JP2011065663A - Paper money processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper money processor which allows an illicit act on paper money to be more reliably prevented. <P>SOLUTION: A paper money processor 1 includes a paper money insertion slot for inserting the paper money, a paper money conveyance mechanism 8 which is able to convey the paper money inserted from the paper money insertion slot along the insertion direction, a paper money reading means 20 which reads the paper money conveyed by the paper money conveyance mechanism 8, a paper money identification means which identifies genuineness of the paper money read by the paper money reading means 20, an adherent article identification means which identifies that the adherent article is connected to an external side of an outer dimension of the paper money, and a control means which controls prevention of an illicit act based on the identification result by the paper money identification means and the identification result by the adherent article identification means. The control means is characterized in that the adherent article is identified by means of the adherent article identification means during a period of time the paper money read by the paper money reading means 20 is conveyed to a downstream side by the paper money conveyance mechanism 8. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a banknote handling apparatus that includes a banknote identification unit that conveys a banknote inserted from a banknote insertion slot and identifies its effectiveness.

  In general, a banknote processing apparatus identifies the validity of a banknote inserted by a user from a banknote insertion slot, and provides various products and services according to the banknote value determined to be valid, for example, a game It is incorporated in game media lending machines installed in the venue, or vending machines and ticket machines installed in public places.

  Usually, the banknote processing apparatus is a banknote transport mechanism that transports banknotes inserted into a banknote insertion slot, an operation device such as a banknote identification unit that determines the validity of a banknote being transported (also referred to as authenticity determination), and operations thereof Control means for driving and controlling the equipment is provided. That is, when a banknote is inserted from the banknote insertion slot, the detection sensor detects the insertion of the banknote, drives the banknote transport mechanism (drive motor, transport roller, etc.) to transport the banknote, and is in a transported state. Is read by an identification sensor that constitutes the banknote recognition unit, and the output is compared with regular data stored in advance to determine validity. And the banknote determined as valid by this banknote identification part is conveyed as it is toward the banknote accommodating part etc. which are installed in the downstream as it is, and the banknote which was not determined valid is returned to a banknote insertion slot as it is. It has become.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the banknote handling apparatus described above temporarily holds (escrows) when the inserted banknote is determined to be authentic by the banknote recognition unit. Such an escrow, for example, allows the inserted bill to be immediately returned from the bill insertion slot by reversing the bill transport mechanism when a refund instruction is generated for some reason after the bill is inserted. is there. Then, in the escrow state, a processing signal such as a stack command is generated, so that banknotes in the escrow state (escrow banknotes) are transported downstream as they are.

  By the way, in the banknote handling apparatus as described above, since an illegal act is easily performed on the escrow banknote in a stopped state, a shutter is provided at the banknote insertion slot as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The banknote insertion slot is forcibly closed by the shutter by operating the shutter motor. That is, by closing the bill insertion slot with the shutter after the bill is inserted, even if a deposit such as a string or a thread is connected to the bill, an illegal act such as drawing out the escrow bill can be prevented.

  That is, in the banknote processing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, when a banknote is inserted into a banknote insertion slot, the banknote is detected and opened in a closed state, and the banknote is conveyed to the banknote recognition unit. The effectiveness is determined. And the banknote determined by the banknote identification part to be authentic is conveyed to the escrow position in the further downstream, and when it becomes an escrow state, the shutter in an open state is driven to a closed state.

Japanese Patent No. 3000328

  Thus, in order to prevent fraud, the banknote insertion slot is closed by the shutter after the banknote is determined to be valid, and therefore, after the banknote validity determination process is performed, it is conveyed to the escrow position. It is not possible to reliably prevent fraudulent behavior until it is done. That is, in the banknote identification device described above, (banknote insertion) → (shutter opening process) → (banknote validity determination process) → (banknote transport process to escrow position if valid) → (shutter release In order to forcibly block the bill insertion slot with the shutter to prevent fraud, it is necessary to perform bill validity determination processing and processing to transport the bill to the escrow position. It is not possible to reliably prevent fraud during this period (particularly fraudulent acts that are performed by attaching deposits to banknotes).

  This invention is made paying attention to the above situation, and it aims at providing the banknote processing apparatus which makes it possible to prevent the fraudulent act with respect to a banknote more reliably.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1 is a banknote insertion slot into which a banknote is inserted, and a banknote that can transport a banknote inserted from the banknote insertion slot along the insertion direction. A deposit is connected to the outside of the outer dimensions of the banknote, a banknote reading means for reading the banknotes transported by the banknote transport mechanism, a banknote identification means for identifying the authenticity of the banknotes read by the banknote reading means. An adhering matter identifying means for identifying that the bill is being recognized, and a control means for controlling fraud prevention processing based on the identification result by the bill identifying means and the identification result by the adhering matter identifying means, The control unit is configured to identify the deposit by the deposit identifying unit while the bill that has been read by the bill reading unit is being transported downstream by the bill transport mechanism .

According to the banknote handling apparatus having the above configuration, when a banknote is inserted into the banknote insertion slot, the banknote transport mechanism is driven to feed the banknote into the inside. Bills to be fed to the inside, in the transport state, the reading of the bill information is Ru made by the installed the bill reading means on the downstream side. The banknotes read-processed by the reading means are transported downstream by the banknote transport mechanism. During this process, the deposit recognition means performs the deposit recognition process. Furthermore, the authenticity of the banknote is identified by the banknote identifying means based on the read banknote information. In addition, when a deposit is connected to the outside of the outer dimension of the bill, the deposit identifying means detects this, and the identification result by the bill identifying means and the identification result by the deposit identifying means Based on this, the prevention of fraud is controlled.

Moreover, in the invention which concerns on Claim 2, the said control means identifies the authenticity of a banknote by the said banknote identification means after the identification process by the said deposit | attachment identification means .

In such a configuration, it is detected whether or not a deposit is connected prior to the bill authenticity determination process. When the deposit identifying means detects a bill to which a deposit such as a string or string is connected, a bill determination NG process is executed.

  According to the banknote handling apparatus of the present invention, after being inserted into the banknote insertion slot, it is possible to more reliably prevent an illegal act on the banknote.

The perspective view which shows the whole structure of one Embodiment of the banknote processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. The perspective view which shows the state which opened the upper frame with respect to the lower frame. The top view which showed the banknote conveyance path part of the lower frame. The back view of a lower frame. The perspective view which shows the structure of a banknote detection sensor. The perspective view which shows the structure of a shutter mechanism. The perspective view which looked at the shutter mechanism shown in FIG. 6 from the back side. The side view which shows operation | movement of a shutter mechanism. The figure which shows the state by which the rotation piece of a shutter mechanism is rotated and the banknote insertion slot is obstruct | occluded. The figure which shows typically the effect | action of the rotation piece of a shutter mechanism. The figure which showed typically the structure of the banknote processing apparatus shown in FIGS. The block diagram which shows the control system of a banknote processing apparatus. Explanatory drawing of the reference | standard data table stored in the reference | standard data storage part. (A) And (b) is typical explanatory drawing which shows the front and back of a banknote. The main flowchart which shows the procedure of a banknote determination process. The banknote scan timing chart which shows the timing which irradiates infrared light and red light to a banknote, and receives transmitted light and reflected light. The flowchart which shows the money type and direction determination process which determines a money type and a banknote conveyance direction. The flowchart which shows the procedure of an authenticity determination process. The flowchart which shows the drive control procedure of the drive motor and solenoid which convey a banknote.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 4 are views showing the configuration of the banknote handling apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the upper frame is opened with respect to the lower frame. FIG. 3 is a perspective view, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a bill conveyance path portion of the lower frame, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the lower frame.

  The banknote handling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be incorporated into a game medium lending device (not shown) installed between various game machines such as a slot machine, for example. In this case, in the game medium lending device, other devices (for example, a bill storage unit, a coin identifying device, a recording medium processing device, a power supply device, etc.) are installed on the upper side or the lower side of the bill processing device 1. Moreover, the banknote processing apparatus 1 may be integrated with these other apparatuses, or may be comprised separately. And if a banknote is inserted in such a banknote processing apparatus 1 and the validity of the inserted banknote is determined, the lending process of the game medium according to the banknote value, or a recording medium like a prepaid card Is written.

  The banknote handling apparatus 1 includes a frame 2 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the frame 2 is attached to a locking portion of a game medium lending device not shown. The frame 2 has an upper frame 2A and a lower frame 2B, and these frames 2A and 2B are configured to be opened and closed with one end portion as a rotation center, as shown in FIG. In this case, the lock shaft 3 that can be locked to the lower frame 2B is disposed on the other end side of the upper frame 2A, and the operation portion 3a of the lock shaft 3 is used as the biasing force of the biasing spring 3b. On the contrary, the lock shaft 3 is rotated around the rotation fulcrum P by rotating in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, and the upper frame 2A and the lower frame 2B are locked (both closed; superposed state). ) Is canceled.

  When the upper frame 2A and the lower frame 2B are in a superposed state, a gap (banknote transport path) 5 through which a banknote is transported is formed in the opposite portion of both. And bill insertion parts 6A and 6B are formed in upper frame 2A and lower frame 2B so that it may correspond to this bill conveyance way 5. These bill insertion portions 6A and 6B form a slit-like bill insertion slot 6 when the upper frame 2A and the lower frame 2B are closed. As shown in FIG. 1, the banknote M is inserted into the inside along the arrow A direction from the short side of the banknote.

In the frame 2, the banknote transport mechanism 8, the banknote detection sensor 18 that detects a banknote inserted into the banknote insertion slot 6, and the information on banknotes in the transport state are installed on the downstream side of the banknote detection sensor 18. The banknote reading means 20 for reading, the shutter mechanism 50 installed in the banknote transport path 5 between the banknote insertion slot 6 and the banknote detection sensor 18 and driven so as to close the banknote insertion slot 6, and the banknote transport mechanism described above 8. A bill reading means 20 and a control means (control circuit board 100) for controlling the driving of the shutter mechanism 50 are provided.
Hereafter, each above-mentioned structural member is demonstrated in detail.

  The banknote transport mechanism 8 can transport a banknote inserted from the banknote insertion slot 6 along the insertion direction A, and can transport a banknote in an inserted state so as to be returned toward the banknote insertion slot 6. Mechanism. The banknote transport mechanism 8 is driven by a drive motor 10 that is a drive source installed on the lower frame 2B side, and is rotated by the drive motor 10, and is disposed in the banknote transport path 5 at predetermined intervals along the banknote transport direction. A pair of conveying rollers 12, 13, and 14 are provided.

  The conveying roller pair 12 includes a driving roller 12A disposed on the lower frame 2B side, and a pinch roller 12B disposed on the upper frame 2A side and in contact with the driving roller 12A. These driving rollers 12A And the pinch roller 12B is installed in two places at predetermined intervals along the direction orthogonal to the bill conveyance direction. The drive roller 12 </ b> A and the pinch roller 12 </ b> B are partially exposed to the banknote transport path 5.

  The drive rollers 12A installed at the two locations are fixed to a drive shaft 12a rotatably supported by the lower frame 2B, and the two pinch rollers 12B are supported by a support shaft 12b supported by the upper frame 2A. It is rotatably supported. In this case, the upper frame 2A is provided with a biasing member 12c that biases the support shaft 12b toward the drive shaft 12a, and the pinch roller 12B is brought into contact with the drive roller 12A with a predetermined pressure.

  Similarly to the roller pair 12, the above-described pair of conveying rollers 13 and 14 are also rotatably supported by two drive rollers 13A and 14A fixed to the drive shafts 13a and 14a and the support shafts 13b and 14b, respectively. Each of the pinch rollers 13B and 14B is in contact with each of the drive rollers 13A and 14A with a predetermined pressure.

  The conveying roller pairs 12, 13, and 14 are synchronously driven by a driving force transmission mechanism 15 connected to the driving motor 10. The drive force transmission mechanism 15 is an output gear 10a fixed to the output shaft of the drive motor 10, and is sequentially meshed with the output gear 10a and input gears 12G, which are attached to the ends of the drive shafts 12a, 13a, 14a, 13G, 14G, and a gear train including an idle gear 16 installed between these gears.

  With the above-described configuration, when the drive motor 10 is driven in the normal direction, the transport roller pairs 12, 13, and 14 are driven so as to transport the bills in the insertion direction A, and the drive motor 10 is driven in the reverse direction. And each conveyance roller pair 12,13,14 is reversely driven so that a banknote may be returned to the banknote insertion slot side.

  The banknote detection sensor 18 generates a detection signal when a banknote inserted into the banknote insertion slot 6 is detected. In the present embodiment, the banknote detection sensor 18 detects a rotating piece constituting a shutter mechanism, which will be described later, and a banknote. It is installed between the bill reading means 20 for reading. The banknote detection sensor 18 is constituted by, for example, an optical sensor, more specifically, a retroreflective photosensor, and as shown in FIG. 5, a prism 18a installed on the upper frame 2A side, and a lower frame It is comprised by the sensor main body 18b installed in the 2B side. Specifically, the prism 18a and the sensor main body 18b are arranged such that light emitted from the light emitting unit 18c of the sensor main body 18b is detected by the light receiving unit 18d of the sensor main body 18b via the prism 18a. When a bill passes through the bill transport path 5 located between the prism 18a and the sensor body 18b and no light is detected by the light receiving portion 18d, a detection signal is generated.

  Note that the banknote detection sensor 18 described above may be constituted by a mechanical sensor in addition to the optical sensor.

  On the downstream side of the banknote detection sensor 18, a banknote reading unit 20 that reads banknote information of the banknote in the transport state is installed. The bill reading means 20 is configured to generate a signal that can be read by irradiating the bill with light when the bill is transported by the bill transport mechanism 8 and can determine the validity (authenticity) of the bill. In this embodiment, the bill is read by irradiating light from both sides of the bill and detecting the transmitted light and the reflected light by the light receiving element. Then, the read optical signal is photoelectrically changed, and the authenticity of the bill to be conveyed is determined by comparing with the data of the genuine note stored in advance in the bill identifying means described later. In addition, the detailed structure of a specific banknote identification means is mentioned later. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the reading unit 20 also has a function as a deposit identification unit that detects whether or not a deposit is connected to the outside of the outer dimension of the bill.

  A shutter mechanism 50 that closes the bill insertion slot 6 is disposed on the downstream side of the bill insertion slot 6. This shutter mechanism 50 is always in a state where the bill insertion slot 6 is opened, and is closed when a bill is inserted and the bill detection sensor 18 detects the trailing edge of the bill (the bill detection sensor 18 is OFF). Therefore, it is configured so that fraud etc. cannot be performed.

  Specifically, the shutter mechanism 50 is a rotational piece 52 that is rotationally driven so as to appear and disappear at a predetermined interval in a direction orthogonal to the banknote conveyance direction of the banknote conveyance path 5, and the rotational piece 52 is rotationally driven. And a solenoid (pull type) 54 that is a driving source. In this case, the rotating pieces 52 are installed at two places in the width direction, and extend in the bill conveyance direction so that each of the rotating pieces 52 can appear and disappear on the conveyance surface 5a of the lower frame 2B forming the bill conveyance path 5. A long hole 5c is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rotating piece 52 is fixed to a shaft 55 that is rotatably supported by the lower frame 2B, and is always (initial state) located inside the transport surface 5a. It is set so as not to protrude from the transport surface 5a. The lower frame 2B is provided with the solenoid 54, and an engaging pin 54b provided at the end of the drive shaft 54a that is driven to be attracted by energization is engaged with a swingable swinging member 57. The joining portion 57a is engaged.

  The swing member 57 is pivotally supported by the lower frame 2B via a fulcrum 57b so as to include a swing arm 57c extending from the fulcrum 57b toward the shaft 55. As shown in FIG. 8, a sector gear 57G that meshes with a gear 55G fixed to the end of the shaft 55 is formed at the tip of the swing arm 57c. As a result, when the solenoid 54 is energized (solenoid ON) and the drive shaft 54a is sucked and driven by the solenoid body, the swing member 57 is swung around the fulcrum 57b as shown by the arrow in FIG. Through the sector gear 57G formed at the tip of the swing arm 57c and the gear 55G fixed to the end of the shaft 55, the rotating piece 52 protrudes from the long hole 5c formed in the transport surface 5a. (See FIG. 9).

  As a result, the bill insertion slot 6 is closed, and it is possible to prevent an illegal act such as attaching a foreign matter such as a thread or string to the bill and pulling it out. As shown in FIG. 10, the rotating piece 52 and the solenoid 54 that drives the rotating piece are driven to rotate so that the rotating piece 52 stands up toward the bill insertion slot 6 and is turned. When the piece 52 rotates and protrudes from the conveying surface 5a, it is preferable to arrange the rotating piece 52 so as to contact the end surface 5d of the long hole 5c. According to such a configuration, in a state where the turning piece 52 is turned and the bill insertion slot 6 is closed, even if the bill is forcibly pulled out, the turning piece 52 hits the end surface 5d and has a large resistance. Since it becomes a member, it is possible to reliably prevent the withdrawal of banknotes.

  Further, the rotating piece 52 as described above is disposed at two predetermined intervals in the width direction of the banknote transport path 5 so that the uneven portion for the shutter mechanism exposed on the banknote transport path 5 is reduced as much as possible. It is possible to prevent jamming and the like during bill conveyance.

  On the downstream side of the bill reading means 20, a bill passage detection sensor 60 for detecting passage of the bill is provided. The banknote passage detection sensor 60 generates a detection signal when the escrow banknote determined to be valid is further conveyed to the downstream side and detects the trailing edge of the banknote, and is based on the generation of the detection signal. Thus, the energization of the solenoid 54 is released (solenoid OFF), the drive shaft 54a moves in the protruding direction by the biasing force of the biasing spring provided on the drive shaft 54a, and the rotating piece 52 constituting the shutter mechanism is The bill conveyance path is rotationally driven so as to be in an open state.

  The banknote passage detection sensor 60 is constituted by an optical sensor (regression reflection type photosensor) like the banknote detection sensor 18 described above, and includes a prism 60a installed on the upper frame 2A side and a lower frame 2B side. It is comprised by the sensor main body 60b installed in. Of course, the banknote passage detection sensor 60 described above may be constituted by a mechanical sensor in addition to the optical sensor.

  Since the bill passage detection sensor 60 generates a signal for opening the shutter mechanism 50, the opening timing of the shutter mechanism 50 is another means, for example, a predetermined time after the escrow bill is conveyed. A configuration in which the shutter mechanism is not installed may be used as long as it can be controlled by time, such as opening the shutter mechanism later.

  In the vicinity of the banknote insertion slot 6, a notification element is provided for informing that the banknote is inserted in a visible manner. Such a notification element can be configured by, for example, a blinking LED 70, which is turned on when a user inserts a bill into the bill insertion slot 6 and informs the user that the bill is being processed. . For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent a user from inserting the next banknote by mistake.

  Next, a bill authenticity determination method executed by the bill identifying means for identifying the authenticity of the bill based on the bill information read by the bill reading means 20 described above will be specifically described.

  In the bill authenticity determination method according to the present embodiment, light having a predetermined wavelength is irradiated from a light emitting unit to a printing area on the surface of a genuine note bill, and transmitted light data of light transmitted through the genuine note bill is stored in advance as reference data. A first comparison step of comparing the reference data with the transmitted light data of the light transmitted through the banknote by irradiating the print area of the banknote surface to be determined with light of the predetermined wavelength from the light emitting means. In the printing area on the banknote surface, a specific area is determined in advance, and the weighted data is determined by weighting the transmitted light data of the light in the specific area of the banknote to be determined and the genuine banknote. A second comparison step for comparing each other, and authenticating the bill based on the comparison results in the first and second comparison steps.

  That is, in the printing area on the banknote surface, for example, an area where images obtained under visible light and infrared light are different from each other is determined in advance as a specific area, and infrared transmitted light in the specific area is determined. By comparing the weighted data to the transmitted light data obtained from other areas and comparing these weighted data, it is possible to determine the authenticity rather than comparing the transmitted light data in the entire print area on the banknote surface. The accuracy is higher.

  Thus, a genuine note banknote has a region in which images obtained under visible light and under infrared light are different from each other. For example, in a watermark region provided on a bill, Pay attention to the fact that the image looks very different when viewing the image (for example, when viewing the image in red light and under infrared light). Obtain the transmitted light data by infrared light in the area, weight the acquired transmitted light data and the transmitted light data in the same specific area of the genuine note acquired in advance, and compare the weighted data with each other The authenticity determination is made with higher accuracy as to whether the bill to be determined is a genuine note or a fake bill. At this time, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of authenticity determination by defining a specific area according to the denomination and setting a predetermined weight to the transmitted light data in this specific area.

  In either the first comparison step or the second comparison step, when the authenticity determination is performed by comparing the reference data with the acquired data, the transmitted light data is represented by a gray value, that is, a density value (luminance value). Therefore, the determination can be made based on the correlation coefficient calculated by substituting this into an appropriate correlation equation.

  It is also possible to generate an analog waveform, for example, from the transmitted light data, and make a determination by comparing the shapes of the waveforms.

  By the way, when comparing the bill to be determined and the genuine note bill, in addition to the transmitted light data, the reflected light data of the light in the specific area may be used. For example, in addition to the transmitted light data of the infrared light described above, the reflected light data of the infrared light in each specific region can be used.

  That is, by comparing the reflected light data in addition to the transmitted light data, the determination accuracy can be further increased. In addition, in the printed area of the banknote surface, there may be a region where reflected light data is easier to compare than transmitted light data. In such a case, a determination is made by weighting only reflected light data. Also good.

  Further, the light emitting means can irradiate light of different wavelengths, and when comparing a bill to be judged with a genuine note bill, transmitted light data and / or reflected light data of light of different wavelengths in the specific region. May be further used. That is, for example, when the light emitting means is configured to be able to irradiate infrared light and red light, and when comparing a bill to be determined with a genuine note bill, transmitted light data of infrared light in the specific region and / or Alternatively, in addition to the reflected light data, transmitted light data and / or reflected light data of red light can be further used.

  As described above, since infrared light and red light have different wavelengths, if transmitted light data or reflected light data from a plurality of lights having different wavelengths is used for determining the authenticity of a bill, a specific area between a genuine note and a counterfeit bill is set. With transmitted light passing through or reflected light reflected from a specific area, the property that the transmittance and the reflectance are different can be further added to the determination of the authenticity of the banknote, and by adopting such a method, the determination accuracy is further improved. be able to. Also in this case, the transmitted light data and the reflected light data are weighted. Note that the degree of weighting can be made different for each received light data obtained from transmitted light and reflected light of different wavelengths, and the accuracy of authenticity determination can be further improved.

  The specific area includes different areas of data obtained when light of different wavelengths is irradiated. For example, the above-mentioned “watermark” region and the like can be considered, and a region where a latent image is printed and a region printed with pearl ink are also included. There are other areas of the data obtained when the bills are irradiated with light of different wavelengths, and it is more preferable to set at least two or more areas as specific areas in order to increase the accuracy of authenticity determination.

  The latent image is one of anti-counterfeiting technologies, and is an image that appears when viewed from an oblique direction, but is not visible when viewed directly, as is applied to, for example, current Japanese banknotes (Japanese banknotes). In Japanese banknotes, characters such as NIPPON appear in an area where there is nothing in direct view when the bill is tilted.

  Then, if the area on which such a latent image is printed is photographed by being transmitted with infrared light having a wavelength within a predetermined range in the near-infrared area, the hidden NIPPON characters can be recognized. I found out that there was. In the present embodiment, an optical sensor that irradiates light with a wavelength near 950 nm, which is general and inexpensive, and uses a wavelength near 950 nm as a wavelength within a predetermined range. However, the wavelength within the predetermined range is not limited to such a wavelength, and any wavelength within the near infrared region can be used as appropriate from a wide range.

  Therefore, in the area where the latent image that is difficult to counterfeit is printed, the transmitted light data of infrared light having a wavelength in the vicinity of 950 nm within the above range when determining the bill to be determined and the genuine note banknote. When compared with each other, it is considered that the difference between the two appears more prominently, which is extremely effective for authenticity determination. In particular, it can be expected that the difference between genuine bills and counterfeit bills will become clearer by comparing transmitted light data with weights.

  The above pearl ink is also used in Bank of Japan notes to prevent counterfeiting, and when the bill is tilted, the pearly luster with a slightly pink color appears on the printed part. Printing with the above pearl ink is also difficult to counterfeit, and it is easy to determine the authenticity by comparing the bill to be judged with a genuine note using weighted transmitted light data and reflected light data for the area printed with the pearl ink. And it becomes possible to carry out accurately.

  In other words, the pearl ink is an ink containing a pearl pigment in which natural mica is coated with a metal oxide such as titanium oxide or iron oxide, a layer of titanium oxide having a high refractive index, mica having a low refractive index, and the surrounding area. Since multiple reflected light at the boundary with the medium interferes to create a unique pearl luster, it is not easy to produce pearl ink that can produce exactly the same reflected light. If weighting is performed, authenticity determination between a genuine note and a counterfeit bill can be performed accurately.

  By the way, the transmitted light data and the reflected light data acquired from the specific area are given a predetermined weight than the data acquired from other areas in the print area on the banknote surface. It is conceivable to multiply the transmitted light data and / or reflected light data in the specific area by a weighting factor.

  That is, in the correlation equation for determining the authenticity of a banknote using transmitted light data of infrared light, the density value from the acquired data is multiplied by a weighting factor and the like, and the comparison range of the calculated value is increased to make the determination accuracy. Can be further improved.

  Since the value of the weighting factor can be set in various ways, it is possible to deal with various appraisals only by changing the value of the weighting factor after data acquisition.

  In addition, as described above, when comparing with an analog waveform indicating density (luminance) generated from transmitted light data and / or reflected light data in the specific region, it is conceivable to enlarge the waveform at a predetermined magnification. . In this case, since the enlarged waveforms are compared with each other, the determination accuracy is further increased.

  Furthermore, as a method of giving a predetermined weight to transmitted light data and reflected light data acquired from the specific area as compared with data acquired from other areas, transmission light data and / or reflected light data in the specific area may be used. It is also conceivable to increase the data amount more than the data amount of other regions (or make the coordinate density in a specific region denser than other regions).

  Speaking relatively, it is possible to thin out the data amount or the coordinate density other than the specific area, and in this case, it is possible to improve the data processing efficiency. It is also possible to change the data density for each specific area.

  More specifically, for example, an LED array in which a large number of LEDs are provided in a linear shape is suitably used as a light emitting means for infrared light or red light, but an area other than a specific area is irradiated using such an LED array. In this case, the LEDs can be thinned and driven, and all the LEDs can be driven in a specific area. By such a method, an energy saving effect can be expected.

  Since the specific area can be specified as coordinates on the banknote surface area, the transport speed of the banknote by the banknote transport mechanism 8 described above is controlled, and the transport speed in the specific area is lower than that of other areas. It is also possible to increase the amount of optical data and reflected light data.

Specifically, the following configuration can be considered for the bill identifying means.
That is, the banknote recognition means irradiates the banknote conveyed by the banknote conveyance mechanism 8 with light, and receives the banknote reading means that receives the transmitted light that has been irradiated and transmitted through the banknote and the reflected light reflected from the banknote. And a weighting unit that weights received light data detected by an optical sensor that detects a specific area defined in a print area on the banknote surface, and an authenticity determination unit that determines the authenticity of the banknote. The determination unit is a determination unit acquired by the storage unit that stores the reference light reception data in the entire printing region of the genuine note bank surface including the specific region, the reference light reception data stored in the storage unit, and the optical sensor. First comparison means for comparing the received light data in the entire printed area of the banknote surface, and the specific area of the banknote to be judged and the genuine banknote. And a second comparison means for comparing the received light data with each other which are weighted.

  In this case, the authenticity determination unit can be composed of a microcomputer including a CPU and ROM, RAM, etc. as storage means. In the ROM, a determination program for causing the microcomputer to execute the authenticity determination method described above, and light reception data (for example, transmitted light data and reflected light data using infrared light, red color, in a genuine note banknote serving as reference data) Light reception data in the entire print area on the banknote surface, and a program for weighting the light reception data in the specific area can be stored in advance.

  Then, the received light data of the bill to be determined is acquired by the optical sensor and stored in the RAM, and the authenticity determination is performed by comparing the received light data with the reference data by the first comparing means and the second comparing means. I do. Note that the first comparison unit and the second comparison unit do not have different hardware configurations, but the authenticity determination unit may share the function.

  Further, the LED array as described above can be used as the light emitting means. In this embodiment, a first light emitting array that emits infrared light and a second light emitting array that emits red light are arranged. Has been established.

  By using the bill discriminating means having the above-described configuration, even if the received light data on all printed surfaces of the bill are similar in comparison, the authenticity determination is performed with high accuracy by comparing the received light data in the weighted specific area. be able to. In this case, the weighting can be changed for each denomination.

  In addition to the transmitted light data, the reflected light data is used as the received light data, and the light irradiated on the banknotes is infrared light alone, or red light is added, so that each received light data In the comparison, if one level deviates from a level where it can be determined to be a genuine note, the determination accuracy can be remarkably improved by determining that it is a fake bill.

  Further, the reference data of the genuine note may be stored in the storage means in advance. For example, the received light data may be acquired while the genuine note is conveyed through the banknote conveying mechanism 8 and stored as the reference data. . Therefore, it is possible to store corresponding optimized reference data for each authenticity determination device. Also, if the reference data is updated using means such as a moving average, the reference data can be adapted to output fluctuations without performing white correction at any time in order to cope with aging of the hardware. It is possible to optimize.

  By the way, in the authenticity determination method of the banknote identification means described above, a first comparison step that compares the transmitted data of infrared light that has passed through the entire print area of the banknote surface to be determined and the reference data, and the banknote surface A predetermined weight is applied to the transmitted light data of the infrared light in a specific area specified in advance in the print area, and the weighted data is compared between the banknote to be determined and the genuine note banknote. However, it is also possible to make a comparison at the same time without division.

  For example, using a genuineness determination program in which a correlation expression for comparison including a weighted relational expression is incorporated in advance, transmitted light data of infrared light transmitted through the entire printed area of the genuine note bill surface and reflected red color In the reflected light data of the light, the weighted specific area is stored in the storage device as reference data.

  On the other hand, the specific area portion is also weighted in parallel from the transmitted light data of infrared light transmitted through the entire printed area of the banknote surface to be determined or the reflected light data of reflected red light, and the reference data and Compare. At this time, for example, a waveform representing a luminance value (density value) can be generated as the data, and the waveforms can be compared with each other.

  That is, the specific area of the transmitted light data of the infrared light that has been irradiated with infrared light of a predetermined wavelength from the light emitting means to the printing area of the genuine note banknote in which the specific area has been defined in advance is transmitted. While preliminarily storing predetermined weighted data on the transmitted light data that has been transmitted as reference data, the print area on the banknote surface to be determined is irradiated with infrared light of the predetermined wavelength from the light emitting means, and the banknote is Total transmitted light data including the transmitted light data in the weighted specific area by weighting the transmitted light data transmitted through the specific area out of the transmitted light data of the infrared light that has been transmitted, the same weight as the genuine note. And a method for authenticating a banknote for determining authenticity by comparing the reference data.

  Even with the above method, it is possible to determine the authenticity with extremely high accuracy. The bill identifying means for realizing this method irradiates the bill conveyed by the bill conveyance mechanism 8 with light and receives the transmitted light that has been irradiated and transmitted through the bill and the reflected light reflected from the bill. A sensor, a weighting unit for weighting the received light data detected by the optical sensor in a specific area defined in the print area on the banknote surface, and an authenticity determination unit for executing the authenticity determination method described above. The determination unit is a storage unit that stores reference data in the entire printing area of the banknote surface including the specific area, reference data in the entire printing area that is stored in the storage unit, and a determination target that is acquired by the optical sensor. Compared with the received light data in the entire printed area of the banknote surface, the banknotes to be judged and the specific areas of the genuine note banknotes are compared. It is possible to configure by having a comparator means capable of comparing the received light data with each other attached Ruomomi.

  The configuration of the bill identifying means for executing the bill authenticating method as described above will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS.

  In these drawings, FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the banknote processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a control system of the banknote processing apparatus, and FIG. 13 is reference data. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a reference data table stored in the storage unit, and FIG. 14 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the front and back surfaces of a banknote.

  The banknote reading means 20 described above is disposed on the upper frame 2A side, and a light emitting unit 24 including a first light emitting section 23 that can irradiate infrared light and red light on the upper side of a conveyed banknote, and a lower frame. And a light emitting / receiving unit 25 disposed on the 2B side. The light receiving / emitting unit 25 is disposed adjacent to both sides of the light receiving unit 26 in the banknote conveyance direction, and includes a light receiving unit 26 having a light receiving sensor facing the first light emitting unit 23 so as to sandwich the banknote, and infrared light and red And a second light emitting unit 27 that can emit light.

  The first light emitting unit 23 arranged to face the light receiving unit 26 functions as a light source for transmission. As shown in FIG. 2, the first light emitting unit 23 is configured by a synthetic resin rectangular bar that emits light from the LED element 23a attached to one end through a light guide 23b provided inside. . The first light emitting unit having such a configuration is arranged in a line in parallel with the light receiving unit 26 (light receiving sensor), and has a simple configuration with respect to the entire range in the conveyance path width direction of the banknotes to be conveyed. It becomes possible to irradiate uniformly as a whole. Moreover, such a 1st light emission part 23 and the light-receiving part 26 (light reception sensor) are provided with the function as a deposit | attachment identification means which identifies whether the deposit | attachment is connected to the outer side of the external dimension of a banknote. . That is, for example, if a deposit such as a thread or string is connected to the bill and it extends to the bill insertion slot side, the light receiving portion 26 can detect the change in the amount of light, and the conveyance path width of the bill. It becomes possible to detect the connection of deposits over the entire direction.

  The light receiving unit 26 of the light receiving and emitting unit 25 is formed in a strip shape that extends in the crossing direction with respect to the banknote transport path 5 and has a width that does not affect the sensitivity of a light receiving sensor (not shown) provided in the light receiving unit 26. It is formed into a thin plate shape. The light receiving sensor is provided with a plurality of CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) in a line shape at the center in the thickness direction of the light receiving unit 26, and condenses transmitted light and reflected light at a position above the CCD. It is configured as a so-called line sensor in which the Selfox lens array 26a is arranged in a line. For this reason, the reflected light or transmitted light of infrared light or red light from the first light emitting unit 23 or the second light emitting unit 27 irradiated toward the bill to be subjected to authenticity determination is received, and the brightness is received as the received light data. It is possible to generate a two-dimensional image from the grayscale data corresponding to the grayscale data and this grayscale data.

  The second light emitting unit 27 of the light emitting / receiving unit 25 functions as a light source for reflection. As shown in FIG. 3, the second light emitting unit 27 uniformly irradiates light from the LED element 27a attached to one end through the light guide 27b provided inside, as shown in FIG. It is composed of a synthetic resin-made rectangular bar. The second light emitting unit 27 is also arranged in a line in parallel with the light receiving unit 26 (light receiving sensor).

  The second light emitting unit 27 can irradiate light toward the banknote at an elevation angle of 45 degrees, and is disposed so that reflected light from the banknote is received by the light receiving unit 26 (light receiving sensor). In this case, the light emitted from the second light emitting unit 27 is incident on the light receiving unit 26 (light receiving sensor) at 45 degrees, but the incident angle is not limited to 45 degrees, and the reflected light is surely obtained. As long as it is within a range where light can be received, it can be set as appropriate. For this reason, about the arrangement | positioning of the 2nd light emission part 27 and the light-receiving part 26, a design change is possible suitably according to the structure of a banknote processing apparatus. The second light emitting unit 27 is installed on both sides with the light receiving unit 26 in between so that light is emitted from both sides at an incident angle of 45 degrees. This is because if there are scratches or folds on the banknote surface, and light is irradiated only from one side to the irregularities generated on these scratches or folds, the irregularities will inevitably become blocked by light. A spot may occur. For this reason, by irradiating light from both sides, it is possible to prevent shadows from being formed in the uneven portions, and to obtain image data with higher accuracy than irradiation from one side. Of course, about the 2nd light emission part 27, the structure installed only in one side may be sufficient.

  Since the above-described light emitting / receiving unit 25 is exposed to the banknote transport path 5, as shown in FIG. 2, the surface portion (portion that is substantially flush with the transport surface 5 a) has unevenness at both ends in the banknote transport direction. The part 25a is formed and makes it difficult to catch the banknote to be conveyed. In addition, as with the light emitting / receiving unit 25, the light emitting unit 24 is also provided with concavo-convex portions 24a at both ends of the surface portion in the banknote transport direction as shown in FIG. .

  The configurations and arrangements of the light emitting unit 24 and the light emitting / receiving unit 25 described above are not limited to the present embodiment, and can be appropriately modified.

  The driving of the banknote transport mechanism 8, the banknote reading means 20, and the shutter mechanism 50 is controlled by the control means 30.

  The control means 30 includes a control circuit board 100 that controls the operation of each of the drive devices described above. On this control circuit board, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110 that constitutes a bill recognition means and a ROM (Read Only memory (RAM) 112, RAM (Random Access Memory) 114, and reference data storage unit 116 are mounted.

  The ROM 112 stores various programs such as the drive motor 10, solenoid 54, LED 70, and the like, various programs such as an authenticity determination program, and permanent data. The CPU 110 is stored in the ROM 112. The signal is input / output to / from the various driving devices described above via the I / O port 120 to control the operation of the bill recognition processing device. That is, the CPU 110 is connected to the drive motor drive circuit 125 (drive motor 10), the solenoid 54, and the LED 70 via the I / O port 120. These drive devices are operated according to the operation program stored in the ROM 112. The operation is controlled by a control signal from the CPU 110. The CPU 110 receives a detection signal from the banknote detection sensor 18 and a detection signal from the banknote passage detection sensor 60 via the I / O port 120. Based on this, forward / reverse drive control of the drive motor 10, blinking control of the LED 70, and drive control of the solenoid 54 are performed.

  The RAM 114 stores data and programs used when the CPU 110 operates, and the reference data storage unit 116 stores reference data used when determining the authenticity of banknotes, that is, all printing of genuine banknotes. The grayscale data acquired from the region is stored as reference light reception data for each of the transmitted light of infrared light, reflected light, transmitted light of red light, and reflected light. In the present embodiment, the reference data is stored in the dedicated reference data storage unit 116, but it may be stored in the ROM 112.

  The CPU 110 is connected to the first light emitting unit 23 in the light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 26 and the second light emitting unit 27 in the light emitting / receiving unit 25 via the I / O port 120. A bill authenticity determination unit 150 is configured together with the ROM 112, the RAM 114, and the reference data storage unit 116, and performs operation control necessary for authenticity determination in the bill processing apparatus 1.

  The CPU 110 is connected to a host device 200 such as a control unit of a game medium lending device in which the banknote handling apparatus 1 is incorporated or a host computer of an external device via the I / O port 120. Various signals (information on bills, warning signals, etc.) are transmitted.

  In the predetermined area of the reference data storage unit 116 in the bill authenticity determination unit 150 described above, as shown in FIG. 13, reference data (a) related to transmitted light of infrared light and reference related to reflected light of infrared light. Four types of reference data storage tables storing data (b), reference data (c) related to the transmitted light of red light, and reference data (d) related to the reflected light of red light are stored.

  More specifically, in the reference data storage table, there are 7 types of density data by reflected light of red light and density data by transmitted light, and density data by reflected light of infrared light and density data by transmitted light, respectively. Of the new banknotes (seven thousand yen of new banknotes, five thousand yen, ten thousand yen, seven thousand denominations of old banknotes 1,000 yen, 2,000 yen, 5,000 yen, 10,000 yen), and the banknotes face up 7 × 2 × 1 = 14 shades of data when the case and the back are faced up, and when the paper is inserted in the direction of either the left or right of the bill in the longitudinal direction (the right direction in this embodiment) Is stored in the reference data storage table. At the time of authenticity determination, the bill insertion direction is determined. If the insertion direction is the left direction, the stored reference data is reversed and applied. Of course, as indicated by (leftward) in FIG. 13, the reference data when inserted in the longitudinal direction of the bill in the leftward direction may be stored in the reference data table. In this case, 7 × 2 × 2 = 28 different shades of data are stored in the reference data storage table. The grayscale data can also be stored as a two-dimensional image.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, reference data stored as specific reference data is data acquired from specific areas that are different in visibility under red light and infrared light, which are predetermined in the print area on the surface of the banknote. Stored in the unit 116.

  Here, the specific area will be described. As shown in FIG. 14, various techniques are applied to Japanese banknotes, ie, Japanese banknotes, as anti-counterfeiting techniques. For example, as shown in FIG. 14 (a), on the surface of the banknote M, there is a watermark area 40a in which the thickness of the fiber is adjusted, a latent image area 40b that is not visible when viewed directly but appears when viewed obliquely, and a banknote. When tilted, a special printing region 40c is formed with pearl ink in which the pearl luster with a slightly pink color appears when tilted, and further, an infrared light transmission region 40d that transmits infrared light but does not transmit red light or the like is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 14B, the watermark area 40a and the latent image area 40b are also formed on the back side of the banknote.

  The watermark area 40a, the latent image area 40b, the special print area 40c, and the infrared light transmission area 40d described above are areas that are difficult to counterfeit. In the area 40b and the special printing area 40c, the brightness of the reflected light or transmitted light of infrared light or red light is greatly different, and in the infrared light transmitting area 40d, red light is not transmitted. Useful for authenticity determination. In the present embodiment, these are set as specific areas, and the position of each specific area on the banknote is defined by coordinates. In particular, in the latent image area 40b, it was difficult to recognize a latent image by transmitted light, but an image can be recognized by infrared light having a wavelength of about 950 nm used in this embodiment. It can be effectively used as an element for authenticity determination.

  In addition, since the latent image area 40b and the special print area 40c do not exist in the old banknote, at least the watermark area 40a provided with both new and old is used for authenticity determination.

  In the present embodiment, infrared light having a wavelength in the vicinity of 950 nm (near infrared light having a wavelength in the range of 920 nm to 980 nm, preferably in the range of 940 nm to 960 nm) is transmitted through the latent image region 40b. Since it was discovered that a hidden image can be recognized when the image is taken, the latent image image area 40b is also used as a specific area for authenticity determination. Therefore, the infrared light emitted from the first light emitting unit 23 and the second light emitting unit 27 has a wavelength of 950 nm.

  As described above, the reference data storage unit 116 of the banknote processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment stores the reference data and the specific reference data including the density data extracted from the reference data for the specific area. Will be. As for the specific reference data, the specific reference data related to the transmitted light of the infrared light, the specific reference data related to the reflected light of the infrared light, the specific reference data related to the transmitted light of the red light, and the reflected light of the red light The specific reference data is tabulated and stored in a predetermined area of the reference data storage unit 116.

  In the banknote processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, in the present embodiment, in addition to comparing the density data of the entire banknote between the genuine banknote and the banknote to be determined, the light reception data (transmission) in the specific area described above. It is characterized in that the grayscale data obtained from the optical data and reflected light data is weighted, and the weighted grayscale data is compared with each other so that the authenticity can be determined with high accuracy.

  That is, specific reference data (grayscale data generated from transmitted light data of red light and infrared light transmitted through a specific area, and grayscale data generated from reflected light data of red light and infrared light reflected from the specific area) Each of the weights described later is applied, and when determining the authenticity of the banknote, the density data in the entire print area acquired from the banknote to be determined is compared with the reference data, and further specified from the density data of the banknote to be determined. The grayscale data in the region is taken out, weighted in the same manner as the specific reference data, and further compared between the specific grayscale data weighted together and the specific reference data.

  That is, in the banknote processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when the banknote to be determined is inserted from the banknote transport port and transported, the first light emitting unit 23 and the second light emitting unit are formed in the print area on the surface of the banknote. 27, four types of light and shade obtained from infrared light and red light transmitted light data and reflected light data, which are irradiated with infrared light and red light of the same wavelength irradiated on a genuine note banknote. Each of the data is expanded in the RAM 114, and these are compared with four types of reference data (infrared light transmission and reflection light, red light transmission and reflection light) stored in the reference data storage unit 116, respectively. In addition, the specific grayscale data obtained from each of the transmitted light data and reflected light data of infrared light and red light in the specific area is weighted in the same manner as the genuine note banknote, and the four types of weighted specific grayscale data are obtained. Expand the AM114, these and four kinds of the specific reference data in correspondence with a 1-to-1 compared sequentially, the comparison result is to be determined as a counterfeit if the even one NG.

  Here, a processing procedure for actually determining the authenticity of the banknote in the banknote authenticity determination unit 150 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 18.

  FIG. 15 is a main flowchart showing the procedure of banknote determination processing, FIG. 16 is a banknote scanning timing chart showing the timing of irradiating the banknote with infrared light and red light and receiving transmitted light and reflected light, and FIG. The flowchart which shows the money type and direction determination process which determines a banknote conveyance direction, and FIG. 18 are flowcharts which show the procedure of an authenticity determination process.

  Note that the processing in each flowchart is executed by an authenticity determination program stored in the ROM 112, and this authenticity determination program is a light emitting means for the CPU 110 in the print area on the surface of the bill to be determined. The step of irradiating infrared light of the predetermined wavelength from the first light emitting part 23 and the second light emitting part 27 is compared with the transmitted light data of the infrared light transmitted through the banknote and the reference data stored in advance. The first comparison step, the step of performing a predetermined weighting on the transmitted light data of the infrared light in each specific region of the bill to be determined and the genuine bill, and the second to compare the weighted data with each other The comparison step and the step of determining the authenticity of the banknote based on the comparison results in the first and second comparison steps are executed.

  Initially, CPU110 of the banknote processing apparatus 1 determines whether the banknote was detected (step S01). This is determined by whether or not the banknote detection sensor 18 detects the insertion of a banknote and issues a detection signal. When the banknote detection sensor 18 detects a banknote, a banknote authenticity determination process is executed.

  Next, the CPU 110 outputs an irradiation signal to the first and second light emitting units 23, 27, and outputs red light and infrared light, which are visible rays, from each of the light emitting units 23, 27 so as to irradiate the bills. A reading process of the density data of the entire printing area on the surface of the banknote is executed to generate a two-dimensional image (step S02).

  Since the 1st, 2nd light emission parts 23 and 27 are arrange | positioned at this time at the line shape extended in the cross direction with respect to the banknote conveyance path 5, the light output from the 1st, 2nd light emission parts 23 and 27 is provided. Is irradiated to the full width of the banknote. The irradiated red light and infrared light are transmitted or reflected from the entire surface of the bill, and the transmitted light and reflected light are input to the light receiving sensor of the light receiving unit 26. As described above, since the light receiving sensor is also a line sensor, the reflected light and transmitted light of each light beam can be detected over the entire length, and the grayscale data can be read.

  Further, in the grayscale data reading process in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, each of the first light emitting unit 23 and the second light emitting unit 27 transmits red light and infrared light, that is, red light and infrared light. The four light sources consisting of the light source for reflecting red light and infrared light are repeatedly turned on and off at regular intervals, and the phases of the light sources do not overlap and two or more light sources The lights are not lit at the same time. In other words, when a certain light source is turned on, the other three light sources are turned off.

  Therefore, as in the present embodiment, even one light receiving unit 26 detects the light of each light source at a constant interval, and bills by red light transmitted light and reflected light, infrared light transmitted light and reflected light. It is possible to read an image made up of grayscale data in the print area.

Subsequently, it is detected whether or not a deposit is connected to the banknote (step S03). This is because, after the density data reading process is completed in step S03, the escrow position of the banknote (in this embodiment, the banknote trailing edge is set to a position where it is conveyed about 13 mm downstream from the line sensor position). In this process, the light receiving unit 26, which is a line sensor, detects whether or not a deposit such as a string or string is connected to the rear end of the banknote. As described above, the line sensor can detect the entire position of the banknote transport path, that is, the entire width of the banknote, regardless of where the deposit is connected. Therefore, in such a configuration, the accuracy of identifying the authenticity of the bill can be improved, and even if an attachment such as a thread or string is connected to any position in the width direction of the bill, the attachment It becomes possible to reliably detect the kimono as a foreign object. If the deposit | attachment is detected after the rear end of a banknote passes, banknote determination NG process will be performed (step 03; Yes, step S10). The detection of whether or not the deposit is connected in step S03 is executed prior to the bill authenticity determination process in step S07 described later, and the identification result by the deposit is preferentially controlled. . In this case, since the identification result by the deposit identification means is prioritized and controlled over the identification result by the banknote identification means, fraudulent acts are reliably prevented even during banknote transport after being identified as a genuine note by the banknote identification means. It becomes possible to do.

  Next, the CPU 110 performs denomination / direction determination processing, and the inserted banknote denomination (for example, thousand yen, 5,000 yen, 10,000 yen for new banknotes, thousand yen, 2,000 yen, 5,000 yen for old banknotes). 7 types of money of 10,000 yen) and the inserting direction (whether the surface of the banknote is up or down and four directions distinguished by the direction in which the banknote is inserted at that time) are determined (step S04). The denomination / direction determination process will be described in detail later.

  Next, the CPU 110 determines whether or not the denomination and the conveyance direction have been determined (step S05). For example, when the banknote is significantly damaged or missing, it cannot be determined (step) (step S05). (No in S05), the process proceeds to step S10, and the banknote determination NG process is performed. In this banknote determination NG process, CPU110 outputs the signal which reversely rotates the drive motor 10 to the drive motor drive circuit 125, forcibly returns a banknote to the banknote insertion slot 6, and transfers to step S01 again.

  On the other hand, if the denomination and direction can be determined (Yes in step S05), the two-dimensional image acquired within a certain range is moved to correct the position so that the correlation coefficient with the reference data is maximized (step S06). .

  In step S07, the authenticity of the banknote is determined. Although this authenticity determination will be described in detail later, first, the correlation coefficient between the acquired data and the reference data and the absolute value of the difference are expressed by four light sources (infrared transmission, infrared reflection, red transmission, Red reflection) is calculated for each. Next, the specific area is extracted and weighted, and the weighted correlation coefficient is calculated for the four light sources. Further, only the watermark area 40a is extracted from the transmission data, the differential coefficient is taken inside, and the size is calculated. Finally, a correlation coefficient is calculated with the specific reference data in the watermark area 40a. If all the calculated correlation coefficients are within the determined range, it is determined to be a genuine note, and if any one is out of the range, it is determined to be a fake bill.

  At this time, identification using the Mahalanobis distance is also conceivable by using a large number of genuine bills as samples and obtaining the average, variance, and covariance of each numerical value in advance. This is not to look at the calculated numerical values individually, but to make a comprehensive judgment using multivariate analysis.

  The time required for authenticity determination is about 0.7 s, and the time for which the bill is conveyed to the escrow position is about 0.1 s. The time for determining the authenticity of the bill at the escrow position is 0.6 s. Degree. Moreover, in order to identify whether the above-mentioned deposit | attachment is connected before the authenticity determination process of this banknote (step S03), after an authenticity determination, surely prevent fraud even if a banknote is conveyed to an escrow position. Can do.

  And when it determines with it being a genuine note by the authenticity determination result (Yes of step S08), banknote determination OK process is performed (step S09). This process is performed after the banknote is in an escrow state, and includes various processes such as currency exchange, prepaid card sales, and writing to a recording medium.

  If it is determined in the above-described step S08 that the banknote is a fake bill, or if it is determined in the above-described step S03 that the deposit is connected, the banknote determination NG process is executed. However (step S10), in the banknote determination NG process in this case, you may make it perform a process different from the time transferred from step S05 previously.

For example, when it is determined that the banknote is a fake bill, or when it is determined that the deposit is connected, the inserted banknote is not returned and is stored, and an alarm is given to the host device 200. A signal may be output. In such a configuration, when an alarm signal is transmitted, the state of the alarm is notified by sound or light, so that it is possible to detect an illegal act of the user at an early stage. In addition, when it is detected that a deposit such as a string or string is connected to the banknote for fraud, the control means is a higher-level device of the banknote processing device (for example, a service / product incorporating the banknote processing device). An alarm signal may be transmitted to a vending machine, a ticket issuing machine, a host computer that manages them, or the like. In this case, when the host device receives an alarm signal, it notifies the user of the state by sound or light so that it becomes possible to detect the user's fraud early and to prevent such fraud. It becomes possible to do. Alternatively, in the case described above, the first two times may be simply returned bills, and if the same state occurs three times in succession, an alarm signal may be output to the host device 200. . As a result, even though it is a genuine note, extra deposits are attached or connected, so even if it may not be determined to be a genuine note, the user can remove the deposit. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of performing unnecessary maintenance and to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable.

  Next, the denomination / direction determination process in step S04 will be described in detail. The reference quasi-data storage unit 116 in the bill authenticity determination unit 150 stores 7 denominations for each of four types of light (infrared light transmission light, reflection light, red light transmission light, reflection light), and the right direction. The reference data is stored as described above.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the CPU 110 first transmits, for example, infrared transmitted light from a two-dimensional image generated from grayscale data obtained from the entire surface of the banknote to be authenticated, that is, from the entire printing area. Items related to data are selected (step S11).

  Next, the degree of similarity between the 28 types of 7 denominations and 4 directions (when the banknote insertion direction is leftward, the rightward data is inverted) and the reference data is checked (step S12). Specifically, a correlation coefficient R represented by the following formula is used as an index indicating the degree of similarity.

なお、式中、［i,j］は紙幣の座標であり、この紙幣座標[i,j]における判定対象となる紙幣からの取得データの二次元画像の濃度値（輝度値）をｆ[i,j]、基準データにおける濃度値をs[i,j]、取得データにおける平均濃度をＦ、基準データの平均濃度をＳとする。

In the formula, [i, j] is the coordinate of the banknote, and the density value (luminance value) of the two-dimensional image of the acquired data from the banknote to be determined at the banknote coordinate [i, j] is f [i , j], the density value in the reference data is s [i, j], the average density in the acquired data is F, and the average density in the reference data is S.

  The correlation coefficient R takes values from −1 to +1, and the closer to +1, the higher the similarity is determined. And all the correlation coefficients with the reference data of each of the four directions of the seven denominations are calculated, and the denomination and direction showing the highest value are determined as the denomination and direction of the inserted banknote 2 to be determined. judge.

  In the present embodiment, since the density data in the entire print area on the banknote surface is stored as reference data in advance, the above-described method is used. However, regardless of the method, the denomination / direction may be identified. For example, it is not necessary to identify the entire print area. For example, the correlation coefficient with the reference data is calculated with three lines in the three long sides of the acquired data (the center of the bill 2, about 9 mm from the upper side, and about 9 mm from the lower side), and the average of the three lines is the highest. You may determine with the money type and direction of the banknote 2 used as authenticity determination object. In this case, since the determination becomes simple, the determination time can be shortened.

  Next, the CPU 110 makes a determination in the process of step S12 (step S13), and if a matching denomination exists as a result of the determination, an identification code for determining a matching denomination and direction for the subsequent authenticity determination process. Is set (step S14), and the process proceeds to step S04. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no suitable denomination according to the determination result, an identification code indicating no suitable banknote is set (step S15), and the process proceeds to step S04.

  Next, the authenticity determination process in step S06 in FIG. 15 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the CPU 110 performs density data acquired from the banknote 2 to be determined for each of the four types of light (infrared light transmitted light, reflected light, red light transmitted light, and reflected light), The similarity in the entire print area on the banknote surface is calculated with reference data stored in advance (step S21). At this time, the correlation coefficient R and the absolute difference sum SUM represented by the following formula are used.

なお、式中、［i,j］は紙幣の座標であり、この紙幣座標[i,j]における判定対象となる紙幣からの取得データの二次元画像の濃度値（輝度値）をｆ[i,j]、基準データにおける濃度値をs[i,j]とする。

In the formula, [i, j] is the coordinate of the banknote, and the density value (luminance value) of the two-dimensional image of the acquired data from the banknote to be determined at the banknote coordinate [i, j] is f [i , j] and the density value in the reference data is s [i, j].

  Next, it is determined whether or not the correlation coefficient R and the absolute difference sum SUM are within an allowable range (step S22). At this time, the closer the value of the correlation coefficient R is to +1 and the closer the absolute difference sum SUM is to 0, the closer to the reference data. If it is outside the permissible range (No in step S22), it is determined to be a fake bill, a code indicating that it is a fake bill is set (step S30), and the process proceeds to step S07. On the other hand, if the value of the correlation coefficient R is within the allowable range in step S24 (Yes in step S22), the process proceeds to step S23.

  In step S23, the correlation coefficient RW + is calculated by assigning a large weight between the data extracted from the specific area and the specific reference data. Note that the specific areas set here are the latent image area 40b and the special print area 40c, and these areas are areas having different shades of red light and infrared light. There is a negative correlation with light. In the present embodiment, a weight map calculated in advance is prepared, and a weighted correlation coefficient RW + shown below is calculated.

このとき、赤色光と赤外光の透過光については透過光用の重みマップを、また、反射光については反射用の重みマップを用いて重み付き相関係数を演算する。

At this time, the weighted correlation coefficient is calculated using the weight map for transmitted light for the transmitted light of red light and infrared light, and the weight map for reflection for the reflected light.

  Further, the weight w [i, j] at each coordinate defining the specific area can be determined from the specific reference data of the red light and the infrared light by the following expression, and this weight w [i , j] may be calculated each time authenticity is determined.

なお、式中、［i,j］は紙幣の座標であり、この紙幣座標[i,j]における判定対象となる紙幣の赤色光の特定基準データの濃度値（輝度値）をｓｆ[i,j]、赤外光の特定基準データにおける濃度値をＳｉｒ[i,j]、赤色光の特定基準データの平均濃度をＳｒ、赤外光の特定基準データの平均濃度をＳｉｒとする。また、ｃは重み倍率係数であり、適宜に決定した値である。

In the formula, [i, j] is the coordinates of the banknote, and the density value (luminance value) of the specific reference data of the red light of the banknote to be determined in the banknote coordinates [i, j] is sf [i, j], the density value in the specific reference data of infrared light is Sir [i, j], the average density of the specific reference data of red light is Sr, and the average density of the specific reference data of infrared light is Sir. Further, c is a weighting magnification coefficient, which is a value determined appropriately.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the correlation coefficient RW + is within an allowable range (step S24). Since the weighted correlation coefficient RW + also takes values of −1 to +1, it is determined that the closer to +1, the closer to the specific reference data. If it is out of the permissible range (No in step S24), the code is determined to be a fake bill and the determination result is a fake bill (step S30), and the process proceeds to step S07. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is within the allowable range in step S24 (Yes in step S24), the process proceeds to step S25.

  In step S25, CPU110 extracts the watermark area | region 40a from the data acquired from the banknote used as determination object, and calculates the darkness degree. That is, it is possible to extract only the watermark region 40a by preparing a mask in which the watermark region 40a is white and the others black in advance for each denomination and multiplying the acquired two-dimensional image with the mask.

  Then, in order to check whether or not any image exists in the watermark region 40a, a gradient (gradient) size g [i, j] represented by the following equation is calculated, and this is calculated as the watermark region 40a. The sum total over the whole is calculated.

なお、座標[i,j]における取得した二次元画像の濃度値をｆ[i,j]とする。例えばコピーなどで偽造した偽札には透かし部分がない場合があり（透かし領域４０ａにおける濃度が比較的に平坦なものを含む）、その場合はこの濃度値が低くなる。

Note that the density value of the acquired two-dimensional image at the coordinates [i, j] is f [i, j]. For example, a counterfeit bill forged by copying or the like may not have a watermark portion (including a watermark having a relatively flat density in the watermark area 40a), and in this case, the density value is low.

  Then, the CPU 110 determines whether or not the density of the watermark area 40a is within the allowable range (step S26). If the density is outside the allowable range (No in step S26), the CPU 110 determines that it is a fake bill and the determination result is a fake bill. Is set (step S30), and the process proceeds to step S07. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S26 that the range is acceptable (Yes in step S26), the process proceeds to step S27.

  Next, the CPU 110 calculates a correlation coefficient R in order to see the similarity between the acquired two-dimensional image of the watermark area 40a and the two-dimensional image generated from the reference data (step S27).

  Next, the CPU 110 determines whether or not the correlation coefficient R is within the allowable range (step S28). If the correlation coefficient R is out of the allowable range (No in step S28), the CPU 110 determines that it is a fake bill and the determination result is that it is a fake bill. A code is set (step S30), and the process proceeds to step S07. On the other hand, if the allowable range is determined in step S28 (Yes in step S28), the process proceeds to step S29, a code indicating that the determination result is a genuine note is set (step S29), and the process proceeds to step S07.

  By the way, in the above-described determination, it is desirable to perform the following brightness correction and position correction as preprocessing in the determination on the watermark area 40a.

  Since the watermark area 40a often has folds in the vertical or horizontal direction, and uneven brightness may occur in the vertical direction, the vertical and horizontal shading in the small rectangular area including the watermark area 40a. Brightness correction is performed on both the acquired two-dimensional image and the previously stored reference image so that the cumulative distribution is uniform. It should be noted that in the comparison in the entire print area of the banknotes, the influence of folds and unevenness is not so great, and may be ignored.

  In addition, there is a solid difference for each banknote in the position of the image (for example, a person) in the watermark area 40a, and in order to compensate for this, position correction is performed by 8-neighbor search within a predetermined range, and the correlation coefficient is maximized. Find a place to become.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, there are a plurality of determination steps using the calculated numerical values, and all the numerical values are within the allowable range while the determination by weighting the specific region is also used. It is determined to be a genuine note only when it is present, and if even one numerical value outside the range is calculated, it is determined to be a fake bill. Therefore, the accuracy of authenticity determination is extremely high, and it is possible to cope with advanced counterfeiting techniques. There is no need to develop new counterfeiting techniques one after another, and the authenticity of banknotes with excellent cost performance. It can be set as the determination method and the authenticity determination apparatus of a banknote.

  Next, in the banknote processing apparatus 1 described above, the drive control procedure of the drive motor 10 and the solenoid 54 for transporting banknotes will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Initially, when the banknote detection sensor 18 detects insertion of a banknote and is turned on (Yes in step S51), the drive motor 10 is driven to rotate forward and the LED 70 is lit (step S52). As a result, the transport roller pair 12, 13, and 14 are rotationally driven in the bill insertion direction to convey the bill into the apparatus, and inform the user that the bill is being processed. Is prevented.

  When the banknote passes through the area of the banknote reading means 20 by the conveyance of the banknote into the apparatus, the banknote determination process is executed according to the procedure shown in FIGS. Further, the closing process of the shutter mechanism 50 is performed in parallel with the banknote determination process, that is, in parallel with the banknote determination process (step S53).

  In the present embodiment, when the banknote detection sensor 18 installed on the downstream side of the rotating piece 52 of the shutter mechanism 50 detects the rear end of the banknote (the banknote detection sensor 18 is OFF), the solenoid 54 is energized, As a result, the rotating piece 52 is driven to rotate through the swing member 57, the sector gear 57G, the gear 55G, and the shaft 55, and protrudes from the transport surface 5a to close the bill insertion slot 6 as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, in the banknote determination process in step S53, it is determined whether or not there is a banknote determination NG process (step S54). If there is a bill determination NG process, the reverse drive processing of the drive motor 10 is executed at that stage, and the bill is returned toward the bill insertion slot (step S55). At this time, since the closing process of the shutter mechanism 50 has already been executed, the drive of the solenoid 54 is turned OFF (energization is canceled), the rotating piece 52 is drawn from the banknote transport path 5, and the banknote can be transported in the discharge direction. (Step S56).

  Then, when the bill is inserted back toward the bill insertion slot, when the drive motor is reversely driven by a predetermined amount, the reverse drive of the drive motor 10 is stopped (step 57). In addition, this predetermined amount is set to the number of rotations such that the rear end of the banknote is disengaged from the transport roller pair 12. At this time, the banknotes are discharged to such an extent that they can be pulled out from the banknote insertion slot 6, the stage where the user pulls out the banknotes and the rear end of the banknotes is detected by the banknote detection sensor 18 (step S <b> 58), i. When the LED is turned off, the LED 70 is turned off and the process ends (step S59).

  In the banknote determination NG process, in addition to simply returning the banknote from the banknote insertion slot 6, as described above, processing may be performed so that a warning signal is transmitted to the host device without returning the banknote. good. Further, as described above, the state in the banknote determination NG process is set in the counter, and a warning signal is transmitted when it is continuously counted that the banknote is a fake and an attached substance is connected. You may make it do.

  In step S54 described above, when there is no banknote determination NG process, an escrow standby process is executed (step S60). In the present embodiment, the escrow position is a position where the trailing edge of the banknote is conveyed about 13 mm downstream from the line sensor. In this escrow standby process, the drive motor 10 is stopped for a predetermined time or the driving force is Transmission is turned off.

  In this escrow standby process, when a refund command is generated for some reason, the inserted motor can be immediately returned from the banknote insertion slot 6 by driving the drive motor 10 in reverse (see steps S55 to S59). ). On the other hand, when a processing signal such as a stack command is generated, a transport process by the drive motor 10 is executed to transport the banknote in the escrow state (escrow banknote) directly to the downstream side.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the shutter mechanism 50 is driven to close until the bill inserted from the bill insertion slot reaches the escrow position (for example, when the bill detection sensor 18 detects the trailing edge of the bill). Therefore, since the bill insertion slot 6 is closed by the shutter mechanism even after the bill is conveyed to the escrow position, the bill insertion port 6 is blocked by the shutter mechanism, so that illegal acts during the bill judgment processing are surely prevented. It becomes possible. That is, conventionally, in order to prevent fraudulent acts when connecting deposits to bills (closing the shutter mechanism), bill authenticity determination processing and bills are conveyed to the escrow position. Although it is necessary to perform the processing, in this embodiment, since the shutter mechanism 50 is already closed before the conveyance to the escrow position, it is possible to reliably prevent an illegal act. Moreover, since the banknote insertion slot 6 is in the closed state before the banknote is transported to the escrow position, the user cannot continuously insert banknotes, and effectively prevents banknote jams. It becomes possible.

  Furthermore, after inserting the banknote, the shutter mechanism closing process is performed together with the banknote validity determination process, and the transport process to the escrow position is performed as it is, so that the processing procedure for preventing fraud is simplified.

  Then, after the escrow standby process, the banknote is conveyed downstream, and the stage where the rear end of the conveyed banknote is detected by the banknote passage detection sensor 60, that is, after the banknote passage detection sensor 60 is turned off (step S61). ) The drive motor is rotated by a predetermined amount as it is and stopped (steps S62 and S63). This predetermined amount depends on the distance between the bill passage sensor 60 and the transport roller pair 14, and corresponds to the rotation amount in a state in which the rear end of the bill is not pinched by the transport roller pair 14. Thereafter, the drive of the solenoid 54 is turned off (energization is canceled), the turning piece 52 is drawn from the bill conveyance path 5, the bill insertion slot 6 is opened, the LED 70 is turned off, and the processing ends. (Step S64). Of course, when the banknote passage detection sensor 60 is turned off, the drive of the solenoid 54 may be turned off (energization is canceled), and the LED 70 may be turned off.

  Thus, since the banknote insertion slot 6 is always in an open state, the processing procedure at the time of banknote processing is simplified.

  The banknote processing apparatus according to the present invention can be modified as appropriate in addition to the processing procedure described above. Moreover, the shutter mechanism 50 should just close the banknote insertion slot 6 in the middle of the banknote being conveyed and determining effectiveness, and it can change suitably about the timing closed and the opportunity. Is possible.

  Moreover, about the identification processing of a banknote, it is not limited to above-described embodiment, It can change variously.

  That is, in this embodiment, when comparing the bill to be determined and the genuine note, four types of light sources of infrared transmitted light and reflected light and red transmitted light and reflected light are used. Although described as a thing, you may use the transmitted light data of an infrared light at least. At this time, it is desirable that the wavelength is 950 nm or a wavelength in the vicinity thereof as in the embodiment described above.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the determination is made based on the correlation coefficient when the authenticity determination is performed. However, for example, an analog waveform is generated from the received data, and the determination is performed by comparing the shapes of the waveforms. You can also. And when comparing by weighting, this waveform can be enlarged to improve the determination accuracy.

  Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above, the 1st comparison step which compares the transmitted light data of the infrared light which permeate | transmitted all the printing areas of the banknote surface used as determination object, and the said reference data, and the printing area of the banknote surface A second comparison is performed by performing a predetermined weighting on the transmitted light data of the infrared light in the specific area specified in advance, and comparing the weighted data between the banknote to be determined and the genuine banknote. Although the description is divided into steps, it is also possible to compare them simultaneously without dividing them.

  That is, using a genuineness determination program in which a correlation expression for comparison including a relational expression for weighting is incorporated in advance, transmitted light data of infrared light transmitted through the entire printing area of the genuine note banknote and reflected red color In the reflected light data of the light, the specific area pre-weighted is stored in the storage device as reference data, while in the authenticity determination apparatus incorporating the authenticity determination program, the entire print area on the banknote surface to be determined The specific area portion is also weighted in parallel from the transmitted light data of the infrared light transmitted through the reflected light or the reflected light data of the reflected red light, and compared with the reference data.

  In addition, as a method of giving a predetermined weight to transmitted light data and reflected light data acquired from a specific area rather than data acquired in all print areas, the amount of transmitted light data and / or reflected light data in the specific area is set. Alternatively, a method of increasing the amount of data in other areas may be used.

  For example, in the case of using an LED array or the like in which a large number of LEDs are provided in a line shape, when irradiating an area other than the specific area specified by coordinates, the LEDs are thinned and driven, and all the LEDs in the specific area are driven. Is driven.

  Or about the specific area | region specified by a coordinate, it may be made to control the conveyance speed of the banknote by a banknote conveyance mechanism, to reduce conveyance speed rather than another area, and to increase the quantity of transmitted light data or reflected light data. Good. That is, the data density is increased by making the coordinate density denser.

  Moreover, if it is the banknote processing apparatus 1 in this embodiment, although it is also possible to control the conveyance speed of a banknote as mentioned above, the response | compatibility by changing a light emission interval, ie, a scanning timing, is also possible.

  By the way, in this embodiment, authenticity determination is performed according to the flow from step S21 to S28 shown in FIG. 18, but determination using a special region, that is, authenticity determination is performed only by steps S23 and S24. It is also possible to make it appropriate, and it is also possible to make it appropriate by combining other steps as appropriate.

  From the embodiments described above, for example, the following bill authenticity determination method can be realized.

  Light of a predetermined wavelength (for example, infrared light) is emitted from the light emitting means to the printing area on the surface of the genuine note banknote, and transmitted light data of the light transmitted through the genuine note banknote (for example, a two-dimensional image generated from grayscale data or (Waveform) is stored in advance as reference data, and light having a predetermined wavelength (for example, infrared light) is emitted from the light emitting means (for example, the first light emitting unit 23 and the second light emitting unit 27) to the print area of the bill surface to be determined. The first comparison step of comparing the transmitted light data of the light transmitted through the banknote and the reference data, and a predetermined area in the print area of the banknote surface, (for example, red light) A region where images obtained under visible light and infrared light are different is determined as a specific region in advance, and the specific region (for example, watermark region 40a, latent image) of the banknote to be determined and the genuine note banknote. Area 40b, special A second comparison step of performing a predetermined weighting on the transmitted light data of the light in the printing region 40c, the infrared light transmitting region 40d, and the like, and comparing the weighted data with each other. A bill authenticity determination method for determining the authenticity of a bill based on the comparison result in the second comparison step.

  In the print area on the banknote surface, areas where images obtained under visible light and infrared light are different are specified in advance (for example, a watermark area 40a, a latent image area 40b, a special print area 40c, and an infrared light transmission area 40d). The printed area of genuine bills defined as) is irradiated with infrared light of a predetermined wavelength from the light emitting means, and transmitted light data of infrared light transmitted through the genuine bills (for example, a two-dimensional image generated from grayscale data) Or the waveform) is stored in advance as reference data on the transmitted light data transmitted through the specific area as reference data, while the light emitting means (for example, the first light is applied to the print area on the banknote surface to be determined). The infrared light having the predetermined wavelength is emitted from the light emitting unit 23 and the second light emitting unit 27), and the transmitted light data transmitted through the specific area is transmitted to the transmitted light data transmitted through the bill. Same weight as ticket The was, banknote authenticity method of determining the authenticity by comparing the total transmitted light data and the reference data including the transmitted light data in this weighting the identified regions.

  In the authenticity determination method for each banknote, when comparing a banknote to be determined and a genuine banknote, in addition to the transmitted light data of the light, the banknote using the reflected light data of the light in the specific area is further used. Authentication method.

  In the method for determining the authenticity of each bill, the light emitting means (for example, the first light emitting unit 23 and the second light emitting unit 27) can irradiate light of different wavelengths (for example, red light or infrared light), and are to be determined. The bill authenticity determination method further uses transmitted light data and / or reflected light data of light of different wavelengths in the specific region when comparing the bill and the genuine bill.

  In the authenticity determination method for each banknote, the specific area includes different areas (for example, a watermark area 40a, a latent image area 40b, a special print area 40c, an infrared area) of data obtained when light having different wavelengths is irradiated. A bill authenticity determination method including a light transmission region 40d).

  In each of the above-mentioned bill authenticity determination methods, the bill authenticity determination method of multiplying transmitted light data and / or reflected light data in the specific region by a weighting magnification as the predetermined weight.

  In the bill authenticity determination method, the bill authenticity determination method in which the amount of transmitted light data and / or reflected light data in the specific region is increased as compared with the data amount of other regions as the predetermined weight.

  As mentioned above, although the authenticity determination method of a banknote was demonstrated, about the authenticity determination method of the banknote in the banknote processing apparatus which concerns on this invention, it is not limited to an above-described system, Various authenticity determination methods currently performed conventionally May be adopted.

  The bill processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a game medium lending device, and can be incorporated into various devices that provide goods and services by inserting bills. Moreover, in this embodiment, although demonstrated demonstrating that it is what processes the banknote as a Japanese banknote, the apparatus which performs authenticity determination, such as foreign currencies, such as a US dollar bill, and what is called a cash voucher and other securities As applicable.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Banknote processing apparatus 2 Frame 5 Banknote conveyance path 6 Banknote insertion port 8 Bill conveyance mechanism 10 Drive motor 18 Bill detection sensor 20 Bill reading means 30 Control means 50 Shutter mechanism 52 Rotating piece 54 Solenoid 60 Bill passage detection sensor 70 LED

Claims (2)

A bill insertion slot into which a bill is inserted;
A banknote transport mechanism capable of transporting banknotes inserted from the banknote insertion slot along the insertion direction;
Banknote reading means for reading the banknotes transported by the banknote transport mechanism;
Banknote identification means for identifying the authenticity of the banknote read by the banknote reading means;
A deposit identifying means for identifying that a deposit is connected to the outside of the outer dimension of the bill;
Control means for controlling fraud prevention processing based on the identification result by the banknote identification means and the identification result by the deposit identification means;
Have
The said control means performs identification of a deposit | attachment by the said deposit | attachment identification means, while conveying the banknote which the reading by the said banknote reading means was completed to the downstream by the said banknote conveyance mechanism . The said control means performs the authentication of the authenticity of a banknote by the said banknote identification means after the identification process by the said deposit | attachment identification means, The banknote processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned .

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