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A document processing device includes a controller and a sensor arrangement. The sensor arrangement illuminates a surface of documents. The gradient index lens array collects light reflected from the documents and transmits at least a portion of the collected reflected light onto a photodetector arr

A document processing device includes a controller and a sensor arrangement. The sensor arrangement illuminates a surface of documents. The gradient index lens array collects light reflected from the documents and transmits at least a portion of the collected reflected light onto a photodetector array. The photodetector array generates one or more electrical signals in response to a gradient index lens transmitting light thereon. The controller derives data including image data from the one or more electrical signals. The image data is reproducible as a visually readable image of the surface of the documents. The visually readable image has a resolution such that alphanumeric characters can be extracted from the visually readable image in response to the document remaining within a depth of field of the gradient index lens array while being transported via the transport mechanism. The depth of field is at least about 0.03 inches.

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1. A document processing device, comprising: an input receptacle configured to receive a stack of documents;a transport mechanism configured to transport the documents, one at a time, in a transport direction from the input receptacle along a transport path to one or more output receptacles;a sensor

1. A document processing device, comprising: an input receptacle configured to receive a stack of documents;a transport mechanism configured to transport the documents, one at a time, in a transport direction from the input receptacle along a transport path to one or more output receptacles;a sensor arrangement positioned adjacent to the transport path, the sensor arrangement comprising: i) at least one light source configured to illuminate at least a portion of a surface of one of the documents; andii) a gradient index lens array configured to collect light reflected from the surface of the one of the documents and to transmit at least a portion of the collected reflected light onto a photodetector array; anda controller operatively coupled with the sensor arrangement,wherein the photodetector array generates one or more electrical signals in response to the gradient index lens transmitting the at least portion of the collected reflected light, the one or more electrical signals being transmitted from the photodetector array to the controller, the controller configured to derive data including image data from the one or more electrical signals, the image data being reproducible as a visually readable image of the surface of the document, the visually readable image having a resolution such that alphanumeric characters can be extracted from the image data in response to the document remaining within a depth of field of the gradient index lens array while being transported via the transport mechanism, the depth of field being at least about 0.03 inches, the gradient index lens array having a shifted focal plane such that movement of the documents by the transport mechanism past the gradient index lens array is constrained such that the documents are within a distance perpendicular to the shifted focal plane, the distance being about one-half of the depth of field. 2. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein the resolution of the visually readable image is at least about 100 DPI by at least about 100 DPI. 3. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein the resolution of the visually readable image is at least about 200 DPI by at least about 200 DPI. 4. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein each of the documents has a wide edge and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 600 documents per minute and the gradient index lens array is configured to collect light reflected from the surface of documents at a rate of at least about 600 documents per minute. 5. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein each of the documents has a wide edge and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 1000 documents per minute and the gradient index lens array is configured to collect light reflected from the surface of documents at a rate of at least about 1000 documents per minute. 6. The document processing device of claim 5, wherein the document processing device has a footprint of less than about two square feet and a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds. 7. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein the document processing device has a footprint of less than about two square feet and a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds. 8. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein the documents are U.S. currency bills and each U.S. currency bill has a wide edge, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport each document in a wide-edge leading manner; the document processing device having a footprint of less than about one and a half square feet and a weight of less than about twenty-five pounds. 9. The document processing device of claim 1, further comprising a first lens and a second lens, wherein the at least one light source includes a first light source and a second light source, and wherein light emitted from the first light source passes through the first lens and illuminates at least a portion of the surface of the document; and light emitted from the second light source passes through the second lens and illuminates at least a portion of the surface of the document. 10. A method of processing documents, comprising: receiving a plurality of documents in an input receptacle of a document processing device;transporting, using a transport mechanism of the document processing device, the documents, in a serial fashion, in a transport direction from the input receptacle along a transport path, past a gradient index lens array of the document processing device, and to one or more output receptacles, the gradient index lens array having a depth of field of at least about 0.03 inches, the gradient index lens array further having a shifted focal plane;constraining movement of the documents as the documents are transported past the gradient index lens array such that the documents are within a distance perpendicular to the shifted focal plane, the distance being about one-half of the depth of field;illuminating, using at least one light source of the document processing device, at least a portion of a surface of one of the documents;collecting, using the gradient index lens array, light reflected from the surface of the one of the documents;transmitting, using the gradient index lens array, at least a portion of the collected reflected light onto a photodetector array;generating, using the photodetector array, one or more electrical signals in response to the collected reflected light;transmitting the one or more electrical signals from the photodetector array to a controller of the document processing device;deriving data including image data, using the controller, from the one or more electrical signals, a visually readable image of the surface of the document being reproducible using the image data; andextracting alphanumeric characters using the image data associated with the document in response to the document remaining within the depth of field of the gradient index lens array during the transporting. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the resolution of the visually readable image of the surface of the document being at least about 100 DPI by at least about 100 DPI. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the resolution of the visually readable image of the surface of the document being at least about 200 DPI by at least about 200 DPI. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the transporting comprises transporting the documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 1000 documents per minute, the collecting comprises collecting light reflected from the surface of documents at a rate of at least about 1000 documents per minute, and the extracting comprises extracting the alphanumeric characters at a rate of at least about 1000 documents per minute. 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the transporting comprises transporting the documents in a wide-edge leading manner, wherein the documents are U.S. currency bills, wherein the document processing device has a footprint of less than about one and a half square feet and a weight of less than about twenty-five pounds. 15. A U.S. currency bill processing device, comprising: a transport mechanism configured to transport a plurality of U.S. currency bills, in a serial fashion, along a transport path; anda sensor arrangement positioned adjacent to the transport path, the sensor arrangement comprising: i) at least one light source configured to illuminate at least a portion of a surface of each of the transported U.S. currency bills; andii) a gradient index lens array configured to collect light reflected from the surface of each of the transported U.S. currency bills and to transmit at least a portion of the collected reflected light for each of the transported U.S. currency bills onto a photodetector array;wherein the photodetector array is configured to generate one or more electrical signals from which a visually readable image of the at least a portion of the surface of each of the U.S. currency bills can be reproduced having a resolution such that alphanumeric characters can be extracted therefrom, the electrical signals being generated in response to each of the U.S. currency bills remaining within a depth of field of the gradient index lens array while being transported along the transport path, the depth of field being at least about 0.03 inches, the gradient index lens array having a shifted focal plane such that movement of the U.S. currency bills by the transport mechanism past the gradient index lens array is constrained such that the U.S. currency bills are within a distance perpendicular to the shifted focal plane, the distance being about one-half of the depth of field. 16. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, wherein the resolution of the visually readable image is at least about 100 DPI by at least about 100 DPI. 17. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, wherein the resolution of the visually readable image is at least about 200 DPI by at least about 200 DPI. 18. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, further comprising a controller operatively coupled with the transport mechanism and the sensor arrangement, the controller being configured to control operation of the transport mechanism and the sensor arrangement. 19. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, wherein each of the U.S. currency bills has a wide edge, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 600 U.S. currency bills per minute. 20. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, wherein each of the U.S. currency bills has a wide edge, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 1000 U.S. currency bills per minute. 21. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, wherein each of the U.S. currency bills has a wide edge, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 1500 U.S. currency bills per minute. 22. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, wherein the U.S. currency bill processing device has a footprint of less than about two square feet and a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds. 23. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, wherein each U.S. currency bill has a wide edge, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport each U.S. currency bill in a wide-edge leading manner; the U.S. currency bill processing device having a footprint of less than about 1.5 square feet and a weight of less than about 25 pounds. 24. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 15, further comprising a first lens and a second lens, wherein the at least one light source includes a first light source and a second light source, and wherein light emitted from the first light source passes through the first lens and illuminates at least a portion of the surface of the U.S. currency bill; and light emitted from the second light source passes through the second lens and illuminates at least a portion of the surface of the U.S. currency bill. 25. A U.S. currency bill processing device, comprising: an input receptacle configured to receive U.S. currency bills;a transport mechanism configured to transport the U.S. currency bills, one at a time, in a transport direction from the input receptacle along a transport path to one or more output receptacles;a sensor arrangement positioned adjacent to the transport path, the sensor arrangement comprising: i) at least one light source configured to illuminate at least a portion of a surface of each of the transported U.S. currency bills; andii) a gradient index lens array configured to collect light reflected from the surface of each of the transported U.S. currency bills and to transmit at least a portion of the collected reflected light for each of the transported U.S. currency bills onto a photodetector array; anda controller operatively coupled with the sensor arrangement,wherein the photodetector array generates one or more electrical signals in response to the gradient index lens transmitting the at least portion of the collected reflected light, the one or more electrical signals being transmitted from the photodetector array to the controller, the controller configured to derive data including image data from the one or more electrical signals, the image data being reproducible as a visually readable image of the surface of each of the transported U.S. currency bills, the visually readable image having a resolution such that alphanumeric characters can be extracted from the image data in response to the U.S. currency bills remaining within a depth of field of the gradient index lens array while being transported via the transport mechanism, the depth of field being at least about 0.03 inches, the gradient index lens array having a shifted focal plane such that movement of the U.S. currency bills by the transport mechanism past the gradient index lens array is constrained such that the U.S. currency bills are within a distance perpendicular to the shifted focal plane, the distance being about one-half of the depth of field. 26. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 25, wherein each of the U.S. currency bills has a wide edge and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 1000 U.S. currency bills per minute and the gradient index lens array is configured to collect light reflected from the surface of U.S. currency bills at a rate of at least about 1000 U.S. currency bills per minute, and wherein the U.S. currency bill processing device has a footprint of less than about two square feet and a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds. 27. The U.S. currency bill processing device of claim 25, wherein each of the U.S. currency bills has a wide edge, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 1500 U.S. currency bills per minute. 28. The method of claim 10, wherein the transporting comprises transporting the documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 600 documents per minute, the collecting comprises collecting light reflected from the surface of documents at a rate of at least about 600 documents per minute, and the extracting comprises extracting the alphanumeric characters at a rate of at least about 600 documents per minute. 29. The method of claim 10, wherein the transporting comprises transporting the documents in a wide-edge leading manner, wherein the documents are U.S. currency bills, wherein the document processing device has a footprint of less than about two square feet and a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds. 30. The method of claim 13, wherein the document processing device has a footprint of less than about two square feet and a weight of less than about thirty-five pounds. 31. The method of claim 13, wherein the documents are U.S. currency bills, wherein the document processing device has a footprint of less than about one and a half square feet and a weight of less than about twenty-five pounds.