Method and apparatus for document processing

• US 6,929,109 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aventis Corpscience GmbH
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Klein, Robert J., Schreiter, Heinz W., Anderson, Matthew L., Mennie, Douglas U., Jones, William J., Munro, Mark C., Mazur, Richard A., Graves, Bradford T., Stromme, Lars R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/635,967
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 194/207, 194/206, 209/534, 382/135
• US Class Current: 194/206
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/10 Mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/16 Handling of valuable papers within containers G07D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/24 Managing the stock of valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/28 Setting of parameters; Software updates
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/40 Device architecture, e.g. modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/60 User-interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/00 Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/003 using security elements using digital security elements G07D7/004
• 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

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.

Claims

1. A currency evaluation device for receiving a stack of currency bills and rapidly evaluating all the bills in the stack, the device comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive a stack of bills to be evaluated;

a plurality of output receptacle adapted to receive bills after evaluation;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to the plurality of output receptacle along a transport path;

a discriminating unit adapted to evaluate the bills, the discriminating unit including a detector positioned along the transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacle, the discriminating unit adapted to determine the denomination of the bills and to detect the occurrence of a plurality of error conditions including a no call error condition when the denomination of a bill can not be determined;

a memory adapted to store information associated with a plurality of modes of operation of the device, the memory being designed to store at least one user-defined mode of operation, the user-defined mode of operation being capable of subsequent recall and selection by a user of the evaluation device;

an interface adapted to permit a user of the evaluation device to define the user-defined mode of operation, the interface receiving information from the user specifying how the device is to operate including how the plurality of error conditions are to be handled, the information being stored in the memory; and

a mode selection element permitting the user to select one of the modes of operation.

2. The evaluation device of claim 1 wherein the interface is adapted to receive information from the user further specifying that the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering one of a plurality of error conditions is stopped before being delivered into the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is located within the transport mechanism.

6. The evaluation device of claim 1 wherein the interface is adapted to permit the user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of a particular one of the plurality of error conditions whether the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering the particular error condition is stopped (1) before being delivered to the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is located within the transport mechanism or (2) after being delivered into the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is presented in the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is presented in the at least one output receptacle.

3. The evaluation device of 1 wherein the at least one output receptacle is a plurality of output receptacles, and wherein the interface is adapted to permit the user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of a particular one of the plurality of error conditions (1) the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended or (2) a bill triggering the particular error condition should be off-sorted to an output receptacle without suspending operation of the evaluation device.

4. The evaluation device of claim 3 wherein the interface is adapt to permit a user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of the particular error condition the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering the particular error condition is presented in one of the plurality of output receptacles.

5. The evaluation device of claim 3 wherein the interface is adapted to permit the user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of the particular error condition the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering the particular error condition is stopped before being delivered to the plurality of output receptacles such that the bill is located within the transport mechanism.

7. A currency evaluation device for receiving a stack of currency bills and rapidly evaluating all the bills in the stack, the device comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive a stack of bills to be evaluated;

a plurality of output receptacles adapted to receive bills after evaluation;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle along a transport path to the plurality of output receptacles;

an evaluation unit adapted to determine information concerning each of the bills including the denomination of each of the bills, the evaluation unit including a sensor positioned along the transport path, the evaluation unit being adapted to detect one or more error conditions including a no call error condition when the denomination of a bill can not be determined;

a nonvolatile memory adapted to store information associated with a plurality of pre-defined modes of operation of the device, the memory being adapted to store at least one user-defined mode of operation in a manner such that the at least one user-defined mode of operation is capable of subsequent recall and selection by a user of the evaluation device;

an interface adapted to permit a user of the evaluation device to define the user-defined mode of operation, the interface being adapted to receive information from the user specifying criteria for evaluating the bills and specifying to which of output receptacles a bill meeting or failing to meet one or more criteria is to be transported, the information being stored in the nonvolatile memory as a user-defined mode of operation; and

a mode selection element adapted to permit the user to select a mode of operation selected from the group consisting of the plurality of pre-defined mode of operation and the at least one user defined mode of operation.

8. The evaluation device of claim 7 wherein the interface is adapted to receive information from the user further specifying that the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering one of a plurality of error conditions is stopped before being delivered into the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is located within the transport mechanism.

12. The evaluation device of claim 7 wherein the interface is adapted to permit the user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of a particular one of the plurality of error conditions whether the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering the particular error condition is stopped (1) before being delivered to the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is located within the transport mechanism or (2) after being delivered into the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is presented in the at least one output receptacle such that the bill is presented in the at least one output receptacle.

9. The evaluation device of 7 wherein the at least one output receptacle is a plurality of output receptacles, and wherein the interface is adapted to permit the user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of a particular one of the plurality of error conditions (1) the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended or (2) a bill triggering the particular error condition should be off-sorted to an output receptacle without suspending operation of the evaluation device.

10. The evaluation device of claim 9 wherein the interface is adapted to permit a user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of the particular error condition the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering the particular error condition is presented in one of the plurality of output receptacles.

11. The evaluation device of claim 9 wherein the interface is adapted to permit the user to input information further specifying that upon the occurrence of the particular error condition the operation of the evaluation device should be suspended so that a bill triggering the particular error condition is stopped before being delivered to the plurality of output receptacles such that the bill is located within the transport mechanism.