Bill discriminating device

A bill discriminating device comprising:

• image sensor means for reading a picture image of a bill and generating picture image data output;
• picture image data storing means for storing said picture image data output received from said image sensor;
• first bill-type discriminating means for preliminarily discriminating a denomination of a bill by computing a width of the bill based upon said picture image data output received from said picture image data storing means;
• position data storing means for storing a characteristic region of each denomination of bill, said characteristic region containing said picture image data output to be read for discriminating the denomination of the bill and said characteristic region being selected based upon the denomination preliminarily descriminated by said first bill-type descriminating means;
• reference pattern storing means for storing a reference pattern corresponding to said characteristic region of each denomination of bill;
• and
• second bill-type discriminating means for discriminating a denomination of the bill preliminarily descriminated by said bill-type discriminating means by reading said reference pattern corresponding to the bill denomination preliminarily descriminated by said first bill-type discriminating means from said reference pattern storing means and reading picture image data output in the characteristic region from said picture image data storing means based upon the output from said position data storing means and comparing the read picture image data output with said reference pattern.