Patents by Inventor Kevin Charles Mulvey

Kevin Charles Mulvey has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8417016
    Abstract: An acceptor device for sheet objects such as banknotes, comprises a sensor to derive data corresponding to a spatial array of data samples from a face of a sheet object, said data being configured in a sampling frame that lies within a range of positional relationships to a reference frame. The acceptor device also comprises a processor operable to process the data to determine the relationship between the reference frame and the sampling frame for the sensed data, and being operable to transform pre-selected regions of the sensed data from the sampling frame so as to correspond to data in the reference frame, and to make a comparison of the transformed data with reference data corresponding to the pre-selected regions in the reference frame and to the sheet object depending on the outcome of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Money Controls Limited
    Inventors: Malcolm Reginald Hallas Bell, Kevin Charles Mulvey, Andrew William Barson, John Ashby
  • Patent number: 8336698
    Abstract: A method and system for accepting money items. The method for accepting money items comprises generating a money item signal that corresponds to a money item under test, determining a level of risk of a fraud attempt, and determining a fraud attempt based on the level of risk. The method further comprises generating a transformed money item signal as a function of the level of risk and the money item signal in response to determining the fraud attempt. The method further comprises comparing the transformed money signal to window limit values to generate a result and accepting or rejecting the money item based on the result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Money Controls Limited
    Inventor: Kevin Charles Mulvey
  • Publication number: 20110196816
    Abstract: A method and system for accepting money items. The method for accepting money items comprises generating a money item signal that corresponds to a money item under test, determining a level of risk of a fraud attempt, and determining a fraud attempt based on the level of risk. The method further comprises generating a transformed money item signal as a function of the level of risk and the money item signal in response to determining the fraud attempt. The method further comprises comparing the transformed money signal to window limit values to generate a result and accepting or rejecting the money item based on the result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventor: KEVIN CHARLES MULVEY
  • Patent number: 7946408
    Abstract: An acceptor for money items, comprises sensor circuitry (S1-S4) to provide individual money items signals (Rs) depending on items of money under test, and a processor configuration (11) to develop for each of the money items under test, a transformed money item signal (Tnew) as a function of the value of the money item signal and at least one variable parameter (A) that is a function of a fraud criterion such as history data (AVG Dn & MAX Dn) relating to the values of the money item signals for previously tested money items, to make a comparison of the values of the transformed money item signals (Tnew) with a fixed window limit value (W2, L3) and to accept each money item if it falls within the window limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Money Controls Limited
    Inventor: Kevin Charles Mulvey
  • Patent number: 7617922
    Abstract: A coin acceptor includes a coin sensing station with two generally circular coils (S1, S2) and an elongate coil (S3) mounted on one side of a coin guiding surface that is curved so that a coin (26) under test is thrown by centripetal force into sliding engagement with the surface (22) to form an inductive coupling with the coils to test coin acceptability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Money Controls Limited
    Inventors: Malcolm Reginald Hallas Bell, Kevin Charles Mulvey
  • Patent number: 7549525
    Abstract: An acceptor for money items such as coins or banknotes produces a money item parameter signal (x1) depending on a sensed characteristic of the money item. A store (12) provides window data corresponding to normal acceptance ranges of values of the parameter signal for a money item of a particular denomination (NAW), as well as restricted acceptance windows (RAW). A processor (11) determines when an occurrence of the parameter signal (x1) may represent a fraudulent money item and then for subsequent sensed money items compares the value of the parameter signals (x1) with the restricted acceptance range (RAW). The RAW range is used until n successive true coins are inserted or a time t has lapsed. After a fraudulent attempt, the values of n and t are increased so that a fraudster cannot then insert n true coins or wait a time t and attempt another fraudulent coin insertion. Also, a focused rejection window (FRW) rejects coins with suspiciously close parameter signals, which could form part of a counterfeit set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Money Controls Limited
    Inventors: Malcolm Reginald Hallas Bell, Andrew William Barson, Kevin Charles Mulvey
  • Publication number: 20080273789
    Abstract: An acceptor device for sheet objects such as banknotes, comprises a sensor to derive data corresponding to a spatial array of data samples from a face of a sheet object, said data being configured in a sampling frame that lies within a range of positional relationships to a reference frame. The acceptor device also comprises a processor operable to process the data to determine the relationship between the reference frame and the sampling frame for the sensed data, and being operable to transform pre-selected regions of the sensed data from the sampling frame so as to correspond to data in the reference frame, and to make a comparison of the transformed data with reference data corresponding to the pre-selected regions in the reference frame and to the sheet object depending on the outcome of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: Money Controls Limited
    Inventors: Malcolm Reginald Hallas Bell, Kevin Charles Mulvey, Andrew William Barson, John Ashby