Patent ID: 7850077

Claim:
An apparatus for obtaining a security signature of a value item having a substrate, the substrate having at least one security feature associated therewith, the apparatus comprising: a) a scanner comprising a track dimensioned for receiving the value item, a plurality of LEDs for respectively illuminating a plurality of areas of the substrate along a scan path of the substrate when the value item is being received along said track, said plurality of LEDs respectively illuminating said plurality of areas with electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths in a plurality of different wavelength ranges selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet, visible light and infrared, and a plurality of radiation sensors for respectively detecting a plurality of responses of electromagnetic radiation reflected from said plurality of areas and having wavelengths in one or more sensor wavelength ranges selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet, visible light and infrared wherein each of said plurality of responses is selected from a group such that said each response is not selected as a magnetic response; and b) a processor for calculating from said plurality of responses a representation of said at least one security feature, said at least one security feature comprising a plurality of-fibers of the substrate, said representation of said at least one security feature comprising data representing an embedded depth in the substrate of one or more fibers of said plurality of fibers, a location of said one or more fibers, and a size of said one or more fibers, wherein the apparatus is operable to transmit said representation to a database.