Method and apparatus for currency discriminator and authenticator

A currency authenticator having a plurality of sensitivity settings comprising:

• one or more detectors for retrieving a plurality of types of characteristic information from a bill to be authenticated and generating a respective output signal associated with each type of characteristic information;
• means for selecting, for each type of characteristic information, one of a plurality of sensitivity settings;
• means for storing, for each type of characteristic information, reference information associated with each of said sensitivity settings;
• means for comparing, for each type of characteristic information, said respective output signal to corresponding reference information associated with the one of said plurality of sensitivity settings selected by said means for selecting for said type of characteristic information;
• and means for indicating that said bill is counterfeit if one or more of said output signals do not satisfactorily compare with said reference information.

A currency authenticator having a plurality of sensitivity settings comprising:

• a first characteristic detector retrieving first characteristic information from a bill to be authenticated and generating a corresponding output signal;
• means for determining the denomination of said bill to be authenticated;
• means for selecting one of a plurality of sensitivity settings, said means for selecting one of said plurality of sensitivity settings selecting said one of said plurality of sensitivity settings based on the determined denomination of said bill;
• means for storing reference information associated with each of said sensitivity settings;
• means for comparing said output signal to said reference information associated with the one of said plurality of sensitivity settings selected by said means for selecting;
• and means for indicating that said bill is counterfeit if said output signal does not satisfactorily compare with said reference information.

A currency authenticator having a plurality of sensitivity settings comprising:

• a first characteristic detector retrieving first characteristic information from a bill to be authenticated and generating a corresponding output signal;
• means for selecting one of a plurality of sensitivity settings;
• means for assigning at least one of said plurality of sensitivity settings to each of a plurality of denominations;
• means for storing reference information associated with each of said sensitivity settings;
• means for comparing said output signal to said reference information associated with the one of said plurality of sensitivity settings selected by said means for selecting;
• and means for indicating that said bill is counterfeit if said output signal does not satisfactorily compare with said reference information.

A currency handling device having a plurality of sensitivity settings comprising:

• a first characteristic detector retrieving first characteristic information from a bill and generating a corresponding output signal;
• means for selecting one of a plurality of sensitivity settings;
• means for storing reference information associated with each of said sensitivity settings, said means for storing reference information storing reference information for each of a plurality of denominations of bills for each of said plurality of sensitivity settings;
• and
• means for comparing said output signal to said reference information associated with the one of said plurality of sensitivity settings selected by said means for selecting;
• and means for producing an indication if said output signal does not satisfactorily compare with said reference information.

A method of authenticating a currency bill having an undetermined denomination using a currency authenticator, the method comprising the steps of:

• scanning a currency bill to determine a scanned authentication value associated with a selected authentication attribute of the currency bill;
• determining the denomination of the currency bill;
• selecting one of a plurality of authentication sensitivity levels associated with the selected authentication attribute;
• selecting a reference authentication value based on the determined denomination of the currency bill and the selected sensitivity level, each of the plurality of authentication sensitivity levels having a reference value associated with each of a plurality of denominations stored in a memory of the currency authenticator;
• and
• authenticating the currency bill by comparing the scanned value to the selected reference value.

A method of authenticating a currency bill having an undetermined denomination using a currency authenticator, the method comprising the steps of:

• scanning a currency bill to determine a scanned authentication value associated with a selected authentication attribute of the currency bill;
• the operator indicating the denomination of the currency bill;
• selecting one of a plurality of authentication sensitivity levels associated with the selected authentication attribute;
• selecting a reference authentication value based on the indicated denomination of the currency bill and the selected sensitivity level, each of the plurality of authentication sensitivity levels having a reference value associated with each of a plurality of denominations stored in a memory of the currency authenticator;
• and
• authenticating the currency bill by comparing the scanned value to the selected reference value.

A method of authenticating currency using a currency authenticator having a plurality of sensitivity settings comprising:

• retrieving first characteristic information from a bill to be authenticated using a first characteristic detector and generating an output signal;
• selecting one of a plurality of sensitivity settings;
• comparing the output signal to reference information associated with the selected sensitivity setting, the reference information being stored in a memory of the authenticator, the memory storing reference information associated with each of the sensitivity settings for each of a plurality of denominations;
• and
• indicating that the bill is counterfeit if the output signal does not satisfactorily compare with the reference information.

A currency handling method using a plurality of sensitivity settings, said method comprising the steps of:

• retrieving first characteristic information from a bill and generating a corresponding output signal;
• selecting one of a plurality of sensitivity settings;
• storing reference information associated with each of said sensitivity settings, including reference information for each of a plurality of denominations of bills for each of said plurality of sensitivity settings;
• comparing said output signal to said reference information associated with the one of said plurality of sensitivity settings selected by said selecting step;
• and
• producing an indication if said output signal does not satisfactorily compare with said reference information.