Devices and method for the production of sheet material

• US 7,849,993 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Original Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Lars, Liebler, Ralf, Dichtl, Marius, Heim, Manfred, Stein, Dieter, Krombholz, Markus, Wunderer, Bernd, Finkenzeller, Klaus, Hildebrandt, Thomas, Schuetzmann, Juergen, Schneider, Walter, Hobmeier, Ralf, Pillo, Thorsten, Kretschmar, Friedrich, Schroeder-Bergen, Eckart, Bellersheim, Fabiola, Steinkogler, Alexander, Seysen, Martin, Kaule, Wittich, Giering, Thomas, Holl, Norbert, Voellmer, Christian, Reiner, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/499,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20050150740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,917 Days
• Field of Search: 194205-213, 209/534
• US Class Current: 194/206
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/46 with electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/485 by electronic processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/01 Testing electronic circuits therein
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms

Abstract

The invention relates to sheet material having an electrical circuit and to apparatuses and methods for processing said sheet material.

The present invention describes sheet material having an electrical circuit as well as apparatuses and methods for processing same, which reduce the effort required for processing the sheet material and/or facilitate processing and/or improve it and/or make it more reliable. For this purpose, the sheet material has at least one electrical circuit, with energy and/or data being transmitted from the apparatus to the electrical circuit and/or from the electrical circuit to the apparatus and at least part of the transmitted data being used for processing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing documents of value that have at least one electrical circuit, the apparatus comprising:

a checking device for at least one of (A) the transfer of at least one of energy and data to the electrical circuit of one of said documents of value and (B) the reception of at least one of energy and data from the electrical circuit of the documents of value, with at least part of at least one of the transferred energy and data being used for processing,

wherein the checking device is configured to initially determine individual data of one or more documents, in order to then be able to selectively address individual electrical circuits or a subset of all of the electrical circuits, to transfer an authentication signal to the electrical circuit to obtain authorization from said electrical circuit for carrying out certain processing operations, and, upon obtaining authorization from said electrical circuit, carrying out said processing operations, said processing operations including either reading from or writing to a memory of said electrical circuit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the checking device is designed to at least one of record, determine and check one or more properties of the documents of value from the transferred data.

3. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is equipped with the following transfer methods either alone or in combination:

a contact-type coupling, a noncontacting coupling, an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, a galvanic coupling via contacts, a coupling by means of an electrical field, a coupling by a magnetic field, an optical coupling by electromagnetic waves, a coupling by deformation, such as piezoelectric elements, a coupling by electromechanical elements, a coupling by sound and a coupling by heat.

4. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device has at least one coupling unit, a magnet for producing a magnetic field, a coil for inductive coupling, at least one of a light source for optical coupling and a sound source in order to irradiate an electric element of the documents of value that reacts to sound, with the coupling unit being provided in a base surface on which the documents are provided stacked for at least one of a measurement and integrated in another component of the processing apparatus.

5. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of different transfer methods are available to the checking device in each case for at least one of (C) the reception of at least one of energy and data of the electrical circuit and (D) the transfer of at least one of energy and data to the electrical circuit.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein selection of one or more of the different transfer methods is dependent on a control signal that is transferred to at least one of the circuit of the documents of value from the processing apparatus and to the processing apparatus of the circuit from the documents of value.

7. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device for the reception of at least one of energy and data of the electrical circuit has a receiving unit that is configured to use at least one of (C) the same and (D) another transfer method for the transfer of at least one of energy and data to the electrical circuit.

8. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device for the reception of at least one of energy and data from the electrical circuit has a receiving unit that is situated in at least one of the same and in another processing section of the processing apparatus as a transmitting unit for the transfer of at least one of energy and data to the electrical circuit.

9. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device for at least one of the reception of energy from the electrical circuit and for the transfer of energy to the electrical circuit is configured to use at least one of (C) the same and (D) another transfer method as for at least one of the reception of data from the electrical circuit and the transfer of data to the electrical circuit.

10. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device for the reception of at least one of energy and data from the electrical circuit is configured to use an optical coupling and that it is configured to use at least one of an inductive and capacitive coupling for the transfer of at least one of energy and data to the electrical circuit.

11. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to measure at least one of (C) properties of a plurality of documents with at least one of a stationary stack of documents and a moving stack of documents, and (D) properties of individual documents with at least one of stationary and moving individual documents.

12. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to at least one of transport and process the documents of value, both individually and in a stack in the apparatus.

13. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to at least one of successively measure properties of individual documents and simultaneously measure properties of several documents.

14. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to at least one of (C) address several circuits of different documents at least one of simultaneously and in serial succession, and (D) receive response signals from several circuits of different documents that are addressed and configured to at least one of simultaneously and in serial succession send response signals back to the processing apparatus.

15. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to not activate a circuit of one of the documents until a circuit of another of the documents to be processed has already sent out a response signal.

16. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to move, a position of a coupling field of the processing apparatus so that different documents in a stack can be addressed successively.

17. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to selectively increase a strength of a coupling field during a checking operation so that different documents in a stack can be addressed successively.

18. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the transfer of data is configured to be effected via at least one of (C) single-stage and multi-stage modulation of the transferred signal, (D) via load modulation and (E) via changing coefficients of at least one of optical transmission, reflection and absorption.

19. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein when optical coupling is used, at least one of a spectral composition and time behavior depends on the data to be transferred.

20. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including a light source configured to irradiate at least one of an individual light guide of a document and several light guides of several documents of a stack.

21. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to transfer data on a life history of the documents to the documents.

22. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including a singler for separating documents of value, which is configured to remove one document at a time from a stack of documents of value, with the checking device designed such that the transfer of at least one of energy and data between the circuit situated on a document that is to be pulled off and the device takes place at least one of before and as the document is being pulled from the stack.

23. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein means for securing transfer of the data are provided.

24. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to communicate with the circuit of the document of value via both or only one of two frequencies when documents of value with several coupling elements of different coupling frequencies is used.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the checking device is configured to only communicate with the circuit of the documents of value via an other frequency if and only if a communication at one of the two coupling frequencies of the coupling elements fails.

26. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to alter the circuit at a certain point in time following at least one of application to and incorporation in the documents of value such that writing of data is prevented in all or part of memory areas of the circuit.

27. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to at least one of deactivate the circuit of a checked document and at least interrupt one connecting line that is connected with the circuit at least one of during and after a checking operation.

28. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to irradiate an oscillating circuit of the documents of value with an alternating field such that signals produced by an oscillating circuit and received by the checking device can be evaluated so as to check the documents of value.

29. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to check at least one of a presence a form a surface structure, a position and a distribution with several circuits at least one of in and on the documents of value as an authenticity feature.

30. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to measure and evaluate a temperature when the documents of value is checked.

31. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in order to examine contents of a container, the checking device is configured to compare data about the contents of the container, which are stored in a memory of the container, with data about the contents of the container, which are stored in a memory of the documents of value circuit of at least one of the documents in the container.

32. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a processing operation, the checking device is configured to transmit data to a container, which are intended for writing into the documents in the container, so that these data will be stored temporarily in a memory of the container in order to write data to a corresponding memory of at least one of the documents only at a later point in time after completion of a processing operation.

33. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including a circuit configured to be at least one of applied to and incorporated into a band already during production of a band or only during or after a banding operation in which a stack of documents is provided with a band.

34. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device has a device for generating an alternating magnetic field that is configured to penetrate a stack of banknotes to be checked.

35. An apparatus according to claim 34 wherein a frequency of an alternating magnetic field generated by the device corresponds to at least one of a mechanical resonance frequency of a magnetostrictive element of the documents of value and a mechanical resonance frequency of a compound material of the documents of value with the magnetostrictive element.

36. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to perform an anticollision detection procedure in at least one of the processing apparatus and in the documents of value circuit during a checking operation.

37. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus further has at least one of a pressing device, which is configured to compress the documents for a stack measurement, and the apparatus further has an aligning device, which is configured to align the documents such that they are flush with reference to one or two edges disposed perpendicularly to one another.

38. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device has a sonic sensor for detecting sound waves that are radiated from a sonic source connected with the documents of value circuit.

39. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein there is at least one of one or more keys and sets of keys, which are configured to be used alternatively, (C) for encryption of data to be at least one of stored, transferred and (D) for forming of a digital signature of data to be at least one of stored and transferred.

40. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to include individual data in at least one of an encrypted and signed set of data of other data of the documents of value or for the documents of value.

41. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to forward data of the circuit of the documents of value to be checked to a spatially removed evaluation unit for checking purposes, which is configured to evaluate the data and send a check result back to the processing apparatus.

42. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to, in one check transfer to such electrical circuits a new identification number for storage in a memory area of the electrical circuit provided for this purpose, with the identification number also being able to be stored in an external database situated outside the documents of value together with individual data.

43. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the checking device is configured to compare the identification number and the individual data from the memory of the documents of value with associated data in the external database in a checking operation.

44. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the checking device or the external database is configured to at least one of regenerate and select the identification number from a set of predetermined identification numbers at the time of the checking operation.

45. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein, in addition to the identification number, the checking device is configured to also at least one of (C) transfer to the electrical circuit at least one of a time stamp and a location stamp of at least one of a current checking operation and of one or more preceding checking operations for storage in a memory area of the electrical circuit provided for this purpose and (D) to store same in a memory of the checking device.

46. An apparatus according to claim 42, further including at least one of a newly generated identification number, a newly generated time stamp and location stamp that depends on at least one of a current or a previous identification number, a current or a previous time stamp and location stamp.

47. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein there are several external databases, and that the checking device is configured to select one of the external databases for a subsequent check evaluation by means of a predetermined selection criterion.

48. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to evaluate data obtained by a data transmission between the processing apparatus and the documents of value circuit, in dependence on data which stems from other checking operations that were performed independently of the documents of value circuit.

49. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to compare data from a memory of the documents of value circuit with data which are specific to at least one of a respective paper of the documents of value and feature substances contained therein.

50. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to refer to data obtained by a data transmission between the processing apparatus and the documents of value circuit for adjusting checking parameters of other checking operations performed independently of the documents of value circuit.

51. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a checking operation in which documents of value is rated or classified as still fit for circulation, the checking device is configured to at least one of transmit data to the documents of value circuit, which cause an irreversible, local change of the documents of value, whereby data about a change is configured to be stored in a memory of the circuit of the documents of value, and the checking device itself is configured to perform such an irreversible, local change of the documents of value.

52. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is formed such that a transmission of at least one of data and energy from at least one of the processing apparatus to the documents of value circuit and from the documents of value circuit to the processing apparatus is always possible independently of an orientation of at least one of the checking device of the documents of value and a transport direction of the documents of value with reference to the checking device.

53. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of (C) the checking device has several segments which are configured to alternatively be electrically interconnected, (D) the checking device of the processing apparatus is formed by a singler and (E) the checking device of the processing apparatus has a device which produces at least one of a rotating and traveling field that is at least one of an electrical and magnetic field.

54. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, during transport of documents in the processing apparatus, the checking device is configured to determine a position of the documents in the processing apparatus in dependence on data which are transmitted to the processing apparatus from the documents of value circuit.

55. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to use data which are transmitted to the processing apparatus from the documents of value circuit for detecting at least one of multiple picks and a state of the documents.

56. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, during or after a checking operation, the checking device is configured to transmit data to the documents of value circuit for storage in a memory of the documents of value circuit, whereby the data relate to the checking operation.

57. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a checking operation, the checking device is configured to compare paper data with circuit data of the documents of value.

58. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing apparatus has a singler, a sensor and a stacker, and is configured to transport documents of value directly from the singler to the stacker without a separate sensor path.

59. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein a stack of documents is clamped on one side by means of a clamping device, and that on an other side, a mechanism is configured to single the documents clamped on one side, and the documents of value circuits are configured to be addressed by the checking device during a singled state.

60. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including a sensor wherein the documents of value to be checked is deformed for measurement of paper properties, whereby bending additionally serves a purpose of at least one of supplying energy to the documents of value circuit and transmitting data of the documents of value circuit to the processing apparatus.

61. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing apparatus has separate transport paths for single document processing and for stack processing.

62. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including containers for transporting documents of value within the processing apparatus that are configured to be transported.

63. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein a processing apparatus with combined individual and stack processing has one or more output stations from which containers with documents of value deposited therein are configured to be outputted from the apparatus for removal of at least one of the containers and the documents contained therein, whereby the output stations each have assigned thereto one or more filling stations, in which the containers are filled with documents of value before they are transported to an associated output station.

64. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in part of the individual processing parts of the processing apparatus, only at most one of a deposit or one stack of documents of value is configured to always be contained at a same time.

65. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the apparatus, a physical separation is given by spatial spacing of different deposits during processing of several deposits in the processing apparatus.

66. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein there is a separating means for separating a number of documents into two subsets, whereby the separating means is equipped with an electrical circuit which has a same communication interface as the documents of value.

67. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including-separating means that prevent communication of the checking device with the documents of value circuits of one of two subsets.

68. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including a sensor for checking properties of the documents of value circuit is mounted in at least one of a same and a spatially spaced different area in comparison with a sensor for checking paper properties of the documents of value.

69. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including a unit for reading data from a memory of the documents of value circuit is disposed in at least one of a same and a spatially spaced different area as a unit for writing data to the memory of the documents of value circuit.

70. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of a writing unit is downstream of a reading unit and the writing unit is downstream of a sensor device, which is configured to measure properties of at least one of the circuit and of a paper of the documents of value.

71. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a processing operation, the checking device is configured to only at least one of write data and transmit data to the documents of value circuit for writing to a part of basically functioning memories of the documents of value circuits.

72. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the processing apparatus, there are a plurality of reading units for reading individual data from the documents of value circuits in a transport path of the documents of value so that a position and identity of transported documents can be clearly traced.

73. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to perform at least one check of the documents of value only in dependence on data transmitted from the documents of value circuit to the processing apparatus.

74. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein a correlation of transaction data upon at least one of a deposit and disbursement of documents of value with measurement data for checking associated documents of value is configured to be performed, and that correlation data is configured to be stored in at least one of a memory of the documents of value circuit of at least one of the documents of value, in a memory of the processing apparatus and in an external database.

75. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, independently of an evaluation of signals for transmitting at least one of data and energy to the documents of value circuit, the checking device is configured to determine whether a documents of value circuit is present at least one of a predetermined position, in a predetermined form and at a predetermined location on or in the documents of value paper.

76. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a processing operation, the checking device is configured to perform at least one of different checking operations at different speeds on a documents of value and perform different checking operations at separate times.

77. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to perform checking operations prior to an intermediate storage of checked documents of value at a higher speed than checking operations after an intermediate storage.

78. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including an input means for input of a stack of documents by an operator, and a final stacker from which inputted documents of value is configured to no longer be removed by an operator, whereby the inputted documents are configured to be checked by a checking unit connected to the checking device and transported directly from the input means to the final stacker.

79. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a processing apparatus having a documents of value output function, a checking unit, which is configured to determine at least one of a serial number or other individual data of the documents transported from a documents of value pocket to an output pocket, is interposed between a document sheet pocket and an output pocket.

80. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the banknote processing apparatus is part of at least one of a cash register, a tabletop unit, a manual checking device, a purse and a pocket checking device.

81. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including one or more stackers, wherein the checking device is designed for automatically checking a stock of documents of value which have an electrical circuit in all of or some of the stacker.

82. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to at least one of (C) register all documents having an operable electrical circuit in a stacker and (D) register each at least one of removal and input of such documents having an operable electrical circuit at least one of into the stacker and out of the stacker.

83. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking device is configured to ascertain whether documents of only one kind are present in a stacker.

84. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing apparatus is a separate cash register unit, which is configured to both detect goods to be bought in a purchase transaction and check banknotes for authenticity.

85. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, further including a memory of the documents of value circuit is configured to store data about an intended use of the documents of value.

86. An apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a processing operation, the documents of value is configured to subsequently be provided with an additional electrical circuit.

87. An apparatus according to claim 86, wherein the additional circuit has different properties from the documents of value circuit, whereby each'"'"'s communication interfaces are identical.