Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for authenticating a document. The method includes the steps of forming a plurality of data profiles from a suspect document and determining that the document is authentic when the plurality of data profiles conforms with a plurality of envelopes of a document library. The method further includes the steps of interfacing the authenticator with an external device that operates under one of a plurality of interface formats through a replaceable interface module, transferring an identifier of the authenticated document to the replaceable interface module, converting the identifier into the one of the plurality of formats used by the external device and sending the converted identifier to the external device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for authenticating a document. The apparatus includes a profile processor adapted to collect a plurality of data profiles from a suspect document, a comparator adapted to compare the plurality of data profiles with a set of envelopes of a library document and to determine that the document is authentic when the plurality of profiles conforms with the plurality of envelopes and a push-in lock that locks a cassette that holds authenticated documents to a body of the apparatus for authenticating the document.

Abstract: There is disclosed a processing apparatus of sheets using an accumulation device of a vaned wheel system including a vaned wheel having a plurality of blades arranged at a predetermined interval in a rotation direction, and rotating, thereby allowing continuously feed sheets to enter between the blades, and guiding the sheets in a predetermined direction, so that the sheets guided by the vaned wheel are laminated/accumulated in an accumulation section, and synchronization is established between a supply timing of paper money by a paper money supply section and a rotation phase of the vaned wheel.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet handling machine capable of surely verifying whether the number of bills is one or not based on the kind of a bill even when bills different in thickness are inserted, handling the bills of different thickness mixed in, dealing with new bills issued in recent years using various novel feature technologies for bill forgery prevention, and detecting the presence of a foreign object in the bill surface. The kind of each of bills successively fed in is specified by bill checking means for identifying the kind of a bill, and reference thickness information regarding the sheet of a specified kind is read from a reference thickness table recording a bill kind and the thickness information of a bill full surface.

Abstract: A paper processing apparatus feeds papers one by one from the first cassette for storing papers to be delivered to the outside, conveys the fed papers on the first conveyance path to store them in a predetermined temporary storing section, and then delivers the stored papers in a block through a paper delivery aperture to the outside. Also, the paper processing apparatus leads papers having difficulties with delivery after being fed from the first cassette, to the second conveyance path which is a divergent path of the first conveyance path, and stores the led papers in the second cassette. The paper processing apparatus further comprises the third conveyance path for receiving papers coming from the outside and transmitting them to the first conveyance path.

Abstract: A paper identification counter comprises a counter body, a hopper which is formed to the counter body and to which papers to be identified and counted are fed, a paper conveyance unit including a conveyance passage along which the papers such as currency notes from the hopper is conveyed one by one in a direction of a short width side of the papers, a paper identification unit disposed on a way of the conveyance passage for identifying and counting the papers; and a stacker in which the papers delivered from the conveyance passage are stacked. The conveyance passage includes a U-shaped curvilinear conveyance region on a way between the hopper and the stacker.

Abstract: A paper-like materials processing apparatus brings the speed in the direction for conveying paper-like materials by a shift correction roller for moving paper-like materials at an angle based on a shift amount crossing the conveying direction of paper-like material agree with the conveying speed by a conveying mechanism.

Abstract: A vertically arranged combination desktop currency denominating machine and currency dispenser comprising a currency denominating module adapted to receive a stack of currency bills to be denominated and to denominate the received currency bills, wherein a transport mechanism transports bills individually from an input receptacle adapted to receive the stack of currency bills to one or more output receptacles. The combination further comprising a dispenser retaining section adapted to store currency bills to be dispensed to the one or more output receptacles during a dispensing operation, the retaining section comprising one or more dispensing receptacles, each dispensing receptacle adapted to hold bills having a common denomination, wherein the dispenser retainer section is positioned above the currency denominating module.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bank note sorting apparatus. Known such apparatuses have the disadvantage of not being user-friendly since the transport path of the bank notes is not readily accessible to a user due to the elaborate mechanical design of the transport system. Bank notes that block the transport system due to faulty transport can therefore not be readily removed. In the present invention this disadvantage is avoided by the bank note sorting apparatus consisting of at least three parts, with one part disposed in the middle and at least two parts removable therefrom, thereby obtaining easy access to the transport system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bill receiving/processing machine, which has a simple configuration having no temporary reserving section, and has no need of manually sorting the approved bills even in the case where a fault is generated, and can rationally carry out cancel processing with respect to a transaction such that a bill has been already sent to a stacker after money denomination discriminating/counting handling is completed.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises an upper unit, a lower unit and a banding unit. When sheets being conveyed are jammed in the upper unit, the upper unit is stopped and the processes of the lower unit and the banding unit are continuously executed. After the upper unit is stopped, sheets that may possibly be conveyed into the lower unit by inertia are rejected in a safety pocket.

Abstract: To provide a circulating type bank note depositing and dispensing machine 11, with which the progressing state of a depositing process and a dispensing process are made visible from a customer side, capable of quickening temporary storage of deposited bank notes and quickening and facilitating the return of the temporarily stored bank notes when the depositing is not approved.

Abstract: In a sheet-processing apparatus, banknotes are separated by a separator (10) and fed to a depositing arrangement (18) via a sensor and transporting unit (8). Depositing takes place in different depositing compartments in accordance with depositing criteria which are determined by certain features of the banknotes (BN) being sensed. The individual depositing compartments (30, 32, 34) of the depositing arrangement (18) are assigned stacker wheels (20, 22, 24), which have stacker fingers which, in pairs, define a sheet compartment between them. The banknotes are introduced into the sheet compartments and are then deposited in the associated depositing compartment by the stacker fingers.

Abstract: The invention includes a bill processing unit into which a bill is fed and in which the bill is examined. The bill that has been examined and approved by the bill processing unit is received and stored by a storage unit. The bill processing unit and the storage unit are separated by a partition. A passage opening is formed in the partition through which the bill passes. According to the invention, even if the bill processing unit is destroyed, the bills in the storage unit may not be stolen. That is, protection against theft may be improved.

Abstract: A document handling system is configured for detecting counterfeit bills using infrared light. The document handling system comprises an infrared light source, a sensor that is adapted to produce an output signal in response to infrared light illumination of a document, and a processor that is programmed to receive the signal and to authenticate the document based thereon.

Abstract: An ATM (10) includes a housing (46) including a generally L-shaped chest portion (48) and an upper housing portion (54). The ATM includes a fascia (12) which extends on the outside of a wall (14) and includes a user interface (15). Responsive to inputs of a user through the user interface the machine is operative to accept a stack of sheets (84) which are evaluated through operation of a sheet validator device (88) and which enables acceptable sheets to be stored within the chest portion. Unacceptable sheets are routed to a storage area (100). Provisions are made for reducing the risk of attack on the ATM by criminals and to facilitate servicing by authorized personnel.

Abstract: The bill input/output part has a movable pusher plate and a front plate and a partition plate movable between the pusher plate and the front plate to store bills, which are to be returned or paid, between the pusher plate and the partition plate, and also includes a controller to vary the distance between the pusher plate and the partition plate according to the number of bills to be stored. Bills can be arranged upright. After the bills stored between the pusher plate and the partition plate are extracted, the distance between the partition plate and the front plate is widened. This operation makes it easy to re-enter bills in the space. When a remaining bill, such as a folded bill is detected, the space between the pusher plate and the partition plate is widened so that the user can easily be notified of a failure to extract.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for monitoring bank notes for the presence of counterfeit bank notes.

Abstract: A bill receiving and dispensing device cooperates with a bill cassette, when the bill receiving and dispensing device is replenished with bills or when bills are collected from it, in such a manner that cash is not exposed to the public eye. At the time of replenishment of bills, the bill cassette, in which a fixed number of sheets of bills are accommodated, is received at an inlet/outlet opening of the bill receiving and dispensing device, and the bills within the bill cassette are inserted into the device by a manual operation. The inserted bills are accommodated in a bill accommodation box based on the result of determinations made in a discriminating portion. At the time of collecting bills, an empty bill cassette is received at the inlet/outlet opening and bills are drawn out from the bill accommodation box and are transferred to the bill cassette.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotating a document approximately 180° includes a first and a second belt. The first belt has a document transport portion, a return portion, a first end, and a second end. The second end of first belt being is twisted approximately 180° in relation to the first end of the first belt. The second belt has a document transport portion, a return portion, a first end, and second end. The document transport portion of the first belt is disposed adjacent to the document transport portion of the second belt. The second end of second belt is twisted approximately 180° in relation to the first end of the second belt. A document transport path is defined by the document transport portions of the first and the second belts. The document transport path has an inlet and an outlet. The outlet of the document transport path is twisted approximately 180° in relation to the inlet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing sheet material, in particular bank notes, papers of value and the like.

Abstract: A bank note processing apparatus comprises an insert port into which plural sheets of rectangular shaped bank notes having front/back and top/bottom extending in a longitudinal direction, a take-out portion for taking out the bank notes from the insert port with the top or bottom laid ahead one by one, a conveying path which then conveys the bank notes, a detector which detects information relative to the front/back and top/bottom of the bank notes being conveyed, a front/back reversing portion which selectively reverses the front/back of the bank notes based on the result of detection, first and second stackers which stack the selectively reversed bank notes, a sorter which sorts the bank notes being conveyed to the first or second stacker, and first and second banding portions which band the stacked bank notes for every prescribed number of sheets at the same position of one side of the longitudinal direction of the notes.

Abstract: The paper-like material processing apparatus having backups for loading stacked paper-like materials respectively in the two stackers that the stacked paper-like materials on the backups are transferred to one carrier and conveyed to a single banding mechanism, wherein the apparatus has a temporarily holding mechanism for receiving and holding the stacked paper-like materials from the backups when the carrier is in use and a delivery mechanism for transferring the stacked paper-like materials of the temporarily holding mechanism to the carrier and transfers the stacked paper-like materials to the carrier when the carrier becomes usable.

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.

Abstract: A sheet handling system having a number of sheet processing modules (1-4) linked together to enable sleets to pass between them. Each sheet processing module (1-4) includes at least one sheet monitoring or handling component and a set of nodes (23, 32, 43, 62), each including a processor, wherein each sheet processing module is controlled by one or more nodes. A distributed control system is arranged logically into a number of subsystems, the functions of each subsystem being performed by one or more of the nodes. A communications network (24) links the nodes together to enable the nodes to operate in synchronism and to communicate with each other.

Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) identifies and stores documents such as currency bills deposited by a user. The machine then selectively recovers documents from storage and dispenses them to other users. The machine includes a central transport (70) wherein documents deposited in a stack are unstacked, oriented and identified. Such documents are then routed to storage areas in recycling canisters (92, 94, 96, 98). When a user subsequently requests a dispense, documents stored in the storage areas are selectively picked therefrom and delivered to the user through an input/output area (50) of the machine. The control system (30) for the machine includes a terminal processor (548). Identification devices identify the type and character of a document, and distinguish genuine documents, such as genuine currency bills, from unidentifiable or suspect documents.

Abstract: Improved currency scanners for coins and bills which are connected to computers having memories which contain information concerning coinage or printing errors and scarce coins or bills and which compare each coin or bill as it is scanned to identify and alert the user to such coins or bills.

Abstract: Processing data derived from currency items includes measuring samples of currency items of classes to produce feature vectors in a first space and mapping the feature vectors to a second space in which there is a clearer separation of the classes.

Abstract: Bills are loaded into a hopper, separated and moved one at a time passed authentication sensors and an optical scanner. The sensors include a UV scanner, a magnetic sensor, an infrared scanner and a metallic thread detector. A main transport belt cooperates with first and second sensor transport belts to move the bills through the scanning section and into the bill collection section. The bill collection section includes multiple collection bins, each associated with a gate which, when actuated, guides a bill into the bin. A plurality of bill tracking sensors are located along the transport path. Data signals from the authentication sensors and the optical scanner for each bill are digitized and alternately routed to two parallel data processors. The processor outputs and tracking sensor outputs are fed to a control circuit which operates the collection bin gates and regulates the transport mechanism speed.

Abstract: A modular currency bin has a pair of spaced end walls, a rear wall extending therebetween, and at least one support wall extending between the end walls and abutting the rear wall. At least one divider wall extends vertically parallel to and intermediate the end walls to define a multiplicity of compartments. One of the end walls has a pair of outwardly angled flanges extending along its side margins and the other of the end walls has inwardly angled flanges extending along its side margins and defining a channel therebetween configured and dimensioned to receive the outwardly extending flanges of another currency bin. Bins may be assembled in side-by-side relationship by interengaging the end wall flanges, and in vertically stacked relationship by interengaging end covers with the end wall flanges of the stacked bins.

Abstract: The apparatus for packing cash in a change pack based on input change data of the present invention comprises: a contractor register for registering a contractor; a store register for registering a store of the contractor; a cash-register register for registering a cash register of the store; and a data input device for registering change data by at least one of store and cash register and by day.

Abstract: An automated banking machine can identify and store documents such as currency bills received by a user. The machine can then selectively recover documents from storage and dispense them to other users. Identification devices can identify the type and character of a document, and distinguish genuine documents, such as genuine currency bills, from unidentifiable or suspect documents. Each received document can be judged as either acceptable or unacceptable. Output related to the judging can be presented to the user prior to a document leaving the machine. Subsequently, responsive to receiving user authorization to deposit the acceptable documents, the acceptable documents can be stored in the machine and the unacceptable documents returned to the user.

Abstract: A method of processing documents of value. The method including detecting a visible pattern on at least one side of a document; detecting the response of at least one side of the document to infrared radiation; comparing the detected visible pattern to one or more predetermined patterns and identifying the document if the detected visible pattern is sufficiently similar to the or one of the predetermined patterns; and determining from the response to infrared radiation if the document is authentic.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for collating a plurality of groups of mail items, such as flats mail, each group being pre-sequenced according to prioritized delivery addresses, into a final sequenced set of the mail items from the groups, utilizing the prioritized delivery addresses. Each bundle of mail items is formed into a single input stream of the individual mail items. The mail items are transported along a conveyor system from the input stream to a staging station. The mail items are sorted at the staging station into a plurality of subsets of mail items re-sequenced as an intermediate step to achieving the final sequenced sets. The mail items are then collated and merged into a single output stream from the respective subsets of mail items in the final sequenced set. Portions of the output stream from the staging station are collected in batches in a collection device which maintain the sequence consistent with the prioritized delivery order sequence of the mail for a given carrier route.

Abstract: A currency handling device for rapidly processing a plurality of currency bills comprises an input receptacle adapted to receive the currency bills to be processed, a plurality of output receptacles adapted to receive the bills after the bills have been processed, a transport mechanism adapted to transport the bills, one at a time, along a transport path from the input receptacle to the plurality of output receptacles, an evaluating unit that is adapted to determine information concerning the bills, and a controller. The evaluation unit includes at least one sensor positioned along the transport path between the input receptacle and the plurality of output receptacles. The controller is adapted to operate the currency handling device according to a mode of operation wherein the mode of operation designates the output receptacle to which each of the bills are transported based on the determined information concerning the bill.

Abstract: A banknote handling machine having an infeed part for receiving banknotes deposited by a customer from outside the machine and for identifying the customer, a detector unit for checking the validity of the deposited banknotes, a printing unit for printing information relating to the deposited banknotes and the customer, and a packaging unit for encasing and sealing banknotes suspected of being false in transparent packaging material. Transportation of suspect banknotes to the packaging and printing operations is controlled by a process unit such that customer information and information relating to the suspect banknotes is printed on an inner surface of the transparent packaging material, in mirror-image, in conjunction with operation of the packaging unit to encase and seal the suspect banknotes so that, upon completion, the printed information is properly readable from the outside of the package.

Abstract: Articles of currency, for example coins, are validated by calculating a Mahalanobis distance associated with a plurality of properties in successive stages, the results at each stage being used to reduce a number of target classes, and hence the number of calculations required, in the successive stage or stages. Preliminary stages may represent Mahalanobis distance calculations for a sub-set of the measurements represented by the final Mahalanobis distance calculation. Thus, the Mahalanobis distance calculation can be started before some of the measurement parameters required for the later stages are available.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for handling bill jams within a currency processing device is provided. The device includes a transport mechanism adapted to transport bills along a transport path, one at a time, from the input receptacle past an evaluation unit into a plurality of output receptacles. At least one of the output receptacles includes a holding area and a storage area. A plurality of bill passage sensors are sequentially disposed along the transport path that are adapted to detect the passage of a bill as each bill is transported past each sensor. An encoder is adapted to produce an encoder count for each incremental movement of the transport mechanism. A controller counts the total number of bills transported into each of the holding areas and the total number of bills moved from a holding area to a corresponding storage area after a predetermined number of bills have been transported into the holding area.

Abstract: The problem of the invention is to provide a material web, comprising a supporting web and information carriers positioned thereon, in which the supporting web is constructed as a continuous web and on which are only located faultless information carriers. According to the invention from one material web are separated at least the faulty information carriers and a uniform sequence of faultless information carriers is produced on a supporting web.

Abstract: In a sheet-processing apparatus, banknotes are separated by a separator (10) and fed to a depositing arrangement (18) via a sensor and transporting unit (8). Depositing takes place in different depositing compartments in accordance with depositing criteria which are determined by certain features of the banknotes (BN) being sensed. The individual depositing compartments (30, 32, 34) of the depositing arrangement (18) are assigned stacker wheels (20, 22, 24), which have stacker fingers which, in pairs, define a sheet compartment between them. The banknotes are introduced into the sheet compartments and are then deposited in the associated depositing compartment by the stacker fingers.

Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) includes a user interface (12) including an opening (20). Users of the machine deliver and receive individual sheets and stacks of sheets to and from the machine through the opening. Stacks of sheets may include sheets such as notes, checks or other documents. Stacks input to the machine may include mixtures of various types of sheets. The machine operates to receive notes, process checks and perform other operations. Notes received in the machine and assessed as valid may be recycled and dispensed to other users. Notes assessed by the machine as being of questionable validity may be marked with a removable mark and subjected to further analysis. Checks processed by the machine may be imaged by an imaging device, cancelled and stored in the machine or alternatively returned to a user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for receiving and distributing currency. In particular, the present invention provides a novel apparatus for the inflow and outflow of a variety of currency. The systems of the present invention are capable of recycling a variety of currency from multiple countries and multiple denominations. The systems of the present invention have the added advantage of compact size.

Abstract: A paper sheet processor includes a paper sheet setting portion for setting a plurality of paper sheets approximately uniformed in face-and-back orientation, a feeding section for sequentially introducing the paper sheets set on the paper sheet setting portion one after another, a discriminator for discriminating at least face-and-back orientation of each paper sheet introduced, a first stacker as a main stacker, a second stacker as a sub-stacker having a smaller capacity than that of the first stacker, and a controller for controlling such that the paper sheet first fed and discriminated in face-and-back orientation by the discriminator and any paper sheets subsequently fed and discriminated to have the same face-and-back orientation as that of the first fed paper sheet are stacked in the first stacker, and the other paper sheets discriminated to be different in face-and-back orientation from the first fed paper sheet are stacked in the second stacker.

Abstract: A bill deposit machine comprising: a deposit/return port for accepting and returning a batch of bills, a bill transport path for transporting the batch of bills accepted at said deposit/return port with the wide dimension of the bills parallel to the transport path horizontally and in a straight line, a feed-out section for feeding out the bills, one at a time, out of the batch of bills received from said bill transport path, a discriminating unit for discriminating if the bills fed out of said feed-out section can be deposited or not, and a bill returning path for transporting the rejected bills, which are determined by said discriminating unit as being unable to be deposited, to said bill transport path. A bill conveying device and a thickness detecting device for detecting the thickness of the batch of bills inserted into said deposit/return port are disposed at said deposit/return port.

Abstract: A bill acceptor system for accepting bills, vouchers, scrip, tickets and/or currency into an electronic gaming machine or alternative type of customer service device. The system includes a validator assembly capable of identifying acceptable notes and discriminating between currency and non-currency notes. The system also includes a transport assembly for transporting notes from the validator to a dual section cash box. The dual section cash box is configured to receive and hold notes received from the bill acceptor in different compartments.

Abstract: An efficient and relatively easily manufactured sorting device for separating duplicated banknotes includes a resistant guide unit for initially contacting the banknotes and a rotatable driving unit having a higher friction surface that is positioned downstream of the resistant guide unit for subsequently pulling the banknote from the resistance guide unit whereby a duplicated banknote will be separated. The sorting device can be installed in a dispensing device for storing banknotes and can be positioned in a recycle passageway wherein banknotes can be aligned by an arraying device prior to submission to the sorting device. The resistance guide unit can include a pair of eccentrically mounted fixed curved surface members. A second rotatable roller can be in contact with the rotatable driving roller to form a nipping section downstream of the initial banknote contact with the resistance guide unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is composed of: an insert portion into which the plural number of sheets are inserted in a lump; a conveying belt to convey the inserted sheets through a conveying path by one sheet at a time; a detector to detect directions of both sides and the top and bottom of sheets being conveyed through the conveying belt; a both side reversing mechanism to selectively reverse both sides of sheets conveyed by the conveying belt; a top and bottom reversing mechanism to selectively reverse the top and bottom of sheets being conveyed by the conveying belt; and stackers to sort and stack sheets that are aligned in the same direction by the both side reversing mechanism and the top and bottom reversing mechanism.

Abstract: A bill arranger is provided that includes a loader for loading bills and feeding the bills one by one; a conveyer for conveying the bills fed from the loader; a discriminating device for discriminating the bills conveyed by the conveyer; a plurality of stackers for stacking the bills, which are conveyed by the conveyer, so that the bills can be removed; an operating device for selecting one of sorting process modes which defines a method of sorting the bills loaded in the loader; a controller for delivering the bills, which are fed from the loader, to one of the stackers, by the conveyer, based on the results of the discrimination by the discriminating device, according to the sorting process mode selected by the operating device; and guides, provided in the stackers, which are movable by the weight of the stacked bills delivered into the stackers from the conveyer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a sheet. When a medium having various patterns detected by a plurality of detecting sections for individually detecting plural kinds of features from a sheet, each detecting section detects plural kinds of features from the medium. The features detected from the medium are compared with a predetermined reference value so that the condition of the apparatus can be judged.

Abstract: An non-reproducible image formation preventing apparatus has a recognition section, a storage section and a comparison/determination section. The recognition section performs recognition processing for received image data, determines whether or not the image data is an non-reproducible image, and outputs the determination result to an image formation section. The storage section stores non-reproducible image data recognized as an non-reproducible image by the recognition section. The comparison/determination section compares the non-reproducible image data stored in the storage section with an image based on input image data given through an image process section and finding a match degree therebetween. If either of the comparison/determination section and the recognition section determines that the image is an non-reproducible image, a detection signal is sent to the image formation section for stopping normal print.