Method and apparatus for scanning bank notes

Claim 1

A method of optically scanning a bank note, the method comprising the steps of: (a) moving the bank note along a transport path; (b) illuminating the bank note from one side of the transport path; (c) obtaining a representation of the boundaries of the bank note based upon illumination of the bank note in step (b); (d) determining the location of any predetermined type of defect in the bank note relative to the boundaries of the bank note by using the representation of the boundaries of the bank note obtained in step (c); (e) creating a weighting matrix which provides different weighting factors to different areas of the bank note; (f) determining whether or not the bank note is acceptable for use in an automated teller machine (ATM) depending upon the location of any defect or defects which have been located in the bank note as determined in step (d) and weighting factors as determined in step (e): step (c) including the step of (c-1) determining the boundaries of the bank note by converting data corresponding to the boundaries of the bank note into XY coordinates; step (c-1) including the step of (c-1-1) providing a charge coupled device (CCD) including a linear array of CCD elements such that the X co-ordinates of the boundaries are determined by the numbers of the CCD elements at which the boundaries are located, and the Y coordinates are determined by the numbers of the line scan at which the boundaries are located; step (d) including the step of (d-1) determining the location of any defect located in the bank note relative to the boundaries of the bank note by determining the XY coordinates of the defect.

Claim 2

A method of optically scanning a bank note, the method comprising the steps of: (a) moving the bank note along a transport path; (b) illuminating the bank note from one side of the transport path; (c) obtaining a representation of the boundaries of the bank note based upon illumination of the bank note in step (b); (d) determining the location of any predetermined type of defect in the bank note relative to the boundaries of the bank note by using the representation of the boundaries of the bank note obtained in step (c); (e) creating a weighting matrix which provides different weighting factors to different areas of the bank note; (f) determining whether or not the bank note is acceptable for use in an automated teller machine (ATM) depending upon the location of any defect or defects which have been located in the bank note as determined in step (d) and weighting factors as determined in step (e): step (c) including the step of (c-1) determining the boundaries of the bank note by converting data corresponding to the boundaries of the bank note into XY coordinates; step (c-1) including the step of (c-1-1) providing a charge coupled device (CCD) including a linear array of CCD elements such that the X co-ordinates of the boundaries are determined by the numbers of the CCD elements at which the boundaries are located, and the Y coordinates are determined by the numbers of the line scan at which the boundaries are located; step (d) including the step of (d-1) determining the location of any defect located in the bank note relative to the boundaries of the bank note by determining the XY coordinates of the defect.

Claim 7

A method of optically scanning a bank note, the method comprising the steps of: (a) moving the bank note along a transport path; (b) illuminating the bank note from one side of the transport path; (c) obtaining a representation of the boundaries of the bank note based upon illumination of the bank note in step (b); (d) determining the location of any predetermined type of defect in the bank note relative to the boundaries of the bank note by using the representation of the boundaries of the bank note obtained in step (c); (e) creating a weighting matrix which provides different weighting factors to different areas of the bank note, (f) determining whether or not the bank note is acceptable for use in an automated teller machine (ATM) depending upon the location of any defect or defects which have been located in the bank note as determined in step (d) and the weighting factors as determined in step (e).

Claim 8

A method of optically scanning a bank note, the method comprising the steps of: (a) moving the bank note along a transport path; (b) illuminating the bank note from one side of the transport path; (c) obtaining a representation of the boundaries of the bank note based upon illumination of the bank note in step (b); (d) determining the location of any predetermined type of defect in the bank note relative to the boundaries of the bank note by using the representation of the boundaries of the bank note obtained in step (c); (e) creating a weighting matrix which provides different weighting factors to different areas of the bank note, (f) determining whether or not the bank note is acceptable for use in an automated teller machine (ATM) depending upon the location of any defect or defects which have been located in the bank note as determined in step (d) and the weighting factors as determined in step (e).