JPS61275986A - Front surface and rear surface deciding device for paper - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correctly decide a front surface and a rear surface of a postal matter by reading and recognizing an air mail mark on paper or the like by the first and the second reading means and the first and the second extracting means provided in opposition on both side section of the carried papers or the like and deciding which reading means reads. CONSTITUTION:When a postal matter P on which red or blue color oblique line marks 10 are alternately and continuously printed oncircumferences of a front surface and a rear surface is carried, reading sections 14, 15 read only blue signals of respective surfaces to feed to image memories 83, 84. Then, detecting circuits 85, 86 detect candidate blocks considered to be air mail marks 5 from the respective surfaces, detect, and segment and normalize respective character patterns by one character, sample to output to a character recognizing section 87, carry out a matching with a reference pattern to a normal direction or a reverse direction alphabet in a dictionary 88 and the recognition results are outputted to a deciding section 41. When it is decided to be the air mail mark, the judging section 41 decides the front and the rear surfaces by the recognized air mail mark 5 being read by which of the reading sections 14, 15.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a paper leaf determining device for determining the front and back sides of mail items from overseas, in a mail processing device such as a sorting, sorting, and stamping machine. .

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] Conventionally, in mail sorting, sorting, and stamping machines, in order to determine the front and back sides of mail from overseas, air mail marks existing on the front or back of the mail are used. The side on which the airmail mark is detected is determined to be the front side, and the side on which the flap is detected is determined to be the back side. Furthermore, the vertical direction of the mail is determined from the position of the air mail mark detected on the surface of the mail.

However, in the above-mentioned apparatus for determining front and back and direction, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d), for example,
Since the air mail mark 5 written on the surface 1 of the mail P varies in size, writing position, writing method, etc., accurate determination cannot be made by detecting the air mail mark 5.

Additionally, if there is a stamp of the same size as the airmail mark on the back, or a sticker to seal the flap, these may be mistakenly recognized as the airmail mark, or the flap may not be detected, making it difficult to accurately detect the airmail mark. In some cases, it became impossible to determine the front and back sides and direction.

For this reason, there is a problem in that the sender information or correspondence written on the back side is mistakenly recognized as the destination information on the front side, and the sorting ability of the sorting and stamping machine is reduced.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention was made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a device for determining the front and back sides of paper sheets, which can accurately determine the front and back sides of mail items, for example. This is what I am trying to do.

[Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides first and second
The air mail mark on the paper sheet is read and recognized by the reading means and the first and second extraction means, and depending on whether the air mail mark is read by the first or second reading means, It is designed to determine the front and back sides of paper sheets.

[Embodiment of the Invention] An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show mail from overseas according to the present invention, for example, a typical air mail mail P.
On the surface 1, there are a stamp 2, a postmark mark 3, destination information 4, and an air mail mark 5. For example, the stamp 2 is affixed to the upper right side of the front side 1 of the postal item P, and the air mail mark 5 is also printed in blue on the lower left corner of the front side 1. Further, on the back side 6 of the postal item P where the flap (seal) 7 is present, there are sender information and a message 8, and a seal 9 for sealing the flap 7. Then, the periphery (edge) of the front side 1 and back side 6 of the mail P
Red and blue diagonal marks (edge marks) 10 are printed alternately and continuously on the . Such a postal item P has the front side 1 on which address information 4 etc. is written.
The feature is that the amount of information written on the back side 6 is larger than that on the back side 6.

FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show a mail sorting, canceling and stamping machine to which the paper sheet front/back determining device according to the present invention is applied. This mail sorting, sorting, stamping machine is provided with an operator panel 32. This operator panel 32 includes various switches (not shown) for driving and controlling the mail sorting, arranging, and stamping machine, and for switching modes depending on whether the mail to be sorted is domestic mail or airmail mail. A changeover mode switch 33 and the like are provided. That is, first, a large number of air mail items P are placed on the sorting table 50. Thereby, the operator sets the mode to airmail mail by selecting the changeover mode switch 33 provided on the operator panel 32, and manually sorts the mail P on the sorting table 50 to remove foreign objects. After removal, conveyance path 5 on the slit
Insert into 1. The mail P inserted into the conveyance path 51 is conveyed to the takeout section 12 via the leveling section 52. This take-out unit 12 is configured to collect postal items P supplied from the leveling unit 52,
Alternatively, the mail P supplied to the supply section 11 is taken out one by one using a suction chamber (not shown) and conveyed to the conveyance path 13.

The postal item P conveyed on this conveyance path 13 is read by reading units 14 and 15 arranged opposite to each other with the conveyance path 13 interposed therebetween, so that the written information on the entire surface of the front side 1 or the back side 6 is converted into a binary value. It is designed to be read as read information. The reading unit 14.15 optically scans the entire surface 1 of the postal item P to detect the stamp 2 written on it.
, by reading the destination information 4, air mail mark 5, etc. as a binary image, or by optically scanning the entire back surface 6 of the postal item P, the sender information, message 8, and sticker 9 written on it can be read. etc. are read as binary images. Furthermore, these reading units 14.1
Reference numeral 5 outputs only the blue signal obtained by color-separating the reading signal from the front side 1 or the entire back side 6 of the mail P using a filter or the like. Then, the reading section 1
The blue signals read at 4 and +5, that is, specific color signals, are supplied to image memories 83 and 84, which will be described later. As a result, the reading units 14 and 15 can read, for example, the mail P.
It is designed to read only the green light portion such as the air mail mark 5 described above.

Subsequently, the mail P is sent to stamp detection units 81 and 82 which are arranged opposite to each other with the conveyance path 13 interposed therebetween.

These stamp detection units 81 and 82 are controlled by the selection of the changeover mode switch 33, and are adapted to detect stamps only from mail items within Japan. The stamp detection units 81 and 82 detect characteristics such as standardized color, fluorescence, or phosphorescence, and also detect the characteristics of the stamp 2.
is a well-known method that detects whether the mail P exists on the left or right side from the center.

Furthermore, the flap (seal) 7 present on the back side 6 of the postal item P is subsequently detected by a flap detection unit 16 or 17 provided on the conveyance path 13. .

Further, the mail P is sent to a stamp section 18 or 19 which is disposed opposite to each other with the conveyance path 13 interposed therebetween. These stamping parts 18 and 19 correspond to the switching mode switch 3.
Controlled by selection 3, a receipt stamp is affixed only to postal items within Japan at the location where a stamp is affixed on the surface of the item to confirm receipt.

The mail P that has passed through the stamping sections 18 and 19 is
If the gate 20 provided at the end of the conveyance path 13 determines the front/back and direction, the divided conveyance path 2 is used.
), and if a determination result of front/back or orientation cannot be obtained, the paper is guided to a reversing conveyance path 22, respectively. The mail P guided to the reversing conveyance path 22 is reversed and then joins the conveyance path 13 before the reading sections 14 and 15 at its terminal end. Also,
The mail P guided to the sorting conveyance path 2) is sent to the gate 23
．． 24, 25F3 and 26 lead to the accumulation section 27, 28, 29, 30 or 31 depending on the above-mentioned determination result and are accumulated therein. In these stacking units 27, 28, 29 and 30, mail P determined to be facing upward on the front side, facing down on the front side, facing up on the back side, or facing down on the back side is sorted and accumulated, respectively. In the section 31, even if the mail is reversed on the reversing conveyance path 22 and rotated on the conveyance path 13, the front and back or direction cannot be determined, or the direct mail P is accumulated. As mentioned above, the mail P that is sorted after being determined to have the front side or the back side facing upward or downward is
For example, the surface with the stamp 2, address information 4, air mail mark 5, etc. on the front side, the side with the flap 7, sender information 8, etc. on the back side, and the air mail mark 5 mentioned above on the lower left side. or a state in which each character of the air mail mark 5 is recognized in the forward direction (upward direction), which will be described later, is conveyed with the air mail mark 5 facing upward, or vice versa, or a state in which the air mail mark 5 is conveyed in the upper right side, as described later. A state in which each character of the air mail mark 5 is recognized in the opposite direction (downward) is defined as downward. Then, depending on the combination of the front side, back side, upward direction, or downward direction, it is determined that the front side is facing up, the front side is facing down, the back side is facing up, or the back side is facing down, and the corresponding mail item P
the above-mentioned accumulation section 2). It is designed to be divided into 28, 29 or 30 sections and accumulated.

FIG. 1 shows the main parts of the electric circuit. That is,
Reference numerals 83 and 84 denote image memories, each of which stores the read signal supplied from the reading section 14 and 15, that is, a color signal consisting of a blue signal, as binary image information. The green light on the entire back surface 6 is stored as image information. The outputs of these image memories 83 and 84 are supplied to corresponding detection circuits 85 and 86, respectively.

These detection circuits 85 and 86 detect image information of only the blue signal supplied from the respective image memories 83 and 84.
A mask is created depending on whether or not the above green signal exists concentratedly within a certain range, and each mask is made into a block,
From this block pattern, a candidate block that is thought to be Air Mail Mark 5 is detected and detected, and each character of the character pattern that appears is detected and cut out one by one from this air mail mark candidate plot. There is. Furthermore, the detection circuits 85 and 86 normalize each character pattern of the candidate block, that is, the detected and extracted character information, sample it, and then output it to the character Wg recognition section 87.

This character recognition unit 87 recognizes the character information of the candidate block considered to be an air mail mark supplied from the detection circuits 85 and 86, that is, each character pattern, by a method such as matching it with a reference pattern for the alphabet in the dictionary 88. Then, the result is output to the determination section 41. The above dictionary I88 is an alphabet whose character pattern is in the positive direction (A.

B, C1, . . .), and alphabetical patterns (v, [, 3, . . .) whose character patterns are in the opposite direction.

The determination section 41 determines whether or not it is an air mail mark based on the recognition result supplied from the character recognition section 87. As a result of this determination, when it is determined that the mark is an air mail mark, the determining section 41 determines whether the mark is front or reverse depending on which reading section 14 or 15 reads the recognition result. Further, the determination unit 41 determines the vertical direction of the mail P according to the forward direction or reverse direction of the characters in the above recognition result. As a result, the determination unit 4
1, signals corresponding to the above-mentioned determination results are output to the control section 42. For example, when a recognition result based on character information of an air mail mark in the forward direction read by the reading unit 14 is supplied, a front upward signal is output,
Based on the text information of the airmail mark in the opposite direction <Wgia
When a result is supplied, outputs a front side downward signal, and when a recognition result based on character information of the air mail mark in the forward direction read by the reading unit 15 is supplied, outputs a back side upward signal; When a recognition result based on character information of an air mail mark in the opposite direction is supplied, a back downward direction signal is output. If the determination unit 41 does not determine that it is an air mail mark, the determination unit 41 uses the detection circuits 85 and 86 to detect and cut out each character pattern of the next air mail mark candidate block, and extracts each character pattern of the candidate block. The result of character recognition is determined by

The control unit 42 determines the front and back sides and direction of the mail P to be conveyed in accordance with the front/back and up/down direction determination signals from the determination unit 41 and the flap detection signals from the flap detection unit 16 or 17. It is. At this time, the control section 42 places more emphasis on the determination signal supplied from the determination section 41. Further, the control section 42 controls various switches (
(not shown), the front/back side determination result, the direction determination result, and the conveyance detector 43 provided on each conveyance path.
The gates 20, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are switched and controlled by driving the gate drive unit 44 in accordance with detection signals from...

Further, 46 is a take-out unit drive unit, which is the control unit 4.
The extractor 12 is driven in accordance with a control signal from the extractor 2.

Further, reference numeral 47 denotes a motor drive unit, which operates the transport path 13.2), .
22 and 51.

Next, the operation in this configuration will be explained. For example, now, the switching mode switch 3 on the operator panel 32
By selecting 3, the mode is switched to air mail mail mode, and then by pressing a switch (not shown), the retrieval section 1 is selected.
2) and each conveyor path 13.2) and 2.
Drive 2. Then, the leveling unit 5 is removed by the extraction unit 12.
The mails P supplied from the supply section 2 or the mails P from the supply section 11 are taken out one by one and conveyed on the conveyance path 13. Only the green signal is read from the written information on each side of the mail P being conveyed by the reading section 14.15, and the green signal is supplied to the image memory 83.84, respectively. As a result, the image memories 83 and 84 respectively store image information of only the green signal on each side of the mail P, and the stored image information is output to the detection circuits 85 and 86, respectively. Then, these detection circuits 8
5.86 detects a candidate block that is considered to be air mail mark 5 from each side of the postal item P in the supplied image information, detects and cuts out each character pattern of this block one character at a time, and The detected and extracted character information is normalized, sampled, and output to the character recognition section 87.

As a result, the character recognition unit 87 recognizes each character of the air mail mark candidate block supplied from the detection circuits 85 and 86 in the positive alphabet (A,
8. Reference pattern for C1...) or word I
Reverse alphabet in 88 (v19, Dl...
) by matching the reference pattern with the reference pattern, etc.
lm is performed and the recognition results are output to the determination unit 41.

Next, the determination section 41 determines whether or not it is an air mail mark based on the recognition result supplied from the character 11 section 87. If it is determined to be an air mail mark by this determination, the determination unit 41 determines whether the recognized air mail mark 5 is front or back based on which reading unit 14 or 15 has read it. The vertical direction of the mail P is determined according to the forward or reverse direction of the characters of the air mail mark, and front/back and up/down determination signals are output to the control section 42. That is, when the recognition result based on the character information of the air mail mark in the forward direction read by the reading unit 14 is supplied, the surface upward signal is output, and the recognition result based on the character information of the air mail mark in the reverse direction is output. When the result is supplied, it outputs the front side downward signal, and when the recognition result based on the character information of the air mail mark in the forward direction read by the reading section 15 is supplied, it outputs the back side upward signal. , if a result of <vlX is supplied based on the character information of the air mail mark in the opposite direction, a back downward signal is output.

For example, when the front surface 1 of an air mail item P as shown in FIG. Only a blue signal is extracted from the scanned signal using a filter or the like, and the green signal is stored in the image memory 83 as image information. The image information stored in the image memory 83 is output to the detection circuit 85.

This detection circuit 85 detects each character pattern (AIRMAIL) of a candidate block that is considered to be Air Mail Mark 5 from the image information consisting of the green signal supplied from the image memory 83.
is detected and cut out, and each of the detected and cut out character patterns is normalized and sampled, and then output to the character recognition section 87.

Each character pattern supplied to the character recognition unit 81 is stored in a dictionary 8.
8, and the recognition results are output to the determination unit 41. As a result, the determination unit 41 receives the i! from the character recognition unit 87! ! If an air mail mark is determined based on the recognition result, and it is determined that the air mail mark is in the forward direction, it is determined that the air mail mark is facing upward on the surface, and a surface upward direction signal is output.

Further, when the air mail item P is conveyed upside down with the front side 1 of the air mail item P upside down as shown in FIG. The entire surface of the screen is read and scanned, and only a blue signal is extracted from the read and scanned signal using a filter or the like, and the blue signal is stored in the image memory 83 as image information. The image information stored in the image memory 83 is output to the detection circuit 85. This detection circuit 85 detects each character pattern (VIHNVI'T) of a candidate block that is considered to be Air Mail Mark 5 from the image information consisting of the green signal supplied from the image memory 83.
is detected and cut out, each of the detected and cut out character patterns is normalized and sampled, and then output to the character section 81. Each character pattern supplied to the character recognition unit 81 is stored in a dictionary 88.
The recognition results are output to the determination section 41.

As a result, the determination unit 41 determines the air mail mark based on the recognition result supplied from the character recognition unit 87.
Moreover, if it is determined that the air mail mark is in the opposite direction, it is determined that it is facing downward on the front surface, and a surface downward direction signal is output.

Further, when the front side 1 of the air mail item P as shown in FIG. 2 is conveyed to the reading unit 15, the determination unit 41 outputs a back side up signal by operating in the same manner as described above.

Roughly speaking, when an air mail item P is conveyed to the reading unit 15 in an upside-down state with the surface 1 of the air mail item P upside down as shown in FIG.
The determination unit 41 outputs a backside downward signal.

Further, the mail P conveyed on the conveyance path 13 passes through stamp detection sections 81 and 82 and flap detection sections 16 and 17.
sent to. The flap 7 of the mail P conveyed to the flap detection sections 16 and 17 is detected by the flap detection section 16 or 17, and the detection result is output to the control section 42.

The control unit 42 determines the front/back and up/down direction of the corresponding mail P by giving more importance to the front/back and up/down determination signals supplied from the determination unit 41 . However, if the front and back and up and down directions of the corresponding mail P are not determined based on the determination signal supplied from the determination section 41 and the detection result supplied from the flap detection section 16 or 17, the control section 42 The gate drive unit 44 switches the gate 20 to supply the corresponding mail P to the conveyance path 13 again via the reversing conveyance path 22, and performs the determination process.

The mail P whose front and back sides and direction could not be determined in this second determination process is sent to the gate 20.2 by the gate drive section 44.
3. Switch 24, 25, and 26 to separate conveyance path 2)
are transported and sorted and accumulated in the reject accumulation section 31. As a result, the stacking section 31 accumulates mail pieces P whose front and back sides and orientations could not be determined.

Further, the control section 42 receives the determination signal supplied from the determination section 41 and the flap detection section 16 or 1.
When front/back and orientation can be determined based on the detection result supplied from 7, that is, when a front side upward signal is supplied from the determination unit 41, it is determined that the front side of the mail P is upward, and this determination result is determined. The gates 20 and 23 are switched by driving the gate drive section 44 in accordance with the above. Then, the corresponding mail P is conveyed through the sorting conveyance path 2) and then accumulated in the accumulation section 27. As a result, the mail P with the front surface facing upward is accumulated in the accumulation section 27. Further, when the control unit 42 receives the front-down direction signal from the determination unit 41, the control unit 42 determines that the front side of the mail P is facing downward, and drives the gate drive unit 44 according to this determination result. Switch gates 20.23 and 24. Then, the corresponding mail P is conveyed through the sorting conveyance path 2) and then accumulated in the accumulation section 28.

As a result, in the stacking section 28, the mail P with the surface facing downward is stored.
is accumulated. Further, the control unit 42 determines that the back side of the mail P is facing upward when the back side upward signal is supplied from the determination unit 41 or when the flap detection signal is supplied from the flap detection unit 16, By driving the gate drive unit 44 according to this determination result, the gate 2
Switch 0.23, 24 and 25. Then, the corresponding mail P is conveyed through the classification conveyance path 2), and then
It is accumulated in the accumulation section 29. As a result, the postal items P are stacked in the stacking section 29 with the back side facing upward. Further, the control unit 42 determines that the back side of the mail P is facing downward when the back side downward signal is supplied from the determination unit 41 or when the flap detection signal is supplied from the flap detection unit 17, The gates 20, 23, 24, 25 and 2 are
Switch 6. Then, the corresponding mail P is conveyed through the sorting conveyance path 2) and then accumulated in the accumulation section 30. As a result, the mail pieces P are stacked in the stacking section 30 with the back side facing downward.

As described above, mail items can be sorted and stacked with their front and back sides and orientation aligned. This prevents automatic mail sorting machines from erroneously recognizing sender information or correspondence written on the back side, or from accidentally printing stamps, barcodes, etc. on the front or back side, and post-processing. accuracy can be improved.

In addition, if the air mail mark 5 is a white letter written in blue as shown in FIG. can be done.

In the above embodiments, mails from overseas are particularly used as paper sheets. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the invention is not limited to this, but can also be applied to envelopes other than mails, parcels, and packaging tubes used in the manufacturing industry, distribution industry, etc. Processing equipment for artifacts, etc., as well as various paper sheets,
For example, it can be applied to detecting specific paper sheets such as securities.

Further, in the above embodiment, the dictionary is provided with reference patterns of the alphabet in the forward and reverse directions, but for example, rAIRMAILJ and rB
If the reference pattern of seven letters of the alphabet (A, B, I, L, M, R, Y), which is used in a limited manner such as Y AIRJ, is provided in the forward and reverse directions, a faster II can be achieved. can be done.

In addition, as an example, the air mail mark is extracted using a blue signal as a specific color signal, that is, only the air mail mark written in blue has been described, but the invention is not limited to this. It can also be applied to extract and RIME airmail marks.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus for determining the front and back sides of paper sheets, which can accurately determine the front and back sides of mail items, for example.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 show an embodiment of this invention.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the main parts of the electrical circuit of the mail sorting, sorting and stamping machine; Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views showing the front and back sides of mail, which is an example of paper sheets; Fig. 4; 5 and 5 are diagrams schematically showing the configuration of the mail sorting, canceling and stamping machine, and FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d) are diagrams showing examples of writing air mail marks, respectively. P...Postal item (paper leaf), 1...Front side, 2...Stamp, 5...Airmail mark, 6...Back side, 7...
Flap (sealing), 12... Removal section, 13... Conveyance path, 14.15... Reading section, 16.11... Flap detection section, 20.23.24.25.26... Gate, 2)...Divided conveyance path, 22...Reverse conveyance path, 2
) to 31... accumulation section, 41... judgment section, 42...
Control unit, 83.84... Image memory, 85.86...
- Detection circuit, 87...Character recognition unit, 88...Dictionary.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) First and second reading means that are provided facing each other on both sides of the paper sheet to be conveyed and read the information written on the paper sheet, and the first and second reading means read the information. The first step extracts only specific color signals from the reading results obtained.
, a second extraction means, and a first for determining specific information based on the specific color signals extracted by the first and second extraction means.
and a second determining unit that determines whether the paper sheet is front or back depending on whether the specific information is determined from the reading result of the first or second reading unit based on the determination result of the first determining unit.
1. An apparatus for determining the front and back sides of paper sheets, comprising: determining means. (2) The apparatus for determining the front and back sides of paper sheets according to claim 1, wherein the specific information is an air mail mark.