Magnetoresistive detection system and method for detection of magnetic image of bank notes

1. A system for automatically detecting the magnetic features of a bank note, the system comprising:

a transport device capable of transporting a bank note along a defined path;

a data processing device capable of executing stored program instructions;

a data storage device operably coupled with the data processing device; and

a first detector device operably coupled with the data processing device, the first detector device comprising a plurality of magnetoresistive sensors positioned proximate the transport device and oriented so as to enable detection of the magnetic features of the adjacent surface of the passing bank note; wherein the data processing device is capable of executing stored program instructions for detecting the magnetic features of a bank note, the program instructions comprising:

repeatedly reading the output of the first detector device to capture the magnetic pattern data of the adjacent surface of the passing bank note;

storing the captured magnetic pattern data in the data storage device; and

making a determination regarding final processing of the bank note based upon the magnetic pattern data.

2. The system of claim 1 , the program instructions further comprising:

creating a representative digital image of the detected surface of the bank note from the magnetic pattern data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of magnetoresistive sensors is oriented in a linear array, the array positioned perpendicular to the direction of the travel of the bank note.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of the magnetoresistive sensors spans the width of the passing bank note.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second detector device operably coupled with the data processing device, the second detector device comprising a plurality of magnetoresistive sensors, wherein the second detector device is positioned proximate the transport device on the side of the transport device opposite that of the first detector device and oriented so as to enable detection of the magnetic features of the surface of the passing bank note opposite that of the first detector device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the data processing device is capable of executing stored program instructions for detecting the magnetic features of a bank note, the program instructions comprising:

repeatedly reading the output of the first detector device to capture the magnetic pattern data of the surface of the passing bank note adjacent to the first detector device;

storing the captured first side magnetic pattern data in the data storage device;

repeatedly reading the output of the second detector device to capture the magnetic pattern data of the surface of the passing bank note adjacent to the second detector device; and

storing the captured second side magnetic pattern data in the data storage device.

7. The system of claim 6 , the program instructions further comprising:

creating a representative first digital image of the surface of the bank note from the first side magnetic pattern data; and

creating a representative second digital image of the surface of the bank note from the second side magnetic pattern data.

8. The system of claim 7 , the program instructions further comprising:

making a determination regarding final processing of the bank note based upon either the first side magnetic pattern data or the second side magnetic pattern data.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of magnetoresistive sensors of the second detector device is oriented in a linear array, the array positioned perpendicular to the direction of the travel of the bank note.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of the magnetoresistive sensors of the second detector device spans the width of the passing bank note.

11. A method for detecting the magnetic features of a bank note, the method steps comprising:

transporting the bank note along a defined transport path proximate to a first array of magnetoresistive detectors;

repeatedly reading the outputs from the first array of magnetoresistive detectors as the note is adjacent thereto to obtain first surface magnetic pattern data of the surface of the passing note adjacent to the detector array;

analyzing the first surface magnetic pattern data with a data processing device; and

making a determination regarding final processing of the bank note based upon the first surface magnetic pattern data.

12. The method of claim 11 , the method steps further comprising:

processing the first surface magnetic pattern data with the data processing device to construct a representative digital image of the bank note.

13. The method of claim 11 , the method steps further comprising:

determining the magnetic features present on the bank note by analyzing the first surface magnetic pattern data with the data processing device.

14. The method of claim 11 , the method steps further comprising:

transporting the bank note along a defined transport path proximate to a second array of magnetoresistive detectors;

repeatedly reading the outputs from the second array of magnetoresistive detectors as the note is adjacent thereto to obtain second surface magnetic pattern data of the surface of the passing note adjacent to the detector array;

analyzing the second surface magnetic pattern data with the data processing device; and

making a determination regarding final processing of the bank note based upon the first surface magnetic pattern data or the second surface magnetic pattern data.

15. The method of claim 14 , the method steps further comprising:

processing the second surface magnetic pattern data with the data processing device to construct a representative digital image of the bank note.

16. The method of claim 14 , the method steps further comprising:

determining the magnetic features present on the bank note by analyzing the second surface magnetic pattern data with the data processing device.