| MEI, Inc. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120286044 | CONTACTLESS SMARTCARD BEZEL - A multi media payment device includes a banknote acceptor and a RF card reader, and also may include a magnetic card reader. A bezel assembly for connection to the bill acceptor preferably includes a reader unit to read magnetic swipe cards and contactless chip cards. | 11-15-2012 |
| 20120273378 | DOCUMENT STORAGE ASSEMBLY - A document storage assembly for storing documents such as banknotes in a stacked configuration includes a sup-=port plate assembly for biasing the stack of documents toward an opening in the housing of the document storage assembly. The housing can include an assist mechanism to facilitate displacement of the stack of documents during the stacking of a newly received document. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120242210 | CURRENCY CASSETTE PRESSURE PLATE ASSEMBLY - An assembly includes a currency cassette, a pressure plate, and a plurality of gears rotatably connected to at least two opposite edges of the pressure plate. In an implementation, a plurality of substantially parallel racks are configured to engage a plurality of the gears. | 09-27-2012 |
| 20120118698 | CHARACTERIZING ITEMS OF CURRENCY - Characterizing an item of currency employs a validation apparatus that includes at least three specified light sources for illuminating the item of currency. Each of the specified light sources has an emission spectrum similar to an approximating function for reconstructing a predetermined set of spectrum. At least one receiver receives light emitting from the at least three specified light sources. A transportation unit transports the item of currency within the validation apparatus. The light received by the receiver is at least one of light reflected by or light transmitted through the item of currency. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120066533 | DOCUMENT VALIDATOR WITH POWER MANAGEMENT - The disclosure relates to a device and a method for validating documents of value, especially a low power validator for validating documents of value is described comprising: a processing unit for controlling operation of the validator; an inlet for receiving a document of value from a user; and a power management system for transitioning the validator between a power conserving mode and a normal operating mode, wherein the power management system comprises a wake up unit arranged to monitor the inlet for the presence of a document of value and to monitor the voltage provided from a power source. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20110286822 | AUTOMATED DOCUMENT HANDLING SYSTEM - Automatically processing secure containers housing valuable documents includes receiving a secure container in a secure container processing unit, opening the secure container using an extraction module operatively coupled to the secure container processing unit, removing the valuable documents from the secure container using the extraction module, transferring the valuable documents to an external processing apparatus, and closing the secure container using the extraction module. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110259707 | HANDLING OF DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CURRENCY - A money handling apparatus is arranged to receive items of currency and classify each into at least one class. Each class of currency items is stored and managed by the money handling apparatus in order to be able to extract the received items. In some implementations, the money handling apparatus is arranged to receive items of currency, store items of currency, receive at least one service media, and transport at least one stored currency item to a removable storage unit in a specified sequence or order. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110233028 | CURRENCY DISCRIMINATION AND EVALUATION - The disclosure relates to modeling the structure of an item of currency and to predicting the behavior of a currency sensing system as related to the structure of a tested item of currency. For a specified set of parameters of an item of currency, the response of the currency sensing system can be predicted. A particular construction of an item of currency can be determined based on theoretical responses from the item of currency being tested with a theoretical currency sensing system. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110187095 | CLASSIFYING AND DISCRIMINATING AN ITEM OF CURRENCY BASED ON THE ITEM'S SPECTRAL RESPONSE - An unknown item of currency is compared to at least one known item of currency by evaluating the spectral response of the unknown item of currency. A spectral response is obtained from the unknown item of currency, and the spectral response of the unknown item of currency is separated into a first component and a second component. At least one component of the spectral response of the unknown item of currency is compared to at least one component of the spectral response of at least one known item of currency having a specific denomination. A determination is made as to whether the unknown item on currency is a member of the class of the at least one known item of currency. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110186402 | CURRENCY DISCRIMINATION - A reference data set used for classifying items of currency is established by obtaining at least one measured response from at least one known item of currency, projecting the measured response data from the known item of currency from a first space to a second space, and applying a reduction technique to the second space thereby reducing the complexity of the second space. The reference data set, which can be used for classifying items of currency, is thus represented by a subset of all measured responses obtained from the known item of currency. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110139575 | Method and Apparatus for Validating Bank Notes - A banknote validator takes both reflection and transmission optical measurements at different wavelengths. An emitter and sensor on one side of the banknote path are used to make a calibration measurement using light reflected from a window on the other side of the path, overlying another optical device. Each measurement is normalised on the basis of multiple measurements of different wavelengths, distributed over a substantial area, such as along the relevant scan line, preferably using a value representing the dispersion of the measurements. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110093116 | DOCUMENT HANDLING DEVICE - A money handling device for accepting, storing and dispensing valuable documents in exchange for goods or services includes a validation module ( | 04-21-2011 |
| 20100289208 | BULK DOCUMENT FEEDER WITH REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE - A bulk document feeder module is adapted for connection to a document acceptor and is operable, when attached to the document acceptor, to feed one document at a time, from a bundle of documents, to the document acceptor. The bulk document feeder module can include a document transport mechanism, a portion of which includes a removable cartridge, to facilitate removal of a jammed object from the feeder module. The document acceptor can form part of a bill or other document validator. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100282566 | DOCUMENT VALIDATOR SUBASSEMBLY - A subassembly includes a housing, a light pipe core having a top diffusing surface, a light control component associated with the top diffusing surface, and at least one light source coupled to the housing. Preferably, the light control component includes at least one aperture or an array of apertures, and can be made, for example of a plastic or polymer material. The apertures can be in the shape of elongated slits, although other shapes are suitable for some applications. The subassembly can be used in various applications including as part of a document validator. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100234985 | BATCH RE-LOAD OF COIN RECYCLER - Replenishing coins in a coin store associated with a coin handling device includes feeding a batch of coins from a bulk coin store to a receptacle near the coin handling device, delivering coins from the receptacle to the coin handling device and routing at least some of those coins from the coin handling device to the coin store associated with the coin handling device. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100207316 | Dispensing Value Sheet Store - A store for storing value sheets such as banknotes in a stack and for dispensing the value notes from the stack. When more than a single value sheet is dispensed from the stack, the store returns all but one of the value sheets to the stack while moving the stack to reduce friction between the returning value sheet and the topmost value sheet of the stack. Means for securing the stack are also provided: a support for the stack is anchored and/or extra pressure is applied to the stack. The store includes means for indicating when the stack contains more than a predetermined number of value sheets and means for preventing securing of the store when the predetermined number of value sheets is exceeded. A value sheet store with part of a sidewall integrally formed with the lid. A value sheet store which includes a lid attached to a housing by a hinge located on an edge of the housing. Apparatus and a method for determining the height of a stack of value sheets. A shutter arrangement in a value sheet store which acts to block an aperture through which value sheets are dispensed. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100200447 | Dispensing Value Sheet Store - A store for storing value sheets such as banknotes in a stack and for dispensing the value notes from the stack. When more than a single value sheet is dispensed from the stack, the store returns all but one of the value sheets to the stack while moving the stack to reduce friction between the returning value sheet and the topmost value sheet of the stack. Means for securing the stack are also provided: a support for the stack is anchored and/or extra pressure is applied to the stack. The store includes means for indicating when the stack contains more than a predetermined number of value sheets and means for preventing securing of the store when the predetermined number of value sheets is exceeded. A value sheet store with part of a sidewall integrally formed with the lid. A value sheet store which includes a lid attached to a housing by a hinge located on an edge of the housing. Apparatus and a method for determining the height of a stack of value sheets. A shutter arrangement in a value sheet store which acts to block an aperture through which value sheets are dispensed. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100156036 | Lockable Removable Cassette - A lockable, removable cassette is described. In an implementation, the cassette includes a plastic shell and a currency access door. The cassette may also include a flexible handle and/or an integrated grip. In addition, the cassette may include at least one of an aperture and a transparent window positioned to reveal the contents of the cassette. In an implementation, the cassette includes a stacking mechanism which may include a drive means having non-circular drive gears. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20090307167 | CLASSIFICATION USING SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES AND VARIABLES SELECTION - A method of deriving a classifier for classifying items using a plurality of variables for characteristics of the items, the method comprising determining a representative subset of the variables for use in said classifier. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090101469 | COIN SENSOR - A coin sensor performs time-domain eddy-current testing using an inductance in one arm of a Maxwell bridge which is driven by a bipolar square wave having randomly-selected intervals between transitions, the output of the bridge being sampled at a high frequency. A processor stores a model which receives the drive signal and adjusts coefficients of the model so that the output matches the sampled measurements. Acceptance criteria are applied to the adjusted coefficients for coin classification purposes. | 04-23-2009 |
