Coin discriminating and counting apparatus
First Claim
1. A coin discriminating and counting apparatus comprising a coin transporting means for transporting coins in a coin passage, a light emitting means disposed linewise in the direction perpendicular to the coin transporting direction on one side of the coin passage with respect to the vertical direction, a sensor array disposed so as to be opposite to said light emitting means on the other side of the coin passage, a magnetic sensor means for detecting magnetic properties of coins, said magnetic sensor means being disposed so that said coin passage and said sensor array are disposed therebetween with respect to the vertical direction, an optical data memory means for storing optical data detected by said sensor array, a magnetic data memory means for storing magnetic data detected by said magnetic sensor means, a coin diameter detecting means for detecting diameters of coins based upon the optical data stored in said optical data memory means, outputting coin diameter detection signals to said magnetic memory means thereby to enable the magnetic memory means to output to a discriminating means the magnetic data detected when the diameter of coins was detected and simultaneously outputting said coin diameter detection signals to a denomination discriminating means thereby to enable the denomination discriminating means to discriminate the denominations and currency of coins and outputting denomination discriminating signals to a reference magnetic data memory means and the discriminating means, and for the reference magnetic data memory means to store reference magnetic data for respective denominations and outputting the reference magnetic data to said discriminating means in accordance with denomination discriminating signals from said denomination discriminating means, and for the discriminating means to finally discriminate the denominations and currency of coins based upon said denomination discriminating signals output from said denomination discriminating means, said magnetic data output from said magnetic data memory means and said reference magnetic data output from said reference magnetic data memory means, and a counter means for calculating and storing the number of coins for respective denominations based upon discriminating signals output from said discriminating means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A coin discriminating and counting apparatus including a light emitter disposed linewise in the direction perpendicular to a coin transporting direction on one side of a coin passage with respect to the vertical direction, a sensor array disposed so as to be opposite to the light emitter on the other side of the coin passage, a magnetic sensor for detecting magnetic properties of coins, the magnetic sensor being disposed so that the coin passage and the sensor array are disposed therebetween with respect to the vertical direction, an optical data memory for storing optical data detected by the sensor array, a magnetic data memory for storing magnetic data detected by the magnetic sensor, a coin diameter detector for detecting diameters of coins based upon the optical data stored in the optical data memory, a denomination discriminator for discriminating coin denominations based upon the coin diameters detected by the coin diameter discriminator, a reference magnetic data memory for storing reference magnetic data for respective denominations, a discriminator for discriminating the denominations, currency and the like of the coins by comparing the magnetic data detected when the center portion of the coin passes the magnetic sensor and output from the magnetic data memory with the reference magnetic data output from the reference magnetic data memory, and a counter for counting the value and/or number of coins based upon the results of discrimination in the denomination discriminator and the discriminator.
-
Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A coin discriminating and counting apparatus comprising a coin transporting means for transporting coins in a coin passage, a light emitting means disposed linewise in the direction perpendicular to the coin transporting direction on one side of the coin passage with respect to the vertical direction, a sensor array disposed so as to be opposite to said light emitting means on the other side of the coin passage, a magnetic sensor means for detecting magnetic properties of coins, said magnetic sensor means being disposed so that said coin passage and said sensor array are disposed therebetween with respect to the vertical direction, an optical data memory means for storing optical data detected by said sensor array, a magnetic data memory means for storing magnetic data detected by said magnetic sensor means, a coin diameter detecting means for detecting diameters of coins based upon the optical data stored in said optical data memory means, outputting coin diameter detection signals to said magnetic memory means thereby to enable the magnetic memory means to output to a discriminating means the magnetic data detected when the diameter of coins was detected and simultaneously outputting said coin diameter detection signals to a denomination discriminating means thereby to enable the denomination discriminating means to discriminate the denominations and currency of coins and outputting denomination discriminating signals to a reference magnetic data memory means and the discriminating means, and for the reference magnetic data memory means to store reference magnetic data for respective denominations and outputting the reference magnetic data to said discriminating means in accordance with denomination discriminating signals from said denomination discriminating means, and for the discriminating means to finally discriminate the denominations and currency of coins based upon said denomination discriminating signals output from said denomination discriminating means, said magnetic data output from said magnetic data memory means and said reference magnetic data output from said reference magnetic data memory means, and a counter means for calculating and storing the number of coins for respective denominations based upon discriminating signals output from said discriminating means.
Specification