GB2242414A - "Passbook or the like handling apparatus and method" - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a passbook, slip, form or the like handling apparatus disposed at a window of a banking organ and its method. In accordance with the present invention, passbooks inserted through a slit 1 are processed by a magnetic data read/write mechanism 2 and a printing head 4 in preference to passbooks already stored in the apparatus for updating, the latter being fed into the processing section from piles 60, 6-a, 6-b, 6-c, only when no passbook fed via the slit is present. Processing of any passbooks already fed into the processing section from the store is temporarily interrupted whenever a passbook is inserted through the slit. <IMAGE>

Description

TI PASSBOOK OR THE LIKE HANDLING APPARATUS AND METHOD" The present invention aims at providing a passbook or the like bandling apparatus installed at a window or the like of a banking organ and its method, which allow automatic printing onto a passbook, a slip, a form or the like (referred to as "passbook or the like≈in this specification and claims thereof) handled by a route other than windows and requested to be printed by using spare time in business at windows. As a result, the efficiency of business at windows is improved and, machines exclusively used for printing which were conventionally needed become unnecessary, space saving at windows being attained.

In order to achieve the above described object, the present invention provides a passbook or the like handling apparatus including an inlet slit for accepting a first passbook or the like handled by a window, a passbook or the like processing section for reading data on the passbook or the like thus accepted, and performing printing and page turning, and an outlet slit for passbook or the like, the passbook or the like handling apparatus further comprising storage means for storing a second passbook or the like requested to be printed, means for coupling the storage means and the passbook or the like processing section and conveying the second passbook or the like requested to be printed, means for temporarily holding the second passbook or the like requested to be printed, and control means for delivering the second passbook or the like from the storage means, conveying it to the passbook or the like processing section via conveyance means and causing printing there when the first passbook or the like is not inserted from the inlet slit and the passbook or the like processing section is vacant, the control means, upon insertion of the first passbook or the like from the inlet slit in the course of processing with respect to the second passbook or the like, temporarily interrupting processing with respect to the second passbook or the like, temporarily holding the second passbook or the like in the temporary holding means, making processing with respect to the first passbook or the like completed preferentially, then returning the second passbook or the like from the temporary holding means to the passbook or the like processing section, making processing succeeding the interruption performed in the passbook or the like processing section, and making the second passbook or the like put out from the outlet slit upon completion of the processing.

Further, the present invention provides a method of handling a passbook or the like by using this apparatus.

Drawings attached to the specification are referred to when embodiments of the present invention are explained.

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a passbook or the like handling apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a variant of a passbook or the like handling apparatus; Fig. 3 is a front view of a display device; Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the display device; Figs. 5 and 6 are flow charts showing the operation of the passbook or the like handling apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the passbook or the like handling apparatus of Fig. 1.

Hereafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described by referring to the above described drawings.

An embodiment of a passbook or the like handling apparatus comprises an inlet slit 1, a passbook or the like handling section 100, a conveyance section 11, a first storage section 60, second storage sections 6a-c, and two temporary holding areas 12a and 12b.

At the time of ordinary transaction, a passbook or the like brought by a customer is inserted from the inlet slit 1 into the apparatus. The passbook or the like processing section 100 comprises a data read/write mechanism 2 for reading necessary data from a magnetic storage medium of a first passbook or the like inserted from the inlet slit 1 and writing data as occasion demands, a page line detection mechanism 3 for checking page turning performed by a page change mechanism 5 which will be described later, a printing head 4, and the page change mechanism 5 for performing page turning upon filling up printing lines. The conveyance section 11 comprises a conveyance path ila and feed rollers llb. The conveyance path lla couples elements included in this passbook or the like handling apparatus.The feed rollers llb are so disposed in portions required for conveying a passbook or the like as to be switchable between the normal rotation and the reverse rotation. In the first storage section 60, second passbooks or the like 80A for which printing of contents of monetary transactions already performed is requested but its rapid printing is not needed, such as passbooks entrusted to canvassers by customers, are stocked. Reference numeral 70 in Fig. 1 denotes a delivery roller. In the second storage sections 6a-c, unentered new passbooks or the like 80B are stocked according to their kinds. Reference numerals 7a-c of Fig.

1 denote delivery rollers. The first temporary holding area 12a is disposed in a branch portion of the conveyance section 11. A passbook or the like 80A requested to be printed is temporarily preserved in the first temporary holding area 12a. In the second temporary holding area 12b, a third passbook or the like 80B, which is newly issued when the printing space of a passbook or the like is judged to be filled up, is on standby.

A passbook or the like which has already been printed is put out in a stacker 9. The stacker 9 is disposed on the.front face of the apparatus and above the inlet slit 1. As shown in Fig. 2, a separate stacker 90 for putting out a passbook or the like 80A requested to be printed may be provided. The second passbooks or the like 80A are not used immediately after printing. Therefore, it is desirable to dispose this stacker 90 on the lower part of the apparatus or inside of the apparatus to simplify the decorative design of the apparatus.

Numeral 8 denotes a display device. Details of the display device 8 are shown in Fig. 3. Reference characters 13a-c of Fig. 3 denote lamps. If the residual quantity of the third passbooks or the like 80B becomes less than a predetermined quantity at step 40 of Fig. 4, the lamps 13 a-c are lit to give warning to an operator (step 42). If third passbooks or the like 80B are supplemented (step 44), the lamps 13a-c are put off.

Operation of the passbook or the like handling apparatus shown in Fig. 1 will now be described by referring to flow charts of Figs. 5 and 6. Operation of various sections is controlled by a main control section 85 as shown in Fig. 7.

First of all, it is determined by a detector 87 at step 500 whether a first passbook or the like has been inserted from the inlet slit 1. If a first passbook or the like is inserted and the processing section 100 is operating, the passbook or the like is processed at step 502 in the same way as a general handling apparatus. Then the first passbook or the like is put out (step 504).

When the processing section 100 is not processing the first passbook or the like, a second passbook or the like 80A is delivered from the first storage section 60 (step 506). Magnetic data of that passbook or the like 80A are read by a magnetic data reading device 15 (step 508). In addition, the passbook or the like 80A is moved to the processing section 100 by the conveyance section 11 (step 510).

At step 512, communication with a central computer which is not illustrated is performed via a higher-rank apparatus 10. At step 514, unentered data transmitted from the central computer are received and preserved in the higher-rank apparatus.

It is determined by the higher-rank apparatus 10 whether all of the above described unentered data can be printed onto the second passbook or the like 80A. If all data can be printed, the processing proceeds to a subroutine shown in Fig. 6 (step 520). At step 600 of this subroutine, it is checked whether a first passbook or the like has been inserted from the inlet slit 1 or not.

Unless inserted, printing is executed (step 610). In the course of printing as well, monitoring of the step 610 is continued to the last whenever n lines (5 to 30 lines) are printed (steps 612 and 614). When a first passbook or the like is inserted from the inlet slit 1 in the middle of handling a second passbook or the like 80A, the second passbook or the like 80A is saved into the first temporary holding area 12a by the conveyance section 11 (step 602).

The first passbook or the like is accepted by the processing section 100 and ordinary processing is performed (step 604). Upon completion of printing, the first passbook or the like is put out (step 606).

Thereafter, the second passbook or the like 80A is returned from the first temporary holding area 12A to the processing section 100 (step 608), and printing is restarted.

When unentered data overflows the second passbook or the like 80A, issuance of a new notebook or the like (third passbook or the like 80B) is ordered (step 530), and then the second passbook or the like 80A existing in the processing section 100 is processed in accordance with the subroutine shown in Fig. 6 (step 532). The second passbook or the like 80A printed up to the final line is put out from the stacker 9 (step 534).

During this time, the third passbook or the like 80B whose issuance was ordered before at step 530 is delivered from one of the second storage sections 6a-c by one of the delivery rollers 7a-c and arrives at the second temporary holding area 12b. At step 536, this is confirmed and the third passbook or the like 80B existing in the second temporary holding area 12b is moved to the processing section 100. If the third passbook or the like 80B does not exist in the second temporary holding area, an operator inserts the third passbook or the like from the inlet slit. In succession, the subroutine of Fig. 6 is executed (step 542). At step 544, necessary data are written onto the third passbook or the like 80B by the data read/write mechanism 2.At step 546, the third passbook or the like is put out into the stacker 9.

In the foregoing description, data on the second passbook or the like are read by the magnetic data reading mechanism 15 at step 508. Alternatively, however, the second passbook or the like 80A delivered from the first storage section 60 may be conveyed to the data read/write mechanism 2 by the conveyance section 11 to execute data reading there. In this case, the magnetic data reading mechanism 15 becomes unnecessary. Further, in the apparatus of Fig. 2, it is desirable to provide the mechanism 15 with data writing function to write data on the magnetic recording medium of the second passbook or the like 80A put out or the third passbook or the like 80B put out.

A description will now be added. If the printing quantity overflows the space of the first passbook or the like when printing is to be performed on the first passbook or the like at step 502, processing similar to that of steps 516 to 546 is performed.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:

1. A passbook or the like handling apparatus including: an inlet slit for receiving a first passbook or the like from a window; a passbook or the like processing section having means for reading data preserved in a storage medium included in a passbook or the like, means for writing data onto said storage medium, and means for printing said passbook or the like; and means for putting out the passbook or the like completed in processing; characterized in that said passbook or the like handling apparatus comprises: first storage means for storing second passbooks or the like requested to be processed; first conveyance means for conveying said second passbooks or the like requested to be processed between said first storage means and said passbook or the like processing section; first temporary holding means for temporarily holding said second passbook or the like requested to be processed; and control means for delivering said second passbook or the like from said first storage means, conveying said second passbook or the like to said passbook or the like processing section via said first conveyance and making processing performed in said passbook or the like processing section when a first passbook or the like is not inserted from said inlet slit and said passbook or the like processing section is empty, said control means being responsive to insertion of said first passbook or the like from said inlet slit in the course of processing of said second passbook or the like to temporarily interrupt processing of said second passbook or the like, hold said second passbook or the like in said first temporary holding means, make processing of said first passbook or the like completed preferentially, then returning said second passbook or the like from said first temporary holding means to said passbook or the like processing section, make processing succeeding that of said interruption performed, and make said passbook or the like put out from said putting-out means upon completion of processing.

2. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said passbook or the like processing section further comprises means for changing the page of said passbook or the like opposed to said printing means.

3. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein second conveyance means is disposed between said first temporary holding means and said passbook or the like processing section.

4. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to any one of Claim 1 - 3, further comprising: second storage means for storing unused third passbooks or the like; and third conveyance means for coupling said second storage means tQ said passbook or the like processing section and conveying said unused third passbooks or the like.

5. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to Claim 4, further comprising second temporary holding means disposed in the middle of the second conveyance means to temporarily hold said third passbook.

6. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to any one of Claim 1 - 5, wherein means for reading data preserved in a storage medium attached to said second passbook or the like is disposed in said first conveyance section.

7. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to any one of Claim 1 to 6, further comprising a second outlet slit for putting out only said second passbook or the like.

8. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said second outlet slit is disposed on the lower part of the apparatus proper or inside of the apparatus proper.

9. A passbook or the like handling method including: step of accepting a first passbook or the like from an inlet slit fronting a window; passbook or the like processing step for reading data from a magnetic medium of said first passbook or the like, printing transaction contents onto said first passbook or the like and writing necessary data onto said magnetic medium; and step of putting out said first passbook or the like, characterized in that said passbook or the like handling method comprises: step of storing second passbooks or the like requested to be processed into first storage means beforehand and delivering said second passbook or the like from said first storage means to make processing performed when a first passbook or the like is not inserted and said passbook or the like processing step is not executed; and step, responsive to insertion of said first passbook or the like from said inlet slit in the course of processing of said second passbook or the like, of temporarily interrupting processing of said second passbook or the like, making processing of said first passbook or the like preferentially completed, then making processing succeeding said interruption executed with respect to said second passbook or the like, and making said second passbook or the like put out from said outlet slit upon completion of processing.

10. A passbook or the like handling apparatus according to any one of Claim 1 to 8, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A passbook or the like handling method according to Claim 9, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.