Apparatus and system for imaging currency bills and financial documents and method for using the same

• US 8,437,530 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Mennie, Douglas U., Jones, William J., Csulits, Frank M., Anderson, Matthew L., Klein, Robert J., Jaeger, Ralf H., Badalamenti, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHATNAGAR, ANAND P
• Application Number:
  US12/758,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/135, 382/136, 382/137, 382/138, 382/139, 209/534, 235/379, 356/71, 902/7
• US Class Current: 382/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0047 using checkcodes, e.g. coded numbers derived from serial number and denomination
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

A stack of a stack of currency bills is received, transported, and imaged. Image data reproducible as a visually readable image of one or more portions of at least one side of each currency bill in the stack is obtained. A serial number and at least one or more additional characters are extracted from the image data for each currency bill. A processor compares the extracted serial number and corresponding extracted one or more additional characters with stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information associated with the serial number information of genuine currency bills. The stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information uniquely identify a genuine currency bill. Any currency bill that does not have one or more extracted additional characters matching the stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information is flagged.

Claims

1. A system for processing currency bills, the system comprising:

an input receptacle configured to receive a stack of currency bills;

an image scanning system configured to obtain image data that is reproducible as a visually-readable image of one or more portions of at least one side of each currency bill, the image scanning system configured to extract a serial number and at least one or more additional characters from the image data for the currency bill;

a transport mechanism that transports each of the currency bills in the stack, one at a time, from the at input receptacle, past the image scanning system, to at least one output receptacle;

a memory that stores serial number information and corresponding additional character information associated with serial numbers of genuine currency bills, the serial number information and corresponding additional character information uniquely identifying a genuine currency bill;

a processor configured to compare the extracted serial number and corresponding extracted one or more additional characters with the stored serial number information and the corresponding additional character information associated with serial numbers of genuine currency bills, the processor, or another processor, further configured to identify as a suspect currency bill any currency bill from the stack with extracted serial numbers that do not have one or more extracted additional characters matching the serial number information and corresponding additional character information stored in the memory; and

a display configured to display an image of at least a portion of the image data associated with the suspect currency bill and one or more of the extracted serial number, additional characters, or any combination thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional characters and the serial number extracted from the image data include alphanumeric characters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional characters extracted from the image data include characters having different font sizes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the extracted additional characters represent a back plate number, a check letter and quadrant number, a check letter and face plate number, or combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the extracted additional characters represent one or more Federal Reserve Bank designations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the extracted additional characters represent a signature of the Treasurer of the United States or the signature of the Secretary of the Treasury.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the extracted additional characters represent a currency bill series.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the extracted additional characters represent at least two of the following:

a back plate number, check letter and quadrant number, a check letter and face plate number, a Federal Reserve Bank designation, a signature of the Treasurer of the United States, a signature of the Secretary of the Treasury, or a currency bill series.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the serial number information and corresponding additional character information associated with serial numbers of genuine currency bills are received over a connection to a network associated with the system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory is located remote from the image scanning system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor or another processor is located remote from the image scanning system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the image scanning system obtains image data from currency bills at a resolution of at least 200 dots per inch by 400 dots per inch.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system transports and processes the currency bills at a rate of at least 200 currency bills per minute.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the image scanning system obtains image data from currency bills at a resolution of at least 200 dots per inch by 400 dots per inch and processes the currency bills at a rate of at least 400 currency bills per minute.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein upon the identification of a suspect currency bill, the transport mechanism stops and presents the suspect currency bill to a system operator.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each suspect currency bill is flagged, and wherein a data file including the image data of the suspect currency bill and a suspect flag is stored in a memory.

17. The system of claim 1, further including a storage device for storing the obtained image data, wherein the image data for each currency bill is tagged with the respective serial number and one or more additional characters extracted from the image data for the currency bill.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each currency bill has a wide edge, the transport mechanism configured to transport each of the currency bills with the wide edge leading.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is configured to process currency bills that are U.S. dollar currency bills.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is configured to process currency bills associated with multiple countries including two or more of the following currencies:

U.S. dollar, euro, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Japanese yen, and pound sterling.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is embodied within a housing, the housing having a footprint of less than about two square feet, the system having a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds.

22. A method of processing currency bills, the method comprising:

receiving a stack of currency bills in an input receptacle of a document processing device;

transporting the currency bills from the input receptacle, past an image scanner, and to an output receptacle;

obtaining image data reproducible as a visually readable image of one or more portions of at least one side of each currency bill in the stack via the image scanner;

extracting a serial number and at least one or more additional characters from the image data for each currency bill;

comparing, via a processor, the extracted serial number and corresponding extracted one or more additional characters with stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information associated with the serial number information of genuine currency bills, the stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information stored in a memory, the stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information uniquely identifying a genuine currency bill; and

flagging any currency bill that does not have the extracted serial number and corresponding one or more extracted additional characters matching the stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the additional characters and the serial number extracted from the image data include alphanumeric characters.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the extracted additional characters represent a plate serial number, plate position letters and numbers, or both.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the extracted additional characters represent one or more Federal Reserve Bank designations.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the extracted additional characters represent a currency bill series.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving the stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information into the memory over a connection to a network.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the obtained image data from the currency bills are at resolutions of at least 200 dots per inch by 400 dots per inch, and the steps of obtaining, extracting, and comparing occur at a rate of at least 200 currency bills per minute.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the obtained image data from the currency bills are at resolutions of at least 200 dots per inch by 400 dots per inch, and the steps of obtaining, extracting, and comparing occur at a rate of at least 400 currency bills per minute.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein flagging comprises stopping and presenting the suspect currency bill to a system operator.

31. The method of claim 22, further including storing the obtained image data on a storage device, wherein the image data for each currency bill is tagged and stored with the corresponding extracted serial numbers and one or more additional characters.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein each currency bill has a wide edge, the transport mechanism configured to transport each of the currency bills with the wide edge leading.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the currency bills are U.S. dollar currency bills.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the currency bills are associated with multiple countries including two or more of the following currencies:

U.S. dollar, euro, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Japanese yen, and pound sterling.

35. A method of processing currency bills, the method comprising:

receiving a stack of currency bills in an input receptacle of a document processing device;

obtaining image data reproducible as a visually readable image of one or more portions of at least one side of each of a plurality of currency bills;

extracting a serial number and additional character information from a predetermined field of the image data for each currency bill;

comparing, via a processor, the extracted serial number and corresponding additional character information with master serial number information for genuine currency bills and master corresponding additional character information associated with the master serial number information, the master serial number information and master corresponding additional character information uniquely identifying a genuine currency bill; and

flagging any currency bill that does not have an extracted serial number and extracted additional character information matching the master serial number information and master corresponding additional character information.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the additional character information and the serial number extracted from the image data include alphanumeric characters.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the extracted additional character information represents a back plate number, a check letter and quadrant number, a check letter and face plate number, or combinations thereof.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving into a memory the master serial number information and master corresponding additional character information over a connection to a network.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the obtained image data for the currency bills are at resolutions of at least 200 dots per inch by 400 dots per inch, and the steps of obtaining, extracting, and comparing occur at a rate of at least 400 currency bills per minute.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein flagging comprises stopping and presenting the suspect currency bill to a system operator.

41. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

extracting second additional character information from a second predetermined field of the image data for each currency bill;

comparing, via a processor, the extracted serial number and corresponding second additional character information with the master serial number information and the master corresponding additional character information associated with the master serial number information; and

flagging any currency bill that does not have an extracted serial number and corresponding second additional character information matching the master serial number information and master corresponding additional character information.

42. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

extracting second additional character information and third additional character information from respective second and third predetermined fields of the image data for each currency bill;

comparing, via a processor, the extracted serial number and corresponding second and third extracted additional character information with stored serial number information for genuine currency bills and corresponding stored additional character information associated with the stored serial number information; and

flagging any currency bill that does not have an extracted serial number and corresponding second and third additional character information at least partially matching the stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein the comparing act comprises first comparing the extracted serial number with the stored serial number information associated with genuine currency bills, and if the extracted serial number and stored serial number information match, the comparing act next comparing the extracted corresponding additional character information with the stored corresponding additional character information associated with the stored serial number information for genuine currency bills.

44. A system for processing currency bills, the system comprising:

an input receptacle configured to receive a stack of currency bills;

an image scanning system configured to obtain image data that is reproducible as a visually readable image of one or more portions of at least one side of each currency bill, the image scanning system configured to extract a serial number and at least one or more additional characters from the image data for the currency bill;

a transport mechanism that transports each of the currency bills in the stack, one at a time, from the input receptacle, past the image scanning system, to at least one output receptacle;

a memory that stores serial number information and corresponding additional character information associated with serial numbers for currency bills of interest, the serial number information and corresponding additional character information uniquely identifying a currency bill of interest;

a processor configured to compare the extracted serial number and corresponding extracted one or more additional characters with the stored serial number information and the corresponding stored additional character information associated with serial numbers of currency bills of interest, the processor, or another processor, further configured to identify as target currency bills any currency bill from the stack with extracted serial numbers that match the serial number information and corresponding additional character information stored in the memory; and

a display configured to display an image associated with at least a portion of the image data obtained from a target currency bill.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein a transaction identifier is associated with the stack of currency bills, the display further configured to display the transaction identifier.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the system is embodied within a housing, the housing having a footprint of less than about two square feet, the system having a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds.

47. A method of processing currency bills, the method comprising:

receiving a stack of currency bills in an input receptacle of a document processing device, the stack of currency bills having an associated depositor identifier;

obtaining image data reproducible as a visually readable image of one or more portions of at least one side of each of a plurality of currency bills;

extracting a serial number and additional characters from respective predetermined fields from the image data for each currency bill;

comparing, via a processor, the extracted serial number and corresponding additional characters from the predetermined fields with stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information of the currency bills of interest, the stored additional character information associated with the stored serial number information of currency bills of interest, the stored serial number information and corresponding stored additional character information uniquely identifying a currency bill of interest; and

flagging any currency bill that has an extracted serial number and extracted additional predetermined character field matching the serial number information and corresponding additional character information received into the memory.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising receiving into a memory the stored serial number information and the corresponding stored additional character information over a connection to a network.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein flagging comprises stopping and presenting the flagged currency bill to a system operator.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein flagging comprises displaying an image associated with at least a portion of the image data for with the flagged currency bill on a display associated with the document processing device.