Testing equipment and testing method

Abstract

To easily perform a performance test of BRU.SOLUTION: A testing device of an embodiment includes receiving parts, a sensor, and a conveyance mechanism. The receiving parts are provided on opposite both side surfaces of an enclosure and is connected to a bill output / input part of a bill handling device. The sensor detects payment of a bill from the connected bill output / input part. The conveyance mechanism is provided between the receiving parts on both the side surfaces, and in a case of detecting payment of a bill from one of the bill output / input parts, conveys the paid bill to the other one of the bill output / input parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a testing apparatus and a testing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, BRUs (Bill Recycle Units) used in automated teller machines (ATMs) and the like are subjected to operational tests in which deposits and withdrawals are continuously performed using banknotes at manufacturing plants, repair shops, and the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-15388 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-172810 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above operational testing requires repeated manual steps to remove banknotes dispensed from the BRU and then deposit them back into the BRU, resulting in a significant labor cost. In particular, when switching to new banknotes, operational tests must be conducted on a large number of BRUs to update them, and the labor costs involved are considerable.

[0005] The disclosed technology has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a test device and a test method that enable easy performance testing of BRUs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a disclosed aspect, the testing device includes a receiving unit, a sensor, and a transport mechanism. The receiving units are provided on opposite sides of the housing and are connected to banknote deposit and withdrawal units of the banknote handling device. The sensor detects the withdrawal of banknotes from the connected banknote deposit and withdrawal unit. The transport mechanism is provided between the receiving units on both sides and, when it detects the withdrawal of a banknote from one of the banknote deposit and withdrawal units, transports the dispensed banknote to the other banknote deposit and withdrawal unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the disclosed embodiment, the operation test of the BRU can be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a test device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the installation of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the connection between the test device and the BRU according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal configuration of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a test operation of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the alignment of banknotes. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a test device and a test method according to the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Components having the same functions in the embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. Note that the test device and test method described in the following embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments may be combined as appropriate within a range that does not cause contradictions.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a testing device according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the testing device 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 10. A side surface 11 of the housing 10 is provided with a receiving portion 11a that connects to a BRU and a transport port 11b that takes in banknotes dispensed from the BRU or sends banknotes to the BRU. A side surface 12 of the housing 10 opposite the side surface 11 is also provided with a receiving portion 11a and a transport port 11b.

[0011] The top surface 13 of the housing 10 is provided with a power button 13a for turning on the power to the test device 1, and a READY button 13b for transitioning from STANDBY mode (standby mode) after power-on to a banknote waiting state (test operation state).

[0012] Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the installation of a test device 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, in an operation test, BRUs 2a and 2b to be tested are placed facing each other with their BRU slot sections 20, where banknotes are input and output, facing each other. The test device 1 is placed between the BRUs 2a and 2b placed in this manner, with each BRU slot section 20 inserted into a receiving section 11a provided on the side surface 11, 12, and connected to each of the BRUs 2a and 2b. In the following description, BRUs 2a and 2b will be referred to as BRU 2 unless they are to be particularly distinguished.

[0013] 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the connection between the test device 1 and the BRU 2 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the receiving portion 11a provided on the side surface 11 of the housing 10 of the test device 1 has a recessed shape that fits into the BRU slot portion 20. A transport opening 11b that is directly connected to the banknote transport path 14 inside the housing 10 is provided at the bottom of this recessed shape.

[0014] By inserting the BRU slot section 20 into such a receiving section 11a, the banknote transport path 21 in the BRU slot section 20 is connected to the banknote transport path 14 inside the housing 10 of the testing device 1. Note that while Fig. 3 shows the side surface 11 as an example, it goes without saying that the side surface 12 has the same configuration.

[0015] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal configuration of the test device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the test device 1 has a control unit 101, various drive sources (a belt drive motor 102, a clamp motor 103, an alignment gate solenoid 104, and an alignment gate solenoid 105), various sensors (detection sensors 111a and 111b, a photosensor 112, a first banknote detection sensor 113, and a second banknote detection sensor 114), an upper transport mechanism 120, and a lower transport mechanism 130.

[0016] The control unit 101 is a control circuit or the like that controls the operation of each unit. For example, the control unit 101 can be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. The control unit 101 is connected to each unit (various driving sources and various sensors) of the test apparatus 1 via communication lines (not shown) such as a data bus or a serial bus.

[0017] The control unit 101 controls each part (e.g., drive source) of the test device 1 connected via a communication line by expanding a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like into a RAM (Random Access Memory) and executing it sequentially.

[0018] The belt drive motor 102 is a motor that drives the conveyor belts 123, 133 in the upper conveying mechanism 120 and the lower conveying mechanism 130. Specifically, the belt drive motor 102 drives the conveyor belts 123, 133 by rotating the pulleys 121, 122, 131, 132 in the upper conveying mechanism 120 and the lower conveying mechanism 130.

[0019] For example, the belt drive motor 102 rotates a drive shaft (not shown) counterclockwise (CCW direction) to drive the conveyor belts 123 and 133 from left to right in the drawing, and also rotates a drive shaft clockwise (CW direction) to drive the conveyor belts 123 and 133 from right to left in the drawing.

[0020] The clamp motor 103 is a motor that moves the upper conveying mechanism 120 up and down. Specifically, the clamp motor 103 lowers the upper conveying mechanism 120 (lowers the clamp), thereby pressing and clamping the lower surface of the conveying belt 123 against the upper surface of the conveying belt 133 of the lower conveying mechanism 130. The clamp motor 103 also raises the upper conveying mechanism 120 (raises the clamp), thereby releasing the clamping of the lower surface of the conveying belt 123 against the upper surface of the conveying belt 133 of the lower conveying mechanism 130.

[0021] The alignment gate solenoid 104 is a solenoid (which may be a rotary solenoid) that transitions the alignment gate 135, which is supported by the rotary support part 134, between a lying state (illustrated example) and an upright state. Similarly, the alignment gate solenoid 105 is a solenoid (which may be a rotary solenoid) that transitions the alignment gate 137, which is supported by the rotary support part 136, between a lying state and an upright state (illustrated example). In the following description, the lying state of the alignment gates 135, 137 will be referred to as the open state, and the upright state of the alignment gates 135, 137 will be referred to as the closed state.

[0022] Detection sensor 111a is a sensor that detects the opening and closing of shutter 22 provided in BRU slot portion 20 of BRU 2a that connects with receiving portion 11a on side surface 11, and may be, for example, a photosensor. Similarly, detection sensor 111b is a sensor that detects the opening and closing of shutter 22 provided in BRU slot portion 20 of BRU 2b that connects with receiving portion 11a on side surface 12. Photosensor 112 detects the state of the clamp (down or up).

[0023] The first banknote detection sensor 113 is a photosensor provided near the transport opening 11b on the side surface 11. The first banknote detection sensor 113 detects banknotes dispensed from the BRU slot unit 20 of the BRU 2a or banknotes deposited into the BRU 2a through the transport opening 11b.

[0024] The second banknote detection sensor 114 is a photosensor provided near the transport opening 11b on the side surface 12. The second banknote detection sensor 114 detects banknotes dispensed from the BRU slot unit 20 of the BRU 2b or banknotes deposited into the BRU 2b through the transport opening 11b.

[0025] The upper conveying mechanism 120 and the lower conveying mechanism 130 are examples of conveying mechanisms that sandwich and convey banknotes from above and below in the conveying path 14 between the conveying opening 11b of the side surface 11 and the conveying opening 11b of the side surface 12. Specifically, the upper conveying mechanism 120 has a conveying belt 123 wound around a pulley 121 provided near the conveying opening 11b of the side surface 11 and a pulley 122 provided near the conveying opening 11b of the side surface 12. Similarly, the lower conveying mechanism 130 has a conveying belt 133 wound around a pulley 131 provided near the conveying opening 11b of the side surface 11 and a pulley 132 provided near the conveying opening 11b of the side surface 12. The upper conveying mechanism 120 and the lower conveying mechanism 130 convey banknotes by driving the belt drive motor 102 to rotate the pulleys 121, 122, 131, and 132 while the clamp motor 103 lowers the clamp to sandwich the banknotes.

[0026] Next, a description will be given of an operation test of the BRUs 2a and 2b using the test apparatus 1. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the test operation of the test apparatus 1 according to the embodiment.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the user (test worker) attaches the test device 1 to BRUs 2a and 2b whose BRU slot sections 20 face each other (S1). Specifically, the user installs detection sensors 111a and 111b for opening and closing the shutters in the shutters 22 of the BRU slot sections 20 of BRUs 2a and 2b. The user also installs the test device 1 between the BRU slot sections 20 of the facing BRUs 2a and 2b.

[0028] Next, the user presses the power button 13a of the test device 1 to turn on the power of the test device 1 (S2). After the power is turned on, the test device 1 is set to STANDBY mode by default. In this STANDBY mode, the control unit 101 moves the clamps, alignment gates 135, 137, etc. to their default positions (clamps lowered / alignment gates 135, 137 open).

[0029] Next, the user presses the READY button 13b of the testing device 1 (S3). This causes the testing device 1 to transition to a banknote standby state (test operation state) (S4). Specifically, the control unit 101 drives the clamp motor 103 to raise the clamp. The control unit 101 also puts the first banknote detection sensor 113 and the second banknote detection sensor 114 into a monitoring state.

[0030] 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the testing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, after S3, the testing device 1 is in a standby state for receiving banknotes 3 whose clamps have been raised (the upper transport mechanism 120 has been raised). It is assumed that the banknotes 3 used in the operation test have already been placed in the BRU 2a.

[0031] In this way, after the user installs the test device 1 between the BRUs 2a and 2b to be tested, the user places the test device 1 in a test operation state and then transitions the BRUs 2a and 2b to be tested into an operation test mode in which deposits and withdrawals are made continuously.

[0032] When the first banknote detection sensor 113 is blocked, that is, when a banknote dispensed from the BRU slot unit 20 of the BRU 2a is detected, the control unit 101 drives the belt drive motor 102 to rotate in the CCW direction (S5).

[0033] Next, the control unit 101 drives the belt drive motor 102 to rotate and transport a predetermined amount of banknotes (for example, 45 mm), and then stops the rotation of the belt drive motor 102 (S6).

[0034] Next, the control unit 101 drives the clamp motor 103 (for example, for a few ms) to lower the clamp and clamp the bill (S7).

[0035] 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the testing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, in S7, the clamp is lowered to clamp the banknotes 3. Therefore, when a bundle of banknotes 3 is dispensed from the BRU slot unit 20 of the BRU 2a, the testing device 1 can transport the bundle of banknotes 3 together.

[0036] Next, the control unit 101 starts rotating the belt drive motor 102 in the CCW direction (S8). Next, when the first banknote detection sensor 113 is transmitted, that is, when all of the banknotes 3 dispensed from the BRU slot unit 20 of the BRU 2a have been taken into the conveyance path 14, the control unit 101 stops the rotation of the belt drive motor 102 (S9).

[0037] 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the testing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, in S8, the testing device 1 can take in the banknote 3 into the conveyance path 14 by driving the belt drive motor 102 to rotate in the CCW direction.

[0038] Next, the control unit 101 drives the alignment gate solenoid 105 (by attracting the solenoid or rotating the rotary solenoid) to transition the alignment gate 137 from an open state to a closed state (S10). Next, the control unit 101 rotates the belt drive motor 102 in the CCW direction for, for example, several tens of milliseconds, and then stops it (S11).

[0039] 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, in the test device 1, by transitioning the alignment gate 137 from an open state to a closed state, the alignment gate 137 is brought into a state in which it stands above the conveyance path 14. In this state, by driving the belt drive motor 102 to rotate in the CCW direction, the edges of the banknotes 3 on the conveyance path 14 come into contact with the alignment gate 137 and are aligned as they are conveyed from left to right in the drawing.

[0040] Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the alignment of banknotes. Specifically, Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state in which banknotes 3 are transported with the alignment gate 137 in a closed state (the state in which the alignment gate 137 is upright), as viewed from above. As shown in Fig. 10, the transport of banknotes 3 transported downward in the drawing is restricted when their edges hit the alignment gate 137 (left side of the drawing). If transport continues in this state (for example, for several tens of milliseconds), the banknotes 3 will be aligned so that their edges are aligned at the alignment gate 137 (right side of the drawing).

[0041] Returning to FIG. 9, when aligning the banknotes 3 in this manner, the control unit 101 reduces the force (clamping force) clamping the banknotes 3 by driving the clamp motor 103 to slightly lift the clamp (for example, by driving it for a few ms).

[0042] When multiple banknotes 3 are stacked, even if you try to align them while maintaining a strong clamping force, the friction between the banknotes is strong and they may not be aligned properly. Also, if the clamping force is strong, there is no room for other banknotes 3 to fit into the gaps between the banknotes 3, making it difficult to align multiple banknotes 3 by stacking them. In contrast, the testing device 1 reduces the clamping force on the banknotes 3, making it possible to align multiple banknotes 3 by stacking them.

[0043] Returning to Figure 5, after S11, the control unit 101 sets the detection sensor 111b, which detects the opening and closing of the shutter 22 in BRU2b, to which the banknote 3 is transported, to a state where it monitors changes from transmission (shutter 22 closed state) to blocking (shutter 22 open state) (S12).

[0044] When the detection sensor 111b is blocked (shutter 22 is open), the control unit 101 drives the alignment gate solenoid 105 (de-energizes or rotates the rotary solenoid) to transition the alignment gate 137 from a closed to an open state (S13).

[0045] 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the testing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, in the testing device 1, the alignment gate 137, which has been blocking the conveyance path 14 for aligning the banknotes 3, is laid down by shifting the alignment gate 137 from a closed state to an open state. In other words, the restriction on the conveyance of the banknotes 3 after alignment is released.

[0046] Next, the control unit 101 rotates the belt drive motor 102 in the CCW direction to transport the aligned banknotes 3 to the BRU 2b side (S14). Next, when the second banknote detection sensor 114 goes through → blocked → through (banknotes 3 pass), the control unit 101 stops the rotation of the belt drive motor 102 (S15) and returns the process to S4.

[0047] Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the test device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, in the test device 1, the belt drive motor 102 is rotated in the CCW direction to transport the banknote 3 into the BRU 2b, that is, to insert the banknote 3 for a deposit test of the BRU 2b.

[0048] Conversely, the operation of depositing banknotes 3 dispensed from BRU 2b into BRU 2a, that is, the insertion of banknotes 3 for a deposit test into BRU 2a, will be described.

[0049] Following S4, when the second banknote detection sensor 114 is blocked, i.e., when a banknote dispensed from the BRU slot unit 20 of BRU 2b is detected, the control unit 101 drives the belt drive motor 102 to rotate in the CW direction (S25).

[0050] Next, the control unit 101 drives the belt drive motor 102 to rotate and transport a predetermined amount (for example, 45 mm) of the banknotes 3, and then stops the rotation of the belt drive motor 102 (S26).

[0051] Next, the control unit 101 drives the clamp motor 103 (for example, for a few ms) to lower the clamp and clamp the banknote 3 (S27).

[0052] Next, the control unit 101 starts rotating the belt drive motor 102 in the CW direction (S28). Next, when the second banknote detection sensor 114 is transmitted, that is, when all of the banknotes 3 dispensed from the BRU slot unit 20 of BRU 2b have been taken into the conveyance path 14, the control unit 101 stops the rotation of the belt drive motor 102 (S29).

[0053] Next, the control unit 101 drives the alignment gate solenoid 104 (by attracting the solenoid or rotating the rotary solenoid) to transition the alignment gate 135 from an open state to a closed state (S30). Next, the control unit 101 rotates the belt drive motor 102 in the CW direction for, for example, several tens of milliseconds, and then stops it (S31).

[0054] In this way, in the testing device 1, by transitioning the alignment gate 135 from the open state to the closed state, the alignment gate 135 stands in the way of the conveyance path 14. In this state, by driving the belt drive motor 102 to rotate in the CW direction, the edges of the banknotes 3 on the conveyance path 14 come into contact with the alignment gate 135 as they are conveyed, and the banknotes 3 are aligned.

[0055] When aligning the banknotes 3 in this way, the control unit 101 drives the clamp motor 103 to slightly lift the clamp (for example, by driving it for a few ms) to reduce the force (clamping force) that pinches the banknotes 3. In this way, the testing device 1 reduces the clamping force on the banknotes 3, so that multiple banknotes 3 can be stacked and aligned.

[0056] Following S31, the control unit 101 sets the detection sensor 111a for detecting the opening and closing of the shutter 22 in the BRU 2a to which the banknote 3 is transported to a state for monitoring a change from transmission (shutter 22 closed) to blocking (shutter 22 open) (S32).

[0057] When the detection sensor 111a is blocked (the shutter 22 is open), the control unit 101 drives the alignment gate solenoid 104 (de-energizes or rotates the rotary solenoid) to transition the alignment gate 135 from a closed to an open state (S33).

[0058] Next, the control unit 101 rotates the belt drive motor 102 in the CW direction to transport the aligned banknotes 3 toward the BRU 2a side (S34). Next, when the first banknote detection sensor 113 goes through → blocked → through (banknote 3 passes), the control unit 101 stops the rotation of the belt drive motor 102 (S35) and returns the process to S4. This allows the testing device 1 to transport the banknotes 3 dispensed from BRU 2b into BRU 2a, i.e., to insert banknotes 3 for a deposit test of BRU 2a.

[0059] As described above, the testing device 1 is provided on both opposing side surfaces (side surfaces 11, 12) of the housing 10, and is equipped with receiving sections that connect to the banknote deposit / withdrawal sections (BRU slot section 20) of the banknote handling unit (BRU 2). The testing device 1 also has sensors (first banknote detection sensor 113, second banknote detection sensor 114) that detect the dispensing of banknotes 3 from the connected BRU slot section 20. The testing device 1 also has transport mechanisms (upper transport mechanism 120, lower transport mechanism 130) that are provided between the receiving sections on both sides and, when the dispensing of banknotes 3 from one of the banknote deposit / withdrawal sections is detected, transport the dispensed banknotes 3 to the other banknote deposit / withdrawal section.

[0060] The user (operator) installs this testing device 1 on two BRUs 2a and 2b with their BRU slots 20 facing each other, and then performs an operational test on the BRUs 2a and 2b, eliminating the need to manually remove banknotes dispensed from the BRUs and then deposit the removed banknotes back into the BRUs. In other words, the operational test of the BRUs can be easily performed.

[0061] The transport mechanism also stacks and aligns the dispensed banknotes 3 and transports them to the other banknote deposit / withdrawal section. This allows the testing device 1 to perform an operation test on the BRUs 2a and 2b, which deposit and withdraw banknotes 3 in a stacked state.

[0062] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, all components shown in the embodiments may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. Of course, various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1...Test equipment 2, 2a, 2b…BRU 3. Banknotes 10...Housing 11, 12...Side 11a…Receiving part 11b...Transport entrance 13…Top surface 13a...Power button 13b...READY button 14...Transport path 20...BRU slot section 21...Transport path 22...Shutter 101...Control unit 102...Belt drive motor 103...Clamp motor 104, 105...Solenoid for alignment gate 111a, 111b...Detection sensors 112...Photo sensor 113...First bill detection sensor 114...Second bill detection sensor 120...Upper transport mechanism 121, 122, 131, 132...pulleys 123, 133...Conveyor belt 130...Lower transport mechanism 134, 136...Rotation support parts 135, 137...Alignment gates

Claims

1. receiving portions provided on opposite side surfaces of the housing and connected to a bill inlet / outlet portion of the bill handling device; a sensor that detects the dispensing of banknotes from the connected banknote deposit and withdrawal unit; a transport mechanism that is provided between the receiving portions on both sides and that, when a dispensed banknote is detected from one of the banknote deposit and withdrawal portions, transports the dispensed banknote to the other banknote deposit and withdrawal portion; A test device comprising:

2. The transport mechanism aligns the plurality of banknotes dispensed in a stacked state and transports them to the other banknote inlet / outlet unit.

2. The test device according to claim 1.

3. The bill receiving and discharging sections of the two bill handling devices are installed facing each other, a testing device according to claim 1 or 2 being installed between two of the banknote receiving and dispensing units installed opposite to each other, and an operation test of the two banknote handling devices being performed; A test method characterized by:

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