In various exemplary embodiments, a method for testing a valuable document (22) is provided, wherein: the valuable document (22) is illuminated line by line in such a way that a first group of lines (42, 46) of the valuable document (22) is illuminated with light of a first wavelength and that at least one second group of lines (42, 46) of the valuable document (22) is illuminated with light of a second wavelength, wherein at least partly lines (42) of the first group and lines (46) of the second group alternate, reflection light (34) that is reflected from the lines (42, 46) and/or transmission light (35) that passes through the lines (42, 46) are/is detected in a manner assigned to the lines (42) of the first group and the lines (46) of the second group, wherein first data are representative of the reflection light (34) and/or transmission light (35) assigned to the lines (42) of the first group and second data are representative of the reflection light (34) and/or transmission light (35) assigned to the lines (46) of the second group, the first data are processed in such a way that a first image (60) generated from the first data has a first resolution, and the second data are processed in such a way that a further image (68) generated from the second data has a second resolution, which is different from the first resolution, and the first image (60) is compared with a first reference image and the further image (68) is compared with a further reference image.

An apparatus and method for checking value documents, in particular bank notes, and a value document processing system having at least one sensor for capturing an electromagnetic radiation transmitted by a value document and generating corresponding transmission signals, and an evaluation device for checking whether the value document has a foreign object taking into account the transmission signals. From the transmission signals an edge course of the value document is derived and a rectangle is approximated to the edge course. By comparing the edge course of the transmission image with the rectangle, the presence of a foreign object such as an adhesive tape, can be ascertained.

A light source may illuminate a scene with amplitude-modulated light. The scene may include fluorescent material. The amplitude modulation may be periodic, and the frequency of the amplitude modulation may be swept. During the sweep, a time-of-flight sensor may take measurements of light returning from the scene. A computer may calculate, for each pixel in the sensor, a vector of complex numbers. Each complex number in the vector may encode phase and amplitude of light incident at the pixel and may correspond to measurements taken at a given frequency in the sweep. A computer may, based on phase of the complex numbers for a pixel, calculate fluorescence lifetime and scene depth of a scene point that corresponds to the pixel.

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.

Donation receiving apparatus has a denomination discriminator interfacing a storage area. The denomination discriminator has at least one sensor for sensing at least one physical characteristic of currency passing therethrough. A device controller interfaces a mobile communication device interface and the denomination discriminator. In use, the device controller establishes communication with the mobile communication device, detects a denomination using the at least one physical characteristic and transmits the denomination to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device may execute an application controller which displays a graphical user interface on a digital display thereof which may display the denomination.

Embodiments relate to a non-fungible physical (NFP) item. The non-fungible physical (NFP) item comprises an identifier. The identifier is embedded and layered within the non-fungible physical item in an unplanned pattern. The identifier in the unplanned pattern is configured to provide high security against counterfeiting of the non-fungible physical (NFP) item. The identifier comprises at least one of a random marker and a unique marker. The unplanned pattern comprises at least one of a random pattern and a unique pattern. Further the non-fungible physical (NFP) item is registered as a non-fungible token on a blockchain. The NFP item is then paired with the non-fungible token for enabling two-way mutual authentication and enhanced authenticity. The pairing of the NFP item with the non-fungible token enables tracking condition, provenance, and grading of the NFP item.

A method for detecting an object in a search image, includes: a) providing a pattern vector which describes the object by means of coordinates of characteristic pixels; b) shifting the pattern vector over different positions of the search image; c) determining a success value at each of the different positions; and d) detecting the object at the position on the basis of the success value, wherein each characteristic pixel is assigned a first direction and a second direction that differs from the first direction. The first and second overall intensity values of one-dimensionally arranged pixels are determined in the first and second directions, respectively. A difference value between the first and second overall intensity values is determined in each case, and the success value is determined on the basis of the respective difference values.

An image captured for a currency note is preprocessed to correct pixel intensity values to expected pixel intensity values. The corrected image is passed to a currency validator for determining whether the currency not is genuine or non-genuine.

A method and a device check a security element of a security document. The security element contains at least one particulate substance with electroluminescent properties and at least one field suppression element. The method includes applying an electric excitation field to the security element, generating an optical image of at least one region of the security element after or during the production of the electric excitation field, and detecting local intensity maxima in the optical image. The security element is verified if a number of local intensity maxima present at different image positions is greater than or equal to a specified number, the number being at least two.

A method is provided for generating templates for checking value documents of a predefined value document type having at least two predefined production elements that optionally partially overlap, as well as digital training images of training value documents of the predefined value document type. The method involves: for each of the training images, determining position data sets having position coordinates in a coordinate space each describing the positions of the production elements on the value document at least relative to one another; forming at least two position sub-regions of the coordinate space, each comprising at least one predefined number of position data sets. The position subregions contain no common position data sets; for each of the position sub-regions, determining a template using training images of the value documents; storing the template and position sub-region data describing the position and extent of each position sub-region.