Giesecke & Devrient Gmbh

Giesecke+devrient Currency Technology Gmbh

Michael Bloss

Wolfgang Deckenbach

Martin Clara

Erich Kerst

Jorg Frankenberger

Hans-Peter Ehrl

Thomas Giering

Dieter Stein

Jörg Frankenberger

Werner Heimann

Georg Vetter

The invention relates to a checking unit for checking a material web and to a calibrating method for the checking unit. The checking unit is equipped with drive means for transporting the calibration medium past the checking unit in order to detect a multiplicity of measurement values of the calibration medium. The drive means are arranged in the housing of the checking unit in order for the drive means to be protected from moisture or contaminants from the environment. To obtain a transporting of the calibration medium past the checking unit in spite of the arrangement of the drive means in the housing, drive means are employed that are configured for a contactless interaction with the calibration medium and can transport the calibration medium past the checking unit contactlessly. For this purpose there is preferably used a magnetic interaction between the drive means and the calibration medium.

Checking unit and method for calibrating a checking unit

A sensor for checking value documents is arranged to carry out a self-test for testing its functionality. The sensor in the self-test reacts to at least one malfunction that is ascertained during the self-test and hinders the check of the value documents by the sensor automatically employing for checking the value documents, instead of the operating mode provided for checking the value documents. A modified operating mode employs at least one other measured value of the sensor for checking the value documents than is determined in the operating mode provided for checking the value documents. In contrast to the hitherto customary function failure of the sensor, the sensor can continue being operated for checking the value documents despite the malfunction.

Sensor and method for operating the sensor

An apparatus for checking bank notes in a bank note processing machine includes at least one sensor. The sensor is arranged to determine the information characterizing the bank notes to be checked and is connected to a bending resistant carrier via a first adhesive layer. The bending resistant carrier is further connected to a component of the apparatus for checking bank notes and/or directly with the bank note processing machine via a second, permanently elastic adhesive layer.

Apparatus for checking banknotes

A sensor for checking different features of value documents is arranged to carry out a self-test for testing its functionality. Before the sensor carries out its self-test, at least one of the features that is to be checked by the sensor is selected. It is provided in the self-test that the sensor rates a malfunction ascertained in the self-test differently and reacts to the ascertained malfunction differently in dependence on the selected feature. While a malfunction of the sensor has hitherto always led to a failure of the sensor, the sensor, despite ascertained malfunctions, can nevertheless carry out the check of certain features. It is achieved that the number of function failures of the sensor is reduced through the different reactions of the sensor to the ascertained malfunction in dependence on the feature.

A sensor device for spectrally resolved capture of optical detection radiation which emanates from a value document transported through a capture area of the sensor device, includes a detection device for spectrally resolved detection of the detection radiation and emission of detection signals which represent at least one property of the detection radiation, at least one reference radiation device which emits optical reference radiation which is coupled into a detection beam path of the detection device and which has a spectrum with a structure which is within the spectral detection range, and which has a radiation source which acts as the transmitter of a light barrier or of a light scanner by means of which barrier or scanner a motion and/or a position of the value document relative to the capture area is capturable, and a control/evaluation device which is configured for receiving detection signals from the detection device, evaluating them and emitting evaluation signals in dependence on the result of the evaluation, and which is further configured for employing detection signals which represent the property of the reference radiation, for checking and/or for adjusting the detection device and/or for making available correction data which are employable in the evaluation of detection signals which represent the at least one property of detection radiation emanating from the value document.

Sensor device for the spectrally resolved capture of valuable documents and a corresponding method

There is described a sensor device for spectrally resolved capture of optical detection radiation which emanates from a value document transported through a capture area of the sensor device in a predefined transport direction, comprising a detection device for spectrally resolved detection of the detection radiation in at least one predefined spectral detection range and emission of detection signals which represent at least one, in particular spectral, property of the detected detection radiation, at least one reference radiation device which emits optical reference radiation which is coupled into a detection beam path of the detection device at least partly in dependence on the position of a value document relative to the capture area, and which has a spectrum with a narrow band which is within the predefined spectral detection range, and/or at least one spectrum with an edge which is within the predefined spectral detection range, and a control and evaluation device which is configured for employing the detection signals which represent the property of the reference radiation, for checking and/or for adjusting the detection device and/or in the evaluation of detection signals which represent the at least one property of detection radiation emanating from the value document.

An apparatus for optical analysis of at least one value document () in a recording area () of the apparatus has an illumination device () for illuminating the value document () in the recording area () and possessing at least one surface emitting laser diode (), a control device () for driving the laser diode (), and a detection device () for recording optical radiation from the recording area ().

Apparatus and method for the optical examination of value documents

A method and apparatus for checking luminescent value documents, in particular bank notes, with a luminescence sensor. The value document to be checked is irradiated to excite luminescence radiation, and the luminescence radiation emanating from the value document is detected with spectral resolution. Since the value document to be checked is transported past the luminescence sensor in the transport direction and is illuminated with an illumination area which extends in the transport direction, an effective measurement is possible even of value documents that emit very little luminescence radiation.

Device and method for verifying value documents

For measuring magnetic properties of sheet material the sheet material is guided past a magnetic measuring system at a measuring distance defined between the sheet material and the magnetic measuring system. The sheet material is transported with a transport medium disposed between the measuring system and the sheet material. The measuring distance is determined substantially by the thickness of the transport medium. The thickness of the transport medium is selected to be smaller than a predetermined local resolution. If the local resolution is high enough it is also possible to detect magnetic printed images.

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Munich, Germany

Michael Bloss