Evaluating soiling of a media item
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorsGary A. Ross, Chao He
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for evaluating a soiling level of a media item, such as a banknote. The method comprises receiving an image of a media item including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an associated intensity. Two sets of pixels are created, where each pixel in the first set has a higher intensity than each pixel in the second set. A representative intensity value from the first set and a representative intensity value from the second set are calculated. A soiling value from the ratio of the representative intensity value of the second set to the representative intensity value of the first set is calculated. The media item is captured if the soiling value fulfils a capture criterion.
Claims20
A method for evaluating a soiling level of a media item, the method comprising:
- receiving an image of a media item including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an associated pixel intensity;
- calculating a medium pixel intensity value from the plurality of pixels;
- comparing pixel intensity of each pixel of the plurality of pixels with the medium pixel intensity value;
- assigning any pixel of the plurality of pixels having a pixel intensity higher than the medium pixel intensity value to a first set of pixels;
- assigning any pixel of the plurality of pixels having a pixel intensity lower than the medium pixel intensity value to a second set of pixels;
- calculating a first representative pixel intensity value from the first set of pixels and a second representative pixel intensity value from the second set of pixels;
- calculating a soiling value from the ratio of the second representative pixel intensity value of the second set of pixels to the first representative pixel intensity value of the first set pixels;
- and
- capturing the media item if the soiling value fulfils a capture criterion.
A media item validator comprising:
- an illumination source for illuminating a media item,
- a detector for detecting a pixel intensity at each of a plurality of pixels, and
- a controller adapted to:
- (i) calculate a medium pixel intensity value from the plurality of pixels,
- (ii) compare pixel intensity of each pixel of the plurality of pixels with the medium pixel intensity value,
- (iii) assign any pixel of the plurality of pixels having a pixel intensity higher than the medium pixel intensity value to a first set of pixels,
- (iv) assign any pixel of the plurality of pixels having a pixel intensity lower than the medium pixel intensity value to a second set of pixels,
- (v) calculate a first representativeib xel intensity value from the first set of pixels and a second representative pixel intensity value from the second set of pixels,
- (vi) calculate a soiling value from the ratio of the second representative pixel intensity value of the second set of pixels to the first representative pixel intensity value of the first set of pixels, and
- (vii) capture the media item if the soiling value fulfils a capture criterion.
A method for evaluating a soiling level of a media item, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving an image of a media item including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an associated intensity;
- (b) creating two sets of pixels, where each pixel in the first set has a higher intensity than each pixel in the second set;
- (c) calculating a representative intensity value from the first set and a representative intensity value from the second set, wherein calculating a representative intensity value from the first set further comprises calculating the mean intensity value for all pixels in the first set, and calculating a representative intensity value from the second set further comprises calculating the mean intensity value for all pixels in the second set;
- (d) calculating a soiling value from the ratio of the representative intensity value of the second set to the representative intensity value of the first set;
- and
- (e) capturing the media item if the soiling value fulfils a capture criterion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.