An OCR recognition mechanism for printing postage meters

Abstract

An OCR recognition mechanism for a postage meter includes: a frame with a letter transport path; transport rollers mounted above the letter transport path for transporting letters; a letter sorting mechanism mounted at the letter inlet end of the letter transport path, the letter sorting mechanism having a height-adjustable guide plate for guiding letters of different thicknesses; a reflector mounted at an angle above the letter transport path; and an OCR recognition module mounted on the frame and located on the reflected light path of the reflector, the image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module facing the reflector. This invention features a novel structure; the reflector allows the OCR recognition module to be arranged horizontally, reducing installation space. Furthermore, this application uses the reflector to reflect letter image information, eliminating glare.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an identification mechanism, specifically an OCR identification mechanism for a postage meter. Background Technology

[0002] In the postal service process, with the continuous growth of postal business volume, automated and intelligent letter processing equipment has become an inevitable trend in the industry. Among them, postage meters based on optical character recognition (OCR) technology, with their high efficiency and accuracy, identify and associate the mailing information on letters into a barcode using OCR technology, enabling tracking of letters during the mailing process and improving the quality control of postal mail delivery.

[0003] However, existing postage meters lack the ability to collect mail information when processing postage, and therefore cannot generate tracking barcodes. This results in a lack of effective tracking methods for mail during the mailing process, and consequently, the quality of mailing cannot be effectively controlled. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above situation and to overcome the defects of the prior art, this utility model provides an OCR recognition mechanism for printing postage meters, which effectively solves the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: This utility model includes:

[0006] A rack on which a mail delivery path is provided;

[0007] Conveyor rollers, installed above the letter conveying path, are used to convey letters;

[0008] A letter sorting mechanism is installed at the letter inlet end of the letter transport path. The letter sorting mechanism has a height-adjustable guide plate for guiding letters of different thicknesses.

[0009] Reflective elements are installed at an angle above the mail delivery path;

[0010] An OCR recognition module is mounted on the rack and located on the reflected light path of the reflector, with the image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module facing the reflector.

[0011] The reflector is configured to reflect image information of the surface of the letter passing through and below the letter transport path to the image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module.

[0012] Preferably, the signal splitting mechanism includes a bracket, a lead screw, a lifting block, and the guide plate; the bracket is connected to the frame; the lead screw is rotatably mounted on the bracket; the lifting block is threadedly connected to the lead screw; the guide plate is connected to the lifting block; the guide plate is V-shaped.

[0013] The mechanism involves rotating the lead screw in conjunction with the lifting block to adjust the height of the lifting block. The lifting block then moves the guide plate up and down, allowing the guide plate height to be adjusted to accommodate letters of different thicknesses.

[0014] Preferably, the signal splitting mechanism further includes a guide post; the guide post is fixed to the bracket and passes through the lifting block, and is used to restrict the rotation and guide the lifting block.

[0015] Preferably, the reflector is a plane mirror.

[0016] Preferably, it also includes a light source, which is positioned above or to the side of the letter transport path to illuminate the surface of the letter.

[0017] Preferably, the conveying rollers include at least one pair of opposing upper and lower rollers for gripping and conveying letters.

[0018] Beneficial effects: Adaptive thickness adjustment: The screw rotation in the letter sorting mechanism drives the lifting block to move axially, which, together with the guide column, restricts the rotation and guides the movement, allowing the V-shaped guide plate to automatically adjust its height according to the thickness of the letter. This adapts to the processing needs of letters of different thicknesses and improves the versatility of the equipment.

[0019] Stable letter guidance: The height adjustment function of the V-shaped guide plate can guide the letter smoothly and accurately into the conveying path, reducing the problem of letter deviation or jamming during the entry stage and ensuring the smoothness of subsequent processes.

[0020] Clamping and conveying design: The conveying rollers consist of at least one pair of upper and lower rollers arranged opposite each other. They clamp the letters by working together and use the rotation of the rollers to provide forward power, ensuring that the letters move stably and at a constant speed on the conveying path, avoiding identification errors or damage to the letters caused by unstable conveying.

[0021] Reflective component imaging design: The tilted reflective component (plane mirror) can reflect the image information on the surface of the letter to the OCR recognition module. This design can change the image acquisition optical path, so that the recognition module can effectively receive the image under reasonable layout, and improve the flexibility of equipment structure design and space utilization.

[0022] The reflective element allows the OCR recognition module to be laid out horizontally, reducing installation space. At the same time, when the OCR recognition module directly acquires letter image information, the thin film on the letter will reflect light, affecting image acquisition. This application avoids the above problem by reflecting the letter image information through the reflective element. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a two-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention from a second perspective;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a utility model Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of A in the middle;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a utility model Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of B in the middle;

[0028] The following are the labels in the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Reflector; 3. OCR recognition module; 4. Conveyor roller; 5. Signal splitting mechanism; 6. Support; 7. Lead screw; 8. Lifting block; 9. Guide plate; 10. Wire hole; 11. Guide post; 12. Guide hole. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-4 The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail.

[0030] Example 1, by Figure 1-4 This utility model provides an OCR recognition mechanism for postage meters, comprising:

[0031] Rack 1, on which a mail delivery path is provided;

[0032] Conveyor roller 4 is installed above the letter conveying path for conveying letters;

[0033] The letter sorting mechanism 5 is installed at the letter inlet end of the letter transport path. The letter sorting mechanism 5 has a height-adjustable guide plate 9 for guiding letters of different thicknesses.

[0034] Reflective element 2 is installed at an angle above the mail delivery path;

[0035] The OCR recognition module 3 is mounted on the frame 1 and located on the reflected light path of the reflector 2, with the image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module 3 facing the reflector 2;

[0036] The reflector 2 is configured to reflect image information of the surface of the letter passing through and below the letter transport path to the image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module 3.

[0037] Frame 1: Frame 1 is the basic support structure of the entire OCR recognition mechanism. It is equipped with a dedicated letter transport path to provide a channel for the transmission of letters and ensure that letters can move along the predetermined route to facilitate subsequent recognition operations.

[0038] Conveyor Roller 4: The conveyor roller 4 is installed above the letter conveying path and consists of at least one pair of upper and lower rollers arranged opposite each other. During operation, the upper and lower rollers cooperate to clamp the letter and convey the letter by rotating the rollers, ensuring that the letter can move stably and at a uniform speed on the conveying path.

[0039] Mail sorting mechanism 5: Installed at the mail inlet end of the mail conveying path, the mail sorting mechanism 5 is an important component of this mechanism. It mainly includes a bracket 6, a lead screw 7, a lifting block 8, a guide plate 9, and a guide post 11. The bracket 6 is connected to the frame 1, providing a mounting base for components such as the lead screw 7 and the lifting block 8; the lead screw 7 is rotatably mounted on the bracket 6; the lifting block 8 is threadedly connected to the lead screw 7, and when the lead screw 7 rotates, the lifting block 8 can move along the axial direction of the lead screw 7 through threaded transmission; the guide plate 9 is connected to the lifting block 8 and is V-shaped, used to guide the mail into the conveying path; the guide post 11 is fixed to the bracket 6 and passes through the lifting block 8, effectively limiting the rotation of the lifting block 8 while providing guidance for its movement, ensuring that the lifting block 8 can move smoothly up and down, thereby driving the guide plate 9 to rise and fall, adjusting the height of the guide plate 9 to accommodate mail of different thicknesses.

[0040] Reflector 2: Reflector 2 is installed at an angle above the letter transport path and can be a plane mirror. Its function is to reflect the image information of the letter surface passing through the letter transport path and located below it to the image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module 3, thus creating conditions for the OCR recognition module 3 to acquire letter image information by reflecting light.

[0041] OCR Recognition Module 3: The OCR recognition module 3 is mounted on the rack 1 and located on the reflected light path of the reflector 2, with its image acquisition area facing the reflector 2. This module receives the image information of the letter surface reflected by the reflector 2 and uses optical character recognition technology to recognize and process character information such as names and addresses on the letter.

[0042] Light source: This device is also equipped with a light source, which is set above or to the side of the letter transport path. Its main function is to illuminate the surface of the letter and provide sufficient light for the OCR recognition module 3 to collect clear letter images, so as to avoid unclear image acquisition due to insufficient light and affect the recognition effect.

[0043] Working principle: When this utility model is in use, when a letter enters the OCR recognition mechanism of the postage meter, it is first processed by the letter sorting mechanism 5. The lead screw 7 of the letter sorting mechanism 5 rotates, driving the lifting block 8 to move axially along the lead screw 7 through threaded transmission. The guide post 11 restricts the rotation of the lifting block 8 and provides guidance, so that the V-shaped guide plate 9 connected to the lifting block 8 can adjust its height according to the thickness of the letter, guiding the letter smoothly and accurately into the letter conveying path.

[0044] After the letter enters the conveyor path, the conveyor rollers 4 begin to work. At least one pair of oppositely arranged upper and lower rollers work together to clamp the letter, and the rotation of the rollers provides forward power for the letter, ensuring that the letter can move stably and at a constant speed on the conveyor path.

[0045] During letter delivery, a light source positioned above or to the side of the letter delivery path continuously illuminates the letter surface, providing sufficient light for the OCR recognition module 3 to capture clear letter images. At this time, the reflector 2 (plane mirror) tilted above the letter delivery path comes into play, reflecting the image information from the letter surface.

[0046] The OCR recognition module 3 is mounted on the rack 1 and located on the reflected light path of the reflector 2, with its image acquisition area facing the reflector 2. By receiving the image information of the letter surface reflected by the reflector 2, the OCR recognition module 3 uses optical character recognition technology to recognize and process character information such as names and addresses on the letter, ultimately achieving accurate reading and analysis of the letter's name, address, and other content.

[0047] Beneficial effects: Adaptive thickness adjustment: The rotation of the lead screw 7 in the letter sorting mechanism 5 drives the lifting block 8 to move axially. In conjunction with the guide column 11, the rotation is restricted and guided, so that the V-shaped guide plate 9 can automatically adjust its height according to the thickness of the letter. This can adapt to the processing needs of letters of different thicknesses and improve the versatility of the equipment.

[0048] Stable letter guidance: The height adjustment function of the V-shaped guide plate 9 can guide the letter smoothly and accurately into the conveying path, reducing the problem of letter deviation or jamming during the entry stage and ensuring the smoothness of subsequent processes.

[0049] Clamping and conveying design: The conveying roller 4 consists of at least one pair of upper and lower rollers arranged opposite each other. By cooperating with each other, the rollers provide forward power and ensure that the letters move stably and at a constant speed on the conveying path, avoiding identification errors or damage to the letters caused by unstable conveying.

[0050] Imaging design of reflector 2: The inclined reflector 2 plane mirror can reflect the image information on the surface of the letter to the OCR recognition module 3. This design can change the image acquisition optical path, so that the recognition module can effectively receive the image under reasonable layout, and improve the flexibility of equipment structure design and space utilization.

[0051] The reflective element 2 allows the OCR recognition module 3 to be arranged horizontally, reducing the installation space. At the same time, when the OCR recognition module 3 directly collects letter image information, the film on the letter will reflect light, affecting image acquisition. This application avoids the above problem by reflecting the letter image information through the reflective element 2.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An OCR recognition mechanism of a franking machine, characterized in that, include: A rack (1) on which a mail delivery path is provided; A conveyor roller (4) is installed above the letter conveying path for conveying letters; The letter sorting mechanism (5) is installed at the letter inlet end of the letter transport path. The letter sorting mechanism (5) has a height-adjustable guide plate (9) for guiding letters of different thicknesses. Reflective element (2) is installed at an angle above the letter delivery path; The OCR recognition module (3) is installed on the rack (1) and located on the reflected light path of the reflector (2). The image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module (3) faces the reflector (2). The reflector (2) is configured to reflect the image information of the surface of the letter passing through the letter transport path and located below it to the image acquisition area of ​​the OCR recognition module (3).

2. The OCR recognition mechanism of a franking machine according to claim 1, wherein: The signal splitting mechanism (5) includes a bracket (6), a lead screw (7), a lifting block (8), and a guide plate (9); the bracket (6) is connected to the frame (1); the lead screw (7) is rotatably mounted on the bracket (6); the lifting block (8) is threadedly connected to the lead screw (7); the guide plate (9) is connected to the lifting block (8); the guide plate (9) is V-shaped. In this process, by rotating the lead screw (7) in conjunction with the lifting block (8), the height of the lifting block (8) is adjusted, and the lifting block (8) drives the guide plate (9) to rise and fall, so as to adjust the height of the guide plate (9) to suit letters of different thicknesses.

3. The OCR recognition mechanism of a franking machine according to claim 2, wherein: The signal splitting mechanism (5) also includes a guide post (11); the guide post (11) is fixed to the bracket (6) and passes through the lifting block (8) to limit the rotation and guide the lifting block (8).

4. The OCR recognition mechanism of a franking machine according to claim 1, wherein: The reflector (2) is a plane mirror.

5. The OCR recognition mechanism of a franking machine according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a light source, which is positioned above or to the side of the letter transport path to illuminate the surface of the letter.

6. The OCR recognition mechanism of a franking machine according to claim 1, wherein: The conveying rollers (4) include at least a pair of opposing upper and lower rollers for holding and conveying letters.

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