Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
241 words
Apparatus for recognising the authenticity of documents (1), consisting of a
reading head (3, 4, 4') having photosensors (18) which are arranged in a line and which
optically scan the document (1) in a line-wise manner, an illumination device having at
least one light source (26), an electronic evaluation device (5) for correlating the signals
received from the photosensors (18) with stored master values, a transport device (2) for
producing a relative movement between document (1) and reading head (3, 4, 4'), and a
sorting device (62) which is controlled by the evaluation device (5) in dependence on the
correlation value, characterised in that the reading head (3, 4, 4') has at least two modules (4; 4') of the same kind which are each
provided with a line of photosensors (18) and which can be plugged onto a connection (3)
in such a manner that they are disposed in parallel side-by-side relationship with optical
axes (19, 19') arranged at a spacing from one another and which each scan the document
(1) in a respective predetermined spectral range which is determined by means that limit
the spectral range, and electrical conductors (31) between each module (4, 4') and the evaluation device (5) are
plug-in connected by means of a plug (32) and a socket (33), and optical conductors in
each module (4; 4') and light guides (27) are plug-in connected by means of an optical
connector (25) and its co-operating part (28).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that optical filters (55) are used as
means that limit the spectral range and are arranged between the respective modules (4)
and the document (1).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that each module (4, 4') has optical
conductors (20) for illuminating the document (1) which are arranged on both sides
and symmetrically with respect to the line of photosensors (18), and the optical axes (19)
of the photosensors (18) are oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the document (1).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
157 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it
includes a connection plate (3) of the reading head (3, 4, 4') with plug-in locations for the
modules (4; 4'), the connection plate (3) and each module (4; 4') has at each plug-in location
guide means (7, 16; 9, 15; 10, 13) for reproducibly plugging the module (4; 4') into a
predetermined position and plug connectors (25, 28; 32, 33) which detachably connect
each module (4; 4') to the light source (26) and to the evaluation device (5) by means of
optical and electrical conductors (20; 27; 31), and the plug connectors (25, 27; 32, 33) are
automatically engageable when a module (4; 4') is inserted into the reading head (3, 4, 4')
while being guided by the guide means (7, 16; 9, 15; 10, 13), the end position of the
module (4; 4') being predetermined by the plug connectors (25, 27; 32, 33).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each
module (4) has at least one multiplexer (35) which is connected in the module (4) to the
photosensors (18), for reducing the number of electrical conductors (31) leading to the
evaluation device (5).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that each module (4) has at least
one amplifier (38; 41) with adjustable logarithmic gain, the gain factor of which is adjustable
by the evaluation device (5) to compensate for different levels of sensitivity of the
various modules (4).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterised in that each module
(4) includes at least one analogue-to-digital converter which is controlled by the evaluation
device (5).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an
optical filter (55) is arranged in front of at least one of the modules (4) on the side towards
the document (1), wherein light (30) which is incident on the document (1) and which is
reflected therefrom passes through the filter (55).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that the filters (55) are interchangeable.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that light
which is fed into the module (4) through the plug connectors (25, 27) has a predetermined
spectral range for each module (4).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the
evaluation device (5) can be synchronised to the transportation speed of the document (1)
by the transport device (2) by means of a stepping signal (57), and the document (1) can
be continuously transported through the apparatus under the modules (4) and read line-wise
by means of the modules (4).