JPH0797097A - Recording medium processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To omit human-initiated work and improve the operation rate of a device itself by setting the light receiving detection level of an optical sensor to the higher value than that at the normal time, and cleaning the sensor in the case of the light receiving voltage value not reaching the set value. CONSTITUTION:In the case of no dark detection being generated for the specified time or more to each sensor disposed on a carrier path from an input port to an takeout port after a passenger ticket is taken out of the takeout port, a CPU 42 stops a carrier motor 55 to place it in a stand-by state. During this stand-by state, the CPU 42 instructs a passenger ticket detecting circuit 54 to set the threshold voltage of each sensor 6 to the higher value than normal. In this state, the CPU 42 reconfirms the dark detection of each sensor 6. In the case of recognizing the dark detection of even one sensor 6, the CPU 42 judges it as detection abnormality and instructs a cleaning mechanism driving circuit 63 to clean this sensor 6, and the light emitting part of the sensor 6 is cleaned. This results in omitting human-initiated work regarding the confirmation and cleaning of the optical sensor 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording medium processing device such as an automatic ticket inspection device for performing ticket collection or ticket collection on a recording medium such as a ticket.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, for example, in relation to railways, it is provided at the entrance or exit of facilities such as railways for the purpose of labor saving at ticket gates, and when users who use the facility enter or leave the facility, When changing facilities,
An automatic ticket gate system has been introduced that takes in a ticket carried by a user, inspects it, permits the passage of the user if the ticket is appropriate, and blocks the passage of the user if the ticket is inappropriate.

This automatic ticket gate apparatus reads magnetic information (for example, an entrance station and a valid fare) magnetically recorded on a ticket inserted by a user at the time of entrance, exit or transfer. It decides whether to allow or block the passage of the user based on the information.

In the above automatic ticket gate, a plurality of sensors for detecting the passage of the ticket are arranged on the transportation route for conveying the ticket.

In the automatic ticket gate, these sensors detect the passage of the ticket to control the smooth transportation of the tickets continuously inserted from the ticket slot. Usually, an optical sensor including a light emitter and a light receiver is used for this sensor. This optical sensor has a light-emitting device under a transportation route for transporting a ticket, and a light-receiving device disposed on the transportation route so as to face the light-emitting device, and emits light when a ticket passes between them. The light emitted from the passenger compartment is blocked, and at this time, the light receiver detects darkness to detect passage of the ticket.

[0006] By the way, such an optical sensor is easily provided with dust and debris of a ticket because it is provided in a transportation path along which a ticket is transported. Contamination of the optical sensor causes malfunction of the automatic ticket gate itself, and the dirt must be checked and cleaned by a staff member or maintenance staff at predetermined time intervals or according to the ticket gate amount. is there.

However, the operation rate of the apparatus is lowered because it is necessary to stop the automatic ticket gate while the clerk or maintenance person confirms the optical sensor and performs cleaning.

The automatic ticket gate is provided at an entrance or exit of a station or the like for the purpose of speeding up the ticket gate and unmanning the ticket gate. If the so-called manpower is required to check and clean the dirt condition of the optical sensor, the meaning is lost.

[0009]

As described above, in the above-described conventional automatic ticket gate apparatus, a plurality of optical sensors are provided on the transportation route for controlling the transportation of the ticket. However, there is a problem in that each optical sensor is likely to be contaminated with dirt, and the operating efficiency is lowered and labor is required to check and clean the dirt condition.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. By automatically confirming and cleaning the dirt of a sensor for detecting passage of a recording medium, manual work can be omitted and the apparatus itself can be operated. An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium processing device such as an automatic ticket gate device capable of improving the rate.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the recording medium processing apparatus of the present invention obtains the passage of the recording medium at each position on the transport path from the light emitted on the transport path. In a recording medium processing apparatus having an optical sensor for detecting the received light receiving voltage value, a processing state detecting means for detecting the processing state of the recording medium at each position on the transport path by the optical sensor, and the processing state detecting means. When it is detected that the recording medium is not processed by, the light reception detection level adjusting means for setting the light reception detection level of the optical sensor to a value higher than that during normal processing,
A means for determining whether or not the received light voltage value obtained from the photosensor has reached the high received light detection level set by the received light detection level adjusting means, and the result of this determination is that the received light detection level has not been reached. Cleaning means for cleaning the optical sensor.

Further, in this recording medium processing apparatus, the photosensor is provided with a light emitter disposed below the surface of the recording medium on the transport path, and the transport path is disposed so as to face the light emitter. And a light receiver arranged above the surface of the recording medium, and the light emitter is cleaned by the cleaning means.

[0013]

In the recording medium processing apparatus of the present invention, when it is detected that the recording medium is not processed, the light receiving detection level adjusting means sets the light receiving detection level of the optical sensor to a value higher than that in the normal state. Then, when the light receiving voltage value obtained by the light sensor at this time does not reach the set value of the light receiving detection level adjusting means (when dark detection is performed), the cleaning means cleans the light sensor.

That is, since the dirt on the sensor for detecting the passage of the recording medium is automatically checked and cleaned, it is possible to omit manual work and improve the operating rate of the apparatus itself.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of an automatic ticket gate apparatus of an embodiment according to the recording medium processing apparatus of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a ticket as a card-shaped recording medium having a magnetic recording unit on a predetermined surface (rear surface) for storing information by a magnetic recording system or the like at one end of the automatic ticket gate apparatus main body 1. A loading slot 3 for receiving 2 and a loading slot 4 for discharging the boarding ticket 2 loaded from the loading slot 3 are provided at the other end. As this ticket 2, for example, a fare prepaid method having a monetary value (normal ticket, commuter ticket, coupon ticket, etc.) or a method of reducing the fare in advance every time it is used (stored fair method) Such,
Tickets 2 having different thicknesses and widths are used. For example, an ordinary ticket is a paper ticket, the width of which is a small so-called ticket size, and a commuter ticket and a coupon ticket are plastic cards, and the width thereof is a so-called commuter ticket size. Note that the coupon ticket is a commuter ticket size ticket in which punch holes are punched at predetermined positions on the ticket surface for each boarding.

A transport path 5 for transporting the ticket 2 inserted by the slot 3 to the slot 4 is formed between the slot 3 and the slot 4. On this transport path 5,
A plurality of detectors (sensors) 6 are provided to detect passage of the ticket 2 transported on the transport path 5. Each sensor 6
Is an optical sensor in which a light emitting device and a light receiving device are arranged to face each other so as to sandwich the surface of the ticket 2 transported on the transportation path 5.

In addition, on the transport path 5, magnetic information reading sections (reading heads) 10, 11 for reading the magnetic information recorded on the ticket 2 are provided between the loading slot 3 and the loading slot 4.
Magnetic information recording units (writing heads) 12 and 13 for recording magnetic information on the ticket 2 and magnetic information reading units (reading heads) 14 and 15 for reading the recorded magnetic information are provided. Each of the read / write heads 10 to 15 has a transport path 5
As a support member (rotating roller) 16 to 21 so that a predetermined interval is maintained and each interval is maintained.
Is provided. Each read / write head 10-15
Is attached to one side of the automatic ticket gate main body 1 together with the rotating rollers 16 to 21. It should be noted that each of the read / write magnetic heads 10 to 15 has a pair of magnetic heads on the upper and lower sides of the transport path 5 so that the magnetic information on the rear surface can be read and written when the ticket 2 is inserted in either state. They are provided one by one. In addition, distribution units 22 and 23 for distributing the tickets 2 are provided on the transport path 5. Since the distribution unit 22 has different post-processing for ordinary tickets and those other than the ordinary tickets, the SF processing unit 24 for the stored fair type card (hereinafter referred to as SF card) or the like is used depending on the width of the ticket 2. On the other hand, the ordinary tickets are assigned to the thermal printer 25 and the scissors punch 26 side, respectively. The sorting unit 23 takes the ticket 2 in the direction of the exit 4 when the ticket 2 that has been inserted is to be discharged, and when the ticket 2 that has been inserted is to be collected. The ticket 2 is distributed to the bill collecting section 40. Further, the automatic ticket gate apparatus main body 1 is provided with a door portion 41 which is closed to prevent passage of a user.

Next, the structure of the control system of the automatic ticket gate will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure,
The automatic ticket gate control system includes a central processing unit 42 (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that controls the entire automatic ticket gate, and a read-only memory 44 (hereinafter referred to as RO) that stores a control program for the CPU 42.
R), a random access memory 46 (hereinafter referred to as RAM) for storing information read from the ticket 2 and a buffer of a control program, an entrance station where the use of the ticket 2 is started (or A fare memory 48 storing fare information corresponding to an entrance station code corresponding to an entrance station, a reading circuit 50 for controlling the reading heads 10, 11, 14, 15 and a recording circuit for controlling the writing heads 12, 13. 52, a ticket detection circuit 54 that detects the transportation state of the ticket 2 based on the output of the sensor 6, a transportation control circuit 56 that controls a transportation motor 55 that transports the ticket 2 along the transportation path 5, and a door portion 41. Door opening / closing mechanism 5 for driving
8, a door control circuit 60 for controlling 8, a transmission control circuit 62 for transmitting information to and from a control panel (not shown) or a host computer for controlling the automatic ticket gate body 1, a cleaning mechanism 63 for cleaning each sensor 6, The cleaning mechanism drive circuit 64 is configured to drive the cleaning mechanism 63.

The cleaning mechanism 63 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the figure, 70
Is a base provided in the automatic ticket gate apparatus main body 1. A bracket 71 is provided on the base 70 so as to cover the transportation path 5 on which the ticket 2 is transported in a U-shape. A light receiver 72 of the sensor 6 is provided on a U-shaped upper surface portion 71 a of the bracket 71. The light receiver 72 is provided with a light receiving portion 73 so as to project from the surface thereof. A light emitting device 74 is provided facing the light receiving device 72 on the U-shaped lower surface portion 71b of the bracket 71,
A light emitting portion 75 is provided so as to project from the upper surface of the light emitting device 74 in correspondence with the light receiving portion 73 of the light receiving device 72.

A holder 77 for supporting a solenoid coil 76, which is a component of the cleaning mechanism 63, is provided on the U-shaped lower surface 71b of the bracket 71. On the central axis around which the solenoid coil 76 supported by the holder 77 is wound, the metal shaft 7
8 is urged in one direction (direction of arrow A) by a spring 79, and its shaft 78 moves in the direction of arrow B against the urging of the spring 79 only when a current is applied to the solenoid coil 76. It is designed to move. At one end of the shaft 78, the cleaning plate 8 is passed through the holder 77.
0 is attached and can be moved above the light emitter 74. A sponge 81 as a cleaning member is provided at the tip of the cleaning plate 80 so as to come into contact with the light emitting portion 75 of the light emitting device 74 during movement. The sponge 81 cleans the light emitting part 75 by the reciprocating movement of the cleaning plate 80.

In this automatic ticket gate apparatus, when the ticket 2 is inserted into the slot 3, the sensor 6 of the slot 3 detects darkness.
Then, the CPU 42 detects this and the conveyance control circuit 56
Is instructed to drive the transportation motor 55, which drives the transportation motor 55 to transport the ticket 2 from the slot 3 to the exit 4 on the transportation path 5, and is processed in the meantime.

After the ticket 2 is taken out from the exit 4, if there is no dark detection for a predetermined time or more in each sensor 6 arranged on the carrying path 5 from the entrance 3 to the exit 4, the CPU 42 carries it for carrying. The motor 55 is stopped to enter the standby state.

In this standby state, the CPU 42 instructs the ticket detection circuit 54 to set the light reception detection voltage level of each sensor 6, that is, the threshold voltage, to a value higher than usual. As a result, the ticket detection circuit 54 normally sets the threshold voltage to a value higher than that used when processing the ticket 2.

Then, the CPU 42 confirms the dark detection of each sensor 6 again while the threshold voltage is high. As a result of the confirmation, when the dark detection is recognized even in one of the plurality of sensors 6, the CPU 42 determines that the sensor 6 is abnormal detection.

In this case, most of the causes of abnormality of the sensor 6 are
This is because dust, paper pieces, and the like are deposited on the light emitter 74 from the transport path 5, and the CPU 42 cleans the sensor 6 that has determined that the detection is abnormal, so as to clean the sensor 6.
Instruct. Then, the cleaning mechanism drive circuit 64 intermittently supplies a current to the solenoid coil 76 of the cleaning mechanism 63.

When a current is first applied to the solenoid coil 76 from the cleaning mechanism drive circuit 64, the shaft 78 of the solenoid coil 76 moves in the direction of arrow B against the bias of the spring 79, and the shaft 78 moves. The cleaning plate 80 attached to one end moves above the light emitter 74. Then, the sponge 81 at the tip of the sponge 81
The light emitting portion 75 is rubbed to clean the light emitting portion 75.

Subsequently, when the current supply to the solenoid coil 76 is stopped, the shaft 78 of the solenoid coil 76 returns in the direction of arrow A by the bias of the spring 79, and the movement thereof causes the cleaning plate 8 to move.
The sponge 81 of 0 is rubbed against the light emitting portion 75 again to clean the light emitting portion 75. As described above, according to the automatic ticket gate apparatus of the present embodiment, the CPU 42 discriminates between the normal ticket processing state and the standby state, and the ticket detection circuit 54 is provided with the threshold voltage on the light receiver 72 side of each sensor 6. After switching to higher than normal, each sensor 6
The darkness detection state is checked, the darkness-detected sensor 6 is determined to be abnormal detection, and the corresponding cleaning mechanism 63 is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism 63, so that the automatic ticket gate is stopped without manual labor. The contamination of the sensor 6 can be automatically detected and cleaned without the need.

As a result, it becomes possible to omit the artificial work for checking and cleaning the optical sensor, and it is possible to improve the operating rate of the automatic ticket gate itself.

[0031]

As described above, according to the recording medium processing apparatus of the present invention, when it is detected that the recording medium is not processed, the light receiving detection level of the optical sensor is set to a value higher than that in the normal time. At this time, when the dark detection of the optical sensor is confirmed, the cleaning means corresponding to the optical sensor cleans the optical sensor, so that it is possible to omit the manual work for checking and cleaning the contamination of the optical sensor. It is possible to improve the operating rate of the recording medium processing device itself.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of an automatic ticket gate as a recording medium processing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a control system of the automatic ticket gate apparatus of FIG.

3 is a diagram showing a cleaning mechanism provided in each sensor of the automatic ticket gate of FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Main body of automatic ticket gate, 2 ... Ticket, 5 ... Transport path, 63
... cleaning mechanism, 64 ... cleaning mechanism drive circuit, 70 ... base, 71 ... bracket, 71a ... upper surface of bracket 71, 71b ... lower surface of bracket 71,
72 ... Light receiver, 73 ... Light receiving part, 74 ... Light emitter, 75 ... Light emitting part, 76 ... Solenoid coil, 77 ... Holder, 78
... Axis, 79 ... Spring, 80 ... Cleaning plate, 81
…sponge.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A recording medium processing apparatus having an optical sensor for detecting passage of a recording medium at each position on a conveying path by a light receiving voltage value obtained from light emitted on the conveying path. Processing state detection means for detecting the processing state of the recording medium at each position above by the optical sensor, and light reception of the optical sensor when the processing state detection means detects that the recording medium is not processed. Light receiving detection level adjusting means for setting the detection level to a value higher than that during normal processing, and whether the light receiving voltage value obtained from the optical sensor has reached the high light receiving detection level set by this light receiving detection level adjusting means. And a cleaning means for cleaning the optical sensor when the received light detection level is not reached as a result of the determination. To the recording medium processing apparatus. 2. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is disposed on the conveying path below a surface of the recording medium, and a light emitter is disposed to face the light emitter. A recording medium processing device comprising a light receiver arranged above the surface of the recording medium on the transport path, and the light emitting device is cleaned by the cleaning unit.