Patents by Inventor William J. Jones

William J. Jones 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).

  • Coin redemption system
    Patent number: 6896118
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a coin redemption system, in which a user deposits a batch of mixed coins of a plurality of denominations, comprises a coin input area for receiving a batch of mixed coins from a user of the coin redemption system, a coin processing unit coupled to the coin input area for determining the aggregate value of the coins received from the user, a controller for assigning a transaction number corresponding to the batch of received coins, a first printer for printing a receipt indicative of the determined value and the assigned transaction number, an output device disposed in a redemption area for displaying the assigned transaction number and the determined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie, Jeffrey G. Knoll
  • Method and apparatus for document processing
    Patent number: 6880692
    Abstract: A currency evaluation device for receiving a stack of currency bills and rapidly evaluating all the bills in the stack. The device comprises an input receptacle for receiving a stack of bills to be evaluated and a plurality of output receptacles for receiving the bills after they have been evaluated. A transport mechanism transports the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of the output receptacles along a transport path. A discriminating unit including a detector positioned along the transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacle evaluates the bills. The discriminating unit counts and determines the denomination of the bills. A means for flagging bills meeting or failing to meet a certain criteria causes the transport mechanism to halt in response to a determination that a bill meets or fails to meet the criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Richard A. Mazur, Douglas U. Mennie, Mark C. Munro, Lars R. Stromme, Bradford T. Graves, William J. Jones
  • Use of internet WEB technology for wireless internet access
    Patent number: 6873609
    Abstract: Internet web technology is used to allow a wireless Internet customer to acquire a virtual subscriber identity module (VSIM) in an anonymous session connection and then transfer the VSIM to any other desired PC (personal computer).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: IPWireless, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Jones, Andrew G. Williams, Michael Bowring
  • Method and apparatus for document processing
    Patent number: 6868954
    Abstract: A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprising receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device. The bills are transported, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of two or more output receptacles of the currency evaluation device. The denomination of the bill is counted and determined utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles. A bill is flagged when the denomination of the bills is not determined and the flagging comprises halting the transporting when a bill is flagged. The bills that have been denominated including bills of a plurality of denominations are delivered to a first set of one or more of the output receptacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Lars R. Stromme, Bradford T. Graves, William J. Jones, Richard A. Mazur, Douglas U. Mennie, Mark C. Munro
  • Method and apparatus for document processing
    Patent number: 6866134
    Abstract: A method of evaluating a stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device comprises receiving a stack of bills in an input receptacle of the evaluation device. The bills are transported, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of two or more output receptacles of the currency evaluation device. The denomination of the bills is counted and determined utilizing a detector positioned along a transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacles. The bills are determined on whether they meet or fail to meet a non-piece count related criterion. The transportation is halted when a bill meets or fails to meet the criterion. A bill meeting or failing to meet the criterion is termed a flagged bill. The halting is performed such that the flagged bill is positioned as the last bill in one of the output receptacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Lars R. Stromme, Bradford T. Graves, William J. Jones, Richard A. Mazur, Douglas U. Mennie, Mark C. Munro
  • System and method for processing currency bills and documents bearing barcodes in a document processing device
    Patent number: 6843418
    Abstract: A document processing device having an evaluation region disposed along a transport path between an input and output receptacle capable of processing both currency bills and barcoded media having at least two barcodes. One of the barcodes encodes a ticket number and another barcode encodes a payout amount associated with that ticket number. The evaluation region includes detectors for detecting predetermined characteristics of currency bills and a barcode reader for scanning the barcodes printed on the barcoded media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Cummin-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: William J. Jones, Robert J. Klein, Curtis W. Hallowell, Charles P. Jenrick
  • Automated document processing system and method
    Patent number: 6810137
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, Paul A. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Compact currency bill and coin processing device
    Publication number: 20040173432
    Abstract: A cash processing system for processing currency bills and coins comprises a compact housing, a currency bill processing device that is disposed within the compact housing for determining the value of a batch of currency bills, a coin processing device that is disposed within the compact housing for determining the value of a batch of coins, and a central processing unit that is disposed within the compact housing. The central processing unit controls the operation of the currency bill processing device and the coin processing device and determines a total value of currency bills and coins processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventor: William J. Jones
  • Automatic currency processing system having ticket redemption module
    Patent number: 6778693
    Abstract: An apparatus for currency discrimination comprises first and second stationary scanheads, disposed on opposite sides of a bill transport path, for scanning respective first and second opposing surfaces of a bill traveling along the bill transport path and for producing respective output signals. The bill travels along the transport path in the direction of a predetermined dimension of the bill. A memory stores master characteristic patterns corresponding to associated predetermined surfaces of a plurality of denominations of genuine bills. Sampling circuitry samples the output signals associated with the respective first and second opposing surfaces of the scanned bill. A signal processor is programmed to determine which one of the first and second opposing surfaces corresponds to the associated predetermined surfaces of the plurality of denominations of genuine bills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie, Mark C. Munro
  • Financial document processing system
    Publication number: 20040153408
    Abstract: A system for processing deposits and/or withdrawals in a financial institution accepts a plurality of documents, including currency bills, at an input receptacle of a document-processing device, converts the image of at least some of the documents to electronic data representing the image. The currency bills are denominated by the document processing device, and the total value of the bills included in each deposit is accumulated. Whenever the total value of the bills in a deposit exceeds a prescribed value, a report may be generated containing at least an identification of the specified account, the total value of the bills in the deposit, and the serial numbers of the bills. The serial numbers may be extracted from images of the bills.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: John E. Jones, William J. Jones, Frank M. Csultis
  • Automatic currency processing system
    Patent number: 6748101
    Abstract: An apparatus for currency discrimination comprises first and second stationary scanheads, disposed on opposite sides of a bill transport path, for scanning respective first and second opposing surfaces of a bill traveling along the bill transport path and for producing respective output signals. The bill travels along the transport path in the direction of a predetermined dimension of the bill. A memory stores master characteristic patterns corresponding to associated predetermined surfaces of a plurality of denominations of genuine bills. Sampling circuitry samples the output signals associated with the respective first and second opposing surfaces of the scanned bill. A signal processor is programmed to determine which one of the first and second opposing surfaces corresponds to the associated predetermined surfaces of the plurality of denominations of genuine bills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie, Mark C. Munro
  • Document processing method and system
    Patent number: 6731786
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, Paul A. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Multiple stage currency processing system
    Publication number: 20040083149
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a currency processing system includes three currency processing stages. The first currency processing stage includes a plurality of compact currency handling devices for denominating and counting currency bills. The second currency processing stage includes a high-capacity currency handling device for denominating, counting, and sorting currency bills. The third currency processing stage includes a plurality of compact currency handling devices for counting currency bills. A controller is operatively coupled with the first, second, and third currency processing stages for receiving and comparing information related to the counting of currency at each currency processing stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventor: William J. Jones
  • Automated document processing system with document imaging and value indication
    Patent number: 6724927
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, Paul A. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Networked automated document processing system and method
    Patent number: 6724926
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, Paul A. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Currency bill tracking system
    Publication number: 20040028266
    Abstract: A system and method is presented for tracking and tracing currency bills involved in deposit and withdrawal transactions. A transaction identifier is obtained. Currency bills involved in the transaction are scanned in order to obtain their serial numbers. The serial numbers are then linked to the transaction identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie, Paul A. Jones
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING CURRENCY BILLS AND DOCUMENTS BEARING BARCODES IN A DOCUMENT PROCESSING DEVICE
    Publication number: 20040016797
    Abstract: A document processing device having an evaluation region disposed along a transport path between an input and output receptacle capable of processing both currency bills and barcoded media having at least two barcodes. One of the barcodes encodes a ticket number and another barcode encodes a payout amount associated with that ticket number. The evaluation region includes detectors for detecting predetermined characteristics of currency bills and a barcode reader for scanning the barcodes printed on the barcoded media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: William J. Jones, Robert J. Klein, Curtis W. Hallowell, Charles P. Jenrick
  • Automated currency processing system
    Patent number: 6678401
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, Paul A. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Automated document processing system using full image scanning
    Patent number: 6678402
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, Paul A. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Automated document processing system using full image scanning
    Patent number: 6665431
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: John E. Jones, Paul A. Jones, William J. Jones, Douglas U. Mennie