JPH0816717A - Mail sorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent mail from being sorted into a wrong mailing box or rejected by surely removing noise from a normalized graphic pattern and preventing figures from being erroneously identified or the identification of figures from being missed. CONSTITUTION:A position/area calculating part 33 calculates a position and an area for each block linking the graphic patterns normalized by a normalizing part 31, an area ratio calculating part 34 calculates the area ratio of each block from this calculated area, a noise deciding part 35 decides whether it is noise or not by comparing that calculated area ratio with the area ratio of a noise deciding reference corresponding to the position for each block, and a noise removing part 37 removes this decided noise from the normalized graphic pattern.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mail item sorting device for reading a postal code written on a postal item to be conveyed and performing sorting using the read postal code.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a postal matter sorting device has been put into practical use as a postal code automatic sorting device for reading a postal code on a postal matter and sorting it into a sorting box corresponding to the postal code. In this mail sorting device, the mails are picked up one by one from the supply unit to detect and exclude foreign matters that are improper in processing, and other mails are read by a reading unit provided on the conveyance path. The surface of the is scanned and the result is converted into an electric signal and sent to the discrimination unit. After the discrimination section recognizes the postal code, the transport system is controlled in accordance with a command based on the read result, and mails on the transport path are sorted into predetermined sorting boxes. Correspondence of which postal code with which postal code is accumulated in which sorting box is determined by referring to a correspondence table called sorting designation.

In the above-mentioned mail sorting apparatus, when the postal code is recognized by the discriminating unit, the characters considered to be the postal code are detected and cut out as a figure pattern for each character, and the cut-out figure pattern is normally cut. The normalized graphic pattern is divided into blocks by the pattern connection, and the area of each block is equal to or smaller than a certain area or the block adjacent to the postal code frame is determined as noise and removed.
The figure pattern from which this noise is removed is identified by a matching method with a reference pattern, and the postal code is identified from the identified number.

However, the discriminating unit of such a mail sorting device cannot remove the noise of blocks having a certain area or more in the normalized graphic pattern. Due to the noise that could not be removed in this way, the numbers could be mistakenly identified (misreading), or the numbers could not be identified (error), and the mail could be sorted into the wrong sorting box or rejected. There was a drawback.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to erroneously identify numbers or identify numbers due to noise that cannot be removed from the normalized graphic pattern in the postal code discriminating section. There is a drawback that mail items are sorted into the wrong sorting box or rejected.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably remove noise from the normalized graphic pattern in the postal code discriminating section, and prevent erroneous identification of numbers or non-identification of numbers. An object of the present invention is to provide a mail sorting device that can prevent mails from being sorted into wrong sorting boxes or rejected.

[0007]

A mail sorting device according to the present invention is a reading means for reading information on a mail, and a detection cutting means for detecting and cutting out a graphic pattern for each character from the information read by the reading means. A normalizing means for normalizing the graphic pattern cut out by the detecting / cutting means, a block forming means for dividing each connected block of the graphic patterns normalized by the normalizing means, and a block forming means. First calculation means for calculating the position and area of each block, second calculation means for calculating the area ratio for each block calculated by the first calculation means, and the graphic pattern are divided into a plurality of regions. Storage means for storing different noise determination criteria for each area, the first
A noise determination reference read from the storage means corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the calculation means,
Determination means for determining whether or not there is noise based on the area ratio for each block calculated by the second calculation means,
Removal means for removing the noise determined by the determination means from the graphic pattern normalized by the normalization means, identification means for identifying the postal code by the graphic pattern from which noise has been removed by the removal means, and this identification means It is composed of a sorting means for sorting the above-mentioned mail by the zip code identified by.

The noise removing circuit according to the present invention removes noise from a normalized graphic pattern. The block forming means forms a block for each block to which the normalized graphic pattern is connected. First calculation means for calculating the position and area of each block, second calculation means for calculating the area ratio for each block calculated by the first calculation means, and the graphic pattern are divided into a plurality of regions. Storage means for storing different noise determination criteria for each area, noise determination criteria read from the storage means corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the first calculating means, and the second determination method.
And a removal unit that removes the noise determined by the determination unit from the normalized graphic pattern, based on the area ratio for each block calculated by the calculation unit. ing.

The mail sorting device of the present invention is a reading means for reading information on a mail, a detection cutout portion for detecting and cutting out a graphic pattern for each character from the information read by the reading means, and this detection cutout portion. A normalization unit that normalizes the graphic pattern cut out by, a blocking unit that blocks each connected block of the graphic patterns normalized by the normalization unit, and a position for each block by the blocking unit. A position area calculation unit that calculates an area, an area ratio calculation unit that calculates an area ratio for each block calculated by the position area calculation unit, and a different noise determination criterion for each area obtained by dividing the graphic pattern into a plurality of areas are stored. Read out from the noise determination table corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the position area calculation unit The noise determination unit that determines whether or not there is noise based on the determined noise determination criterion and the area ratio for each block calculated by the area ratio calculation unit, and the noise determined by this noise determination unit by the normalization unit. A noise removal unit that removes from the normalized figure pattern,
The noise removing unit includes an identifying unit that identifies a postal code by a graphic pattern from which noise is removed, and a sorting unit that sorts the postal items by the postal code identified by the identifying unit.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in the above structure, the information on the mail is read, the figure pattern for each character is detected and cut out from the read information, and the cut out figure pattern is normalized by the normalizing means. The normalized graphic pattern is divided into blocks that are connected to each other, the position and the area of each of the blocks that are divided into blocks are calculated by the first calculating means, and the calculated area ratio for each block is calculated. The storage unit stores different noise determination criteria calculated by the second calculating unit and dividing the graphic pattern into a plurality of regions, and corresponds to the position of each block calculated by the first calculating unit. Then, it is determined whether or not there is noise based on the noise determination standard read from the storage means and the area ratio for each block calculated by the second calculation means. The determined noise is removed from the figure pattern normalized by the normalizing means, the postal code is identified by the figure pattern from which the noise is removed, and the postal matter is classified by the identified postal code. It was done like this.

According to the present invention, in the above structure,
In removing noise from a normalized figure pattern, each block connected to the normalized figure pattern is divided into blocks, and the position and area of each of these blocked blocks are calculated by the first calculating means. Then, the calculated area ratio for each block is calculated by the second calculating means, and different noise determination criteria for each area obtained by dividing the graphic pattern into a plurality of areas are stored in the storage means,
Noise is determined by the noise determination standard read from the storage means corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the first calculation means and the area ratio for each block calculated by the second calculation means. It is determined whether or not the noise is determined, and the determined noise is removed from the figure pattern normalized by the normalizing means.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 2 and 3 show a mail sorting device according to the present invention, which has the following structure. That is, postal items P, such as postcards and sealed letters, are set in the supply unit 1 in a lump and standing state. Mail P of this supply unit 1 ...
The postal code assigned to the postal matter P is read by the reading section 4 arranged in the middle of the take-in / conveyance path 3 by sequentially taking out and conveying the postal matter P one by one from the frontmost postal matter P by the take-out section 2.

Further, a foreign matter / hardness detecting device 12, a postal matter rejecting section 13 containing foreign matter, and a conveyance posture defect accumulating section 14 are provided on the take-in / conveyance path 3, and mails not suitable for mechanical processing are It has been excluded in advance.

The reading unit 4 photoelectrically converts a postal code on the postal matter P, and a photoelectric conversion unit 4a, and a character pattern is recognized according to the output of the photoelectric conversion unit 4a to determine the postal code. And part 4b.

That is, the photoelectric conversion unit 4a obtains a pattern signal by optically scanning the postal matter P and photoelectrically converting it. For example, a light source for irradiating the postal matter P with light, and It is composed of a self-scanning CCD image sensor which receives the reflected light and converts it into an electric signal. The output of the photoelectric conversion unit 4a is supplied to the determination unit 4b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the discriminating section 4b detects a position detecting section 21 for detecting the position of the postal code on the postal matter P, and character information corresponding to the position detected by the position detecting section 21 for detecting and cutting out. The pre-processing unit 23 and the pre-processing unit 23 perform pre-processing such as normalizing the graphic pattern (character information) detected and cut out by the cut-out unit 22 and the detection cut-out unit 22 and removing noise. Dictionary of figure patterns 24
An identification unit 25 for identifying a number, that is, a zip code by a matching method with a reference pattern for the number in the inside, and classification designation data for the zip code identified by the identification unit 25, that is, the pocket 6 in the subsequent division unit 11. , ...
Is determined by the determination unit 27 that reads out the data indicating the number from the classification designation table 26 and outputs the data. The dictionary 24 and the section designation table 26 are set by a floppy disk.

The sorting designation table 26 stores sorting box data as sorting designation data for postal codes. Next, the postal matter P that has passed through the reading unit 4 is transported to the conveyance path 3
It is adapted to be conveyed to the sorting section 11 via.

The dividing section 11 is a conveying section 5 having a plurality of stages vertically provided by a gate mechanism section (not shown).
a to 5 g are selectively distributed based on the result of reading the postal code and the like.

A plurality of pockets (sorting boxes; accumulating boxes) 6 ... Are arranged in a plurality of stages (stages A, G) below the sorting and conveying paths 5a, 5f along the lower surface thereof. The mail items P sent to the sorting conveyance paths 5a to 5g are sorted and accumulated in a predetermined pocket 6 under the control of the sorting control unit 15 based on the reading result of the reading unit 4. .

A transport detector group (not shown) for detecting the transport of the postal matter P on the transport path is provided on the transport paths 3, 5a, .... Also, the supply unit 1
An operator panel 7 as an operation panel connected to the sorting control section 15 is provided on the upper part of the.

Next, the preprocessing unit 23 will be described with reference to FIG. That is, the preprocessing unit 23 includes a normalization unit (normalization unit) 31, a blocking unit (blocking unit) 32, a position area calculation unit (first calculation unit) 33, and an area ratio calculation unit (second calculation unit). Calculation unit) 34, noise determination unit (determination unit) 35, noise determination table (storage unit) 36,
And a noise removing section (removing means) 37.

The normalizing unit 31 includes the detection / cutout unit 22.
The figure pattern (character information) detected and cut out by
It is normalized to a predetermined size of a 2 × 12 matrix.

The block forming unit 32 forms a block for each block to which the figure patterns normalized by the normalizing unit 31 are connected. The position area calculation unit 33
The position and area of each block that is blocked by the blocking unit 32 are calculated (using labeling). As the position, for example, as shown in FIG.
In a 12 × 12 matrix-shaped graphic pattern, a central portion a, upper and lower left and right portions b, c, d, e, corner portions f, g, h,
i is divided into nine areas, the central portion a is a 6 × 6 matrix area, the upper, lower, left and right portions b, c, d, and e are 6 × 3 matrix areas, and the corner portions f, g, h, i are 3 Which area of the matrix area of × 3 corresponds to is required. The area is converted by the number of squares in the matrix of the graphic pattern. For example, in the case of FIG. 5, the area of the block Ba corresponds to 30 squares, the area of the block Bb corresponds to 2 squares, and the block Ba includes a central portion a, an upper portion b, a lower portion c, a left portion d, Located across corners f, h, i, block B
b is located at the corner g.

The area ratio calculator 34 calculates the area ratio of each block calculated by the position area calculator 33, that is, by dividing the area of the other block by the area of the largest block. For example, in FIG.
In the case of, the area of the block Ba is equivalent to 30 in a square,
The area of block Bb is equivalent to two in the square,
The area ratio of the block Bb to a is calculated to be 7%.

The noise determination table 36 stores the area ratio (the limit value of the area ratio that may be determined to be noise) as a different noise determination reference for each of the areas obtained by dividing the graphic pattern into a plurality of areas. And, for example,
As shown in FIG. 6, in a 12 × 12 matrix graphic pattern, the central portion a is a 6 × 6 matrix area, and the upper, lower, left, and right portions b, c, d, and e are 6 × 3 matrix areas. The areas f, g, h, and i are 3 × 3 matrix areas, and the areas become smaller in order, the central portion a is 4%, the upper and lower left and right portions b, c, d, and e are 7%, and the corner portions f, g, h and i are 10%
In this order, the area ratio (the limit value of the area ratio that may be determined to be noise) as the noise determination reference increases. The limit value of the area ratio becomes higher as it gets farther from the center of the figure pattern, and a minimal block distant from the center is determined as noise due to its size.

The noise judging section 35 calculates the noise judging standard read from the noise judging table 36 corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the position area calculating section 33 and the area ratio calculating section 34. Whether or not it is noise is determined based on the area ratio of each of the blocks.

For example, in the case of FIG. 5, the area ratio of the block Bb to the block Ba is 7%, and the block Bb is
Since the area ratio as the noise determination reference of the noise determination table 36 corresponding to the position (corner g) is 10%, it is determined to be noise.

The noise removing section 37 is the noise determining section 3 described above.
The noise determined by No. 5 is removed from the figure pattern normalized by the above-mentioned normalizing means to obtain a noise-free figure pattern.

Next, the noise removing operation in such a structure will be described. For example, now, with the normalization unit 31,
A normalization pattern as shown in FIG. 5 is obtained and output to the blocking unit 32 and the noise removing unit 37. The block forming unit 32 forms a block for each block to which the normalized graphic pattern is connected, and outputs the block forming content to the position area calculating unit 33.

The position area calculation unit 33 calculates the area of the block Ba as 30 squares and the area of the block Bb as 2 squares, and calculates the number of squares as the area of each block by the area ratio calculation unit. 34, the block Ba is located over the central portion a, the upper portion b, the lower portion c, the left portion d, the corner portions f, h, i, and the block Bb is located at the corner portion g. Output to the determination unit 35. Area ratio calculation unit 34
Calculates 7% by dividing the number of squares (2) of the block Bb by the number of squares (30) of the block Ba and outputs it to the noise determination unit 35.

The noise judging section 35 reads the area ratio as a noise judging standard from the noise judging table 36 corresponding to the position of each block supplied from the position area calculating section 33, and the read area. Based on the ratio and the area ratio of each block supplied from the area ratio calculation unit 34, it is determined whether or not there is noise. In this case, block B
Since the area ratio of the block Bb to a is 7%, and the area ratio as the noise judgment reference of the noise judgment table 36 corresponding to the position (corner g) of the block Bb is 10%, it is judged as an isolated noise. Then, the determination result is output to the noise removing unit 37.

The noise removing section 37 is the noise determining section 3
The block Bb determined to be noise by 5 is removed from the graphic pattern normalized by the normalizing unit 31, and the noise-free graphic pattern of only the block Ba is output to the identifying unit 2.

As described above, the position and area of each block in which the normalized graphic pattern is connected are calculated, and the area ratio for each block is calculated from the calculated area,
By comparing with the area ratio as a noise judgment standard corresponding to the position of each block, it is judged whether or not there is noise, and the judged noise is removed from the normalized graphic pattern.

Thus, the postal code discriminating section can surely remove noise from the normalized graphic pattern, prevent erroneous identification of numbers, and non-identification of numbers. It can be prevented from being sorted into the wrong sorting box or rejected.

[0035]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention,
The postal code discriminator can reliably remove noise from the normalized graphic pattern, prevent incorrect identification of numbers, and prevent unidentified numbers, and postal items are sorted into the wrong bin. It is possible to provide a mail sorting device that can prevent the mail from being rejected or rejected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a preprocessing unit in a discrimination unit of a mail sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the mail sorting apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the mail sorting apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a determination unit in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a normalized graphic pattern.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a limit value of an area ratio that may be determined as noise for each area of a graphic pattern stored in a noise determination table.

[Explanation of symbols]

 31 ... Normalization unit 32 ... Blocking unit 33 ... Position area calculation unit 34 ... Area ratio calculation unit 35 ... Noise determination unit 36 ... Noise determination table 37 ... Noise removal unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A reading means for reading information on a postal matter, a detection cutout means for detecting and cutting out a graphic pattern for each character from the information read by the reading means, and a detection cutout means for cutting out the graphic pattern. A normalizing means for normalizing the figure pattern, a blocking means for dividing each of the blocks of the figure pattern normalized by the normalizing means into blocks, and a position and an area for each block by the blocking means. First calculating means, second calculating means for calculating the area ratio for each block calculated by the first calculating means, and different noise determination criteria for each area obtained by dividing the graphic pattern into a plurality of areas. Is stored, and the noise judgment read from the storage means corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the first calculation means. Based on the reference and the area ratio for each block calculated by the second calculating means, a judging means for judging whether or not it is noise, and the noise judged by this judging means is normalized by the normalizing means. Removing means for removing from the figure pattern, identifying means for identifying the zip code by the figure pattern from which noise has been removed by the removing means, and sorting means for sorting the mail by the zip code identified by the identifying means. A mail sorting device, comprising: 2. A plurality of areas of the graphic pattern divided by the storage means are divided into nine areas, namely, a central portion, upper and lower left and right portions, and corner portions, and the areas are arranged in the order of the central portion, the upper and lower left and right portions, and the corner portions. The mail sorting device according to claim 1, wherein the mail sorting device is made smaller and the noise determination criterion is made larger. 3. A noise removing circuit for removing noise from a normalized graphic pattern, a blocking means for blocking each block to which the normalized graphic pattern is connected, and each block by this blocking means. A first calculating means for calculating the position and area of the block, a second calculating means for calculating the area ratio of each block calculated by the first calculating means, and an area obtained by dividing the graphic pattern into a plurality of areas. Storage means for storing different noise determination criteria for each block, noise determination criteria read from the storage means corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the first calculating means, and the second Based on the area ratio of each block calculated by the calculating means, a judging means for judging whether or not there is noise, and a judging means for judging by this judging means A noise removing circuit comprising: a removing unit that removes noise from the normalized graphic pattern. 4. A plurality of regions of the graphic pattern divided by the storage means are divided into nine parts, that is, a central part, upper and lower left and right parts, and corner parts, and the regions are arranged in the order of the central part, the upper and lower left and right parts, and the corner parts. 4. The noise removing circuit according to claim 3, wherein the noise removing circuit is made smaller and the noise determination criterion is made larger. 5. A reading means for reading the information on the mail, a detection cutout portion for detecting and cutting out a graphic pattern for each character from the information read by the reading means, and a detection cutout portion for cutting out the graphic pattern. A normalization unit that normalizes the figure pattern, a blocking unit that divides each of the blocks of the figure pattern that is normalized by this normalization unit, and a position and area for each block by this blocking unit A position area calculation unit, an area ratio calculation unit that calculates an area ratio for each block calculated by the position area calculation unit, and a different noise determination criterion for each area obtained by dividing the graphic pattern into a plurality of areas are stored. The noise determination table that has been read and the noise determination table read from the noise determination table corresponding to the position of each block calculated by the position area calculation unit. Noise determination section for determining whether or not there is noise based on the area determination criterion and the area ratio for each block calculated by the area ratio calculating section, and the noise determined by this noise determining section is normalized by the normalizing section. The noise removal unit that removes the converted graphic pattern, the identification unit that identifies the postal code by the graphic pattern from which the noise has been removed by the noise removal unit, and the postal code that is identified by this identification unit A mail sorting device, comprising: