JPH01209247A - Automatic assorter for mail - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To assort a mail recognizing an entered letter by providing a discriminating part which discriminates a direction of the mail by a scanning signal from a scanning part. CONSTITUTION:When a mail passes through scanning parts 3a, 3b both sides of the mail are scanned by a device, for instance, like a video camera, and a scanning signal is fed to a discriminating part. The discriminating part 20 decides an address for whether or not it exists by the scanning signal and up-down directions by recognizing a letter, discriminating combination of four kinds of surfaces and directions to be determined as shown by A, B, C, D. Being based on this discriminating result of the discriminating part 20, first controlling a switch 12, up and down directions are aligned for the mails A, D passing through a straight conveying route 4a and the mails B, C passing through a twist part 4b. Next, controlling a switch 13, the mail in an obverse direction passes through a straight conveying route 9a, and the mail in a reverse direction passes through a switchback part 9b. In this way, all the mails assorting the direction are finally collected to a collecting part 10.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention is an automatic mail sorting method that automatically arranges mail collected in various directions (usually four directions) in a --like face/orientation. Regarding equipment.

[Conventional technology]

In conventional devices, the position of the stamp is calculated by detecting the color component or luminescent component of the stamp affixed to the postal item, and the sides and orientations of the postal item are aligned by aligning the positions of the stamps.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

With the above-mentioned conventional devices, if the stamps are affixed in the correct place and there are no confusing stamp stickers or shapes on the mail item, correct sorting is performed, but otherwise, the stamps are not correctly aligned. If the postage is not affixed, or if a stamp that meets the detection specifications is not affixed, there is a problem in that it is difficult to arrange the correct side and orientation of the mail items.

[Means to solve the problem]

The automatic mail sorting device of the present invention detects stamps as a means for aligning mail pieces in the same direction.
Conventionally, a method of distinguishing by detecting a red frame has been used, but now we have developed a method of determining the direction of the letters of the addressee written on the mail item, the amount of letters written on the front and back, the size, etc. I am using it. The configuration of the device for this purpose includes a conveyance unit that conveys the mail, an automatic supply unit that automatically supplies the mail to the conveyance unit, and two units that scan both sides of the mail from the conveyance unit. a scanning unit, a determining unit that determines the direction of the mail by determining the direction of the letters of the address written on the mail from the scanning signals from these scanning units, and a determining unit that moves the mail in a predetermined direction. A first direct transport route in which the mail items that are determined to be present are directly transported as is, and mail items that are determined to be not in the predetermined direction by the determination section are twisted 180 degrees and are transported from the first direct transport route. a second direct transport route that allows mail items determined to be in a predetermined direction by the determination unit to continue straight; It has a switchback section that switches back and merges with the mail determined to be in the predetermined direction, and a stacking section that accumulates the mail.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. In the same figure, the mail is 1
One by one, the paper is automatically fed into the conveyance section 2 from the automatic supply section 1 or the connection section 1' from other equipment.

In the conveying section 2, a conveying belt conveyed by conveying rollers sandwiches and conveys the mail item.

When the mail passes through the scanning sections 3a and 3b, both sides of the mail are scanned by, for example, a video camera, and the scanning signals are sent to the discrimination section. Based on the scanning signal, the discrimination section 20 determines whether there is an addressee (which side is the front or back) and the vertical direction by recognizing the characters.
, D, four combinations of surfaces and directions are determined.

Based on the determination result of the determination unit 200, first, the switch 12
is controlled, and the mail items A and D in Figure 2 are transported directly)
4a, and the mail items B and C pass through the twisted part 4b,
The bottom direction is aligned. Next, the switch 13 is controlled, and the front mail passes through the direct transport route 9a, and the back mail passes through the switchback section 9b. In this way, the stacking section 10 finally accumulates mail items that are aligned in all directions.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In a situation where the number of mail items that do not require stamps is increasing compared to the past, the present invention has been developed by recognizing the characters written on mail items, regardless of the presence or absence of stamps or the presence or absence of red frames. This has the effect of making it possible to carry out an inventory.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanation showing the surface, direction, and flow of operations of mail items to be transported. In the figure, 1... automatic supply section, 1'...
...Connection section, 2...Transportation section, 3a, 3b...
...Scanning section, 4a... Direct conveyance route, 4b
...Twist part, 9a...Direct conveyance route, 9b...Switchback part, 10...
...Accumulation section, 12.13...Switch, 20.
...Discrimination section. Agent Patent Attorney Oto Uchihara

Claims (1)

[Claims] a conveying section that conveys mail; an automatic supply section that automatically supplies the mail to the conveying section; two scanning sections that scan both sides of the mail from the conveying section; and these scanning sections. a determination unit that determines the direction of the mail by determining the direction of letters of the address written on the mail from an operation signal from the mail, and a determination unit that determines the direction of the mail by determining the direction of the letters of the address written on the mail, and a determination unit that determines the direction of the mail by determining the direction of the mail, a first orthogonal conveyance route for directly transporting the mail as it is; a twisting section for twisting the mail determined by the determination section to be not in a predetermined direction by 180 degrees to join the mail from the first orthogonal transport route; A second direct conveyance route in which mail items determined by the determination unit to be in a predetermined direction are directly transported, and mail items determined to be not in a predetermined direction by the determination unit are switched back and returned to the predetermined direction. 1. An automatic mail sorting device comprising: a switchback section for merging mails determined to be in the same place; and a stacking section for stacking the mails.