JPS5834533Y2 - optical character reader - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to an optical character reading device that optically reads, for example, a postal code recorded on a mail item.

In recent years, various optical character reading devices that optically read postal codes on mail items have been developed and put into practical use.

In this type of character reading device. It is necessary to set the timing so that the reading operation starts when the area to be read on the postal item in which the postal code is written corresponds to the reading head.

Therefore, conventionally, timing means as shown in FIG. 1, for example, has been used.

That is, a detector 2 is provided in front of the reading head 10, the detector 2 detects the leading edge of the mail 3 being conveyed in advance, and a detection signal as shown in FIG. The circuit 4 delays the signal by a predetermined time t as shown in FIG. The timing is such that the reading operation is started when the area corresponds to the optical axis of the reading head 1.

However, for example, in large mail items, the position of the read area differs depending on the lot.

For this reason, conventionally, the operator feeds the mail each time, and while monitoring a display device such as a monitor, changes the delay time of the variable delay circuit 4 so that the area to be read of the mail 3 is adjusted to the reading head 1. The coordinates are specified so that a reading start signal is output when the reading start signal corresponds to the optical axis of the optical axis.

However, such conventional character reading devices are extremely inefficient, as the operator must feed the mail and manually specify the coordinates while monitoring a display device such as a monitor. Moreover, it has the drawbacks of not only poor operability but also lack of stability.

Furthermore, since the several dozen mail items initially supplied are used for specifying the coordinates, it is necessary to re-supply and read the corresponding number of pieces of mail.

This idea was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to disable monitors, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical character reading device that can automatically set the reading operation start timing of a reading head without monitoring a reading device, and can improve operability and stability.

An embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 3, the object to be read 11 is, for example, a large mail piece, and is conveyed along a conveyance path 12 in the direction of arrow a in the figure.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the mail 11 has a character entry area 13 with a width of 11 and a length of 12 designated on its surface, and a zone corresponding to the actual reading area 14. Ru.

For example, a character type-printed in the one-character entry area 13, ie, a postal code 15, corresponds to the read area 14.

A reading head 16 is provided on the transport path 12.

This reading head 16 reads postal code 1 within the area to be read 14.
For example, the light from the light source 17 and the light reflected by the □ sheet 18 are collected by condensing lenses 19a and 19b, and sent through the reading window 20 to the postal item 11. , and the reflected light is imaged on an imager 22 via a reading window 20 and an imaging lens 21.

The imager 22 is, for example, a self-scanning line array consisting of a large number of solid-state image sensors arranged in a straight line.
It is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the transport direction a of the mail 11.

However, a detector 23 is provided on the transport path 12 in front of the reading head 160.

The detector 23 optically detects, for example, the rear end of the mail 11 being conveyed, and is composed of, for example, a light source and a light receiving element.

The output of the detector 23 is then supplied to a coordinate calculation device 28, which will be described later.

On the other hand, 24 is a coordinate specifying device, which specifies the coordinates of a region to be read using a sample to be read.

It outputs a coordinate signal corresponding to the coordinate signal, and is configured as follows, for example.

That is, the guide 25 for setting the sample mail 11
and a potentiometer 26, and a cursor 27 is fixed to the center terminal of the potentiometer 26.

Here, the guide 25 becomes the reference, and the potentiometer 2
The length 6 corresponds to the maximum length 12 in the longitudinal direction in the character entry area 13 of the mail 110.

And the potentiometer 26 is. For example, when a predetermined voltage is applied and the cursor 27 is aligned with the reading area 14 on the postal item 11, the distance from the guide 25 to the cursor 27, that is, the distance from the rear end of the postal item 11 to the reading area 14. A voltage proportional to is generated at its center terminal.

Thus, the output of the coordinate specifying device 24, that is, the output of the potentiometer 26, is supplied to a coordinate calculating device 28.

This coordinate calculating device 28 converts the output of the coordinate specifying device 24'), that is, the coordinate signal of the area to be read 14, into time, and calculates the time and the center of the reading window 20 of the reading head 16 from the detector 23 which is set in advance. (optical axis), the output signal of the detector 23 is delayed according to the result of the subtraction, and the delayed signal is output as a reading start signal.

That is, for example, if the speed of conveyance of the mail item 11 is V and the center terminal of the potentiometer 26, that is, the cursor 27 is located at the Q point, the voltage generated from the center terminal of the potentiometer 26 will cause (e2/V=T ) time conversion.

This time T is the time from the rear end of the mail piece 11 to the read area 14.

On the other hand, since the distance from the detector 23 to the optical axis of the reading head 16 is specified in advance, the transport time from the detector 23 to the optical axis of the reading head 16 is calculated based on that distance and the above-mentioned transport speed V. .

Now, if this transport time is N, then the calculation (NT) is performed, and the output signal of the detector 23 is delayed by the time of the calculation result.

Therefore, the coordinate calculation device 28 outputs a reading start signal when the mail 11 has been conveyed from the reading area 14 for (NT) time in the conveying direction aVc.

When a reading start signal is output from the coordinate calculation device 28, the reading operation of the reading head 16 is started.

Next, the operation in the above configuration will be explained.

For example, assume that a large-value mail item is to be read.

Generally, mail pieces with type-printed postal numbers are sent out in large quantities, so a large number of them must be read and processed at one time.

Therefore, before supplying the mail piece 11, the first piece of mail piece is designated as the sample mail piece 11 by the coordinate specifying device 24.
Set it on the guide 25 as shown in the figure.

Thereafter, by moving the cursor 27, the postal code 15 within the area to be read 14 is set within the cursor 27.

As a result, the coordinates of the area to be read 14 are set, and a corresponding coordinate signal is output from the potentiometer 26.
It is supplied to the coordinate calculation device 28.

That is, as described above, a predetermined voltage is applied to the potentiometer 26.

Therefore, by placing the cursor 27 on the reading area 14 on the postal item 11, a voltage proportional to the distance from the rear end of the mailing item 11 to the reading area 14 is generated at its center terminal, and the generated voltage is used for coordinate calculation. It is supplied to the device 28.

In the coordinate calculation device 28, as described above, the coordinate designation device 2
Convert the coordinate signal from 4 into a time T, and calculate (NT) between that time T and a preset transport time N from the detector 23 to the optical axis of the reading head 16. Waits for signal input from the detector 23.

Therefore, in this state [if a signal is supplied from the detector 23, the coordinate calculation device 28 starts reading when the mail 11 has been transported from the reading area 14 for (NT) time in the transport direction a]. Output a signal.

In this manner, the operator specifies the coordinates of the first piece of mail 11 as a sample using the coordinate specifying device 24 before feeding the mail 11, so that the operator can use the reading head without particularly monitoring a display device such as a monitor. 16 reading operation start timings can be automatically set.

After specifying the coordinates and setting the reading operation start timing of the reading head 16 as described above, the operator continuously supplies the postal items 11 to the postal code 15 within the reading area 14. Start reading.

That is, when the mail 11 is being conveyed and the detector 23 detects the rear end of the mail 11, the detection signal is stored in the coordinate calculation device 28.

When a signal is supplied from the detector 23, from that point on, the coordinate calculation device 28 delays the output signal of the detector 23 by the time (N-7) of the calculation result, and outputs the delayed signal as a reading start signal. .

That is, the coordinate calculation device 28 is. A reading start signal is output when the mail 11 has been conveyed from the reading area 14 in the conveyance direction 3 for [(NT) time.

Therefore, when the reading start signal is output, the reading window 20 of the reading head 16 and the reading area 14 of the mail 11
will correspond to each other.

However, when a reading start signal is output from the coordinate calculation device 28, the reading head 16 starts the reading operation.

That is, the light from the light source 17 is collected by the condensing lenses 19a, 19.
b and the reading area 14 through the reading window 20.

The reflected light passes through an imaging lens 21 and forms an image on an image pickup device 22 .

Therefore, the imager 22 converts the reflected light into an electrical signal by self-scanning and outputs a single character signal.

In the embodiment described above, a line array consisting of a large number of solid-state image sensors arranged in parallel was used as the imager of the reading head, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other photoelectric converters such as an image pickup tube may be used.

Further, although the case where the detection is performed by detecting the trailing edge of the mail being conveyed has been described, it can be carried out in the same way by detecting the leading edge of the mail without paying attention to this.

As detailed above, according to this invention, there is a detector in front of the reading head that detects one end of the object being conveyed, and a sensor that specifies the coordinates of the area to be read using the sample object to be read. A coordinate designation device that outputs coordinate signals is provided,
The coordinate signal output from this coordinate specifying device is converted into time, and a predetermined calculation is performed between that time and the transport time of the object to be read from the detector to the reading head. Since the output signal of the detector is delayed and the delayed signal is used as a reading start signal to start the reading operation of the reading head, the reading operation start timing of the reading head can be automatically set.

Therefore, there is no need for the conventional inefficient operations in which an operator feeds mail and manually specifies coordinates while monitoring a display device such as a monitor, and operability and stability are significantly improved. do.

Furthermore, since the coordinates are not specified while feeding the mail as in the conventional method, the inconvenience of having to re-feed (read) the fed mail in order to specify the coordinates can be eliminated.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional optical character reading device, Fig. 2 is a time chart for explaining the operation of the conventional optical character reading device, and Fig. 3 is an example of an embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an object to be read in the same embodiment. 11...Object to be read, 12...Transport path,
13...Character writing area, 14...Reading area, 15...Character, 16...Reading head, 22...Imaging device , 23-...Detector, 24...Coordinate specifying device, 25...
Guide, 26... Potentiometer, 27...
・・・・Strong force, 28・・・・Coordinate calculation device.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A reading head that optically reads characters in a reading area of a conveyed object to be read, and a sensor installed in front of this reading head to detect one part of the conveyed object to be read. a coordinate specifying device that specifies the coordinates of the area to be read using the specimen to be read and outputs a corresponding coordinate signal; and a coordinate specifying device that converts the coordinate signal output from the coordinate specifying device into time, Coordinates where a predetermined calculation is performed on the transport time of the object to be read from the detector to the reading head, the output signal of the detector is delayed according to the calculation result, and the delayed signal is output as a reading start signal. Equipped with a calculation device. An optical character reading device, characterized in that the reading operation of the reading head is started in response to a reading start signal output from the coordinate calculation device.