Bill discriminating method

Claim 1

In a bill discriminating method in which a bill pattern is extracted in accordance with signals derived from selected optimum channels out of a plurality of channels connected to sensors disposed in the path across which a bill moves, and the bill is discriminated through comparing said bill pattern with a reference pattern set up previously in accordance with discriminating operation modes and the kinds of bills, an improvement which comprises utilizing: a mode change-over switch for selecting and appointing one of said discriminating operation modes, bill discriminating units each having an internal memory and a channel selecting means, and a common memory accessible commonly from said bill discriminating units and adapted to store reference patterns and the channel numbers of the channels to be selected; and taking the following steps: (a) a first step in which each of said bill discriminating units reads, out of said common memory, the selected and appointed discriminating operation mode, the kind of bill and it corresponding reference pattern, and the channel numbers of the channels to be selected, and writes the same in its internal memory; (b) a second step in which each bill discriminating unit selects the channels in accordance with the channel numbers written in the internal memory thereof and extracts the bill pattern in accordance with the signals derived through respective channels; (c) a third step in which each bill discriminating unit compares said bill pattern extracted in the second step (b) with the reference pattern written in said internal memory thereof; and (d) a fourth step in which the bill is discriminated in accordance with the result of the comparison made in each bill discriminating unit.