WE CLAIM:
1. A method (200), comprising:
(i) selecting reference images for media items from a plurality of visible light images of the media items (210);
(ii) calculating Infrared (IR) residual images from IR images of the media items and the selected reference images (220);
(iii) extracting features of the IR residual images as a template (230); and
(iv) applying the template to a presented media item having an embedded IR security feature for assisting in determining whether the presented media item is acceptable for further downstream processing within a valuable media depository (240).
2. The method of claim 1, wherein (i) further includes calculating one of the plurality of visible light images as a combination of multiple images from different visible light frequencies (211).
3. The method of claim 1, wherein (ii) further includes iterating pixel coordinates for the IR images and the reference images to calculate the IR residual images (221).
4. The method of claim 3, wherein iterating further includes calculating a relative difference between each pixel coordinate value in each IR image and a corresponding reference image to produce a particular IR residual image (222).
5. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating further includes producing the relative difference as a difference between each pixel coordinate value divided by a sum of each pixel coordinate value (223).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (iii) further includes extracting the features as a distribution of pixel coordinate values present in the IR residual images (231).
7. The method of claim 1, wherein (iv) further includes comparing pixel coordinate values for a captured IR image of the presented media item against a distribution of IR residual pixel coordinate values present in template to form a score or a vector for the presented media item (241).
8. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing further includes determining whether the score or the vector falls within a predefined range to determine whether the presented media item is acceptable (242).
9. A depository (400), comprising:
a document validation module/device (DVM) integrated into the depository (401); and
a document validator configured to: i) execute on at least one hardware processor of the DVM or the depository and ii) determine whether a currency note is genuine and fit for processing within the depository by accounting for a relative difference between Infrared (IR) attributes of the currency note and visible light attributes of the currency note (402).
10. The depository of claim 9, wherein the depository is integrated into
one of: a Self-Service Terminal (SST), an Automated Teller Machine (ATM),
a kiosk, and a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal.