US 10,160,614 B1Granted

Banknote foreign object detection using pressure sensing array

AssigneeNCR Corporation

InventorsPhilip Keith Staff, Alexander Stuart MacDonald

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Abstract

An automated teller machine can use an array of pressure sensors, such as piezo-resistive sensors, to detect the presence of foreign objects, such as staples, paper clips, or rubber bands, in a stack of banknotes. A user can insert a stack of banknotes into an automated teller machine. A pair of opposing clamping surfaces can apply pressure to the stack of banknotes. An array of pressure sensors can sense non-uniformities in pressure over the area of the array. If circuitry coupled to the pressures sensors senses a presence of a high pressure area in the surface area of the banknotes, then the circuitry can generate a signal indicating that one or more foreign objects has been detected. The automated teller machine can then prompt the user to remove the stack of banknotes and remove the foreign object from the stack of banknotes.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a housing having a port that is sized and shaped to receive a stack of banknotes;
a pair of opposing clamping surfaces positioned inside the housing and configured to controllably apply pressure to the stack of banknotes;
an array of pressure sensors positioned on at least one of the pair of opposing clamping surfaces and configured to measure the applied pressure across a surface area of the stack of banknotes;
and
circuitry positioned in the housing, coupled to the array of pressure sensors, and configured to:
sense a presence of a high pressure area in the surface area of the banknotes, wherein sensing the presence of the high pressure area comprises:
calculating a pressure gradient from the sensed pressure across the array of pressure sensors;
calculating a maximum value of the absolute value of the pressure gradient across the array of pressure sensors;
and determining that the maximum value of the absolute value of the pressure gradient exceeds a specified threshold;
and
generate a signal indicating that one or more foreign objects has been detected in the stack of banknotes.

8 more elements

A system, comprising:

a housing having a port configured to receive a stack of banknotes;
a pair of opposing clamping surfaces positioned inside the housing and configured to controllably apply pressure to the stack of banknotes;
an array of pressure sensors positioned on at least one of the pair of opposing clamping surfaces and configured to measure the applied pressure across a surface area of the stack of banknotes;
circuitry positioned in the housing, coupled to the array of pressure sensors, and configured to sense the absence of a high pressure area in the surface area of the banknotes, wherein sensing the absence of the high pressure area comprises:
calculating a pressure gradient from the sensed pressure across the array of pressure sensors;
calculating a maximum value of the absolute value of the pressure gradient across the array of pressure sensors;
and determining that the maximum value of the absolute value of the pressure gradient does not exceed a specified threshold;
and
a processing mechanism configured to receive the stack of banknotes from the pair of opposing clamping surfaces and mechanically process the banknotes in the stack of banknotes, one at a time.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.