Coin processing device having a moveable coin receptacle station

• US 20070119681A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Krbec, Marianne, Blake, John, Mecklenburg, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,946,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/215
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

A coin processing system includes a coin processing machine configured to receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins in a coin input region thereof, process the coins, and determine a total amount of the coins. The coin processing system also includes a sensor configured to measure a pre-determined property associated with a component of the coin processing machine and/or an operational state of the coin processing machine and to output to a controller a signal related thereto. The coin processing system also includes an actuating device disposed to influence the pre-determined property. A controller is configured to monitor the signal output by the sensor and, responsive to a deviation of a value of the signal from an acceptable value for the signal, to execute an error recovery instruction set at least once. Execution of the error recovery instruction set by the controller causes an actuation of the actuating device to influence the pre-determined property to attempt to restore the operational parameter to a condition wherein the signal output by the sensor is within an acceptable value for the pre-determined property.

Claims

1. A coin processing system, comprising:

a coin processing machine configured to receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins in a coin input region thereof, process the coins, and determine a total amount of the coins;

at least one sensor configured to measure a pre-determined property associated with a component of the coin processing machine or an operational state of the coin processing machine and to output to a controller a signal related thereto;

at least one actuating device disposed to influence said pre-determined property;

a controller configured to monitor the signal output by the at least one sensor and, responsive to a deviation of a value of said signal from an acceptable value for said signal, to execute an error recovery instruction set at least once,

wherein execution of said error recovery instruction set by said controller causes an actuation of the at least one actuating device to influence said pre-determined property to attempt to restore the operational parameter to a condition wherein the signal output by the at least one sensor is within an acceptable value for the pre-determined property.

2. The coin processing device of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to monitor the signal output by the at least one sensor and, responsive to a deviation of a value of said signal from an acceptable value for said signal, to execute an error recovery instruction a plurality of times.

3. The coin processing device of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to monitor the signal output by the at least one sensor and, responsive to a deviation of a value of said signal from an acceptable value for said signal, to execute an error recovery instruction a predetermined plurality of times or until the signal output by the at least one sensor is within an acceptable value.

4. The coin processing device of claim 1, wherein following execution of the error recovery instruction set a plurality of times, a signal requesting operator intervention is output to at least one of a signaling device and a communication device.

5. The coin processing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor configured to measure a first pre-determined property associated with a component of the coin processing machine or an operational state of the coin processing machine and to output to a controller a first signal related thereto and comprises a second sensor configured to measure a second pre-determined property associated with a component of the coin processing machine or an operational state of the coin processing machine and to output to a controller a second signal related thereto.

6. The coin processing device of claim 1, wherein said at least one actuating device comprises a coin processing machine motor.

7. The coin processing device of claim 6, wherein execution of said error recovery instruction set by said controller causes the coin processing machine motor to stop and reverse to correspondingly stop and reverse a direction of a coin processing machine rotatable disk.

8. A method for automated error recovery in a coin processing system, comprising:

providing a coin processing machine configured to receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins in a coin input region thereof, process the coins, and determine a total amount of the coins;

measuring a pre-determined property associated with a component of the coin processing machine or an operational state of the coin processing machine using a sensor;

outputting a signal from the sensor to a controller;

executing an error recovery instruction set at least once responsive to a deviation of a value of the signal from an acceptable value for the signal.

9. A method for automated error recovery in a coin processing system according to claim 8, further comprising actuating at least one actuating device responsive to execution of the error recovery instruction set to restore said pre-determined property to an acceptable level.

10. A method for automated error recovery in a coin processing system according to claim 8, wherein said actuating device comprises a switch.

11. A method for automated error recovery in a coin processing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

executing an error recovery instruction set a plurality of times responsive to a deviation of a value of said signal from an acceptable value for said signal.

12. A method for automated error recovery in a coin processing system according to claim 11, further comprising:

outputting a signal requesting operator intervention to a signaling device or a communication device following execution of the error recovery instruction set.

13. A method for automated error recovery in a coin processing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring the signal output by the at least one sensor; and

executing a plurality of error recovery instruction sets responsive to a deviation of a value of said signal from an acceptable value for said signal.

14. A method for automated error recovery in a coin processing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring the signal output by the at least one sensor; and

executing an error recovery instruction sets a plurality of times responsive to a deviation of a value of said signal from an acceptable value for said signal.

15. A coin processing system comprising:

a coin processing machine comprising a coin input region, a coin module including configured to receive coins input into the coin input region, to process the coins, and to determine a total amount of the coins, and to output the coins to at least one coin receptacle;

a sensor disposed configured to measure a parameter associated with the coin processing system and output to a controller a signal relating to the measured parameter;

a controller configured to process the signal relating to the measured parameter and to output data relating to the parameter to a memory, the controller being further configured to retrieve the data from the memory and to trend the data relating to the parameter.

16. A coin processing system according to claim 15, further comprising a communication interface.

17. A coin processing system according to claim 16, further comprising at least one of another controller and another memory located remotely from the coin processing machine, wherein at least one of the signal relating to the measured parameter output by the sensor or the data relating to the parameter output by the controller is output to at least one of the another controller or the another memory through the communication interface.

18. A coin processing system according to claim 16, wherein the memory comprises an instruction set updatable through the communications interface.

19. A coin processing system according to claim 16, wherein a coin processing machine variable may be remotely configured through the communications interface.

20. A coin processing system according to claim 16, wherein a coin processing machine set point may be remotely configured through the communications interface.

21. A coin processing system according to claim 15, wherein the memory comprises a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a hard drive, a solid-state memory device, non-volatile media, or volatile media.

22. A coin processing system according to claim 17, wherein the data transmitted to the at least one of the another controller or the another memory is processed to yield statistical data.

23. A coin processing system according to claim 22, wherein the statistical data comprises trending data.

24. A coin processing system according to claim 22, wherein the statistical data comprises trending data for a process variable.

25. A coin processing system according to claim 22, wherein the statistical data comprises trending data for a component.

26. A coin processing system according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to regularly output to at least one of said another controller and said another memory data relating to the parameter.

27. A coin processing system according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to regularly output said data relating to the parameter at a predetermined time interval.

28. A coin processing system according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to regularly output said data relating to the parameter at predetermined coin processing milestones.

29. A method for storing and utilizing data relating to a coin processing system comprising the acts of:

processing a plurality of coins, said processing comprising receiving coins in a coin input region, determining a total amount of the coins, and outputting the coins to at least one coin receptacle;

periodically monitoring a coin processing system component or a coin processing system sensor;

storing data relating to said act of monitoring;

trending the stored data for a respective one of the coin processing system component or coin processing system sensor; and

modifying, in accord with an instruction set, at least one of a coin processing system variable and a sensor variable responsive to the act of trending.