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Aks wrote:
Hi People.

I am looking at a particular application. I want to build a currency
counter. The device will be based on optical technology. What I want
to do is, "look" at the side of the stack of banknotes and from there,
read the number of notes present in the stack.

There are two possible approached that come to my mind :

1.) The CD-ROM Approach

Here, the light is made to incident on the "side" of the stack and
whatever light is reflected back, is read by a device. Now, the number
of "gaps" in the light gives us the number of notes.
The upside of using this approach will be less complexity in the
electronics.
The downside will be , this approach will involve moving mechanical
parts. (In the form of a light source that 'scans' the entire width of
the 'side' of the stack)
I've found a patent for this approach. Here's the link.

Here is a list of patents related to this one
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/result.html?query_txt=PN/4694474^20%20%20OR%204694474

And here is the US patent Number 4694474
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/469...&stemming=o n


To read the full texts of these patents, u need to make and account on
www.freepatentsonline.com. Its free.


2.) The image-processing approach
An image of the 'side' of the stack is taken by a CCD or a CMOS
camera. The image is then passed on to an image processing unit which
then processes the image. There can be seen visible distinct 'lines',
horizontal lines in the image. Each line representing one note. If we
can read the number of such lines, we can build such a device.
Now, I've got a patent for this as well. And en extremely detailed
one, describing, in detail, the complete hardware, software and the
diagrams of the project. Here it is.

US Patent Number 5534690
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/553...&stemming=o n

But being from computer science background, I am unable to understand
this completely. Can someone help me ?
I am ready to pay, if someone can make that thing for me. I am based
in India.


Ankit