EP1073026A1

EP1073026A1 - A device and process for detecting introduction of foreign bodies into environments of varying conformation

Info

Publication number: EP1073026A1
Application number: EP99114806A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuseppe Ezio Fumanelli
Original assignee: MIB Elettronica SRL
Current assignee: MIB SpA
Priority date: 1999-07-29
Filing date: 1999-07-29
Publication date: 2001-01-31

Abstract

it is provided a device for detecting introduction of foreign bodies into environments (9) of varying conformation, in particular automatic banknote dispensers (2), comprising a plurality of signal emitters (11) and a plurality of signal sensors (12), in particular infrared radiations, all disposed substantially randomly in the environment (9) to be checked, activating elements (16) capable of sequentially activating the emitters (11), a memory (18) for a data base including the sensor (12) responses on sequential activation of the emitters (11), and comparator circuits (19) adapted to detect variations in said responses relative to the data base.

Description

The invention relates to a device and a process of the type defined in the preamble of claim 1, to detect introduction of foreign bodies into environments of varying conformation, such as automatic banknote dispensers, safes, safety containers. In particular the invention is conceived for automatic banknote dispensers, such as the so-called "cash dispensers", for example.
It is known that banknote and valuables containers are subjected to burglary attempts and attacks of various kinds aiming at unauthorized removal of things and money contained therein.
In order to open in an unauthorized manner the casings of said containers without generating a previous alarm the technique of inserting gas into said casings and then causing explosion of said gas is known.
This operation is in particular possible with automatic banknote dispensers or "cash dispensers", because the same have several openings for introduction of credit cards and exit of banknotes or others. This technique is efficient because traditional sensors placed for protection of these containers against burglaries or displacements do not detect introduction of gas and therefore are unable to intervene for emitting an alarm signal or putting into practice countermeasures, such as spraying banknotes with indelible inks in order to make them unmarketable.
An already used countermeasure is that of introducing a gas-detector into these casings. This countermeasure is however inoperative when gas is not freely introduced but confined into appropriate wrappers; for instance, if balloons or air tubes to be then inflated from the outside with gas and then caused to explode are introduced into the openings of said containers. Gas-detectors are not able to feel the presence of gas enclosed in balloons and the like. In addition, balloons in question cannot be identified by ambient-pressure detectors, as they are inflated slowly and in the presence of air vents inside the containers.
However, application of volumetric detectors can give rise to many problems.
In fact, spaces to be controlled by these detectors have a very uneven conformation. This is due to the fact that inserted in safety containers are both banknote wrappers and the various mechanisms for distributing said banknotes and controlling the distribution requests, with an appropriate interface towards users, as well as the different electric, electronic and mechanical apparatus governing good operation of all elements and also all control and alarm members against tampering, removal or burglary attempts, possibly including the presence of countermeasures as well.
All these members must be inserted into a compact wrapper and, as a result, various niches and spaces of small sizes are formed therein which can be hardly controlled.
In addition, it is known that spaces within the subject containers also vary to a great extent in terms of consistency and arrangement depending on the safety container used, in particular on its brand and model. Finally, spaces can vary in time in each container depending on the different components or accessories that can be therein inserted or replaced with similar components that however do not have the same shape.
Therefore, known volumetric detectors easily leave some regions of the containers in which they are inserted uncontrolled, in particular when small spaces close to service openings are concerned and in these regions insertion of said foreign body could take place.
In order to reduce uncontrolled regions as much as possible, it would be necessary to arrange and set the volumetric detectors in question with great diligence and care, which would bring about high installation costs.
In addition, installation modalities would have to be varied depending on the safety container or the like, but in this case costs would be unacceptable taking into account the wide variety of containers available on the market. Furthermore, possible variations in the inner volume of each of these containers would bring about a continuous assistance and setting of known volumetric detectors in each container, thus involving very high servicing costs.
Therefore, the technical task of how to detect the presence of foreign bodies in very various and irregular environments, in particular in safes, safety containers, banknote dispensers and the like, in a simple and efficient manner is still unresolved.
The technical task underlying the present invention is to conceive a device and a process capable of resolving said technical task.
Within the scope of this technical task it is an important aim of the invention to conceive a device and a process of the greatest efficiency even in very crowded, irregular and discontinuous spaces.
Another important aim of the invention is to conceive a device and a process capable of enabling immediate setting and with substantially constant modalities even on varying of the structure of the spaces to be checked, being therefore of universal use.
A further aim of the invention is to conceive a device and a process capable of adapting themselves to volume variations in the same container.
The technical task mentioned and the aims specified are substantially achieved by a device and a process for detecting introduction of foreign bodies into environments of varying conformation as claimed in the appended main claims. Preferred embodiments are set forth in sub-claims.
Description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is now given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an automatic banknote dispenser to which the device of the invention is applied, seen from its rear service side;
Fig. 2 shows an element of the device;
Fig. 3 shows a further element;
Fig. 4 is a structural diagram of the device; and
Fig. 5 is a diagram highlighting the steps of the process as carried out.

With reference to the drawings, the device of the invention is generally identified by reference numeral 1.
It is applied, in Fig. 1, to an automatic banknote dispenser 2, of the type identified as cash dispenser, provided with walls 2a and diagrammatically shown from the side of a big door 3 thereof, which is open to show some elements contained therein, just as an indication: drawers 4 holding banknotes to be distributed from a front region 5 for users, an alarm device 6a comprising acoustic emitters for example, and a device 6b for spraying indelible inks, connected with drawers 4.
The front region 5 usually has several openings, in particular for banknote passage. Diagrammatically shown in phantom is a block 7 comprising, among other things, a control apparatus 8 for operation of the different members of the automatic dispenser 2. The control apparatus 8 preferably comprises a control unit, known per se, for banknote dispensing mechanisms.
For the sake of simplicity neither the electro-mechanical and electronic devices connected with acceptance of banknote dispensing requests, nor the electric connections, the different safety devices against burglary, displacement and the like, and the gas-detecting sensor are shown.
All these members and also others are known per se and can be manufactured in known manner, and are housed inside an environment 9 accessible through opening of the big door 3. The automatic dispenser 2 shown also comprises, close to environment 9, a service space closed by a door 3a that does not include banknotes or valuables.
For detecting introduction into environment 9 of foreign bodies such as a balloon gradually inflated with gas, signal generating and receiving members are provided, which signals preferably are infrared radiations, and operation and control means for said members.
In Fig. 1 the signal generating and receiving members are denoted by 10 and, as viewed from Figs. 2 and 3, they comprise a plurality of infrared emitters 11 and a plurality of infrared sensors 12, all substantially disposed randomly in the environment 9 to be checked, in particular close to outward openings.
Emitters 11 are of a simple model and of small sizes, of the type used in the industrial field for infrared connections, controls and remote controls.
In particular they have a reduced infrared radiation-emitting angle a, for example an angle smaller than thirty degrees and of about fifteen degrees.
In addition, emitters 11 are all identical with each other and adapted to generate identical infrared emissions.
Likewise, sensors 12 are of small sizes, all identical with each other and adapted to merely signal the presence or absence of infrared rays of an intensity higher than a preestablished intensity, in particular the infrared rays directly radiated from emitters 11.
A plurality both of emitters 11 and sensors 12 is provided, i.e. at least ten emitters 11 and ten sensors 12 for example, or even a much greater number.
In addition, emitters and sensors are disposed in clusters, i.e. in a great number and substantially randomly in environment 9, and in parts of the greatest importance of same, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1. Several emitters 11 and sensors 12 are in fact preferably contemplated. All emitters 11 and sensors 12 can be operated and controlled individually, as hereinafter pointed out.
For the greatest efficiency in a random positioning, each emitter 11 and each sensor 12 can be applied in an independent manner and can have a fixed position, if applied by gluing for example, or a removable position - in view of repositioning of same - if applied by a magnetic element for example.
Figs. 2 and 3 show that emitters and sensors can be applied using both a magnetic toroid 13 and an adhesive 14 when a steady and immediate application is wished: adhesive 14 offers steadiness in time and the magnetic toroid 13 enables immediate residence at the point where positioning takes place, even if setting of adhesive 14 has not yet occurred.
The operation and control means of emitters 11 and sensors 12 is identified by 15 and preferably consists of an electronic card diagrammatically shown in Figs. 1 and 4.
Briefly, said means 15 comprises activating elements 16 sending appropriate electric pulses to emitters 11, auxiliary circuits 17, adapted to receive and process sensor signals or responses, when said sensors 12 detect the infrared radiation from emitters 11, a memory 18 for a reference data base of sensor responses, and comparator circuits 19 adapted to detect variations in sensor responses relative to said reference data base.
In detail, the activating elements 16 are circuits such structured that they activate the different emitters 11 individually and sequentially, one after the other.
On activation of each emitter 11 the response of a specific and limited sensor array 12 corresponds, due to the random arrangement and the great number of emitters and sensors.
For "sensor array" it is intended any number of sensors 12 all capable of simultaneously detecting turning on of a given emitter 11.
The various and respective sensor arrays 12 responding to activation of each of said emitters 11 constitute said reference data base, stored in memory 18.
Finally, the comparator circuits 19 are adapted to detect possible variations in responses of sensors 12 to emitters 11, for instance if the sensor array 12 correlated with each emitter is reduced or modified relative to that which has been stored in the data base.
In accordance with the invention at least one appropriate operation member 20 is further preferably provided for determining formation or reformation of said reference data base under a situation selected at will. Just as an indication, in Fig. 1 the operation member 20 is a push button to be automatically pressed when the automatic dispenser 2 is activated or reactivated, by closing the big door 3 for example, after banknote supply to drawers 4.
Preferably, means 15 is connected with the control apparatus 8, diagrammatically shown in the figures. It is in fact advantageously provided that either formation or reformation or momentary interruption of the reference data base should be controlled by the functional or operating conditions of the automatic dispenser 2. In particular, intervention of said control unit for the banknote dispensing mechanisms may be provided. In this way, device 1 has a dynamic operation and is provided with self-learning properties and, as better pointed out in the following, data base can be varied on varying of the inner situations, e.g. when a programmed displacement of the different inner electro-mechanical members occurs.
Likewise, the device can be made non-operating when banknotes are being distributed for example, or in the presence of failures or when banknotes to be distributed are exhausted.
Operation of the device is as follows.
Under normal operating conditions, emitters 11 are individually and sequentially activated by activators 16 and each emitter emits an infrared radiation, with an angle of action a preferably of about fifteen degrees, which is only detected by some sensors 12, forming a respective array.
Emitters and sensors are in fact disposed "in clusters", i.e. in a great number and in a substantially random way within environment 9, so that they occupy all niches and free spaces or at least those that are the closest to the attack regions from the outside.
Sensors 12 that are each time simultaneously illuminated by an infrared signal of a sufficient level are detected by the auxiliary circuits 17. Then detections are compared, through the comparator circuits 19, with that which is already stored in memory 18. If no differences exist, controls go on, while if differences or important differences exist an alarm 6a and/or a countermeasure 6b is activated.
Data base in memory 18 can be updated, to conform it to variations in the situations, by the operation member 20 or in an automatic manner by intervention of the control apparatus 8. Updating takes place by storing again which sensors 12 are to be illuminated on sequential turning on of each emitter 11.
The process in accordance with the invention involves arrangement of a plurality of infrared emitters 11 and sensors 12 within an environment to be controlled. Emitters 11 are selected with a reduced emission angle a, of fifteen degrees for example.
Emitters 11 are then sequentially activated to implement a plurality of control cycles, in each of which all emitters 11 are activated after each other. One of these control cycles, the first one for example, is established to be the reference cycle and sensor response to the reference cycle is stored as the reference response.
The reference response consists of the list of those sensors 12 that each time are illuminated by turning on of one emitter 11.
The reference response is unforeseeable because emitters and sensors are arranged randomly in said environment, preferably close to openings or the like, to be controlled.
Then sensor responses to the different control cycles are compared with the reference response, and an alarm or other measure is activated in the presence of preestablished differences between the responses to said cycle and the stored reference response.
The reference cycle and related reference response can be renewed at any moment, upon a specific command. In addition, it is preferably provided that the reference cycle be activated by an apparatus for controlling conditions in said environment, in particular by a control unit for banknote dispensing, responsive to changes in the situations.
The process is shown in detail in Fig. 5, where the reference cycle carried out by the first one of the control cycles denoted by 22 is identified by 21.
The reference cycle 21 is activated by the operation member 20 or the control apparatus 8 and many lighting steps 23 take place therein, as well as in any control cycle 22.
In each of said lighting steps 23 a single infrared emitter 11 is activated and thus one or more sensors 12 are simultaneously illuminated, in a random and selective manner.
The number of the lighting steps 23 is equal to the number of emitters 11 and the results of each lighting step are submitted to a storage operation 24, so as to accomplish the reference response.
When the reference cycle 21 is over, the control cycles 22 begin and each control cycle 22 is associated with a comparing action 25 comparing sensor response with said reference response. Based on this comparison, either another control cycle 22 begins or activation of an alarm 26 occurs.
The invention achieves important advantages.
In fact, it provides a cheap device and a cheap process to be applied in a quick manner: emitters and sensors which are simple elements can be disposed randomly and in a great number in the environment to be checked, in particular at the regions close to openings.
For each emitter only turning on and off are to be detected, whereas as regards sensors it is necessary to detect which sensors are illuminated on turning on of each emitter.
In spite of their simplicity, the inventive device and process are capable of controlling each angle in an environment even very crowded and are very reliable, because the response sequence of sensors to emitters is unforeseeable and varies for each environment, carrying out a sort of "fingerprint" of same. This "fingerprint" is capable of detecting each environmental change: in particular insertion of a balloon causes darkening of some sensors and an alarm signal.
The invention also enables clever detection of the introduction of foreign bodies, by controlling the modality and gradualness with which sensors are darkened. A tolerance in case of failures is also possible: darkening of a single sensor may be considered as a failure of little importance.
Then, due to the fact that the reference response or reference data base can be stored at any moment at will, or when environmental conditions vary in a foreseen manner, the invention is very flexible and all servicing and adaptation operations are avoided, as well as false alarms.

Claims

A device for detecting introduction of foreign bodies into environments of varying conformation, in particular in automatic banknote dispensers, comprising generator and receiver members (10) disposed in an environment (9) to be checked and including a plurality of emitters (11) and a plurality of sensors (12) adapted to radiate and detect signals respectively, in particular infrared radiations, and operation and control means (15) for said generator and receiver members (10),
characterized in that said operation and control means (15) comprises: activating elements (16) adapted to selectively and sequentially turn said emitters (11) on, a memory (18) for a data base including arrays of said sensors (12) respectively illuminated by said emitters (11), and comparator circuits (19) adapted to detect variations in said data base.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein both emitters (11) and sensors (12) are disposed in a substantially random manner in said environment (9) and in a substantially great number.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emitters (11) and sensors (12) are positioned at least close to openings adapted to put said environment (9) into communication with the external environment.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said emitters (11) and sensors (12) can be applied and positioned in said environment (9) in an independent manner relative to the other emitters (11) and sensors (12).
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said emitters (11) has an emission angle of a respective signal lower than thirty degrees.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emitters (11) are adapted to generate signals identical with each other.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensors (12) are adapted to signal the presence or absence of signals having an intensity higher than a predetermined level.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activating elements (16) are adapted to individually turn on said emitters (11) after each other, to activation of each emitter (11) corresponding a substantially random radiation of a respective sensor (12) array.
A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said comparator circuits (19) are adapted to detect variations in each of said sensor (12) arrays.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operation member (20) is provided for causing formation of said data base.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operation and control means (15) is connected with an apparatus (8) for control of the operating conditions and wherein formation of said data base is operated by said control apparatus (8).
A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said emitters (11) and sensors (12) are removably applied by magnetic adhesion to surfaces of said environment.
A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said emitters (11) and sensors (12) are fastened by gluing to surfaces of said environment.
A process for detecting introduction of foreign bodies into environments of varying conformation, in particular in automatic banknote dispensers, consisting in arranging generator and receiver members (10) in an environment to be checked, which members include a plurality of emitters (11) and a plurality of sensors (12) adapted to radiate and detect signals respectively, in particular infrared radiations,
characterized in that it consists in accomplishing a reference cycle (21) by selectively and sequentially activating said emitters (11), storing (24) as the reference response, the respective sensor (12) arrays illuminated by said emitters (11) in said reference cycle (21), activating said emitters (11) for carrying out a plurality of control cycles (22) identical with said reference cycle (21), and checking whether at said control cycles (22) responses different from said reference response are obtained.
A process as claimed in claim 14, wherein said emitters (11) can be individually activated after each other.
A process as claimed in claim 14, wherein said emitters (11) and sensors (12) are inserted substantially randomly in said environment (9).
A process as claimed in claim 14, wherein said reference cycle (21) and reference response can be renewed upon command.
A process as claimed in claim 14, wherein said reference cycle (21) is activated by an apparatus for functional-condition control in said environment.
A process as claimed in claim 18, wherein said reference cycle (21) is activated by a unit for controlling banknote dispensing mechanisms.