Coin detection and validation means and method
First Claim
1. A coin validation means for validating that a coin submitted to examination is a valid coin of an acceptable denomination, comprising a memory means including means for storing predetermined data entries, each acceptable denomination having a first data entry associated therewith, the corresponding first data entries for the respective acceptable denominations forming a first set of data entries, a validation control means operatively connected to said memory means and operable to permit the retrieval from said memory means of the predetermined data entries stored therein, ringing means operatively connected to said validation control means and controllable by said validation control means, said ringing means having a field associated therewith and including ring conditioning means and ring reaction means, said validation control means operable to produce respective conditioning signals corresponding to different predetermined data entries retrieved from said memory means, said ring conditioning means responsive to each conditioning signal to pre-condition said ringing means in accordance therewith, said validation control means operable to produce ring initiation signals, said ring reaction means responsive to each said ring initiation signal to produce during a ringing time interval a damped wave output signal the characteristics of which are dependent, in part, both upon the particular pre-condition of said ringing means and upon any coin in the field of said ringing means, and means operatively connected to said ringing means to monitor each said damped wave output signal and to respond to a first particular predetermined characteristic of said damped wave output signal applicable with respect to all of said first set of data entries, the particular damped wave output signal produced in response to any given ring initiation signal for any of said first set of data entries while a coin submitted for examination is in the field of the ringing means having associated therewith said first particular predetermined characteristic if such coin is a valid coin of the particular acceptable denomination whose associated first data entry was retrieved from said memory means and utilized to pre-condition said ringing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A coin validation circuit and method of operation thereof, including a memory having stored therein a data entry for each acceptable denomination, a validation control circuit, preferably including a microprocessor, operatively connected to the memory, a ringing circuit operatively connected to the validation control circuit and operable to produce damped wave output signals, and a monitor circuit operatively connected to the ringing circuit to respond to a particular predetermined damped wave output signal characteristic, the validation control circuit operable during a coin validation operation with respect to any one of the acceptable denominations to retrieve from the memory a predetermined data entry, to produce a conditioning signal corresponding to the retrieved predetermined data entry to effect a pre-conditioning of the ringing circuit in accordance therewith, and to thereafter produce a ring initiation signal, the ringing circuit responsive to such ring initiation signal to produce during a ringing time interval a damped wave output signal the characteristics of which are dependent, in part, both upon the particular pre-condition of the ringing circuit and upon any coin in the field of the ringing circuit, the damped wave output signal produced in response to such ring initiation signal having associated therewith the particular predetermined damped wave output signal characteristic if a coin of the particular acceptable denomination whose associated data entry was retrieved from memory and utilized to pre-condition the ringing circuit is in the field of the ringing circuit during the ringing time interval, regardless of the denomination of the coin submitted to examination or the particular acceptable denomination with respect to which the coin validation operation is conducted.
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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A coin validation means for validating that a coin submitted to examination is a valid coin of an acceptable denomination, comprising a memory means including means for storing predetermined data entries, each acceptable denomination having a first data entry associated therewith, the corresponding first data entries for the respective acceptable denominations forming a first set of data entries, a validation control means operatively connected to said memory means and operable to permit the retrieval from said memory means of the predetermined data entries stored therein, ringing means operatively connected to said validation control means and controllable by said validation control means, said ringing means having a field associated therewith and including ring conditioning means and ring reaction means, said validation control means operable to produce respective conditioning signals corresponding to different predetermined data entries retrieved from said memory means, said ring conditioning means responsive to each conditioning signal to pre-condition said ringing means in accordance therewith, said validation control means operable to produce ring initiation signals, said ring reaction means responsive to each said ring initiation signal to produce during a ringing time interval a damped wave output signal the characteristics of which are dependent, in part, both upon the particular pre-condition of said ringing means and upon any coin in the field of said ringing means, and means operatively connected to said ringing means to monitor each said damped wave output signal and to respond to a first particular predetermined characteristic of said damped wave output signal applicable with respect to all of said first set of data entries, the particular damped wave output signal produced in response to any given ring initiation signal for any of said first set of data entries while a coin submitted for examination is in the field of the ringing means having associated therewith said first particular predetermined characteristic if such coin is a valid coin of the particular acceptable denomination whose associated first data entry was retrieved from said memory means and utilized to pre-condition said ringing means.
- 13. A coin validation means for validating that a coin submitted to examination is a valid coin of an acceptable denomination, comprising a memory means including means for storing predetermined data entries, each acceptable denomination having a first data entry associated therewith, the corresponding first data entries for the respective acceptable denominations forming a first set of data entries, a validation control means operatively connected to said memory means, ringing means operatively connected to said validation control means, said ringing means operable under control of said validation control means to produce damped wave output signals, said ringing means having a field associated therewith and including ring conditioning means and ring reaction means, and means operatively connected to said ringing means to monitor said damped wave output signals produced thereby and to respond to a first particular predetermined damped wave output signal characteristic, said validation control means operable during a coin validation operation with respect to any one of the acceptable denominations to retrieve from said memory means a predetermined data entry associated with such acceptable denomination and stored therein and to produce a conditioning signal corresponding to the retrieved predetermined data entry, said ring conditioning means responsive to such conditioning signal to pre-condition said ringing means in accordance therewith, said validation control means thereafter operable to produce a ring initiation signal, said ring reaction means responsive to such ring initiation signal to produce during a ringing time interval a damped wave output signal the characteristics of which are dependent, in part, both upon the particular pre-condition of said ringing means and upon any coin in the field of said ringing means, the damped wave output signal produced in response to such ring initiation signal for any of said first set of data entries having associated therewith said first particular predetermined damped wave output signal characteristic if a coin of the particular acceptable denomination whose associated data entry was retrieved from memory and utilized to pre-condition said ringing means is in the field of the ringing means during the ringing time interval, regardless of the denomination of the coin submitted to examination or the particular acceptable denomination with respect to which the coin validation operation is conducted.
- 20. A coin validation means for validating that a coin submitted to examination is a valid coin of an acceptable denomination, comprising memory means including means for storing predetermined data entries, each acceptable denomination having respective corresponding first and second data entries associated therewith, a validation control means operatively connected to said memory means and operable to permit the retrieval from said memory means of the predetermined data entries stored therein, ringing means operatively connected to said validation control means and controllable by said validation control means, said ringing means having a field associated therewith and including ring conditioning means and ring reaction means, said validation control means operable to produce respective conditioning signals corresponding to different predetermined data entries retrieved from said memory means, said ring conditioning means responsive to each conditioning signal to pre-condition said ringing means in accordance therewith, said validation control means operable to produce ring initiation signals, said ring reaction means responsive to each said ring initiation signal to produce a damped wave output signal the characteristics of which are dependent, in part, both upon the particular pre-condition of said ringing means and upon any coin in the field of said ringing means, and detector means operatively connected to said ringing means to monitor each said damped wave output signal, said detector means including an amplitude detection means for producing a count signal each time a cycle of any damped wave output signal exceeds a predetermined amplitude value and counter means operatively connected to said amplitude detection means to receive said count signals produced by said amplitude detection means, said validation control means operatively connected to said counter means and responsive to a count of less than a predetermined count m produced when the first predetermined data entry associated with a particular denomination is retrieved from said memory means and to a count of greater than or equal to the predetermined count m when the second predetermined data entry associated with such particular denomination is retrieved from said memory means to validate the coin submitted to examination.
Specification