Patent ID: 7899233

Claim:
An automatic teller machine (ATM) electronically connected to one or more devices, the one or more devices comprising: a deposit device configured to receive a plurality of bank notes; an image extraction device configured to extract one or more initial images of the plurality of bank notes; the image extraction device also being configured to receive a counterfeit bank note, which has been identified as being counterfeit at an external station, and extract one or more subsequent images of the counterfeit bank note; a transaction log device configured to attach a transaction log to the one or more initial images of the plurality of bank notes; a comparison device configured to compare the one or more initial images of the plurality of bank notes to the one or more subsequent images of the counterfeit bank note in order to obtain a comparison result, the comparison device being configured to calculate values indicating a degree of similarity between the plurality of bank notes and the counterfeit bank note as said comparison result; and a retrieval device which is configured to retrieve the transaction log attached to one of the plurality of bank notes, if the comparison device determines that the one or more initial images of said one of the plurality of bank notes are within a range of similarity to the one or more subsequent images of the counterfeit bank note.