Method and apparatus for discriminating and counting documents

• US 5,790,697 A
• Filed: 12/15/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Mennie, Douglas U., Jones, John E., Jones, William J., Munro, Mark C., Graves, Bradford T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US08/573,392
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 382/135, 382/137, 209/534, 209/548, 209/551, 209/546, 250/556, 356/71
• US Class Current: 382/135
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/541 Counting
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/212 Rotary position
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/51 Encoders, e.g. linear
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/514 ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1912 Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/063 separating from the bottom of pile B65H3/0615, B65H3/0623 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0638 Construction of the rollers or like rotary separators B65H3/0615 takes precedence; construction of feed or guide rollers B65H27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/04 Testing magnetic properties of the materials thereof, e.g. by detection of magnetic imprint G07D7/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/1205 Testing spectral properties
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/128 Viewing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/16 Testing the dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/162 Length or width
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency

Abstract

A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills. The device comprises an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated, a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of the currency bills, and one or more output receptacles for receiving the currency bills after being discriminated by the discriminating unit. The device further comprises a transport mechanism for transporting the currency bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle past a sensor of the discriminating unit and to the one or more output receptacles. One or more counters keep track of the value of bills that are discriminated. Furthermore, means are provided for an operator of the device to indicate the value of any bills whose denomination are not determined by the discriminating unit; the bills whose denomination are not determined by the discriminating unit being termed no call bills. The value indicating means appropriately effects the one or more counters.

Claims

1. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past a sensor of said discriminating unit and to said one or more output receptacles;

one or more counters keeping track of the value of bills discriminated;

value indicating means for an operator of said device to indicate the value of any bills whose denomination are not determined by said discriminating unit, said bills whose denomination are not determined by said discriminating unit being no call bills, said means appropriately effecting said one or more counters; and

a housing for said input receptacle, said discriminating unit, said one or more output receptacles, and said transport mechanism;

wherein said value indicating means are affixed to said housing.

2. The discrimination device of claim 1 wherein said value indicating means comprise denomination selection elements.

3. The discrimination device of claim 1 having a single output receptacle.

4. The discrimination device of claim 1 having exactly two output receptacles.

12. The discrimination device of claim 1 comprising two or more output receptacles and wherein no call bills are delivered to a different one of said output receptacles than bills whose denominations are determined by said discriminating unit.

13. The discrimination device of claim 12 wherein the operation of said device is not suspended when a no call bill is encountered.

14. The discrimination device of claim 13 wherein the values of any no call bills are added to appropriate ones of said one or more counters through the use of said value indicating means after all the bills placed in said input receptacle have been processed.

15. The discrimination device of claim 14 having exactly two output receptacles.

16. The discrimination device of claim 14 wherein said value indicating means comprise denomination selection elements.

17. The discrimination device of claim 13 wherein the value of a no call bill may be added to appropriate ones of said one or more counters through the use of said value indicating means any time after said no call bill has been identified.

18. The discrimination device of claim 17 having exactly two output receptacles.

5. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past a sensor of said discriminating unit and to said one or more output receptacles;

one or more counters keeping track of the value of bills discriminated; and

value indicating means for an operator of said device to indicate the value of any bills whose denomination are not determined by said discriminating unit, said bills whose denomination are not determined by said discriminating unit being no call bills, said means appropriately effecting said one or more counters;

wherein the operation of said device is suspended when said discriminating unit is unable to identify the denomination of a bill.

6. The discrimination device of claim 5 having a single output receptacle and wherein the value of a no bill is added to appropriate ones of said one or more counters through the use of said value indicating means when the operation of said device is suspended and wherein the operation of the device is thereafter resumed.

7. The discrimination device of claim 6 wherein said value indicating means comprise denomination selection elements.

8. The discrimination device of claim 5 having exactly two output receptacles and wherein the value of a no bill is added to appropriate ones of said one or more counters through the use of said value indicating means when the operation of said device is suspended and wherein the operation of the device is thereafter resumed.

9. The discrimination device of claim 8 wherein said value indicating means comprise denomination selection elements.

10. The discrimination device of claim 5 comprising two or more output receptacles and wherein no call bills are delivered to a different one of said output receptacles than bills whose denominations are determined by said discriminating unit.

11. The discrimination device of claim 5 further comprising an inspection station and wherein no call bills are delivered to said inspection station.

19. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past a sensor of said discriminating unit and to said one or more output receptacles;

one or more counters keeping track of the value of bills discriminated;

value indicating means for an operator of said device to indicate the value of any bills whose denomination are not determined by said discriminating unit, said bills whose denomination are not determined by said discriminating unit being no call bills, said means appropriately effecting said one or more counters; and

means for prompting an operator of the device as to the denomination of a no call bill.

20. The discrimination device of claim 19 wherein said value indicating means comprise denomination selection elements.

21. The discrimination device of claim 19 wherein said prompting means initially suggests that the denomination of a no call bill is the same as that of an immediately prior bill.

22. The discrimination device of claim 19 wherein said prompting means initially suggests that the denomination of a no call bill is the same as that of the last bill whose denomination was determined by said discriminating unit.

23. The discrimination device of claim 19 wherein said prompting means initially suggests that the denomination of a no call bill is the same as that of the last bill that was a no call bill.

24. The discrimination device of claim 19 wherein said discriminating unit determines the denomination of a bill by comparing a scanned data retrieved from said bill by said sensor with master data associated with one or more genuine bills and wherein said prompting means initially suggests that the denomination of a no call bill is the denomination associated with the master data that most closely matches the scanned data.

25. The discrimination device of claim 19 wherein said discriminating unit determines the denomination of a bill by comparing a scanned pattern retrieved from said bill by said sensor with one or more master patterns associated with one or more genuine bills and wherein said prompting means initially suggests that the denomination of a no call bill is the denomination associated with the master pattern that most closely matches the scanned pattern.

26. The discrimination device of claim 25 wherein said discriminating unit calculates a correlation number for each of said one or more master patterns based on said comparison between said scanned pattern and said one or more master patterns and wherein said prompting means initially suggests that the denomination of a no call bill is the denomination associated with the master pattern that has the highest correlation number.

27. The discrimination device of claim 19 further comprising means for permitting an operator of the device to select one or more denominations and their relative order to be suggested in connection with no call bills and wherein said prompting means suggests one or more denominations for a no call bill according to said selections made by said operator.

28. The discrimination device of claim 19 further comprising a memory for storing historical information regarding the denominations of previous no calls and wherein said prompting means suggests one or more denominations for a no call bill based on said historical information.

29. The discrimination device of claim 28 wherein said prompting means suggests one or more denominations for a no call bill based on the frequency of occurrence of no call bills for each of a plurality of denominations.

30. The discrimination device of claim 29 wherein said prompting means initially suggests the denomination that has had the highest frequency of no call bills.

31. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past a sensor of said discriminating unit and to said one or more output receptacles;

one or more counters keeping track of the value of bills discriminated;

means for flagging bills meeting or failing to meet to predetermined criteria;

value indicating means for an operator of said device to indicate the value of any flagged bills, said means appropriately effecting said one or more counters; and

a housing for said input receptacle, said discriminating unit, said one or more output receptacles, and said transport mechanism;

wherein said value indicating means are affixed to said housing.

32. The discrimination device of claim 31 having a single output receptacle.

33. The discrimination device of claim 31 comprising two or more output receptacles and wherein no call bills are delivered to a different one of said output receptacles than bills whose denominations are determined by said discriminating unit.

34. The discrimination device of claim 33 wherein the operation of said device is not suspended when a no call bill is encountered.

35. The discrimination device of claim 34 wherein the values of any no call bills are added to appropriate ones of said one or more counters through the use of said value indicating means after all the bills placed in said input receptacle have been processed.

36. The discrimination device of claim 34 wherein said means for flagging flags a suspect bill by suspending the operation of said counting and discrimination device.

37. The discrimination device of claim 31 having exactly two output receptacles.

38. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past a sensor of said discriminating unit and to said one or more output receptacles;

one or more counters keeping track of the value of bills discriminated;

means for flagging bills meeting or failing to meet to predetermined criteria;

value indicating means for an operator of said device to indicate the value of any flagged bills, said means appropriately effecting said one or more counters; and

an inspection station and wherein no call bills are delivered to said inspection station.

39. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past a sensor of said discriminating unit and to said one or more output receptacles;

one or more counters keeping track of the value of bills discriminated;

means for flagging bills meeting or failing to meet to predetermined criteria; and

value indicating means for an operator of said device to indicate the value of any flagged bills, said means appropriately effecting said one or more counters;

wherein said predetermined criteria is said discriminating unit identifying the denomination of a bill and wherein said flagging means flags a bill failing to be identified by said discrimination unit by suspending the operation of said counting and discrimination device, said device being halted so that said flagged bill is located at a predetermined position within said discrimination device when said transport mechanism stops.

40. The discrimination device of claim 39 having a single output receptacle and wherein the value of a no bill is added to appropriate ones of said one or more counters through the use of said value indicating means when the operation of said device is suspended and wherein the operation of the device is thereafter resumed.

41. The discrimination device of claim 39 having exactly two output receptacles and wherein the value of a no bill is added to appropriate ones of said one or more counters through the use of said value indicating means when the operation of said device is suspended and wherein the operation of the device is thereafter resumed.

42. The discrimination device of claim 39 comprising two or more output receptacles and wherein no call bills are delivered to a different one of said output receptacles than bills whose denominations are determined by said discriminating unit.

43. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating said currency bills based on a predetermined criteria, said discriminating unit determining the denominations of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle passed said discriminating unit and to one of said one or more output receptacles;

either (a) one or more denomination counters associated with one or more denominations;

each counter keeping track of the number of discriminated bills belonging to the associated denomination as determined by said discrimination unit;

or

(b) a total value counter maintaining the total value of said bills as they are discriminated by said discrimination unit;

or

(c) both one or more denomination counters and a total value counter;

wherein a bill is flagged when it fails to satisfy said predetermined criteria or when said discriminating unit fails to identify said predetermined criteria for a bill, the operation of said counting and discrimination device being suspended when a bill is flagged, said device being halted so that said flagged bill is located at a predetermined position within said discrimination device when said transport mechanism stops, thereby permitting an operator to examine said flagged bill;

denomination selection elements corresponding to one or more denominations whereby selection of one of said denomination selection elements increases either (i) a denomination counter corresponding to the denomination of said flagged bill, (ii) said total value counter by the value of said flagged bill, or (iii) both and whereby said currency discrimination device resumes operation;

said denomination selection elements enabling said operator to increment a respective denomination counter and/or total value counter and to restart the operation of the currency discriminator when said operator determines said flagged bill is acceptable; and

a continuation element the selection of which resumes operation of said currency discriminator without increasing one of said denomination counters or said total value counter.

44. The discrimination device of claim 43 having a single output receptacle.

45. The discrimination device of claim 43 having exactly two output receptacles.

46. The discrimination device of claim 43 wherein said predetermined criteria is denomination and wherein the operation of said counting and discrimination device being suspended when said discriminating unit is unable to identify the denomination of a bill, a bill whose denomination is not determined by said discriminating unit being a no call bill.

47. The discrimination device of claim 46 having a single output receptacle.

48. The discrimination device of claim 46 having exactly two output receptacles.

49. The currency discrimination device of claim 43 wherein said continuation element permits an operator to remove said flagged bill from said predetermined position before said discriminator resumes operation when said operator determines said flagged bill is not acceptable.

50. The discrimination device of claim 43 wherein said predetermined position within said discrimination device when said transport mechanism stops is the position within one of said one or more output receptacles associated with the last received bill in said one or said one or more output receptacles.

51. The discrimination device of claim 43 further comprising an inspection station and wherein said predetermined position within said discrimination device when said transport mechanism stops is an inspection station.

52. The discrimination device of claim 43 wherein said denomination selection elements enable said operator to re-orient the failing bill within said predetermined position before the operation of the discrimination device is resumed if desired.

53. The discrimination device of claim 52 wherein said predetermined criteria is a bill having a predetermined forward/reverse orientation.

54. The discrimination device of claim 52 wherein said predetermined criteria is a bill having a predetermined face orientation.

55. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then transferring identified bills to one of a plurality of output receptacles, comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating said currency bills based on a predetermined criteria, said discriminating unit determining the denominations of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacle for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle passed said discriminating unit to either

(a) an appropriate one of said one or more output receptacles when said discriminating unit is able to discriminate a bill based on said predetermined criteria or

(b) an inspection station when said discriminating unit is unable to discriminate a bill based on said criteria;

wherein the operation of said counting and discrimination device is thereafter suspended in the event of an undiscriminated bill, thereby permitting an operator to conveniently examine said undiscriminated bill;

either (a) one or more denomination counters associated with one or more denominations;

each counter keeping track of the number of discriminated bills belonging to the associated denomination as determined by said discrimination unit;

or

(b) a total value counter maintaining the total value of said bills as they are discriminated by said discrimination unit;

or

(c) both one or more denomination counters and a total value counter;

denomination selection elements corresponding to one or more denominations whereby selection of one of said denomination selection elements (a) increases either (i) a denomination counter corresponding to the denomination of said selected denomination selection element, (ii) said total value counter by the value associated with said selected denomination selection element, or (iii) both and (b) restarts the operation of said currency counting and discrimination device;

said transport mechanism hereafter transporting said undiscriminated bill to an appropriate one of said output receptacles;

said denomination selection elements enabling said operator to thereby conveniently increment a respective denomination counter and/or total value counter and to restart the operation of the currency counting and discrimination device when said operator determines said undiscriminated bill is acceptable; and

a continuation element the selection of which resumes operation of said currency counting and discrimination device without increasing one of said denomination counters or said total value counter;

said undiscriminated bill either being removed without replacement from said inspection station or said transport mechanism hereafter transporting said undiscriminated bill to a reject receptacle;

said continuation element permitting said operator to remove said undiscriminated bill from said inspection station before said device resumes operation or have said undiscriminated bill transported to said reject receptacle after said device resumes operation when said operator determines said undiscriminated bill is not acceptable.

56. The discrimination device of claim 55 having a single output receptacle.

57. The discrimination device of claim 55 having exactly two output receptacles.

58. The discrimination device of claim 55 wherein said predetermined criteria is denomination and wherein a bill whose denomination is not determined by said discriminating unit is transported to said inspection station and wherein the operation of said counting and discrimination device is suspended.

59. The discrimination device of claim 58 having a single output receptacle.

60. The discrimination device of claim 58 having exactly two output receptacles.

61. A method of discriminating and counting documents comprising the steps of:

receiving a stack of documents in an input receptacle of a document evaluation device;

feeding said documents, under the control of said evaluation device, in said input receptacle one at a time to a discriminating unit; and

transferring said documents, under the control of said evaluation device, from said discriminating unit to an output receptacle;

incrementing, under the control of said evaluation device, a count corresponding to a plurality of different types of documents the system is capable of discriminating when said discriminating unit identifies a document;

stopping, under the control of said evaluation device, said transferring step when said discriminating unit is unable to identify a document so that said unidentified document is located at a predetermined position within said output receptacle;

an operator of said evaluation device examining said unidentified document; and

said operator either

(a) depressing a key corresponding to the identity of said unidentified document when said examining step results in a determination that said document is acceptable, whereby, under the control of said discrimination device, said corresponding count associated with the identity of said unidentified document is incremented and said transferring step is continued;

or

(b) removing said unidentified document without replacement when said examining step does not result in a determination that said unidentified document is acceptable and depressing a continuation key whereby, under the control of said document evaluation device, said transferring step is continued.

62. A method of discriminating and counting documents comprising the steps of:

receiving a stack of documents in an input receptacle of a document discrimination device, said documents being of one or more document types;

feeding said documents in said input receptacle, under the control of said discrimination device, one at a time to a discriminating unit; and

discriminating, under the control of said discrimination device, said documents based on a predetermined criteria, said step of discriminating including determining the document type of each of said documents;

transferring, under the control of said discrimination device, said documents from said discriminating unit to an output receptacle;

incrementing, under the control of said discrimination device, a count corresponding to one of a plurality of different types of documents the system is capable of discriminating when said discriminating unit identifies a document as satisfying said predetermined criteria;

stopping, under the control of said discrimination device, said transferring step when a document fails to satisfy said predetermined criteria or when said discriminating unit is unable to determine whether a document satisfies said predetermined criteria, said transferring step stopping so that the document that triggered said stopping step is located at a predetermined position within said output receptacle;

an operator of said discrimination device examining said triggering document; and

said operator either

(a) depressing a key corresponding to the identity of said triggering document when said examining step results in a determination that said document is acceptable, whereby, under the control of said discrimination device, said corresponding count associated with the identity of said triggering document is incremented and said transferring step is continued;

or

(b) removing said triggering document without replacement when said examining step does not result in a determination that said triggering document is acceptable and depressing a continuation key whereby, under the control of said discrimination device, said transferring step is continued.

63. A document counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of documents, rapidly counting and discriminating the documents in the stack, and then re-stacking the documents comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of documents to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating said documents as belonging to one or more document-types;

an output receptacle for receiving said documents after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said documents, one at a time, from said input receptacle passed said discriminating unit to said output receptacle;

either (a) one or more document-type counters associated with one or more document-types;

each counter keeping track of the number of discriminated documents belonging to the associated document-type as determined by said discrimination unit;

or

(b) a total value counter maintaining the total value of said discriminated documents as they are discriminated by said discrimination unit where said documents have associated values or denominations;

or

(c) both one or more document-type counters and a total value counter;

wherein the operation of the discrimination device is suspended when said discriminating unit is unable to identify a document;

the operation of the device being stopped so that said unidentified document is the last document transported to said output receptacle before the operation of the device is suspended, thereby permitting an operator to conveniently examine said unidentified document;

document-type selection elements corresponding to one or more document-types whereby selection of one of said document-type selection elements increases either (i) a document-type counter corresponding to said unidentified document, (ii) said total value counter by the value of said unidentified document, or (iii) both and whereby the document discrimination device resumes operation;

said document-type selection elements enabling said operator to thereby conveniently increment a respective denomination counter and/or total value counter and to restart the operation of the document discriminator when said operator determines said unidentified document is acceptable; and

a continuation element the selection of which resumes operation of the document discrimination device without increasing one of said denomination counters or said total value counter, thereby permitting said operator to remove said unidentified document from said output receptacle before said discriminator resumes operation when said operator determines said unidentified document is not acceptable.

64. A method of discriminating and counting currency bills using a currency discriminating device having value indicating means and a plurality of denomination counters associated with a plurality of denominations of bills that the device is capable of discriminating and/or a value counter comprising the steps of:

receiving a stack of currency bills in an input receptacle of the document discriminating device;

the discriminating device feeding said bills in said input receptacle one at a time past a discriminating unit to one or more output receptacles, said discriminating unit determining the denomination of each bill;

the discriminating device incrementing an appropriate one of the plurality of denomination counters corresponding to denomination of a bill when said discriminating unit determines the denomination of said bill and/or incrementing a value counter by the value of said bill, the value of said bill being determined by the denomination of said bill; and

an operator of the device manually entering the denomination of a bill whose denomination is not determined by said discriminating unit, said step of manually entering the denomination of a bill comprising the operator manually selecting the denomination of said bill whose denomination is not determined by said discriminating unit by using the value indicating means of the device, said step of selecting causing the discriminating device to increment by one the denomination counter associated with said selected denomination and/or causing the discriminating device to increment the value counter by the value of said selected denomination.

65. A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;

a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;

one or more output receptacles for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;

a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past a sensor of said discriminating unit and to said one or more output receptacles; and

one or more counters keeping track of the value of bills discriminated; and

a plurality of denomination keys, each key being associated with a given denomination;

wherein the operation of said device is suspended when said discriminating unit is unable to identify the denomination of a bill and wherein the selection of one of said plurality of denomination keys appropriately increments said one or more counters based on the denomination associated with said one key that is selected.

66. The discrimination device of claim 65 wherein the selection of one of said plurality of denomination keys causes the operation of the device to be resumed.

67. The discrimination device of claim 66 having a single output receptacle.