Certified paper discriminating apparatus

• US 20040035932A1
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bundesdruckerei GmbH (Government of Germany)
• Original Assignee: Bundesdruckerei GmbH (Government of Germany)
• Inventors: Gutmann, Roland, Ahlers, Benedikt, Kappe, Frank, Bailleu, Anett
• Granted Patent: US 7,248,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/128 Viewing devices

Abstract

A discriminating apparatus is provided with an alternating voltage applying means for applying an alternating voltage to specified electrodes, a light detecting device (51) for detecting a light from a light collecting spot P of a bank note M being transported in an environment of an alternating-current electromagnetic field, an optically splitting means for splitting the light detected by the light detecting means into a light from a fluorescent ink and an other light, an alternating voltage control means for controlling driving of the alternating voltage applying means, and a genuineness discriminating means for discriminating the genuineness of the bank note M based on an output value of the light detecting device (51), wherein the alternating voltage control means drives the alternating voltage applying means only when the light detecting means is discriminated to be detecting the light from the fluorescent ink based on a result of optical splitting by the optical splitting means. Accordingly, deterioration of a certified paper can be effectively suppressed in a composite discrimination system of making a genuineness discrimination by detecting a light reflected by the certified paper and a light emitted therefrom.

Claims

1. A certified paper discriminating apparatus for discriminating genuineness of a certified paper printed using a fluorescent ink which emits a light upon being placed in an environment of an alternating-current electromagnetic field and emits a fluorescent light upon being illuminated by a light having a specified wavelength, comprising:

an alternating voltage applying means for applying an alternating voltage to specified electrodes opposed to each other for generating the environment of the alternating-current electromagnetic field,

a light detecting means for detecting a light from a light collecting spot of the certified paper being transported in the environment of the alternating-current electromagnetic field,

a light emitting means for emitting the light having the specified wavelength toward the light collecting spot,

an optically splitting means for splitting the light detected by the light detecting means into a light from the fluorescent ink and an other light,

an alternating voltage control means for controlling driving of the alternating voltage applying means, and

a genuineness discriminating means for discriminating the genuineness of the certified paper based on an output value of the light detecting means,

wherein the alternating voltage control means drives the alternating voltage applying means only when the light detecting means detects the light from the fluorescent ink.

2. A certified paper discriminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the genuineness discriminating means discriminates genuineness based on the output values of the light detecting means representing the light emitted from the light emitting means and reflected at the light connecting spot and the light emitted from the fluorescent ink.

3. A certified paper discriminating means according to claim 2, further comprising an electromagnetic field generating means for generating the electromagnetic field, a transporting means for transporting the certified paper to cross the electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic field generating means, and a certified paper detecting means for detecting a transport of the certified paper in the electromagnetic field, wherein the light detecting means operates when the certified paper means detects the certified paper.

4. A certified paper discriminating means according to claim 2, further comprising an abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormality of the certified paper being transported and a stopping means for stopping driving of the electromagnetic field generating means upon detection of an abnormality detecting means.