Paper sheet processing system and paper sheet processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10593142-B2
Application number	US-201815927250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a paper sheet processing system includes a paper sheet processing apparatus which includes an inspection device, a reject device, and a first communication module, and a robot device which includes a robot arm and a second communication module. The reject device rejects a rejected paper sheet and a batch card to a rejecting port. When the batch card is detected, the first communication module transmits a predetermined signal to the robot device. Upon receiving the predetermined signal, the robot device takes the rejected paper sheet and the batch card out of the rejecting port by the robot arm, moves them to another storage section, and transmits a move completion signal to the paper sheet processing apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A paper sheet processing system comprising:
a paper sheet processing apparatus comprising
an inspection device which inspects a plurality of input paper sheets and a batch card input together with the paper sheets,
a reject device which discharges the batch card to a rejecting port together with a rejected paper sheet not satisfying a predetermined condition in the paper sheets inspected by the inspection device, and
a first communication module configured to transmit a predetermined signal indicating that the inspection performed reaches a predetermined unit amount of processing when the batch card is detected by the inspection device; and

a robot device comprising
a robot arm which is capable of holding the paper sheet, and
a second communication module configured to transmit and receive a signal, wherein
when the second communication module receives the predetermined signal, the robot device takes out the rejected paper sheet and the batch card by the robot arm and moves to another storage section, and transmits a move completion notification of the rejected paper sheet and the batch card to the paper sheet processing apparatus from the second communication module.

2. The paper sheet processing system of claim 1 , wherein the robot device stores a bundle of the rejected paper sheets together with the batch card in the storage section at every batch.

3. The paper sheet processing system of claim 1 , wherein the robot device takes a bundle of the rejected paper sheets and the batch card out of the rejecting port, and supplies the bundle of the rejected paper sheets and the batch card to the paper sheet processing apparatus, and performs the inspection again by the inspection device.

4. A method of processing paper sheets by a paper sheet processing system which comprises a paper sheet processing apparatus which comprises an inspection device configured to inspect paper sheets and a reject device to reject the paper sheets to a rejecting port, and a robot device comprising a robot hand capable of holding paper sheets, the method comprising:
sequentially inspecting a bundle of a plurality of paper sheets input to the paper sheet processing apparatus and a batch card at the end of the bundle one by one by the inspection device;
determining a paper sheet determined as not satisfying a predetermined condition in the inspecting as a rejecting paper sheet;
rejecting the rejecting paper sheet and the batch card to the rejecting port by the reject device;
transmitting a predetermined signal indicating that the inspecting performed reaches a predetermined unit amount of processing when the batch card is detected;
taking the rejected paper sheet and the batch card out of the rejecting port by the robot device when the robot device receives the predetermined signal, and moves to a storage section; and
transmitting a signal to notify a move completion of the rejecting paper sheet from the robot device to the paper sheet processing apparatus.

5. A paper sheet processing system comprising:
a paper sheet processing apparatus; and
a processing robot configured to perform an arbitrary process with respect to the paper sheet processing apparatus, wherein
the paper sheet processing apparatus comprises an inspection device which inspects input paper sheets, a stacking device which stacks the inspected paper sheets, a conveyance mechanism which transfers the input paper sheets to the stacking device through the inspection device, a plurality of sensors which detect an operation state of the paper sheet processing device, a first communication module which transmits and receives data with respect to the processing robot, and a controller which detects an operation state of the paper sheet processing apparatus based on output signals of the sensors, transmits operation information including the detected operation state to the processing robot, and transmits a maintenance command of a target portion to the processing robot when a maintenance factor is detected based on the output signals of the sensors,
the processing robot comprises a robot arm, an end effector on the robot arm, a second communication module which transmits and receives data with respect to the first communication module, and a controller which comprises a memory in which the operation information transmitted from the paper sheet processing apparatus is stored and drives the robot arm and the end effector, and
the processing robot selects an optimal maintenance timing to the paper sheet processing apparatus based on the operation information stored in the memory when the maintenance command is received, and performs maintenance the target portion at the optimal maintenance timing.

6. The paper sheet processing system of claim 5 , wherein the paper sheet processing apparatus comprises a housing which comprises a cover openable and closable, and a mechanism section arranged in the housing and comprising the inspection device, the stacking device, the conveyance mechanism, and the sensors, and
the processing robot is configured to move closer to the target portion according to the maintenance command transmitted from the paper sheet processing apparatus, opens the cover by the robot arm and the end effector, and performs a process on the target portion by the end effector.

7. The paper sheet processing system of claim 6 , wherein when a specific sensor having a sensor output lower than a predetermined value is detected, the controller of the paper sheet processing apparatus transmits a cleaning command of the specific sensor to the processing robot, and
the processing robot opens the cover according to the cleaning command, and cleans the specific sensor by the end effector.

8. The paper sheet processing system of claim 7 , further comprising: a blower device which comprises an injection nozzle to inject an air, wherein
the processing robot is configured to hold the injection nozzle by the end effector, and inject an air from the injection nozzle toward the specific sensor.

9. The paper sheet processing system of claim 7 , further comprising: a vacuum device which comprises a suction nozzle to absorb an air, wherein
the processing robot is configured to hold the suction nozzle by the end effector, and absorb an air around the specific sensor by the suction nozzle.

10. The paper sheet processing system of claim 6 , wherein the mechanism section comprises a collecting box which collects a foreign material, and a sensor which detects a foreign material in the collecting box,
the housing comprises a second cover which is openable and closable and covers the collecting box,
the controller of the paper sheet processing apparatus transmits a foreign material discarding command to the processing robot when a foreign material is detected by the sensor, and
the processing robot is configured to open the second cover according to the foreign material discarding command, hold the collecting box by the end effector, and draw out the collecting box to discard a foreign material in the collecting box.

11. A paper sheet processing system comprising:
a paper sheet processing apparatus; and
a processing robot which performs an arbitrary process on the paper sheet processing apparatus, wherein
the paper sheet processing apparatus comprises an inspection device which inspects input paper sheets, a stacking device which stacks the inspected paper sheets, a conveyance mechanism which transfers the input paper sheets to the stacking device through the inspection device, a plurality of sensors which detect an operation state of the paper sheet processing apparatus, a controller which detects an operation state of the paper sh

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Nakanishi Ayaka
• Hoshi Ayaka

Classifications

• G07D11/30

  Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes · CPC title

• G07D11/28

  Setting of parameters; Software updates · CPC title

• G07D11/23

  for sensing the quantity of valuable papers in containers · CPC title

• B65H43/04

  detecting, or responding to, presence of faulty articles (B65H43/08 takes precedence; diverting faulty articles from main streams B65H29/62) · CPC title

• G07D11/17 Primary

  Aligning · CPC title