EP0483451A1 - Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Identifizieren von Münzen - Google Patents

Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Identifizieren von Münzen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0483451A1
EP0483451A1 EP91109021A EP91109021A EP0483451A1 EP 0483451 A1 EP0483451 A1 EP 0483451A1 EP 91109021 A EP91109021 A EP 91109021A EP 91109021 A EP91109021 A EP 91109021A EP 0483451 A1 EP0483451 A1 EP 0483451A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
coin
runway
coins
travel time
time
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP91109021A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Silvano Tomaselli
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MARCONI AUTOMAZIONE SpA
Original Assignee
MARCONI AUTOMAZIONE SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by MARCONI AUTOMAZIONE SpA filed Critical MARCONI AUTOMAZIONE SpA
Publication of EP0483451A1 publication Critical patent/EP0483451A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
    • G07D5/00—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of coins, e.g. for segregating coins which are unacceptable or alien to a currency
    • G07D5/02—Testing the dimensions, e.g. thickness, diameter; Testing the deformation

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method for identifying coins in apparatus wherein coins are introduced and channeled along a runway.
  • the invention also concerns an apparatus operating in accordance with the above-outlined method.
  • an additional item of information must be provided in relation, for example, to the coin diameter, and in this respect, a number of methods for measuring the coin diameter are also known.
  • a presently obsolete technique provided a plurality of slots with different widths and gating passages, whereby the user could effect a first selection by introducing coins whose diameters would match such gates.
  • Modern coin recognizers have a single acceptance slot, and the diameter of each coin introduced therethrough is sensed either by magnetic induction or by obscuring photocells across the coin travel path.
  • the photocells are arranged a predetermined distance away from the coin running plane and adapted to become selectively obscured according to the coin size.
  • the underlying technical problem of this invention is to provide a method and an apparatus having such characteristics as to afford accurate assessment of the coin diameters, thereby to overcome the prior art drawbacks.
  • an apparatus for identifying coins accepted over a runway being characterized in that it comprises optical sensing means supported at a fixed spacing from each other, and electronic control means operative to compute the coin travel time between said sensing means and the ratio of the obscuration time of the first of said sensing means to the travel time.
  • an apparatus embodying this invention intended for identifying coins 2.
  • the apparatus 1 may be incorporated to a vendor machine or a telephone apparatus, not shown because conventional.
  • the apparatus 1 is adapted to accept coins 2 in varying denomination sizes, specifically different diameters, to be introduced through an invitation slot 3.
  • the invitation slot 3 leads to a runway 4 including a ramp 5 set at a slight inclination angle.
  • optical sensing means 6 which lie in the travel path of the coins 2.
  • these means 6 are photo-sensors comprising three photodiode/phototransistor pairs, indicated at 7a, 7b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, of which only the photodiodes 7a, 9a and 10a are shown in the drawing figures.
  • the photodiode-phototransistor in each pair are supported coaxially on opposite sides of the runway 4 a predetermined height above the ramp 5 on respective electronic boards 11, 12.
  • the directional character of the light beam between each pair is enhanced by a perforated metal screen at the location of each photo-sensor.
  • the photo-sensor pair 7a, 7b are effective to actuate the recognition step the moment a coin 2 is intercepted.
  • the other photo-sensor pairs, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, are supported a distance S apart on the boards 11, 12 and operative to sense the travel time of the coin 2.
  • the apparatus 1 also includes electronic control means 8 connected to the photo-sensors for storing obscuring time data relating to the photo-sensor pair 9a, 9b, and for computing the travel time of the coin 2 from the last-named photo-sensor pair to the next, 10a, 10b.
  • the method of this invention provides for the measuring step to start the moment that the coin moves past the photo-sensor pair 7a, 7b.
  • the latter are kept constantly under power, and in order to reduce their power consumption, only active on a partial basis with a duty cycle of 1/20.
  • the signal frequency has been selected at 500 Hz because, in viewof that the coins 2 would travel along the ramp 5 a mean distance of 10 mm every 20 ms, this affords an accuracy of about 1 mm in detecting the passage of the coin, adequate to timely actuate the measuring step.
  • the inventive method provides for measurement of the obscuration time t1 for the photo-sensor pair 9a, 9b, as well as of the travel time T between the photo-sensor pairs 9a, 9b and 10a, 10b.
  • the distance S between the last-named photo-sensor pairs is a fixed one, the coin diameter, or at least the chord at the height h of the axis of the photodiodes 9a, 9b and 10a, 10b above the ramp 5, can be readily obtained.
  • tm (t1 + t2)/2
  • the method of this invention solves, therefore, the technical problem in a simple and effective manner.
  • the coin 2 After the coin 2 has travelled the full length of the runway 4, it can be routed to further means of analysis, known per se, incorporated to the apparatus 1, e.g. of the kind adapted to analyze the coin resonant frequency on striking a surface.
  • the diameter measurement taken with the method of this invention may be used in combination with such additional methods of analysis to identify the coin type with great accuracy.
  • the method and apparatus of this invention afford the following advantages over the prior art: ability to adjust for new coin sizes or types with no structural alterations to the sensing apparatus; reduced number of photo-sensors with evident savings in cost; and improved reliability and reproducibility of the sensing process.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Testing Of Coins (AREA)
  • Noodles (AREA)
EP91109021A 1990-11-02 1991-06-03 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Identifizieren von Münzen Withdrawn EP0483451A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT2195990 1990-11-02
IT02195990A IT1243886B (it) 1990-11-02 1990-11-02 Metodo ed apparecchiatura per l'identificazione di monete.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0483451A1 true EP0483451A1 (de) 1992-05-06

Family

ID=11189417

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91109021A Withdrawn EP0483451A1 (de) 1990-11-02 1991-06-03 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Identifizieren von Münzen

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0483451A1 (de)
IT (1) IT1243886B (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1995024024A1 (de) * 1994-03-04 1995-09-08 Austel Licensing Gmbh Verfahren zum erkennen von münzen und vorrichtung dazu
EP0694888A1 (de) 1994-07-29 1996-01-31 Landis & Gyr Technology Innovation AG Einrichtung zur Prüfung von Münzen oder flachen Gegenständen
EP0764923A3 (de) * 1995-09-22 1999-02-10 Jofemar I Mas D.S.L. Verbesserungen an Münzauswahlvorrichtungen
US6425471B1 (en) 1999-08-18 2002-07-30 Jofemar, S.A. Coin selector

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3797307A (en) * 1972-01-20 1974-03-19 Little Inc A Coin discriminator
US4474281A (en) * 1982-06-07 1984-10-02 General Signal Corporation Apparatus and method for coin diameter computation
US4509633A (en) * 1983-08-24 1985-04-09 Reed Industries, Inc. Electronic coin validator with improved diameter sensing apparatus
US4585936A (en) * 1983-02-10 1986-04-29 Mecelec Optical process for determining the dimensions of an object in relative movement, and more particularly of a coin in a pre-payment apparatus
US4646904A (en) * 1985-09-05 1987-03-03 Coin Acceptors, Inc. Coin sizing means and method

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3797307A (en) * 1972-01-20 1974-03-19 Little Inc A Coin discriminator
US4474281A (en) * 1982-06-07 1984-10-02 General Signal Corporation Apparatus and method for coin diameter computation
US4585936A (en) * 1983-02-10 1986-04-29 Mecelec Optical process for determining the dimensions of an object in relative movement, and more particularly of a coin in a pre-payment apparatus
US4509633A (en) * 1983-08-24 1985-04-09 Reed Industries, Inc. Electronic coin validator with improved diameter sensing apparatus
US4646904A (en) * 1985-09-05 1987-03-03 Coin Acceptors, Inc. Coin sizing means and method

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1995024024A1 (de) * 1994-03-04 1995-09-08 Austel Licensing Gmbh Verfahren zum erkennen von münzen und vorrichtung dazu
US5788046A (en) * 1994-03-04 1998-08-04 Austel Licensing Gmbh Method for recognizing coins and apparatus therefor
EP0694888A1 (de) 1994-07-29 1996-01-31 Landis & Gyr Technology Innovation AG Einrichtung zur Prüfung von Münzen oder flachen Gegenständen
LT4004B (en) 1994-07-29 1996-07-25 Landis & Gyr Tech Innovat Method for the testing of coins or flat articles
EP0764923A3 (de) * 1995-09-22 1999-02-10 Jofemar I Mas D.S.L. Verbesserungen an Münzauswahlvorrichtungen
US6425471B1 (en) 1999-08-18 2002-07-30 Jofemar, S.A. Coin selector

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1243886B (it) 1994-06-28
IT9021959A0 (it) 1990-11-02
IT9021959A1 (it) 1992-05-02

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