Patent Publication Number: US-2005139447-A1

Title: Paper-processing unit and paper-storage unit

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application is a continuation of an International Application No. PCT/JP02/08578, which was filed on Aug. 26, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This present invention relates to a paper-processing unit for processing papers that are stored within an interior or putted into a depositing section, and a paper-storage unit with which the paper-processing unit is equipped.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Paper-processing units for carrying out predetermined processing of papers have been widely applied in the public. For example, a paper-processing unit for handling bills as papers has been applied as an automatic cashier which is used in teller&#39;s service or as a unit mounted on an automatic machine such as an automatic cash dispenser (AD), an automatic teller&#39;s machine (ATM) or the like.  
      In a paper-processing unit, in an interior of which bills can be taken, bills to be deposited are usually put together in a depositing section of the paper-processing unit. The bills put in the depositing section are fed from the depositing section one by one, and then subjected to discrimination. When the bill is judged to be genuine bill by the discrimination, the bill is conveyed toward a storage section within which the bill should be stored, and then stored within the storage section. The number of the bills stored within the storage section is counted for each bill type. An amount of the deposited bills that is computed utilizing the counting results is presented to a consumer who deposits the bills.  
      In the conventional paper-processing unit, in the interior of which bills can be taken, if there are bills that are judged to be false bill by the discrimination, the false bills are returned together with bills that are damaged and fed in overlapped states, if any. Therefore, the false bills (counterfeit bills) continue to circulate in the market.  
      The currency of counterfeit bills will introduce confusion into the market. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude counterfeit bills from the market. However, with the conventional paper-processing unit described above, it is impossible to prevent the currency of counterfeit bills. If consideration is given to adverse effects that result from the currency of counterfeit bills and are exerted on the market, it is not too much to say that the coping-with of counterfeit bills is not appropriate.  
      In the meanwhile, in a conventional paper-processing unit which can discharged bills stored the interior, the bills having been conveyed in order to be discharged out of the interior are discriminated. When bills are judged to be genuine bills by the discrimination, only the bills judged so are discharged out of the interior and bills other than the bills are adapted to be stored in a storage unit for the bills. That is, counterfeit bills are adapted to be stored together with damaged bills and bills fed in overlapped conditions, in the same storage place.  
      The difference between counterfeit bills and genuine bills is usually very minor. Therefore, in a case where bills cannot be discharged are stored in the same storage place, it is considerably troublesome to find counterfeit bills from among the bills stored in the storage place. There is a possibility that counterfeit bills will be overlooked. Therefore, it is hard for a clerk, who performs the maintenance of the paper-processing unit, to cope with counterfeit bills. Thus, it can be taken that the coping-with of counterfeit bills is inappropriate.  
      The currency of reproductions of papers being of pecuniary value, for example, gold notes such as merchandise bonds and book coupons, and negotiable papers such as checks is also considerably unfavorable. Therefore, it is thought that appropriate coping-with of false papers is required for paper-processing units that may handle such counterfeit papers.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a paper-processing unit that can appropriately cope with false papers to be handled.  
      Paper-processing units according to first and second aspects of the present invention comprise, as common elements, conveying unit for feeding and conveying the papers putted into the depositing section or the interior, and discriminating unit for discriminating paper having been conveyed by the conveying unit, on the assumption that papers such as bills stored within the interior or put in the depositing section are handled as objects to be handled by the paper-processing units.  
      In addition to the above-mentioned structure, the paper-processing unit according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes a storage unit for storing only the paper fed and conveyed by the conveying unit, which is not object to be handled, and a control unit for causing the storage unit to store the paper conveyed with the conveying unit, when the paper becomes clear from results of discriminating performed by the discriminating unit that the paper is not the objects to be handled.  
      Incidentally, the above-mentioned control unit preferably stores data of the paper stored within the storage unit or relating to the paper. The data preferably comprise at least one of image of the paper, the contents printed on the paper, and data on a user who puts the paper into the depositing section.  
      In addition to the above-mentioned structure, the paper-processing unit according to the second aspect of the present invention further includes a control unit for storing data of the paper or of relating to the paper, when the paper becomes clear from results of discriminating performed by the discriminating unit that the paper is not the objects to be handled.  
      A paper-storage unit according to the present invention comprises a data storage medium, and a control unit for receiving data transmitted from the paper-processing unit and causing the data to storage in the data storage medium.  
      Incidentally, the control unit of the paper-storage unit is preferably receives the data of the paper or of relating to the paper stored within the paper-storage unit by the paper-processing unit, and stores the data in the data storage medium.  
      According to the present invention, there is provided a storage unit that stores only some of the papers that are not the objects to be handled, namely, only false papers, when the some of the papers are judges to be not the objected to be handled.  
      When only false papers are collected as described above, overlooking of such false papers can be securely avoided and persons on duty can easily and promptly take appropriate steps at all time. Papers put in are recovered, thus preventing the papers from further circulating.  
      False papers or data on the false papers are considerably available for appropriate coping-with of the false papers. Therefore, when such data are stored, coping-with of the false papers can be carried out more easily. When the data are stored in the storage unit that is adapted to store the false papers, the data on the false papers can be used more easily.  
      When only false papers are collected or data on the false papers are stored as described above, damage caused in the public by the false papers is positively inhibited in either case. Therefore, it is possible to cope with false papers more appropriately. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view of an automatic teller&#39;s machine (ATM) equipped with a paper-processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a view of the construction of the automatic teller&#39;s machine (ATM) equipped with the paper-processing unit according to the embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating the operation at the time of feeing bills; and  
       FIG. 4  is a view of the construction of a paper-storage unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Embodiments of the present invention will be discussed hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     First Embodiment  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view of an automatic teller&#39;s machine (ATM) equipped with a media conveying device.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , the ATM  100  comprises a depositing section  101  through which bills are to be deposited by a consumer or user in order that the consumer places money on deposit, conveying paths shown by broken lines in  FIG. 1 , a discriminating section  102  for discriminating the bills that travel on the conveying paths, a bill pooling section  103  for temporarily storing received bills that have been fed from the depositing section  101  and subjected to discrimination, two cassettes  104  for clerks that are to be used for to supply supplement bills to the ATM  100 , two stackers  105  to which the bills stored within the clerk cassettes  104  are to be conveyed, a rejection box  106  for storing inappropriate bills from among the bills fed from the clerk cassettes  104  or the stackers  105 , a left-bill box  107  for storing bills that are left behind at the depositing section  101 , a counterfeit bill box  108  for storing bills that are distinguished as false bills (counterfeit bills) from among the bills deposited through the depositing section  101 , a CIP (Card reader/Imprinter/Printer)  109  for reading cards that are inserted into a not shown insertion opening by the consumer (user), and printing a detailed statement of transaction that is to be issued to the consumer, and a bankbook printer section  110  for entering predetermined items in a bankbook of the consumer.  
      Normally, the two clerk cassettes  104  are installed in the ATM  100  in a condition where the clerk cassettes  104  store types of bills to be supplemented. The two stackers  105  are adapted to store different bills. The different bills respectively stored within the clerk cassettes  104  are conveyed to the stackers  105 , within which the bills different in type from one another are to be respectively stored, and are then stored within the stackers  105 . The respective boxes  106 - 108  are also adapted to be detachably installed in the ATM  100 .  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic view illustrating a structure of the ATM  100 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the ATM  100  further includes a control section  201  for controlling the whole ATM  100 , the CIP  109 , the banknote printer section  110 , and the discriminating section  102  being electrically connected to the control section  201 , a display section  202 , e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an operation section  203  comprising, for example, a touch panel located on a screen of the display section  202 , a communication control section  204  for communicating with other devices through, for example LAN, a group  205  of various motors comprising a motor for opening and closing a shutter, several motors prepared for feeding the bills, and a motor for conveying the bills, a motor-driving section  206  for driving the respective motors making-up the group  205  of the motors, according to commands from the control section  201 , a group  207  of sensors comprising a plurality of sensors installed in the respective sections of the ATM  100 , a sensor control section  208  for controlling the respective sensors making-up the group  207  of the sensors, a group  209  of solenoids, and a solenoid driving section  210  for driving the respective solenoids making-up the group  209  of the solenoids, according to commands from the control section  210 . The respective solenoids making-up the group  209  of the solenoids is installed in order to switch destinations of the bills.  
      The above-mentioned discriminating section  102  comprises as, for example, sensors, an image sensor for reading images of the bills, a thickness sensor for detecting thickness of the bills, and a magnetic sensor for recognizing the contents printed on the bills by magnetic ink. Therefore, the discriminating section  102  is adapted to synthetically judges sizes of the bill images and designs of the bills which are read by the image sensor, the thickness of the bills detected by the thickness sensor, and the contents recognized by the magnetic sensor, and carry out the discriminating of the bills. Counterfeit bills (bills being not objects to be handled) are adapted to be detected from, for example, among bills that have thickness less that a thickness of two papers of bills.  
      The operation of the above-mentioned structure will be discussed hereinafter.  
      The above-mentioned operation section  203  carries out, for example, scanning of the touch panel upon occasion, and outputs the scanning results to the control section  201 . The control section  201  analyzes the scanning results to thereby detect the operation performed by the user, and carries out the control according to the detected results. Thus, the ATM  100  is operated according to the user&#39;s instructions.  
      When it becomes clear as a result of the analyzing of the scanning results that the user&#39;s instructions are to deposit money, the control section  201  causes the display section  202  to indicate a message urging the user to insert a card, and causes the CIP  109  to accept the card inserted by the customer. When information written in the inserted card is inputted from the CIP  109 , the motor driving section  206  is instructed so as to drive the motor for opening and closing the shutter that has closed the depositing section  101  at this time, whereby the shutter is opened. A message urging the person to deposit money is then indicated on the display section  202 .  
      The shutter waits until the user instructs the ATM to take bills in, by operating of the touch panel by the user, and is then closed. When the shutter is closed, a pusher plate is operatively inserted into the depositing section  101  and pushed the bills by the pusher plate. The insertion of the pusher plate and the pushing by the pusher plate are performed by, for example, actuating at least one of the motors making-up the group  205  of the motors by the motor-driving section  206 .  
      After pushing the bills put in the depositing section  101  by the pusher plate, the control section  201  drives the bill conveying motor and causes the bill feeding motor to be intermittently driven, through the motor control section  206 . Thus, the bills put in the depositing section  101  are fed and conveyed one by one upon occasion.  
      The bills fed from the depositing section  101  are conveyed toward the discriminating section  102  and then subjected to discrimination. The results of the discrimination are inputted from the discriminating section  102  to the control section  1201 . The section  201  determines the destinations of the bills. Bills that are discriminated as true bills (genuine bills) are conveyed to the received bill pooling section  103  and then stored within the pooling section  103 . Bills that are discriminated as counterfeit bills (bills being not the objects to be handled) are conveyed toward the counterfeit bill box  108  and then stored within the counterfeit bill box  108 . Bills that are discriminated as damaged bills or bills fed in overlapped conditions (overlapped bills) are conveyed toward the depositing section  101  and then stored within the depositing section  101 . A place in which the bills conveyed to the depositing section  101  are to be stored is a space formed above the pusher plate.  
      A plurality of sensors to detect the conveyed bills is arranged on the conveying paths of the ATM  100 . Results of detecting by these sensors are inputted in any time from the sensor control section  208  to the control section  201 . The control section  201  determines the timing of actuation of solenoids to be actuated, from the results of the detecting by the sensors, and causes the solenoid actuating section  210  to actuate the solenoids at the predetermined timing, whereby the bills are conveyed toward the determined destinations.  
      The discriminating section  102  also inputs to the control section  201  data representing types of the bills (denomination) discriminated as genuine bills, as the discriminating results. The control section  201  counts the number of the bills fed from the depositing section  101 , for the bill types.  
      In the depositing section  101 , a sensor for detecting bills present at the depositing section  101  is installed. Results of detecting by the sensor are inputted from the sensor control section  208  to the control section  201 . The section  201  recognizes the bills remaining in the depositing section  101  by the results. Then, feeding of the bills from the depositing section  101  is carried out until the remaining bills are all fed.  
      When the remaining bills are fed from the depositing section  101 , the control section  201  directs the motor driving section  206  to stop the driving of the motors driven. The number of bills that is counted for the bill types, the amount of received money, and the like are indicated on the display section  202 , so that the user recognizes them. Thereafter, when the user confirms them by operating the operation section (touch panel)  203 , the bills stored in the pooling section  103  are conveyed to the stackers  105  for the bill types and then stored within the corresponding stackers  105 . Information on the amount of the received money is transmitted together with the information on the card to an external unit (for example, a host computer) via the communication control section  204 . Data to be printed on a detailed statement of transaction are sent to the CIP  109  and then directed so as to print the data on the detailed statement and carries out discharging of the card. The user receives the detailed statement discharged from the CIP  109 , and the card. Thus, the transaction is finished. A menu screen is displayed at the display section  202  after the transaction is finished.  
      When the customer directs drawing of money by operating the operation section  203 , the control section  201  causes the display section  202  to display a message urging the customer to insert a card and causes the CIP  109  to accept the card inserted by the customer. When information written in the card is inputted into the display section  202  from the CIP  109 , the control section  201  causes the display section  202  to display a message urging the customer to input a personal identification number. The personal identification number inputted is transmitted together with the information on the card to the external unit through the communication control section  204 . The control section  201  waits to receive results of confirmation from the external device. When the confirmation results show that the customer is a possessor of the card, a screen for inputting an amount of money to be drawn out is displayed by the display section  202 . If the matter is not confirmed, namely, the personal identification number inputted is incorrect, a message urging the customer to input a correct personal identification number is indicated on the display section  202 . When an incorrect personal identification number is continuously inputted in error predetermined times, the CIP  109  receives instructions to thereby cause the card to be discharged, and discontinues business transactions.  
      When the customer inputted the amount of money to be drawn out, the control section  201  determines the number of bills to be fed from the respective stackers  105  from the inputted amount, and controls the motor-driving section  206 , to thereby feed the bills. The bills fed from the stackers  105  are discriminated by the discriminating section  102 . The destinations of the bills are then determined according to the discriminating results. Bills that are discriminated as genuine bills are conveyed to the depositing section  101  and then stored within the depositing section  101 . Bills that are discriminated as counterfeit bills are conveyed to the counterfeit bill box  108  and then stored. Bills that are discriminated as damaged bills or bills conveyed in overlapped states are conveyed to the rejection box  106  and then stored.  
      The feed of bills from the stackers  105  is carried out until the sum of bills stored within the depositing section  101  coincides with the inputted amount of money to be drawn out. When bills of the sum corresponding to the amount of money to be drawn out are stored within the depositing section  101 , the conveying of bills is stopped and the shutter is then opened. The opened shutter is closed at a predetermined timing. The amount of money having been drawn out is transmitted together with the information on the card to the external unit through the communication control section  204 . Data to be printed on a detailed statement of transaction are sent to the CIP  109 , and instructed to print the data and discharge the card. Then, the customer receives the detailed statement and the card discharged by the CIP  109 . Thus, the transaction is finished. The control section  201  waits until the transaction is finished, and then represents the menu screen by the display section  202 .  
      Feed of the bills stored within the clerk boxes  104  is performed by, for example, operating a predetermined clerk&#39;s switch.  
      When the switch is operated, the control section  201  causes bills to be conveyed from the clerk boxes  104  and causes the discriminating section  102  to perform discrimination of the bills. Bills discriminated as genuine bills are conveyed to the stackers  105  corresponding to the types of the discriminated bills, and then stored within the corresponding stackers  105 . Bills discriminated as counterfeit bills are conveyed to the counterfeit bill box  108  and then stored within the counterfeit bill box  108 . Bills discriminated as damaged bills or bills fed in overlapped conditions are conveyed to the rejection box  106  and then stored within the rejection box  106 .  
      If any bills remain in the depositing section  101  after the shutter is closed, the control section  201  causes the left bills to be fed to the left-bill box  107  from the depositing section  101 , and then causes the left bills to be stored within the left-bill box  107 . In this way, the bills which the customer fails taking out are removed from the depositing section  101 .  
      As discussed above, in this embodiment, when the bills stored within the clerk cassettes  104  are to be stored within the stackers  105 , when the bills stored within the stackers  105  are to be stored within the depositing section  101 , and when the bills put in the depositing section blare to be taken in, the bills having been conveyed are discriminated, and bills discriminated as counterfeit bills are then stored within the counterfeit bill box  108 . When only the counterfeit bills are discriminated in this way and then stored within the counterfeit bill box  108 , the clerk who carries out the maintenance of the ATM  100  will not have to look for the counterfeit bills, differently to a case where counterfeit bills are stored together with damaged bills or bills fed in overlapped states. Therefore, the clerk can handle the counterfeit bills more easily. Since the counterfeit bills put in the depositing section  101  are not returned and are recovered, further currency of the counterfeit bills can be prevented.  
      In this embodiment, when the discriminating section  102  discriminates counterfeit bills, the control section  201  is received from the discriminating section  102  the images of the counterfeit bills and specified information printed on the counterfeit bills. The specified information comprises, for example, the number of the bills that varies from bill to bill. The control section  201  is record in an accessible storage medium data on the received counterfeit bills themselves together with relevant data on a place to which the counterfeit bills are fed, and date and time, or is adapted to transmit those data to the external unit through the communication control section  204 . When the place to which the bills are fed is the depositing section  101 , the card information read by the CIP  109  (for example, card number) is adapted to be included in the data on the counterfeit bills. The date and time, and the card information are regarded as data on a user (customer) who puts counterfeit bills into.  
      The control section  201  transmits to the external unit the data memorized in the storage medium (hereinafter referred to as “counterfeit bill data”), on demand from the external unit. The external unit date received causes the data to be stored in a database constructed on, for example, the accessible storage medium. Thus, the data can be used as required.  
      Images of counterfeit bills are very useful in order to study how to distinguish counterfeit bills from genuine bills and explain how to distinguish the counterfeit bills from the genuine bills. Since often the same counterfeit bills are made in great quantities, bill number is information that is available for discriminating counterfeit bills. The place to which counterfeit bills are fed is information that is available for clarifying a route with which the counterfeit bills get mixed. The date and time is useful for clarifying the route too, and is available for specifying a customer who deposits counterfeit bills. The card information is information that is available for specifying a possessor of the card used for depositing counterfeit bills. Therefore such data of the counterfeit bills or data related the counterfeit bills can be used as the counterfeit bill data, appropriate coping-with of the counterfeit bills can be carried out easily and rapidly.  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating the operation at the time of feeding of bills. This Figure shows the flow of the operation from feed of a bill to storage of the bill, in consideration of a case where a bill is fed. Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the operation will be discussed in detail hereinafter. The operation shown in the flowchart of  FIG. 3  is realized by controlling by the control section  201 .  
      First of all, feeding of a bill from a place from which the bill should be fed is carried out in a step S 1 . The place comprises the depositing section  101 , the clerk cassettes  104  and the stackers  105 . The feeding of the bill is performed by the control section  201  causes the motor-driving section  206  to drive the motor for feeding the bill from the place.  
      The bill fed from one of the places comprising the depositing section  101 , the clerk cassettes  104  and the stackers  105  is conveyed toward the discriminating section  102 . Then, in a step S 2  subsequent to the step S 1 , causes the discriminating section  102  to discriminate the bill. In a step S 3  subsequent to the after, the control section  201  receives from the discriminating section  102  the discrimination results and a bill number printed on the bill. Thereafter, the operation is shifted to a step S 4 .  
      In the step S 4 , the control section  201  judges whether or not the bill is discriminated as a genuine and permitted damage-limit bill (shown in  FIG. 3  as “GENUINE BILL”). A bill fed in the step S 1  is the genuine and permitted damage limit, the judgment became “YES” and operation is shifted to a step S 5 . In the step S 5 , the genuine bill is conveyed to a storage place within which the bill should be stored. Thus, a sequence of operations is finished. In other cases, the judgment became “NO” and operation is shifted to a step S 6 . When the genuine bill is fed from the depositing section  101 , a storage place for the genuine bill is the received-bill pooling section  103 . Similarly, when the genuine bill is fed from the clerk cassette  104 , a storage place for the bill is the stacker  105 . When the genuine bill is fed from the stacker  105 , a storage place for the genuine bill is the depositing section  201 .  
      In the step S 6 , the control section  201  judges whether or not the bill is discriminated as a counterfeit bill. A bill different from the genuine bill in a thickness, a size, a design or magnetic pattern is fed in the step S 1 , the judgment became “YES” and operation is shifted to a step S 8 . In other cases, namely, the bill damaged or the bill overlapped on the other fed in the step S 1 , the judgment became “NO” and operation is then shifted to a step S 7 . In the step S 7 , such bill is handled as inappropriate bill. Thus, the sequence of operations is finished. In a case where the inappropriate bill is fed from the depositing section  101 , the bill is returned to the depositing section  101 . When the inappropriate bill is fed from the clerk cassettes  104  or the stackers  105 , the bill is stored within the rejection box  106 .  
      In the step S 8 , the bill discriminated as a counterfeit bill is conveyed to the counterfeit bill box  108  and then stored within the counterfeit bill box  108 . In a step S 9  subsequent to the step S 8 , data such as an image of the counterfeit bill, a bill number of the counterfeit bill, a departing place of the counterfeit bill, and date and time (the data also includes a card information if the departing place of the counterfeit bill is the depositing section  101 ) are stored as counterfeit bill data. Thereafter, a sequence of operations is finished. The storage of the data is carried out by causing the data stored in the accessible storage medium by the control section  201  or transmitted to the external unit through the communication control section  204 .  
      While counterfeit bills found are all adapted to be stored within the counterfeit bill box  108  in this embodiment, a plurality of the counterfeit bill boxes  108  may be prepared and the counterfeit bills may be stored separately within the counterfeit bill boxes according to the departing places of the counterfeit bills. Bills put in the depositing section  101  are recovered and counterfeit bill data are stored, only either of which may be performed. Even if do so, this ensures appropriate handling of the counterfeit bills.  
     Second Embodiment  
      In the first embodiment, when any counterfeit bill is found, counterfeit bill data is adapted to be stored in the accessible storage medium or the external unit electrically connected to the ATM  100 . In a second embodiment, counterfeit bill data is adapted to be stored in another manner.  
      An ATM structure having a paper-processing unit installed therein according to the second embodiment of the present invention is largely similar to that of the ATM according to the first embodiment. Also, the operation of the ATM according to the second embodiment largely agrees with the operation of the ATM according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the signs fixed by explaining the first embodiment are used as it is. Only explanation of different parts will be discussed hereinafter.  
      In the second embodiment, counterfeit bill data are adapted to be stored in the counterfeit bill box  108 . When the data are stored in the box  108 , counterfeit bills and the counterfeit bill data are collected to the counterfeit bill box  108 , so that management advantages, which include easy acquisition and use of data corresponding to the counterfeit bills, and an easy grasp of corresponding relationship between them, can be obtained. In the second embodiment, a paper-storage unit to which the present invention is applied is employed as a counterfeit bill box  108 .  
       FIG. 4  is a view showing a structure of the counterfeit bill box  108 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , the counterfeit bill box  108  comprises a transmit-receive section  411  for transmitting and receiving of data between the ATM  100  and the transmit-receive section  411 , a control section  412  for processing the data that are transmitted and received through the transmit-receive section  411 , and a memory section  413  for storing counterfeit bill data. The memory section  413  comprises, for example, a flash memory. The transmit-receive section  411  is of, for example, the type that carries out the transmitting and receiving of data in a non-contacting condition. The transmit-receive section  411  also serves as a power source, utilizing electromagnetic wave emitted from the ATM body.  
      In the meanwhile, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the ATM  100  has a transmit-receive section  401  that is provided in proximity of the counterfeit bill box  108  installed in the ATM body, and carries out transmitting and receiving of data between the counterfeit bill box  108  and the transmit-receive section  401 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the transmit-receive section  401  is electrically connected to the control section  201 .  
      When counterfeit bill data are stored in the step S 9  shown in  FIG. 3 , the control section  201  causes the transmit-receive section  401  to transmit the data to the counterfeit bill box  108 . When receiving the data, the transmit-receive section  411  of the box  108  supplies power to the respective sections and the data received by the transmit-receive section  411  are processed by the control section  412 . As a result, the counterfeit bill data are stored in the memory  413  of the counterfeit bill box  108 .  
      The counterfeit bill data transmitted by the control section  201  comprise the order of storage of corresponding counterfeit bills. The order serves to easily grasp corresponding relationships between the counterfeit bill data and corresponding counterfeit bills. The control section  412  is adapted to cause the counterfeit bill data to be stored in the storage places of the memory that correspond to the order, so that deletion of necessary data by substituting of counterfeit bill data is positively prevented.  
      While the counterfeit bill date are stored in the counterfeit bill box  108  as described above in the second embodiment, the counterfeit bill data may be stored in another device, for example, by transmitting the counterfeit bill data to the external unit by the communication control section  204 .  
      The embodiments (first and second embodiments) are applied to the paper-processing units that handle bills as papers. However, the present invention is not limited to such a paper-processing unit and can be widely applied to a paper-processing unit that handles papers other than bills, for example, merchandise bonds or the like in the study of merchandise, and negotiable paper such as checks, drafts and the like.  
      As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided the storage unit for storing only papers that are not objects to be handled, namely, only counterfeit papers, in which papers judged to be not the objects to be handled are stored within the storage unit. Thus, overlooking of such papers can be prevented and a person on duty can easily and promptly take appropriate steps at all times. Inputted papers are recovered, so that further currency of the papers can be prevented.  
      Counterfeit papers or data on the counterfeit papers are considerably available for suitable coping-with of such papers. Therefore, when such data are stored, appropriate coping-with of the counterfeit papers can be performed more easily.  
      When only counterfeit papers are collected or data on the counterfeit bills stored as described above, damage by the counterfeit papers is further inhibited in either case. Therefore, it is possible to cope with counterfeit papers more appropriately.  
      The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.