is inserted through the insertion slot SL of the main body A and conveyed inward by the conveyance roller r1, the tag is detected. A control unit (not shown) calculates the time required for the code to reach the reading position of the O3U, and when the time elapses, the O8U starts reading the tag code of the passbook.

Note that O3U is the sensor S2 between the transport rollers rl and rz.
The focus position compensating member R is installed closer to the transport roller 2 than the O8U, and the focal position compensating member R is installed on the opposite side of the O8U at that position. The control unit C0NT comprehensively controls the main body A and also controls data communication between the main body and a host computer (not shown).

(Section Hiroshi that the invention seeks to solve) However, before starting the reading operation by O8U, as a passbook processing procedure of the main body, the length of the passbook is determined as shown in Fig. 4 j! o)
The magnetic stripe attached to the cover of the passbook can be read by the magnetic read/write section (hereinafter referred to as
(MS).

Therefore, the sensor S2 takes in the passbook inserted into the insertion slot SL of the main body and performs the passbook length measurement operation and MS reading operation.
For the O3U reading operation, the passbook that has been transported inward beyond the
It is transported closer to the front, transported inward again, and begins the O3U reading operation.

Transporting the passbook in the opposite direction in this manner has the problem of delaying the passbook processing time and even leading to a decline in customer service.

It is also possible to memorize the passbook transport stop position and start transporting it in the forward direction from that position, but if the passbook transport stops and starts in between, variations in transport accuracy will occur.
Such an operation is prohibited because the timing of reading the tag code by O3U is shifted, resulting in a reading error.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to enable accurate reading of O8U without carrying the passbook back. In other words, by detecting the tip of the passbook with O8U, it is possible to measure the length of the passbook and to transport the passbook inward from the same position after the MS reading operation, improving passbook processing speed and reliability. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical reading device for a print medium according to the present invention.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, a reading device according to the present invention includes: (a) an optical reading section, a focusing mechanism for the optical reading section, and a medium arrival detection means; (b) The optical reading section irradiates light onto a predetermined area of the medium conveyance path and scans by receiving the reflected light; (c) The focusing mechanism of the optical reading section is configured to focus on the medium being conveyed 2) The medium arrival detection means includes a focus position compensating member that constantly biases the medium toward the optical reading section to bring the upper surface of the medium into the focus of the optical reading section; a control circuit that starts scanning from the front; a reflective surface having a light reflectance substantially the same as the background surface of the medium on a surface receiving the emitted light from the optical reading section; and a reflecting surface having substantially the same light reflectance as the tag code of the bankbook, etc. It is characterized by comprising: the focal position compensating member provided with a reflectance mark; and a verification circuit that checks whether or not there is an output corresponding to the mark from the optical reading section.

(Operation) In the above configuration, before the medium arrives on the focal position compensation member (hereinafter simply referred to as compensation member) of the focusing mechanism of the optical reading section, the surface of the compensation member is scanned. Therefore, since a predetermined mark is provided on the surface of the compensating member, an output corresponding to the mark can be obtained in the scan data.

On the other hand, after the medium reaches the optical reading section, the amount of light reflected from the background surface of the medium is read by O8U. O8U is caused by the conveyed medium covering the compensation member of the focusing mechanism of the optical reading section, i.e. by the arrival of the medium.
Since there is no output corresponding to the mark in the scan data, the verification circuit of the medium arrival detection means can detect the leading edge of the medium.

(Embodiment) FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic configuration diagrams of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, and correspond to O8U in FIG. 5 and the focusing member R provided opposite thereto. Only the structures of the focusing lens and medium arrival detection means are extracted and shown.

An O3U is installed above the conveyance path of the medium VAa, and a focusing R-lateral F is provided for this O8U. This focusing mechanism includes a guide 1, a tension roller 2 as a compensating member, and a biasing member 3.

The guide 1 is supported in a fixed position by a shaft 4, and is curved in an arc shape to facilitate entry of the bankbook. The tension roller 2 includes a bracket 6 that is swingably supported on the main body by a shaft 5.
The bracket 6 is rotatably supported at one end, and a spring 3 is provided at the other end of the bracket 6 to bias the tension roller 2 so as to always contact the guide 1.
When the O3U comes into contact with the guide 1, the focus of the O3U is on the top surface of the tension roller, and when a double-page passbook enters between the guide 1 and the tension roller 2, the O3U is focused on the surface of the passbook. Compensated.

The tension roller 2 has a reflective surface on its circumferential surface that has a light reflectance almost equal to the background surface of a double-page passbook, and has one or more strip-shaped marks (one in the illustrated example) in the center of the tension roller. m is drawn. This mark m is drawn on the compensation member 2 so as to be in the center of the O8U reading range, as shown in the upper left of FIG.

Now, when the bankbook IIa is inserted through the insertion slot SL of the main body A, the insertion is detected by the sensor S1, and the driving means rotates the transport rollers r1+r2 to transport the bankbook. Since the distance between the sensors 31 and 82 is predetermined, it is possible to detect that the leading edge of the bankbook has passed the sensor S2, and also to detect that the trailing edge of the bankbook has passed the sensor S1 as the bankbook has been transported. Measure the length of the passbook by 10, and
The passbook is transported to a position where the MS can read/write the magnetic stripe attached to the passbook, and the transport is stopped (at this time, the tip of the passbook has not reached O3U).
Read/write the magnetic stripe on your passbook.

After reading/writing on the MS is completed, the next step is to read the tag code of the passbook on the O3U, so transport roller r1
rotates and transports the passbook.

Simultaneously with the start of transport or based on the end of read/write in the MS, the control circuit 7 causes the O8U to start scanning.

FIG. 3 explains the detection of the leading edge of a passbook and page mark detection by O3U, in which (a) shows the state of the light irradiated surface, (
b) indicates the output voltage of the reading section.

When the bankbook a is conveyed by the conveyance means, it is held between a guide 1 and a tension roller 2, and this roller 2 is rotated as the bankbook is conveyed.

When the tip of the passbook does not reach O8U, the focal point of O8U is on the surface of the compensation member 2 (tension roller), and the surface is scanned 4. For example, if you draw a strip mark on this member. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the output corresponding to mark m in FIG. 1 appears in the O8U scan data.

When the bankbook a that is further conveyed reaches the O8U position, the bankbook pushes down the tension roller 2, the facing side of the bankbook becomes the focus position, and O8U scans the background side of the bankbook.
The scan data has a mark m as shown in Figure 3(b).
The output corresponding to will no longer appear.

Therefore, by checking the presence or absence of the output corresponding to the mark by the verification circuit 8, it is possible to detect that the leading end of the passbook has arrived at the O3U reading position when the output corresponding to the mark disappears.

In this way, by detecting the tip of the passbook, it is possible to determine the timing of scanning the passbook's tag code, etc., and to print at a predetermined position on the passbook.

In addition, the O3U scan data of the passbook tag code is the third
The result will be as shown in figure (c).

The guide constituting the focusing mechanism may be a rotatable roller that comes into contact with the top surface of the tension roller 2, instead of the fixed member shown in FIG. 1, in order to reduce wear on the passbook. When using a roller-shaped guide, the compensating member may be a guide 2E whose front and rear ends are curved or bent downward, as shown in FIG. 6, instead of the tension roller. It can also be formed integrally with the bracket 6. In the same figure, m is a mark,
IE is a guide roller, and 4E is a support shaft fixed to the main body.

As described above, in this embodiment, the surface of the compensating member 2 is a reflective surface having almost the same light reflectance as the background surface of the passbook, and a mark m having a light reflectance almost equal to the page mark C of the passbook is attached to this surface. By drawing, it is possible to detect the tip of the bankbook being conveyed using O3U itself.

In this embodiment, the mark of the compensation member is band-shaped, but
The shape and pattern of the pond can also be considered.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to process print media without increasing the number of sensors, and in addition, within the current reduced size, without performing an operation to reversely convey the media.
Furthermore, since the leading edge of the medium being conveyed can be detected using O3U, the medium processing time can be shortened, the deterioration of customer service can be prevented, and reliability can be improved by reducing the number of operations.

In addition, in order to stop the reverse transport of the medium, it is possible to lengthen the transport path and increase the number of sensors, but this would increase the price and require a larger main body. According to the present invention, there is an effect that can be achieved without the above modification.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the output waveform of O3U scan data; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the tag code of the passbook, the mark on the focus position compensating member, and the scan position; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of reading the passbook and O3U in the passbook processing machine, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the focusing mechanism. a...Medium passbook) C...Page mark, F...Focusing mechanism, 1...Guide, 2...Compensation member, m...Mark, O8U...Optical reading unit, 7...Control circuit, 8...Verification circuit. 0SU reading range

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An optical reading device that optically reads a barcode or the like printed on a printed medium being conveyed, comprising: (a) an optical reading section, a focusing mechanism of the optical reading section, and a medium arrival detection means; (b) The optical reading section irradiates light onto a predetermined area of the medium transport path and scans by receiving the reflected light; (c) The focusing mechanism of the optical reading section includes: , a focus position compensating member that always urges the medium to be conveyed toward the optical reading unit to bring the top surface of the medium into focus of the optical reading unit, (d) the medium arrival detection means is configured to a control circuit that causes a reading unit to start scanning before the medium arrives; a reflective surface having a light reflectance substantially the same as the background surface of the medium on a surface that receives irradiated light from the optical reading unit; and the barcode of the passbook, etc. , the focal position compensating member provided with a mark having substantially the same light reflectance as , and a verification circuit for checking whether or not there is an output corresponding to the mark from the optical reading section. reader.