Method and apparatus for document identification

The currency identification method of claim I further comprising:

• retrieving color information from said bill;
• storing master color information associated with genuine bills which the method is capable of identifying;
• and
• performing a color comparison wherein said color information of said bill is compared with master color information associated with at least one of the genuine bills which the method is capable of identifying and wherein said identity indication is additionally based on said color comparison.

A currency identification method comprising:

• positioning at least three laterally displaced scanheads so as to permit scanning of a currency bill along at least three laterally displaced segments on a first side of said bill, detecting characteristic information from said bill along said segments, and generating corresponding output signals representing variations in the detected characteristic information from which scanned patterns of characteristic information may be generated;
• generating at least three scanned patterns from said output signals, said at least three scanned patterns representing and approximating analog variations in characteristic information along segments of said bill;
• storing at least three master patterns associated with each genuine bill which the method is capable of identifying, said at least three master patterns representing and approximating analog variations in characteristic information along segments of an associated genuine bill, said scanned patterns and said master patterns representing and approximating analog variations of said characteristic information, said scanned patterns and said master patterns comprising a plurality of sample values, each sample value being proportional to detected characteristic information;
• performing a pattern comparison wherein at least one of said scanned patterns or portions thereof is compared with at least one of said master patterns or portions thereof;
• and
• generating an indication of the identity of said bill based on said pattern comparison when said bill is one that the system is capable of identifying.

A currency identification method for identifying currency bills of different denominations of a plurality of currency systems comprising:

• positioning at least two laterally displaced analog scanheads on a first side of said transport path so as to permit scanning of said bill along at least two segments, detecting characteristic information from said bill along said segments, and generating corresponding output signals representing variations in the detected characteristic information from which scanned patterns of characteristic information may be generated;
• generating at least one scanned pattern from said output signals, said at least is one scanned pattern representing and approximating analog amplitude variations in said characteristic information along a segment of said bill;
• storing at least one master pattern associated with each genuine bill which the system is capable of identifying, said at least one master pattern representing and approximating analog amplitude variations in characteristic information along a segment of an associated genuine bill, including storing at least one master pattern associated with a genuine bill from a first currency system and at least one master pattern associated with a genuine bill from a second currency system;
• performing a pattern comparison wherein at least one of said scanned patterns or portions thereof is compared with at least one of said master patterns or portions thereof;
• and
• generating an indication of the identity of said bill based on said pattern comparison when said bill is one that the method is capable of identifying.

A currency identification method for identifying currency bills of one or more bill-types comprising:

• transporting currency bills, one at a time, from an input receptacle past a scanning section to a single output receptacle at a rate in excess of about 800 bills per minute;
• positioning at least two laterally displaced analog first-side sensors so as to permit scanning of a test bill along at least two laterally displaced segments located on a first side of said test bill for variations in characteristic information along said segments at a rate in excess of about 800 bills per minute;
• generating an output signal from at least one of said sensors;
• generating at least one scanned pattern from said output signal, said at least one scanned pattern representing and approximating analog amplitude variations in said characteristic information along a segment of said bill;
• performing a pattern comparison wherein at least one of said scanned patterns or portions thereof is compared with one or more master patterns or portions thereof from a set of master patterns, said master patterns being associated with genuine bills of the bill-types that the method is capable of identifying, said master patterns representing and approximating analog amplitude variations in characteristic information along segments of an associated genuine bill;
• and
• generating an indication of the identity of said test bill based on said pattern comparison when said test bill is one that the method is capable of identifying.

A currency identification method for identifying currency bills of different denominations of a plurality of currency systems comprising:

• transporting a currency bill to be scanned along a transport path to a single output receptacle at a rate in excess of 800 bills per minute;
• positioning at least two laterally displaced analog scanheads on a first side of said transport path so as to permit scanning of said bill along at least two segments, said scanheads being capable of detecting characteristic information from said bill along said segments;
• generating corresponding output signals representing variations in the detected characteristic information from which scanned patterns of characteristic information may be generated;
• generating at least one scanned pattern from said output signals, said at least one scanned pattern representing and approximating analog amplitude variations in said characteristic information along a segment of said bill;
• storing at least one master pattern associated with each genuine bill which the system is capable of identifying, including storing at least one master pattern associated with a genuine bill from a first currency system and at least one master pattern associated with a genuine bill from a second currency system;
• performing a pattern comparison wherein at least one of said scanned patterns or portions thereof is compared with at least one of said master patterns or portions thereof;
• and
• generating an indication of the identity of said bill based on said pattern comparison when said bill is one that the system is capable of identifying.

A currency evaluation method for identifying currency bills comprising:

• transporting a currency bill to be scanned along a transport path;
• positioning one or more laterally moveable analog scanheads on a first side of said transport path so as to permit scanning of said bill along one or more segments;
• detecting characteristic information from said bill along said one or more segments;
• generating corresponding output signal representing variations in the detected characteristic information from which scanned patterns of characteristic information may be generated;
• generating at least one scanned pattern from said output signal, said at least one scanned pattern representing analog variations in said characteristic information along a segment of said bill;
• storing at least one master pattern associated with each genuine bill which the method is capable of identifying, said at least one master pattern representing analog variations in characteristic information along a segment of an associated genuine bill;
• performing a pattern comparison wherein at least one of said scanned patterns or portions thereof is compared with at least one of said master patterns or portions thereof;
• and
• generating an indication of the identity of said bill based on said pattern comparison when said bill is one that the method is capable of identifying.