Counting the number of banknotes in a stack using the optica

[Aks]

Hi People.

I am looking at a particular application. I want to build a currency
counter. The device will be based on optical technology. What I want
to do is, "look" at the side of the stack of banknotes and from there,
read the number of notes present in the stack.

There are two possible approached that come to my mind :

1.) The CD-ROM Approach

Here, the light is made to incident on the "side" of the stack and
whatever light is reflected back, is read by a device. Now, the number
of "gaps" in the light gives us the number of notes.
The upside of using this approach will be less complexity in the
electronics.
The downside will be , this approach will involve moving mechanical
parts. (In the form of a light source that 'scans' the entire width of
the 'side' of the stack)
I've found a patent for this approach. Here's the link.

Here is a list of patents related to this one
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/result.html?query_txt=PN/4694474^20%20%20OR%204694474

And here is the US patent Number 4694474
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4694474.html?highlight=46944742,4694474&stemming=on


To read the full texts of these patents, u need to make and account on
www.freepatentsonline.com. Its free.


2.) The image-processing approach
An image of the 'side' of the stack is taken by a CCD or a CMOS
camera. The image is then passed on to an image processing unit which
then processes the image. There can be seen visible distinct 'lines',
horizontal lines in the image. Each line representing one note. If we
can read the number of such lines, we can build such a device.
Now, I've got a patent for this as well. And en extremely detailed
one, describing, in detail, the complete hardware, software and the
diagrams of the project. Here it is.

US Patent Number 5534690
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5534690.html?highlight=55346902,5534690&stemming=on

But being from computer science background, I am unable to understand
this completely. Can someone help me ?
I am ready to pay, if someone can make that thing for me. I am based
in India.


Ankit

 

[Bob Parker]

On 31/03/2007 21:04 Aks wrote:

Hi People.

I am looking at a particular application. I want to build a currency
counter. The device will be based on optical technology. What I want
to do is, "look" at the side of the stack of banknotes and from there,
read the number of notes present in the stack.

There are two possible approached that come to my mind :

1.) The CD-ROM Approach

Here, the light is made to incident on the "side" of the stack and
whatever light is reflected back, is read by a device. Now, the number
of "gaps" in the light gives us the number of notes.
The upside of using this approach will be less complexity in the
electronics.
The downside will be , this approach will involve moving mechanical
parts. (In the form of a light source that 'scans' the entire width of
the 'side' of the stack)
I've found a patent for this approach. Here's the link.

Here is a list of patents related to this one
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/result.html?query_txt=PN/4694474^20%20%20OR%204694474

And here is the US patent Number 4694474
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4694474.html?highlight=46944742,4694474&stemming=on


To read the full texts of these patents, u need to make and account on
www.freepatentsonline.com. Its free.


2.) The image-processing approach
An image of the 'side' of the stack is taken by a CCD or a CMOS
camera. The image is then passed on to an image processing unit which
then processes the image. There can be seen visible distinct 'lines',
horizontal lines in the image. Each line representing one note. If we
can read the number of such lines, we can build such a device.
Now, I've got a patent for this as well. And en extremely detailed
one, describing, in detail, the complete hardware, software and the
diagrams of the project. Here it is.

US Patent Number 5534690
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5534690.html?highlight=55346902,5534690&stemming=on

But being from computer science background, I am unable to understand
this completely. Can someone help me ?
I am ready to pay, if someone can make that thing for me. I am based
in India.


Ankit

Hi Ankit,
Apparently everyone's being distracted by issues about how voltage
doublers work.
Does this currency counter need to be 100% accurate? I imagine it
would. You'd need to be certain that all the note edges are in pretty
accurate alignment with each other, or the imaging system could miss
some. What about if the edges of some were dirty, causing the detection
system to see them as gaps?
All the bank note counters I could find on the net appear to work
on the principle of mechanically separating them and counting each one
individually.

Bob

 

[Mark Harriss]

Bob Parker wrote:

Hi Ankit,
Apparently everyone's being distracted by issues about how voltage
doublers work.
Does this currency counter need to be 100% accurate? I imagine it
would. You'd need to be certain that all the note edges are in pretty
accurate alignment with each other, or the imaging system could miss
some. What about if the edges of some were dirty, causing the detection
system to see them as gaps?
All the bank note counters I could find on the net appear to work on
the principle of mechanically separating them and counting each one
individually.

Bob

Are the banknotes of the one denomination?, if so why not accurately
weigh the notes to get the total. This assumes the notes are all the
same and don't need to be verified as real ones.

 

[MisterE]

But being from computer science background, I am unable to understand
this completely. Can someone help me ?
I am ready to pay, if someone can make that thing for me. I am based
in India.

I have made laser contour scanners that do just as you want.
Basically its very simple. No way will a CCD do what you want, I can tell
you that right now, the notes are too fine.

I use a highly sensitive laser meter. The laser bounces of the paper/notes
and comes back. It is pulsed and the time of flight is measured to record
the distance from the laser imession to the paper. This allows us to see the
tiniest of gaps/curves where two notes/paper meet. it is accurate to 0.1
mircometer dept. Scanning the laser up the side of the stack of notes will
give the computer a contour and will count the notes. Our program can count
notes/papers and articles as thick as whole envelopes. We typically use it
to count stacks of mail or stacks of paper.

Depending on how big your stacks are is how much it will cost. We have
stacks that are about 600mm high (0.6m). A special drive motor moves the
laser head up the stack, a PC is used to digitally process the signal and
get a count.

The total cost of the unit is around $15,000 AUD ea.
The main expense is the about $6,000 for a laser. $5,000 for drive assembly.
Then $1,000 for a computer and hardware box etc.

This can be made even cheaper depending on how fast you need it to scan. We
scan notes at about 0.6m stack in around 30 seconds but we can increase
speed with more expensive laser to do it in about 3 seconds. If the stack is
made smaller obviously this helps. With bank notes you can probably do very
small stacks (like 1 or 2 inches) and have each stack counted in a 1 second.
Accuracy is 100% perfect since it is a perfect image of the stack.

 

[MisterE]

The total cost of the unit is around $15,000 AUD ea.
The main expense is the about $6,000 for a laser. $5,000 for drive
assembly. Then $1,000 for a computer and hardware box etc.

That is obviously 1 off prototype expensense. If you mass produce the cost
would be considerably lower.

 

[Wayne Reid]

"Mark Harriss" <user@example.net> wrote in message
news:460f9683@quokka.wn.com.au...

Bob Parker wrote:

Hi Ankit,

All the bank note counters I could find on the net appear to work on
the principle of mechanically separating them and counting each one
individually.

Bob



Are the banknotes of the one denomination?, if so why not accurately
weigh the notes to get the total. This assumes the notes are all the
same and don't need to be verified as real ones.

That's how NAB do it. I carried a fat wad from an ANZ branch to a NAB branch
the other day. ANZ counted it out for me (probably for my benefit) but NAB
put it on the scales and that was that.

 

[The Real Andy]

On Sun, 01 Apr 2007 21:25:46 +1000, Mark Harriss <user@example.net>
wrote:

Bob Parker wrote:

Hi Ankit,
Apparently everyone's being distracted by issues about how voltage
doublers work.
Does this currency counter need to be 100% accurate? I imagine it
would. You'd need to be certain that all the note edges are in pretty
accurate alignment with each other, or the imaging system could miss
some. What about if the edges of some were dirty, causing the detection
system to see them as gaps?
All the bank note counters I could find on the net appear to work on
the principle of mechanically separating them and counting each one
individually.

Bob



Are the banknotes of the one denomination?, if so why not accurately
weigh the notes to get the total. This assumes the notes are all the
same and don't need to be verified as real ones.

Been there, done that. Weight is good for coin, note is too light and
variable. Only way to achieve accuracy is to use mechanical methods to
count note singularly. Even this method can fail, but if one is
counting notes in such a fashion then there should be ways of
reconciling the amount.

 

[Bob Parker]

On 2/04/2007 22:19 Wayne Reid wrote:

Are the banknotes of the one denomination?, if so why not accurately
weigh the notes to get the total. This assumes the notes are all the
same and don't need to be verified as real ones.

That's how NAB do it. I carried a fat wad from an ANZ branch to a NAB branch
the other day. ANZ counted it out for me (probably for my benefit) but NAB
put it on the scales and that was that.

That's also the way large numbers of tiny electronic components are
counted. As long as the scales are accurately calibrated, there's no
reason why it shouldn't be a very cost-effective solution. Much less to
go wrong than using an optical method.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Wayne Reid"

Are the banknotes of the one denomination?, if so why not accurately
weigh the notes to get the total. This assumes the notes are all the
same and don't need to be verified as real ones.

That's how NAB do it. I carried a fat wad from an ANZ branch to a NAB
branch the other day. ANZ counted it out for me (probably for my benefit)
but NAB put it on the scales and that was that.

** Well - "that" was all you saw the NAB staff do.

It is almost certain the same notes were later processed through a note
counting machine and visually inspected.

BTW

You related to Wayne Kerr ??





........ Phil

 

[Two Bob]

Are the banknotes of the one denomination?, if so why not accurately
weigh the notes to get the total. This assumes the notes are all the
same and don't need to be verified as real ones.

That's how NAB do it. I carried a fat wad from an ANZ branch to a NAB
branch the other day. ANZ counted it out for me (probably for my benefit)
but NAB put it on the scales and that was that.



** Well - "that" was all you saw the NAB staff do.

It is almost certain the same notes were later processed through a note
counting machine and visually inspected.

Over the years I have done installation and service work in about half the
NAB branches from Coff H to Hobart, and very few branches had note counting
machines, but nearly all had scales.
On the other hand, nearly all large clubs have counting machines in their
poker machine counting rooms.

John