EP2067125B1 - Method for destroying banknotes - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for the destruction of banknotes, in which the banknotes are checked and sorted at least one decentralized location by means of at least one bank-note processing machine, wherein non-negotiable banknotes are sorted out to be transported to a central location for destruction.

Banknotes destruction processes that discard out-of-date banknotes and transport them to a central location for destruction are well known and have long been used. In this case, banknotes z. B. by commercial banks, Werttransportunternehmen etc. are accepted, decentrally checked and sorted by means of banknote processing machines. The sorting of the banknotes takes place according to their denomination and fitness for circulation, d. H. There are per denomination two stacks formed, a stack for bankable notes of each denomination and another stack for banknotes of each denomination no longer fit. Under no longer fit banknotes are understood to be banknotes that are so heavily polluted and / or damaged that they should not get into circulation again. The unfit banknotes are then transported to a central location, eg. As a central bank, and by the central bank, usually after re-examination, destroyed.

However, it has been found that the known procedure is very complicated, since it is provided in the decentralized checking and sorting to sort the accepted banknotes in terms of their denomination and fitness for circulation. Therefore, there are two output pockets for each denomination banknote processing machine to be used. Since known currencies generally have seven or more denominations or issues, fourteen output bins are already provided for the processing of banknotes of one currency. If banknotes of different currencies are to be processed at the same time, the number of output bins increases accordingly. In addition, a sorting should often take place in accordance with the position of the banknotes, which further increases the expenditure by up to a factor of four if the banknote processing machine has no elements for turning and orienting.

Further problems result in the known procedure for destroying unfit banknotes from the fact that the central banks receive only banknotes that have been classified as unfit by the submitting decentralized agencies. As central banks generally dictate the condition of banknotes in order to be considered fit or unfit, it is not possible for the central bank to check whether the decentralized bodies making the submission comply with these requirements, since only those of arrive at the central bank as decentralized banknotes. These are possibly mixed with convertible banknotes or not all unfit banknotes are recognized and / or sorted out.

In addition, for example, from the WO 99/27488 A1 a method is known in which the destruction takes place decentralized, that is not carried out by a central bank. In these methods, in a first step, a sorting by means of a first banknote processing machine according to denomination and state of the banknotes, ie whether the banknotes are fit or not executable. The no longer fit Banknotes are transferred to a specially secured room that can be monitored by the central bank. In addition, it is communicated to the central bank how many banknotes of each denomination were handed over to the room. In the secured room, the destruction of the banknotes takes place under the supervision of the central bank by means of a second bank-note processing machine, which again determines and checks the denomination and number before the banknotes are destroyed. The calculated number and denomination is transmitted to the central bank, which compares this with the previously transmitted information on the number and denomination of the banknotes transferred.

In this variant of the destruction of banknotes is still a division and sorting of all banknotes according to their denomination, which is why still a large number of output compartments for the banknote processing machine used is required. The saving of the required transport of out-of-date banknotes to the central bank is offset by considerable expense for the creation of the secured space. Further effort is required to monitor the central bank's destruction of unfit banknotes in the secured room. In addition, a significantly lower utilization of the banknote processing machine used for the destruction of unfit bank notes in the secured room will generally result, because only the decentralized quantity of non-convertible banknotes accumulating at a single location is destroyed there. Therefore, many bank note processing machines with secured rooms must be installed, which causes considerable investment and operating costs.

From the US 3,522,563 It is known to collect unfit banknotes in a single output tray and deliver it to a central destruction.

Object of the present invention is to provide a method for the destruction of banknotes, in which no longer fit banknotes are sorted out at decentralized locations and transported to a central point for destruction, which the central office better monitoring of the decentralized locations made possible sorting out of unfit banknotes.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a method for the destruction of banknotes, in which the banknotes are checked and sorted at least one decentralized location by means of at least one banknote processing machine, whereby banknotes which are not fit for circulation are sorted out, in order to be transported to a central location for destruction, solved with the features of claim 1.

In the method according to the invention, it is assumed that banknotes are accepted, checked and sorted at at least one decentralized location, whereby all banknotes recognized as unfit are deposited on a single stack, ie it is independent of the denomination and / or Position of the banknotes uses a single output tray of the banknote processing machine for all unfit banknotes, further at least a portion of the fit banknotes is transported to the central location to allow a test of a defined sample.

The inventive method thus has the advantage that the banknote processing machines used at decentralized locations can be constructed much simpler, since they only have to have a greatly reduced number of output compartments. In addition, the further processing of unfit banknotes is simplified because all unfit banknotes are combined in a single stack. This also reduces the risk that, as the output bins are emptied, erroneously salable banknotes will be mixed together with unfit banknotes as the bins for the various denominations are emptied. Thus, the investment costs for the bank note processing machine are reduced because the unfit bank notes no longer have to be separated according to their denomination and / or their location. The reduced number of output bins reduces the number of work steps, thereby increasing throughput. The passable banknotes allow the central office to better check the quality of the sorting of the accepted banknotes into executable and unfit banknotes carried out by the at least one decentralized office and an assessment of the quality rating of the banknotes that can be run. This is particularly important if the central office otherwise receives no information about the quality of the still fit banknotes.

Further advantages result from the fact that in the field of decentralized banknote sorting no additional controls and monitoring are necessary. The sorting out of unfit banknotes can take place in an unsecured area, since the banknotes are not destroyed and their presence can be checked at any time.

The central bank also requires only the usual controls and monitoring. In addition, the bank-note processing machine can dispense with output bins for fit banknotes, if due to the quality of the pre-sorting no fit banknotes are included or if the recovery of any usable banknotes may be omitted. In this case, the banknote processing machine needs only one output bin for the rejections, i. H. unprocessable or unrecognized banknotes, and a unit for destroying banknotes, e.g. a shredder.

By focusing on central destruction, the framework conditions for an economic interpretation of the security measures are created throughout the entire process. This concerns both the physical security of cash handling security areas and the supervision by supervisors according to the principles of dual custody in the event of unavoidable intervention by the customer service or the operator in the event of malfunctions and malfunctions.

In a continuation, it is provided that data of the checking and sorting operation of the at least one decentralized point are made available to the central office, which go beyond information on the number and denomination of the banknotes, and thus their value. For this purpose, in addition to the not suitable for circulation banknotes incurred during the checking and sorting process data or parts thereof are transmitted to the central office.

In the re-examination of the unfit banknotes at the central location by means of a bank-note processing machine, it is then possible, on the basis of the data of the check-in bank previously carried out at the decentralized place. and sorting be checked whether the sorting by the decentralized body, ie the assignment to the banknotes no longer fit, complies with predetermined criteria, the z. B. come from the central office. For this purpose, for example, the data of the decentralized point can be compared with data of the central point, which were incurred during the checking and sorting process at the central point.

In a further advantageous embodiment, it may be provided that in addition to the data or parts of data of unfit bank notes and the incurred during the checking and sorting process data or parts of data of the bankable banknotes are transmitted to the central office.

When re-checking the unfit banknotes at the central location by means of a banknote processing machine can then be checked on the basis of the data previously performed at the decentralized site checking and sorting process, whether the sorting by the decentralized body, d. H. the assignment to banknotes which are no longer fit, meets the criteria specified by the central office. The data or parts of data of the usable banknotes additionally allow the central office to draw conclusions about compliance with the criteria for executable banknotes specified by the central office. It may also include an indication of the quality of the fit banknotes, such. B. a statistical classification of the degree of pollution.

Further advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description of embodiments with reference to figures.

Figur 1

einen prinzipiellen Aufbau einer Banknotenbearbeitungsmaschine für die Verwendung an einer dezentralen Stelle,

Figur 2

einen prinzipiellen Aufbau einer Banknotenbearbeitungsmaschine für die Verwendung an einer zentralen Stelle,

Figur 3

eine prinzipielle, vereinfachte Darstellung einer Verteilung der Verschmutzung von umlaufenden Banknoten, und

Figur 4

eine prinzipielle Verteilung von nicht umlauffähigen Banknoten mit enthaltener Stichprobe für umlauffähige Banknoten.

Show it:

FIG. 1

a basic structure of a banknote processing machine for use in a decentralized location,

FIG. 2

a basic structure of a bank-note processing machine for use at a central location,

FIG. 3

a schematic, simplified representation of a distribution of contamination of circulating banknotes, and

FIG. 4

a principle distribution of unfit banknotes with included sample of fit banknotes.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a basic construction of a bank note processing machine which is suitable for use in a remote location.

The banknote processing machine 100 has an input unit 110 into which at the decentralized location, e.g. As a commercial bank or a Werttransportuntemehmen, accepted and processed banknotes are inserted. Connected to the input unit 110 is a singler 111 which extracts individual banknotes from the input unit 110 and to a transport system 120 passes. The transport system 120 transports the individual banknotes by a sensor device 112, which determines data from the banknotes, which allow, for example, conclusions on authenticity, condition, denomination, etc. The determined data of the banknotes are transferred to a control device 140, which evaluates the data and thus controls the further flow of the banknotes through the banknote processing machine 100. For this purpose, the control device 140 acts on points 121 to 124, which are components of the transport system 120 and allow the banknotes to be deposited in output compartments 130 to 139 according to predetermined criteria. The output compartments 130 to 139 can be designed, for example, as spiral slot stackers which stack the bank notes to be deposited by means of rotating units 130, 32, 134, 136, 138, which have spiral compartments, in shelves 131, 133, 135, 137, 139. Other output bins 160 may join as needed. The functions of the banknote processing machine 100 may be selected and controlled by an operator by means of an input / output unit 150. For this purpose, the input / output unit 150 can have, for example, a display and a keyboard or a touchscreen.

When sorting the banknotes into convertible and unfit banknotes, the state of the banknotes is essentially determined and according to predetermined criteria, the banknotes are separated or sorted into executable and unfit banknotes. In this case, the data of the bank notes determined by the sensor device 112 are evaluated by the control device 140. All unfit banknotes are stored in an output tray, eg. As output tray 132.133, regardless of their other properties such as currency, denomination, orientation, etc., only banknotes that were not clearly recognized as genuine banknotes are stored separately, as described below becomes. The fit banknotes can also be stored in a specific output tray or in multiple output bins 134-139. For example, the convertible banknotes can each be stored in an output pocket according to their denomination. Banknotes which could not be properly processed by the banknote processing machine 100, or banknotes whose authenticity could not be determined, are stored in a special output bin 130, 131, the so-called reject bin. It can be provided that the banknotes are removed from the reject bin 130,131 to be re-entered or again several times in the input unit 110, so that a re-processing can be done with the banknote processing machine 100. It is often the case that such banknotes can be properly processed by the bank-note processing machine 100 when reprocessed, and that they are clearly judged to be genuine and fit but real or unfit.

The result of the sorting is recorded in a log containing at least the number of banknotes of each denomination (and currency) for fit and unfit banknotes. In addition, information about improperly processed banknotes from the reject bin 130,131 may be included, in particular, their number and the reason for improper processing. From the information contained in the protocol can be, for. From the controller 140, the total value of the banknotes, the value for a particular denomination, the value of the fit banknotes, the value of the unfit banknotes, etc.

The unfit banknotes are removed from the output tray 132, 133 and transported to a central location where they are rendered unusable or destroyed. For transport, the unfit banknotes are packed, for example, in secured cassettes or other containers. Such containers can also be mounted directly on the output tray of the banknote processing machine, so that the unfit bank notes are deposited directly in such a container.

At the central point, z. As a central bank, the unfit banknotes are processed by a banknote processing machine 200 whose basic structure in FIG. 2 is shown.

The bank-note processing machine 200 has an input unit 210 into which the banknotes sorted out at the decentralized location are no longer circulatable. It may also be provided that the container used for the transport is coupled directly to the input unit 210. Connected to the input unit 210 is a singler 211, which extracts individual banknotes from the input unit 210 and transfers them to a transport system 220. The transport system 220 transports the individual banknotes by a sensor device 212, which determines data from the banknotes which, for example, allow conclusions to be drawn about authenticity, status, denomination, etc. The ascertained data of the banknotes are transferred to a control device 240, which evaluates the data and thus controls the further flow of the banknotes through the banknote processing machine 200. For this purpose, the control device 240 acts on a switch 221, which is part of the transport system 220 and allows the banknotes after checking in an output tray 230, 231 or a banknote shredder 270, for example a Shredder, to lead. The functions of the banknote processing machine 200 may be selected and controlled by an operator by means of an input / output unit 250. The input / output unit 250 may have, for example, a display and a keyboard or a touch screen for this purpose.

The functions of the banknote processing machine 200 of the central office correspond substantially to the functions of the banknote processing machine 100 of the remote office or remote offices.

The check in the banknote processing machine 200 of the central office may be limited to checking the denomination and the authenticity of the banknotes. A check of the condition or the quality can be dispensed with, since they have already been previously checked by the banknote processing machine 100 of the decentralized agency and classified as unfit for use. If the denomination and the authenticity of a banknote can be determined by the banknote processing machine 200, the banknote is fed to the banknote shredder 270. If authenticity and / or denomination of the bill can not be determined, the bill is fed to the output tray 230, 231, which serves as a reject bin. As described above in the context of the decentralized banknote processing machine 100, the banknotes of the reject bin 230, 231 may be reprocessed with the banknote processing machine 200 to reduce the number of denied banknotes.

The banknote processing machine 200 may also perform further checks, e.g. B. the affiliation of banknotes to different currencies. Furthermore, it can also be provided that the banknote processing machine 200 checks the banknotes to see if they are fit or not fit. This may serve, for example, to check the sorting quality, the settings or calibration etc. of the banknote processing machine 100 of the decentralized location. Namely, if banknotes previously classified as unfit by banknote processing machine 100 are deemed fit by banknote processing machine 200, this is an indication that the decentralized banknote processing machine 100 is failing to meet the criteria set by the central office. Such banknotes recognized as being fit can be destroyed by means of the banknote shredder 270 in order to avoid additional outlay such as unfit banknotes, if they could be processed properly, ie their authenticity and denomination were determined by the banknote processing machine 200. However, it is also possible to provide one or more further output compartments, in which the banknotes still capable of being transported are transported by the bank-note processing machine 200.

The banknote processing machine 200 of the central office also prepares a log of the result of the sorting, in which at least the number of banknotes of each denomination is included. These banknotes were destroyed by the banknote shredder 270. In addition, information about improperly processed banknotes from the rejection bin 230, 231 is included, in particular, their number and the reason for improper processing. The details of the log of the banknote processing machine 200 of the central office are compared with the details of the log of the banknote processing machine 100 of the remote office. When properly processed, the information on the number and denomination of unfit banknotes of the decentralized agency's minutes must include the number and denomination of the central bank Match place. The log of the banknote processing machine 100 of the remote office can be transmitted, for example, by wire, wireless, Internet, etc. to the banknote processing machine 200 of the central office. However, the protocol can also be available as an expression that is transported from the decentralized office to the central office. It is also possible that the log is stored in a memory which is transported to the central location. The transport of the log can be done together with or separately from the banknotes, e.g. B. by attaching an RFID chip on the transport container.

In addition, provision may be made for the data of the banknotes, or parts thereof, of the banknote processing machine 200 used in the checking and sorting of the banknotes at the decentralized location by the banknote processing machine 100 to be made available by the sensor device 112. Likewise, data can be provided which are obtained by the control device 140 from the data determined by the sensor device 112 during the test. The data include the properties of the banknotes examined, from which statements about fitness for circulation, currency, denomination, etc. are derived by the control device 140, eg As a statistical description of the quality of the sorted banknotes, a distribution of pollution levels, damage, etc. This allows the decisions made by the controller 140 decisions in the sorting based on the data at the central location, eg. B. from the controller 240, can be checked.

At the central point, the data of the decentralized point permit a comparison with the data determined by the sensor device 212 or obtained by the control device 240 for destruction at the central point Place supplied banknotes, when processing with the banknote processing machine 200 of the central office. In particular, this allows conclusions to be drawn if the banknotes classified as unfit by the decentralized office are classified as being fit for circulation from the central location. In this case, the data of the decentralized place can be compared with the data of the central place and conclusions can be obtained which allow to correct the deviation of the decentralized place. It can be provided that the data are assigned to the individual banknotes, so that a direct comparison of the data is possible. This assignment can z. B. on the serial number or other individual characteristics of the banknotes. However, it can also be provided that a statistical evaluation and a statistical comparison of the data take place.

In addition to the data of unfit banknotes, data or parts of the data of executable banknotes of the decentralized office can also be transmitted to the central office. This also allows the central office to evaluate and assess the quality of the sorting by the decentralized office with regard to the banknotes classified as fit for circulation by the decentralized office.

The data obtained during the verification of banknotes at the decentralized location may be wireless or wired, e.g. B. via the Internet, are transmitted. The data may also be written to a memory which is transported together with or separately from the unfit banknotes to the central location.

FIG. 3 shows by way of example a distribution 300 of contamination of circulating banknotes. Here is the number of circulating in each case Banknotes per pollution level shown. With a sorting threshold 304, a certain degree of contamination is defined as the border between fit (left of 304) and unfit (right of 304) banknotes. Due to real limitations and tolerances of the sensor devices 112, fit banknotes 301 and unfit banknotes 302 are separated with some blurring. In this blur area 303, passable banknotes are recognized as unfit for circulation and unfit banknotes as fit for circulation. The width and shape of this blur area 303 depends, inter alia, on the size of the tolerances, the calibration and the measurement accuracy (eg resolution) of the sensor device 112. In this environment, the repeatability of the determination of the fitness for circulation is limited, so that it may happen that the same banknote is recognized in a first pass as not fit, but in a second pass as fit to run. The blur area also exists in the sensor device 212 of the central bank, but may be lower due to a higher-quality measurement technique (eg, higher resolution or full-surface measurement) and regular calibration.

Figure 3a and 3b show the behavior of the sorting at an erroneous sorting threshold 304a or 304b, which may arise due to an incorrect setting or calibration of the sensor device 112. In this case, the sensor device 112 recognizes too many or too few convertible banknotes, in addition to the already unavoidable deviations due to the blur area 303. If the sorting threshold 304a is too low, too many convertible banknotes are discarded as unfit. If sorting threshold 304b is too high, not all unfit bank notes are recognized as such and withdrawn so that the quality of the circulating banknotes is reduced.

By statistically assessing the distribution of fouling of the incomplete banknotes 302 delivered by the remote office, the central bank can verify that the sorting threshold 304 and / or the calibration of the decentralized location sensor device 112 were properly set. If the determined distribution 302b has too few banknotes in the vicinity of the sorting threshold, this is an indication that a too high sorting threshold 304b has been used and too many unfit banknotes have remained in circulation. If the determined distribution 302a contains too many bills in the vicinity of the sorting threshold and thus too many convertible banknotes, this is an indication that the decentralized location has used a sorting threshold 304a that has been set too low or has not performed any sorting of the circulation capability.

FIG. 4 shows a distribution 402 of unfit banknotes, which additionally contains a sample of serviceable banknotes 401. Such a distribution 402 is generated in that, in addition to the banknotes 302 recognized as unfit by the sensor device 112, further banknotes identified as being fit for circulation are added. This can be done, for example, by randomly selecting a predetermined percentage of convertible banknotes 301. If the local office places banknotes corresponding to this distribution 402, then the central bank sensor 212 can filter out sample 401 of bankable notes by statistical methods, thus obtaining a real image of the circulating banknote quality 300, including the distribution of pollution as well as

Damage and other degradation of quality due to aging and wear.

In a further embodiment, the central point, z. As a central bank, the delivery of samples of fit banknotes cause. This allows the central bank to reliably assess the quality of banknotes in circulation and to track changes (aging, wear, damage) due to the use of banknotes. On the basis of these analyzes, the central bank can intervene without delay in the event of significant deviations from the target specification or objective, eg. For example, by changing directives, placing new or fresh banknotes on the market, tightening controls or changing requirements. In addition, the previously described data generated during the processing of the banknotes at the decentralized location can also be transmitted to the central point for the banknotes of the random sample. As a result, deviations from specifications can be analyzed even better.

It is advantageous if the banknote processing machine 100 of the decentralized location, z. As a commercial money processing center, a representative sample over a larger processing volume generated, for. For example, over the entire volume of a workday. Such a sample has the advantage of actually representing the average of the circulating banknotes and averaging out any incidental influences of special processing quantities. It is known that the banknotes have very different qualities in trade depending on the industry, z. As a rule, very good quality in first-class clothing stores and very low quality in snack chains. The regional origin of the banknotes can also have systematic effects on the banknotes, be it through customs in dealing with the banknotes, the care of individual depositors in the processing of banknotes or climatic influences, eg. B. moisture. The selection of the banknotes taken in the sample can be done by random procedures or by a specific selection of certain banknotes that are representative of a particular quality class and are assigned according to their share of the total circulation.

Such representatively selected samples have the advantage that even small amounts are sufficient for a secure assessment of banknotes in circulation, particularly when such samples are requested from representative selected decentralized agencies or from different manufacturers and types of banknote processing machines.

The delivery of such samples of convertible banknotes may be made in separate denominations or denominations or without distinction to denomination. The latter has the advantage that only a further additional output tray is needed and therefore causes only small additional costs and the handling effort is minimized. The central bank may decide on the expected distribution of banknote quality, eg. As the degree of contamination, create analyzes on the quality of fit banknotes and possibly initiate reactions for correction. The central bank can also identify early on counterfeits that are already in circulation but are not recognized by the commercial cash handling center because their sensors are not designed to be properly scrutinized.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the unfoldable banknotes can be admixed with a defined percentage of passable banknotes. This has the advantage that the sorting machine of the commercial cash handling center requires only a single output bin for the banknotes to be delivered to the central bank. Advantageously, only a very small percentage of usable banknotes is added.

In a further embodiment of the invention can be detected per se bankable notes with certain properties. Such properties can z. B. in deviations of the pressure or the pressure tolerance, a specific serial number or a range of serial numbers. This makes it possible to remove such banknotes prematurely from circulation or to gain extended samples of banknotes with certain characteristics. This can e.g. make sense if the central bank puts modified banknotes into circulation for testing purposes. For example, check or compare the durability of different versions. This may also affect the detection of registered banknotes whose serial numbers z. B. due to extortion or robbery are known. In this case, it makes sense that corresponding data of the consignor are additionally recorded and transmitted to the central bank.

The following explanations describe the processing of unfit banknotes. In direct analogy, the statements can also be transferred to samples of convertible banknotes or hybrids, without any specific mention.

The orderly storage of banknotes with different formats (depending on denomination) in a stack requires special precautions, so that the stack is stable in itself for transport and can be separated as well as possible during processing on a further sorting machine. For this it is advantageous if the output tray is set in length and width to the largest occurring format and the smaller formats are stored in a certain relation to it.

This relation can be calculated from the specification of a certain common reference edge, z. B. the longitudinal and / or the narrow side exist. In this case, the time of destacking or release of the banknote from the transport system and / or certain guide elements and guide plates in the storage area ensure that the banknotes are aligned at one or both reference edges. The use of gravity can assist this alignment or, if necessary, accomplish it alone if the slots are tilted accordingly. The alignment at the reference edges can be additionally supported by the use of a vibrator or vibrator.

Alternatively, this relation can also exist in a specification for central storage. In this case, the time of destacking or release of the banknote from the transport system ensures that the banknote is deposited in the middle. Such a method is z. B. possible if the system has a trigger device and the withdrawal time is controllable according to the length or width of the bill. Such a take-off device is z. B. from known EP 0 854 833 B1 ,

The relation can consist in a combination of both possibilities, eg. B. a common reference edge with respect to the longitudinal side and a central shelf with respect to the longitudinal side. This combination is special suitable for further processing on a banknote processing machine with transverse separation, such as in EP 1 238 375 B1 described.

The orientation on each of a particular longitudinal and narrow side as a reference edge is particularly suitable for systems with longitudinal separation and a transport system with a fixed reference position to the base plate of the banknote transport, such as in EP 0 764131 B1 described.

The alignment on a specific narrow side as a reference edge and with a central shelf in this narrow side is particularly suitable for systems with longitudinal separation and a transport system with a symmetrical belt system.

The central storage both with respect to the longitudinal and the narrow side is particularly advantageous for the stability of the banknote stack. With this relation, the danger of tipping over and slipping apart is the least. However, it is usually not very well suited for the usual separator of banknote processing machines.

The unfit banknotes collected in the output tray can be processed in various forms for transport to the central bank.

The easiest way of transport is z. B. the banding in parcels with 100 notes or as a bundle (package) with 10 packets or 1000 loose banknotes, z. B. by welding in a transparent film. This film can be designed so that manipulations are detected, for. As in optically visible damage to the film or loss of negative pressure (vacuum packaging). The proof of a manipulation can be led or the integrity (integrity) of the deposit may be tested if, during the manufacture of the bundle, specimens are welded in which, upon opening, produce either visible or invisible color reactions or if the particular test substance is no longer fully present at the time of transfer or deposit at the central bank is.

However, the processed packets can also contain a variable number of banknotes to z. B. to reach a predetermined value or minimum value per parcel or not exceed a predetermined maximum value per parcel. The information about the value of a parcel and the number of banknotes may be printed in plain text or via a barcode. It is particularly advantageous to arrange such barcodes, or other machine-readable information, on the narrow side of the packet on the band. The information can also be detected when the packages are stacked.

In another embodiment, an electronically readable label (smart label) on the band may also be used for storing the information. With a contactless RFID method, the information of all the packets contained in a stack can be read simultaneously.

These methods have the advantage of being able to more easily check the monitoring of the value or the completeness of the stack.

Another possibility of transport are containers or cassettes, which are designed according to the banknote formats. These containers may include closure mechanisms, e.g. B. in the form of a seal or a lock that exists only by certain the recipient Aids can be opened. These containers may be designed so that they can be filled and locked or fully automatically or semi-automatically at the bank processing machine of the commercial cash handling center. A further embodiment is the possibility that this container can be opened automatically at the banknote processing machine and the banknotes can be singulated therefrom without manual intervention of an operator.

In mixed formats with different lengths and / or widths of banknotes, the banknotes may need to be secured with additional funds in the container, so that protruding large banknotes are not bent or small banknotes are kept secure. This can be done by a corresponding embodiment of the transport container, z. B. subjects of a certain or variably adjustable size or pressure by means of spring, so that the banknotes can not slip. Such a mechanism can also serve to prevent slippage in only partially filled containers.

Another possibility of transport can be done by using plastic bags with seal closure (Safebags). In this case, the banknotes are usually inserted loosely. The disorderly collection in a sack or other container is possible in principle.

In all previously mentioned ways of transport there is a need to identify the deposit. This consists z. B. from the name of the consignor, a possibly assigned bank code or other standardized identifier, the number of banknotes per denomination and / or the value of the deposit, the date of processing, the processor, the identification of the banknote processing machine.

For the tracking of banknotes quality, it may be advantageous if during sorting also data regarding the quality or sorting results of the contained banknotes are detected. This can e.g. statistical data such as the distribution of the degree of pollution, the frequency and nature of the damage or other descriptive data for the composition of the deposit. As further data, the setting of the bank note processing machine and other parameters of the processing can be added.

Likewise, as further data, the serial numbers of the sorted banknotes can be detected. These serial numbers can be used to uniquely identify the individual banknotes and the data described above, eg. B. on the degree of contamination or damage, can be specified for each banknote individually.

The individual recognition of the banknote can take place in addition to or in addition to the serial number via other individual features of the banknote, eg. B. deviations from the printing tolerance, special properties due to the use of the banknote, etc. For this purpose, the data detected by the sensor unit can be used, as for example in the DE 10 2004 033 092 A1 is described in more detail. Likewise, an individual recognition of banknotes by means of specific features such. As an invisible bar code or other individually applied pattern possible.

In a further embodiment, additional data relating to the reissue of the bankable notes by the commercial cash handling center may be collected. This can be z. As concerns the amount of banknotes, the distribution of pollution levels and all other previously mentioned data.

On the basis of such data, the Central Bank may verify that the commercial cash handling center banknote handling machine has been operated with the correct parameters for sorting the unfit banknotes and that the measurement results for the degree of soiling and damage are in accordance with the Central Bank's guidelines Calibration or adjustment of the sensors correspond. The easiest way to do this is for the central bank to compare the self-determined results for the composition of the deposit with the data provided by the commercial cash-processing center. This can be done on the basis of statistical data or on the basis of individual banknotes on the serial numbers or other individual characteristics. In the event of material deviations from the specified deposit conditions, the Central Bank may issue notices for changes in the settings or adjustments of the banknote processing machine of the commercial cash processing center in order to remedy the deficiency. The central bank may also initiate a check of the banknote processing machine on-site to determine the reason for the deviation. The Central Bank may charge fees to cover the costs of the deviations. Such costs can z. B. arise because falsely fit banknotes are included and therefore unnecessarily destroyed.

As a rule, at least one information carrier is present on the bundle or transport container, which enables unambiguous identification of the delivery of the unfit banknotes.

In the simplest case, this is a bar code whose unique information or number refers to further data being transmitted or entered by other means. A one-dimensional bar code can only store a small amount of information due to the restriction of the information content. When using a two-dimensional bar code, much more information can be stored and transmitted.

Alternatively, an electronic chip (smart label), preferably with contactless transmission (RFID), can be mounted as an information carrier on the bundle or the transport container, so that all data described above can be stored and transmitted.

The data of the information carrier are read by the central bank with appropriate readers. This reading may take place upon receipt (receipt) or during processing at the bank note processing machine.

Instead of or in addition to the data transferred on the bundle or transport container, further data can be transmitted electronically. The banknote processing machine of the commercial cash processing center acquires the described data during the processing of the banknotes and generates a corresponding electronic protocol at the end of the processing or at the conclusion of a deposit unit. This protocol is transmitted electronically to the Central Bank, for B. via networking through the Internet or other wide area network (WAN) interfaces. Preferably, the XML format is used for the electronic protocol, since it can be further processed with many standard tools, for example by reading into a database. The XML format also has the advantage that it is largely independent of the internal representation of the banknote processing machine and as such machine-independent and version-independent, so is an open standard, is. Such protocols may therefore be generated by banknote processing machines of different manufacturers if the central bank or other organization has specified and standardized the format and contents of the protocol.

Instead of an electronic transmission, the data can also be printed out as a log on paper and, if necessary, added to the bundle or transport container.

Additional authentication of the recorded and transmitted data can be detected if the data transmitted on the information carrier, on the electronic protocol or on the paper are changed inadmissibly. Such authentication is carried out, for example, by cryptographic processing based on secret keys, eg. B. DES or RSA method or other known methods of encryption. In this case, alternatively, the entire information can be encrypted so that it can not be read by unauthorized persons, or it is only a signature, eg. B. Message Authentication Code (MAC) added at the end of the data or the expression, so that the integrity of the transmitted data can be checked. For encryption, other methods can be used, for. For example, the public key infrastructure (PKI) method.

The key for this authentication can be z. Predetermined by the central bank and so securely stored in the banknote processing machine that the commercial cash processing center has no way to change the data obtained. This procedure allows the central bank to control and supervise the banknote processing machine operated by the commercial cash handling centers and the banknote processing carried out thereon.

The authentication can also include the programs and / or the parameters and the settings of the sorting machine. Thus, the central bank z. For example, check whether the (authorized) method approved by the Central Bank is actually used to check banknotes.

The separation of unfinished banknotes in mixed formats places increased demands on the efficiency of the separator of the sorting machine, in particular if the banknotes are delivered without any alignment along a reference edge. In this case, aligning elements and feed elements must ensure that the banknotes are fed to the separator, and that the banknote z. B. be aligned with a reference edge of the transport system before they are fed into the region of the sensors. If the orientation is incomplete there is a risk of singling stops or singling gaps, of multiple prints or additional rejections, because the sensor unit can not reliably evaluate banknotes with skew or too great a distance from the reference plane of the measurement (run-up).

The problem can be partially solved if the sensors measure over the entire surface and the quality and reliability of the evaluation is independent of skew and run-up. This is especially the case when the Sensors have a sufficient number of measuring tracks and can evaluate the banknotes with a corresponding tolerance or transform the measured signals after determining the skew and the run-up to the nominal position of the reference data. However, this has the disadvantage that the manufacturing costs of the sensors are increased. Also, there may be disturbances in the transport system at points and other critical points and the aligned storage of banknotes in the output compartments may not be ensured.

Out DE 102 36 028 A It is known that the banknotes in the transport system, ie in the isolated state, by a mechanical device or a non-contact engagement, for. B. by a corresponding air flow, can be aligned. The intervention takes place until the banknote is completely aligned (see also WO 2004/014768 A ). From the EP 1 253 097 A It is known that the banknotes can be aligned after singulation by a posture correction section in terms of both run-up and skew. Both of these methods allow the processing of banknotes which are not aligned per se, by causing a corresponding alignment between the separator and the sensors. A disadvantage of the said method is that the banknotes are aligned only in the transport path and therefore it can already cause disruptions in the separation. In addition, such alignment devices require additional space in the sorting machine and increase the manufacturing costs of the sorting machine.

Out EP 0 946 402 A It is known that the banknotes can be pushed against a mechanical stop during the separation process by a mechanical alignment device and thereby aligned. The alignment of banknotes in the singulation process by means of compressed air is from the DE 2814 306 A known and possible even at higher separation rates. By a corresponding arrangement of blown air holes feed and alignment forces are generated, which align the banknote and singulate.

By a device in the area of the separator, according to the in DE 102 36 028 A described principle of alignment, a very compact and cost-effective solution is possible. In this case, the format of the next banknote to be separated is detected with the aid of a camera and their position measured relative to the desired position for optimum positioning for singulation. The baffle plate has independently controllable fields with air nozzles. These fields have different directions of action and different zones of action, so that advancing, aligning and rotating forces can be controlled independently. By a separate control, the separation can be optimized so that skew, run-up and double deductions are prevented. This is done z. B. in that a control device, the individual fields of Luftleitplatte be activated simultaneously or sequentially so that each next banknote to be separated before the beginning of the separation is first fully aligned with the reference edges of the singler and then the feed is activated according to the format of this banknote ,

The tracking of the singling also higher demands are made in the processing of unfit banknotes. In high-quality separation devices, the banknotes are guided from below to a trigger device, so that the weight or the number of banknotes contained in the input stack, the behavior and performance of Do not significantly influence singler. The tracking must be controlled in the rule that the banknote stack is sufficiently close to the trigger device, but the top banknote in the input stack exerts no or only a defined vertical pressure force on the trigger device. If the distance is too great, the singulation is interrupted; if the distance is too short or the pressing force is too great, there is a risk that several banknotes will be fed in at the same time. This tracking is complicated if the input stack is very large, because in particular used and especially unfit banknotes are usually compressible and thus the height of the input stack is not proportional to the number of banknotes. Moreover, when processing deposits of unknown size, the amount of notes contained therein is unknown. Small input stacks have the disadvantage that the separation when reloading a next input stack must be stopped. If a tracking mechanism is used that allows for the continuous reloading of new input stacks, such as: In EP 0 764 131 A described, the stack can be nachspredern and compressed when merging the input stack located in the singulation position with the reloaded stack.

Therefore, the tracking must be done non-linearly by means of a control or regulation depending on the stack height. The procedure according to EP 0 865 398 A to control the tracking uses a density sensor, with which the density of banknotes in the immediate area below the singler is detected. The density sensor may consist of an optical sensor, for. Example, by counting the density of banknote edges, on the measurement of vibrations or noises of a blowing nozzle or an air pressure sensor.

For banknotes that are not fit, despite all the technical optimizations and good preparation of the banknotes, higher rejection rates occur if the banknotes were not clearly recognized by the sensors. By re-singling these rejected banknotes in a re-run, the remaining rejection rate can be significantly reduced, since the banknotes are separated in a second attempt with fewer multiple withdrawals and less skew or run-up. The execution of such a repetition run is facilitated if the separator has for this purpose a separate input tray, so that these notes separated from a next input stack, z. As a deposit from another depositor, can be inserted and do not mix with these. This additional input tray may be similar in a device EP 0 764 131 A can be realized simply by the fact that the means of the singler after the end of the singulation of a first input stack in a specially defined position above a next provided input stack is parked and ready to receive the rejected banknotes. The operator can use this parking position by first inserting rejected banknotes and having them checked again after pressing the start button for the re-run. Alternatively, by pressing the start button for the singler, he can do without this repeated check and start the processing of the next input stack. During the machining of the next input batch, the operator may perform the manual hand reworking of the first input batch by checking the rejected bills and inputting them in an input mask according to their value, so that the banknote processing machine, after completion of the input, the value and the number of Determine banknotes of the different denominations of the first input stack and, if necessary, compare them against a transferred target value.

The possibilities for optimization mentioned in connection with the separator exist in principle and are not limited to the processing of unfit bank notes.

The sensor units must reliably recognize the denominations and clearly prove their authenticity. This test is based on distinguishing features of the individual denominations in terms of their size, their printed image and other physical characteristics, such. B. properties in the non-visible spectrum, magnetic and / or conductive components in the ink or security thread, paper properties such as watermarks, etc.

Non-negotiable banknotes are often very dirty, stained and / or damaged. Such damage can be caused by missing parts, dog-ears, wrinkles, holes, cracks, broken or partially missing security threads. In such cases, it may happen that a banknote that is genuine per se is not unambiguously recognized and rejected by the machine, ie that it is output to the reject bin. In this case, the operator can provisionally repair the bill, for. B. unfold a dog-ear, past a crack with a transparent tape and paste the banknote to a re-run (rerun) again in the machine. In some cases it may also be sufficient to feed the banknote in a different orientation. In the case of serious damage, the machine may not be able to identify the banknote even after several attempts. The remaining denied banknotes must be manually checked and subjected to an alternative destruction procedure. These manual interventions and methods are undesirable because they take a considerable amount of time and reduce the performance of the sorting machine.

It is therefore particularly advantageous if the sensors work very reliably and nevertheless tolerantly in the recognition of the denomination. Safe identification can be improved by a combination of measured properties. It may be designed so that, for certain damages, alternatively other local areas of the banknote or other criteria for determining the denomination and / or authenticity are used. This can also by the combination of signals from the front and the back of the bill or by combining with different measuring principles, eg. As optical and magnetic sensors, carried out, as for example in DE 102 59 288 A is described.

A smudge or a hole in the banknote at a certain point may, for. B. complicate the identification of the denomination, if this area contains essential information for the decision logic to distinguish the denomination or detection of the orientation of the bill. In this case, the decision logic may yield a false result. Usually this false result is recognized in a second stage by a verifier, which checks further criteria. In this case, an alternative algorithm can be used that takes into account other areas of the bill and then comes to a verifiable result. This process can also be repeated several times.

The recognition security of the denomination can be further improved by including the database for evaluating the distinguishing features of the different denominations a plurality of new and used banknotes. The result is particularly stable and safe, taking into account all pressure tolerances and typical damage, eg. B. dog-eared notes, banknotes with creases or wrinkles in one of the two center lines and banknotes in all relevant levels of contamination.

Another method for improving denomination recognition is the use of visible or invisible codings of the bill. This can, for. B. in the form of bar codes, which are evaluated in the ultraviolet or infrared spectrum.

The optimization options mentioned in connection with the sensors basically exist and are not limited to the processing of non-executable banknotes.

The recognized and identified banknotes must be safely transported to their destination and reliably counted. For this purpose, the machine control by the control unit tracks the banknotes via light barriers along the entire path of their transport from the singler to the destination determined by the sensors, for B. the shredder. Settlement for the value of the deposit is based on the denominations determined by the sensors.

The machine control must operate particularly reliably in the case of processing non-executable blanks with mixed denominations. The risk of transport disruptions is significantly higher with damaged banknotes than with fresh or used recyclable banknotes. The banknotes can z. B. delays at certain bottlenecks or branches (switches) of the transport system, blocked or torn. The machine controller must stop the bank-note processing machine if the clear tracking and allocation of the transported banknotes is no longer guaranteed, and the operator to check the transport path or the contents of an output tray (eg by recounting).

It is therefore advantageous if the machine control or tracking tolerates delays of the banknotes or the tearing of banknotes in the transport path, as long as no miscalculation or erroneous billing is caused thereby. This can e.g. be done by responding to a delay of a bill in the first part of the machine or in the area of the sensors more tolerant than in the area of the output pockets. The banknote separation can be stopped briefly in the event of a transport disruption and then continued if there is no real congestion, and / or the operator must be asked only at the end of the processing of the deposit to check this area for blocked, fallen or torn banknotes, so that If necessary, several transport problems are covered.

In further embodiments, the machine control can be optimized, e.g. B. by a location-dependent response to transport disruptions. The stopping of the separation, the stopping of the transport system and the switching of the switches is optimally coordinated so that the operator must perform as little intervention in the removal of the transport disturbance and the operation of the sorting machine must be interrupted only briefly. After a banknote jam in the area of the sensors can z. B. the transport system continue to operate until the banknotes that have passed the storage area before, are still stored in the designated or predetermined output compartments. For the shredder, this may mean that the drive of the shredder blade is turned off only when the banknotes are completely destroyed.

Processing banknotes with transparent windows may cause additional problems. These windows are added as an additional visible authenticity feature and are intended to complicate counterfeiting and are often located near the edge of the bill. Usually, photocells with at least two measuring tracks are used for the tracking of the banknotes. If banknotes are damaged on the edge, the secure recognition of the front edge or back edge of the banknote in the transport system can be impaired. A faulty edge detection may occur when z. B. at the same time in one measuring track is a transparent window and in the other measuring lane is a dog-ear or a missing corner or missing part. This erroneous edge detection can be avoided if the signals of the light barriers are evaluated so intelligently that the exact edge detection is maintained even with a short interruption of the signal. This is done, for example, by the fact that the edge detection during a maximally occurring window size is considered as provisional and only then accepted as final. For the further calculations, the time is then used in which for the leading edge parts of the banknote were detected for the first time or for the trailing edge last. Such a method is described for example in the non-prepublished patent application DE 10 2005 008 747 described.

In the area of the output pockets and in particular in the area of the shredder, a reliable allocation of the denomination of the banknote is very important for a correct billing. In this case, the resolution of transport faults and congestion is made on the basis of an adjustment of the data expected from the bank-note processing machine with the data input by the operator during the fault handling. In the area of the shredder can z. B. at a delay of the transport of several Banknotes with different denominations create an uncertainty which banknotes are already destroyed and which are still fully present or only partially destroyed. If the operator inputs the number of banknotes found per denomination, this may be checked against the expectation of the machine controller. This may concern the selection of the denominations actually occurring in this case. Furthermore, this selection can be limited by detected transport data, eg. As the timing of leading edges or trailing edges of light barriers, the determined length and / or width of objects from the light barrier events or other measurement results such. In DE 10111 907 A1 described.

Particularly in the case of poor banknote qualities, it is observed that the banknote processing machine is contaminated by dust (for example due to the detachment of printing ink or paper dust) or by banknote particles (eg torn corners or parts of banknotes, torn off security threads or applications, etc.) and thereby the function of the sensors and the transport system (in particular light barriers) is disturbed. The dust can also pose a health hazard to the operator. The dust and particles are preferably formed at those locations where the bills are accelerated or bent or otherwise mechanically affected. This relates to the separator, the measuring section and in particular the sensor unit, which exert forces or deformations on the banknote due to their measuring principle, z. As mechanical sensors for measuring the luffiness or for the detection of cracks.

Remedy offers a suction with the help of suction units, z. A vacuum cleaner installed inside or outside the banknote processing machine or a vacuum pump. Alternatively, the vacuum pump (Compressor) can be used for the singler or the suction device for the disposal of the shredded banknotes from the shredder. The suction can act specifically on certain areas or even on a large scale on the entire sorting machine.

The sensors are also affected by dust, particles and / or smudge in their function. This applies in particular to optical sensors when dust on the illumination or in the optical path reduces the contrast or the sensitivity or dirt deposits cover certain parts or strips of the banknote. For the operability of the banknote processing machine, it is essential that such impairments are detected early, so that incorrect sorting can be avoided. Misorts can occur as a result of a non-recognition of banknotes or due to an erroneous assignment of a billable banknote as unfit, because the dust or dirt in the optical path is evaluated as soiling or stains on the banknote. After detecting such an impairment, it is advantageous if the sorting machine can first automatically, ie without intervention of an operator, eliminate the dust or dirt. This can be z. B. by blowing with compressed air. The duration and intensity of such compressed air pulses and the formation of the compressed air jet, z. B. via a Lavalle nozzle, is essential for the effect and efficiency of such a cleaning device. Alternatively, the automatic cleaning by introducing cleaning agents, eg. As solvents occur. The remaining after cleaning residues can be evaporated, wiped on the principle of a windshield wiper and / or removed by compressed air or suction.

The light barriers of the sorting machine are likewise impaired in their function by dust, particles and / or lubricating dirt. The photocells are used to track the banknotes in the transport system and to check the output compartments. Other functions of the sorting machine can be controlled by light barriers, z. B. Movements in transport or storage of bundled banknotes or monitoring the position of actuators. In the case of dust deposits, it may happen that a photocell mistakenly outputs a signal for the covered (interrupted) state.

The problem can be solved in that the contamination of the light barriers is checked continuously or in certain states of the sorting machine and an action is triggered when falling below a safe switching distance. Such an action can trigger a compressed air pulse to clean the photocell or a message to the operator, eg. As a request for cleaning, include. Alternatively, the intensity of the transmitted light beam of the light barrier can be increased or the switching or detection threshold can be adapted to the changed sensitivity or the changed operating point of the light barrier. All of these methods can also be used in combination.

The previously described solutions to pollution problems are not limited to unfit banknotes.

Claims (16)

1. A method for destroying bank notes, wherein the bank notes are checked and sorted in at least one decentralized place by means of at least one bank-note processing machine, with unfit bank notes being sorted out in order to be transportable to a central place for destruction, with all bank notes recognized as unfit being stored on a single stack independently of the bank-note denomination and/or orientation recognized during the check, for which purpose a single output pocket of the bank-note processing machine is used for all unfit bank notes, characterized in that the bank-note processing machine of the decentralized place sorts out samples of fit bank notes in order for them to be transportable to the central place together with the unfit bank notes, so that the central place can carry out an improved check of the quality of the sorting of the accepted bank notes into fit and unfit bank notes performed by the at least one decentralized place.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the bank notes contained in the single stack are processed in a single run, and the unfit bank notes destroyed, in the central place.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that number and type, in particular denomination, of the unfit bank notes are transmitted to the central place.
4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that data of the unfit bank notes obtained during the check of the bank notes in the bank-note processing machine of the decentralized place are transmitted to the central place, said data describing properties of the unfit bank notes from which statements can be derived at least about the fitness of the bank notes, in particular about their soiling or damage.
5. The method according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that data of the fit bank notes obtained during the check of the bank notes in the bank-note processing machine of the decentralized place are transmitted to the central place, said data describing properties of the fit bank notes from which statements can be derived at least about the fitness of the bank notes, in particular about their soiling or damage.
6. The method according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that individual features of the bank notes, in particular a serial number, are detected during the check of the bank notes in the bank-note processing machine of the decentralized place and transmitted to the central place.
7. The method according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sorting of the bank notes by the bank-note processing machine of the decentralized place is checked by the central place, for which purpose it is ascertained in particular whether the bank-note processing machine of the central place likewise sorts as fit and/or unfit bank notes sorted as fit and/or unfit by the bank-note processing machine.
8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that statistical data of the decentralized place are additionally evaluated and compared with corresponding statistical data of the central place for the check in the central place.
9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the check in the central place is effected on the basis of data of the decentralized place which are assigned to the individual bank notes via the individual features.
10. The method according to any of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the central place checks the distribution of the unfit bank notes in the borderline range to the fit bank notes and can thereby recognize a sorting threshold (304b) set too high or faulty calibration of the sensor (112) of the decentralized place.
11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sample of the fit bank notes is sorted into the output pocket of the bank-note processing machine of the decentralized place into which the unfit bank notes are sorted.
12. The method according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the single stack consists of banded packs with a stipulated number of bank notes.
13. The method according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the single stack consists of banded packs with a stipulated value or stipulated minimum value.
14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the band of the packs has information about the number of contained bank notes and/or about the value of the pack.
15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the information is applied to the band so as to be located on a narrow side of the packs.
16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the information is written to an electronic circuit of the band, and the information of the packs is jointly detected contactlessly.

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