Patent ID: 8684157

Claim:
A method for processing a plurality of documents having at least one magnetic feature, the method comprising the acts of: magnetizing the at least one magnetic feature, the magnetic feature including a magnetic security thread incorporating a magnetic ink; sensing a flux of each of the plurality of documents, the flux being sensed by a magnetic sensor having a continuous track width of greater than about 50 millimeters, the magnetic ink thread located within the track width and being substantially perpendicularly oriented to the track width; generating an analog signal along a single channel, the analog signal being generated by the magnetic sensor as the plurality of documents are in close proximity to the magnetic sensor, the analog signal being representative of the sensed flux; monitoring the generated analog signal along the single channel with at least one comparator to determine whether a threshold voltage has been exceeded; and digitizing the analog signal by generating an output voltage in response to the threshold voltage being exceeded, the output voltage being independent of the analog signal, the analog signal being digitized without the use of an analog-to-digital converter.