Currency processing system with fitness detection Number:6,962,247 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Title: Currency processing system with fitness detection

Abstract: A currency handling system comprising a fitness detector. The fitness detector comprising a thickness detector, a limpness detector, a soil detector or a combination thereof. The thickness detector comprising an upper roller displaceable in a predetermined arc by a note passing between the upper roller and a lower roller. The limpness detector comprising a single driven crackle roller comprising an elongated central bulge and two outer bulges, wherein the central bulge is in conforming relation to a flexible belt. Sheet metal guides further facilitate note deformation and sound production.

Patent Number: 6,962,247 Issued on 11/08/2005 to Maier,   et al.

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Inventors:	Maier; Ken (North Wales, PA); Baranowski; Marek (Southampton, NY); Cummings; Charles (Philadelphia, PA); Mikkelsen; John (Langhorne, PA); Muszynski; Brian (Bensalem, PA); Xu; Bo (Blue Bell, PA)
Assignee:	Cummins-Allison Corp. (Mt. Prospect, IL)
Appl. No.:	997264
Filed:	November 24, 2004

Current U.S. Class:	194/207; 382/135
Intern'l Class:	G06K 009/28; G07D 007/20
Field of Search:	104/207,205,206,302 250/548,559.01,559.04,559.05,559.06 382/108,112,135

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Primary Examiner: Walsh; Ronald E
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jenkins & Gilchrist

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Parent Case Text

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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application continued from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/379,365, filed Mar. 4, 2003, which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/362,177, filed Mar. 6, 2002 entitled "Currency Processing System With Fitness Detection"; incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

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Claims

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1. A currency handling method comprising:

passing a bill past a scanner;

taking a bit-map image of the bill with the scanner;

determining denomination of the bill based on the bit-map image;

determining orientation of the bill based on the bit-map image; and

determining soil level of the bill based on the bit-map image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the soil level is based on contrast techniques.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the soil level is based on brightness techniques.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the soil level is based on brightness and contrast techniques.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining soil level of the bill based on the bit-map image is based on analyzing patterns of the bill.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the patterns to be analyzed are determined based on the determined denomination of the bill and the determined orientation of the bill.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the soil level after determining the denomination of the bill and the orientation of the bill.

8. A currency handling apparatus comprising:

an input pocket;

two output pockets;

a transport mechanism connecting the input pocket to the two output pockets;

a scanner operatively positioned relative to the transport mechanism such that a bill transported by the transport mechanism passes the scanner, wherein the scanner is adapted to take a bit-map image of the bill;

a processor coupled to the scanner, wherein the processor comprises programming steps for:

determining denomination of the bill based on the bit-map image,

determining orientation of the bill based on the bit-map image, and

determining soil level of the bill based on the bit-map image.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor comprises programming steps for determining soil level of the bill based on a comparison of one of a predetermined plurality of patterns of the bit-map image with a corresponding pattern stored in the processor and wherein the one of a predetermined plurality of patterns is selected based on the determined denomination of the bill and the determined orientation of the bill.

10. A currency handling apparatus comprising:

an input pocket;

four or more output pockets;

a transport mechanism connecting the input pocket to the four or more output pockets;

a scanner operatively positioned relative to the transport mechanism such that a bill transported by the transport mechanism passes the scanner, wherein the scanner is adapted to take a bit-map image of the bill;

a processor coupled to the scanner, wherein the processor comprises programming steps for:

determining denomination of the bill based on the bit-map image,

determining orientation of the bill based on the bit-map image, and determining soil level of the bill based on the bit-map image.

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Description

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of currency handling systems and, more particularly, to methods and devices for determining the fitness of currency bills or other conditions of the bills.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of techniques and apparatuses have been used to satisfy the requirements of automated currency processing. As the number of businesses that deal with large quantities of paper currency grow, such as banks, casinos and armored carriers, these businesses are continually requiring not only that their currency be processed more quickly but, also, processed with greater accuracy and with more efficiency.

Commonly, in the processing of currency at a bank, for example, cash deposits are first received and verified by a bank teller. The cash deposit is later sorted according to denomination. Finally, the sorted bills are bundled or strapped in stacks of a predetermined number of bills (often one hundred bills).

Select bills, e.g., old bills are often removed from circulation. Fitness is one factor for determining if a bill should be taken out of circulation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention is directed to a currency handling device comprising fitness detection capabilities and methods related thereto.

In an embodiment, a currency handling device comprises a thickness detector. The detector comprises a first roller; and a second roller mounted adjacent said first roller, second roller being mounted so as to permit it to move relative to the first roller when a bill passes between the first and second rollers. A roller gear is coupled to and movable with the second roller. A drive gear is coupled to the roller gear and causes the second roller to roll by rotating the drive gear. A sensor is positioned to measure the relative displacement between the first roller and the second roller. And a processor coupled to the sensor and comprising software for determining a thickness associated with the note based on the relative displacement between the first and second rollers.

In another embodiment, a currency handling device comprises a limpness detector. The detector comprises deforming structure having a predetermined shape for deforming a note and complimentary structure conforming to the deforming structure, wherein the note is passed between the deforming structure and the complimentary structure and the predetermined shape causes the note to be deformed about two transverse axes. A microphone is operably positioned to detect noise produced by deforming the note. More generally the currency handling device comprises a limpness detector comprising means for deforming a note about three axes, wherein at least two of the three axes are in parallel relation.

In another embodiment, a currency handling method comprises passing a bill past a scanner and taking a bit-map image of the bill with the scanner. Denomination of the bill is determined based on the bit-map image as is the orientation of the bill. Soil level of the bill is determined based on the bit-map image. For some applications the soil level is determined based on comparing patterns of the bill (via the bit-map image) with predetermined levels to determine if the bill is fit or unfit. If the soil level is determined after the orientation and denomination are determined, only a portion of the bit-map image (and hence only a portion of bill patterns) need be analyzed to determine if a bill is fit or unfit. In alternative embodiments image employed is not limited to a bit-map image but includes other types of known images.

Devices having evaluation and determination capabilities have been generally referred to above as currency handling devices for convenience. Similar devices are also referred to herein as document evaluation devices and the like. And the above summary of the present invention is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect, of the present invention. Additional features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description, figures, and claims set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a currency processing system comprising a fitness detector according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a currency processing device having one output receptacle for use with fitness detection.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a currency processing device having two output receptacles for use with fitness detection.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a currency processing device having multiple output receptacles for use with fitness detection.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7a shows a front perspective view of a thickness detector.

FIG. 7b shows a front perspective view of a thickness detector with three sensors.

FIG. 8 depicts a rear perspective view of the thickness detector shown in FIG. 7a.

FIG. 9a is a top view of the thickness detector shown in FIG. 7a.

FIG. 9b shows an end view of the thickness detector shown in FIGS. 7a and 9a.

FIG. 10 shows a side section view through the thickness detector shown in FIG. 9a taken along line 10—10.

FIG. 11 shows a section view through the thickness detector shown in FIG. 9a taken along line 11—11.

FIG. 12 shows a section view through the thickness detector shown in FIG. 9a taken along line 12—12.

FIG. 13a shows a lower view of a limpness detector comprising a crackle roller.

FIG. 13b shows a lower view of an alternate embodiment of a crackle roller.

FIG. 14a shows an upper perspective view of the limpness detector shown in FIG. 13a.

FIG. 14b shows a top view of the limpness detector shown in FIG. 13a.

FIG. 15 shows a section view through the limpness detector shown in FIG. 14b taken along line 15—15.

FIG. 16 shows a section view of the limpness detector shown in FIG. 14b taken along line 16—16 depicting guide plates.

FIG. 17a depicts a partial section view of the limpness detector shown in FIG. 13a, including a note edgeline.

FIG. 17b shows a top view of a crackle roller.

FIG. 17c shows an end view of the crackle roller shown in FIG. 17b.

FIG. 17d shows an alternate embodiment of a crackle roller.

FIG. 17e shows a crackle roller comprising a plurality of channels.

FIG. 17f shows a section view of the crackle roller shown in FIG. 17e taken along line 17f—17f with friction enhancing members in the channels.

FIG. 18 depicts note edgelines deformed about a plurality of axes by the limpness detector depicted in FIG. 13.

FIG. 19a is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a color scanhead for use in currency handling systems.

FIG. 19b is a bottom perspective view of the color scanhead of FIG. 19a.

FIG. 19c is a bottom view of the color scanhead of FIG. 19a.

FIG. 19d is a sectional side view of the color scanhead of FIG. 19c.

FIG. 19e is an enlarged bottom view of a section of the color scanhead of FIG. 19b.

FIG. 19f is a sectional end view of the color scanhead of FIG. 19a.

FIG. 19g shows a chart depicting soil levels obtained from a single scanner cell. A new note is compared to a soiled note.

FIG. 19h shows a chart depicting soil levels obtained from an average of five scanner cells.

FIG. 20a depicts a three-pocket document handling device.

FIG. 20b depicts a four-pocket document handling device.

FIG. 20c depicts a six-pocket document handling device.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts a currency handling system 10, comprising an input receptacle 12 and an output receptacle 14. A transport device or mechanism 16 conveys bills from the input receptacle 12 to the output receptacle 14. A fitness detector 18 is operatively positioned, although not necessarily physically positioned, between the input receptacle 12 and the output receptacle 14. The transport mechanism 16 is adapted to transport one or more bills, including bill bricks, through the fitness detector 18. A fitness detector 18 may be adapted to detect any number of predetermined conditions of the bill including, but not limited to thickness, limpness, dirtiness, holes, tears, tape, staples, paper clips or other criteria for making a determination concerning the bill. Based on the determination concerning the bill, the bill may be taken out of circulation, a counterfeit condition may be determined, a denomination may be determined, etc. In one embodiment a bill is transported past a thickness detector 20 and then a limpness detector 22 followed by transport past a soil detector 24. It will be understood that a fitness detector 18 may comprise one or more of the thickness, limpness or soil detectors or other such condition test detectors, e.g., hole detector, as are appropriate for determining a predetermined criteria.

According to one embodiment of the system 10, the device is a device having a single output receptacle ("single-pocket device"). Examples of single-pocket devices are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,196; 5,818,892, 5,790,697 and 5,704,491, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In other embodiments of the system 10, the first currency processing device has two output receptacles ("two-pocket device"). Examples of two-pocket devices are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,966,456; 6,278,795 B1 and 6,311,819 B1, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,966,456 and 6,278,795 also disclose tabletop type two-pocket devices, which can be used in various alternative embodiments of system 10. U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,819 B1, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, also describes additional multiple pocket (multi-pocket) devices such as 3, 4 and 6 pocket devices which can be employed in various alternative embodiments of the system 10. While the system will be described in connection with tabletop-type currency processing devices, other types of currency processing devices, such as floor standing currency processing devices (see e.g., FIGS. 5 and 6), are used in various alternative embodiments of the present invention.

Using a single-pocket device as an example, one example of the operation of a currency handling device will be described. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown a single-pocket device 40. The device 40 includes an input receptacle 42 for receiving a stack of currency bills to be processed (e.g., counted, denominated, and/or authenticated, etc.). Currency bills in the input receptacle 42 are picked out or separated, one bill at a time, and sequentially relayed by a bill transport mechanism 46, between a pair of scanheads 48a and 48b where, for example, the currency denomination of each bill is scanned and identified. In the illustrated embodiment, each scanhead 48 is an optical scanhead that scans for optical characteristic information from a scanned bill 47 which is used to identify the denomination of the bill. The scanned bill 47 is then transported to an output receptacle 50, which may include a pair of stacking wheels 51, where bills so processed are stacked for subsequent removal. The device 40 includes an operator interface 53 with a display 56 for communicating information to an operator of the device 40, and buttons 57 for receiving operator input.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention, additional sensors replace or are used in conjunction with the optical scanheads 48a,b in the device 40 to analyze, authenticate, denominate count and/or otherwise process currency bills. For example, size detection sensors, magnetic sensors, thread sensors, and/or ultraviolet/fluorescent light sensors may be used in the currency processing device 40 to evaluate currency bills. Uses of these types of sensors for currency evaluation are described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,795, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Likewise, one or more embodiments of fitness detectors may be used in addition or in place of the above type sensors.

According to one embodiment of the currency processing device 40, each optical scanhead 48a,b comprises a pair of light sources 52, such as light emitting diodes, that direct light onto the bill transport path so as to illuminate a substantially rectangular light strip 44 upon a currency bill 47 positioned on the transport path adjacent the scanhead 48. Light reflected off the illuminated strip 44 is sensed by a photodetector 56 positioned between the two light sources. The analog output of the photodetector 56 is converted into a digital signal by means of an analog-to-digital convertor ("ADC") 58 whose output is fed as a digital input to a processor such as central processing unit (CPU) 60.

According to one embodiment, the bill transport path is defined in such a way that the transport mechanism 46 moves currency bills with the narrow dimension of the bills parallel to the transport path and the scan direction. As a bill 47 traverses the scanheads 48 the light strip 44 effectively scans the bill across the narrow dimension of the bill 47. In the depicted embodiment, the transport path is arranged so that a currency bill 47 is scanned across a central section of the bill along its narrow dimension, as shown in FIG. 3. Each scanhead functions to detect light reflected from the bill 47 as it moves across the illuminated light strip 44 and to provide an analog representation of the variation in reflected light, which, in turn, represents the variation in the dark and light content of the printed pattern or indicia on the surface of the bill 47. This variation in light reflected from the narrow dimension scanning of the bills serves as a measure for distinguishing, with a high degree of confidence, among a plurality of currency denominations that the system is programmed to process.

Additional details of the device 40 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 and processes for using the same are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,196 and 5,815,592, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

According to various alternative embodiments, a currency processing devices are capable of processing, including fitness evaluating and denominating the bills, singularly or in combination, from about 800 to over 1500 bills per minute. Furthermore, a multi-functional processor may be programmed to only evaluate fitness, for example, of bills at speeds from about 800 to over 1500 bills per minute. For example, in some embodiments employing one or more of the fitness sensors described below, the transport is adapted to transport bills and bills are processed at a speed in excess of about 800 bills per minute. In other embodiments, employing one or more of the fitness sensors described below, the transport is adapted to transport bills and bills are processed at a speed in excess of about 1000 bills per minute employing one or more of the fitness sensors described below, the transport is adapted to transport bills and bills are processed at a speed in excess of about 1200 bills per minute employing one or more of the fitness sensors described below, the transport is adapted to transport bills and bills are processed at a speed in excess of about 1500 bills per minute. For example, the above described speeds may be obtained using the devices described in connection with FIGS. 1-6 and 20a-20c.

While the single-pocket device 40 of FIGS. 2 and 3 has been described as a device capable of determining the denomination of processed bill, system 10 may be a note counting device. Note counting devices are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,026,175 and 6,012,565 and in commonly owned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/611,279, filed Jul. 6, 2000, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Note counting devices differ from currency denominating devices in that note counting devices do not denominate the currency bills being processed and are not designed to process and determine the total value of a stack of mixed denomination currency bill. But fitness detection may also be used in note counting devices.

As indicated above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the single-pocket device 40 of FIG. 2 is compact and designed to be rested on a tabletop. The device 40 of FIG. 2 has a height (H₁) of about 9.5 inches (about 24.14 cm), a width (W₁) of about 11-15 inches (about 27.94-38.10 cm), and a depth (D₁) of about 12-16 inches (about 30.48-40.64 cm), which corresponds to a footprint ranging from about 132 in² (851 cm²) to about 250 in² (1613 cm²) and a volume ranging from about 1254 in³ (about 20,549 cm³) to about 2280 in³ (about 37,363 cm³).

Referring now to FIG. 4, a currency processing device 80 having two output receptacles ("two-pocket device") is depicted with a first output receptacle 82 and a second output receptacle 84. The two-pocket device 80 includes an operator interface 86 for communicating with an operator of the device 80. Generally, the two-pocket device 80 (FIG. 4) operates in a similar manner to that of the single-pocket device 40 (FIG. 2), except that the transport mechanism of the two-pocket device 80 is adapted to transport the bills to either of the two output receptacles 82, 84. The two output receptacles 82, 84 may be utilized in a variety of fashions according to a particular application. For example, in the processing of currency bills, the bills may be directed to the first output receptacle 82 until a predetermined number of bills have been transported to the first output receptacle 82 (e.g., until the first output receptacle 82 reaches capacity or a strap limit) and then directs subsequent bills to the second output receptacle 84. In another application, all bills are transported to the first output receptacle 82 expect those bills triggering error signals, such as "no call" error signals (i.e., bill whose denomination is not identified), "suspect document" error signals (i.e., bills failing an authentication test) and fit/unfit sorting signals, which are directed to the second output receptacle 84. Further details of the operational and mechanical aspects of the two-pocket device 80 illustrated in FIG. 4 are detailed in commonly owned U.