Abstract: A coin distinguishing method capable of concurrently picking up the images of the surface and the side of a coin by using two light sources, downsizing a device, and providing high-accuracy coin distinguishing. The side of a coin (C) falling through a coin passage (101) in an advancing direction is irradiated with a first light (105) from a flash shooting first light source (104), and the outer periphery portion of the surface of the coin (C) is irradiated with a second light (107) from a flash shooting second light source (106). Then, a fist reflection light (108) reflected off the side of the coin (C) and a second reflection light (109) reflected off the outer periphery portion of the coin (C) are input to an image sensor (110) to concurrently obtain the images of the side and the surface of the coin (C).

Abstract: A money identifying method and a device which can identify money with high precision and quickly by optimally binarizing a surface image of the money. The center coordinates and radius of subject coin C are extracted by a coin shape extraction section from the surface image of the subject coin C obtained by an area sensor, and an effective threshold calculation range is extracted by a threshold calculation range extraction section 107 from the extracted center coordinates and radius of the coin. Further, a density histogram is created by a histogram generation section 108 on the basis of the threshold calculation range, an optimum binary threshold value is calculated from the density histogram by a binary threshold calculation section according to a discriminating analysis, and the optimum binary threshold value is used to binarize an image for identifying the subject coin C.

Abstract: An identification method and apparatus for paper sheet statistically process information representing characteristics of a bank note, condense these to a smaller number of characteristics, and determine the authenticity of the bank note by using these characteristics. The method for identifying a paper sheet comprises separately carrying out (a) a detecting step and (b) a processing step, which are described below, for a genuine paper sheet note and a paper sheet to be checked, creating reference data based on the detecting step and the processing step carried out for the genuine note, and deter the authenticity of the paper sheet to be checked by comparing the data detected therefrom with the reference data.

Abstract: A coin distinguishing method capable of concurrently picking up the images of the surface and the side of a coin by using two light sources, downsizing a device, and providing high-accuracy coin distinguishing. The side of a coin (C) falling through a coin passage (101) in an advancing direction is irradiated with a first light (105) from a flash shooting first light source (104), and the outer periphery portion of the surface of the coin (C) is irradiated with a second light (107) from a flash shooting second light source (106). Then, a fist reflection light (108) reflected off the side of the coin (C) and a second reflection light (109) reflected off the outer periphery portion of the coin (C) are input to an image sensor (110) to concurrently obtain the images of the side and the surface of the coin (C).

Abstract: A coin distinguishing method capable of distinguishing a cyclic linear uneven pattern or a character imprint formed on the side of a coin with a high accuracy and at a high speed. The side of a coin (C) falling through a coin passage (101) in an advancing direction is irradiated with a light (105) from a flash shooting light source (104), a reflection light (106) reflected off the side of the coin (C) is input to an image sensor (107) to obtain the image of the side of the coin (C), images obtained by a vertical-direction projection operation unit (110) and an oblique-direction projection operation unit (111) are subjected to projection operation, the presence/absence of mills of the coin (C) is judged by a mill pitch detection unit (112) based on two one-dimension waveforms obtained from the projection results, the directions of the mills of the coin (C) are judged by a mill-direction detection unit (113), and the coin (C) is distinguished by a distinguishing unit (115) based on the results of judging.

Abstract: A coin discrimination method and device reliably acquires stable two-dimensional images of the surfaces of coins, and using the acquired two-dimensional images is able to perform discrimination, reliably and at high speed, between genuine and counterfeit coins, and between coin types. In a coin pathway configured so as to block interfering light, sensors are positioned at an image-capture position and at a position upstream from the image-capture position; an image sensor is caused to begin image capture simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor upstream of the image-capture position, of a coin, and illumination is emitted for a short time simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor at the image-capture position, of the coin, to acquire an image of the coin. Specific patterns are detected in a binary image obtained by converting the acquired image to binary level, and coin discrimination is performed based on the detected patterns.

Abstract: A coin discrimination method and device reliably acquires stable two-dimensional images of the surfaces of coins, and using the acquired two-dimensional images is able to perform discrimination, reliably and at high speed, between genuine and counterfeit coins, and between coin types. In a coin pathway configured so as to block interfering light, sensors are positioned at an image-capture position and at a position upstream from the image-capture position; an image sensor is caused to begin image capture simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor upstream of the image-capture position, of a coin, and illumination is emitted for a short time simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor at the image-capture position, of the coin, to acquire an image of the coin. Specific patterns are detected in a binary image obtained by converting the acquired image to binary level, and coin discrimination is performed based on the detected patterns.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device capable of high-precision identification of a color-copied paper sheet without increasing the amount of data extracted from the paper sheet. The method and device fox identifying a paper sheet radiate at least two lights having different wavelengths onto the paper sheet, detect light which has permeated therethrough or been reflected therefrom, detect a change in direction of the strength of the detected light, produce coded data, and identify the authenticity of the paper sheet by comparing said coded data with predetermined reference data.

Abstract: A coin inspection method and a device which can inspect a coin with a high precision, by extracting a large amount of information from a sensor detection signal waveform. In coin inspection which is performed based on a detection signal waveform of a magnetic sensor disposed along a coin pathway through which the coin passes, a differential waveform of the detection signal waveform is determined, first information indicating a peak position of the differential waveform, second information indicating a value of the detection signal waveform at the peak position of the differential waveform, and third information indicating a value of the differential waveform at the peak position of the differential waveform are extracted, and the extracted first through third information are used to inspect the coin.

Abstract: A money identifying method and a device which can identify money with high precision and quickly by optimally binarizing a surface image of the money. The center coordinates and radius of subject coin C are extracted by coin shape extraction section 106 from the surface image of the subject coin C obtained by area sensor 103, and an effective threshold calculation range is extracted by threshold calculation range extraction section 107 from the extracted center coordinates and radius of the coin. And, a density histogram is created by histogram generation section 108 on the basis of the threshold calculation range, an optimum binary threshold value is calculated from the density histogram by binary threshold calculation section 109 according to a discriminating analysis, and the optimum binary threshold value is used to binarize an image for identifying the subject coin C.

Abstract: A coin discrimination method and device reliably acquires stable two-dimensional images of the surfaces of coins, and using the acquired two-dimensional images is able to perform discrimination, reliably and at high speed, between genuine and counterfeit coins, and between coin types. In a coin pathway configured so as to block interfering light, sensors are positioned at an image-capture position and at a position upstream from the image-capture position; an image sensor is caused to begin image capture simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor upstream of the image-capture position, of a coin, and illumination is emitted for a short time simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor at the image-capture position, of the coin, to acquire an image of the coin. Specific patterns are detected in a binary image obtained by converting the acquired image to binary level, and coin discrimination is performed based on the detected patterns.

Abstract: A coin inspection method and a device which can inspect a coin with a high precision, by extracting a large amount of information from a sensor detection signal waveform. In coin inspection which is performed based on a detection signal waveform of a magnetic sensor disposed along a coin pathway through which the coin passes, a differential waveform of the detection signal waveform is determined, first information indicating a peak position of the differential waveform, second information indicating a value of the detection signal waveform at the peak position of the differential waveform, and third information indicating a value of the differential waveform at the peak position of the differential waveform are extracted, and the extracted first through third information are used to inspect the coin.