JPS59178581A - Optical character reading device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the efficiency of processing of an entire optical character reading device by carrying out additional data processing such as a numbering function or a pocket selecting function etc. at proper timing corresponding to the carrying of a form. CONSTITUTION:A conveyance scanning section 10 conveys a form to specified position and scans the form optically. Character pattern outputted from the scanning section 10 is recognized by a recognizing section 11. A read data conrol section 22 outputs initial data necessary for the preparation of additional data for designating the form, and the recognizing section 11 outputs a final answer basing on recognized read data. Additional data are prepared basing on initial data outputted from the control section 22. The additional data and recognized 11 read data on the form are outputted by a read, scanning, controlling section 20. Both data outputted from the control section 20 are stored temporarily in a memory 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an optical character reading device equipped with means for processing additional data such as numbering data or pocket selection data for a form.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Some optical character reading devices (OCRT) have a function of printing numbers or characters in a fixed format on a document after reading processing (referred to as a μ-numbering function or a selection function). The pocket selection function is a function that selects and stores a form after reading processing in two pockets, one for normal rejection and one for normal, according to the result of the reading processing.

In the 0CFL having such a function, it is necessary to create data (additional data) for associating the read data obtained in the reading process with the form. This additional data is stored in the OCR storage device along with the read data,
At the same time, it is printed on the form as, for example, numbering data. Such an OCR has a configuration as shown in FIG. 1, for example. That is, when reading a form, the operations of the conveyance scanning section 10, the recognition section 11, etc. are controlled by the reading/scanning control section 12. On the other hand, read data control section 1
3 is a memory 14 for temporarily storing or processing the read data of the form sent from the scanning/scanning control unit I2.
and controls the storage operation of an external storage device (eg, magnetic disk device 15).

In such OCR, a read command signal is first given from the read data control section 13 to the read/scan control section 12.

As a result, the reading/scanning control section 12 controls the conveyance scanning section 10.
Outputs document conveyance and scanning command signals to. Conveyance scanning section 1
o conveys the form to a predetermined position, performs optical scanning, and outputs a character pattern (photoelectric conversion pattern) on the form. The recognition unit 1no recognizes the character pattern obtained by the conveyance scanning unit 1o, and outputs read data that is the recognition result to the reading/scanning control unit 12. The reading/scanning control unit 12 transfers the read data to the read data control unit I3. The read data control unit 13 inspects the read data and creates numbering data corresponding to it. In this case, memory 1
4 is used as a temporary storage device for read data and numbering data, and finally both data are filed on a magnetic disk 15. The read data control unit I3 transfers the generated numbering data and print command signal 5 to the read/scan control unit I2. This allows the reading/scanning control section! 2 outputs a printing operation command and printing data (namely, numbering data) to the printing unit 16. The printing unit 16 prints numbering data on the form corresponding to the read data that has been read. Then, the read data control unit 13 outputs a read command signal for the next form, and the same operation is repeated thereafter.

In this way, the corresponding numbering data is printed on the read form.

Similarly, the read data of the corresponding form is filed in the external storage device (magnetic disk 15) together with the numbering data. However, in the conventional method as described above, a command to print numbering data, etc. is sequentially given for each reading command, and this has the disadvantage that the reading processing speed of OCR is reduced as a result. This is because when numbering data is printed on a form, the form is often conveyed to the printing position and after the conveyance is stopped, waits for a printing command for a certain period of time. in this case.

Similarly, the pocket selection function described above has the disadvantage that the %OCR reading processing speed decreases due to waiting for the pocket selection command.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to improve the processing speed of the number link function and pocket selection function, etc., and to provide an optical character reader that can perform the reading process of documents at high speed. Providing equipment.

[Summary of the invention]

In the present invention, in an OCR equipped with an additional data creation function necessary for a number link function, a button selection function, etc., the 2-take data control unit reads.

It is configured to output initial data that is safe for generating additional data along with the command signal. The reading/scanning control unit creates additional data based on the initial data, and temporarily stores both the reading data and the reading data in the memory together with the additional data. This ζ
Therefore, the reading scan control section can read out the appendix data and the reading data from the memory, and can control operations such as the numbering function and the pocket selection function using the additional data to be performed at high speed.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the OCR according to the present invention. In the figure, 2Q is a reading/scanning control unit, which controls the operations of the conveyance scanning unit 1θ, the recognition unit II, and the printing unit 16, and has the function of creating additional data corresponding to the form scanned by the conveyance scanning unit ZOj. We are prepared. Reference numeral 21 denotes an auxiliary memory that temporarily stores both the additional data outputted from the reading/scanning control section 20 and the read data on the form recognized by the recognition section IZ. Reference numeral 22 denotes a read data control unit that transfers a read command signal and initial data necessary for creating additional data to the read/scan control unit 20. Furthermore, it controls the read data and additional data transferred from the read/scan controller 20 to be stored in the external storage device (magnetic disk 15). Note that the other configurations are the same as those shown in FIG. 1, so the explanation will be omitted.

The operation of this configuration will be explained. first,
The reading data control section 22 transfers the reading command signal to the reading/scanning control section 20, and before transferring the command signal, initial data (i.e., additional data creation) necessary for the number link function (i.e., additional data creation) is transmitted.
(initial value of numbering data, number of digits, etc.). In this case, the Th reading data control section 22 is configured so that various operation command signals are given from a keyboard or the like normally provided by an operator. The reading/scanning control unit 20
Store the transferred initial data in the temporary auxiliary memory 21,
Further, based on the reading command signal, an operation command signal is output to the conveyance scanning section 10 and the recognition section 11j. Thereby, the conveyance scanning section 10 conveys the form to a predetermined position, and sends the character pattern after optically scanning it to the recognition section II. The recognition unit 11 recognizes the character pattern and outputs the result to the reading/scanning control unit 20 as read data on the form.

The reading/scanning control unit 2o creates numbering data (additional data) corresponding to the form based on the initial data stored in the auxiliary memo IJ 21, and stores it in the auxiliary memory 21 along with the read data.

Furthermore, the control section 20 reads out the numbering data from the auxiliary memo IJ 2z and outputs it to the printing section 16 together with the operation command signal. At the same time, read data is read from the auxiliary memory 2, number link data is added thereto (data shown in FIG. 3 (3)), and the data is transferred to the read data control section 22. The printing unit 16 prints the numbering data given from the control unit 2θ on the form conveyed to the printing position. On the other hand, the read data control unit 22 temporarily stores the read data and numbering data transferred from the control unit 20 in the memory 14, and performs processing such as checking the read data.

Then, numbering data was added as the answer to the final reading process. Pre-fetch data (data shown in FIG. 3(B)) is stored in an external storage device (magnetic disk I5).

In this way, for the form that has been read,
The corresponding numbering data can be printed. In this case, in the present invention, number link data is created in the reading/scanning control section 20, and the numbering data is temporarily stored in the auxiliary memory 2I. As a result, printing section 1
6, the numbering data and the operation command signal for the printing unit 16 are sent in accordance with the timing at which the form after the reading process is conveyed, so that the numbering process can be performed at high speed.

In other words, the conventional waiting time for printing commands is eliminated, and the printing operation (numbering process) can be reliably performed in accordance with the timing of conveyance, etc.

In the above embodiment, the case of numbering processing has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to pocket selection processing.

In this case, the reading/scanning control unit 2o, for example, n3':
'a Create additional data (for example, "1" for reject and "0" for normal) necessary for pocket selection according to the recognition result (reject or normal) in part II. This additional data is sent, for example, to the conveyance scanning section 1θ. The conveyance scanning unit 10 conveys the read form to a predetermined pocket based on the additional data.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, in an OCR equipped with an additional data processing means such as a numbering function or a pocket selection function, additional data processing can be performed at an appropriate timing according to the transportation of forms, etc. , the processing speed can be significantly improved. Therefore, the entire document reading process can be performed at high speed, and the overall processing efficiency of OCR can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional OCR, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an OCR according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is read data for explaining the operation of FIG. 2. FIG. 10...Conveyance scanning section, 1...Visibility section, 12°20
...Reading/scanning control section, 13.22 - Reading data control section, 16... Printing section, 21... Auxiliary memory. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2 432-3 Wj

Claims (1)

[Claims] A conveyance scanning unit that conveys a form to a predetermined position and optically scans the form, a recognition unit that recognizes the character pattern output from this conveyance scanning unit, and a creation of additional data for instructing the form. A read data control unit outputs necessary initial data and outputs a final answer based on the read data recognized by the recognition unit, and additional data is generated based on the initial data output from the read data control unit. a reading/scanning control unit that outputs both the created additional data and the read data on the form recognized by the recognition unit;
What is claimed is: 1. An optical character reading device comprising: a memory for temporarily storing both additional data and read data output from a scanning control section.