Patent ID: 6722487
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: G07D

Abstract:
A money item acceptor comprising:a signal source to produce a money item parameter signal as a function of a sensed characteristic of a money item, a store to provide data corresponding to a normal acceptance range of values of the parameter signal for a money item of a particular denomination, the range including relatively high and low acceptance probability regions wherein the value of a parameter signal corresponds to a relatively high or low probability of an occurrence of sensed money item of said particular denomination, and a processor to determine when an occurrence of a parameter signal corresponding to a first money item adopts a predetermined value relationship, and in response thereto, to compare the value of a subsequent occurrence of a parameter signal corresponding to a second money item with data corresponding to a restricted acceptance range as compared with the normal acceptance range, and to provide an output corresponding to acceptability of the second money item if the second occurrence of the parameter signal falls within the restricted acceptance range, wherein said predetermined value relationship occurs when the parameter signal corresponding to the first money item has a value within a predetermined security barrier range outside of the normal acceptance range.