Method and system for processing value documents

Abstract

A method and a corresponding system for processing value documents, in particular bank notes, include the following steps: inputting value documents into an input pocket and singling the input value documents; capturing one or several properties of the individual value documents; ascertaining an identifier, in particular a serial number, of the value documents with the help of the captured properties of the value documents; storing the ascertained identifier of the value documents; outputting the value documents into at least one output pocket; and checking whether in the at least one output pocket there are located one or several second value documents whose identifier was not ascertained and/or not stored, with the help of the ascertained identifier of one or several first value documents output to the output pocket. The invention enables in an easy and time-saving manner a reliable processing of value documents, in particular a reliable accounting of deposits.

Claims

1. A method for processing value documents using a value document processing system, comprising the following steps: a) inputting value documents into an input pocket and singling the input value documents using a singler, b) capturing one or several properties of the individual value documents using a sensor device, c) ascertaining an identifier of the value documents with the help of the captured properties of the value documents using a control device, d) storing the ascertained identifier of the value documents in a memory, e) outputting the value documents into at least one output pocket using a transport device, f) outputting at least one of the ascertained identifiers of the value documents at a user interface and checking whether in the at least one output pocket there are located one or several second value documents whose identifier was not ascertained and/or not stored, with the help of the ascertained identifier of one or several first value documents output to the at least one output pocket, and g) repeating the step f), if several output pockets exist to which value documents were output according to step e); wherein, in step f), prior to outputting at least one of the ascertained identifiers of the value documents at a user interface and checking whether in the at least one output pocket there are located one or several second value documents whose identifier was not ascertained and/or not stored, detecting an irregularity in the transport of the input value documents using a transportation fault sensor for detecting irregularities in processing, stopping the singling of the input value documents and the capturing of one or several properties of the individual value documents; and wherein the user interface outputs a prompt for an operator to take out the one or more uppermost value documents of the value documents located in the at least one output pocket from the at least one output pocket, until the last first value document whose identifier was ascertained and stored is reached, and re-input the one or more uppermost value documents taken out of the at least one output pocket into the input pocket and feed these to processing again according to the steps a) to e).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein with the help of the ascertained identifier of one or several first value documents output to the at least one output pocket there are identified the second value documents which are located in the at least one output pocket and whose identifiers were not ascertained and/or not stored.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier of one or several first value documents which are output to the at least one output pocket and whose identifiers were ascertained and stored is output at a user interface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier of the last value document of the first value documents which were output to the at least one output pocket and whose identifiers were ascertained and stored is output at a user interface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second value documents which are located in the at least one output pocket and whose identifiers were not ascertained or not stored are taken out from the at least one output pocket, input into the input pocket and submitted to processing again according to the steps a) to e).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step c), further, a value of the respective value documents is ascertained with the help of the captured properties of the value documents.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein value documents which are located in the output pocket and whose values were not ascertained are fed to processing again according to the steps a) to e).

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second value documents which are located in the at least one output pocket and whose identifiers were not ascertained and/or not stored are fed to processing again according to the steps a) to e), after at least one of the following cases has occurred: a faulty transport of value documents upon processing the supplied value documents was determined, a jam of value documents upon processing the supplied value documents was determined, or a power failure during upon the processing of the supplied value documents was determined.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outputting of the at least one of the ascertained identifiers is performed acoustically.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transportation fault sensor comprises light barriers along a transport route between the input pocket and the at least one output pocket.

11. A system for processing value documents, comprising: an input pocket for supplying value documents, a singler for singling the supplied value documents, a sensor device for capturing one or several properties of the individual value documents, a transport fault sensor for detecting irregularities in processing by the system and for stopping the singling of the input value documents and the capturing of one or several properties of the individual value documents; a control device for ascertaining an identifier of the value documents with the help of the captured properties of the value documents and for storing the ascertained identifier of the value documents in a memory, a transport device for outputting the value documents to at least one output pocket and a user interface for outputting displaying the ascertained identifier of one or several first value documents output to the at least one output pocket, wherein with the help of the identifier of one or several first value documents output to the at least one output pocket, which identifier was output at the user interface, there can be checked, whether one or several second value documents whose identifier was not ascertained and/or not stored is located in the at least one output pocket; wherein the user interface is adapted to output a prompt directed to an operator to take out the one or more uppermost value documents of the value documents output to the at least one output pocket from the at least one output pocket, until the last first value document whose identifier was ascertained and stored is reached, to re-insert the one or more second value documents taken out from the at least one output pocket into the input pocket and to feed them to processing again, and to output, where applicable, further prompts directed to an operator, if several output pockets exist.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein with the help of the identifier of one or several first value documents output to at least one output pocket, which identifier was output at the user interface, there can be identified the second value documents which are located in the at least one output pocket and whose identifiers were not ascertained and/or not stored.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the user interface is adapted to output the identifier of the last value document of the first value documents which were output to the at least one output pocket and whose identifiers were ascertained and stored.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features, advantages and application possibilities of the present invention arise from the following description in connection with the Figures, in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic structure of a value document processing system;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a further example of a value document processing system in a front view; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows the value document processing system shown in FIG. 2 in a magnified representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic structure of a value document processing system 1 with an input pocket 2 in which a stack of value documents to be processed, in particular bank notes 3, is supplied, and a singler 8 by which the respective lowest bank note of the input stack is grasped and transferred to ain the representation chosen only schematically reproducedtransport device 10 which conveys the bank note in the transport direction T to a sensor device 20.

(6) The sensor device 20 serves for capturing physical properties of the bank notes, such as for example the printed image from which properties of the bank notes, such as for example serial number or denomination (i.e. nominal value) can then be derived. Depending on the bank note properties to be ascertained, the sensor device 20 includes different sensors, such as for example UV/VIS/IR optical remission and/or transmission sensors, luminescence sensors, ultrasound sensors, conductivity sensors and/or magnetic sensors.

(7) The sensor signals generated by the sensor device 20 are passed on to a control device 50 for analysis, in which from the respective sensor signals the desired properties of the respective bank note are derived, such as for example serial number, denomination, authenticity, degree of soiling, wear, defects or the presence of foreign objects, as for example adhesive strips.

(8) Depending on the properties ascertained from the respective bank note, the transport device 10 and the gates 11 and 12 along the transport path through the control device 50 are controlled such that the bank note is fed to one of several output pockets 30 and 31 and is stored there.

(9) Preferably, the system 1 is configurable such that an operator can stipulate which bank notes are output to which of the output pockets 30, 31. The system 1 can thus be configured e.g. such that only bank notes recognized as authentic and fulfilling state criteria, so-called fitness criteria, for a re-circulation are output to the first output pocket 30, while bank notes which were recognized as authentic but were classified as no longer fit for circulation when checked for their state are output to the second output pocket 31.

(10) The reference number 13 at the end of the shown transport path indicates that further output pockets and/or other devices, for example for storing or destroying bank notes, can be provided. There can thus be provided a further output pocket (not represented), such as for example a so-called reject pocket, to which all other bank notes, e.g. non-recognized bank notes or bank notes classified as non-authentic or suspicious are output. Moreover, into the reject pocket there are given the bank notes whose processing is not possible in the system 1, e.g. because errors have occurred upon singling by the singler 8. Such errors can be, for example, the removal of more than one bank note, so-called double removals or multiple removals, or oblique removals upon which means the bank note is not transported in parallel with its edges.

(11) The value document processing system 1 further has a user interface 40, by which information about the bank note processing and/or instructions to an operator are output, on the one hand, and data and/or control commands for controlling the bank note processing by an operator can be input, on the other hand.

(12) In special application cases, as for example upon the processing of deposits in commercial banks, at security transport companies or in so-called cash centers, the concept of value document processing systems 1 is often such that this system checks the bank notes of a bank note stack input in the input pocket 2 as to authenticity, ascertains the denomination thereof and calculates therefrom and stores a total value of the input stack.

(13) A value document processing system 1 particularly suitable especially for the fast processing of deposits is represented by way of example in FIG. 2 in a front view. The components of the system, described in connection with FIG. 1, are accommodated in a housing, the input pocket 2 and the output pockets 30 to 32 being disposed in the front region of the housing in such a way that these are easily accessible for an operator, so as to input bank notes 3, in particular in the form of a stack, to the input pocket 2 or to take them out after they have been processed and output to the output pockets 30 to 32.

(14) In the front region of the housing there is further provided a user interface 40 which preferably has a display device 41 for the visual reproduction of information and a keypad 42 for entering data or control commands. The user interface 40 can also be formed by a touchscreen. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible to arrange the user interface 40 for an acoustic output of information and/or for an input of data or control commands.

(15) The housing of the system 1 may be disposed on a base (not represented), for example on a tabletop which is preferably mounted on height-adjustable legs.

(16) In FIG. 3 the value document processing system 1 shown in FIG. 2 is represented in a magnified form to illustrate its working method.

(17) In a normal operation of the system 1, the bank notes 3 input into the input pocket 2 by an operator are singly removed from the input pocket 2 and are output, depending on the configuration of the system 1, according to bank note properties respectively captured, to one of the three output pockets 30 to 32 which are also referred to as a stacker. For example, the system 1 may be configured such that to the first output pocket 30 there are output only bank notes classified as authentic and fit for circulation, to the second output pocket 31 bank notes classified as authentic but no longer fit for circulation, and to the third output pocket 32 all the other bank notes.

(18) The display device 41 of the user interface 40 displays the serial numbers SN1 to SNx, SNy or SNz respectively ascertained upon the check of the individual bank notes, preferably in such a way that the order of the displayed serial numbers corresponds to the order of the bank notes output to the respective output pockets 30 to 32. In doing so, preferably, a first order of the bank notes output to the first output pocket 30 is marked accordingly as an order belonging to the first output pocket 30, for example by a corresponding symbol or an alphanumeric character string, such as in the present example ST1 for the first output pocket 30, ST2 for the second output pocket 31 and ST3 for the third output pocket 32. In this way, the operator obtains information about the bank notes properly captured and output to the respective output pocket 30 to 32 and their associated serial numbers SN11-SNx, SN21-SNy or SN31-SNz.

(19) If upon the automatic processing of the input bank notes 3 a deviation from the normal processing procedure occurs, for example a jam of the bank notes transported in the system 1 and the subsequent elimination thereof, or for instance after a temporal power failure, it may occur that one or several bank notes, which were improperly checked and/or accounted in the system 1, are output to at least one of the output pockets 30 to 32.

(20) Such an instance is illustrated by way of example in FIG. 3 by first bank notes 4 (continuous lines), which are located in the first output pocket 30 and were properly captured and processed, as well as by second bank notes 5 (dashed lines) which were improperly captured or processed.

(21) Preferably, the system 1 here is arranged and configured such that it recognizes deviations from the normal processing of the bank notes and thereupon stops this, for example in the case of a jam of the bank notes, by means of the above-described light barriers. Likewise, a transport fault in the transport device 10 may have occurred, e.g. because the gate 11 is defective or was triggered erroneously. Even such a transport fault can be recognized for example by means of the light barriers distributed over the transport device 10. In such a case, the improperly processed second bank notes 5 form the respectively uppermost bank notes of the bank note stack output and located in the first output pocket 30.

(22) With the help of the order of the serial numbers SN11-SNx of the first bank notes 4 properly captured and output to the first output pocket 30, which serial numbers are displayed in the display device 41, an operator can then easily determine, how many or which of the bank notes located in the output bank note stack have been improperly processed. For this purpose, the operator compares, beginning with the uppermost bank note of the output bank note stack, the respective serial number with the serial number SNx which was displayed last in the display device 41 and belongs to the bank note 4 which was properly checked and most recently output to the first output pocket 30. As long as the serial number of the second bank note 5 respectively checked by the operator does not correspond to the displayed serial number SNx of the last properly processed second bank note 4, this is an improperly processed second bank note 5.

(23) Preferably, the second bank notes 5 ascertained in this manner are fed to processing again by the operator, by these being inserted again into the input pocket 2, which is indicated by a dotted arrow in FIG. 3. In addition to the second bank notes 5 ascertained in this manner all the other not yet accounted bank notes, i.e. not already assigned to the first bank notes 4, are inserted into the input pocket 2 by the operator. These can be, for example, the jammed bank notes taken away from the transport device 10 after a jam by the operator.

(24) Preferably, the user interface 40 is arranged such that at the display device 41 there is output, alternatively or additionally to the respective serial numbers, an instruction directed to the operator, by which he is prompted to remove the uppermost bank notes of a bank note stack located in an output pocket up to the most recently output bank note processed properly whose serial number is displayed, and to re-insert these into the input pocket 2. Such an instruction is indicated in the example shown in FIG. 3 by a command line 43 displayed in the display device 41, by which the operator is prompted to insert the uppermost bank notes of the bank note stack, which is located in the first output pocket 30 (ST1), up to the bank note with the serial number SNx (not including this bank note) into the input pocket 2 (IN).

(25) The explanations given by way of example for the first output pocket 30 apply of course also to the improperly processed bank notes which were output to the second or third output pocket 31 or 32. If the second or third output pocket 31 or 32 is operated as a so-called reject pocket to which all the bank notes not recognized upon processing or not processable bank notes (double removal, oblique transport etc.) are output, the bank notes of the reject pocket can be fed to a new check without verification of the serial numbers.

(26) In the case of the embodiment examples explained with the help of the figures, the recognized serial number of the processed bank notes was employed as an identifier. It is evident, however, that other unique features of bank notes can also be employed as an identifier. For example a picture of the bank notes recorded by the sensor device or a part of the picture of the bank notes, e.g. the region of the serial number of the bank notes, is suitable therefor.

(27) The mode of function of the value document processing system 1 and the corresponding method can thus be summarized as follows: By automatically ascertaining a unique identifier, in particular the serial number, of the bank notes the system 1 can exactly retrace which bank note having a certain serial number was properly processed, in particular accounted, and output to a certain output pocket 30 to 32. This information is used, according to the invention, to identify any improperly processed bank notes, for instance after the elimination of a jam, a transport fault or a power failure, and to submit these to re-processing, where applicable. For this purpose, the system 1 preferably instructs the operator to take out the respectively uppermost bank notes of a bank note stack output to an output pocket 30 to 31 up to the last properly processed and accounted bank note whose serial number is captured and displayed, but without removing this last bank note, and to input the bank notes taken out into the input pocket 2 so as to feed these to re-processing in the system 1. The bank notes of the output pocket 32 can be taken out without verifying the serial number and input into the input pocket 2, if the output pocket 32 is a reject pocket.

(28) The particular advantages of this procedure are that normally only few, i.e. typically up to three bank notes must be taken out from the respectively output bank note stack and fed to the input pocket 2 and thus the total number of the bank notes located in the stack has not to be ascertained, like with usual methods in the prior art, which because of the manual counting is time-consuming and error-prone.

(29) The method according to the invention and system 1 is suitable in particular for checking the bank notes output after a power failure or a bank note jam to the output pockets 30 to 32 and makes possible a reliable recognition of possibly non-properly processed bank notes in the respective output pocket 30 to 32 even when the respective serial numbers could not be ascertained completely and, for example, are output only partly at the user interface 40, because the most recently output and properly processed bank note of the stack normally is recognized reliably as such even when its serial number does not correspond to all the digits of the serial number displayed at the user interface 40, e.g. when one or two digits of the serial number are not readable. The invention thus allows altogether a reliable processing, in particular accounting, of the banks notes 3 in a simple and time-saving manner.