Abstract: In one aspect, a method of processing currency in a currency processing machine includes the act of retrieving, from a plurality of input currency bills, characteristic information from each of the bills, the characteristic information itself including at least a first characteristic information relating to fitness. The method also includes the act of assigning to each currency bill one of a plurality of fitness types and fitness levels relating to the first characteristic information of the bill, at least one of the fitness types and the fitness levels being defined by a user. The method also includes the act of outputting each currency bill along one of a plurality of output paths designated by the user to receive currency bills, the output path having a fitness type and/or fitness level assigned to the currency bill.

Abstract: A magnetic detection system for authenticating a document includes a first magnetic scanhead adapted to create a first magnetic field for saturating the magnetization of an area on each of the bills. The magnetic detection system further includes a second magnetic scanhead with an electromagnet. The electromagnet is capable of creating a second magnetic field of adjustable intensity. The second magnetic field is the opposite polarity of the first magnetic field. The intensity of the second magnetic field is adjusted by changing the amount of current supplied to the electromagnet. The amount of current supplied to the electromagnet is based upon a characteristic of the document to be authenticated.

Abstract: A magnetic recorder includes multiple permanent magnetic elements having magnetic orientations that impart a sequence of magnetic transitions to magnetic media of a photographic filmstrip contained within a camera. The permanent magnetic elements are external to the camera. The sequence of magnetic transitions comprise information that can be subsequently retrieved and provided to the photographic processor and/or photographer. The information can include identification of locale or other information of interest to the photographer. The magnetic recorder requires no power supply and is easily operated by a photographer virtually without regard to weather conditions.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are used to detect and identify coded patterns on articles such as bank notes, in the form of magnetic regions (e.g., small areas printed with ink containing magnetic pigment). The apparatus includes a mechanism for passing a given article rapidly past a scanning location where a "write" magnetic head and its associated circuitry applies one or more recording signals (of a suitably high frequency) to these regions. The thus magnetized regions are then immediately sensed by a highly sensitive "read" head. The circuitry associated with the read head selectively amplifies the high frequency signals recorded on the magnetic regions. This further improves the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. It then compares the phases of the detected signals with a reference signal fed-forward from the write head circuitry. This further improves the accuracy of detecting the presence or absence of magnetized regions.