JP2758463B2 - Control method for automatic prepaid card printing apparatus and document holder used therefor - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control method of a prepaid card automatic printing apparatus capable of easily printing a desired pattern by the number of sheets corresponding to an inserted amount, and a document holder used therefor. Things.

[Conventional technology]

As a prepaid card printing apparatus, there is a telephone card printing apparatus (printer). This means that the owner of the telephone card printing device keeps the originals such as photos prepared by the applicant who created the original telephone card, and after deciding the layout in consultation with the applicant, the owner prints it and creates the original telephone card doing. The owner operates with a prepaid card such as a telephone card as a cash voucher. It is necessary to be careful when handling it, and the amount to be handled (the number of sheets to be printed) differs from an ordinary vending machine. This is because it is necessary to perform trial printing to check the state of printing, and because trial printing may be used as a fake card, it must be securely disposed of.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Such a conventional prepaid card printing method has the following problems.

Phone card printing device owner not present (before opening,
After closing the store and on holidays), original telephone cards cannot be created.

Since the owner of the telephone card printer intervenes in the creation of the original telephone card, the original telephone card cannot be created with free ideas.

The finish may be one to two days later due to the owner of the telephone card printing device, and is not available on the spot.

The operation requires a certain amount of knowledge, so it is quite troublesome for a person who wants to create an original telephone card to handle it himself.

An object of the present invention is that a conventional telephone card printing apparatus requires a certain level of knowledge without much troublesome operation, and that the owner of the telephone card printing apparatus intervenes in the creation of an original telephone card. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling a prepaid card automatic printing apparatus which solves inconveniences such as making an original telephone card with a free idea and being unable to obtain the telephone card on the spot, and a document holder used therefor.

[Means for solving the problem]

A method of controlling a prepaid card automatic printing apparatus according to the present invention is configured to notify an operator before printing when the inserted amount does not correspond to the set number of printed prepaid cards. (Claim (1)).

Further, a test print card based on the picture of the set document is presented to the operator, and thereafter, the print screen of the test print card is destroyed (claim (2)).

Further, if a print stop instruction is issued before the number of printed sheets is reached, an amount obtained by subtracting an amount corresponding to the number of prepaid cards already printed is returned (claim (3)).

The document holder used in the present invention includes a document holding portion and an opening corresponding to a region where a picture is printed (claim (4)).

[Action]

In the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention, if the inserted amount does not correspond to the set number of prints, the operator is notified that the amount does not correspond to the set number of prints. Can be taken.

In the invention described in claim (2), the test print card is shown to the operator, and then the print screen of the card is destroyed, so that the test print card is not misused.

Further, in the invention according to claim (3), when an instruction to stop printing is input before the set number of prints has been reached, the amount corresponding to the number of prepaid cards already printed is calculated from the inserted amount. And the deducted amount will be returned.

In the invention described in claim (4), since the document holder has the document holding portion and the opening corresponding to the area where the picture is printed, the portion of the document to be printed is aligned with the opening. The document can be aligned.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an automatic prepaid card printing apparatus used in the embodiment of the present invention, with a cover opened. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body having a front panel 2 provided with the following components. That is,
Reference numeral 3 denotes a layout unit, which is made of a glass plate or the like, and the size of the instruction frame 4 is printed on a prepaid card (not shown).
That is, the focal point of the lens of the photographing device inside the main body 1 coincides with the layout section 3, and the document portion having the size of the indication frame 4 is photographed. A document holder 40 is rotatably connected to one end of the layout unit 3 by a hinge 5. The document holder 40 will be described later in detail. 6 is a trial printing confirmation window, 7 is a cutting confirmation window,
Reference numeral 8 denotes a guidance display, and reference numeral 9 denotes a charge slot, which can be used for either bills, money, or both. 10 is a numeric keypad, 11 is a confirmation key, 12 is a print start key, 13 is a restart key, 14 is a print stop key, 15 is a proof print start key, 16 is a color mode key, 17 is a contrast key, 18 is a reduction key, 19 is a correction key, 20 is a document mode key, 21 is a key hole for a tamper-proof cover, 22 is a set key, 23 is a read key, 24 is a cancel key, 25 is a clear key, and 26 is a print display to confirm a normal state. Lamp, 27 is an alarm lamp for confirming an abnormal state, 28 is a power lamp, 29 is a change-out lamp, 30 is a cover for preventing tampering, 31 is a hinge, and the cover 30 is rotatably connected to the main body 1. ing. Reference numeral 32 denotes a key hole for a tamper-proof cover, which corresponds to the key hole 21 for the tamper-proof cover of the main body 1.

Next, with reference to FIGS.
Will be described in detail. Reference numeral 41 denotes a base, around which a projecting frame 42 having a height corresponding to the thickness of the document is formed, and the periphery thereof is fixed on the frame 42 so as to be superimposed on the entire surface of the base 41 and has a somewhat elasticity. The holding plate 43 is fixed, whereby the base 41
A space corresponding to the document thickness is formed between the document and the holding plate 43. An opening 44 is formed in the center of the holding plate 43. The opening 44 is further provided so that a document (not shown) can be easily sandwiched.
A notch 45 is provided in which each side of 44 is extended. Therefore, each side forming the opening 44 is provided with a notch
45 allows the document to be lifted upward with respect to the paper surface in FIG. 2 (a) and in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 (c), so that a document larger than the opening 44 can be lifted upward in FIG. 2 (a). , Can be mounted on the document holder 40 by sandwiching it between the lower facing piece or the left and right facing pieces, and the operator moves the document so that a desired pattern comes to the opening 44. be able to. The holding plate 43 is made of plastic, metal, paper, or the like, and the base 41 preferably has some elasticity and presses the original against the holding plate 43. The upper, lower, left, and right sides of the frame 42 are provided with opposing and missing portions, and a gap is formed between the holding plate 43 and a document insertion opening for a vertical document, and a document insertion for a horizontal document. Mouth and mouth are provided. This original insertion slot is used for a relatively thick original, and the notch 45 is used for a thin original. In the above embodiment, the holding plate 43 having the cut portion 45 in one document holder 40 and the document plate having the document insertion port are shown, but these may be formed separately. In the case of a system in which a document is inserted from a document insertion opening that does not use the cutout portion 45, glass can be used as the holding plate 43.

In this way, the portion other than the opening 44 functions as a document holding unit. In the main body 1, in addition to the above-described photographing device, a printer, an arithmetic unit, a blank prepaid card on which magnetic storage is performed, and a few thousands of blank sheets for test printing are incorporated. Omitted.

An outline of the automatic prepaid card printing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described in terms of functions.

The operation unit is protected by the cover 30 on the front panel 2 when not in use.

-The automatic device section turns on the power supply of the printer after reading the fee by the control section in the apparatus, and further manages from the end of printing to the settlement of change. That is, the fee is read, and the fee is converted into the number of sheets. Calculate the charge and the number of prints, and get the result. If an error occurs as a result of the comparison calculation, the number of prints is corrected and the comparison calculation is repeated. If the result of the comparison calculation is correct, the printer power is turned on to enable printing. All the above operations can be canceled with the clear key 25. In the guidance display 8, "Please enter the fee.""Specify the number of prints with the numeric keypad.""The number of prints is incorrect. Press the clear key and then specify the number with the numeric keypad again, or press the cancel key. And start over from the beginning. "Is displayed, and the operator operates according to the instruction.

The test printing section manages test printing up to the actual printing by the control section. That is, printing mistakes such as composition, color, characters, and stains are prevented or canceled, or cancel lock (cannot be interrupted), confirmation of test printing, and the like are performed.

-The test print processing unit disposes of the test print card so that it cannot be used. That is, since the test print card is made of the same material and the same standard as the prepaid card, it is printed with a "sample", a "test print card" or the like. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a cutting treatment as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, or to perform a heat treatment, a chemical treatment, a coating treatment, a recovery incineration treatment, or the like.

-The printing unit manages from the start of printing to the completion of the card. That is, print start processing, print number subtraction processing, print stop processing, processing of sending out a printed prepaid card to an outlet (not shown), and the like are performed.

Next, a control method for the automatic prepaid card printing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 3, (1) to (32) indicate each step, steps (1) to (10) correspond to the invention of claim (1), and steps (11) to (20) correspond to claim (2). ) In the invention,
Steps (21) to (32) correspond to the invention of claim (3), and FIG. 2 described above corresponds to the invention of claim (4).

First, the key is opened and the cover 30 is opened (1), a fee is inserted from the fee input port 9 (2), and the number is set using the numeric keypad 10 (3). As a result, the calculation unit reads the charge input amount and the set number of sheets and performs a comparison calculation (4). As a comparison method, calculate the amount obtained by multiplying the reading amount of the input amount and the number of readings of the specified number of prints by the unit price, or calculate the number obtained by dividing the reading amount of the input amount by the unit price and the number of readings of the specified number of printed sheets, and calculate the amount. It is done by converting to The result is displayed on the guidance display 8 by screen display, printing, voice, sound, and the like (5), and the operator determines whether the setting content is OK (6), and if OK, confirms with the confirmation key 11 ( 7). As a result, the printer power is turned on (8). If the display result is not OK in step (6), it is determined whether or not to continue the operation (9). If the display result is to be continued, the process returns to step (3).
Cancel processing is performed using (10).

Next, the user presses the trial printing start key 15 to start trial printing. When the trial printing is ready (11), the guidance display 8 displays a procedure, notes, and the like (12). The operation sets the document in the document holder 40 while reading the display on the guidance display 8 (13). Then, lay out and decide which part of the document to print (1
Four). At this stage, it is determined whether to continue the work again or to stop the work because the document is not satisfactory (15), and to continue the test print start processing (16). When the trial printing is completed (17), a trial printing card is sent to the trial printing confirmation window 6 and is checked (18). If unsatisfied and correction is necessary, a correction process is performed using the correction key 19 (19). ), And return to step (11). Then, in step (15), it is determined whether or not to continue the work.
After the second correction, cancellation is not possible (when the test print is performed twice, at least one actual print must be performed).
Cancel key 24 when you want to stop the work in step (15)
Cancel processing is performed using (20).

Then, after the trial printing is completed, a print start process is started (21). When the print start key 12 is pressed to start printing (22), the test print card is simultaneously sent to a cutting machine for cutting and cut. This state can be confirmed from the disconnection confirmation window 7 (23). The cut cards are collected in a collection box (24). On the other hand, the set number of prepaid cards to be printed is displayed on the guidance display 8 (26), but the number is reduced each time printing is performed (25). After printing (28), if there is a change, the change is returned (29). When the printing is stopped during the printing (27), it is determined whether the printing is stopped or stopped (30). If the printing is stopped, the restart process is started by using the restart key 13 (31).
Returning to step (25), when printing is stopped (32), the amount canceled through step (28) is returned as change. (29).

The balance can be settled by calculating the difference between the “read amount of input amount” and “the amount obtained by multiplying the number of read items already created by the unit price”, or
The difference between the number of readings already created and the number of readings multiplied by the unit price "
This is performed by calculating the difference between “the amount of input money read and the number of printed sheets read multiplied by the unit price”.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to telephone cards, but is obviously used widely for automatic printing of prepaid cards.

〔The invention's effect〕

In the invention according to claim (1) according to the present invention, when the input amount does not correspond to the set number of prints, the operator is notified before printing that the input amount does not correspond, so after printing, It is possible to prevent a trouble such as a shortage of the number of sheets or an incorrect input amount.

In the invention described in claim (2), since the print screen of the test print card is always destroyed, it is possible to completely prevent misuse such as selling the test print card mixed with the prepaid card. Can be.

Further, according to the invention described in claim (3), if an instruction to stop printing is issued before the set number of prints is reached, an amount obtained by subtracting the amount corresponding to the number of already printed sheets is returned. Even if the user stops printing for some reason, no damage will occur thereafter.

According to the invention described in claim (4), since the document holder is provided with the document holding portion and the opening corresponding to the area where the picture is printed, only the necessary portion of the document is set in accordance with the opening. Thus, the use of this document holder allows even the first operator to easily print the prepaid card.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of an automatic prepaid card printing apparatus used in the embodiment of the present invention, with a cover opened, and FIGS. 2 (a), (b) and (c) are originals shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holder and its cross-sectional view taken along lines AA and BB. In the figure, 1 is a main body, 2 is a front panel, 3 is a layout section,
4 is an instruction frame, 5 is a hinge, 6 is a trial printing confirmation window, 7 is a cutting confirmation window, 8 is a guidance display, 9 is a charge slot, 10 is a numeric keypad, 11 is a confirmation key, 12 is a print start key, and 13 is a print start key. A restart key, 14 is a print stop key, 15 is a trial printing start key, 22 is a set key, 23 is a read key, 24 is a cancel key, 30 is a cover, 40 is a document holder, 41 is a base, 42 is a frame, 43 is a holding plate, 44 is an opening, and 45 is a notch.

(72) Inventor Hideaki Kawamura 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Shinji Kawaguchi 1-16-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Stocks In-company (72) Inventor Shojiro Hashimoto 4-233 Onita, Ichikawa-shi, Chiba In-house information space service (56) References JP-A-61-240389 (JP, A) JP-A-57- 146392 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model 63-97575 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41M 3/06 G07B 1/00 B42D 15/10

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] In a control method of an automatic printing apparatus for printing a pattern of an original set on a prepaid card by a number corresponding to the inserted amount, when the inserted amount does not correspond to the set number of printed prepaid cards. A method for controlling an automatic prepaid card printing apparatus, wherein an operator is notified of the non-correspondence before printing the prepaid card. 2. A method for controlling an automatic printing apparatus for printing a picture of a document set on a prepaid card by a number corresponding to an insertion amount, wherein a test printing card based on the picture of the set document is presented to an operator. A method for controlling a prepaid card automatic printing apparatus, wherein a print screen of the test print card is destroyed after the presentation. 3. A control method of an automatic printing apparatus for printing a picture of an original set on a prepaid card by a number corresponding to an insertion amount, wherein an instruction to stop printing is issued before the set number of printed prepaid cards is reached. A method for controlling an automatic prepaid card printing apparatus, characterized in that when input, an amount obtained by subtracting an amount corresponding to the number of prepaid cards already printed from the inserted amount is returned. 4. A document holder for holding a document used in the control method of the automatic printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document holder and a pattern are printed. An original holder for use in a control method of a prepaid card automatic printing apparatus, comprising: an opening corresponding to an area.