 Automatic funds processing system |
| The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic teller machine ("ATM... |
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| Intelligent currency handling system |
| In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a currency handling ... |
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| Software loading system for a coin sorter |
| In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coin sorting system ... |
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| Method and apparatus for document identification |
| It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for ... |
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| Document facing method and apparatus |
| Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide a novel and improved bill facing ... |
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| Method and apparatus for discriminating and counting documents |
| It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved currency scanning and counting ... |
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| Intelligent document handling system |
| In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a document handling system for evaluating ... |
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| Color scanhead and currency handling system employing the same |
| In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a currency scanning ... |
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| Method and apparatus for document processing |
| It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for document transport ... |
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Apparatus and method for use in an automatic determination of paper currency denominations
| Details |
Inventors: Conant, James R.;
Assignee: CR Machines, Inc. (Brookfield, CT)
Primary Examiner: Boudreau; Leo
Assistant Examiner: Shalwala; Bipin
Attorney, Agent or Firm: St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens
A method and apparatus for use in automatic determination of the denominations of currency bills employs a light scanner to produce pixel signals representative of light pixels from bill surface portions extending across bill sides The pixel signals representative of side and top edges of the printing on the bill surface are found and used to generate a deskewed array of pixels representative of bill corner images that include the bill's denomination numbers Pixel signals indicative of light passed through bill portions enable the detection of a security thread in a bill A hierarchial technique for determining bill denominations is described |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS With reference to FIGS.
1-3, a compact apparatus 10 is shown for denomination-processing of currency bills 12 loaded in a hopper 14.
The bills 12 are removed from the bottom of hopper 14 with a pick-off roller 16 which sends the bills along a travel path 18 defined between a main roller 20 a free-wheeling roller 21 and a guide plate 22.
Plate 22 has several optical windows 24, 24' and 26, 26' along the path 18 to enable optical viewing of the faces 28 of bills 12 transported along path 18.
A sensor 29 is used to detect the presence of bills 12 in hopper 14 and supply a signal representative thereof on line 31.
Sensor 29 can be optical or electro-mechanical.
Windows 24, 24' serve to enable optical scanning of bill surfaces 28 visible through the windows 24, 24' by an optical scanner 30.
The output of the scanner is applied to a signal processor system 32 which should be a high speed microprocessor or a DSP chip to determine the bills denomination.
The windows 24, 24' may be each approximately two inches wide and a quarter inch high.
Two windows 24, 24' are used for better bill denomination recognition performance despite the presence of a dog-ear or mutilation at a bill corner.
Windows 26, 26' serves to enable transparency scanning of bills 12 for detection of a security thread 36 by an optical scanner 34 which responds to light from a source 38 after passing through a bill 12.
Windows 24, 24' and 26, 26' are sufficiently closely spaced to each other, typically about a distance equal to about half the smaller dimension of a bill 12 even though, as shown in FIG.
1, a larger separation is illustrated.
The larger separation is for clarity.
Hence, as a bill passes windows 24, 24', it is also moving past windows 26, 26'.
While a bill moves along the travel path 18, the signal processing system 32 identifies the denomination of a bill, determines the presence of a security thread 36 and makes a decision as to the discharge path for a bill.
A bill may be discharged into either of collection hoppers 40 or 42 by use of a guide switch The apparatus 10 can process bills 12 at a rapid rate of the order of 1,000 per minute or higher with a high reliability in the recognition of bill denominations
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Image Analysis 
