Method and apparatus for document processing
First Claim
1. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
- receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion; and
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles, wherein bills whose denomination are determined are delivered to a first output receptacle and wherein bills whose denomination are not determined are directed to a second output receptacle, a bill whose denomination is not determined being termed a no call bill.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A currency evaluation device for receiving a stack of currency bills and rapidly evaluating all the bills in the stack. The device comprises an input receptacle for receiving a stack of bills to be evaluated and a plurality of output receptacles for receiving the bills after they have been evaluated. A transport mechanism transports the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of the output receptacles along a transport path. A discriminating unit including a detector positioned along the transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacle evaluates the bills. The discriminating unit counts and determines the denomination of the bills. A means for flagging bills meeting or failing to meet a certain criteria causes the transport mechanism to halt in response to a determination that a bill meets or fails to meet the criteria.
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Citations
73 Claims
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1. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion; and
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles, wherein bills whose denomination are determined are delivered to a first output receptacle and wherein bills whose denomination are not determined are directed to a second output receptacle, a bill whose denomination is not determined being termed a no call bill. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion;
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles; and
determining whether a bill is a stranger bill, wherein a bill failing to have its denomination determined is termed a no call bill, and further including delivering stranger bills to a first output receptacle and delivering no call bills to the second output receptacle.
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8. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion;
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles; and
determining whether a bill is a stranger bill and wherein the non-piece count related criterion is a bill being a stranger bill.
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9. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion;
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles; and
determining whether a bill is suspect, a bill determined to be suspect being termed a suspect bill. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion; and
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles, wherein the criterion is a bill being a stranger bill, and wherein the halting occurs with a stranger bill as the last bill in one of the output receptacles.
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17. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion; and
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles, wherein the criterion is a bill being a suspect bill, and wherein the halting occurs with a suspect bill as the last bill in one of the output receptacles.
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18. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion; and
halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion, a bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion being termed a flagged bill, wherein the halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles, wherein a bill failing to have its denomination determined being termed a no call bill, and further determining whether a bill is a suspect bill, wherein the halting occurs when a bill is determined to be a suspect bill. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a compact, high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of United States currency bills of a plurality of denominations in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills, including United States bills of a plurality of denominations, at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-Piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet at least one of the criteria, wherein one of the certain criteria is the denomination of a bill, a bill failing to meet the criterion of having its denomination determined being termed a no call bill, and wherein no call bills are flagged;
determining whether a bill is a stranger bill, wherein one of the certain criteria is a bill being a stranger bill and wherein stranger bills are flagged; and
determining whether a bill is a suspect bill, wherein one of the certain criteria is a bill being a suspect bill and wherein suspect bills are flagged, wherein the two output receptacles consist of a first output receptacle and a second output receptacle, and further directing stranger bills and no call bills to the first output receptacle and directing suspect bills to the second output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a compact, high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of United States currency bills of a plurality of denominations in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills, including United States bills of a plurality of denominations, at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet at least one of the criteria;
wherein one of the certain criteria include the denomination of a bill and wherein the halting occurs when a bill fails to meet a criterion of having its denomination determined, a bill failing to meet the criterion of having its denomination determined being termed a no call bill; and
delivering bills meeting the certain criteria of having their denomination determined to a first output receptacle and directing no call bills to a second output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a compact, high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of United States currency bills of a plurality of denominations in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills, including United States bills of a plurality of denominations, at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet at least one of the criteria; and
determining whether bills are suspect bills and wherein the halting occurs when a bill meets a criterion of being determined to be a suspect bill. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a compact, high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of United States currency bills of a plurality of denominations in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills, including United States bills of a plurality of denominations, at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles; and
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet at least one of the criteria, wherein the certain criteria include the denomination of a bill and wherein the halting occurs when a bill fails to meet a criterion of having its denomination determined, a bill failing to meet a criterion of having its denomination determination being termed a no call bill, and further including determining whether bills are suspect, wherein the halting occurs when a bill meets a second criterion of being determined to be suspect. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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47. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a compact, high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of United States currency bills of a plurality of denominations in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills, including United States bills of a plurality of denominations, at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles; and
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting when a bill meets or fails to meet at least one of the criteria, wherein the certain criteria include the denomination of a bill and wherein the halting occurs when a bill fails to meet a criterion of having its denomination determined, a bill failing to meet a criterion of having its denomination determination being termed a no call bill, and further including determining whether bills are suspect, and delivering bills whose denomination have been determined to a first output receptacle and directing bills whose denomination have not been determined to a second output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49)
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50. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
determining whether the bills are suspect; and
flagging a bill that has been determined to be suspect, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transport mechanism when a bill is determined to be suspect. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of evaluating a stack of U.S. currency bills using a high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of U.S. bills in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute, at least one of the output receptacles being adapted to receive more than one denomination of bills;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills, including United States bills of a plurality of denominations at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute, utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting with a flagged bill that meets or fails to meet at least a given set of the criteria positioned in one of the output receptacles, wherein the certain criteria include the denomination of a bill, a bill failing to meet a criterion of having its denomination determined being termed a no call bill; and
determining whether a bill is a stranger bill and wherein the certain criteria include a bill being a stranger bill. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute, at least one of the output receptacles being adapted to receive more than one denomination of bills;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills including United States bills of a plurality of denominations at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute, utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting with a flagged bill that meets or fails to meet at least a given set of the criteria positioned in one of the output receptacles; and
delivering flagged bills to the second output receptacle.
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62. A method of evaluating a stack of U.S. currency bills using a high-speed United States currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of U.S. bills in an input receptacle of the currency evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute, at least one of the output receptacles being adapted to receive more than one denomination of bills;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills, including United States bills of a plurality of denominations at a rate of at least 800 bills per minute, utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
flagging bills that meet or fail to meet any of certain non-piece count related criteria, a bill meeting or failing to meet any of the criteria being termed a flagged bill, wherein the flagging comprises halting the transporting with a flagged bill that meets or fails to meet at least a given set of the criteria positioned in one of the output receptacles, wherein the certain criteria include the denomination of a bill, a bill failing to meet a criterion of having its denomination determined being termed a no call bill; and
determining whether a bill is a stranger bill and wherein the certain criteria include a bill being a stranger bill.
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63. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
generating a characteristic information output signal in response to detected characteristic information via the detector;
generating a denomination signal in response to the information output signal;
generating a suspect signal when a bill is determined to be suspect;
producing tracking signals in response to the physical movement of the bills;
generating a stopping signal in response to the suspect signal; and
stopping a transport drive motor in response to the stopping signal. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles; and
halting the transporting in a predetermined manner in response to a determination that a bill meets a stranger bill criterion and in response to a determination that a bill meets a no call bill criterion, wherein a bill which meets the stranger bill criterion is termed a stranger bill, and wherein a bill which meets the no call bill criterion is termed a no call bill, wherein the halting occurs with the bill meeting the stranger bill or non call bill criterion being positioned in one of the output receptacles. - View Dependent Claims (69)
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70. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles; and
halting the transporting in a predetermined manner in response to a determination that a bill meets a stranger bill criterion and in response to a determination that a bill meets a no call bill criterion, wherein a bill which meets the stranger bill criterion is termed a stranger bill, and wherein a bill which meets the no call bill criterion is termed a no call bill, wherein the halting occurs with the bill meeting the stranger bill or no call bill criterion being located at a predetermined position.
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71. A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising the acts of:
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receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of exactly two output receptacles of the currency evaluation device;
counting and determining the denomination of the bills utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles;
halting the transporting in a predetermined manner in response to a determination that a bill meets a stranger bill criterion and in response to a determination that a bill meets a no call bill criterion, wherein a bill which meets the stranger bill criterion is termed a stranger bill, and wherein a bill which meets the no call bill criterion is termed a no call bill; and
determining whether bills are suspect and wherein one of a criterion is a bill being a suspect bill. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73)
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Specification