System and method for processing batches of documents

Abstract

A method of processing documents by receiving at least a batch of documents and a separator card in an input receptacle of a document processing device. The separator card includes a conductive material disposed on one side, and a barcode indicative of the source of the batch of documents. The documents and separator card are transported via a transport mechanism past an evaluation unit and a field-effect sensor, respectively. The document processing device evaluates each document, determines whether the document meets or fails predetermined criteria, and detects the presence of the conductive material when a separator card is transported past the sensor. The source identification information from each separator card is entered into a memory of the document processing device after all the documents from the corresponding batch of documents have met the predetermined criteria. Feeder operation is paused between each batch long enough to verify that the previous batch closed successfully. Pausing feeder operation to address document anomalies before subsequent batches are processed promotes batch integrity and reduces operator confusion.

1 . A method of processing documents, comprising: 
 receiving at least one stack of documents including a batch of documents and a separator card in an input receptacle of a document processing device, said input receptacle including a feeder assembly, said separator card having disposed on at least one side thereof an electrically conductive material, said separator card further including source identification information that associates said batch of documents with the source from which said batch of documents was retrieved;    transporting via a transport mechanism said batch of documents, one document at a time, past an evaluation unit, and said separator card past at least one sensor;    evaluating each document to obtain characteristic information associated with a document, and determining whether a particular document meets or fails at least one criterion; and    providing a signal indicative of the presence of electrically conductive material responsive to said separator card being transported past said at least one sensor.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising retrieving said batch of documents from one of a gaming machine, a banking machine, a cash machine, and a coupon redemption machine.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said electrically conductive material is formed into one of a geometric shape and a pattern.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said separator card has at least one dimension different from the corresponding dimension of the documents in said batch of documents.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transporting of said separator card is carried out after the transporting of said batch of documents.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said electrically conductive material is deposited on both sides of said separator card.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising directing to at least a first output receptacle each document that meets said at least one criterion based on said determining  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising directing to at least a second output receptacle each document that fails said at least one criterion based on said determining.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 directing said separator card to said at least a second output receptacle if at least one document of said batch of documents does not meet said at least one criterion based on said determining; and    directing said separator card to at least a third output receptacle if all the documents of said batch of documents meet said at least one criterion based on said determining.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said transporting further comprises positioning a document directed to said at least a second output receptacle so as to face the same orientation as the document faced in said input receptacle.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said transporting further comprises positioning documents directed to said at least a second output receptacle so as to be in the same order as received in said input receptacle.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pausing operation of said feeder assembly responsive to said step of providing.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising resuming operation of said feeder assembly responsive to transporting said batch of documents.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising manually evaluating a document that has failed to meet said at least one criterion.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing into a memory of said document processing device said source identification information.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising reconciling a document jam such that batch integrity is maintained.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said batch integrity refers to the absence of documents associated with other batches of documents in said batch of documents.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said reconciling includes: 
 removing all documents remaining in said input receptacle, a first offsort receptacle, and a second offsort receptacle of said device;    flushing said device such that all documents remaining in said transport mechanism are transported to a predetermined output receptacle;    repeating said evaluating step for each document removed in said step of removing from said second offsort receptacle and from said transport mechanism; and    re-evaluating each document removed from said input receptacle.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said reconciliation includes: 
 removing all documents remaining in said input receptacle, a first offsort receptacle, and a second offsort receptacle of said device;    flushing said device such that all documents remaining in said transport mechanism are removed;    entering characteristic information associated with at least one document removed from said second offsort receptacle or said transport mechanism; and    re-evaluating each document removed from said input receptacle for which no characteristic information was entered.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting said source identification information and a batch total corresponding to the total value of documents meeting said at least one criterion to a host accounting system responsive to closing said batch of documents.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising associating in said host accounting system at least said batch total with an account.  
     
     
         22 . A document processing device, comprising: 
 an input receptacle adapted to receive at least one stack of documents including a batch of documents and a separator card, said separator card bearing source identification information for identifying the source of the documents in said batch, said separator card further including at least one electrically conductive material;    at least one output receptacle adapted to receive at least a portion of said stack of documents after said portion of documents has been evaluated and determined to meet at least one criterion;    a transport mechanism adapted to transport said stack of documents, one at a time, from said input receptacle to said at least one output receptacle along a transport path;    an evaluation unit adapted to evaluate said documents to determine if each document in said stack of documents meets or fails said at least one criterion;    at least one sensor disposed along said transport path adapted to detect said at least one electrically conductive material;    a memory coupled to said evaluation unit that stores said source identification information and a batch total corresponding to the value of currency bills and substitute currency media in said stack of documents; and    a controller coupled to said evaluation unit and adapted to control operation of said transport mechanism, said evaluation unit, and said sensor.    
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , further comprising a first offsort receptacle adapted to receive said separator card, said separator card being positioned in said input receptacle so as to be the last document to be evaluated in said evaluation unit.  
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , further comprising a second offsort receptacle adapted to receive said separator card and those of said documents in said batch of documents that failed to meet said at least one criterion.  
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said transport mechanism is further adapted to transport said separator card from said input receptacle to a first offsort receptacle responsive to all documents in said batch meeting said at least one criterion.  
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said transport mechanism is further adapted to transport from said input receptacle to a second offsort receptacle said separator card and those of said documents in said batch of documents that failed to meet said at least one criterion.  
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 22 , further comprising a first offsort receptacle including a reverse stacker assembly adapted to orient a document in said first offsort receptacle such that said document faces the same way said document faced as received in said input receptacle.  
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said separator card has a different size than the documents in said batch of documents.  
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said at least one foil is disposed on only one side of said separator card.  
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said at least one foil is at least two foils, at least one of said at least two foils being disposed on each side of said separator card.  
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said at least one sensor is two sensors.  
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said source identification information is a barcode.  
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said source identification information is a set of characters.  
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein said barcode is disposed on an opposite side of said separator card than said foil.  
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein said barcode is disposed on the same side of said separator card as said foil.  
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said source identification information is printed on said separator card.  
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said plurality of batches of documents are received in said input receptacle such said separator card is processed after said batch of documents are processed.  
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said sensor is a field-effect sensor.  
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein said electrically conductive material is a foil.