Bank note processing system having a combined florescence and phosphorescence detection system

• US 9,761,077 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kayani, Sohail
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US14/322,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20160005252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 194206, 194207, 209534, 235379, 382135
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/16 Handling of valuable papers within containers G07D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/06 using wave or particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/1205 Testing spectral properties
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/121 Apparatus characterised by sensor details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/205 Matching spectral properties

Abstract

A bank note processing system having a combined florescence and phosphorescence detection system. The bank note processing system includes a detection module which has a detector housing having a first compartment and a second compartment separated by a light baffle. An illumination source and a first sensor module are disposed in the first compartment of the detector housing and a second sensor module is disposed in the second compartment of the detector housing. The illumination source directs light to the bank note and the first sensor module measures the bank note'"'"'s florescence at a first point in time. The second sensor module measures the bank note'"'"'s phosphorescence at a second point in time and the detection module determines whether the bank note is a counterfeit bank note using the measured florescence and the measured phosphorescence.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a counterfeit bank note comprising:

directing a bank note to a detection module along a transport path;

directing light to the bank note;

a strobe lamp;

measuring a florescence from the bank note in response to the light from the strobe lamp using a first sensor module;

strobing off the strobe lamp;

measuring, while the strobe lamp is off, phosphorescence measurements from the bank note in response to the light from the illumination source using a second sensor module at a distance from the first sensor module after the florescence was measured, the distance between the first sensor module and the second sensor module being adjustable;

determining if the bank note is a counterfeit bank note by analyzing the florescence and the phosphorescence measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

dividing the detection module into a first compartment and a second compartment;

disposing the first sensor module and the illumination source in the first compartment; and

disposing the second sensor module in the second compartment.

3. The method of claim 1, where directing light to the bank note from an illumination source comprises emitting light from an emission source and directing the light from the emission source through an emitter filter.

4. A detection module comprising:

a detector housing having a first compartment and a second compartment disposed adjacent a bank note transport path;

a strobe lamp disposed in the first compartment,

wherein the strobe lamp directs an incident light to a bank note passing along the transport path;

a first sensor module disposed in the first compartment,

wherein the first sensor module measures florescence emitted by the bank note in response to the incident light;

a second sensor module disposed in the second compartment,

wherein the second sensor module measures, while the strobe lamp is off, phosphorescence emitted by the bank note in response to the incident light at a distance from the first sensor module after florescence was measured, the distance between the first sensor module and the second sensor module being adjustable; and

an information handling system, wherein the information handling system uses the measured florescence and the measured phosphorescence to determine if the bank note is a counterfeit bank note.

5. The detection module of claim 4, wherein a light baffle divides the detector housing into the first compartment and the second compartment.

6. The detection module of claim 4, wherein the second sensor module is disposed downstream relative to the first sensor module.

7. The detection module of claim 4, wherein the illumination source comprises an emission source, emitter optics, and an emitter filter.

8. The detection module of claim 4, wherein the first sensor module comprises a sensor, sensor optics and a wave length specific filter.

9. The detection module of claim 4, wherein the second sensor module comprises a sensor, sensor optics and a wave length specific filter.

10. The detection module of claim 4, further comprising a transparent window disposed at an interface of the detection module and the bank note transport path.

11. A bank note processing system having a detection module for analyzing a bank note, the detection module comprising:

a detector housing having a first compartment and a second compartment separated by a light baffle;

a strobe lamp and a first sensor module disposed in the first compartment of the detector housing; and

a second sensor module disposed in the second compartment of the detector housing;

wherein the strobe lamp directs light to the bank note;

wherein the first sensor module measures the bank note'"'"'s florescence;

wherein the distance between the first sensor module and the second sensor module is adjustable;

wherein the second sensor module measures, while the strobe lamp is off, the bank note'"'"'s phosphorescence after the bank note'"'"'s florescence was measured; and

wherein the detection module determines whether the bank note is a counterfeit bank note using the measured florescence and the measured phosphorescence.

12. The detection module of claim 11, wherein the second sensor module is disposed downstream relative to the first sensor module.

13. The detection module of claim 11, wherein the illumination source comprises an emission source, emitter optics, and an emitter filter.

14. The detection module of claim 11, wherein the first sensor module comprises a sensor, sensor optics and a wave length specific filter.

15. The detection module of claim 11, wherein the second sensor module comprises a sensor, sensor optics and a wave length specific filter.

16. The detection module of claim 11, further comprising a transparent window disposed at an interface of the detection module and the bank note transport path.