A monitoring system, particularly for use with document sorting apparatus, comprises a sensor assembly including a sensor for sensing a respective characteristic of an article and for generating a corresponding first output signal, and a detector controller for applying at least one of a predetermined set of algorithms to the first output signal from the sensor, in conjunction with data supplied to the detector controller, to generate one or more second output signals. A detector processor common to each of the sensor assemblies supplies the data and algorithm selection information to the detector controllers to control which of the set of algorithms is applied by the detector controller and to generate in response to the or each second output signal and reference data a third output signal representative of the characteristic of the article being monitored.
A method and system for detecting a presence of more than one item at a point along a conveyance path, comprising steps of (A) generating a light beam and directing the beam through the path such that a presence of the item will cause the beam to be attenuated; (B) detecting the beam after it is attenuated by the presence of the item; and (C) determining from the amount of attenuation how many items are simultaneously present. In the preferred embodiment the item is an item of currency, and the step of generating a light beam includes a step of operating an optical source, such as an LED or a laser, to generate a beam having a wavelength in the range of about 400 nm to about 1 micrometer or longer.
A method of inspecting documents of value, the method comprises: a) obtaining images of one or more parts of the document from radiation received from that part or those parts of the document (14) in respective different wavelength bands; b) performing an analysis of one of said images to identify a first type of class within which the document of value is included; and c) performing an analysis of another of said images using corresponding predetermined data relating to members of the first type of class identified in step b) so as to determine a second type of class within which the document of value is included.
A system and method for adaptive and predictive analysis of sensor readings to track documents in a document processing system. The system comprises: a plurality of sensors for sensing a document, wherein each sensor includes an associated filtering system for filtering sensor readings, and a performance tracking system for collecting performance data; and a control system that and adjusts filtering characteristics of the filtering system based on the collected performance data. In addition, a correlation system is provided for using data from at least one upstream sensor to interpret an ambiguous downstream sensor signal.
A currency evaluation device for receiving a stack of U.S. currency bills and rapidly evaluating all the bills in the stack comprises an input receptacle adapted to receive a stack of U.S. currency bills of a plurality of denominations to be evaluated. According to one embodiment, a transport mechanism transports the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle along a transport path at a rate of at least about 800 bills per minute. A denomination discriminating unit which includes a detector positioned along the transport path evaluates the bills. The device comprises a single denominated bill output receptacle positioned to receive bills whose denomination have been determined by the discriminating unit including bills of a plurality of denominations. A separate stacker bin is provided and a diverter positioned along the transport path routes bills whose denomination cannot be determined to the separate stacker bin.
