Currency processing system with fitness detection

• US 20050087422A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Muszynski, Charles Cummings, Jon Mikkelsen, Ken Maier, Marek Baranowski, Xu Bo
• Original Assignee: Brian Muszynski, Charles Cummings, Jon Mikkelsen, Ken Maier, Marek Baranowski, Xu Bo
• Inventors: Baranowski, Marek, Xu, Bo, Mikkelsen, John, Cummings, Charles, Maier, Ken, Muszynski, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 6,962,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/207
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/1205 Testing spectral properties
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/164 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/187 Detecting defacement or contamination, e.g. dirt
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence

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.

Claims

1-51. -51. (canceled)

52. 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.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein determining the soil level is based on contrast techniques.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein determining the soil level is based on brightness techniques.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein determining the soil level is based on brightness and contrast techniques.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein determining soil level of the bill based on the bit-map image is based on analyzing patterns of the bill.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the patterns to be analyzed are determined based on the determined denomination of the bill and the determined orientation of the bill.

58. The method of claim 52, comprising determining the soil level after determining the denomination of the bill and the orientation of the bill.

59. 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.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, 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.

61. 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.