(19)
(11) EP 1 434 177 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
04.08.2004 Bulletin 2004/32

(43) Date of publication A2:
30.06.2004 Bulletin 2004/27

(21) Application number: 03258164.7

(22) Date of filing: 24.12.2003
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G07D 7/12, G07D 7/18
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK

(30) Priority: 27.12.2002 EP 02258988

(71) Applicant: Mars Incorporated
McLean, Virginia 22101-3883 (US)

(72) Inventor:
  • Voser, Christian
    1242 Satigny (CH)

(74) Representative: Burke, Steven David et al
R.G.C. Jenkins & Co. 26 Caxton Street
London SW1H 0RJ
London SW1H 0RJ (GB)

   


(54) Banknote validator


(57) A banknote validator can recognise ink stains having predetermined characteristics and is operable to perform measurements on a received banknote in order to classify the banknote into at least the following categories: (a) genuine non-stained bills of said denomination; (b) bills which been stained; and (c) other bills, including non-genuine banknotes. Preferably, stained banknotes are sent to at least one dedicated store. The validator can classify banknotes into many denominations, but can only authenticate banknotes belonging to a sub-set of those denominations.






Search report