A generally vertical banknote recycling bay arrangement comprising a generally vertically oriented banknote recycling bay for receiving banknotes therein, the recycling bay having an upper end and a lower end. The arrangement further comprising a banknote feeding assembly for feeding banknotes, one at a time, into the recycling bay, the feeding assembly being positioned near the upper end of the recycling bay. The arrangement further comprising a banknote dispensing assembly for feeding banknotes, one at a time, out of the recycling bay, the dispensing assembly being positioned near the upper end of the recycling bay. The arrangement further comprising a pair of stacker wheels supported for rotational movement about a driven stacker wheel shaft, each stacker wheel being laterally moveable along the driven stacker wheel shaft and a stacker wheel positioning mechanism configured to adjust the lateral positions of the pair of stacker wheels along the stripper wheel shaft. During operation in which banknotes are to be fed into the recycling bay, the lateral position of the stacker wheels is adjusted by the stacker wheel positioning mechanism to an inward position such that banknotes to be fed into the recycling bay are received by the stacker wheels and stacked in the recycling bay. During operation in which banknotes are to be fed out of the recycling bay, the lateral position of the stacker wheels is adjusted by the stacker wheel positioning mechanism to an outward position such that banknotes to be fed out the recycling bay are not engaged by the stacker wheels but instead are engaged by the banknote dispensing assembly which sequentially engages the topmost banknote stacked in the recycling bay and feeds banknotes out of the recycling bay, one bill at a time.

Systems and methods for ATM fraud detection are presented. ATM fraud detection may be provided in the context of including a weight sensor in the ATM to weigh currency notes. ATM fraud detection may be obtained by using a weight sensor to weigh any currency notes that remain after being dispensed to a user, and determining if the weight is correct for the amount of currency notes dispensed. A weight discrepancy resulting from removal of some but not all dispensed currency notes may indicate attempted theft or fraud.

Existing currency validation (CVAL) devices, systems, and methods are too slow, costly, intrusive, and/or bulky to be routinely used in common transaction locations (e.g., at checkout, at an automatic teller machine, etc.). Presented herein are devices, systems, and methods to facilitate optical validation of documents, merchandise, or currency at common transaction locations and to do so in an obtrusive and convenient way. More specifically, the present invention embraces a validation device that may be used alone or integrated within a larger system (e.g., point of sale system, kiosk, etc.). The present invention also embraces methods for currency validation using the validation device, as well as methods for improving the quality and consistency of data captured by the validation device for validation.

According to one embodiment, a paper sheet processing apparatus includes a conveyance mechanism which conveys a paper sheet with fluorescent ink print information along a conveyance path, a fluorescence reference member including a fluorescent material and arranged to oppose to the conveyance path, a light source device which irradiates the fluorescence reference member with excitation light, and an imaging device which images the fluorescence emission of the fluorescence reference member and acquires an image including a contour of the paper sheet passing over the fluorescence reference member and an image of the fluorescent ink print information of the paper sheet.

A system evaluates currency in an area using image processing. In some examples, the system receives an image of an area from an image sensor, processes the image to identify at least one item of currency in the area, determine a value of the currency irrespective of validity, and counts the currency. In various examples, the system receives an image of an area from an image sensor; processes the image to identify at least one item of currency in the area; determines whether the currency has an error condition; and when the currency is determined to have the error condition, provides output on the error condition. In a number of examples, the system receives an image of an area from an image sensor; processes the image to identify at least one item of currency in the area; determines whether the currency is valid; and when the currency is determined to be suspect, provides output on the currency.

Provided is a paper sheet replenishing box (paper feed device) for replenishing reserve fund in each circulation-type paper sheet storage unit, wherein paper sheets of each denomination can be replenished from one paper sheet replenishing box in which paper sheets of different denominations having different sizes are accommodated together to a circulation unit of the respective circulation-type paper sheet storage units. The paper sheet replenishing box includes a first tray piece 201 in which a plurality of pieces of first paper sheets P1 are placed in a stacked state, a second tray piece 211 arranged immediately below the first tray piece, on which a plurality of pieces of second paper sheets P2 having a different longitudinal dimension from that of the first paper sheet are placed in a stacked state, and rear-end regulating members 204 and 214 that align front end positions in a transport direction of respective paper sheet bundles to predetermined positions. After all the first paper sheets in a bundle on the first tray piece have been fed by a feed unit 160, an uppermost surface of the second paper sheets in a bundle on the second tray piece becomes a state capable of coming in contact with the feed unit.

A security article includes an optical component that includes a plurality of optical channels with a Fano resonance characteristic. An optical channel, of the plurality of optical channels, is configured to pass a first portion of a first set of light beams (that are associated with a first wavelength range) when the first set of light beams falls incident on at least one of a first surface or a second surface of the optical channel, reflect a second portion of the first set of light beams when the first set of light beams falls incident on the first surface of the optical channel, and reflect at least a portion of a second set of light beams (that are associated with a second wavelength range) when the second set of light beams falls incident on the second surface of the optical channel.

A paper sheet handling apparatus (for example, a banknote handling apparatus) for storing a paper sheet inside a storage bag provided with an opening includes a first bonding unit (for example, each heating member) which thermally bond and seal a portion to be a bottom part of the storage bag held by the holding unit (for example, each holding member) when the paper sheet is stored in the storage bag and a second bonding unit (for example, each holding member) which bonds and seals an opening of the storage bag held by the holding unit with a bonding material (for example, each bonding part).

According to one embodiment, an optical inspection apparatus including: an imaging optical system; one or more light sources; a light guide which extends cylindrically along an optical axis of the imaging optical system and whose end face is opposed to the one or more light sources; a total reflecting surface formed on an inner surface of the light guide to totally internally reflect light struck into the light guide from the end face; a mirror surface formed on an outer surface of the light guide to reflect light struck into the light guide from the one or more light sources, toward the inspection target; and a transmission surface formed on the inner surface of the light guide to transmit the light reflected by the mirror surface, toward the inspection target.

A system evaluates currency in an area using image processing. In some examples, the system receives an image of an area from an image sensor, processes the image to identify at least one item of currency in the area, determine a value of the currency irrespective of validity, and counts the currency. In various examples, the system receives an image of an area from an image sensor; processes the image to identify at least one item of currency in the area; determines whether the currency has an error condition; and when the currency is determined to have the error condition, provides output on the error condition. In a number of examples, the system receives an image of an area from an image sensor; processes the image to identify at least one item of currency in the area; determines whether the currency is valid; and when the currency is determined to be suspect, provides output on the currency.