Note Image Acquisition System Using Temporal Scanning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional image acquiring systems face challenges in achieving high-resolution analysis of note images without increasing the number of photosensitive chip units per unit length, which complicates manufacturing and reduces data transmission speed in financial self-service equipment.

Innovation Solution

A note image acquiring system comprising a fiber laser, fiber beam splitter, fiber collimator, lithium niobate intensity modulator array, waveform generator, signal amplifier, polarization beam splitter, quarter-wave plate, imaging lens group, line-array photosensitive chip, image information processing module, and image combining module, which uses wavelength-tunable laser beams and two-dimensional spatial modulation to achieve high-resolution image analysis without increasing the number of photosensitive chips.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the number of photosensitive chip units per unit length is increased to improve resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresolution of note imageVSAvoidnumber of photosensitive chip units
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from spatial resolution improvement (increasing photosensitive chip density in one dimension) to temporal resolution improvement (using sequential scanning in time). The line-array photosensitive chip scans the note image along a scanning direction over time, achieving high resolution without increasing the number of photosensitive units per unit length.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic scanning motion to achieve high resolution. Instead of using a static high-density photosensitive array, the system uses a line-array photosensitive chip that moves relative to the note image, capturing different spatial positions at different time moments to build up the complete high-resolution image.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If the number of photosensitive chip units per unit length is increased to improve resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresolution of note imageVSAvoidmanufacturing difficulty of photosensitive chip
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the manufacturing difficulty by shifting from improving resolution through spatial density (which requires manufacturing many tiny photosensitive units per unit length) to improving resolution through temporal sampling (scanning the same limited number of photosensitive units across different positions over time).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The dynamic scanning approach allows the use of a simpler line-array photosensitive chip with fewer units per unit length, making manufacturing more feasible while still achieving high resolution through the scanning process that captures multiple spatial positions sequentially.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If the number of photosensitive chip units per unit length is increased to improve resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but data transmission speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresolution of note imageVSAvoiddata transmission speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the data transmission bottleneck by transitioning from parallel data transmission requirements (needed for high-density simultaneous capture) to sequential data transmission (enabled by time-sequential scanning). The line-array photosensitive chip transmits data captured at different time moments, reducing the peak data transmission burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The dynamic scanning process naturally sequences the data acquisition and transmission, allowing data to be transmitted progressively as it is captured rather than requiring simultaneous transmission of large volumes of data from many photosensitive units, thereby maintaining faster effective data transmission speeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables high-resolution analysis of note images, including miniature text, without complicating the manufacturing process or affecting data transmission speed, ensuring accurate currency detection in financial self-service devices.

Implementation Method 1

a fiber laser, a fiber beam splitter, a fiber collimator and a laser beam expander are sequentially aligned to build an irradiating light path

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser: Laser

Implementation Method 2

A distal end of the irradiating light path falls onto an optical signal receiving end of the lithium niobate intensity modulator array

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectro-optic modulation: Electro-Optic Effects

Implementation Method 3

A distal end of the modulating light path falls onto a to-be-detected note. The to-be-detected note, the quarter-wave plate and the polarization beam splitter are sequentially aligned to build a reflecting light path

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectQuarter-wave plate polarization conversion: Polarisation

Implementation Method 4

the polarization beam splitter and the quarter-wave plate are sequentially aligned to build a modulating light path

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPolarization beam splitting: Polarisation

Implementation Method 5

The reflecting light path falls onto an optical signal receiving end of the line-array photosensitive chip via the imaging lens group

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoelectric detection: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3316229B1Note image acquisition system
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 GRG BANKING EQUIPMENT CO LTD
  • EP3316229B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3316229B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3316229B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A note image acquisition system, comprising: a fiber laser (1), a fiber-optic beam splitter (2), a fiber-optic sight (3), a laser beam expander (4), a lithium niobate intensity modulator array (5), a waveform generator (6), a signal amplifier (7), a polarizing beam splitter (8), a quarter-wave plate (9), an imaging lens group (11), a line of photosensitive chips (12), an image information processing module (13) and an image combining module (14). The note image acquisition system can improve resolution of details of a note image without needing to increase the number of photosensitive chip units per unit length of a linear array image sensor.