Determining document fitness using illumination

• US 8,290,216 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cash Processing Solutions, Inc. (De La Rue PLC)
• Original Assignee: Cash Processing Solutions, Inc. (De La Rue PLC)
• Inventors: Blair, Ronald Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US13/539,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20120269403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 109 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/106, 382/108, 382112-115, 382135-141, 382/162, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382/191, 382193-194, 382/199, 382/209, 382/219, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382290-292, 382/305, 382/312, 235/379, 358/474
• US Class Current: 382/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/251 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/803 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/416 Extracting the logical structure, e.g. chapters, sections or page numbers; Identifying elements of the document, e.g. authors
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/1205 Testing spectral properties
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/121 Apparatus characterised by sensor details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

According to an illustrative embodiment, a method for detecting a document includes capturing a first plurality of images of a document at a first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, capturing a second plurality of images of the document at a second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, and assembling the first and second pluralities of images to form one or more images of the document.

Claims

1. A method for detecting or imaging a document, the method comprising:

capturing a first plurality of images of a document at a first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation;

capturing a second plurality of images of the document at a second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation; and

assembling the first and second pluralities of images to form one or more images of the document;

wherein each of the one or more images is monochromatic; and

wherein the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is different from the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of images is a first plurality of line images, and wherein the second plurality of images is a second plurality of line images.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the captured line images are substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second pluralities of images are assembled to form two or more images of the document.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the document once past at least one electromagnetic radiation source and at least one imaging device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the first and second pluralities of images to form the one or more images of the document comprises:

assembling the first plurality of images of the document to form a first image of the document from the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation; and

assembling the second plurality of images of the document to form a second image of the document from the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing three or more pluralities of images of the document at three or more respective wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation; and

assembling the three or more pluralities of images to form three or more images of the document.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the document is authentic using the one or more images of the document.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a fitness of the document using the one or more images of the document.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the fitness of the document using the one or more images of the document comprises:

creating a transformed image of the document using the one or more images of the document; and

determining the fitness of the document using the transformed image.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein determining the fitness of the document comprises determining a presence of at least one of soiling, ink wear, staining, graffiti, tearing, or security feature wear on the document.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the document has a first side and a second side;

and

wherein the capturing of the first plurality of images, the capturing of the second plurality of images, and the assembling of the first and second pluralities of images to form the one or more images of the document are performed on each of the first side and the second side of the document.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

illuminating the document with the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, the first plurality of images captured while the document is at least partially illuminated with the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation; and

illuminating the document with the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, the second plurality of images captured while the document is at least partially illuminated with the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sequentially illuminating the document using two or more wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation according to a predetermined sequence.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing of the first plurality of images and the capturing of the second plurality of images occurs while the document is illuminated with at least one of the first or second wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.

16. A method for detecting or imaging a document, the method comprising:

capturing a first plurality of images of a document at a first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation;

capturing a second plurality of images of the document at a second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation;

assembling the first plurality of images to form a first image of the document; and

assembling the second plurality of images to form a second image of the document;

wherein the first image and the second image are monochromatic; and

wherein the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is different from the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of images is a first plurality of line images, and wherein the second plurality of images is a second plurality of line images.

18. An apparatus for detecting or imaging a document, the apparatus comprising:

at least one electromagnetic radiation source adapted to emit at least a first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation and a second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation toward a document;

an imaging device to capture two or more pluralities of images of the document while the at least one electromagnetic radiation source at least partially illuminates the document; and

a processor to assemble the two or more pluralities of images to form one or more images of the document;

wherein the one or more images are monochromatic; and

wherein the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is different from the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the two or more pluralities of images captured by the imaging device are two or more pluralities of line images.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor assembles the two or more pluralities of images to form two or more images of the document.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the imaging device captures the two or more pluralities of images while the document moves past the at least one electromagnetic radiation source and the imaging device, the document moving past the at least one electromagnetic radiation source and the imaging device once.