Patents Assigned to Cummins-Allison Corp.
  • Patent number: 8725289
    Abstract: A method of processing documents by receiving at least a batch of documents and a separator card in a document processing device. The separator card includes a conductive material disposed on one side, and a barcode indicative of the source of the batch of documents. The documents and separator card are transported via a transport mechanism past an evaluation unit and a field-effect sensor, respectively. The document processing device evaluates each document, determines whether the document meets or fails predetermined criteria, and detects the presence of the conductive material when a separator card is transported past the sensor. The source identification information from each separator card is entered into a memory of the document processing device. Feeder operation is paused between each batch to verify that the previous batch closed successfully. Pausing feeder operation to address document anomalies before subsequent batches are processed promotes batch integrity and reduces operator confusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Robert J. Klein, Curtis W. Hallowell, Charles P. Jenrick
  • Patent number: 8714335
    Abstract: A method and device for evaluating currency bills using a strapping unit that allows a currency evaluating device to automatically strap stacks of currency bills. Currency bills are placed in an input receptacle and an evaluating unit processes each currency bill one at a time. The currency bills are then transported to a plurality of output receptacles. A stack moving mechanism transports a stack of currency bills, which contains a predetermined number of currency bills, from each of the plurality of output receptacles to the strapping unit or a strapping position. Each stack of currency bills is strapped using strapping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Curtis W. Hallowell, Robert J. Klein, Mark B. Renz
  • Patent number: 8714336
    Abstract: An input receptacle receives currency bills and checks. A transport mechanism transports the bills and checks along a transport path to an output receptacle. An image scanner, adjacent the transport path, is configured to generate one or more electrical signals from which image data can be derived. The image data is reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of each of the plurality of documents. A controller is configured to determine a denomination of each of the currency bills. In response to the controller not determining a denomination of one of the currency bills, the controller flags the currency bill as a no-call document by causing at least a portion of the image data to be displayed as a visually readable image of the flagged currency bill on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Frank M. Csulits, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie, Matthew L. Anderson, Robert J. Klein, Ralf H. Jaeger, David R. Badalamenti
  • Patent number: 8701860
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices for processing coins are presented herein. A coin processing system is disclosed which includes a housing with a coin input area for receiving a batch of coins, a controller with a communication interface operatively attached to the housing, and a coin processing unit for counting, discriminating, and/or valuing coins received from the coin input area. The coin processing system also includes a mobile coin receptacle removably disposed within the housing and configured to receive coins from the coin processing unit. The mobile coin receptacle is configured to wirelessly communicate information to the communication interface of the controller. The mobile coin receptacle can include one or more electrical contacts that mate with one or more electrical contacts on the housing to wirelessly communicate the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John R. Blake, Curtis W. Hallowell, Marianne Krbec, William J. Jones, Thomas P. Adams
  • Patent number: 8701857
    Abstract: A method of processing documents includes receiving a stack of documents including currency bills and substitute currency media. Each substitute currency medium has at least one barcode. The method further includes transporting the stack of documents via a transport mechanism, one document at a time, along a transport path and denominating with a currency detector each of the currency bills in the stack of documents. The currency detector is positioned adjacent to the transport path. The method further includes scanning with a barcode scanner a barcode on each substitute currency medium in the stack of documents. The barcode scanner is positioned adjacent to the transport path. The method further includes imaging with an image scanner each substitute currency medium in the stack of documents to generate a raw image file of the substitute currency medium. The image scanner is positioned adjacent to the transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Charles P. Jenrick, Robert J. Klein, Curtis W. Hallowell, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Patent number: 8684159
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for optimizing a usable volume of a coin receptacle associated with a coin-processing device includes receiving a plurality of coins in a coin input area of the coin-processing device, obtaining data for each coin from at least one sensor, associating the data for each coin with a denomination, depositing all of the received plurality of coins with an associated denomination into the coin receptacle of the coin-processing device, the coin receptacle being configured to accept, but not dispense, deposited coins until a maximum number of coins occupy the coin receptacle and to securely store the coins in the coin receptacle until removal of the coin receptacle from the coin-processing device and adjusting, responsive to the data, an upper limit of the maximum number of coins which may be deposited into the coin receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventor: John R. Blake
  • Patent number: 8684157
    Abstract: According to some embodiments of the invention, a magnetic sensor having a track width of greater than about 50 millimeters is provided. The magnetic sensor is adapted to detect a magnetic feature and produce a linear, analog output in response to the magnetic feature. The analog output is along a single data channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Jay D. Freeman, Tomasz M. Jagielinski, Frederick J. Jeffers, George S. Krastev, Danny D. Yang
  • Patent number: 8684160
    Abstract: A self-service currency processing machine includes a user control panel, a coin hopper configured to receive input bulk coins, and a coin processing module configured to sort the input bulk coins by denomination and output the coins, via operation of at least one controller-controlled diverter, along a specified path to a coin receptacle station comprising at least one plastic coin bag. The machine also includes a controller configured to selectively distribute coins of one or more denominations to a selected plastic coin bag in the coin receptacle station responsive to an instruction received from one of the user control panel or a host system communicatively coupled to the machine via a communication interface and a bag sealing device configured to seal the selected plastic coin bag following receipt of the predetermined number of coins of one or more denominations in the selected plastic coin bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Curtis W. Hallowell, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Patent number: 8655045
    Abstract: A system for tracking currency bills comprises a currency scanning device. The scanning device includes a sensor that retrieves currency identification characteristic information of each bill processed. The currency identification characteristic information permits the unique identification of each bill processed. The system further comprises a customer identification means and means for associating each processed bill with the customer depositing the bill. Means for identifying the customer (or customer account) associated with a particular processed bill after the deposit transaction has been completed is also included in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie, Paul A. Jones
  • Patent number: 8655046
    Abstract: A batch of bills is received, transported, and imaged to produce image data. The image data is reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of each of the plurality of currency bills. Each currency bill includes a respective serial number. The serial numbers are extracted from the image data for each of the currency bills. Each extracted serial number is compared with a plurality of serial numbers in a currency bill database to determine if a currency bill associated with an extracted serial number is a suspect currency bill. One of the plurality of currency bills is determined to be a suspect currency bill based on the comparing. In response to determining the suspect currency bill, at least a portion of the produced image data is displayed as a visually readable image of the suspect currency bill on a display unit of the document processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Frank M. Csulits, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie, Matthew L. Anderson, Robert J. Klein, Gary P. Watts, John E. Jones, Ralf H. Jaeger, David R. Badalamenti
  • Patent number: 8644583
    Abstract: Currency bills are received, transported, and imaged to produce image data from which a visually readable image of each currency bill can be reproduced. Each of the currency bills includes a denomination, a serial number, and a set of secondary identifiers. One of the currency bills is determined to be a suspect bill. The suspect bill serial number is attempted to be extracted from the image data associated with the suspect bill. In response to failing to extract a complete serial number of the suspect bill, a serial number field in a suspect report is populated with a serial number snippet image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas U. Mennie, Antony D. Susai, William J. Jones, Frank M. Csulits, Matthew L. Anderson, Robert J. Klein, Ralf H. Jaeger, David R. Badalamenti, Dale E. Beutel
  • Patent number: 8644585
    Abstract: A stack of currency bills is received, transported, and imaged via an image scanner to produce image data that is reproducible as a visually readable image for each currency bill. Each of the currency bills has an associated serial number and additional identifying character information. The associated currency bill serial number and the additional identifying character information are extracted from the image data of each currency bill. Each currency bill is denominated. A suspect determination is made for each currency bill and upon a determination that a currency bill is a suspect bill, A suspect note report is automatically generated. Fields in the report are populated with information associated with the suspect bill including the extracted serial number, the extracted additional identifying character information, and the denomination of the suspect bill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas U. Mennie, Antony D. Susai, William J. Jones, Frank M. Csulits, Matthew L. Anderson, Robert J. Klein, Ralf H. Jaeger, David R. Badalamenti, Dale E. Beutel
  • Patent number: 8644584
    Abstract: A stack of currency bills is received, transported, and imaged via an image scanner to produce image data that is reproducible as a visually readable image for each currency bill. Each of the currency bills has an associated serial number and additional identifying character information. The associated currency bill serial number and the additional identifying character information are extracted from the image data of each currency bill. Each currency bill is denominated. A suspect determination is made for each currency bill and upon a determination that a currency bill is a suspect bill, A suspect note report is automatically generated. Fields in the report are populated with information associated with the suspect bill including the extracted serial number, the extracted additional identifying character information, and the denomination of the suspect bill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas U. Mennie, Antony D. Susai, William J. Jones, Frank M. Csulits, Matthew L. Anderson, Robert J. Klein, Ralf H. Jaeger, David R. Badalamenti, Dale E. Beutel
  • Patent number: 8639015
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas U. Mennie, William J. Jones, Frank M. Csulits, Matthew L. Anderson, Robert J. Klein, Ralf H. Jaeger, David R. Badalamenti
  • Patent number: 8627939
    Abstract: A device has a deposit, a sell, and an audit mode of operation to monitor and reconcile bills. The device includes a memory storing records, an input receptacle to receive bills, an image scanner to image bills, a transportation mechanism to transport bills, and one or more processors. In the deposit mode, the one or more processors extract serial numbers and generate records. Each record includes a physical bill location field to indicate the location that the bill is expected to be physically located. In the sell mode, the one or more processors update the physical bill location fields to indicate that the expected physical bill location is a second location. In the audit mode, the one or more processors determine if each record corresponds with an audit record and generate an indication that the teller drawer is balanced responsive to a determination that each audit record corresponds with a respective record and a determination that each record corresponds with an audit record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: William J. Jones, Frank M. Csulits, Douglas U. Mennie, Ralf H. Jaeger, Robert J. Klein, Dale E. Beutel, David R. Badalamenti
  • Patent number: 8625875
    Abstract: A document processing system comprising one or more document scanning devices that extract information from document images that uniquely identify a document. The system further comprises a central processor remotely connected to the document scanning devices. The central processor is configured to receive the document images and the extracted information from the document scanning devices and is further configured to execute a correction routine configured to adjust errors in the extracted information from the document image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Frank M. Csulits, Matthew Anderson, John R. Blake, Curtis W. Hallowell, Robert J. Klein, Douglas U. Mennie, Gary Watts
  • Patent number: 8616359
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a security grate for limiting access to a coin bin is disclosed. The security grate comprises a plurality of generally parallel upper slats and a plurality of generally parallel slats disposed below the upper slats. The plurality of first slats receives coins and directs coins moving under the force of gravity in a first direction. The plurality of lower slats receive coins from the upper slats and direct the coins moving under the force of gravity in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Steve Bochonok, Mark C. Munro, John R. Blake
  • Patent number: 8607957
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a coin processing system includes a coin input area that receives coins from a user, a coin processing module that counts the received coins, and a foreign object detection system that detects a foreign object within the coin processing module subsequent to counting substantially all the received coins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John R. Blake, Douglas U. Mennie, Samuel F. Collura, John S. Lykowski, Arthur J. Long
  • Publication number: 20130327686
    Abstract: A currency bill processing system includes a transport mechanism that is configured to transport bills from an input receptacle along a transport path that extends generally horizontally past at least one detector. The transport path transitions generally-vertically upward between a first and a second output receptacle. The transport mechanism is configured to deliver some of the bills toward a first end of the system into the first output receptacle and some of the bills toward a second end of the system into the second output receptacle. The system provides access openings in a front side of the system that are proximate the first and the second output receptacles thereby permitting operator access into the first and the second output receptacles from the front side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas U. Mennie, John M. Mikkelsen, Marek Baranowski, Charles H. Cummings, Ken W. Maier
  • Patent number: RE44689
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for determining the denomination of a coin with a disk-type coin processing system comprises moving a coin along a coin path with a rotatable disk, generating an encoder pulse for each incremental movement of the rotatable disk, directing a light beam transverse the coin path, detecting the light beam with a light detector, developing a signal at the light detector indicating the presence of a coin in the coin path, counting a number of encoder pulses occurring while developing the signal at the light detector, and comparing the counted number of encoder pulses to a plurality of stored numbers of encoder pulses corresponding to the particular coin denominations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: David J. Wendell, John R. Blake, Joseph J. Geib, John C. Peklo, Richard A. Mazur, David J. Mecklenburg