US 9,792,699 B2Granted

Banknote processing apparatus and banknote processing method

AssigneeGlory Ltd.

InventorsRyo Ikemoto, Akira Bogaki, Satoru Oshima

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Abstract

A banknote is irradiated with lights of plural wavelengths. Images of the banknote for each wavelength are acquired. An IR ratio image having a pixel value that is a ratio of a pixel value of the image acquired by the visible light to a corresponding pixel value of the image acquired by the infrared light is generated. The banknote image and the IR ratio image are corrected by a coefficient corresponding to the banknote type, the banknote orientation, and the wavelength. From the banknote image or the IR ratio image, by using the information pertaining to the banknote type, the banknote orientation, and the wavelength, intermediate evaluation values are calculated for each wavelength. Mahalanobis distance is calculated based on the intermediate evaluation values, an average value and a variance-covariance matrix of the intermediate evaluation values, and a degree of soiling is determined based on the Mahalanobis distance.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A banknote processing apparatus that performs an unfit note determination to determine degree of soiling of a banknote being transported, and sorts the banknote in accordance with a determination result, the banknote processing apparatus comprising:

a banknote receiving unit that receives the banknote;
a transport unit that transports the banknote received by the banknote receiving unit to one of plural output destination units in accordance with a result of the unfit note determination;
an image acquiring unit that irradiates the banknote being transported by the transport unit with light of a predetermined wavelength, and acquires an image of the banknote;
and
an unfit note determining unit that performs the unfit note determination based on the image acquired by the image acquiring unit
wherein an image type, a determination area and a coefficient to be used for the unfit note determination are previously set for each banknote orientation of each banknote type, and
the unfit note determining unit
identifies, based on the banknote type and the banknote orientation of the banknote, the image type to be used for the unfit note determination, the determination are to be used for the image type, and the coefficient for the determination area,
calculates an intermediate determination value from the image of an identified image type by applying an identified coefficient to a value calculated from pixel values of pixels in an identified determination area, and
determines the degree of soiling of the banknote by using the intermediate determination value.

7 more elements

A banknote processing method for performing an unfit note determination to determine degree of soiling of a banknote being transported, and sorting the banknote in accordance with a determination result by the banknote processing apparatus, the banknote processing method comprising:

receiving the banknote;
transporting the banknote received at the receiving;
acquiring an image of the banknote by irradiating the banknote being transported with light of a predetermined wavelength;
identifying an image type to be used for the unfit note determination, a determination area to be used for each of the image types, and a coefficient for the determination area based on a banknote type and a banknote orientation of the banknote, the image type, the determination area and the coefficient having been previously set for each banknote orientation of each banknote type;
calculating intermediate determination value from the image of an identified image type by applying an identified coefficient to a value calculated from pixel values of pixels in an identified determination area;
performing the unfit note determination based on the intermediate value;
and
transporting the banknote to any one of plural output destination units in accordance with a result of the unfit note determination.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.