Sheet handling apparatus and sheet handling method

A sheet handling method, performed to check an inventory amount of sheets in a storage included in a sheet handling apparatus configured to handle sheets each of which is assigned identification information to identifying each sheet, the sheet handling method comprising:

• setting, as check targets by control circuitry of the sheet handling apparatus, a part of sheets stored in the storage as check targets;
• feeding, by a feeder of the sheet handling apparatus, out the sheets set as check targets from the storage;
• acquiring, by the control circuitry identification information of each of the sheets set as the check targets;
• feeding out, by the feeder, in a discharge port of the sheet handling apparatus, the sheets set as the check targets in a discharge port of the sheet handling apparatus;
• and
• determining, by the control circuitry, an abnormality in an inventory amount of the sheets in the storage by comparing the identification information of each of the sheets set as the check targets with identification information stored in a memory,
• wherein the discharge port is a dispenser configured to dispense the sheets received from a transport path,
• the method further comprises acquiring, by the control circuitry, the identification information of each of the sheets set as the check targets during at least one dispensing process in which the sheets set as the check targets are dispensed from the dispenser, and
• in a case where a depositing process is started after a necessity to perform an inventory checking process of the storage arises and the sheets in the storage are set as the check targets of the inventory checking process, and another sheet is newly stored in the storage before all the sheets set as the check targets of the inventory checking process are fed from the storage, the identification information of remaining sheets set as the check targets is acquired by the control circuitry after the depositing process is completed and the newly stored sheet is fed out from the storage in another process.

A sheet handling apparatus, comprising:

• a transport path for transporting sheets, each sheet including individually assigned identification information;
• recognition circuitry configured to acquire identification information of each sheet transported along the transport path;
• a storage that receives the sheets transported along the transport path and stores the sheets;
• a feeder that feeds out the sheets stored in the storage to the transport path;
• and
• control circuitry configured to:
• store the identification information of the sheets in a memory;
• control the feeder to feed out, from the storage, one or more of the sheets in a case that necessity of checking an inventory amount of the sheets in the storage arises;
• control transport of the one or more sheets to the recognition circuitry and discharge out of the one or more sheets by using a collection container or a discharge port;
• and
• determine an abnormality in the inventory amount of the sheets in the storage based on a comparison of the identification information of each of the one or more sheets with the identification information stored in the memory,
• wherein the discharge port is a dispenser configured to dispense the sheets received from the transport path,
• the control circuitry is configured to acquire the identification information of each of the sheets set as the check targets during at least one dispensing process in which the sheets set as the check targets are dispensed from the dispenser, and
• in a case where a depositing process is started after the necessity to perform the inventory checking process of the storage arises and the sheets in the storage are set as the check targets of the inventory checking process, and another sheet is newly stored in the storage before all the sheets set as the check targets of the inventory checking process are fed from the storage, the control circuitry is configured to wait until the newly stored sheet is fed out from the storage after completing the depositing process, and then acquire the identification information of remaining sheets set as the check targets and fed out from the storage.