A data generation apparatus includes: a separation unit that separates a serial number region and a background region from an original image of a paper currency that includes a serial number; a character image acquisition unit that identifies each of characters included in the separated serial number region, and acquires a character image of each of the identified characters; a background image acquisition unit that acquires a background image by complementing the serial number region in the separated background region; a pre-processing unit that generates a serial number image by combining the character images; an incorporation unit that incorporates the serial number image at a position corresponding to the serial number image in the background image; and an output unit that outputs image data in which the serial number that is combined by the pre-processing unit is associated with an incorporated image generated by the incorporation unit.

A data generation apparatus includes: a separation unit that separates a serial number region and a background region from an original image of a paper currency that includes a serial number; a character image acquisition unit that identifies each of characters included in the separated serial number region, and acquires a character image of each of the identified characters; a background image acquisition unit that acquires a background image by complementing the serial number region in the separated background region; a pre-processing unit that generates a serial number image by combining the character images; an incorporation unit that incorporates the serial number image at a position corresponding to the serial number image in the background image; and an output unit that outputs image data in which the serial number that is combined by the pre-processing unit is associated with an incorporated image generated by the incorporation unit.

A serial number recognition parameter determination apparatus includes: a generation unit, an identification unit, and an evaluation index calculation unit. The generation unit generates a parameter set of a program, the program being used when a paper sheet handing apparatus identifies, from an image of a paper sheet, character present regions in which characters that form a serial number are present. The identification unit identifies, from an image of the paper sheet, the character present regions by using the parameter set that is generated by the generation unit. The evaluation index calculation unit calculates an evaluation index of the parameter set based on the character present regions that are identified by the identification unit.

A paper currency number recognition apparatus and method. The apparatus comprises: a contact-type sensor (10) for acquiring paper currency image data; a white-light LED transmission light source board (20); an image acquisition processing board (40) which is integrated with an FPGA and a DSP, the FPGA being used for controlling ON/OFF of the white-light LED transmission light source board (20) and driving the contact-type sensor (10) to acquire an image, and the DSP being used for processing and recognizing the paper currency image data; and two pairs of position sensors (30) for detecting whether there is a paper currency entering the paper currency number recognition apparatus, wherein the white-light LED transmission light source board (20) has two light source modes which are strong and weak, and the two light source modes alternately provide a transmission light source for the contact-type sensor (10) to acquire the paper currency image data. The apparatus can acquire two white-light transmission images with different brightness of one and the same paper currency each time; therefore, the numbers of both new and old paper currencies can be effectively recognized, and the accuracy rate of paper currency number recognition is improved.

The invention relates to a method for securing a document including a visual element, carried out by a processing unit comprising processing means, the method comprising generation, from the visual element, of a reference security datum, and storage of the reference security datum,

wherein the reference security datum is generated by means of an algorithm configured so as to generate: for any image acquired from the visual element, a security datum whereof the differences relative to the reference security datum are less than a determined threshold, and for any image acquired on a different visual element, a security datum whereof the differences relative to the reference security datum are greater than said threshold.

A banknote deposit and withdrawal apparatus causes a control section to function as an inserted medium counting unit, a normal medium counting unit and an abnormal mediums number calculation unit. The normal medium counting unit again feeds out and conveys banknotes from the banknote deposit and withdrawal section to the verification section in a quantity corresponding to the number of inserted banknotes, conveys abnormal banknotes that are verified as abnormal by the verification section to the banknote deposit and withdrawal section together with following banknotes but conveys normal banknotes that are verified as normal by the verification section to the temporary holding section and retains the normal banknotes therein, and counts a number of normal banknotes. The abnormal mediums number calculation unit subtracts the number of normal banknotes from the number of inserted banknotes to calculate an abnormal banknotes number.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides a system and method for providing a dynamically reconfigurable watermark, and the use of the watermark to encode a stochastically variable property of the carrier medium for self-authentication purposes.

In a general aspect, orientation information is used to generate a unique code. In some aspects, orientation information is extracted from an object. The object includes multiple elements, and the orientation information indicates the relative spatial orientations of the respective elements. The orientation information can be extracted, for instance, by a scanner system that detects the elements. A unique code is generated for the object based on the orientation information. In some examples, the elements are diamond particles that each have one or more color centers, and the orientation information is extracted by detecting the color centers.

In a general aspect, orientation information is used to generate a unique code. In some aspects, orientation information is extracted from an object. The object includes multiple elements, and the orientation information indicates the relative spatial orientations of the respective elements. The orientation information can be extracted, for instance, by a scanner system that detects the elements. A unique code is generated for the object based on the orientation information. In some examples, the elements are diamond particles that each have one or more color centers, and the orientation information is extracted by detecting the color centers.

An example apparatus includes a packaging container, and any of a label and an electronic tag detachably connected to the packaging container and including an electrical code set for electrical authentication upon removal of any of the label and the electronic tag from the packaging container and being affixed to a device associated with the packaging container, wherein the electrical authentication is to validate the packaging container and the device as original equipment manufacturer components. Any of the label and the packaging container is altered upon removal of the label from the packaging container.