Patent Publication Number: US-2015063672-A1

Title: Valuable document recognition system with qr code recognizability

Description:
This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan patent application number 102216235, filed on Aug. 29, 2013. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to bill acceptor technology, and more particularly, to a valuable document recognition system with QR code recognizability, which is capable of recognizing the QR codes and anti-counterfeit characteristics of predetermined valuable documents. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Following fast development of modern technology, convenience and rapidness have become important factors in our modern daily life. Nowadays, different automatic vending machines, card dispensers, ticket machines and bill exchange machines are used everywhere to sell different products without serviceman. These machines are highly appreciated for the advantage of saving much labor and bringing convenience to people. 
     In our daily life, we use cash, credit card, cash card, debit card or intelligent card to pay for purchases. However, some particular places, such as amusement center, park, casino, etc., may not accept credit card. These particular places may use a valuable document, such as paper token or special security for access or payment. A valuable document for this purpose may be equipped with a barcode for recognition. However, a barcode is a one-dimensional format that has a low level of storage capacity and security. Further, reading a barcode needs to use a barcode scanner. Using a barcode scanner to scan the barcodes of a large amount of different valuable documents requires much labor. In order to save code reading time and labor and to improve the code reading accuracy and security, a two-dimensional QR (quick response) code system is created. In consequence, there is a strong demand for a valuable document recognition system capable for recognizing QR (quick response) codes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a valuable document recognition system with QR code recognizability, which is capable of recognizing the authenticity and value of predetermined valuable documents as well as their QR codes. 
     To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a valuable document recognition system of the present invention comprises a main unit, and a circuit module mounted in the main unit. The circuit module comprises a circuit board, a microprocessor installed in the circuit board, a recognition module installed in the circuit board and electrically connected to the microprocessor, the recognition module comprising an image pickup device for picking up the image of a valuable paper and a bill recognition device for capturing and recognizing the anti-counterfeit characteristics of a valuable document, and a data storage module installed in the circuit board and electrically connected to the microprocessor, the data storage module comprising a decode database having stored therein decode data corresponding the quick response codes of predetermined valuable documents for matching and a characteristic database having stored therein characteristic data corresponding to the anti-counterfeit characteristics of predetermined valuable document for matching. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an oblique top elevational view of a valuable document recognition system in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the Valuable document recognition system in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view, in an enlarged scale, of a part of the valuable document recognition system in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a circuit block diagram of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of an alternate form of the valuable document recognition system in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view, in an enlarged scale, of a part of the alternate form of valuable document recognition system shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing illustrating applicability of the valuable document recognition system in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-7 , a valuable document recognition system with QR code recognizability in accordance with the present invention is shown. The valuable document recognition system comprises a main unit  1 , and a circuit module  2 . 
     The main unit  1  comprises a face panel  11  defining a bill slot  110  for the insertion of a valuable document  3 , a bill passage  12  backwardly extended from the bill slot  110 , a bill box  14  mounted in a back side thereof for receiving each valuable document passing through the bill passage  12 , a driving unit  13 , and a plurality of bill-transfer rollers  131  symmetrically mounted in the bill passage  12  at two opposite lateral sides and rotatable by the driving unit  13  to transfer each inserted valuable document  3  from the bill slot  110  through the bill passage  12  to the bill box  14 . 
     The circuit module  2  is mounted in the main unit  1 , comprising at least one circuit board  21 , a microprocessor  22  installed in the at least one circuit board  21  and electrically connected with the driving unit  13  for controlling the operation of the driving unit  13 , a sensor unit  23  installed in the at least one circuit board  21  and electrically connected to the microprocessor  22 , a recognition module  24  installed in the at least one circuit board  21  and electrically connected to the microprocessor  22 , and a data storage module  25  installed in the at least one circuit board  21  and electrically connected to the microprocessor  22 . The sensor unit  23  comprises a plurality of sensor components  231  arranged in the bill passage  12  near the bill slot  110 . The recognition module  24  comprises an image pickup device  241  for picking up the image of each inserted valuable document  3  that is being delivered through the bill passage  1 . The data storage module  25  comprises a decode database  251  that has stored therein decode data corresponding a QR (quick response) code  31  in one surface of one respective predetermined valuable document  3 , and a characteristic database  252  that has stored therein characteristic data corresponding to one respective anti-counterfeit characteristic  32  in one surface of one respective predetermined valuable document  3 . 
     During application, a valuable document  3  having a QR (quick response) code  31  and/or at least one anti-counterfeit characteristic  32  in one surface thereof is inserted into the bill slot  110  in the face panel  11  of the main unit  1  by a user. At this time, the sensor components  231  of the sensor unit  23  sense the insertion of the valuable document  3  and provide a signal to the microprocessor  22 , causing the microprocessor  22  to start up the driving unit  13  in rotating the bill-transfer rollers  131 , and thus, the inserted valuable document  3  is transferred by the bill-transfer rollers  131  from the bill slot  110  toward the inner side of the bill passage  12 . At the same time, the microprocessor  22  drives the image pickup device  241  of the recognition module  24  to pick up the image of the valuable document  3 , and the sensor components  231  of the sensor unit  23  keep sensing the movement of the valuable document  3 . When the valuable document  3  passed through the image pickup device  241  of the recognition module  24 , the sensor unit  23  immediately provides a signal to the microprocessor  22 , causing the microprocessor  22  to stop the driving unit  13 . At this time, the recognition module  24  transfers the image data picked up by the image pickup device  241  from the surface of the valuable document  3  to the microprocessor  22  for analysis. After analysis, the microprocessor  22  obtains the data of the anti-counterfeit characteristic(s)  32  on the surface of the valuable document  3 , and compares the fetched data of the anti-counterfeit characteristic(s)  32  with storage data in the characteristic database  252  to determine the authenticity and value of the valuable document  3 . Further, if the valuable document  3  provides a QR (quick response) code  31 , the microprocessor  22  compares the QR (quick response) code  31  with storage data in the decode database  251  to obtain the data content of the QR (quick response) code  31  for further follow-up processing. Thus, a single valuable document recognition system in accordance with the present invention can recognize the authenticity and value of predetermined valuable documents  3  and its data content, saving much machine installation space and document (security) handling labor costs. 
     Further, a valuable document recognition system in accordance with the present invention can be used to recognize the authenticity and value of any of a variety of valuable documents  3 , such as paper money, securities, paper tokens, and etc. If one inserted valuable document  3  is recognized to be a true valuable document by the microprocessor  22  by means of the recognition module  24 , the microprocessor  22  immediately controls the driving unit  13  to rotate the bill-transfer rollers  131 , transferring the valuable document  3  through the bill passage  12  to the bill box  14 . If one inserted valuable document  3  is recognized to be a counterfeit, the microprocessor  22  immediately controls the driving unit  13  to reverse the bill-transfer rollers  131 , carrying the valuable document  3  back toward the outside of the bill slot  110 . 
     Further, when a user is going to insert a valuable document  3  that provides a QR (quick response) code  31 , the user must insert the valuable document  3  with the side that carries the QR (quick response) code  31  facing toward the image pickup device  241  of the recognition module  24  in the bill passage  12 . Further, the image pickup device  241  of the recognition module  24  can be a CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensor, CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) image sensor, CCM (compact camera module), CIS (contact image sensor) or any other optical device capable of picking up the surface image of a valuable document  3 . Further, the QR (quick response) code  31  works in a rectangular format, having three position detection patterns  311  located in three of the four corners and one information detection pattern  312  located in the other area. The image pickup device  241  of the recognition module  24  picks up the image of the QR (quick response) code  31  at one time or multiple times, enabling the microprocessor  22  to analyze the three position detection patterns  311  for positioning to fetch the QR (quick response) code  31 , and then compares the data of the information detection pattern  312  with storage data in the decode database  251  of the data storage module  25  so as to get the related information. 
     Further, a QR Code contains its own error correction data, internal orientation calibration and self-alignment markers. Whether the QR code is upside down or wrapped around a curved surface, or 7%˜30% damaged, the message will still get through. Further, a standard QR Code is a 21×21 array of data elements with the array increasing in size by 4 modules for each increase in version number. A QR code has the data capacity of numeric only: max. 7,089 characters; alphanumeric: max. 4,296 characters; binary (8 bits): max. 2,953 bytes; Kanji/Kana: max. 1,817 characters. Thus, the desired information can be put in the information detection pattern  312 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-7  again, in addition to the image pickup device  241  for picking up the image of each inserted valuable document  3 , the recognition module  24  further comprises a bill recognition device  242  mounted in one lateral side of the bill passage  12  opposite to the image pickup device  241  for fetching at least one anti-counterfeit characteristic  32  of each inserted valuable document  3  for recognition. Subject to the functioning of the image pickup device  241  and the bill recognition device  242 , the invention double-checks the authenticity and value of each inserted valuable document  3 . 
     The aforesaid technology of capturing and recognizing the anti-counterfeit characteristic  32  can be an image capturing and recognition technique, infrared scanning and recognition technique, ultraviolet ray scanning and recognition technique, laser tag scanning and recognition technique, or watermark scanning and recognition technique. Further, the bill recognition device  242  can be an optical penetration-based sensor device, or a reflection-based optical sensor device. As the technology of capturing and recognizing the anti-counterfeit characteristic  32  is of the known art and not within the scope of the claims of the present invention, no further detailed description in this regard will be necessary. 
     In conclusion, the invention provides a valuable document recognition system, which comprises a main unit  1 , and a circuit module  2  consisting of at least one circuit board  21 , a microprocessor  22 , a sensor unit  23 , a recognition module  24  and a data storage module  25  and mounted in the main unit  1 , wherein the recognition module  24  comprises an image pickup device  241  for picking up the image of each inserted valuable document  3 ; the data storage module  25  comprises a decode database  251  that has stored therein decode data corresponding a QR (quick response) code  31  on one surface of one respective predetermined valuable document  3 , and a characteristic database  252  that has stored therein characteristic data corresponding to the anti-counterfeit characteristics  32  on one surface of one respective predetermined valuable document  3 . Thus, the valuable document recognition system of the invention is capable of recognizing the QR (quick response) codes  31  and anti-counterfeit characteristics  32  of predetermined valuable documents  3 . 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.