JP7631177B2 - Automatic transaction device, medium reading method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automated transaction device, a medium reading method, and a program.

Conventionally, automated teller machines such as ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) are equipped with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) units as a means for reading media such as forms. The OCR unit may have a configuration (hereinafter referred to as the "first configuration") in which media taken into the automated teller machine is read within a passbook unit inside the automated teller machine, or a configuration (hereinafter referred to as the "second configuration") in which a camera photographs media placed in a specified position (such as a dedicated stand) on the automated teller machine and reads the media (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-353266 A

When the OCR unit has the first configuration, there is a possibility that the media taken into the automated transaction device may be media that has been bent, folded, distorted, or otherwise deformed (hereinafter referred to as "deformed media"), and the deformed media may become jammed inside the passbook unit, causing the automated transaction device to stop. In addition, when media is taken into the automated transaction device, it is no longer visible to the customer, and there is a risk that the media that is to be returned after the transaction is completed may be forgotten to be taken out. Furthermore, in order to read media within the passbook unit, the passbook unit must be specially designed, which increases the cost of the unit.

When the OCR unit has the second configuration, there is a risk that the medium placed in a specified position on the automated transaction device may not be read properly due to the influence of the external environment. For example, the influence of external light such as light from lighting fixtures such as fluorescent lights or sunlight may cause the medium to become overexposed, or the influence of humidity may cause the medium to bend, bend, warp, or otherwise deform, resulting in the medium not being read properly.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an automated transaction device, a media reading method, and a program that can eliminate media jamming within the device, prevent media from being forgotten to be removed and prevent the device from becoming expensive, and can read media normally without being affected by the external environment.

One aspect of the device is an automatic transaction device comprising a display unit, a display control unit that causes a medium area specifying an area in which a medium is to be placed to be displayed on the display unit, an imaging unit that images the medium placed on the medium area displayed on the display unit, an image processing unit that performs image processing on the image obtained by imaging by the imaging unit, a character recognition unit that performs character recognition on the image after the image processing by the image processing unit, and a whiteout detection unit that detects a whiteout position in an image, wherein the imaging unit images a display surface of the display unit, the whiteout detection unit detects a whiteout position on the display surface represented in the image obtained by imaging the display surface by the imaging unit, and the display control unit changes the position of the medium area to be displayed on the display unit based on the whiteout position on the display surface detected by the whiteout detection unit.

One aspect of the method is a medium reading method in which an automatic transaction device performs the following steps: displays on a display unit a medium area that specifies an area in which a medium is to be placed, captures an image of the medium placed on the medium area displayed on the display unit with an imaging unit, performs image processing on the image obtained by imaging with the imaging unit, and performs character recognition on the image after image processing; captures an image of a display surface of the display unit with the imaging unit, detects a blown-out position on the display surface shown in the image obtained by imaging the display surface with the imaging unit, and changes the position of the medium area to be displayed on the display unit based on the detected blown-out position on the display surface .

One aspect of the program is a program that causes a processor to execute the following processes: displaying on a display unit a media area that specifies an area where a medium is to be placed, capturing an image of the medium placed on the media area displayed on the display unit with an imaging unit, performing image processing on the image obtained by imaging with the imaging unit, and performing character recognition on the image after image processing; capturing an image of a display surface of the display unit with the imaging unit, detecting a position of blown-out highlights on the display surface that is shown in the image obtained by imaging the display surface with the imaging unit, and changing the position of the media area to be displayed on the display unit based on the detected position of blown-out highlights on the display surface .

The present invention eliminates media jamming inside the device, prevents media from being left behind and increases in device costs, and allows media to be read normally regardless of the external environment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an automatic transaction device according to an embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an external configuration of an automatic transaction apparatus according to an embodiment; 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an imaging range of an OCR camera unit; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an automatic transaction device according to an embodiment. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a transaction process. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a form reading process (medium reading process). FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a document area position adjustment process performed by an automatic transaction apparatus equipped with a fixed OCR camera unit before operation (when the apparatus is installed). 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a document area position adjustment process performed during operation by an automatic transaction device equipped with a fixed OCR camera unit. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a document area position adjustment process performed by an automatic transaction device equipped with a movable OCR camera unit before operation (when the device is installed). 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a document area position adjustment process performed by an automatic transaction device equipped with a movable OCR camera unit during operation.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an automated transaction device according to an embodiment. The functional configuration illustrated in Fig. 1 shows a functional configuration related to a medium reading function of the automated transaction device, and functional configurations related to other functions of the automated transaction device are not shown. The automated transaction device is, for example, an ATM, and is installed in a financial institution such as a bank. The medium is, for example, a document such as a deposit slip or a transfer form. However, the medium is not limited to these documents, and may be, for example, an identification card.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automated transaction device 1 includes a display unit 10, a display control unit 20, an imaging unit 30, an image processing unit 40, and a character recognition unit 50. The automated transaction device 1 may further include a whiteout detection unit 60, an illuminance detection unit 70, and a humidity detection unit 80.

The display unit 10 displays various screens. The display control unit 20 causes the display unit 10 to display a media area that specifies the area where the medium is to be placed. The imaging unit 30 captures an image of the medium placed on the media area displayed on the display unit 10. The image processing unit 40 performs image processing on the image obtained by imaging with the imaging unit 30. The character recognition unit 50 performs character recognition on the image after image processing by the image processing unit 40. The blown-out highlight detection unit 60 detects blown-out highlight positions in the image. The illuminance detection unit 70 detects the illuminance on the display surface of the display unit 10. The humidity detection unit 80 detects the humidity of the external environment.

The image processing performed by the image processing unit 40 may include a process of cutting out a partial image of the medium shown in the image captured by the imaging unit 30 and converting the shape of the partial image into a rectangular shape.

If the medium is placed outside the media area displayed on the display unit 10, the display control unit 20 may display a message on the display unit 10 urging the customer to correct the position of the medium.

The imaging unit 30 may capture an image of the display surface of the display unit 10, the blown-out highlight detection unit 60 may detect a blown-out highlight position on the display surface shown in an image obtained by imaging the display surface by the imaging unit 30, and the display control unit 20 may change the position of the media area to be displayed on the display unit 10 based on the blown-out highlight position on the display surface detected by the blown-out highlight detection unit 60.

When the display control unit 20 changes the position of the media area to be displayed on the display unit 10, the imaging unit 30 may be moved so that the medium placed on the media area after the position change is included in the imaging range of the imaging unit 30.

The display control unit 20 may cause the display unit 10 to display a message urging the customer to change their standing position when the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection unit 70 is equal to or greater than a specified value. The display control unit 20 may also cause the display unit 10 to display a message urging the customer to correct deformation of the medium when the humidity detected by the humidity detection unit 80 is equal to or greater than a specified value.

In such an automated transaction device 1, media can be read without having to take the media inside the device, which prevents media from getting stuck inside the device, and also prevents customers from forgetting to take the media out because the media is visible to them even while it is being read. In addition, there is no need to make the unit inside the device specially designed for media reading, which helps prevent the device from becoming expensive. Furthermore, it is possible to change the position of the media area displayed on the display unit 10, ask the customer to change their standing position, or have the customer correct any deformations in the media, so media can be read normally regardless of the external environment.

The automated transaction device 1 will now be described in more detail.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an external configuration of an automatic transaction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an image capturing range of an OCR camera unit.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automated transaction device 1 includes an OCR camera unit 101, a passbook insertion/ejection unit 102, a card insertion/ejection unit 103, a coin deposit/withdrawal unit 104, a bill deposit/withdrawal unit 105, a display/input unit 106, an illuminance sensor 107, and a humidity sensor 108.

The OCR camera unit 101 captures an image of a medium placed on the medium area displayed on the display input unit 106. The OCR camera unit 101 is configured such that its imaging range (angle of view) includes at least the entire medium area 201 displayed on the display input unit 106, as in the imaging range 101a illustrated in FIG. 3.

The passbook inserter/ejector 102 accepts and returns passbooks.
The card insertion/ejection unit 103 accepts and returns cards (cash cards, etc.) used in transactions. The card insertion/ejection unit 103 also ejects receipts on which transaction details are printed.
The coin deposit/withdrawal unit 104 accepts deposited coins and dispenses withdrawn coins.
The paper money receiving/dispensing unit 105 accepts deposited paper money and discharges dispensed paper money.

The display/input unit 106 displays various screens such as a transaction screen and receives operational input from customers. As described below, the display/input unit 106 is composed of a display device 106a and a touch panel 106b arranged on the display device 106a.

The illuminance sensor 107 detects the illuminance on the display surface of the display input unit 106. The humidity sensor 108 detects the humidity of the external environment (outside the automated transaction device 1). Note that the locations at which the illuminance sensor 107 and the humidity sensor 108 are installed are not limited to the locations exemplified in FIG. 2, and they may be installed at any location as long as the desired detection can be performed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an automated transaction device according to an embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the automatic transaction device 1 includes a control unit 121, a display input unit 106, an OCR camera unit 101, a card processing unit 122, a passbook processing unit 123, a coin processing unit 124, a banknote processing unit 125, an illuminance sensor 107, a humidity sensor 108, and a power supply unit (power supply panel) 126.

The control unit 121 includes a processor 131, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 132, a communication interface 133, a graphics processing unit 134, an external storage device 135, and an input/output interface 136, which are interconnected by a bus 137. The control unit 121 may further include an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) 138 or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) (not shown) connected to the bus 137. In this case, some of the functions of the control unit 121 may be performed by the FPGA 138 or the ASIC.

The processor 131 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 131 controls the overall operation of the automated transaction device 1 by executing various programs such as an OS (Operating System) program and application programs. For example, the processor 131 controls a medium reading operation such as displaying a medium area on the display input unit 106 (display device 106a), capturing an image of a medium placed on the medium area with the OCR camera unit 101, performing image processing on the image (image data) obtained by the capturing, and performing character recognition on the image after the image processing. The RAM 132 temporarily stores part of the program executed by the processor 131 and is used as a working memory area for the processor 131.

The communication interface 133 is connected to a network (not shown) and communicates with, for example, a host computer (not shown) via the network.
The graphic processing unit 134 is connected to the display device 106 a of the display input unit 106 , and in accordance with control signals from the processor 131 , causes the display device 106 a to display various screens, such as a transaction screen.

The external storage device 135 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD). The external storage device 135 stores various programs executed by the processor 131 and various data required for executing the programs.

The input/output interface 136 is connected to the touch panel 106b of the display input unit 106, the OCR camera unit 101, the card processing unit 122, the passbook processing unit 123, the coin processing unit 124, the banknote processing unit 125, the illuminance sensor 107, and the humidity sensor 108. Although not shown, the automated transaction device 1 may further include a portable recording medium interface capable of writing information to a portable recording medium and reading information from the portable recording medium, and the input/output interface 136 may further be connected to the portable recording medium interface.

The input/output interface 136 notifies the processor 131 of control signals to the touch panel 106b, the OCR camera unit 101, the card processing unit 122, the passbook processing unit 123, the coin processing unit 124, the banknote processing unit 125, the illuminance sensor 107, and the humidity sensor 108. The input/output interface 136 also notifies the processor 131 of signals (data, information) from the touch panel 106b, the OCR camera unit 101, the card processing unit 122, the passbook processing unit 123, the coin processing unit 124, the banknote processing unit 125, the illuminance sensor 107, and the humidity sensor 108.

The display input unit 106 includes a display device 106a and a touch panel 106b arranged on the display device 106a. The display device 106a is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The touch panel 106b detects an operation input to the touch panel 106b and notifies the processor 131 of the detection result.

The OCR camera unit 101 is as described above. The OCR camera unit 101 includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).

The card processing unit 122 inserts and ejects cards from the card insertion/ejection section 103. It also reads and writes information (data) from the magnetic stripe and IC (Integrated Circuit) chip of the inserted card. The card processing unit 122 also prints transaction details on a receipt and ejects it from the card insertion/ejection section 103.

The passbook processing unit 123 inserts and ejects passbooks from the passbook insertion and ejection unit 102. It also reads information (data) recorded on the magnetic stripe of the inserted passbook and writes information into the passbook.

The coin processing unit 124 deposits and withdraws coins through the coin depositing and withdrawing section 104. It also counts and validates deposited coins and counts withdrawn coins.
The banknote processing unit 125 deposits and withdraws banknotes through the banknote deposit/withdrawal unit 105. The banknote processing unit 125 also counts and validates deposited banknotes and counts withdrawn banknotes.

The illuminance sensor 107 and the humidity sensor 108 are as described above. The illuminance sensor 107 includes, for example, a phototransistor, a photodiode, etc. The humidity sensor 108 is, for example, an electronic resistance change type or capacitance change type humidity sensor.
The power supply unit 126 supplies power to each component of the automated transaction device 1 .

In the automated transaction device 1 illustrated in FIG. 4, the display input unit 106 (display device 106a) is an example of the display unit 10. The processor 131 is an example of the display control unit 20, the image processing unit 40, the character recognition unit 50, and the highlighting detection unit 60. The OCR camera unit 101 is an example of the imaging unit 30. The illuminance sensor 107 is an example of the illuminance detection unit 70. The humidity sensor 108 is an example of the humidity detection unit 80.

Next, the transaction processing performed by the automated transaction device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 26. This transaction processing is performed by the processor 131 executing the above-mentioned program. Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of the transaction processing. Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of the document reading processing (medium reading processing). Figures 7 to 26 are diagrams illustrating display screens.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the automated transaction device 1 starts a transaction process, it displays the display screen (transaction selection screen) 301 shown in FIG. 7 on the display input unit 106, and assumes that the customer selects (presses) the "Pay Fee" button 301a (step (hereinafter simply referred to as "S") 101).

Next, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (payment method selection screen) 302 shown in FIG. 8 on the display input unit 106, and determines whether the customer has selected the "Payment by cash" button 302a or the "Payment from card account" button 302b (S102). If it is determined in S102 that the "Payment by cash" button 302a has been selected, the process proceeds to S105, and if it is determined that the "Payment from card account" button 302b has been selected, the process proceeds to S103. In the following, the explanation will be given assuming that the "Payment from card account" button 302b has been selected.

When it is determined in S102 that the "Payment from Card Account" button 302b has been selected, the automated transaction device 1 causes the display input unit 106 to display the display screen (card insertion screen) 303 illustrated in FIG. 9, at which point it is assumed that the customer has inserted the card (S103).

Next, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (PIN input screen) 304 shown in FIG. 10 on the display input unit 106, and assumes that the customer inputs a PIN here (S104). If the input PIN is incorrect or the customer selects the "Correct" button 304a, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (PIN re-entry screen) 305 shown in FIG. 11 on the display input unit 106, and accepts the customer's re-entry of the PIN.

Next, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (payment details input method selection screen) 306 illustrated in FIG. 12 on the display input unit 106, and determines whether the customer selected the "Read document" button 306a or the "Manual input" button 306b (S105).

If it is determined in S105 that the "Manual Input" button 306b has been selected, the automated transaction device 1 displays a payment details input screen (not shown) on the display input unit 106, which accepts input of payment details (payee, payment number, customer name, etc.) from the customer, and it is assumed that the customer has input the payment details here (S111).

On the other hand, if it is determined in S105 that the "Read document" button 306a has been selected, the automated transaction device 1 starts a document reading process (S106). Details of the document reading process will be described later with reference to FIG. 6, but in this process, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen 307 illustrated in FIG. 13, more specifically, the document guidance screen 307 including the document area (medium area) 307a (area 307a surrounded by a dashed frame) that specifies the area in which the document (payment document) that is the payment slip is placed, on the display input unit 106, captures an image of the document placed by the customer on the document area 307a with the OCR camera unit 101, performs image processing on the image obtained by the capture, and performs character recognition on the image after the image processing, thereby reading the document. As a result, the payment details are read from the document and the payment details are input.

After the document reading process is started, the automated transaction device 1 judges whether the document reading has been completed normally (S107). If the judgment result of S107 is NO, the automated transaction device 1 judges whether the elapsed time (reading time) since the document reading process was started is equal to or greater than a specified value (S108). If the judgment result of S108 is NO, the process returns to S107.

On the other hand, if the determination result in S108 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (read failure screen) 308 illustrated in FIG. 14 on the display input unit 106, where it is assumed that the customer receives the form 401 and selects the "Confirm" button 308a (S117). Note that FIG. 14 also illustrates the form 401 placed on the form area 307a (the same applies to FIGS. 23 to 26 described below).

Then, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (payment method selection screen) 309 shown in FIG. 15 on the display input unit 106, and determines whether the customer has selected the "Manual payment" button 309a or the "Counter procedure (end of transaction)" button 309b (S118). If it is determined in S118 that the "Manual payment" button 309a has been selected, the process proceeds to S111.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S118 that the "Counter Procedure (End Transaction)" button 309b has been selected, the automated transaction device 1 displays a counter guidance screen (not shown) on the display input unit 106 to guide the customer to the counter (S119), returns (ejects) the card inserted in S103 (S120), and the transaction process illustrated in FIG. 5 ends.

On the other hand, if the determination result in S107 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 determines whether or not the document has been removed from the display screen of the display input unit 106 (S109). In this determination, for example, the automated transaction device 1 may capture an image of the display screen of the display input unit 106 with the OCR camera unit 101, and determine whether or not the document has been removed from the display screen based on the image obtained by the capture.

If the determination result in S109 is NO, the automated transaction device 1 displays a document receipt screen (not shown) on the display input unit 106 to prompt the customer to receive the document placed on the display screen (S110), and the process returns to S109.

On the other hand, if the judgment result of S109 is YES, or after S111, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (payment details confirmation screen) 310 illustrated in FIG. 16 on the display input unit 106, and assumes that the customer selects the "Confirm" button 310a here (S112).

Next, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (payment amount input screen) 311 shown in FIG. 17 on the display input unit 106, where the customer inputs the payment amount and selects the "Confirm" button 311a (S113). If the "Correction" button 311b is selected before the "Confirm" button 311a is selected, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (payment amount re-input screen) 312 shown in FIG. 18 on the display input unit 106, and accepts the customer's re-input of the payment amount.

Next, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (payment details confirmation screen including the payment amount) 313 illustrated in FIG. 19 on the display input unit 106, and assumes that the customer selects the "Confirm" button 313a (S114).

Next, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (processing screen) 314 shown in FIG. 20 on the display input unit 106, and performs transaction processing related to "fee payment" (such as sending and receiving messages with the host computer) (S115). Next, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (card return screen) 315 shown in FIG. 21 on the display input unit 106, and returns (discharges) the card inserted in S103 and discharges a receipt on which transaction details are printed (S116). Then, the automated transaction device 1 displays the display screen (transaction completion screen) 316 shown in FIG. 22 on the display input unit 106, and then the transaction processing shown in FIG. 5 ends.

Next, the document reading process that starts in S106 will be described in detail.
As illustrated in Fig. 6, when the automated transaction apparatus 1 starts a form reading process, it displays the display screen (form guidance screen) 307 illustrated in Fig. 13 on the display input unit 106, and captures an image of the form placed by the customer on the form area 307a included in the form guidance screen 307 with the OCR camera unit 101 to obtain the image (S201). Note that when the automated transaction apparatus 1 starts capturing an image with the OCR camera unit 101, it may also display the display screen (reading screen) 317 illustrated in Fig. 23 on the display input unit 106.

Next, the automated transaction device 1 performs image processing on the image acquired in S201 (S202). The image processing performed here includes processing for cutting out a partial image of the document shown in the image acquired in S201 and converting the shape of the partial image into a rectangular shape. Note that the document shown in the image acquired in S201 is not the original rectangular shape of the document, but is distorted into an approximately trapezoidal shape. This is because the document is imaged from an obliquely upward direction rather than directly above due to the mounting position of the OCR camera unit 101 and the inclination of the display surface of the display input unit 106. Therefore, the partial image of the document cut out from the image acquired in S201 is approximately trapezoidal, and processing (projective transformation, keystone correction, etc.) is performed to convert this to the original rectangular shape of the document. In addition, the image processing performed in S202 may further include processing for correcting brightness and image blur in order to further improve the recognition rate.

Next, the automated transaction device 1 determines whether the document is in the correct position (S203). The document is in the correct position when, like the document 401 illustrated in FIG. 23, the document 401 is placed on the document area 307a without protruding from the document area 307a. The determination in S203 may be made, for example, based on the image acquired in S201 or the image (partial image) after image processing in S202.

If the determination result in S203 is NO, the process returns to S201. In this case, the automated transaction device 1 may display a message on the display input unit 106 that prompts the customer to correct the position of the document. For example, the automated transaction device 1 may display the display screen (document position correction screen) 318 illustrated in FIG. 24 or the display screen (document position correction screen) 319 illustrated in FIG. 25 as a display screen including the message on the display input unit 106. In this case, the process may return to S201 after the customer corrects the position of the document 401 and selects the "Confirm" button 318a or 319a.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in S203 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 performs character recognition (character string recognition) on the image after the image processing in S202 (S204) and determines whether the character recognition is successful (S205). If the result of the determination in S205 is NO, the process returns to S201.

On the other hand, if the determination result of S205 is YES, the document reading process illustrated in FIG. 6 is terminated. In this case, the automated transaction device 1 may display the display screen (reading completion screen) 320 illustrated in FIG. 26 on the display input unit 106, and when the customer selects the "Confirm" button 320a on this screen, the document reading process illustrated in FIG. 6 is terminated. If such document reading process is completed within the specified time period described in S108 of FIG. 5, the determination result of S107 of FIG. 5 becomes YES.

This concludes the description of the transaction process exemplified in FIG. 5 (and FIG. 6).
In addition, the automated transaction device 1 may further perform the following processing to prevent document reading failure due to the external environment.

For example, on rainy days or days with high humidity, the document may become damp and wrinkled, and may easily become deformed, such as folded, bent, or distorted, which may prevent document reading from being completed normally. Therefore, the automated transaction device 1 may detect the humidity of the external environment using the humidity sensor 108 before displaying the display screen (document guidance screen) 307 illustrated in FIG. 13, and if the detected value is equal to or greater than a specified value, may display a message on the display input unit 106 urging the customer to correct the deformation of the document. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. Such a display screen 321 illustrated in FIG. 27 may be displayed on the display input unit 106 as a display screen including a message urging the customer to correct the deformation of the document.

In addition, for example, if external light such as sunlight or its reflected light is incident on the display surface of the display input unit 106, when a document is placed on the document area displayed on the display input unit 106, there is a risk that the document will be overexposed and document reading will not be completed normally. Therefore, the automated transaction device 1 detects the illuminance on the display surface of the display input unit 106 using the illuminance sensor 107 before displaying the display screen (document guidance screen) 307 illustrated in FIG. 13, and if the detected value is equal to or greater than a specified value, the display input unit 106 may display a message urging the customer to change their position so that external light does not enter the display surface of the display input unit 106. This allows the customer to block external light from entering the display surface of the display input unit 106.

For example, if whiteout occurs on the display surface of the display input unit 106 due to light from a lighting device such as a fluorescent lamp installed on the automatic transaction device 1, when a document is placed on the document area displayed on the display input unit 106, the document reading may not be completed normally due to the influence of the whiteout. For example, if whiteout occurs around the periphery of a document placed on the document area, the document reading may not be completed normally due to the influence of the whiteout around it. Therefore, the automatic transaction device 1 may use the OCR camera unit 101 to detect the whiteout position on the display surface of the display input unit 106, and if the whiteout position is on the periphery (near the outer periphery) of the document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106, the position of the document area may be changed (adjusted) to a position that is not affected by whiteout (for example, a position where there is no whiteout around it).

A specific example of the process for adjusting the position of such a document area will be described with reference to Figs. 28 to 31. Here, a specific example of the process when the OCR camera unit 101 is fixed will be described with reference to Figs. 28 and 29, and a specific example of the process when the OCR camera unit 101 is movable will be described with reference to Figs. 30 and 31. These processes are also performed by the processor 131 executing the above-mentioned program.

When the OCR camera unit 101 is fixed, the imaging range (angle of view) of the OCR camera unit 101 is configured to include at least the entire display surface of the display input unit 106. When the OCR camera unit 101 is movable, the imaging range (angle of view) of the OCR camera unit 101 is configured to be movable so that it includes at least the entire form area displayed on the display input unit 106. The movable OCR camera unit 101 may be, for example, a unit that moves up, down, left, and right, or a unit that does not move but is movable so that the imaging direction can be changed.

Figure 28 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the document area position adjustment process that an automated transaction device equipped with a fixed OCR camera unit performs before operation (when the device is installed).

As shown in FIG. 28, when the automated transaction device 1 starts the document area position adjustment process, it sets the OCR camera unit 101 to an imaging state (OCR camera open) (S301) and captures an image with the OCR camera unit 101 to obtain an image (S302). Note that the imaging range of the OCR camera unit 101 at this time is a range that includes at least the entire display surface of the display input unit 106.

Next, the automated transaction device 1 detects the blown-out position on the display surface of the display input unit 106 shown in the image acquired in S302, and determines whether blown-out occurs around the form area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 (S303). Note that the position of the form area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 is set in advance.

If the determination result in S303 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 changes the position of the document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 by changing the settings (S304). In detail, based on the blown-out highlight position detected in S303, the position of the document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 is changed to a position that is not affected by the blown-out highlight (for example, a position where blown-out highlight does not occur in the periphery). As a result, the position of the document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 will be the position changed in S304 until it is changed again by the processing of S405 in FIG. 29 described later.

On the other hand, if the determination result of S303 is NO, or when S304 ends, the document area position adjustment process illustrated in FIG. 28 ends.

Figure 29 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the document area position adjustment process performed by an automated transaction device equipped with a fixed OCR camera unit during operation.

As shown in FIG. 29, when the automated transaction device 1 starts the document area position adjustment process (the automated transaction device 1 starts), it determines whether a specified time has elapsed since starting (S401). Here, the specified time is, for example, a time that is longer than the time required for the automated transaction device 1 to enter a standby state after starting. If the determination result in S401 is NO, this determination is repeated.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in S401 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 determines whether the no-operation time since the result of the determination in S401 became YES has reached a specified value or more (S402). Here, the no-operation time is the time during which the automated transaction device 1 is not being operated. If the result of the determination in S402 is NO, this determination is repeated.

On the other hand, if the determination result in S402 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 performs the processes of S403 to S405. The processes of S403 to S405 are the same as the processes of S302 to S304 in FIG. 28. Note that if the position of the form area is changed in S405, the position of the form area displayed on the display input unit 106 will be the position changed in S405 until it is changed again by the next processing of S405.

If the determination result of S404 is NO, or after S405, the automated transaction device 1 determines whether the device power has been turned off, more specifically, whether the power button (not shown) has been turned off (S406).

If the determination result in S406 is NO, the process returns to S401, and if the determination result in S406 is YES, the document area position adjustment process illustrated in FIG. 29 ends (the automated transaction device 1 stops).

Figure 30 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the document area position adjustment process that an automated transaction device equipped with a movable OCR camera unit performs before operation (when the device is installed).

As shown in FIG. 30, when the automated transaction device 1 starts the document area position adjustment process, it sets the OCR camera unit 101 to an imaging state (OCR camera open) (S501) and captures an image with the OCR camera unit 101 (S502). Note that the imaging range of the OCR camera unit 101 at this time is a range that includes at least the entire document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106, and includes at least a part of the display surface of the display input unit 106. The position of the document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 is set in advance.

Next, the automated transaction device 1 detects the blown-out position on the display surface of the display input unit 106 shown in the image acquired in S502, and determines whether blown-out occurs around the form area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 (S503). If the determination result in S503 is NO, the form area position adjustment process illustrated in FIG. 30 ends.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in S503 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 determines whether there is a lot of blown-out highlights on the display surface of the display input unit 106 within the imaging range (within the angle of view) based on the blown-out highlight positions detected in S503 (S504).

If the determination result in S504 is YES, the automated transaction device 1 moves the OCR camera unit 101 to change the imaging range (S505). However, the imaging range after the change is set to a range that includes at least the form area that can be displayed on the display input unit 106. Next, the automated transaction device 1 captures an image with the OCR camera unit 101 and detects the blown-out highlight position on the display surface of the display input unit 106 that is shown in the image (S506). After S506, the process returns to S504. Note that in S504 after S506, a determination is made based on the blown-out highlight position detected in S506.

On the other hand, if the determination result of S504 is NO, the automated transaction device 1 changes the position of the document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 by changing the setting to a position that is included in the imaging range of the OCR camera unit 101 at this time and is less affected by whiteout (for example, a position where whiteout is not expected to occur in the periphery) (S507). As a result, the position of the document area to be displayed on the display input unit 106 will be the position changed in S507 until it is changed again by the processing of S606 in FIG. 31 described later. In addition, the imaging range of the OCR camera unit 101 will be the imaging range of the OCR camera unit 101 at this time until it is changed or changed again by the processing of S606 in FIG. 31 described later. When S507 ends, the document area position adjustment processing illustrated in FIG. 30 ends.

Figure 31 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the document area position adjustment process performed by an automated transaction device equipped with a movable OCR camera unit during operation.

As shown in FIG. 31, when the automated transaction device 1 starts the document area position adjustment process (when the automated transaction device 1 starts up), it performs processes S601 and S602. The processes S601 and S602 are the same as the processes S401 and S402 in FIG. 29.

Next, the automated transaction device 1 performs the processes of S603 to S608. The processes of S603 to S608 are the same as the processes of S502 to S507 in FIG. 30. Note that if the position of the form area is changed in S608, the position of the form area displayed on the display input unit 106 will be the position changed in S608 until it is changed again by the next process of S608. Also, if the imaging range is changed in S606, the imaging range of the OCR camera unit 101 will be the imaging range changed in S606 until it is changed again by the next process of S606.

If the determination result of S604 is NO, or after S608, the automated transaction device 1 performs the process of S609. The process of S609 is the same as the process of S406 in FIG. 29. If the determination result of S609 is NO, the process returns to S601. On the other hand, if the determination result of S609 is YES, the document area position adjustment process illustrated in FIG. 31 ends (the automated transaction device 1 stops).

According to the automated transaction device 1 described above, document reading can be performed without taking the document inside the device, which prevents documents from getting stuck inside the device, and also prevents the document from being forgotten to be taken because the document is in the customer's field of view even while being read. In addition, there is no need to make the units inside the device (e.g., the passbook processing unit 123) special specifications for document reading, which also prevents the cost of the device from increasing. Furthermore, it is possible to change the position of the document area displayed on the display input unit 106, ask the customer to change their standing position, or have the customer correct any deformations in the document, so that the medium can be read normally regardless of the external environment.

In addition, in the automated transaction device 1, the optical system (lens) of the OCR camera unit 101 is an optical system with a depth of field that allows the document reading to be completed normally even if the position of the document area displayed on the display input unit 106 is changed, and the OCR camera unit 101 having such an optical system can be used to read QR codes (registered trademark) and bar codes held up to the OCR camera unit 101. In addition, by using an optical system with a deeper depth of field as the optical system of the OCR camera unit 101, the OCR camera unit 101 can be used for purposes other than OCR. In this case, the purpose other than OCR is to capture an image of an identification card such as a driver's license or a My Number card to perform personal authentication, etc. In addition, by mounting multiple cameras (for example, two cameras) with different angles of view and depth of field at the same position, it can be used as a multi-function device including an OCR function and other functions.

5 and 6, the OCR camera unit 101 repeatedly captures an image of the form until the determination result of S205 in FIG. 6 is YES or until the determination result of S108 in FIG. 5 is YES, and this can be said to be performed in a video format. If the form is placed outside the medium area, a message is displayed on the display screen (form position correction screen) 317, 318 shown in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 to prompt the customer to correct the form position. If the form is placed without protruding from the medium area, the form reading can be completed normally, so the customer can concentrate on the operation of aligning the form, and unnecessary operations are not required, allowing the customer to perform comfortable operations.

In addition, in the judgment in S203 in FIG. 6, the up-down orientation of the document may be further added to the judgment criteria. In this case, in S203, for example, as in the document 401 illustrated in FIG. 23, it may be judged whether the up-down orientation of the document 401 is correct and whether the document 401 is placed on the document area 307a without protruding from the document area 307a. In this case, for example, if the document 401 is placed on the document area 307a without protruding from the document area 307a but is placed upside down, a message urging the customer to rotate the document 401 by 180° before the process returns to S201 may be displayed on the display input unit 106. Alternatively, in S202, which is performed after the process returns to S201, a process of rotating the image by 180° may be further performed.

In addition, the display screen displayed on the display input unit 106 may include illustrations, animations, etc., and the message displayed on the display input unit 106 may be displayed as illustrations, animations, etc.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Automatic transaction device 10 Display unit 20 Display control unit 30 Imaging unit 40 Image processing unit 50 Character recognition unit 60 Whiteout detection unit 70 Illuminance detection unit 80 Humidity detection unit 101 OCR camera unit 101a Imaging range 102 Passbook insertion and ejection unit 103 Card insertion and ejection unit 104 Coin deposit and withdrawal unit 105 Banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 106 Display input unit 106a Display device 106b Touch panel 107 Illuminance sensor 108 Humidity sensor 121 Control unit 122 Card processing unit 123 Passbook processing unit 124 Coin processing unit 125 Banknote processing unit 126 Power supply unit 131 Processor 132 RAM
133 Communication interface 134 Graphic processing unit 135 External storage device 136 Input/output interface 137 Bus 138 FPGA
201 Media area 301-321 Display screen 301a "Payment" button 302a "Payment by cash" button 302b "Payment from card account" button 304a, 311b "Correction" button 306a "Read form" button 306b "Manual input" button 307a Form area 309a "Payment by manual input" button 309b "Counter procedure (end of transaction)" button 308a, 310a, 311a, 313a "Confirmation" button 318a, 319a, 320a "Confirmation" button 401 Form

Claims (8)

A display unit;
a display control unit that causes a medium area that specifies an area in which a medium is to be placed to be displayed on the display unit;
an imaging unit that images the medium placed on the medium area displayed on the display unit;
an image processing unit that performs image processing on an image obtained by imaging by the imaging unit;
a character recognition unit that performs character recognition on the image after the image processing by the image processing unit;
a whiteout detection unit for detecting a whiteout position in an image;
Equipped with
the imaging unit captures an image of a display surface of the display unit;
the blown-out highlight detection unit detects a blown-out highlight position on the display surface shown in an image obtained by imaging the display surface by the imaging unit,
the display control unit changes a position of the medium area to be displayed on the display unit based on the blown-out highlight position on the display surface detected by the blown-out highlight detection unit.
1. An automatic transaction device comprising: The image processing includes a process of cutting out a partial image of the medium shown in the image obtained by imaging by the imaging unit and converting a shape of the partial image into a rectangular shape.
2. The automated transaction device according to claim 1. the display control unit causes the display unit to display a message urging the customer to correct the position of the medium when the medium is placed protruding from the medium area displayed on the display unit.
2. The automated transaction device according to claim 1. An illuminance detection unit that detects an illuminance on a display surface of the display unit,
the display control unit causes the display unit to display a message urging the customer to change his/her standing position when the detection value of the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection unit is equal to or greater than a specified value.
4. The automated transaction device according to claim 1 , wherein the automated transaction device is a transaction device for automatically transferring a transaction data to a transaction device. A humidity detection unit is further provided for detecting the humidity of an external environment,
the display control unit causes the display unit to display a message urging the customer to correct the deformation of the medium when the humidity detection value detected by the humidity detection unit is equal to or greater than a specified value.
5. The automated transaction device according to claim 1 , wherein the automated transaction device is a transaction device for automatically transferring a transaction data from the transaction device to the transaction device. When the display control unit changes the position of the medium area to be displayed on the display unit, the imaging unit is moved so that the medium placed on the medium area after the position change is included in the imaging range of the imaging unit.
2. The automated transaction device according to claim 1 . A media area for specifying an area in which the media is to be placed is displayed on the display unit;
an imaging unit captures an image of the medium placed on the medium area displayed on the display unit;
performing image processing on the image obtained by the imaging unit;
performing character recognition on the image after the image processing ; and
An image of a display surface of the display unit is captured by the imaging unit;
detecting a blown-out white position on the display screen shown in an image obtained by imaging the display screen by the imaging unit;
changing a position of the medium area to be displayed on the display unit based on the detected whiteout position on the display surface;
A medium reading method, characterized in that the above is performed by an automatic transaction device. A media area for specifying an area in which the media is to be placed is displayed on the display unit;
an imaging unit captures an image of the medium placed on the medium area displayed on the display unit;
performing image processing on the image obtained by the imaging unit;
A process of performing character recognition on the image after the image processing; and
An image of a display surface of the display unit is captured by the imaging unit;
detecting a blown-out white position on the display screen shown in an image obtained by imaging the display screen by the imaging unit;
A process of changing a position of the medium area to be displayed on the display unit based on the detected whiteout position on the display surface;
A program characterized by causing a processor to execute the above .

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