Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for accepting sheet material, in particular papers of value such as bank notes, checks, etc., whereby different groups of sheet material are successively accepted and stored. 
     In a known method and corresponding apparatus for accepting groups of sheet material such as bank notes, the bank notes coming from a deliverer are checked and stored in a storage container in the order of their input. Thus it is not always recognizable without doubt subsequently, e.g. in cases of malfunction, which deliverer certain bank notes come from. 
     The present invention starts out from the consideration that each group of sheet material is assigned at least one separation means and the separation means are stored at least partly together with the associated group of sheet material for separating the associated group of sheet material from other groups of sheet material.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for accepting sheet material, in particular documents of value such as bank notes, checks, etc., whereby different groups of sheet material are successively accepted and stored. 
   In a known method and corresponding apparatus for accepting sheet material such as bank notes, it is provided that a deliverer inputs a group of bank notes, hereinafter called a delivery, into a corresponding apparatus for acceptance. Additionally, the deliverer must identify himself, for example by using a check card whose data, e.g. account number, are read. The corresponding account number is then credited with the bank notes inputted for acceptance. For this purpose the bank notes are checked for example as to authenticity and denomination in order to determine the total sum of bank notes inputted for acceptance. The checked bank notes are then transported by the apparatus to a storage container and kept there. The bank notes are stored in the storage container in the order of their input. 
   However, the known method and corresponding apparatus have disadvantages in several respects. One problem is for example the use of a check card for identification. When e.g. an employee brings the delivery to a bank operating a corresponding apparatus, he must carry the account holder&#39;s check card with him to perform identification successfully. This results in certain risks, on the one hand, and if different employees make deliveries it is problematic to equip each of the employees with a corresponding check card, on the other hand. Further problems can arise upon acceptance of the delivery in the apparatus if there are malfunctions during transport of the bank notes within the apparatus that cause a change in their order, or there are errors during the check of the bank notes. In such cases it is not readily possible to assign the problematic, e.g. forged, bank notes to the actual deliverer. This makes it difficult or impossible to check the individual deliveries subsequently. 
   SUMMARY 
   It is therefore the problem of the present invention to state a method and apparatus for accepting sheet material, in particular documents of value such as bank notes, checks, etc., whereby different groups of sheet material are successively accepted and stored, that simplifies and facilitates operation for deliverers, on the one hand, and permits an improved subsequent check of individual deliveries, on the other hand. 
   For accepting different groups of sheet material consisting of at least one piece of sheet material, in particular documents of value such as bank notes, checks, etc., that are successively accepted and stored, the invention starts out from the consideration that each group of sheet material is assigned at least one separator referred herein as a separation means and the separation means are stored at least partly together with the associated group of sheet material for separating the associated group of sheet material from other groups of sheet material. 
   The advantage of the invention is in particular in that the proposed use of separation means is suitable for guaranteeing the assignability of each group of sheet material to a deliverer. 
   In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the separation means have information or are provided with information. Evaluation of the information guarantees for example the unique assignability of each group of sheet material to a deliverer. Evaluation of the information of the separation means permits this even without the use of special identification means, e.g. a check card, by the deliverer. 
   In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that additional separation means are produced to be stored together with the sheet material of each group of sheet material. The use of additional separation means allows better processing of sheet material since the additional separation means allow the individual groups of sheet material to be exactly subdivided, for example to separate forged or possibly forged sheet material from other sheet material. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     To facilitate understanding, only the elements that are of importance in connection with the present invention will be described hereinafter. 
       FIG. 1   a  shows a schematic first embodiment of an apparatus for accepting different groups of sheet material, 
       FIG. 1   b  shows a schematic second embodiment of an apparatus for accepting different groups of sheet material, 
       FIG. 2   a  shows a first embodiment of separation means for a group of sheet material with an inserted group of sheet material, 
       FIG. 2   b  shows the first embodiment of separation means for a group of sheet material without sheet material, 
       FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment of separation means for a group of sheet material with an inserted group of sheet material, 
       FIG. 4  shows an arrangement of a plurality of groups of sheet material with associated separation means, 
       FIG. 5  shows a first embodiment of separation means for detecting information for a group of sheet material, 
       FIG. 6  shows a second embodiment of separation means for detecting information for a group of sheet material, and 
       FIG. 7  shows a third embodiment of separation means for detecting information for a group of sheet material. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In the following the acceptance of different groups of sheet material will be described by way of example with reference to the acceptance of different groups of bank notes, hereinafter called deliveries. Other papers of value such as checks, etc., can be processed in the same way. The different deliveries are separated by a separator referred to herein as a separation means, for example separation cards. A bank note accepting machine is used for processing the different deliveries. 
     FIG. 1   a  shows a schematic first embodiment of bank note accepting machine  100  for accepting different groups of sheet material. 
   A deliverer has inserted delivery E 3  into input  110 . Sheet material of delivery E 3  consists of documents of value including bank notes BN 3  and separation card TK 3  and is transferred individually by singler  111  to transport system  120  that guides the sheet material through sensor device  112  connected with control device  140 . By means of its sensors, sensor device  112  derives data from the sheet material that are evaluated by control device  140 . Evaluation can be dispensed with in the simplest case, or only a count of sheet material is performed. However, evaluation can also include a check for authenticity and type of sheet material, e.g. authenticity and denomination of bank notes. In the same way, sensor device  112  and control device  140  can detect information applied to separation card TK 3 . Then the sheet material is stored in storage container  130 . 
   The data of bank notes BN 3  determined during the check and the information of separation card TK 3  are stored in a memory of control device  140 . The data of the check can also be transferred to separation card TK 3 , for example in sensor device  112 . The data are related with the check of bank notes BN 3 , for example their number, type (currency, denomination), total sum, etc. For this purpose, separation card TK 3  must constitute the last piece of sheet material in delivery E 3 , as shown. Likewise, it is possible that a separation card is disposed as the first piece of sheet material or at any place in a delivery, in which case an additional device (not shown) must be used in which the card can be temporarily stored until the total deposit has been processed. For example, it can be provided that the card is returned to input  110  after running through sensor device  112  to be able to be processed again. In the example of  FIG. 1 , two deliveries E 1  and E 2  have already been accepted. Bank notes BN 1  and BN 2  and separation cards TK 1  and TK 2  are accordingly stacked in storage container  130 , card TK 1  separating first delivery E 1  from second delivery E 2 , and second card TK 2  separating second delivery E 2  from delivery E 3  to be processed subsequently. 
   All functions of bank note accepting machine  100  are controlled by control device  140 , for example a microcomputer. The deliverer can control the acceptance process by means of input/output device  150 , which contains for example a printer and/or a display and/or a keyboard and/or a touch screen and/or a card reader, or the deliverer is informed about the acceptance process by accepting machine  100 . The abovementioned information of separation card TK 3  that is detected by sensor device  112  and processed by control device  140  can contain not only accounting data such as the deliverer&#39;s account number, type and number of bank notes of the delivery, etc., but also instructions for accepting machine  100 . Such instructions may include for example a special processing mode in which accepting machine  100  works in a way especially suitable for the particular deliverer. Such processing modes can be different for example for the delivery of checks or bank notes. Further, an operating mode can be provided in which separation card TK 3  is not stored in storage container  130  but returned to the deliverer. This operating mode will be explained in more detail below. 
   Sheet material that was not recognizable during the check by control device  140  or caused problems, e.g. due to simultaneous removal of a plurality of pieces of sheet material by singler  111 , can be returned to the deliverer. For this purpose, diverter  122 , which is part of transport system  120 , is actuated by controller  140  and nonrecognized sheet material is outputted to output  135 . Instead of separate output  135 , input  110  can also be used if nonrecognized sheet material is returned, as described above for the separation card. For separation a separation element, for example a plate or finger, must then be placed on delivery E 3  after the onset of processing so that returned sheet material is separated from the rest of the delivery. It is also possible to perform one or more reruns for nonrecognized sheet material to reduce the number of nonrecognized sheet material. Nonrecognized sheet material is thus taken from output  135  and reinserted into input  110  or the separation element is removed. To achieve the above-described separation function of separation cards TK for individual deliveries E in case of reruns, the order of deliveries E, in particular the position of cards TK at the beginning and/or end, must be retained. Separation cards TK can thus be guided into input  110 , as described above, to be singled again at the end of processing. 
   To retain the order of sheet material, in particular bank notes BN and separation cards TK, of individual deliveries, the abovementioned buffer (not shown) for bank notes BN and/or a further buffer (not shown) for separation card TK can also be provided in which bank notes BN or card TK of delivery E are placed during the check. Only after the end of processing, bank notes BN and card TK are removed from the buffer or buffers and transferred to storage container  130 . If one or more buffers are used, it can also be provided that card TK is inserted into one of the buffers by the deliverer at the outset of processing, separately from the bank notes of the delivery. The corresponding buffer can furthermore have a sensor that detects information applied to separation card TK in the same way as sensor device  112 . 
   As indicated above, separation cards TK can be disposed at the beginning or end of the particular delivery. Likewise, it is possible to provide a separation card at both the beginning and the end of the particular delivery. Using separation cards within a delivery can obtain further divisions, which will be explained in more detail below in connection with  FIG. 4 . 
     FIG. 1   b  shows a schematic second embodiment of bank note accepting machine  100  for accepting different groups of sheet material. The second embodiment shown in  FIG. 1   b  corresponds substantially to the above-described first embodiment according to  FIG. 1   a  in design and function. 
   Bank note accepting machine  100  additionally has second storage container  131 , diverter  121  controlled by control device  140  for switching transport system  120  from first storage container  130  to second storage container  131 , and device  160  controlled by control device  140  for producing additional separation cards TK′, TK″. 
   Additional separation cards TK′, TK″ are used for, among other things, preserving the findings obtained during the check of bank notes to permit a later, simple analysis of the content of storage container  130  or  131 . In the shown example, first delivery E 1  has been processed and bank notes BN 1  stored together with separation card TK 1  in storage container  130 . Second, likewise processed delivery E 2  contained bank note BN 2 ′ that was not accepted during the check, e.g. because it is a forgery or suspected forgery or because it involves a multiple removal. Bank note BN 2 ′ is therefore stored in second storage container  131 , which is provided in this example for unaccepted bank notes. Remaining bank notes BN 2  accepted during the check are stored in first storage container  130 . For separating bank notes BN 2  and BN 2 ′, device  160  for producing additional separation cards has produced separation cards TK 2 ″, TK 2 ′ and transport system  120  has transferred them to first and second storage containers  130 ,  131 , where they delimit bank notes BN 2 , BN 2 ′ from bank notes of following delivery E 3 . Separation card TK 2 , which was originally inputted to input  110  together with bank notes BN 2  by the deliverer, is returned to the deliverer in this example. Separation card TK 2  is thus transported to output  135  by transport system  120 , by actuation of diverters  121  and  122  by control device  140 . Separation card TK 2  can have information that, as described above, is applied in sensor device  112  and can comprise the result of acceptance of the delivery, in particular information that bank note BN 2 ′ is probably a forged bank note. However, separation card TK 2  can also be reused for a later delivery. If separation card TK 2  is not returned to the deliverer, it is used for separation in one of storage containers  130 ,  131 , so that separation card TK 2 ″ or TK 2 ′ does not have to be produced by device  160 . Information about the check of the bank notes and the information about deliverer, etc., contained on separation card TK 2  are likewise applied to separation cards TK 2 ′ and TK 2 ″ so that the bank notes separated by them can be analyzed and assigned later. 
   The use of additional separation card producing device  160 , which can also be disposed at another place in transport system  120 , also makes it fundamentally possible for a delivery to be inserted into input  110  without a separation card. The deliverer must then identify himself e.g. by inputting his account number by means of input/output device  150  or by using a check card. The separation cards required for separating the deposits in storage container  130  and/or  131  are then produced by device  160 , in dependence on the check. 
   If only first storage container  130  is used, additional separation cards TK′, TK″ can likewise be used. These are then added accordingly between the bank notes of the deposit. For example, it can be provided that additional separation card TK′ is always produced when a forged bank note is recognized. Separation card TK′ is then placed and stored in storage container  130  over or under the forged bank note to permit this bank note to be clearly identified later. 
   Likewise, it is possible to use further storage containers to permit the bank notes of a delivery to be stored for example in single denominations and/or currencies. All bank notes of one denomination and/or all bank notes of one currency are thus stored in a storage container in each case. Separation cards must accordingly be produced for each of the storage containers in which bank notes of a delivery are stored to permit the bank notes of the particular delivery to be delimited from bank notes of previous and/or following deliveries. 
   There are a number of ways for the deliverer to provide delivery data on the separation cards in the form of information for processing with bank note accepting machine  100 . 
   A first approach is for the deliverer to prepare a voucher that can be used as a separation card. This can be done using special programs by which the deliverer detects the data of his delivery and enters them in the books and the program automatically performs a data transfer with the detected data to the service provider, e.g. over the Internet or other telecommunication routes, and an accompanying slip is printed at the deliverer&#39;s that is enclosed in the delivery and can be used directly as a machine-readable separation card during bank note processing. 
   In this case the embodiment of a separation card with electronic coding, e.g. an embedded chip and transponder, is of particular advantage. The information applied by the deliverer (e.g. deliverer identification, delivery identification, total nominal value, number of bank notes per denomination, account number, bank code number, etc.) can be read in its totality or as a subset by the bank note accepting machine and adopted for processing. This method has the advantage that preparatory work on bank note accepting machine  100  is unnecessary. 
   In another variant, the deliverer can for example fill in fields on a preprinted separation card or check them off (in the manner of a lotto coupon) to mark the value of his delivery or the number of bank notes of the particular denominations. Such a separation card is shown in  FIG. 5 . Separation card TK has fields for each denomination. For denomination “five”  42  there are fields  41  for the numbers from “zero” to “nine” that are weighted with multiplier “one”  44  and a multiplier “ten”. In the shown example there are 86 bank notes of the denomination “five.” Further field  45  can contain data that e.g. identify the deliverer. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3  show further embodiments of separation cards. Separation cards TK are formed in the shown cases as containers, in particular envelopes or covers of paper, paperboard or cardboard. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2   a , bank notes BN of a delivery are inserted into the envelope. Envelope TK moreover has gap  11  that singler  111  can engage to remove sheet material individually out of the opening of the envelope. When the total sheet material is removed, as shown in  FIG. 2   b , singler  111  grasps the envelope on the side of the envelope opposite gap  11 . 
   A variant of container or envelope TK is shown in  FIG. 3 . Envelope TK is equipped with closure means  14  that are closed after insertion of a delivery into envelope TK. The delivery can thus be transported safe from access by means of envelope TK. For processing in bank note accepting machine  100  it can be provided that a cutting tool is disposed in singler  111  for first checking the integrity of closure means  14  and then opening closure means  14  of envelopes TK to begin singling. The cutting tool can cut open closure means  14  for example along line  15  shown in  FIG. 3 . But closure means  14  can also be completely removed by the cutting tool, e.g. along line  16 . 
   In a special embodiment, containers or envelopes TK can be designed so as to carry information that can be read by machine, so that for example data fields  12  and/or  13  can be present on one or both sides of envelope TK. Closure means  14  can also have data fields having the same information as associated envelopes TK Then it is possible for closure means  14  to be also used in bank note accepting machine  100  and stored in storage container or containers  130 ,  131  together with the bank notes to make the bank notes assignable to the particular deliveries. Closure means  14  can thus be automatically taken into account and transported by bank note accepting machine  100 . It is thus possible to separate both accepted bank notes and unaccepted bank notes of individual deliveries by envelopes TK or closure means  14 . 
   With reference to the structure of groups of sheet material or deliveries shown in  FIG. 4 , further functions of the separation means shall be described in more detail.  FIG. 4  shows first delivery E 1  consisting of separation means TK 1 , bank notes BN 1  to BN 6  as well as further separation means TK 1 ′ located between bank notes BN 2  and BN 3 , and second delivery E 2  consisting of separation means TK 2 , bank notes BN 7  to BN 12  as well as two further separation means TK 2 ′ and TK 2 ″. Last bank note BN 12  can be followed by further deliveries, as indicated by a dotted line in  FIG. 4 . 
   Separation means TK 1  and TK 2  can be formed as separation cards, as shown in  FIG. 4 , or as containers, as described above in connection with  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Separation means TK 1  and TK 2  are recognized by sensor device  112  with reference to specific properties, as described. They can moreover have information that can be used for identifying deliveries. Further separation means TK′, TK″ are formed as separation cards. In the simplest case, further separation means TK′, TK″ are constituted by part of the sheet material itself. For example, the serial number of a bank note can be used for unique identification. The serial number is then assigned the corresponding data, such as deliverer, deposited amount, etc., stated on separation card TK for processing in controller  140  of bank note accepting machine  100 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , further separation means TK′, TK″ can be disposed at any places within particular delivery E, after separation means TK. In first delivery E 1 , separation means TK 1 ′ is located for example after separation means TK 1  and bank notes BN 1  and BN 2 . In second delivery E 2 , further separation means TK 2 ′ are located immediately after separation means TK 2  and further separation means TK 2 ″ between bank notes BN 9  and BN 10 . The use of further separation means TK′, TK″ within deliveries E thus also permits the formation of subgroups of bank notes BN 1  to BN 2 , BN 3  to BN 6 , BN 7  to BN 9  and BN 10  to BN 12 . Said subgroups within the deliveries can correspond for example to individual cash registers of a supermarket. 
   In the following, different possibilities for coding and evaluating separation means will be described, said separation means always being referred to as separation cards for simplicity&#39;s sake. 
   Separation cards can be provided with information. This information can be an identification code that permits an indirect link with the data of the delivery held in another system. This identification code can be previously printed, or prepared during preparation with the aid of an apparatus for coding separation cards. Additionally or alternatively, the separation card can contain direct information about the delivery (customer&#39;s name, nominal value, number of bank notes separated according to denomination, etc.) and be used as a receipt for settlement. This information can be applied in the form of a machine-readable bar code, as information on a magnetic stripe or in the form of machine-readable character sets (OCR font). It is prepared by the deliverer himself, as described above, or made available and sent e.g. by mail or the Internet by a central office, e.g. the bank operating the bank note accepting machine. 
   Further possibilities for individual identification of the separation card include machine-readable information that establishes a unique relation to a delivery e.g. by means of a two-dimensional bar code. This permits either the amount of information to be distinctly increased or the information to be coded so that it can also be read by a sensor device with low resolution. Separation card TK with such a two-dimensional bar code is shown in  FIG. 6 . To permit position-independent evaluation of two-dimensional bar code  52 , orientation marks  51 ,  53 ,  54  are provided. Further separation card TK with a two-dimensional data block matrix is shown in  FIG. 7 . Separation card  60  likewise has orientation features  61 ,  62 ,  63 . The information is contained in the two-dimensional data block matrix having a plurality of data blocks  64  to  65 . Between individual data blocks  64  to  65  there can be magnetic or electroconductive stripes that allow recognition even in the case of concealment by multiple removal. Further information, e.g. in plaintext, can be contained in additional field  66 . 
   Another possibility for applying and reading information on a separation card is to use optical codings as are common for example in compact discs. This technology permits a very great amount of information to be applied to a very small area and read optically, for example with a laser. 
   A further possibility for applying and reading information on a separation card is to use methods with place- and/or intensity-dependent features on the separation card. For example, the arrangement and size of conductive elements on the separation card can be used for individual coding of separation cards. This method can be expanded if these elements have different states of conductivity and the value of conductivity is detected and evaluated by a corresponding evaluation method. A similar method can be performed with the aid of magnetic elements. 
   A further possibility is to use optically visible prints that differ clearly in form, arrangement, intensity and spectral property (color) and thus allow individual identification. 
   A very advantageous embodiment of the separation card results from using a chip embedded on the separation card with a transponder. The transponder is applied to the separation card in the form of a coil or antenna and connected with a chip embedded in the separation card. This coil or antenna is used firstly to feed in energy for the power supply of the embedded chip, secondly for data transfer to the chip (writing information), thirdly for data transfer of information stored on the chip (reading information), and fourthly for reliable recognition of the presence of a separation card according to the above explanations. The chip is a component that can store and/or process information. This embodiment results in a number of advantageous features for a separation card application, since many times more information can be stored in this way than for example in information based on a bar code or an OCR font. In addition, the method allows writing access to the information of the separation card and thus for example the addition of information in bank note accepting machine  100 . In a first step, information about the deliverer, the nominal amount of the bank note value or the nominal number of the particular denominations as well as identification information can be written for example during preparation of processing. During machine processing, this information is read completely or partly by bank note accepting machine  100  and in a further step supplemented by writing access in bank note accepting machine  100  by further processing data, for example the particular number of bank notes recognized as authentic in terms of value and stacked. 
   This method has the further advantage that the information is also read and written if the separation card is masked by bank notes in certain cases.