Method and apparatus for handling value documents

1. A method for processing value documents, employing a storage device for data which has a storage area of pre-specified storage-area size, wherein:

value documents are transported in singled form to a sensor device;

for a respective value document there are captured by means of the sensor device measuring data which describe at least one physical property of the value document;

for the respective value document a storage priority is established as a pre-specified function at least of a portion of the measuring data that is necessary for establishing the storage priority;

in dependence on the established storage priority, processing data for the respective value document are stored in a storage block in the storage area, wherein the processing data comprise at least a portion of the measuring data that is provided for storage and/or property data for at least one property of the value document which are established employing at least a portion of the measuring data that is necessary for establishing the property; and

wherein the storage priority influences the duration of the storage of the respective processing data.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in dependence on the established storage priority for the respective value document and in dependence on the employment of the storage blocks for storing processing data for other value documents, a storage block that has been employed for storing processing data for another value document is employed for storing the processing data of the respective value document.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the storage blocks of one storage priority in each case have associated therewith an order of the association of the respective storage priority, and there is employed as a storage block that storage block with which the lowest storage priority of the storage blocks with an associated storage priority is associated with which the storage priority was associated first in said order.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein processing data are read out from storage blocks with which a pre-specified storage priority higher than the lowest storage priority is associated and the storage blocks are released for storing processing data.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, before the beginning of the transporting there are captured trigger data by means of which the employed function is pre-specified.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, before the beginning of the transporting there are captured data-set parameters by means of which nature and/or extent of processing data to be stored are stipulated.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in connection with the storing of the processing data in the respective storage block, the established storage priority is associated with the respective storage block, there being employed as a storage block, if available, a part of the storage area that contains no storage block or no part of a storage block with which a storage priority is associated, or there being employed as a storage block, if no such part of the storage area is available, a part of the storage area that has at least one storage block with which the lowest storage priority of the storage blocks with an associated storage priority is associated, or there being employed as a storage block a part of the storage area that comprises at least one storage block with which the lowest storage priority of the storage blocks with an associated storage priority is associated.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the respective storage priority is associated with the storage blocks by storing them or pointers thereto in a list for the respective storage priority.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the respective storage priority is associated with storage blocks by storing them or pointers thereto in a concatenated list for the respective storage priority, preferably in the order of the assignment.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the storage blocks have a pre-specified size.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein in connection with the storing of the processing data in the respective storage block, the established storage priority is associated with the respective storage block, there being employed as a storage block, if available, a storage block with which no storage priority is associated, or there being employed as a storage block, if no such storage block is available, a storage block with which the lowest storage priority of the storage blocks with an associated storage priority is associated, or there being employed as a storage block a storage block with which the lowest storage priority of the storage blocks with an associated storage priority is associated.

12. An apparatus for processing value documents, comprising:

a transport device which is configured for transporting singled value documents;

a sensor device which is set up for capturing, for one of the value documents transported by the transport device in each case, measuring data which describe at least one physical property of the value document; and

an evaluation device which has at least a processor and a storage device which has a storage area of pre-specified storage-area size;

wherein the apparatus is configured for performing a method according to claim 1 , wherein measuring data of the sensor device are employed by the evaluation device, and the storage device of the evaluation device as a storage device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , which has a device for capturing trigger data, wherein the apparatus is further configured for, before the beginning of the transporting, capturing by means of the device trigger data by means of which the employed function is pre-specified.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the device for capturing trigger data also serves for capturing data by means of which the processing data to be stored are stipulated.