System and method for processing batches of documents
First Claim
1. A method of processing documents, comprising:
- receiving a plurality of batches of documents in an input receptacle of a document processing device, each batch having a separator card associated therewith, the documents including at least currency bills;
feeding the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle into a transport mechanism of the document processing device;
transporting via the transport mechanism the documents, one at a time, along a transport path past one or more sensors of the document processing device;
sensing a separator card, after being fed into the transport mechanism, with at least one of the one or more sensors positioned along the transport path;
pausing the feeding from the input receptacle between each batch after the sensing of a separator card by the at least one of the one or more sensors positioned along the transport path; and
after pausing the feeding, transporting each document preceding a detected separator card to at least one output receptacle;
determining whether all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle; and
resuming the feeding from the input receptacle after determining that all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of processing documents by receiving at least a batch of documents and a separator card in an input receptacle of a document processing device. The separator card includes a conductive material disposed on one side, and a barcode indicative of the source of the batch of documents. The documents and separator card are transported via a transport mechanism past an evaluation unit and a field-effect sensor, respectively. The document processing device evaluates each document, determines whether the document meets or fails predetermined criteria, and detects the presence of the conductive material when a separator card is transported past the sensor. The source identification information from each separator card is entered into a memory of the document processing device after all the documents from the corresponding batch of documents have met the predetermined criteria. Feeder operation is paused between each batch long enough to verify that the previous batch closed successfully. Pausing feeder operation to address document anomalies before subsequent batches are processed promotes batch integrity and reduces operator confusion.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of processing documents, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of batches of documents in an input receptacle of a document processing device, each batch having a separator card associated therewith, the documents including at least currency bills; feeding the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle into a transport mechanism of the document processing device; transporting via the transport mechanism the documents, one at a time, along a transport path past one or more sensors of the document processing device; sensing a separator card, after being fed into the transport mechanism, with at least one of the one or more sensors positioned along the transport path; pausing the feeding from the input receptacle between each batch after the sensing of a separator card by the at least one of the one or more sensors positioned along the transport path; and after pausing the feeding, transporting each document preceding a detected separator card to at least one output receptacle; determining whether all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle; and resuming the feeding from the input receptacle after determining that all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of processing documents, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of batches of documents in an input receptacle of a document processing device, each batch having a separator card associated therewith, the documents including at least currency bills or substitute currency media; feeding documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle into a transport mechanism of the document processing device; transporting via the transport mechanism the documents, one at a time, past one or more sensors positioned along a transport path of the transport mechanism of the document processing device to at least one output receptacle; detecting a separator card being transported past at least one of the one or more sensors; pausing the feeding from the input receptacle upon the detecting of a separator card by the at least one of the one or more sensors positioned along the transport path; and after pausing the feeding, transporting each document preceding a detected separator card to the at least one output receptacle; determining whether all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle; and resuming the feeding from the input receptacle after determining that all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of processing at least two batches of documents, comprising the acts of:
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loading the at least two batches into an input receptacle of a document processing device with a separator card separating each of the at least two batches for multiple batch processing, the documents including currency bills and substitute currency media; transporting the batches in a sequence, one document at a time, from the input receptacle along a transport path past one or more sensors positioned along the transport path of the document processing device to at least one output receptacle; pausing transportation of the documents from the input receptacle when a separator card is detected by the at least one of the one or more sensors and the device determines that documents preceding the detected separator card are still being transported to the at least one output receptacle; and resuming transportation of documents from the input receptacle when the device determines that all documents preceding the detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A document processing device, comprising:
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an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of batches of documents, each batch having a separator card associated therewith, the documents including currency bills or substitute currency media; at least one output receptacle; a feeder configured to feed the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle into a transport mechanism of the document processing device; the transport mechanism being configured to transport the documents, one at a time, along a transport path past one or more sensors to the at least one output receptacle, at least one of the one or more sensors being configured to detect a separator card, at least one of the one or more sensors being a currency bill denomination detection sensor; and the device being configured to pause feeding from the input receptacle between batches upon detection of a separator card by the at least one of the one or more sensors, the device being configured to continue transporting documents in a batch of documents preceding a detected separator card to the at least one output receptacle after the feeding from the input receptacle is paused, the device being configured to determine whether all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle, and the device being configured to resume feeding from the input receptacle after determining that all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A document processing device, comprising:
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an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of batches of documents, each batch having a separator card associated therewith, the documents including currency bills; at least one output receptacle; a feeder configured to feed the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle into a transport mechanism of the document processing device; the transport mechanism being configured to transport the documents, one at a time, along a transport path past one or more sensors to the at least one output receptacle; at least one of the one or more sensors being configured to detect a separator card, at least one of the one or more sensors being a currency bill denomination detection sensor; and the device being configured to pause feeding from the input receptacle upon a detection of a separator card, the device being configured to continue transporting documents in a batch of documents preceding a detected separator card to the at least one output receptacle after the feeding from the input receptacle is paused, the device being configured to determine whether all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle, and the device being configured to resume feeding from the input receptacle after determining that all documents preceding a detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A document processing device, comprising:
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an input receptacle configured to receive at least two batches of documents with a separator card separating each of the at least two batches, the documents including currency bills and substitute currency media; at least one output receptacle; a transport mechanism configured to transport the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle along a transport path past one or more sensors positioned along the transport path to the at least one output receptacle; at least one of the one or more sensors being configured to detect a separator card, at least one of the one or more sensors being a currency bill denomination detection sensor; the device being configured to pause transportation of the documents from the input receptacle when a separator card is detected by the one or more sensors; and the device being configured to resume transportation of documents from the input receptacle when the device determines that all documents preceding the detected separator card have been transported to the at least one output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification