Method of categorising defects in a media item

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734648-B2
Application number	US-201213711228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2012
Priority date	Dec 11, 2012
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A media handler for detecting counterfeit media is described. The media handler comprises: a plurality of discrete sensors distributed along a transport path operable to transport a media item, and a controller operable to receive signals from the plurality of discrete sensors. The controller is also operable to make a decision on validity of the transported media item based on the received signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A media handier for detecting counterfeit media, the media handler comprising:
a removable media cassette;
a pick unit that picks individual media items from the removable media cassette;
a diverter;
a plurality of discrete sensors distributed along a transport path when the transport path is vertically situated within the media handler, and the transport path operable to transport a media item from the pick unit to the diverter, wherein each of the discrete sensors is mounted on a corresponding circuit board separate from circuit boards of other discrete sensors, wherein each of the discrete sensors is laterally offset relative to at least one other discrete sensor for ensuring each sensor captures different aspects of the media item being transported along the transport path, wherein a first of the plurality of discrete sensors comprises an ultrasonic sensor to detect when the pick unit picks multiple media items, to detect a fraudulent composite banknote, and to provide media item detection even where the media item includes a transparent window, and wherein at least one sensor detects whether the item is skewed along the transport path instead of a track sensor;
a plurality of position sensors mounted on a plurality of the circuit boards with the discrete sensors to detect positions of the media items along the transport path; and
a controller operable to receive signals from the plurality of discrete sensors and to make a decision on validity of the transported media item based on the received signals wherein the discrete sensors comprise, are arranged, and ordered along the transport path: as an ultrasonic sensor, a first ultraviolet (UV) sensor, a green transmissive emitter/receiver pair sensor, a first Infrared (IR) sensor, a second IR sensor, and a second UV sensor, and wherein the circuit board for the IR sensor includes an IR transceiver and the circuit board is mounted laterally offset from the first UV sensor and the green transmissive emitter/receive pair sensor ensuring that different parts of the media item are measured by each of the sensors, and wherein the circuit board for the green transmissive emitter/receiver pair sensor includes a position sensor as a white Light Emitting Diode transceiver, and wherein each circuit board includes a dedicated processor that outputs a digital signal indicating whether the media items are valid or invalid after processing the media items as they pass along the transport path and when any of the sensors indicated a particular media item is invalid the diverter is activated to divert that particular media item to a purge container.

2. A media handler according to claim 1 , wherein the media items determined to be valid comprise banknotes and the transport path further comprises a banknote dispense path to dispense those picked items determined to be valid to a customer.

3. A media handler according to claim 1 , wherein the discrete sensors are distributed along the transport path, and in a first position the diverter routs the media item to the purge container and in a second position the diverter routs the media item to a stacker wheel.

4. A media handler according to claim 3 , wherein a bunch of banknotes are stripped off the stacker wheel and presented as a bunch to a customer via an exit port.

5. A media handler according to claim 1 , wherein a second of the discrete sensors comprises a dual function ultraviolet transceiver that operates to validate and to act as a complementary position sensor.

6. A media handler according to claim 1 , wherein the discrete sensors comprise spot sensors.

7. A media handler according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the discrete sensors are used to complement a laterally spaced position sensor to detect if a transported media item is present.

8. A media handler according to claim 1 , wherein the controller makes the decision on validity without slowing media item transport spread, and is operable to divert the transported media item if any of the discrete sensors indicates that the media item does not correspond to a valid media item.

9. A media handler according to claim 1 , wherein media items determined to be valid comprise banknotes and the controller is operable to aggregate the signals received from the discrete sensors and apply artificial intelligence to ascertain if the media item is counterfeit as the media item is being transported.

10. A method of detecting counterfeit media, the method comprising:
picking a media item from a removable media item container;
sensing a first portion of the media item at a first vertical position on a transport path using a first circuit on a first circuit board utilizing an ultraviolet reflecting transceiver to detect when a pick unit picks multiple media items, and to detect fraudulent composite media items and to provide media item detection even where the media item includes a transparent window;
transporting the media item to a second vertical position on the transport path;
sensing a second portion of the media item laterally offset from the first portion at second position on the transport path using a second circuit on a second circuit board, wherein sensing the second portion further includes sensing the media item using at least two infrared (IR) sensors to detect the media item;
transporting the media item to a third vertical position on the transport path;
sensing a third portion of the media item laterally offset from at least one of the first and second vertical portions at the third vertical position on the transport path using a third circuit on a third circuit board, wherein the step of sensing the media item at a third position on the transport path using the third circuit includes the further step of using an ultrasonic sensor to detect the media item, and wherein the circuit board for each of the IR sensors includes an IR transceiver and the circuit board is mounted laterally offset from a first UV sensor, a green transmissive emitter/receiver pair sensor ensuring that different parts of the media item are measured by each of the sensors, and wherein the circuit board for the green transmissive emitter/receiver pair sensor includes a position sensor as a white Light Emitting Diode Transceiver, and wherein each circuit board includes a dedicated processor that outputs a digital signal indicating whether the media item is valid or invalid after processing the media item as they pass along the transport path, when any of the sensors indicate the media item is invalid the diverter is activated to divert the media item to a purge container; and
diverting the media item to a reject container of the purge container in the event that any of the first, second, and third circuits indicates that the media item is counterfeit based on the digital signal being invalid.

11. A method of detecting counterfeit media according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises the step of: diverting the media item to a reject container in the event that one of the circuits indicates that the media item comprises a plurality of media items being transported as a single item.

12. A method of detecting counterfeit media according to claim 10 , wherein the ultraviolet reflecting transceiver provides media item detection where the media item includes a transparent window.

13. A cash dispenser comprising:
a removable banknote cassette;
a pick unit that picks individual banknotes from the removable banknote cassette;
a diverter; and
a plurality of sensors mounted along multiple branches of a transport path and coupled to a controller operable to make a validity decision about a transported banknote based

Assignees

• Ncr Corp

Inventors

• Angus Robin
• Ross Gary

Classifications

• G07D7/12

  Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation · CPC title

• G07D7/008

  Physics · mapped topic

• G07D7/0006

  Physics · mapped topic

• G07D7/122

  Physics · mapped topic

• G07D7/0046

  Physics · mapped topic