Currency processing system with fitness detection

A method of processing currency in a currency processing machine, comprising the acts of:

• retrieving, using a fitness sensor, from a plurality of input currency bills, characteristic information from each of the bills, the characteristic information comprising at least a first characteristic information relating to fitness;
• using a processor, process the first characteristic information and assign to each currency bill, based on the first characteristic information, a fitness type and a respective fitness level selected from a plurality of fitness levels for the fitness type, the plurality of fitness levels comprising an unfit fitness level and further comprising a plurality of different fit fitness levels for the fitness type, the fitness type and the fitness levels being defined by a user;
• and
• outputting each currency bill along one of a plurality of output paths of the currency processing machine designated by the user to receive currency bills having at least one of the fitness type and the fitness level assigned to the currency bill.

A method for tracking currency comprising the acts of:

• processing a plurality of bills, using a currency processing machine, to determine fitness;
• using a sensor, reading from each of the plurality of processed bills characteristic information comprising at least a first characteristic information relating to a bill fitness and a second characteristic relating to a bill serial number;
• using a processor, assigning the first characteristic information to one of a plurality of distinct fit fitness levels defined by a user, each of the distinct fit fitness levels corresponding to predefined and distinct levels of the first characteristic information;
• storing the second characteristic information to a physical memory;
• storing the first characteristic information, the assigned fitness level, or both to a physical memory;
• and
• using the processor, comparing at least the second characteristic information to a corresponding field in a database of previously processed bills,
• wherein the plurality of distinct fit levels comprises a plurality of fit levels for a particular fitness characteristic and an unfit level.

A currency processing device, comprising:

• an input receptacle adapted to receive input currency bills;
• a fitness reading device adapted to retrieve at least a first characteristic information relating to fitness from each of the currency bills;
• a denomination reading device adapted to retrieve at least a second characteristic information relating to denomination from each of the currency bills;
• a transport mechanism adapted to serially transport the currency bills from the input receptacle to the reading device and then to one of a plurality of output receptacles;
• a memory device for storing one of or both of user-definitions and user settings for at least the first characteristic information;
• an I/O device configured at least to receive a user input;
• a processor adapted to process the first characteristic information retrieved for each of the currency bills by the fitness reading device and assign to the currency bill to a fitness level selected from a plurality of pre-defined fitness levels, the selected fitness level corresponding to the processed first characteristic information;
• and
• a controller adapted to
• discharge each currency bill having a first denomination and a first fitness level, corresponding to a fit condition in a first fitness type, to a first output destination,
• discharge each currency bill having the first denomination and a second fitness level, corresponding to a fit condition in the first fitness type, to a second output destination, and
• discharge each currency bill having a first denomination and a third fitness level, corresponding to an unfit condition in the first fitness type, to a third output destination,
• wherein the plurality of pre-defined fitness levels comprises a plurality of fit levels for a particular fitness type and an unfit level,
• wherein the fitness reading device and the denomination reading device are different reading devices.

A currency processing device, comprising:

• an input receptacle adapted to receive input currency bills;
• a fitness reading device adapted to retrieve at least a first characteristic information relating to fitness from each of the currency bills;
• a denomination reading device adapted to retrieve at least a second characteristic information relating to denomination from each of the currency bills;
• a transport mechanism adapted to serially transport the currency bills from the input receptacle to the reading device and then to one of a plurality of output receptacles;
• a memory device for storing one of or both of user-definitions and user settings for at least the first characteristic information;
• an I/O device configured at least to receive a user input;
• a processor adapted to process the first characteristic information retrieved for each of the currency bills by the fitness reading device and to assign to the currency bill a fitness level selected from a plurality of pre-defined fitness levels, the plurality of pre-defined fitness levels comprising a plurality of fit levels for a particular fitness type and the selected fitness level corresponding to the processed first characteristic information;
• and
• a controller adapted to discharge each currency bill having a first denomination and a first fitness level, corresponding to a fit condition in a first fitness type, to a first output destination,
• discharge each currency bill having a second denomination and a first fitness level, corresponding to a fit condition in a first fitness type, to the first output destination, and
• discharge each currency bill having a third denomination and a first fitness level, corresponding to a fit condition in a first fitness type, to the first output destination,
• wherein the plurality of pre-defined fitness levels comprises a plurality of fit levels for a particular fitness type and an unfit level,
• wherein the fitness reading device and the denomination reading device may be the same reading device or may be different reading devices.