Image sensor-based media tracking
A Contact Image Sensor (CIS) module in combination with a Field-Programmer Gate Array (FPGA) of an image device cooperate to identify, track, and record media document images for media documents being tracked within a valuable media depository/dispenser.
1. A method, comprising:
determining, by a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), to initiate storage of scanlines of pixels received from an image sensor as portions of a document image for a document, wherein determining further includes determining to initiate storage based on averaging a middle scanline of pixel values selected from the scanlines of pixels exceeding a baseline average pixel value known to exist for the middle scanline when no documents are present; and
providing, by the FPGA, the scanlines from an onboard FPGA memory to an integrated microcontroller upon a request by the microcontroller.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining further includes recording a preconfigured number of additional scanlines of pixels that preceded the scanlines and that were retained in a circular memory buffer of the FPGA before detection of the scanlines.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein recording further includes recording a preconfigured number a subsequent scanlines of pixels that follows the scanlines and that are provided from the image sensor.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining further includes moving the scanlines and a preconfigured number of additional scanlines obtained from the image sensor to a reserved portion of the onboard FPGA memory that represents all portions of the document image.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein moving further includes transferring the scanlines and the preconfigured number of additional scanlines from a circular memory buffer of the FPGA to the reserved portion of the onboard FPGA memory.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining further includes setting a document detect flag value to true within the FPGA when a leading edge of the document is detected by the FPGA from at least one of the scanlines.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein providing further includes providing the true value to the microcontroller upon the request by the microcontroller to the FPGA for the document detect flag value.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein providing further includes transferring document scanlines representing the document image from the onboard FPGA memory to the microcontroller upon a second request by the microcontroller.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing further includes transferring document scanlines representing the document image from the onboard FPGA memory to the microcontroller when the microcontroller polls the FPGA with the request.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, iterating the method for a next document image associated with a next document after document scanlines representing the document image are stored within the onboard FPGA memory.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the method within an imaging device situated along a document transport path within a valuable media depository/dispenser.
12. A method, comprising:
(i) detecting a startup condition for an image device integrated along a transport path of a valuable media depository/dispenser;
(ii) taking a baseline value for pixels averaged in a scanline returned from a Contact Image Sensor (CIS) module for an image of a back of a track for the transport path;
(iii) receiving, by an image circuit board, a start document detection command provided by a microcontroller of the image circuit board;
(iv) determining, by the image circuit board, that a document is present on the track based on scanlines received from the CIS module and comparing an averaged value of at least one of those scanlines against the baseline value;
(v) recording, by the image circuit board, the scanlines and additional scanlines in onboard image circuit board memory as document scanlines representing a document image for the document; and
(vi) transferring, by the image circuit board, the document scanlines from the onboard image circuit board memory when polled by the microcontroller.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein (i) further includes identifying by the image circuit board of the image device the startup condition as an initiation of the image device following a power on or boot of the image device.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein (iv) further includes determining that the averaged value exceeds the baseline value by a preconfigured margin.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein (v) further includes obtaining at least some of the additional scanlines as scanlines that preceded the at least one of the scanlines processed for determining the document was present.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein obtaining further includes obtaining a preconfigured number of the additional scanlines as scanlines that followed the at least one of the scanlines processed for determining the document was present.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein obtaining further includes moving the scanlines and the additional scanlines from a circular buffer memory portion of the onboard image circuit board memory to a reserved document image memory portion of the onboard image circuit board memory.