Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
  • G07D11/00—Devices accepting coins; Devices accepting, dispensing, sorting or counting valuable papers
  • G07D11/50—Sorting or counting valuable papers

Definitions

• the invention relates to methods of sorting documents of value, particularly banknotes and the like.
• Highly automated, high-volume processing systems for documents of value are used in a variety of applications for which currency processing is particularly important.
• Several designs of high-volume processing machines are available in the prior art and used by such varied interests as national central banks, independent currency transporting companies, currency printing facilities, and individual banks.
• a stack of banknotes is fed through a sorting machine past various detectors which detect certain characteristics of each document and then the documents are transported to at least one output station of which one may be a reject station depending upon the outcome of the detection process.
• a currency processing machine can perform the simple tasks of processing a stack of currency in order to ensure that it is all of one denomination with proper fitness characteristics while simultaneously counting the stack to confirm a previous accounting.
• a slightly more complex task of separating a stack of currency into individual denominations while simultaneously counting the currency can be accomplished as well.
• a stack of currency consisting of various denominations can be fed into the machine for a processing that results in the separation of each denomination, a rejection of any currency that does not meet fitness specifications, the identification of counterfeit bills, and the tracking of individual notes by serial number.
• the stack of sheets In order to achieve accountability, it is common practice to form the stack of sheets to be sorted from a sequence of batches of documents, each batch being sandwiched between separators defining respective header and trailer documents, the header document typically identifying the source of the documents of value in the batch or the like.
• the stacked batches are then fed sequentially through the sorting machine with rejected documents, for example failing a denomination, fitness or authenticity test, being fed to a reject station while accepted documents are fed to one or more output stations.
• the header and trailer documents are also fed to the reject station so that any rejected documents remain sandwiched between the associated header and trailer.
• a method of sorting documents of value comprises: a) forming a stack of documents of value, the stack including two or more batches of documents of value, each batch of documents of value being provided with first and second separators to separate the batch from an adjacent batch; and, b) sequentially feeding all the documents in the stack through a sorting machine to inspect the documents and to sort the documents into one or more output stations in dependence upon the results of the inspection, sorting all first separators to a separator output station, and feeding all documents defined to be rejects, and only those second separators associated with rejects, to a reject station.
• step b) all first separators are sorted to a separator output station and effectively off-sorted.
• an output station when configured as a "separator output station" it only receives separators. This substantially reduces the number of items that need to be handled, typically manually, from output stations that receive second separators following the sorting process.
• the first separators are fed to a different, separator output station, so as not to be mixed in with the rejected documents.
• the number of second separators in the reject output station is confined to only those associated with rejected documents.
• step b) comprises feeding all documents defined to be rejects together with all second separators to a reject station.
• those second separators not associated with rejected documents are fed to the or to another separator output station.
• the first and second separators are identical. This is particularly convenient when constructing a stack of documents although for processing, the sorting machine will need to be provided with information relating to each batch in the stack in the order in which it appears in the stack so that the processing of each batch can be properly monitored.
• first and second separators may be distinguishable from the first separators.
• the distinction between the first and second separators may be achieved by virtue of one or more of their shape and indicia provided thereon.
• the first and/or second separators could be provided with laterally protruding tabs and if both types of separator are provided with tabs, these could be located in different positions.
• the first and second separators could have different thicknesses and indeed in general all separators will have a thickness different from that of the documents of value which again assists the sorting machine in distinguishing between separators and documents.
• each second separator may carry an identifier.
• the identifier is common i.e. non-unique, to all second separators and simply identifies the item as a second separator.
• the sorting machine can identify each batch if it has been preloaded with the order of batches and corresponding batch identifying information.
• each second separator is distinguishable from each other second separator and again this may be achieved by virtue of one or more of their shape, thickness and indicia carried thereon.
• each second separator may be provided with data defining an identifier that is unique to each second separator. In this case other information about the batch can be stored electronically in or accessible to the sorting machine with reference to the identifier.
• the second separator carries that data.
• the data may provide one or more of an identification of the source of the documents of value in the associated batch, batch document denomination(s), piece count(s), user who prepared batch, machine that prepared batch and time at which batch was prepared.
• certain data may be stored electronically and other data be provided on the second separator.
• the data is machine readable and may be provided by optically and/or magnetically readable indicia.
• the second separators are used in different ways to provide more information about batches while the first separators are not. This is preferred because the second separators are not off- sorted to the separator output station. However, it is also possible that the first separators are provided with this additional information since the sorting machine can track the processing of batches, as explained above.
• each batch is associated with first and second separators. This is advantageous because it makes it much less likely that mis-sorting of documents will occur as there will be two separators (a first separator from one batch and a second separator from another batch) adjacent one another for each pair of adjacent batches.
• a method of sorting documents of value comprises: a) forming a stack of documents of value, the stack including two or more batches of documents of value, each batch of documents of value being provided with a separator to separate the batch from an adjacent batch; and, b) sequentially feeding all the documents in the stack through a sorting machine to inspect the documents and to sort the documents into one or more output stations in dependence upon the results of the inspection, wherein one of the output stations comprises a reject station to which documents identified by the sorting machine as rejects and separators associated with the rejected documents are fed, and sorting all separators associated with batches having no rejected documents to a separator output station.
• steps a) and b) preferably comprise the last pass in a series of two or more passes of document stacks through the sorting machine. In each case, the contents of the reject station from one pass are used to form the stack in the next pass.
• the designation of the output stations may be changed between the passes to accommodate different types of sorting process, for example if only a limited number of output stations are available and one or more has to be used for different purposes in different passes.
• the sorting process will typically be based on one or more of authenticity, fitness and denomination although other sorting conditions could also be used.
• issuer country or issuing bank
• issue series
• authenticity broken down for example between genuine/not recognised/suspected (probable) counterfeit, requiring manual confirmation.
• the documents of value typically comprise banknotes but other examples include, cheques, tickets (for example as dispensed in casinos), substitute currency media, and vouchers and also combinations of different types of documents of value.
• the sorting machine can take any conventional form.
• the same separator output station can be used for off-sorting both first and second separators or separate separator output stations could be provided.
• one of the output stations used for receiving documents could also be used as the separator output station. For example, where documents are sorted according to condition then all documents having a satisfactory condition together with off-sorted separators could be fed to the same output station.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a currency sorting machine loaded with a stack of currency and separators
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a stack of currency divided by separators
• Figure 3A is a plan view of the front of a "second separator” or batch process document
• Figure 3B is a perspective view of the back of a "second separator” or batch process document
• Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for processing currency
• Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a stack of currency divided by single separators; and, Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method of processing the stack of documents shown in Figure 5.
• FIG. 1 shows a currency sorting machine 10 for carrying out embodiments of the present invention and loaded with a stack of batches of currency 12 prior to starting the currency processing cycle.
• This stack 12 is fed into the currency sorting machine one single note at a time.
• Single notes then travel on a conveyor (not shown) past several different detectors (not shown) before being deposited in one of the sort bins or output stations 14 or a destruction device such as a shredder (not shown).
• a single sort bin is used to accumulate a single denomination of note at the end of the sort process.
• One of the sort bins 14R is used as a reject station or bin.
• a control system (not shown) controls operation of the machine 10.
• FIG. 2 illustrates part of a typical stack of banknotes formed by a sequence of individual batches.
• a batch 24 is followed by a batch 20 which is followed by a batch 16.
• a "first" separator document 19,21 ,23 is provided at the downstream side of each batch 16,20,24 respectively while each batch is provided with an associated "second" separator or batch process document 26,22,18 respectively positioned on the upstream side of the batch with respect to a processing direction indicated by an arrow 27.
• each first separator document 19,21 ,23 acts as a trailer and each second separator document 26,22,18 acts as a header.
• Figures 3A and 3B depict an exemplar batch process document 18.
• Figure 3A shows the first side 28 of the document 18, while Figure 3B shows the second side 30 of the document 18.
• the first side 28 is overlaid with a first magnetic strip 32 and a second magnetic strip 34.
• the second side 30 is imprinted with a bar code.
• This embodiment allows for accurate identification of a batch process document 18 primarily by detection of the two magnetic strips 32,34.
• this arrangement of magnetic strips 32,34 will be the same on each batch process document or second separator while each first separator will have a different arrangement of magnetic strips or no magnetic strips so it can be distinguished from a second separator.
• all first separators will be identical.
• Accounting data on an individual batch of currency can be identified to a specific bar code number encoded on the bar code 36 of the batch process document 18.
• each second separator will have a unique bar code which can be used to address a table in the processor of the machine 10 to enable accounting data prestored by the processor to be accessed.
• Alternatives to magnetic strips include RFID chips, OCR codes and the like.
• Examples of accounting data include one or more of an identification of the source of the documents of value in the associated batch, batch document denomination(s), piece count(s), user who prepared batch, machine that prepared batch and time at which batch was prepared.
• step 40 a stack of batches is formed as shown in Figure 2.
• Each batch process document or second separator 18,22,26 is provided with accounting data relating to the associated batch of banknotes, or more typically that information is stored by the processor of the machine 10 at an address corresponding to the unique i.d. of the separator 18,22,26.
• the stack is then fed in a first pass 42 through the sorting machine 10.
• detectors within the machine 10 inspect each banknote and the separator documents. For example, a detector may be provided for determining the denomination of each banknote and another detector for determining authenticity. If a banknote is found to be authentic and its denomination can be determined, it will be directed to a particular output bin for stacking genuine banknotes with that denomination (step 44). All other documents either non-genuine or unreadable banknotes or separators are fed to the reject bin (step 46).
• the stacked separators and banknotes in the reject bin are then removed by the operator and processed again in a second pass 48 through the sorting machine.
• the contents of the reject bin are refed, typically at a slower rate than in the first pass, through the sorting machine which again feeds genuine and readable banknotes to corresponding output bins (step 50).
• the sorting machine 10 acts differently when it detects the passage of first and second separators. Firstly, all the first separators, when detected, are fed to an out sort or separator output bin (step 52) formed by one of the bins 14 that only receives separators.
• any of the second separators which are detected and which are associated with batches without any rejected banknotes are also fed to the same separator outsort bin as the first separators. Alternatively, they could be fed to a second separator output bin (step 54).
• reject bin all remaining rejected banknotes and second separators are fed to the reject bin (step 56).
• the contents of the reject bin are then manually processed as described above.
• the second separator documents 18,22,26 precede their associated batches of banknotes as they are fed sequentially through the sorting machine. It is possible, however, for the first separator documents 19,21 ,23 to be fed first, the sorting machine storing information about the banknotes in a temporary store pending feeding of the associated second separator document which can then be used to correlate the information with the appropriate batch.
• each batch of documents 16,20,24 is associated with first and second separator documents. This minimises the risk of the sorting machine overlooking a separator document since there will always be two such documents in sequence between successive batches. However, it is not essential to provide two separators to a batch and in other examples, a single separator per batch could be provided. This is illustrated in Figure 5 where it will be seen that the previous "first " separator documents 19,21 ,23 have been omitted.
• second separators will now be described with reference to Figure 6.
• a stack of batches is formed as shown in Figure 6 (step 40) and then in a first pass 42, the documents in the stack are sorted so that acceptable documents are fed to corresponding output bins (step 44) while rejected documents and all separators are fed to a reject bin (step 46).
• the first pass process is similar to that described in Figure 4.
• the contents of the reject bin are then re-fed through the sorting machine in a second pass 48.
• acceptable documents are fed to corresponding output bins for example according to their denomination (step 50) while separators associated with batches without rejected banknotes are fed to a separator output or outsort bin (step 70) and rejected documents and associated separators are fed to the reject bin (step 72).
• the batches in Figure 5 could be separated by identical "first" separators, the sorting machine keeping track of the batches simply from prior knowledge of the order of batches in the stack.
• the banknotes are processed in two passes with the action of the machine being different on the second pass from the first pass. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the machine knows that it is to operate in accordance with the "second pass” and there are various ways in which this could be achieved.
• the simplest approach is for the operator to indicate directly to the control system, for example by depressing a control button or the like, that the second pass is to be commenced.
• the machine could automatically detect that it has already processed (in the first pass) the first header separator fed in the second pass and immediately switch to the second pass process.
• each Trailer separator or other separator is uniquely identified a similar process could be adopted.
• the stack of banknotes and separators ready for the second pass could be preceded by a special "second pass" document or card which will be detected by the machine or such a document or card could be provided at the end of the initial stack of banknotes in the first pass so that the machine automatically prepares itself for the second pass following the first pass.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)
• Inspection Of Paper Currency And Valuable Securities (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-07-17 EP EP08775979A patent/EP2181436A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-07-17 JP JP2010516574A patent/JP5215392B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2008-07-17 WO PCT/GB2008/002449 patent/WO2009013465A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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