DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 6, first line, the phrase “a first system including a first medium handling device and a reference information generation device” is unclear and indefinite. From Applicant’s specification and disclosure, it is not specified what is the reference information generation device, for example, other than naming the reference information generation device generally.
The same issue is also present in reference to the second medium handling device, mentioned in Claim 6, lines 4 and 5, for example. It is not specifically described in Applicant’s specification and disclosure. It is noted that a banknote processing device is mentioned at the specification paragraph 43 and as illustrated in figure 2, for example.
Also, it is noted that the term “authentication device” is unclear as it is not certain what is being authenticated, i.e., the banknote/sheet/media via the classification device (12) or the data itself. This term is not sufficiently defined in the disclosure and specification, other than the general mention in the specification at paragraphs 12 two times and in Claim 6 two times.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 1, the phrase “when the setting means has set valid” is unclear and indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the phrase will be construed to mean “when the setting means has been set as valid”.
Claim 2 recites the same phrase.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yui (US 2012/0031817 A1) in view of Sano et al (US 2020/0302723 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Yui teaches
a medium handling device, i.e., sheet handling apparatus’s (1A1-1A3), as illustrated in figure 1, and as mentioned at paragraphs 22 and 23, comprising:
a storage means, i.e., database server (3, 103), as mentioned at paragraph 43, and database (3, 103), as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, that stores a single or a plurality of medium recognition reference information, i.e., normal sheet/damaged sheet data and normal sheet/damaged sheet discrimination level, as mentioned at paragraph 38, standard pattern with respect to the relevant sheet P, the type of note, the authenticity (whether genuine or counterfeit), the normal sheet/damaged sheet (whether a genuine note or a damaged note) and the direction (front or back, forward or reverse), as mentioned at paragraph 41, discrimination information Da composed of the detection data and the discrimination result of the sheet discriminating apparatus (13) as mentioned at paragraphs 29, 31, 41, 42, 46, 47 and 68, for example;
a recognition means, i.e., sheet discriminating apparatus (13), as mentioned at paragraphs 26, 29, 31, 41, 42, 46, 47 and 68, and as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, that uses the medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of a target medium, i.e., sheets such as securities, as mentioned at paragraph 1, for example, which are considered to be a target medium such as banknotes used in commerce.
Regarding Claim 1, Yui does not expressly teach
a setting means that, when medium recognition reference information that is new and
authentication information corresponding to the new medium recognition reference information are stored in the storage means, sets use of the new medium recognition reference information as either valid or invalid, wherein
when the setting means has set valid, the recognition means uses the corresponding new medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of the medium.
Regarding Claim 1, Yui does not expressly teach, but Sano teaches
a setting means, i.e., discrimination criterion information setting system (100), as mentioned at paragraph 83 and as illustrated in figure 2, for example, that, when medium recognition reference information that is new, i.e., info stored in the discrimination criterion information storing subsection (203c), additional denomination standard information storing section (203d), target denomination standard information storing subsection (203e) or parameter information storing subsection (203f), as mentioned at paragraphs 167-178, the information updated via update control section (105) as mentioned at paragraphs 184 and 185, for example, and
authentication information corresponding to the new medium recognition reference information are stored in the storage means (203, 203a-203f), sets use of the new medium recognition reference information as either valid or invalid, i.e., construed as meaning old versus new, with reference to the version of coin characteristic/parameter/template/criterion information as stored in memory subsections (203c-203f), for example, wherein
when the setting means (100) has (been) set (to) valid, the recognition means, i.e., coin sensor section of coin discrimination apparatus (202), as illustrated in figure 2, for example, uses the corresponding new medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of the medium, as mentioned at paragraphs 159-161 and 168-178. See also paragraph 192 and 257-262, mentioning system update control section (105) and the software/firmware associated therewith. All of the paragraphs cited from Sano state as follows.
[0082] In this embodiment, there is an additional advantage that the target denomination standard information pieces and the additional denomination standard information pieces are credible and easily obtainable.
[0083] In a further preferred embodiment of the system according to the second aspect of the present invention, (a) a function of storing the target denomination standard information pieces and the additional denomination standard information pieces in the coin discrimination apparatus using the target denomination which is designated in advance, (b) a function of calculating the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination based on the discrimination criterion information pieces for the target denomination, the target denomination standard information pieces, and the additional denomination standard information pieces, (c) a function of storing the calculated discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination in the discrimination criterion information storing device, and (d) a function of setting the coin discrimination apparatus to conduct authentication discrimination and denomination discrimination using the calculated discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination are realized by single software (e.g., a discrimination criterion information setting system 100).
[0084] In this embodiment, there is an additional advantage that the updating operation of the control program or firmware can be conducted even if the storage or memory device of the coin discrimination apparatus into which the control program or firmware is incorporated does not have a sufficient storing capacity for conducting the aforementioned updating operation.
[0167] The sensor information storing subsection 203a is a subsection or unit that stores the first, second, and third sensor information pieces (output signals) outputted respectively from the first, second, and third coin sensors 20a, 20b, and 20c. Each of the first, second, and third sensor information pieces is an analog information piece and their values vary according to the detection of every coin 30. Concretely speaking, for example, each of the first, second, and third sensor information pieces is a waveform signal as shown in FIG. 5 and thus, fluctuation parts (valley parts) are generated at different timings due to the passage of each coin 30. This is because the pairs of first, second, and third coin sensors 20a, 20b, and 20c are arranged at predetermined intervals along the linear coin conveying path 10.
[0168] As the sensor information storing subsection 203a, any type of a rewritable storage or memory device or devices may be used, however, it is preferred that any type of a volatile memory device or devices, e.g., a Random Access Memory (RAM) or RAMs, is/are used. Since the first to third sensor information pieces are utilized to extract first to third specific information pieces for every coin 30 which will be explained later, these information pieces need to be stored temporarily; however, after extraction of the first to third specific information pieces is completed, they are not necessary. When a RAM or RAMs is/are used as the sensor information storing subsection 203a, the first to third sensor information pieces, which are outputted respectively from the first, second, and third coin sensors 20a, 20b, and 20c whenever a plurality of coins 30 are successively conveyed on the coin conveyance path 10, can be overwritten, which results in convenience.
[0169] The specific information storing subsection 203b is a subsection or unit that stores the specific information pieces extracted from the first, second, and third sensor information pieces. Dedicated memory areas (memory addresses) in this subsection 203b are respectively assigned to the specific information pieces and therefore, the subsection 203b is configured to store respectively the specific information pieces in the corresponding memory areas. Concretely speaking, for example, when the first, second, and third sensor information pieces are respectively expressed in the form of waveform as shown by the waveforms Wa, Wb, and Wc in FIG. 5 (i.e., waveform information pieces), the specific information pieces are respectively given by, for example, the minimum values of the amplitude (voltage) of these waveforms Wa, Wb, and Wc serving as the first, second, and third sensor information pieces, i.e., the minimum voltage values at the points A, B, and C in FIG. 5. Thus, these minimum voltage values at the points A, B, and C are stored in the corresponding dedicated memory areas of the subsection 203b, respectively. In addition, it is needless to say that any other value than the minimum value may be used as each of the specific information pieces and that the total number of the specific information pieces may be set as 4 or more.
[0170] As the specific information storing subsection 203b, any type of a rewritable storage or memory device or devices may be used, however, it is preferred that an electrically erasable programmable non-volatile memory device or devices, e.g., an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) or EEPROMs, is/are used. This is because the extracted specific information pieces need to be stored in order to compare the specific information pieces that are successively extracted in response to the conveyance of the coins 30 with corresponding discrimination criterion information pieces for authenticity discrimination and denomination discrimination of every coin 30.
[0171] The discrimination criterion information storing subsection 203c is a subsection or unit that stores the discrimination criterion information pieces that are set for each of the current denominations (for example, in the case of Japanese Yen, 6 denominations of 1 Yen, 5 Yen, 10 Yen, 50 Yen, 100 Yen, and 500 Yen). Here, the subsection 203c is configured to store the discrimination criterion information pieces for each denomination (which relate to the material, thickness, and diameter) corresponding to the aforementioned first, second, and third coin sensors 20a, 20b, and 20c. At the time of factory shipment of the coin discrimination apparatus 200, the discrimination criterion information pieces are stored in the subsection 203c for each of the denominations; however, taking the necessity of newly setting discrimination criterion information pieces for one or more additional denominations into consideration after the time of factory shipment, dedicated memory areas (memory addresses) for the new discrimination criterion information pieces to be used for one or more additional denominations are prepared in the subsection 203c in advance.
[0172] As the discrimination criterion information storing subsection 203c, any type of a storage or memory device or devices may be used; however, it is preferred that an electrically erasable programmable non-volatile memory device or devices, e.g., an EEPROM or EEPROMs, is/are used. This is because (i) the discrimination criterion information pieces presuppose long-term use and (ii) there is a possibility that the initial discrimination criterion information pieces, which are set and stored initially at the time of factory shipment, may be changed after the beginning of use of the coin discrimination apparatus 200, and that new discrimination criterion information pieces need to be additionally stored after the beginning of use of the apparatus 200. Since an EEPROM or EEPROMs can easily cope with these situations, the current or existing discrimination criterion information pieces can be easily changed and new discrimination criterion information pieces can be easily added.
[0173] The additional denomination standard information storing subsection 203d is a subsection or unit that stores additional denomination standard information pieces. The additional denomination standard information pieces are standard information pieces that are set for one or more additional denominations to be newly added to the current denominations i.e., the denominations to be discriminated currently. Here, the meaning of standard information pieces is information pieces used as a “standard to comply with” for discrimination criterion information pieces to be newly set for an additional denomination. Since all enterprises that manufacture the coin discrimination apparatus 200 undoubtedly have a standard apparatus of this apparatus 200, the “additional denomination standard information pieces” for the apparatus 200 can be easily obtained by conducting the authenticity discrimination and denomination discrimination of coins for an additional denomination using the standard apparatus.
[0174] As the additional denomination standard information storing subsection 203d, any type of a storage or memory device or devices may be used; however, it is preferred that an electrically erasable programmable non-volatile memory device or devices, e.g., an EEPROM or EEPROMs, is/are used. This is because there is a possibility that the initial standard information pieces may be changed or deleted in accordance with the change of circumstances or new standard information pieces need to be added after the beginning of use. Moreover, this is because the additional denomination standard information pieces presuppose long-term use also. An EEPROM or EEPROMs can easily cope with these situations.
[0175] The target denomination standard information storing subsection 203e is a subsection or unit that stores the target denomination standard information pieces. The target denomination standard information pieces are standard information pieces that are set for a target denomination or denominations. The “target denomination(s)” is/are one or more denominations that is/are designated from the current denominations to be currently discriminated for the purpose of identifying standard information pieces (i.e., the target denomination standard information pieces) that will be used in combination with the additional denomination standard information pieces at the time of setting discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination. The “target denomination standard information pieces” for the coin discrimination apparatus 200 can be easily obtained by conducting the authenticity discrimination and denomination discrimination of coins having each target denomination using the aforementioned standard apparatus.
[0176] As the target denomination standard information storing subsection 203e, any type of a storage or memory device or devices may be used; however, it is preferred that an electrically erasable programmable non-volatile memory device or devices, e.g., an EEPROM or EEPROMs, is/are used. This is because the target denomination(s) is/are designated whenever the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination are set and because the target denomination standard information pieces need to be stored for a long time. An EEPROM or EEPROMs can easily cope with these situations.
[0177] The parameter information storing subsection 203f is a subsection or unit that stores the parameter information pieces to be used at the time of calculating the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination. Here, the “parameter information pieces” are information pieces used as a parameter or parameters at the time of calculating the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination based on the discrimination criterion information pieces for the target denomination, the target denomination standard information pieces corresponding to the discrimination criterion information pieces for the target denomination, and the additional denomination standard information pieces corresponding to the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination. Since there are two or more calculation methods which are used for calculation of the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination here, a plurality sets of parameter information pieces for different parameters are set and stored in the subsection 203f in advance for these calculation methods. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the parameter information pieces are Ak1, Ak2, (Ax_0/Ak1_0), V1/V2, and V3/V4.
[0178] As the parameter information storing subsection 203f, any type of a storage or memory device or devices may be used; however, it is preferred that an electrically erasable programmable non-volatile memory device or devices, e.g., an EEPROM or EEPROMs, is/are used. This is because there is a possibility that the parameter information pieces may be changed whenever the target denomination is changed for calculating the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination and that the parameter information pieces need to be stored for a long time. An EEPROM or EEPROMs can easily cope with these situations.
[0184] Here, the coin discrimination system 100A that includes the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 and the coin discrimination operation executing system 110 is configured as single software or firmware, as shown in FIG. 16A. For this reason, if a new version of the current coin discrimination system 100A which is currently installed and executed in the control section 210 is formed so as to include appropriate modifications and then, the new version thus formed is installed to overwrite the current system 100A, the current system 100A can be updated for modification and/or improvement of the functions thereof.
[0185] The overall structure of the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 is shown in FIG. 2. This system 100 comprises a state judging section 101, a target denomination designating section 102, an additional denomination discrimination criterion information calculating section 103, an additional denomination discrimination criterion information setting section 104, and a system update control section 105.
[0192] The system update control section 105 is a unit or controller that controls the update operation of the coin discrimination system 100A including the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 and the coin discrimination operation executing system 110. When receiving a predetermined signal by way of a communication network such as the Internet, the section 105 automatically updates the coin discrimination system 100A (in other words, overwrite install a new version that includes the one or more additional denominations and the discrimination criterion information pieces used therefor) and then, automatically execute the operation of the coin discrimination system 100A.
[0257] As shown in FIG. 16A, if the functions of the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 and those of the coin discrimination operation executing system 110 are respectively realized by software alone, the coin discrimination system 100A for controlling the coin discrimination apparatus 200 can be configured in the form of software. If the software of this system 100A is configured as firmware, this system 100A can be easily incorporated into the control section 210 of the existing coin discrimination apparatus 200. For example, this system 100A can be easily incorporated into the control section 210 by asking the administrator of the coin depositing/dispensing apparatus 300 to download the firmware of the coin discrimination system 100A by way of the Internet and to install the firmware thus downloaded to overwrite install the existing firmware in the control section 210. (The part of the control section 210 in which the firmware is stored is usually formed using a rewritable memory device such as an EEPROM and therefore, there arises no problem about such the implementation or realization form.) When the system update control section 105 is configured in such a way that the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 is automatically activated immediately to conduct the series of operations shown in FIG. 12 after the coin discrimination system 100A in the form of firmware is installed in the control section 210 of the apparatus 200 in the aforementioned way, the new denomination adding mode will be able to be automatically executed and then, the ordinary authentication and denomination discrimination operations will be able to be performed immediately after the new denomination adding mode is completed.
[0258] Alternatively, in the situation where the coin depositing/dispensing apparatus 300 is always connected to the Internet, an instruction to automatically download the firmware of the coin discrimination system 100A by way of the Internet and to automatically install the firmware thus downloaded to overwrite install the existing firmware in the control section 210 may be previously written into the system update control section 105 of the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 on the supplier side of the apparatus 300. In this case, the new denomination adding mode will be automatically executed quickly without giving the administrator trouble and the ordinary authentication and denomination discrimination operations will be carried out immediately after the new denomination adding mode is completed. This type of implementation of the coin discrimination system 100A is the easiest and most convenient.
[0259] Furthermore, the aforementioned coin discrimination system 100A may be configured as a unit or chip formed by the combination of hardware and software. In other words, the system 100A may be configured as a unit or chip as hardware into which software is written. In this case, however, delivery of the unit or chip to the users of the coin depositing/dispensing apparatus 300 will be necessary and exchange of the delivered unit or chip by the administrator or the like also will be necessary. Thus, this type of implementation is slightly inconvenient compared with the aforementioned type where the whole system 100A is formed by software, i.e., in the form of firmware.
[0260] Once the coin discrimination system 100A is incorporated into the control section 210 of the coin discrimination apparatus 200 in the existing coin depositing/dispensing apparatus 300, the updated firmware of the system 100A also will be automatically downloaded via the Internet and the updated firmware thus downloaded will be automatically installed to overwrite the existing firmware by the function of the system update control section 105 of the system 100. For this reason, even if setting of the discrimination criterion information pieces for one or more additional denominations is required after that, the setting for the one or more additional denominations thus required will be able to be carried out whenever necessary by forming the firmware of the coin discrimination system 100A in such a way as to include an instruction to automatically download a new version of the system 100A and an instruction to automatic install the new version to overwrite the existing version.
[0261] As shown in FIG. 16B, the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 and the coin discrimination operation executing system 110 may be separately configured by pieces of software or firmware (i.e., software or firmware pieces) to collaborate with each other, thereby realizing or implementing the functions of the coin discrimination system 100A, instead of realizing or implementing the system 100A as a single piece of software or firmware by incorporating the functions of the system 100 and those of the system 110 into single software, as shown in FIG. 16A. In the case of FIG. 16B, there arises an advantage that a “two-step installation” can be performed if, for example, the software or firmware of the discrimination criterion information setting system 100 is overwrite installed and thereafter, the software or firmware of the coin discrimination operation executing system 110 is overwrite installed. In this case, the calculation program for obtaining the discrimination criterion information pieces A1(Da) to Am(Da) for the aforementioned additional denominations Da and a set of parameter information pieces (see FIG. 15) required for executing this calculation program can be stored in the parameter information storing subsection 203f of the coin discrimination apparatus 200 such as the additional denomination standard information storing subsection 203d, the target denomination standard information storing subsection 203e, and/or the parameter information storing subsection 203f by overwrite installing the software or firmware of the discrimination criterion information setting system 100. Therefore, by successively executing the software or firmware of the system 100 thus installed, the discrimination criterion information pieces A1(Da) to Am(Da) of the aforementioned additional denominations Da can be automatically calculated and stored. The overwrite install of the software or firmware of the coin discrimination operation executing system 110 may be executed after the discrimination criterion information pieces A1(Da) to Am(Da) of the aforementioned additional denominations Da have been calculated and stored in the aforementioned way.
[0262] In addition, the discrimination criterion information setting method according to the present invention corresponds to the method executed by the aforementioned discrimination criterion information setting system 100. The computer readable medium for setting discrimination criterion information according to the present invention corresponds to a computer readable medium that stores the program for executing the said method (i.e., the discrimination criterion information setting method according to the present invention) or that implements or realizes the respective functions of the aforementioned system 100. The form of the program is not limited. The program may be configured in the form of firmware as described above or in any form other than firmware. If the program can be incorporated into the control section 210 of the coin discrimination apparatus 200, it may be formed in any type of program.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 1, before the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided
a setting means that, when medium recognition reference information that is new and
authentication information corresponding to the new medium recognition reference information are stored in the storage means, sets use of the new medium recognition reference information as either valid or invalid, wherein
when the setting means has set valid, the recognition means uses the corresponding new medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of the medium,
as taught by Sano, in Yui’s sheet handling system, for the purpose of updating the discrimination criteria using a centralized internet based software distribution system to better balance load on the system while automating updating tasks. Note that although Yui’s system concerns banknotes/sheets and Sano’s system concerns coins, the software and control structure is considered directly transferable to Yui’s system from Sano’s system since discrimination of banknotes and coins share the idea of using denomination and standards characteristics exemplifying genuine banknotes or coins, the data held in memory for the system to compare to sensed coin or banknote characteristics/parameters/features that are well within the skill of an ordinarily skilled artisan to adapt from either system to the other system.
Regarding Claim 2, see the rejection of Claim 2, above.
Claim(s) 3 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yui (US 2012/0031817 A1) in view of Sano et al (US 2020/0302723 A1) and further in view of Moribayashi et al (US 2018/0261031 A1).
Regarding Claims 3 and 7, Yui teaches the system as described above.
Regarding Claim 3, Yui does not expressly teach
wherein:
the setting means sets a new reference information flag to indicate whether or not use of the new medium recognition reference information is valid; and
the recognition means performs recognition processing using the corresponding new medium recognition reference information when the new reference information flag has been set (as or to) valid.
Regarding Claim 3, Yui does not expressly teach, but Moribayashi teaches
wherein:
the setting means (80, 300), as illustrated in figures 1 and 5, sets a new reference information flag, i.e., error note data management information (83), to indicate whether or not use of the new medium recognition reference information is valid; and
the recognition means (50) performs recognition processing using the corresponding new medium recognition reference information when the new reference information flag has been set (as or to) valid, as mentioned at paragraphs 9, 43, 44, 75, 78, 82, 85, for example, which mentions as follows.
[0009] The user who received the request from the manufacturer needs to keep the paper sheets until the manufacturer comes to collect them. Thus, there is a burden on the user. Therefore, there is a need of a method to acquire, without putting a burden on a user, various data necessary for update of data for recognition from a new paper sheet that cannot be correctly recognized by a paper sheet handling apparatus.
[0043] The data for recognition 81 includes data used by the recognition unit 50 when recognizing the denomination, the authenticity, the fitness, and the like of the banknote. The error note data 82 and the error note data management information 83 are data relating to the error note that is a banknote for which a correct recognition result was not obtained by the recognition unit 50. The details will be given later. The data for recognition 81, the error note data 82, and the error note data management information 83 are stored in the memory 80 in an encrypted state so that a person who is not the manufacturer cannot read the contents of the data.
[0044] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the banknote handling apparatus 10 can be connected to an external apparatus such as a computer. The data stored in the memory 80 can be moved or copied from the memory 80 to the external apparatus. The banknote handling apparatus 10 has a card slot in which a portable storage medium such as a memory card can be removably set. The data stored in the memory 80 can be moved or copied to the memory card. However, the user cannot move or copy the data stored in the memory 80. Only the manufacturer who performs a predetermined authentication process by operating the operation/display unit 20 and is authenticated as an authorized manufacturer can move or copy the data stored in the memory 80.
[0075] The error note data management information 83 shown in FIG. 4 is explained below. The error note data management information 83 includes “operation date and time” and “operator ID”. The “operation date and time” indicates the date and time on which the error note data 82 was moved or copied in the external apparatus connected to the banknote handling apparatus 10, or in the memory card set in the card slot of the banknote handling apparatus 10. The “operator ID” indicates ID information of an operator acquired in the authentication process that is performed when the data was moved or copied.
[0082] The manufacturer of the banknote handling apparatus 10 collects the error note data 82 from the banknote handling apparatus 10 and investigates the details of the data. Therefore, even if the actual paper error note is not present, the manufacturer can generate the updated data of the data for recognition 81, so that the banknote that was determined to be the error note can be correctly recognized in the banknote handling apparatus 10. The user updates the data for recognition 81 stored in the memory 80 of the banknote handling apparatus 10, with the updated data of the data for recognition 81 generated by the manufacturer. Accordingly, the correct recognition result can be obtained from all the banknotes including the banknote that was determined to be the error note.
[0085] The operation/display unit 120 and the memory 300 have the same functions as the operation/display unit 20 and the memory 80 of the banknote handling apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment. However, in the memory 300, gift certificate data 320 is stored in addition to banknote data 310 corresponding to the data stored in the memory 80. The banknote data 310 includes data for banknote recognition 311, error banknote data 312, and error banknote data management information 313 respectively corresponding to the data for recognition 81, the error note data 82, and the error note data management information 83 shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, the gift certificate data 320 includes data for gift certificate recognition 321 to recognize the type, the authenticity, and the like of the gift certificate, error gift certificate data 322 including data collected from a gift certificate that was determined to be the error note, and error gift certificate data management information 323 including monitoring data relating to the moving and the copying of the error gift certificate data 322.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 3, before the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided
wherein:
the setting means sets a new reference information flag to indicate whether or not use of the new medium recognition reference information is valid; and
the recognition means performs recognition processing using the corresponding new medium recognition reference information when the new reference information flag has been set (as or to) valid,
as taught by Moribayashi, in Yui’s sheet handling system, for the purpose of indicating when updating the discrimination criteria is required. Note that Moribayashi’s system teaches the concept of indicating when the system may not be correctly recognizing banknotes that are either genuine or counterfeit, thus requiring an update to the medium recognition reference information because of it being invalid.
Regarding Claim 7, see the rejection of Claim 3, above.
Regarding Claim 6, Yui teaches
a medium recognition reference information creation system, as illustrated in figure 1, comprising:
a first system including a first medium handling device, i.e., any of sheet handling apparatus’ (1A1-1b2), and a reference information generation device (3); and
a second system that is separate to the first system and that includes a second medium handling device, i.e., anyone of the other one of the sheet handling apparatus’ (1A2, 1A3, 1B1, 1B2), and an authentication device, i.e., construed as being part of central apparatus (100), which operates as mentioned at paragraphs 98-114 and as illustrated in figures 7-9, for example, wherein:
the reference information generation device (3) of the first system (1A1-1b2) detects characteristic information about introduced medium, i.e., via sheet discriminating apparatus (13), as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, and generates medium recognition reference information (Da) for the medium, as mentioned at paragraphs 38, 41 and 42, for example; and
the second medium handling device, i.e., anyone of the other one of the sheet handling apparatus’ (1A2, 1A3, 1B1, 1B2), of the second system uses the medium
recognition reference information generated by the reference information generation device (3) and the medium characteristic information (Da) to evaluate a quality of the medium recognition reference information, as taught Moribayashi;
the authentication device of the second system, , i.e., construed as being part of central apparatus (100), which operates as mentioned at paragraphs 98-114 and as illustrated in figures 7-9, for example, generates authentication information corresponding to the medium recognition reference information (Da) evaluated by the second medium handling device, i.e., anyone of the other one of the sheet handling apparatus’ (1A2, 1A3, 1B1, 1B2),; and
the first medium handling device (1A2, 1A3, 1B1, 1B2) of the first system includes a storage means, i.e., database (3), as illustrated in figure 1, that stores a single or a plurality of medium recognition reference information (50c1), as illustrated in figure 5, for example,
a recognition means that uses the medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of a target medium, i.e., valid or invalid, old or new, for comprising an error, for example, as taught by Moribayashi, and
a setting means, i.e., central apparatus (100), as mentioned at paragraphs 32-35, 78 and 98-114, that, when new medium recognition reference information (Da) that has been evaluated by the second medium handling device, i.e., anyone of the other one of the sheet handling apparatus’ (1A2, 1A3, 1B1, 1B2), via higher rank apparatus (2) and central apparatus (100), as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, for example, and authentication information corresponding to the new medium recognition reference information are stored in the storage means (103), sets use of the new medium recognition reference information as either valid or invalid, as mentioned at paragraphs 98-114,
wherein
when the setting means has (been) set (to) valid, the recognition means uses the corresponding new medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of the medium, as taught by Moribayashi.
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Regarding Claim 6, Yui does not expressly teach
evaluate(evaluating) a quality of the medium recognition reference information;
the authentication device of the second system, generates authentication information corresponding to the medium recognition reference information evaluated by the second medium handling device; and
a recognition means that uses the medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of a target medium, and
wherein
when the setting means has (been) set (to) valid, the recognition means uses the corresponding new medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of the medium.
Regarding Claim 6, Yui does not expressly teach, but Moribayashi and Sano teaches,
evaluate(evaluating) a quality of the medium recognition reference information, as taught Moribayashi;
the authentication device of the second system, as taught by Moribayashi and Sano, generates authentication information corresponding to the medium recognition reference information evaluated by the second medium handling device, as taught by Moribayashi and Sano; and
a recognition means that uses the medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of a target medium, i.e., valid or invalid, old or new, for comprising an error, for example, as taught by Moribayashi, and
wherein
when the setting means has (been) set (to) valid, the recognition means uses the corresponding new medium recognition reference information to recognize a state of the medium, as taught by Moribayashi.
Conclusion
Applicant is encouraged to contact the Examiner should there be any questions about this rejection or in an endeavor to explore potential amendments or potential allowable subject matter.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure.
Jones ‘876 is cited as teaching a banknote processing device (101) as illustrated throughout the disclosure such as at figure 1, which communicates with external networked systems.
Gonzalez ‘916 is cited as teaching downloading and installing updates to software for banknote/currency processing devices (124) upon issuance of new currency denomination, and/or a currency design change, and/or when there is a change to currency data, as mentioned at figure 3b and as mentioned in col. 9, line 50-col. 10, line 4, for example.
Ishii ‘200 is cited as teaching a software update server (110), as illustrated in figure 1, that distributes software updates into an installed base of one or more mobile electronic devices, and in which the software updates are either pulled from the server (110) by requests from the devices or updates are pushed by server (110) to the devices, as mentioned at paragraph 36, for example.
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/JEFFREY A SHAPIRO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
August 22, 2026
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