A sensor includes a first element part having a first member and a first element. The first member is a acoustic tubular waveguide and extends along a first direction. The acoustic tubular waveguide includes a first opening and a second opening. A direction from the second opening toward the first opening is along the first direction. The first element includes a vibratile first membrane, and a first supporter supporting the first membrane. The second opening is between the first opening and the first membrane in the first direction. The sensor may be a Piezoelectric Micro electro mechanical systems Ultrasonic Transducer and may be used for inspecting paper and/or resin including detecting thickness of a fed through banknote and/or the presence of foreign matter thereon such as tape. An optical element may alternatively measure the vibration of a membrane from acoustic through transmission instead of an acoustic receiver.

A system for evaluating a stream of sensor data formed by means of at least one sensor for a plurality of value documents includes at least two evaluation units and a data bus. Each of the evaluation units has first and second interfaces for receiving or transferring the sensor data stream with the sensor data, a third interface for receiving and transferring evaluation data, a working memory, at least one processor connected to the working memory for evaluating the sensor data in the working memory, and a relaying device connected to the first and the second interfaces and to the working memory for receiving a sensor data stream received via the first interface, at least partial relaying to the second interface and to storage of at least part of the data of the sensor data stream in the working memory, with the data bus being connected to the third interface.

A method for evaluating sensor data for a value document includes a memory and a multi-core processor arranged to access the memory. A management sub-group of the cores comprises at least one of the cores, and at least one evaluation subgroup of the cores comprises at least one other of the cores. The management subgroup manages the memory regarding the storing of at least the sensor data and generates evaluation information for carrying out the evaluation. At least one evaluation subgroup carries out at least one part of the evaluation in dependence on the evaluation information and stores the result in the memory.

There is described a method for checking a value document of a specified type for the suspected presence of a forgery, in particular of a pieced-together forgery, wherein at least one ultrasonic property of the value document is captured in a spatially resolved manner so as to form location-dependent measuring data, wherein while employing the location-dependent measuring data it is checked whether there are present in a specified checking region of the value document two areal regions whose ultrasonic properties deviate from each other according to a specified difference criterion, and wherein there is formed an authenticity signal which represents the result of the check. Further, a corresponding checking device is described.

There is described a method for checking a value document of a specified type for the suspected presence of a forgery, in particular of a pieced-together forgery, wherein at least one ultrasonic property of the value document is captured in a spatially resolved manner so as to form location-dependent measuring data, wherein while employing the location-dependent measuring data it is checked whether there are present in a specified checking region of the value document two areal regions whose ultrasonic properties deviate from each other according to a specified difference criterion, and wherein there is formed an authenticity signal which represents the result of the check. Further, a corresponding checking device is described.

A media handler for detecting counterfeit media is described. The media handler comprises: a plurality of discrete sensors distributed along a transport path operable to transport a media item, and a controller operable to receive signals from the plurality of discrete sensors. The controller is also operable to make a decision on validity of the transported media item based on the received signals.

A media handler for detecting counterfeit media is described. The media handler comprises: a plurality of discrete sensors distributed along a transport path operable to transport a media item, and a controller operable to receive signals from the plurality of discrete sensors. The controller is also operable to make a decision on validity of the transported media item based on the received signals.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a sensor includes a first element part. The first element part includes a first member and a first element. The first member is tubular and extends along a first direction. The first member includes a first opening and a second opening. A direction from the second opening toward the first opening is along the first direction. The first element includes a vibratile first membrane, and a first supporter supporting the first membrane. The second opening is between the first opening and the first membrane in the first direction.

A method for examining a value document includes emitting ultrasonic pulses onto several locations on the value document. An echo pulse arises by reflection of at least a portion of a respective ultrasonic pulse at the value document. The echo pulses are received while forming echo values, and from the echo values at least a characteristic value is established as to the wrinkledness of the value document. As apparatus is provided for carrying out the method.

A method for examining a value document includes emitting ultrasonic pulses onto several locations on the value document. An echo pulse arises by reflection of at least a portion of a respective ultrasonic pulse at the value document. The echo pulses are received while forming echo values, and from the echo values at least a characteristic value is established as to the wrinkledness of the value document. As apparatus is provided for carrying out the method.