SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING BANK NOTES USING A DISTRIBUTED TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20150101906A1
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kayani, Sohail, George, Arin
• Granted Patent: US 9,792,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/206
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/20 Controlling or monitoring the operation of devices; Data handling
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/22 Means for sensing or detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/24 Managing the stock of valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/25 Relocation of valuable papers within devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers

Abstract

A distributed system for tracking bank notes as they pass through an automated currency processing system is disclosed. The bank note processing system includes a conveyance device for transporting a bank note along a transport path and a detector module comprising a detector. The detector detects raw detector information from the bank note. The detector controller is communicatively coupled to the detector module and the raw detector information is communicated to the detector controller. A host controller is communicatively coupled to the detector controller. The detector controller processes the raw detector information to determine processed detector information. The detector controller then communicates the processed detector information to the host controller.

Claims

1. A bank note processing system comprising:

a conveyance device for transporting a bank note along a transport path;

a detector module comprising a detector, wherein the detector detects raw detector information from the bank note;

a detector controller communicatively coupled to the detector module, wherein the raw detector information is communicated to the detector controller; and

a host controller communicatively coupled to the detector controller, wherein the detector controller processes the raw detector information to determine processed detector information, and

wherein the detector controller communicates the processed detector information to the host controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector controller associates the raw detector information with the bank note.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector module comprises an imaging system and a raw detector.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of detector modules and wherein each of the plurality of detector modules is communicatively coupled to the detector controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the host controller keeps track of the bank note and distributed information received from the detector controller to the plurality of detector modules.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feeder, a stacker module, and a system reject stacker module communicatively coupled to the host controller.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the feeder communicates bank note information to the host controller, wherein the bank note information is selected from a group consisting of bank note tracking, bank note creation time, bank note position, bank note condition, and ability of the system to process the bank note.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the host controller communicates the bank note information to at least one of the detector module and the detector controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the detector module further comprises an imaging system and wherein the imaging system receives the bank note information, processes the bank note information and communicates the processed bank note information to the detector controller.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processed bank note information is selected from a group consisting of a denomination of the bank note, orientation of the bank note and condition of the bank note.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the host controller is coupled to a computer-readable medium containing sort rules and wherein the host controller determines destination of the bank note using the sort rules and the processed detector information.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination of the bank note is selected from a group consisting of a reject pocket, an inline shredder, a first stacker strapper inline bundler and a second stacker strapper inline bundler.

13. A method of processing a bank note comprising:

directing the bank note along a transport path through a feeder;

obtaining raw detector information from the bank note using a detector module;

communicating the raw detector information from the detector module to a detector controller;

processing the raw detector information in the detector controller to obtain processed detector information;

communicating the processed detector information from the detector controller to a host controller; and

controlling the transfer of the bank note along the transport path to a pocket using the host controller.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising associating the raw detector information with the bank note, wherein the detector controller associates the raw detector information with the bank note.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising collecting bank note information at the feeder and communicating the bank note information from the feeder to the host controller.

16. A method of processing bank notes comprising:

directing a bank note into a bank note tracking system through a feeder,

generating a document identification packet (“

DIP”

) corresponding to the bank note;

communicating the DIP from the feeder to a host controller,

wherein the host controller uses the DIP to determine if the bank note is a cull bank note or a non-cull bank note,

determining a process for handling the bank note depending on whether the bank note is a cull bank note or a non-cull bank note; and

retiring the bank note after the bank note is processed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicatively coupling the feeder to a non-machinable detector (“

NMD”

), wherein the NMD monitors a bank note passing through the feeder.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining if the bank note is a cull bank note, wherein the NMD determines if the bank note is a cull bank note.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the feeder generates a cull DIP if the bank note is a cull bank note and a normal DIP if the bank note is a non-cull bank note.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising activating a cull tracking logic if the bank note is a cull bank note.