Media Processing Device

Abstract

To provide a medium processing device capable of more accurately detecting the vacancy of a storage space provided in a cassette and more widely applicable.SOLUTION: The medium processing device comprises: a medium storage cassette that includes a medium storage space for storing a medium and a partition plate provided to divide the medium storage space into a lower storage part and an upper storage part and to be vertically movable in a prescribed movable region in the medium storage space; a conveyance unit that conveys the medium to the medium storage cassette; a partition plate position detection sensor that detects a vertical position of the partition plate; and a control unit that controls the partition plate, the partition plate position detection sensor, and the conveyance unit. The control unit issues an instruction for moving the partition plate to the lowermost end of the movable region, and then determines whether or not the lower storage part has a vacant space for storing the medium on the basis of the vertical position of the partition plate after the movement detected by the partition plate position detection sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a media processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, devices for processing various media such as paper sheets have become widespread. One example of such a device is a banknote processing device that processes deposits and withdrawals of banknotes. Some banknote processing devices are equipped with a cassette for storing banknotes to be collected from the device. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a partition plate separates a space for storing collected banknotes from a space for storing rejected banknotes inside a cassette that is detachable from the device.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which an optical sensor detects the position of the top end face of banknotes accumulated in a banknote storage space provided in a cassette, and determines whether the banknote storage space is empty based on the detection result. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-17013 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-25606 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the detection technique using an optical sensor disclosed in Patent Document 2 is difficult to adopt depending on the hardware configuration of the device.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a media processing device that can detect the available storage space within a cassette with greater accuracy and that can be applied more widely. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, a media processing device is provided, comprising: a media storage cassette having a media storage space for storing media, and a partition plate that divides the media storage space into a lower storage section and an upper storage section and is movable vertically within a specified movable area within the media storage space; a transport section that transports the media to the media storage cassette; a partition plate position detection sensor that detects the vertical position of the partition plate; and a control section that controls the partition plate, the partition plate position detection sensor, and the transport section, wherein the control section issues an instruction to move the partition plate to the lowest end of the movable area and then determines whether there is available space in the lower storage section to store the media based on the vertical position of the partition plate after movement detected by the partition plate position detection sensor.

[0008] After issuing the instruction, if the partition plate position detection sensor detects that the partition plate is positioned at the lowest end, the control unit may determine that there is free space and start storing the media into the media storage cassette.

[0009] The control unit may be configured to determine that there is no free space and to notify the user that there is no free space if the partition position detection sensor cannot detect that the partition is positioned at the lowest end after issuing the instruction.

[0010] The control unit may execute the instruction and determine the amount of free space before starting to accumulate the media in the lower storage unit.

[0011] The control unit may execute the instruction and make a determination regarding the free space each time the number of the media accumulated in the lower storage unit exceeds a specified threshold.

[0012] The media storage cassette further includes a stage on which the media is accumulated in the lower storage section, and a support member that supports the stage and contracts due to the weight of the media accumulated on the stage, and the media processing device further includes a stage position detection sensor that detects the position of the stage in the vertical direction, and the control unit may execute the instruction and make a determination regarding the available space each time the number of media accumulated in the lower storage section exceeds a specified threshold after the stage position detection sensor detects that the stage is at a specified position.

[0013] The media storage cassette further includes a passage through which the media transported from the transport unit passes, and the control unit may control the position of the partition plate so that the lower storage unit cannot be seen from the passage when the storage of the media in the media storage cassette is complete.

[0014] The partition plate may be provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction within the movable region.

[0015] The medium may include a paper sheet.

[0016] The paper sheets may include banknotes.

[0017] The control unit may perform control so that banknotes having different characteristics are stored in the lower storage unit and the upper storage unit, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a media processing device that can detect the free space in the storage space provided in the cassette with higher accuracy and that is applicable more widely. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a media processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and an example of the arrangement of a media storage cassette 60 included in the media processing device 1. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a media processing device 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating the basic configuration of a medium storage cassette 60 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram illustrating the basic configuration of a medium storage cassette 60 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second conventional method for determining an empty space. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second conventional method for determining an empty space. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a storage cassette that employs a third conventional method for determining available space. [Figure 8] 9A to 9C are diagrams for explaining the operation of a stage position detection sensor 980. FIG. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining problems that arise when a storage cassette employing the second or third method using an upper surface detection sensor 970 is provided with a partition plate 920. FIG. [Figure 10] 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining problems that arise when a storage cassette employing the second or third method using an upper surface detection sensor 970 is provided with a partition plate 920. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a media processing device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a media processing device 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of operation of the partition plate position detection sensor 670 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which collected banknotes have been accumulated up to the upper limit in the lower storage unit 630 according to the embodiment, and there is no free space left. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow according to the embodiment. [Figure 16]10 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a media processing device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating position control of a partition plate 620 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining position control of the partition plate 620 according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0021] <1. Embodiment> <<1.1. Overview>> 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, devices that process various media such as paper sheets, cards, etc. Examples of paper sheets include banknotes, coupons such as gift certificates, tickets, slips, etc.

[0022] An example of a medium processing device is a banknote processing device that performs processes related to depositing and dispensing banknotes.

[0023] The banknote processing devices described above broadly include devices used for depositing and dispensing banknotes at financial counters, ATMs, cash registers installed at checkout counters of retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, large-scale retailers such as discount shops, and devices connected to POS (Point Of Sales) registers and the like for depositing and dispensing banknotes.

[0024] For example, the banknote processing device may function as part of a self-service or semi-self-service checkout machine operated by customers in a retail store or the like.

[0025] In recent years, banknote handling devices have become widespread, which are equipped with cassettes that store banknotes to be collected from the device and are detachable from the device.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, a media processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention also includes a removable media storage cassette 60. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a media processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and an example of the arrangement of the media storage cassette 60 included in the media processing device 1.

[0027] A media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a media input / output port 10 on the surface facing the user. The media input / output port 10 is configured to allow the user to insert media or output media to the user.

[0028] Hereinafter, the surface facing the user will be referred to as the front, and the surface opposite the front as the rear. Based on the front and rear surfaces, the side facing towards you in Figure 1 will be referred to as the right, and the side facing towards the back in Figure 1 will be referred to as the left. Furthermore, vertically upward will be referred to as up, and vertically downward will be referred to as down.

[0029] A media storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention is one of the internal components provided inside the housing of the media processing device 1. For example, the media storage cassette 60 may be provided so that it can be pulled out forward together with the other internal components after removing a plate on the front of the housing of the media processing device 1. Furthermore, the media storage cassette 60 may be provided so that it can be pulled out forward together with the other internal components, and then further pulled out to the left so that it can be separated from the other internal components.

[0030] By following the above procedure, a maintenance technician can remove the media storage cassette 60 from the media processing device 1. By following the reverse procedure, a maintenance technician can install the media storage cassette 60 in the media processing device 1.

[0031] However, the above attachment / detachment procedure is merely an example, and the configuration for attaching and detaching the media storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be flexibly modified. Furthermore, to prevent unauthorized removal of the media storage cassette 60, the media processing device 1 may be equipped with various locking mechanisms.

[0032] Next, we will provide an overview of the configuration of a media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram that shows the overall configuration of a media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, a media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a media input / output port 10, a media input / output section 20, a conveying section 30, a discrimination section 40, a media storage section 50, a media storage cassette 60, and a control section 70.

[0034] (Media input / output 10) As described above, the medium slot 10 is used by the user to insert media or to output media to the user. In this embodiment and other embodiments described below, the medium is, for example, banknotes, in which case the medium slot 10 functions as a cash slot through which the user deposits banknotes into the media processing device 1 or through which the media processing device 1 dispenses banknotes to the user.

[0035] (medium input / output section 20) The medium input / output unit 20 is configured to take in a medium inserted into the medium input / output port 10 and output the medium from the medium input / output port 10 .

[0036] (Transport unit 30) The conveying unit 30 is configured to convey media. To this end, the conveying unit 30 is equipped with rollers, belts, etc. The conveying unit 30 conveys media between the media input / output unit 20 and the discrimination unit 40, between the discrimination unit 40 and the media storage unit 50, between the discrimination unit 40 and the media storage cassette 60, and between the media storage unit 50 and the media storage cassette 60.

[0037] (Identification Department 40) The validation unit 40 validates the media transported by the transport unit 30 and transmits the validation results to the control unit 70. The validation unit 40 may, for example, determine the type of media, whether it is authentic, and whether it is damaged. To perform the above-described validation, the validation unit 40 may include an optical element, a magnetic detection element, etc. Based on the validation results received from the validation unit 40, the control unit 70 determines the destination of the media to be validated and controls the operation of the transport unit 30.

[0038] (medium storage unit 50) The medium storage unit 50 has a storage space for storing media. The media stored in the medium storage unit 50 may be, for example, media that have been determined by the discriminating unit 40 to have minimal damage and be reusable.

[0039] The medium storage unit 50 accumulates and stores the media transported by the transport unit 30 in the storage space. The medium storage unit 50 may accumulate and store the media according to the results of validation by the validation unit 40. For example, the medium storage unit 50 may accumulate and store the media by type.

[0040] Furthermore, the medium storage unit 50, in accordance with instructions from the control unit 70, transfers to the transport unit 30 the specified number of media of the type corresponding to the instruction from among the stored media.

[0041] (Media storage cassette 60) The media storage cassette 60 has a media storage space for storing media and is detachably attached to the media processing device 1. The control unit 70 controls the transport of media to be collected from the media processing device 1 to the media storage cassette 60. The detailed configuration of the media storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described later.

[0042] (control unit 70) The control unit 70 controls the operation of the medium input / output unit 20, the transport unit 30, the discrimination unit 40, the medium storage unit 50, and the medium storage cassette 60. To this end, the control unit 70 is connected so as to be able to communicate with each of the components that it controls. The functions of the control unit 70 are realized by various processors.

[0043] The above describes an example configuration of a media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. However, the configuration described above using Figure 2 is merely an example, and the configuration of a media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0044] For example, the media processing device 1 may further include an operation unit that accepts operations by users, a display unit that displays various information, etc. The configuration of the media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be flexibly modified depending on the specifications and operation.

[0045] Next, the configuration of the medium storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the following mainly describes an example in which the medium processing device 1 processes banknotes.

[0046] 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating the basic configuration of a medium storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following drawings, banknotes, including recovered banknotes and rejected banknotes, are indicated by oblique hatching.

[0047] A media storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention divides the media storage space formed inside a cassette housing 610 into a lower storage section 630 and an upper storage section 635, and is provided with a partition plate 620 that is movable vertically within a specified movable area within the media storage space.

[0048] The lower storage section 630 and the upper storage section 635 according to one embodiment of the present invention may store media with different characteristics.

[0049] When the media processed by the media processing device 1 are banknotes, for example, the lower storage unit 630 may store recovered banknotes, and the upper storage unit 635 may store rejected banknotes.

[0050] Here, the collected banknotes may be banknotes to be collected from the medium processing device 1 as sales proceeds, for example.

[0051] The rejected banknotes are, for example, banknotes fed from the medium storage unit 50 that have been identified by the identification unit 40 and the control unit 70 as not to be taken out of the medium processing device 1 (not to be dispensed), or banknotes that have been identified as not to be stored as recovered banknotes in the lower storage unit 630. Such banknotes are, for example, banknotes that have been identified as not suitable for use due to damage or soiling, and banknotes that have been unable to be identified due to an abnormality such as skew, in which the banknote is transported in a tilted position on the transport unit 30, or double-feed, in which multiple banknotes are transported overlapping each other.

[0052] The control unit 70 controls the partition plate 620 so that the collected banknotes are stored correctly in the lower storage unit 630 and the rejected banknotes are stored correctly in the upper storage unit 635.

[0053] The partition plate 620 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction within a specified movable range, for example, with a shaft 622 as a fulcrum.

[0054] Fig. 3 shows a configuration in which the partition plate 620 is located at the uppermost end of the movable range. In the basic state, the partition plate 620 may be pulled upward and fixed by a tension member 626, as shown in Fig. 3. Note that the tension member 626 may be, for example, a tension spring.

[0055] In this case, when the collected banknotes transported from the transport unit 30 pass through the passage 615 provided in the cassette housing 610, they are knocked downward by the radial tongues of the impeller 660 rotated by a roller, and are accumulated in an aligned state on the stage 640 in the lower storage unit 630.

[0056] Stage 640 is supported from below by support members 650. Furthermore, support members 650 contract due to the weight of the collected banknotes accumulated on stage 640. Therefore, as the number of collected banknotes accumulated on stage 640 increases, support members 650 contract more, and stage 640 moves downward.

[0057] The support member 650 may be, for example, a compression spring, etc. The compression force of the support member 650 is designed so that the stage 640 remains in an appropriate position due to the weight of the stage 640 and the weight of the collected banknotes accumulated on the stage 640.

[0058] 4 shows a configuration in which the partition plate 620 is located at the lowest end of the movable area. When storing rejected banknotes in the upper storage unit 635, the control unit 70 outputs an instruction to an actuator (not shown) to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end of the movable area.

[0059] In accordance with the above instruction, the actuator pushes, for example, arm 624 formed as part of partition plate 620 rearward, causing partition plate 620 to rotate downward with shaft 622 as the fulcrum and arm 624 as the force point.

[0060] The control unit 70 can switch the storage destination of the banknotes transported from the transport unit 30 from the lower storage unit 630 to the upper storage unit 635 by the above-mentioned control.

[0061] When the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end of the movable range, rejected banknotes transported from the transport unit 30 are knocked downward by the radial tongues of the impeller 660, which is rotated by a roller, as they pass through the passage 615 provided in the cassette housing 610, and are thereby accumulated in an aligned state on the partition plate 620 in the upper storage unit 635.

[0062] The actuator may be formed separately from the media storage cassette 60 inside the housing of the media processing device 1. In this case, when the media storage cassette 60 is removed from the media processing device 1, the actuator no longer drives the divider plate 620, and the tensile force of the tension member 626 returns the divider plate 620 to the uppermost position in its movable range.

[0063] The basic configuration of the medium storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, how to determine the free space in the lower storage section 630 will be described.

[0064] There is a limit to the number of collected banknotes that can be stored in the lower storage unit 630 of the medium storage cassette 60. For this reason, if an attempt is made to store more collected banknotes in the lower storage unit 630 when there is no free space in the lower storage unit 630 to store collected banknotes, a jam may occur, hindering normal operation of the medium processing device 1. To avoid such a situation, it is necessary to accurately determine whether there is free space in the lower storage unit 630 to store collected banknotes.

[0065] Here, three methods for determining the availability of storage space will be described.

[0066] The first method is to count the number of collected banknotes stored in the storage cassette using, for example, a sensor that detects banknotes passing through a passage provided in the storage cassette, and when the count reaches a predetermined upper limit, it is determined that there is no available space to store the collected banknotes.

[0067] However, because the first method only monitors the number of collected banknotes, if the condition of the collected banknotes (such as creases or warping) or the state of accumulation of the collected banknotes is worse than expected, there is a possibility that there will be no free space in the storage unit before the number of collected banknotes stored reaches the intended upper limit. If an attempt is made to store more collected banknotes in such a state, a jam may occur, preventing the device from operating normally.

[0068] The second method is a method in which a sensor detects the position of the top end face of the collected banknotes accumulated in the storage cassette. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the second method.

[0069] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the second method, showing the configuration of a storage cassette that employs the second method.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 5, a storage cassette employing the second method includes an upper surface detection sensor 970. The upper surface detection sensor 970 is a sensor that detects that an optical axis 975 is blocked by an object. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the optical axis 975 is set so that, when collected banknotes are accumulated on the stage 940 and there is no more free space, the upper ends of the accumulated collected banknotes block the optical axis 975 near a passage opening 915 provided in a cassette housing 910 of the storage cassette.

[0071] That is, in the second method, when the upper surface detection sensor 970 detects that the optical axis 975 is blocked, it can be determined that there is no free space to store collected banknotes.

[0072] However, even if the number of collected banknotes stacked has not reached the upper limit, if the collected banknotes are bent or the stacking condition of the collected banknotes is poor, as shown in Figure 6, the collected banknotes may block the optical axis 975, and it may be erroneously determined that there is no free space.

[0073] For this reason, in the second method, it is necessary to reliably push down the collected banknotes transported from the transport unit onto the stage 940 by the impeller 960.

[0074] Next, the third method will be described. A storage cassette employing the third method further includes, in addition to an upper surface detection sensor 970, a stage position detection sensor 980 that detects the position of the stage 940 in the up-down direction, as shown in FIG.

[0075] The stage position detection sensor 980 detects the vertical position of the stage 940, which changes depending on the weight of the collected banknotes being stacked. For example, the stage position detection sensor 980 may be a sensor that detects that the upper limit number of collected banknotes has been stacked and the stage 940 has reached the lowest position due to the weight of the banknotes.

[0076] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the stage position detection sensor 980. As shown in Fig. 8, the stage position detection sensor 980 is formed, for example, in a U-shape with a portion of the top surface open, and has an optical axis 985 in the open portion. Furthermore, the stage position detection sensor 980 is disposed in a position where a shielding portion 945, which is part of the stage 940, blocks the optical axis 985 when the stage 940 is positioned at the lowest end.

[0077] Such a stage position detection sensor 980 can detect that the position of the stage 940 has reached the lowest position due to the accumulated collected banknotes, i.e., that there is no more free space to store the collected banknotes. The third method makes it possible to avoid a situation, as explained in the second method, where it is erroneously detected that there is no free space when the number of accumulated collected banknotes has not reached the upper limit.

[0078] The above describes three methods for determining the available space for storing collected banknotes. However, unlike the storage cassettes employing the second or third method using the upper surface detection sensor 970 described above, one feature of the medium storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention is that it includes a partition plate 620 that divides the medium storage space into a lower storage section 630 and an upper storage section 635.

[0079] Here, a problem that arises when a storage cassette employing the second or third method using the upper surface detection sensor 970 is equipped with the partition plate 920 will be described.

[0080] When the storage cassette is equipped with a partition plate 920, as shown in FIG. 9, the optical axis 975 of the upper surface detection sensor 970 is blocked not only by the upper surface of the accumulated collected banknotes but also by the partition plate 920, making it difficult to correctly determine whether there is free space to store the collected banknotes.

[0081] Furthermore, even if a hole is provided in the partition plate 920 to allow the optical axis 975 to pass through, as shown in Figure 10, in order to avoid the above situation, when rejected banknotes are piled up on the partition plate 920, the rejected banknotes will block the optical axis 975.

[0082] Therefore, in a configuration equipped with a partition plate 920, such as the media storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is not possible to adopt the second and third methods of determining free space using a top surface detection sensor.

[0083] It is possible to adopt the first method even in a configuration that includes the partition plate 920, such as the medium storage cassette 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention. However, as described above, with the first method, if the condition of the collected banknotes or the state of accumulation of the collected banknotes is worse than expected, there is a possibility that there will be no free space in the storage section before the number of collected banknotes to be stored reaches the original upper limit.

[0084] The technical concepts of each embodiment of the present invention were conceived with the above points in mind, resulting in a media processing device 1 that can detect the availability of the lower storage compartment 630 with greater accuracy and that is more widely applicable. Each embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below.

[0085] <<1.2. First embodiment>> First, we will describe the first embodiment of the present invention. Figures 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating an example configuration of a media processing device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the media processing device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a partition plate position detection sensor 670 that detects the vertical position of the partition plate 620.

[0086] As an example, the partition plate position detection sensor 670 may be a sensor that detects whether or not the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end of the movable range.

[0087] 11 shows a situation where the partition plate 620 is located at the uppermost end of the movable area. In this way, when the partition plate 620 is located at a position other than the lowermost end of the movable area, the partition plate position detection sensor 670 may be in an OFF state.

[0088] 12 shows a state in which the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end of the movable range. In this state, the partition plate position detection sensor 670 is in the ON state.

[0089] Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of partition plate position detection sensor 670. As shown in Fig. 13, partition plate position detection sensor 670 is formed, for example, in a U-shape with a portion of the upper surface opened, and has optical axis 675 in the open portion. Furthermore, partition plate position detection sensor 670 is disposed at a position where shielding portion 628, which is part of partition plate 620, blocks optical axis 675 when partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end of the movable range.

[0090] The partition plate position detection sensor 670 may be located inside the housing of the media processing device 1 adjacent to the media storage cassette 60, for example, adjacent to the left side of the media storage cassette 60 shown in Figure 1. In this case, a hole is provided in the left side of the media storage cassette 60 to allow the shielding section 628 to pass through.

[0091] The partition plate position detection sensor 670 as described above makes it possible to detect that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end of the movable area.

[0092] Furthermore, one of the features of the control unit 70 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is that after issuing an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end of the movable range, the control unit 70 determines whether there is free space in the lower storage unit 630 to store collected banknotes based on the vertical position of the partition plate 620 after the movement detected by the partition plate position detection sensor 670.

[0093] 14 is a diagram showing a state in which collected banknotes are stacked up to the upper limit in the lower storage unit 630 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and there is no free space left. In this state, as shown in FIG. 14, the partition plate 620 cannot reach the bottom end B of the movable range due to the obstruction caused by the stacked collected banknotes.

[0094] For this reason, after issuing an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end of the movable range, if the partition plate position detection sensor 670 detects that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end B, the control unit 70 may determine that there is free space in the lower storage unit 630 to store collected banknotes, and may start storing the banknotes in the media storage cassette 60.

[0095] On the other hand, after issuing an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end of the movable range, if the partition plate position detection sensor 670 cannot detect that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end B, the control unit 70 may determine that there is no free space in the lower storage unit 630 to store the collected banknotes, and may control the control unit 70 to issue a notification to that effect, for example, a notification requesting the collection of banknotes from the media storage cassette 60.

[0096] According to the above control, it is possible to determine with high accuracy whether or not there is free space, regardless of the state of the collected banknotes or the state of accumulation of the collected banknotes.

[0097] Next, an example of the control flow according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 15 is a flowchart illustrating the control flow according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0098] In the example shown in Figure 15, when banknotes are to be stacked in the lower storage section 630 of the media storage cassette 60, the control section 70 first outputs an instruction to the actuator to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end B (S102).

[0099] Next, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the partition plate position detection sensor 670 has detected that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S104).

[0100] Here, if the partition position detection sensor 670 cannot detect that the partition 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S104: NO), the control unit 70 determines that there is no free space in the lower storage section 630 and controls the control unit 70 to notify the user that there is no free space (S106).

[0101] On the other hand, if the partition plate position detection sensor 670 detects that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S104: YES), the control unit 70 determines that there is free space in the lower storage section 630 and issues an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the top end of the movable area (S108).

[0102] The control unit 70 also resets the accumulation counter Ct to 0 and starts transporting and accumulating banknotes to the medium storage cassette 60 (S110). The accumulation counter Ct is realized as a function of a program (software) that controls banknote accumulation (storage) so that the control unit 70 can manage the number of banknotes accumulated (stored) in the medium storage cassette 60.

[0103] In this way, the control unit 70 may issue an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end B and determine whether there is an empty space before starting to accumulate collected banknotes in the lower storage unit 630.

[0104] By making the determination at the above timing, accumulation can be started after it is confirmed that there is free space in the lower storage section 630, and more efficient accumulation processing can be realized.

[0105] After starting the accumulation, the control unit 70 increments the value of the accumulation counter Ct by one each time one banknote is accumulated (S112), and determines whether all of the planned banknotes have been accumulated (S114). Note that the accumulation counter Ct may be incremented by one when a banknote passing sensor (not shown) provided at any position in the transport unit 30, such as at any position between the medium storage unit 50 and the transport unit 30 or at any position between the medium storage cassette 60 and the transport unit 30, detects one banknote being transported toward the medium storage cassette 60. For example, when a banknote is transported from the medium storage unit 50 via the discrimination unit 40, or from the medium storage unit 50 to the discrimination unit 40 and then switched back from the discrimination unit 40 to the medium storage cassette 60, the accumulation counter Ct may be incremented by one when one banknote is discriminated by the discrimination unit 40.

[0106] When the control unit 70 determines that the planned stacking of all banknotes has been completed (S114: YES), it performs control to stop stacking (S120) and ends the series of processes.

[0107] On the other hand, when the control unit 70 determines that the planned accumulation of some of the banknotes has not yet been completed (S114: NO), it then determines whether the accumulation counter Ct has exceeded the threshold value Jt (S116).

[0108] When the control unit 70 determines that the accumulation counter Ct does not exceed the threshold value Jt (S116: NO), the control unit 70 returns to step S112.

[0109] On the other hand, when the control unit 70 determines that the accumulation counter Ct has exceeded the threshold value Jt (S116: YES), it performs control to stop accumulation and returns to step S102.

[0110] That is, the control unit 70 may issue an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end B and make a determination regarding the available space each time the number of collected banknotes accumulated in the lower storage unit 630 exceeds a specified threshold Jt.

[0111] The threshold value Jt may be freely set by the administrator of the media processing device 1 or the like.

[0112] According to the control based on the threshold value Jt as described above, it is possible to determine whether or not there is free space each time a specified number of collected banknotes are accumulated in the lower storage unit 630, thereby realizing more reliable accumulation processing.

[0113] On the other hand, control based on the threshold value Jt as shown in Fig. 15 does not necessarily have to be performed. Fig. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a modified control flow according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Note that the processing in steps S202 to S214 shown in Fig. 16 may be substantially the same as the processing in steps S102 to S114 shown in Fig. 15, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. On the other hand, in the control example illustrated in Fig. 16, the control unit 70 does not perform control based on the threshold value Jt.

[0114] When the control unit 70 determines in step S214 that all of the planned banknotes have been accumulated (S214: YES), it again outputs an instruction to the actuator to move the partition plate 620 to the bottom end B (S216).

[0115] Next, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the partition plate position detection sensor 670 has detected that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S218).

[0116] Here, if the partition position detection sensor 670 cannot detect that the partition 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S218: NO), the control unit 70 determines that there is no free space in the lower storage section 630 and controls the control unit 70 to notify the user that there is no free space (S206).

[0117] On the other hand, if the partition position detection sensor 670 detects that the partition 620 is located at the lowest end B (S218: YES), the control unit 70 determines that there is free space in the lower storage unit 630 and issues a command to move the partition 620 to the uppermost end of the movable area (S220). Thereafter, the control unit 70 performs control to stop the accumulation (S222) and ends the series of processes.

[0118] In this way, by determining whether there is any free space when all the planned banknote stacking has been completed, if there is no free space, tasks such as collecting banknotes can be performed before the next stacking begins, which is expected to improve work efficiency.

[0119] <<1.3. Second embodiment>> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the following description will mainly focus on the differences from the first embodiment, and detailed description of the configurations and the like common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0120] 17 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a media processing device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 17, the media processing device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention further includes a stage position detection sensor 680 that detects the vertical position of the stage 640.

[0121] The stage position detection sensor 680 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration equivalent to that of the stage position detection sensor 980 shown in Fig. 8. That is, the stage position detection sensor 680 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be a sensor that detects that the stage 640 is at the lowest position when the shielding portion 645 of the stage 640 blocks the optical axis 685.

[0122] The stage position detection sensor 680 may be located inside the housing of the media processing device 1, adjacent to the media storage cassette 60, for example, adjacent to the left side of the media storage cassette 60 shown in Figure 1. In this case, a hole is provided in the left side of the media storage cassette 60 to allow the shielding part 645 to pass through.

[0123] One of the features of the control unit 70 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is that after the stage position detection sensor 680 detects that the stage 640 is at a specified position, for example, at the lowest end, it makes a determination regarding the available space each time the number of collected banknotes accumulated in the lower storage unit 630 exceeds a specified threshold.

[0124] Fig. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Note that the processing in steps S302 to S310 shown in Fig. 18 may be substantially the same as the processing in steps S102 to S110 shown in Fig. 15, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0125] After starting stacking in step S310, the control unit 70 according to this embodiment determines whether or not all planned stacking of banknotes has been completed (S314) each time stacking of one banknote is completed (S312).

[0126] When it is determined that the planned stacking of all banknotes has been completed (S314: YES), the control unit 70 performs control to stop stacking (S324) and ends the series of processes.

[0127] On the other hand, if the control unit 70 determines that some of the planned stacking of banknotes has not yet been completed (S314: NO), it then determines whether the stage position detection sensor 680 has detected that the stage 640 is positioned at the lowest end (S316).

[0128] Here, if the stage position detection sensor 680 does not detect that the stage 640 is positioned at the lowest end (S316: NO), the control unit 70 returns to step S312.

[0129] On the other hand, if the stage position detection sensor 680 detects that the stage 640 is positioned at the lowest end (S316: YES), the control unit 70 increments the accumulation counter Ct by one (S318) and determines whether the accumulation counter Ct has exceeded the threshold Jt (S320).

[0130] When the control unit 70 determines that the accumulation counter Ct does not exceed the threshold value Jt (S320: NO), the control unit 70 returns to step S312.

[0131] On the other hand, when the control unit 70 determines that the accumulation counter Ct has exceeded the threshold value Jt (S320: YES), it performs control to stop accumulation and returns to step S302.

[0132] That is, the control unit 70 according to the second embodiment of the present invention issues an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end B and makes a determination regarding the available space each time the number of collected banknotes accumulated after detecting that the stage 640 is positioned at the lowest end exceeds a specified threshold Jt.

[0133] Therefore, in the control according to the second embodiment of the present invention, accumulation is not stopped before the stage 640 reaches the bottom end, which improves the number and duration of accumulation stops compared to the control according to the first embodiment, enabling more efficient processing.

[0134] <<1.4. Third embodiment>> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the following description will mainly focus on the differences from the first and second embodiments, and detailed description of the configurations and the like common to the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0135] In the first and second embodiments, the partition plate 620 is pulled upward and fixed by the tension member 626 in the basic state where the actuator is not operating. However, in this case, when the media storage cassette 60 is removed from the media processing device 1, collected banknotes accumulated in the lower storage section 630 may be visible through the passage opening 615 provided in the cassette housing 610.

[0136] Therefore, the control unit 70 according to the third embodiment of the present invention controls the position of the partition plate 620 so that the lower storage section 630 cannot be seen from the passage opening 615 when storage of banknotes in the media storage cassette 60 is completed.

[0137] According to the above-described control, recovered banknotes, which are generally stored in greater numbers than rejected banknotes, can be prevented from being seen by the public, thereby further improving security.

[0138] 19 and 20 are diagrams for explaining position control of the partition plate 620 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0139] 19 shows a basic state in which the actuator is not operating. In this state, the partition plate 620 according to this embodiment is pulled downward by the tension member 626 and fixed to the bottom end B of the movable area, unlike the first and second embodiments. In this state, as shown in FIG. 19, the lower storage section 630 cannot be seen from the passage opening 615, which is expected to improve security.

[0140] 20 shows the state of the actuator during operation. The actuator pushes arm 624, which is formed as part of partition plate 620, forward in accordance with instructions from control unit 70. This causes partition plate 620 to rotate upward with shaft 622 as the fulcrum and arm 624 as the force point.

[0141] Furthermore, when the media storage cassette 60 is removed from the media processing device 1, the actuator no longer drives the partition plate 620, and the tension of the tension member 626 causes the partition plate 620 to return to the lowest position in its movable range.

[0142] FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0143] In the example shown in FIG. 21, first, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the actuator is turned on (S402).

[0144] If the actuator is ON (S402: YES), the control unit 70 switches the actuator OFF (S404). By the above control, the partition plate 620 is pulled downward by the tension member 626.

[0145] On the other hand, if the actuator is OFF (S402: NO), the control unit 70 skips the process in step S404.

[0146] Next, the control unit 70 determines whether the partition plate position detection sensor 670 has detected that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S406).

[0147] Here, if the partition position detection sensor 670 cannot detect that the partition 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S406: NO), the control unit 70 determines that there is no free space in the lower storage section 630 and controls the control unit 70 to notify the user that there is no free space (S408).

[0148] On the other hand, if the partition position detection sensor 670 detects that the partition 620 is positioned at the lowest end B (S406: YES), the control unit 70 determines that there is free space in the lower storage section 630 and issues an instruction to move the partition 620 to the top end of the movable area (S410).

[0149] The processing in steps S412 to S422 shown in FIG. 21 may be substantially the same as the processing in steps S110 to S120 shown in FIG. 15, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0150] If the control unit 70 determines in step S416 that all of the planned banknote stacking has been completed (S416: YES), in addition to controlling the stacking to stop (S422), it also controls the actuator to switch OFF (S424), and ends the series of processes.

[0151] According to the above control in step S424, the partition plate 620 is pulled downward by the tension member 626, and the lower storage section 630 becomes invisible from the passage opening 615, thereby improving security.

[0152] <2. Summary> As described above, the media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a media storage cassette 60 having a media storage space for storing media, a partition 620 that divides the media storage space into a lower storage section 630 and an upper storage section 635 and is movable vertically within a specified movable range within the media storage space, a transport unit 30 that transports media to the media storage cassette, a partition position detection sensor 670 that detects the vertical position of the partition 620, and a control unit 70 that controls the partition 620, the partition position detection sensor 670, and the transport unit 30.

[0153] Another feature of the present invention is that the control unit 70 issues an instruction to move the partition plate 620 to the lowest end of the movable area, and then determines whether there is free space in the lower storage unit 630 to store media based on the vertical position of the partition plate 620 after movement detected by the partition plate position detection sensor 670.

[0154] The above configuration makes it possible to more accurately detect the amount of free storage space in the cassette, and provides a media processing device that is more widely applicable.

[0155] Furthermore, with the above-described configuration, even if a partition plate 620 is placed inside the media storage cassette 60, in other words, even if the interior of the media storage cassette 60 is spatially divided into two storage spaces by the partition plate 620, the available storage space within the cassette can be detected with greater accuracy than the three conventional methods for determining the available space in the storage section described above, without being restricted by the configuration of the media storage cassette 60.

[0156] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0157] For example, in the above embodiment, the partition plate position detection sensor 670 is a sensor that detects that the partition plate 620 is positioned at the lowest end of the movable range. However, the partition plate position detection sensor 670 according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0158] As an example, the partition plate position detection sensor 670 according to one embodiment of the present invention may detect the position of the partition plate 620 in the up-down direction based on the rotation angle of an actuator or the like.

[0159] Furthermore, for example, the partition plate position detection sensor 670 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a contact sensor arranged on the bottom surface of the partition plate 620, and may detect contact with collected banknotes accumulated in the lower storage unit 630. In this case, the control unit 70 may determine that the partition plate 620 is not positioned at the lowest end of the movable range based on the fact that the partition plate position detection sensor 670 detects contact with collected banknotes.

[0160] In the above embodiment, the partition plate 620 is mainly provided to be rotatable in the vertical direction. However, the partition plate 620 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be provided to be linearly movable in the vertical direction.

[0161] In the above embodiment, the media input / output port 10 was described as a port through which a user inserts media or outputs media to a user. However, the media input / output port 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a media input port that only functions to allow a user to insert media. In that case, a media output port that only functions to output media to a user may be provided on the front of the media processing device 1. When a media output port is provided, the transport unit 30 and the media output port are connected, and the layout of the transport path inside the media processing device 1 is partially changed from that shown in Figure 2, but the configuration and control of the media storage cassette 60 in each of the above embodiments are the same.

[0162] Furthermore, while the above embodiment uses banknotes as an example of a medium, the media that the media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention processes is not limited to banknotes. Furthermore, the media processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may process multiple different types of media simultaneously, such as banknotes and coupons. In this case, the lower storage section 630 and the upper storage section 635 may each store different types of media.

[0163] Furthermore, the steps of the process described in the above embodiment do not necessarily have to be processed in chronological order according to the order described in the flowchart. For example, the steps may be processed in an order different from the order described, or some of the steps may be processed in parallel.

[0164] Furthermore, the series of processes performed by the control unit 70 described in the above embodiment may be realized by a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Each program is loaded into RAM when executed by a computer, and executed by a processor such as a CPU. The storage medium may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. The program may also be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a storage medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0165] 1 Media processing device 10 Media input / exit 20 Media input / output section 30 Conveying section 40 Identification Department 50 Media storage section 60 Media storage cassette 70 Control Unit 615 Currency account 620 Partition 626 Tensile members 630 Lower storage area 635 Upper storage area 640 Stage 650 Support member 670 Partition plate position detection sensor 680 Stage position detection sensor

Claims

1. a media storage space for storing media; and a partition plate that divides the media storage space into a lower storage section and an upper storage section and is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction within a specified movable area within the media storage space; a media storage cassette comprising: a transport unit that transports the medium to the medium storage cassette; a partition plate position detection sensor that detects the position of the partition plate in the up-down direction; a control unit that controls the partition plate, the partition plate position detection sensor, and the conveying unit; Equipped with the control unit issues an instruction to move the partition plate to the lowermost end of the movable region, and then determines whether or not there is an empty space in the lower storage unit for storing the media, based on the vertical position of the partition plate after the movement, which is detected by the partition plate position detection sensor. Media processing device.

2. When the partition plate position detection sensor detects that the partition plate is positioned at the lowest end after issuing the instruction, the control unit determines that there is an empty space and starts storing the media in the media storage cassette. The media processing device of claim 1 .

3. If the partition plate position detection sensor cannot detect that the partition plate is positioned at the lowest end after issuing the instruction, the control unit determines that there is no free space and performs control to notify the user that there is no free space. The media processing device of claim 2 .

4. the control unit executes the instruction and determines whether there is free space before starting to accumulate the media in the lower storage unit. The media processing device of claim 3 .

5. the control unit executes the instruction and determines whether there is free space each time the number of media stored in the lower storage unit exceeds a specified threshold. The media processing device of claim 4 .

6. the media storage cassette further includes a stage on which the media are accumulated in the lower storage section, and a support member that supports the stage and contracts due to the weight of the media accumulated on the stage; the media processing device further includes a stage position detection sensor that detects the position of the stage in the up-down direction; the control unit executes the instruction and determines whether there is free space each time the number of media stored in the lower storage unit exceeds a specified threshold value after the stage position detection sensor detects that the stage is at a specified position. The media processing device of claim 5 .

7. the medium storage cassette further includes a passage through which the medium transported from the transport unit passes; the control unit controls the position of the partition plate so that the lower storage section cannot be seen from the passage opening when the storage of the media in the media storage cassette is completed. The media processing device of claim 1 .

8. The partition plate is provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction within the movable region. The media processing device of claim 1 .

9. The medium includes paper sheets. The media processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The paper sheets include banknotes. The media processing device of claim 9 .

11. the control unit controls the lower storage unit and the upper storage unit so that banknotes having different characteristics are stored in the lower storage unit and the upper storage unit, respectively. The media processing device of claim 10.

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