Apparatuses for processing security documents
First Claim
1. An apparatus for processing a lottery game ticket of the type having topside and bottomside surfaces, at least one identification code bar code symbol formed on one of said surfaces, a play area defined on one of said surfaces, and scratch-off material formed on said play area, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a feed path;
a transport mechanism for transporting documents through said feed path;
a material detection imaging assembly including a material detection image sensor adapted to sense the presence of said scratch-off material on said game ticket; and
a controller in communication with said material detection imaging assembly for capturing an image representation of said play area, which indicates contrast between areas of said play area covered by said scratch-off material and areas of said play area not covered by said scratch-off material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A security document processing apparatus is provided having a feed path for receiving documents and at least one imaging assembly for capturing image data from documents received in the apparatus. The apparatus may include a material detection imaging assembly for detecting the material composition of certain materials on documents received in the apparatus. The material detection imaging assembly may detect material on a document by detecting transmissivity characteristics, or by sensing radiation emission characteristics of a document in the case received documents are of a type including radiation wavelength sensitive additives incorporated therein. Furthermore, a controller which controls the various imaging systems of the apparatus may be in communication with a lookup table correlating ticket identification codes with flag status indicators controlling various functions of the apparatus, so that operation of the apparatus is dependant at least in part on an identification code of a document received in the apparatus.
241 Citations
44 Claims
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1. An apparatus for processing a lottery game ticket of the type having topside and bottomside surfaces, at least one identification code bar code symbol formed on one of said surfaces, a play area defined on one of said surfaces, and scratch-off material formed on said play area, said apparatus comprising:
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a housing having a feed path;
a transport mechanism for transporting documents through said feed path;
a material detection imaging assembly including a material detection image sensor adapted to sense the presence of said scratch-off material on said game ticket; and
a controller in communication with said material detection imaging assembly for capturing an image representation of said play area, which indicates contrast between areas of said play area covered by said scratch-off material and areas of said play area not covered by said scratch-off material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A processing apparatus for processing security documents of the type having a bar code symbol encoding an identification code, said apparatus comprising:
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a housing having a feed path;
a transport mechanism for transporting game tickets along said feed path;
at least one imaging assembly for generating image signals corresponding to indicia on a surface of a game ticket;
a memory storing a main program;
a controller in communication with said memory space operating in accordance with said main program so that said controller is adapted to capture image data corresponding to said image signals and is further adapted to determine a present identification code for each ticket received in said apparatus by searching for, and decoding bar code symbols which may be included in said captured image data, said main program further comprising at least one potential processing subroutine for processing said ticket or said image data which may or may not be executed by said controller, said main program further adapting said controller to execute at least one decision stage in which said controller determines whether or not said controller will execute said at least one potential processing subroutine;
a lookup table stored in said memory correlating ticket identification codes with at least one control flag indicator indicating whether or not said controller should execute said at least one processing subroutine, wherein said controller, at said at least one decision stage accesses said lookup table in order to poll a control flag indicator which corresponds to said present identification code so that whether or not said controller executes said at least one potential processing subroutine is dependent on said identification code. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for processing a lottery game ticket of the type having at least one bar code symbol encoding an identification code for said ticket, said system comprising:
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a local lottery ticket reader having a controller in communication with a memory space and operating in accordance with a main program stored in said memory space, said main program adapting said controller to execute an initial capture and decode routine in which said controller determines an identification code for a present ticket, and further adapting said controller to execute a decision stage in which said controller decides whether or not it will execute a potential processing subroutine for processing said game ticket;
a lookup table stored in said memory space correlating ticket identification codes with at least one control flag indicator indicating whether or not said controller should execute said at least one processing subroutine, wherein said controller, at said at least one decision stage is adapted to poll a control flag indicator which correspond to said present identification code so that whether or not said controller executes said at least one potential processing subroutine is dependent on said identification code. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
a local host processor system in communication with said local lottery ticket reader, said host processor system including a host processor in communication with a host processor memory space, said host memory space having stored therein a master lookup table correlating ticket identification codes with at least one control flag indicator; and
means for writing said master lookup table of said host processor memory space to said local memory space of said local lottery ticket reader.
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24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a main remote processor system in communication with said local host processor system.
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25. A processing apparatus for processing lottery game tickets of the type having a bar code symbol encoding an identification code, said apparatus comprising:
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a housing having a feed path;
a transport mechanism for transporting game tickets along said feed path;
at least one imaging assembly directed toward said feed path for generating image signals corresponding to indicia on a surface of a game ticket;
a memory space storing a main program;
a controller in communication with said memory space operating in accordance with said main program so that said controller is adapted to capture image data corresponding to said image signals and is further adapted to determine a present identification code for each ticket received in said apparatus by searching for, and decoding bar code symbols which may be included in said captured image data, said main program further adapting said controller to execute at least one processing subroutine which will vary depending on physical characteristics of the game ticket presently being read;
a lookup table stored in said memory space correlating ticket identification codes with physical characteristic data, wherein said controller, when executing said at least one processing subroutine, reads from said lookup table physical characteristic data corresponding to an identification code of a ticket presently being read. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for processing a security document of the type having at least one identification symbol formed on a surface of said document, said system including an apparatus for receiving said document, said system comprising:
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a controller in communication with a memory space, operating under the control of a main program stored in said memory space;
an imaging subsystem including at least one imaging assembly arranged in said apparatus so that said subsystem generates image signals corresponding to at least one surface of said document, said controller being adapted to capture image data corresponding to said image signals and to determine, by analysis of said image data, a present identification code for each document which is received in said apparatus; and
an identification code to control data correlation table in communication with said controller correlating a plurality of identification codes with associated control data for each identification code, said controller being adapted to read data from said identification code to control data correlation table during execution of said main program so that processing of said document or said image data, for each document received, depends on an identity of said present identification code. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for processing a lottery game ticket of the type comprising a topside and bottomside surface, at least one identification code symbol formed on one of said surfaces, a play area defined on one of said surfaces, and scratch-off material formed on said play area, said system including an apparatus for receiving said lottery game ticket, said system comprising:
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a controller in communication with a memory, operating under the control of a main program stored in said memory;
an imaging subsystem including at least one imaging assembly configured in said apparatus so that said imaging subsystem generates image signals corresponding to at least one surface of said ticket, said controller being adapted to capture image data corresponding to said image signals and to determine, by analysis of said image data, a present identification code for each ticket which is received in said apparatus, said controller further being adapted to capture image data corresponding to said image signals which indicates contrast between areas of said at least one play area covered by said scratch-off material and areas of said play area not covered by said scratch-off material; and
an identification code to game data correlation table stored in a memory in communication with said controller correlating a plurality of identification codes with associated game data for each identification code, said controller being adapted to read data from said identification code to game data correlation table during execution of said main program so that operation of said apparatus, for each ticket received in said apparatus, depends on an identity of said identification code. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification