Patent ID: 7762380

Claim:
A document processing device for processing a plurality of documents having a magnetic feature, the document processing device comprising: a magnetization member adapted to create a magnetic field of sufficient strength to magnetize a magnetic feature of each of a plurality of documents, the magnetic feature including a magnetic security thread incorporating a magnetic ink; a magnetic sensor having a stabilizer and a continuous track width of greater than about 50 millimeters, the stabilizer of the magnetic sensor being adapted to produce a single linear, analog output signal in response to the plurality of magnetic features moving past the magnetic sensor, the magnetic security thread located within the track width and being substantially perpendicularly oriented to the track width; a transport mechanism adapted to move the plurality of documents past the magnetization member and the magnetic sensor, the transport mechanism including an encoder adapted to provide positional data; at least one comparator adapted to detect when the analog output signal of the magnetic sensor exceeds a threshold value; and at least one digital circuit adapted to record the positional data provided by the encoder, the at least one digital circuit recording the positional data in response to the analog output signal of the magnetic sensor exceeding the threshold value.