Robust noncontact media processor

• US 20050224313A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Inventors: Lo, Peter, Hilton, Graham
• Application Number:
  US10/938,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20050224313A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/211
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/15 with arrangements to prevent the passage of more than one individual at a time
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/02 Cabinets; Cases; Stands; Disposition of apparatus therein or thereon

Abstract

Disclosed is a media processor that may be used for controlling access to a location, such as a transit system or an amusement park. The media processor also may be used to encode information onto the token, sort a plurality of tokens, and issue tokens that have value. In one aspect of the disclosure, a media processor is disclosed for reading from, writing to, or sorting media, wherein the media processor includes an entry bezel for accepting media into the media processor, a transmitter and receiver for reading from, writing to, or sorting the media, at least one exit path for the media to exit the media processor, and a rotatable disk for moving the media from the entry bezel to the transmitter and receiver and to the at least one exit path.

Claims

1. A media processor for reading from, writing to, or sorting a medium, comprising:

an entry bezel for accepting the medium into the media processor;

a wireless contactless reader/writer for reading from, writing to, or sorting the medium;

at least one exit pathway for the medium to exit the media processor; and

a rotatable disk for moving the medium from the entry bezel to the transmitter and receiver and to the at least one or more exit pathways where the media can be sorted.

2. The media processor of claim 1, further comprising multiple exit pathways.

3. The media processor of claim 2, wherein each medium exits the media processor via a determined exit pathway based on the results of the writing, reading, or sorting of the medium.

4. The media processor of claim 3, further comprising at least one blocker to either block the exit of a medium from the rotatable disk or to allow the exit of a medium from the rotatable disk to one of the exit pathways.

5. The media processor of claim 4, wherein the number of blockers is equal to one less or the same of the number of exit pathways.

6. The media processor of claim 2, wherein at least one of the exit pathways is a reject medium pathway.

7. The media processor of claim 6, wherein at least one of the exit pathways is a vault medium pathway.

8. The media processor of claim 6, wherein the medium exits to a rejection receptacle.

9. The media processor of claim 7, wherein the medium exits to a vault.

10. The media processor of claim 3, further comprising a sensor at each exit pathway to sense the passing of the medium through the exit pathway.

11. The media processor of claim 1, further comprising a sensor at the entry bezel to sense the medium being inserted into the intake.

12. The media processor of claim 11, further comprising at least one sensor at the rotatable disk to sense the medium being located in the rotatable disk.

13. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the entry bezel further includes a plurality of grooves oriented in the direction of travel of the medium into the rotatable disk.

14. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the rotatable disk includes a plurality of medium receptacles.

15. The media processor of claim 14, wherein the rotatable disk includes at least one sensor to sense the presence of media in the medium receptacles.

16. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the media processor is used to encode media.

17. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the media processor is used to sort media.

18. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the media processor is used to issue media of value at a point of purchase.

19. The media processor of claim 13 wherein the rotatable disk provides positive movement of a low mass medium, such as a plastic token in a variety of environments, including contaminated environments where free falling or sliding technique cannot be used when the friction of the contaminated environment is higher than the mass of the medium.

20. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the media processor controls access to or exit from a controlled area.

21. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the wireless contactless reader/writer includes at least one antenna that may be located anywhere within the path of the medium.

22. The media processor of claim 21, wherein the antenna is located between pathways for efficient processing of the medium.

31. The media processor of claim 14, wherein the rotatable disk is reversible and is capable of escrowing medium.

23. A token processor for processing a token, comprising:

an entry bezel for accepting a token into the token processor;

a transmitter and receiver for reading from, writing to, the token;

a rotatable disk having a plurality of token receptacles and being adapted to accept a token from the entry bezel;

a plurality of sensors located within the token processor to determine the existence of the tokens with the token processor;

a plurality of exit paths from the token processor; and

a plurality of blockers adjacent to the rotatable disk, the blockers controlling the state of the exit paths so that tokens with insufficient value or invalid tokens may be rejected from the token processor and so that tokens with sufficient value or valid tokens may be retained within the token processor.

24. The token processor of claim 23, wherein the blockers control the flow of the tokens from the rotatable disk to the exit paths, so that tokens with insufficient value or invalid tokens are rejected from the token processor and so that tokens with sufficient value or valid tokens are be retained within a vault located within the token processor.

25. A media processor system, comprising:

a media processor, comprising;

an entry bezel for accepting at least one medium at one time into the media processor;

a processor for reading from, writing to, or sorting the medium;

a rotatable disk having a plurality of medium receptacles, and the rotatable disk being adapted to accept the medium from the entry bezel;

a plurality of sensors located within the media processor to determine the existence of the medium with the media processor;

a plurality of exit paths from the media processor; and

a plurality of blockers adjacent to the rotatable disk, the blockers controlling the state of the exit paths so that medium with insufficient value or invalid medium may be rejected from the media processor and so that medium with sufficient value or valid medium may be retained within the media processor;

the medium having readable and writable memory so that information, such as value, may be read from and writable to the medium;

the media processor being capable of encoding, sorting, or issuing media, and wherein the media processor together with the medium controls access to a location, or attraction by accepting the medium and permitting access to the location, or attraction.

26. The media processor system of claim 25, wherein the media system utilizes wireless read and write functions.

27. A media processor, comprising:

means for intaking at least one medium at one time into the media processor;

means for processing at least one medium at one time;

means for storing more than one medium at one time in the media processor either before or after the medium have been processed; and

means for each medium to exit the media processor to a determined location based on the results of the processing of the medium.

28. A method of controlling access to a location, comprising:

intaking at least one medium at one time into a media processor;

processing at least one medium at one time;

storing more than one medium at one time in the media processor either before or after the medium have been processed; and

providing exit pathways for each medium to exit the media processor to a determined location based on the results of the processing of the medium.

29. A media processor, comprising:

a processor; and

an entry bezel that includes a first opposing surface and a second opposing surface, and wherein the first and second opposing surfaces are configured to direct a medium into the processor.

30. The media processor of claim 29, wherein the rotating disk receptacle includes a plurality of grooves in the direction of travel of the medium into the media processor.