Systems, methods and devices for managing rejected coins during coin processing

• US 10,049,521 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Blake, John R., Hallowell, Curtis W., Jagielinski, Tomasz M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beauchaine, Mark J
• Application Number:
  US15/492,561
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/32 Record keeping transaction aspects G07F19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/14 Apparatus driven under control of coin-sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/16 in combination with coin-counting
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 5/00 Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of coins, e.g. for segregating coins which are unacceptable or alien to a currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

Currency processing systems, coin processing machines, computer-readable storage media, and methods of managing processed coins are presented herein. A method is presented for managing coins processed by a currency processing system. The method includes: receiving a batch of coins by the currency processing system; feeding the coins into a coin processing unit which includes one or more coin discriminating sensors; sorting the batch of coins into genuine fit target coins and reject coins; sorting the reject coins into a plurality of reject groups, each of which corresponds to a respective category of rejected coins; analyzing at least one of the reject groups to determine if any genuine target coins were mischaracterized and erroneously sorted into that reject group; and, crediting a user of the currency processing system for any genuine target coins in the reject group determined to have been mischaracterized and erroneously sorted.

Claims

1. A method for managing coins processed by an automated currency processing system, the method comprising the system:

receiving a batch of coins via a coin input area of a currency processing unit, the coin processing unit including one or more coin discriminating sensors;

sorting the batch of coins into genuine target coins and reject coins with the coin processing unit; and

marking each of the reject coins with a unique identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the system generating a unique identifier for each reject coin and wherein the marking comprises attaching the corresponding unique identifier to each reject coin.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier for each reject coin comprises a serial number.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier for each reject coin comprises a bar code.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is located on a sticker and wherein the attaching comprises attaching the sticker to each reject coin.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is associated with a RFID tag and wherein the attaching comprises attaching the RFID tag to each reject coin.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier for each reject coin comprises a serial number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier for each reject coin comprises a bar code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the batch of coins is associated with a customer account and wherein each unique identifier is associated with the customer account.

10. The method of claim 9, after a reject coin having a unique identifier has had its authenticity determined by a third party, further comprising the system:

receiving an indication that the third party has determined the reject coin is not genuine; and

debiting the customer account associated with the corresponding unique identifier where the customer account had previously been credited for a value associated with the reject coin.

11. The method of claim 9, after a reject coin having a unique identifier has had its authenticity determined by a third party, further comprising the system:

receiving an indication that the third party has determined the reject coin is genuine; and

crediting the customer account associated with the corresponding unique identifier where the customer account had not previously been credited for a value associated with the reject coin.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the marking is performed by an auxiliary reject coin marking device operatively connected to the coin processing unit.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the system:

increasing a batch total for each coin determined to be a genuine target coin;

capturing an image of each reject coin;

displaying the image of each reject coin on a graphical user interface;

displaying on the graphical user interface a selectable element as to whether a displayed reject coin is authentic;

receiving an indication from an operator of the system that the displayed reject coin is authentic; and

in response to receiving an indication that the displayed rejected coin is authentic, increasing the batch total by a value associated with the displayed reject coin.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the system:

displaying a system determined denomination of a displayed reject coin on the graphical user interface along with the displayed image of the reject coin and wherein the increasing the batch total comprises increasing the batch total by the value associated with the system determined denomination of the displayed reject coin.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the batch of coins is associated with a customer account and wherein each unique identifier is associated with the customer account and further comprising the system:

increasing a batch total for each coin determined to be a genuine target coin;

crediting the customer account based on the batch total;

capturing an image of each reject coin;

displaying the image of each reject coin on a graphical user interface;

displaying on the graphical user interface a selectable element as to whether a displayed reject coin is authentic;

receiving an indication from an operator of the system that the displayed reject coin is authentic; and

in response to receiving an indication that the displayed rejected coin is authentic, crediting the customer account by a value associated with the displayed reject coin by utilizing the unique identifier associated with the displayed reject coin to determine the appropriate customer account.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the system:

displaying a system determined denomination of a displayed reject coin on the graphical user interface along with the displayed image of the reject coin and wherein the crediting the customer account comprises crediting the customer account by the value associated with the system determined denomination of the displayed reject coin.

17. A method for managing coins processed by an automated currency processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a batch of coins via a coin input area of a currency processing unit, the coin processing unit including one or more coin discriminating sensors;

sorting the batch of coins into genuine target coins and reject coins with the coin processing unit; and

fingerprinting each of the reject coins by capturing a high-resolution detailed image of each coin.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the fingerprinting is performed by an auxiliary reject coin device operatively connected to the coin processing unit.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the high-resolution detailed image of each coin serves as a unique identifier.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the batch of coins is associated with a customer account and wherein each unique identifier is associated with the customer account and further comprising the system:

increasing a batch total for each coin determined to be a genuine target coin;

crediting the customer account based on the batch total;

capturing an image of each reject coin;

displaying the image of each reject coin on a graphical user interface;

displaying on the graphical user interface a selectable element as to whether a displayed reject coin is authentic;

receiving an indication from an operator of the system that the displayed reject coin is authentic; and

in response to receiving an indication that the displayed rejected coin is authentic, crediting the customer account by a value associated with the displayed reject coin by utilizing the unique identifier associated with the displayed reject coin to determine the appropriate customer account.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the system:

displaying a system determined denomination of a displayed reject coin on the graphical user interface along with the displayed image of the reject coin and wherein the crediting the customer account comprises crediting the customer account by the value associated with the system determined denomination of the displayed reject coin.

22. A method for managing coins processed by an automated currency processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a batch of coins via a coin input area of a currency processing unit, the coin processing unit including one or more coin discriminating sensors;

making a first determination of the authenticity of each coin using one or more of the coin discriminating sensors;

sorting the batch of coins into genuine target coins and reject coins with the coin processing unit based on the first determination; and

making a second determination of authenticity of at least some of the reject coins;

wherein the making a second determination of authenticity is performed by an auxiliary device;

wherein the second determination of authenticity is made by the auxiliary device by examining each reject coin in a static manner.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second determination of authenticity is made by the auxiliary device using one or more Eddy current sensors.

24. A method for managing coins processed by an automated currency processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a batch of coins via a coin input area of a currency processing unit, the coin processing unit including one or more coin discriminating sensors;

making a first determination of the authenticity of each coin using one or more of the coin discriminating sensors;

sorting the batch of coins into genuine target coins and reject coins with the coin processing unit based on the first determination; and

making a second determination of authenticity of at least some of the reject coins;

wherein the making a second determination of authenticity is performed by an auxiliary device;

wherein the second determination of authenticity is made by the auxiliary device by examining each reject coin in a dynamic manner;

wherein the auxiliary device comprises one or more authentication sensors, the method comprising;

moving coins at a first speed past the one or more of the coin discriminating sensors of the coin processing unit; and

moving coins at a second, slower speed past the one or more authentication sensors of the auxiliary device.

25. A method for managing coins processed by an automated currency processing system, the method comprising the system:

receiving a batch of coins via a coin input area of a currency processing unit, the coin processing unit including one or more coin discriminating sensors;

sorting the batch of coins into genuine target coins and reject coins with the coin processing unit;

increasing a batch total for each coin determined to be a genuine target coin;

capturing an image of each reject coin;

displaying the image of each reject coin on a graphical user interface;

displaying on the graphical user interface a selectable element as to whether a displayed reject coin is authentic;

receiving an indication from an operator of the system that the displayed reject coin is authentic; and

in response to receiving an indication that the displayed rejected coin is authentic, increasing the batch total by a value associated with the displayed reject coin.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the system:

displaying a system determined denomination of a displayed reject coin on the graphical user interface along with the displayed image of the reject coin and wherein the increasing the batch total comprises increasing the batch total by the value associated with the system determined denomination of the displayed reject coin.

27. A method for managing coins processed by an automated currency processing system, the method comprising the system:

receiving a batch of coins via a coin input area of a currency processing unit, the coin processing unit including one or more coin discriminating sensors, wherein the batch of coins is associated with a customer account;

sorting the batch of coins into genuine target coins and reject coins with the coin processing unit, wherein each reject coin is associated with the customer account;

increasing a batch total for each coin determined to be a genuine target coin;

capturing an image of each reject coin;

displaying the image of each reject coin on a graphical user interface;

displaying on the graphical user interface a selectable element as to whether a displayed reject coin is authentic;

receiving an indication from an operator of the system that the displayed reject coin is authentic; and

in response to receiving an indication that the displayed rejected coin is authentic, crediting the customer account by a value associated with the displayed reject coin.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the system:

displaying a system determined denomination of a displayed reject coin on the graphical user interface along with the displayed image of the reject coin and wherein the crediting the customer account comprises crediting the customer account by the value associated with the system determined denomination of the displayed reject coin.