JP2006277616A - Bill handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bill handling device 31 that enables an external check on whether there are bills in a storage part 42. <P>SOLUTION: The bill handling device 31 comprises an identification unit 41 for identifying bills, and the storage part 42 for storing bills handled as authentic ones. A bill passage 45 feeds a bill inserted from a bill slot 32 into the identification unit 41, and an identification part 50 identifies the bill fed in the bill passage 45. The identification part 50 comprises light emission parts 54 and light reception parts 55 exposed to the bill passage 45. A bill detection sensor is disposed to detect whether there are bills in the storage part 42. When the bill detection sensor detects no bills, the light emission parts 54 are turned off, and when the bill detection sensor detects any bills in the storage part 42, the light emission parts 54 are flashed. An external peep through the bill slot 32 of the bill passage 45 can visually check for light emission of the light emission parts 54 to check whether there are bills in the storage part 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a banknote handling apparatus for identifying a banknote to be inserted and storing a legitimate handling banknote.

  Conventionally, for example, in a game store where a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine or a pachislot machine is installed, a plurality of gaming islands are installed, a plurality of gaming machines are juxtaposed on each gaming island, and a game medium is provided at the side of each gaming machine. There is a game media lending machine called a pedestal machine for renting out games.

  The game medium lending machine includes a banknote processing device for identifying a banknote inserted by a player. If the banknote is a properly handled banknote, the banknote is stored in the storage unit of the banknote processing device, and the game is built in the game medium lending machine. A game medium is thrown out and loaned from the medium throwing-out section, or a game medium is thrown out from the game machine itself connected to the game medium rental machine.

  The banknote processing device accepts and transports a banknote inserted from a banknote insertion slot located on the front surface of the game media lending machine, and optically and magnetically recognizes the banknote when the banknote is properly handled. The store clerk (collection staff) collects and rotates the banknotes in the storage unit at a predetermined timing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, whether or not banknotes are stored in the storage unit of the banknote handling apparatus cannot be confirmed from the outside of the game medium lending machine, and it is necessary to confirm by opening the front door of the game medium lending machine. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to confirm whether it is necessary to collect banknotes from the outside, and it is difficult to confirm forgetting collection.

Also, during the collection process after the game store is closed, the presence or absence of banknotes in the storage unit of the banknote processing device is determined based on the collection command from the terminal controller installed in the office or the like. When the bank controller is notified to the island controller, terminal controller, etc. installed one by one and the banknotes are stored in the storage unit, the state display lamp flashing when an error or the like of the game media lending machine is turned on, It is displayed by a controller or a terminal controller to prevent forgetting to collect banknotes (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2000-202090 (page 2-3, FIG. 1-2) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-311008 (5th page, FIG. 1-7)

  However, when banknotes are stored in the storage unit of the banknote processing device, even if displayed on the island controller or terminal controller, it is difficult to reflect in the collection work actually going to the place of the game media lending machine, There is a problem that the collection work takes time. In addition, the status display lamp that flashes when an error occurs in the gaming machine lending machine may also be used for displaying the presence / absence of banknotes in the storage unit of the banknote handling apparatus after the store is closed. Since it will be confused with the generation, there is a problem that it is not possible to cope with the collection of banknotes in business.

  In addition, since there is no indication of the presence or absence of banknotes in the storage unit in the banknote processing device itself, it is not possible to confirm the function at the time of inspection of the banknote processing device itself, and it is necessary to connect to a game medium lending machine or use a dedicated checker To do.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the banknote processing apparatus which can confirm the presence or absence of the banknote in a storage part from the outside.

  The banknote processing device according to claim 1 has a banknote passage that forms a banknote insertion slot on the front side and transports a banknote inserted from the banknote insertion slot, and an identification unit that identifies a banknote transporting the banknote path. A storage unit for storing banknotes identified as legitimate handling banknotes by the identification unit of the identification unit, banknote presence / absence detecting means for detecting presence / absence of banknotes in the storage unit, and a banknote passage of the identification unit When the presence of a bill is detected by the light emitting unit provided and the bill presence / absence detecting means, the light emitting unit is turned off, and when the presence / absence of bills is detected by the bill presence / absence detecting means, the light emitting unit emits light. Part.

  When the banknote presence / absence detecting means detects the absence of banknotes, the light emitting section facing the banknote passage is turned off, and when the banknote presence / absence detecting means detects the presence of banknotes in the storage section, the light emitting section facing the banknote path is emitted. . If you look through the bill insertion slot of the bill passage from the outside, the presence or absence of light emission of the light emitting unit is visually recognized, and the presence or absence of bills in the storage unit is confirmed. The light emitted from the light emitting unit may be blinked or continuously lit.

  The banknote processing device according to claim 2 is the banknote processing device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit is a light emitting unit for identification used for identifying a banknote by the identifying unit.

  And by using the light emission part for identification used for identification of a banknote by a recognition part as a light emission part, it can respond also to the existing banknote processing apparatus, without adding another light emission part and making a structure complicated. Become.

  The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 3 is the banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a communication unit that communicates with a host machine and a power supply unit that supplies power, and the control unit receives power from the power supply unit. At the time of supply, regardless of the communication state of the communication unit, when the presence / absence of bills is detected by the bill presence / absence detection means, the light emitting unit is caused to emit light.

  Then, when supplying power from the power supply unit, when the banknote presence / absence detecting means detects the presence of a banknote, the light emitting unit emits light, so that the presence / absence of banknotes in the storage unit is displayed even when not communicating with the host device. The

  The banknote handling apparatus according to claim 4 is the banknote handling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit detects the presence of banknotes by the banknote presence / absence detecting means according to the state of the banknote handling apparatus. The light emitting part emits light with a light emitting form different from the light emitting form of the light emitting part.

  Then, depending on the state of the banknote processing device, for example, an error of the banknote processing device is caused by causing the light emitting unit to emit light in a light emitting form different from the light emitting form of the light emitting unit when the banknote presence / absence detecting means detects the presence of a banknote. And the status of a full banknote is displayed.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus of claim 1, when the banknote presence / absence detecting means detects no banknote, the light emitting part facing the banknote passage is turned off, and the banknote presence / absence detecting means detects the presence of the banknote in the storage section. Sometimes, by emitting light from the light emitting part facing the banknote passage, the presence or absence of light emission in the light emitting part can be visually confirmed from the outside by looking through the banknote insertion slot of the banknote passage, and the presence or absence of the banknote in the storage part can be confirmed from the outside.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus of Claim 2, in addition to the effect of the banknote processing apparatus of Claim 1, by using the light emission part for identification used for identification of a banknote by an identification part as a light emission part, it is different. In addition, the existing bill processing apparatus can be used without complicating the configuration by adding a light emitting unit, and the cost is not increased.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the banknote processing apparatus of claim 1 or 2, at the time of power supply from the power supply section, regardless of the communication state of the communication section, the banknote presence / absence detection means When the presence of a banknote is detected, the light emitting unit emits light, so that the presence / absence of a banknote in the storage unit can be displayed without communication with the host device.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the banknote processing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, the presence / absence of banknotes is detected by the banknote presence / absence detection means according to the state of the banknote processing apparatus. By causing the light emitting part to emit light in a light emitting form different from the light emitting form of the light emitting part when it is, it is possible to display a state such as an error of the banknote processing device or a full banknote.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration diagram of the gaming medium lending system. Reference numeral 11 denotes a gaming island installed in the gaming store. A plurality of gaming machines 12 are arranged in parallel on the gaming island 11, and each gaming machine 12 A game medium lending machine 13, which is a pedestal machine, is installed on the side. Each game media rental machine 13 is connected to an island controller 14 installed in each game island 11 so that communication is possible, and an island controller 14 installed in a plurality of game islands 11 in the game store is installed in an office of the game store. The terminal controller 15 is communicably connected.

  Each gaming machine 12 is, for example, a pachislot machine, uses a medal as a game medium, inserts the medal, plays a game, and award medal, that is, an award medal is paid out. On the front face of the gaming machine 12, an insertion port (not shown) for inserting medals, a window portion 19 facing three drums 18 with symbols and characters displayed, and an operation button 20 for stopping each drum 18 rotating during a game are acquired. A tray 21 for paying out medals is provided. Inside the gaming machine 12, a game medium throwing-out device 22 for paying out medals, that is, award medals, is built in.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an upper door 25, a medal replenishing door 26, and a lower door 27 are arranged in order from the top on the front surface of each game medium lending machine 13 so that they can be opened and closed. 25. On the medal supply door 26 and the lower door 27, locks 28, 29, and 30 that are locked and unlocked by keys held by the store clerk are respectively arranged.

  Inside the upper door 25, a bill processing device 31 is disposed. The upper door 25 can display a bill insertion slot 32 of a bill processing device 31 for inserting bills one by one in the longitudinal direction, a status display lamp 33 for displaying the status of the game medium lending machine 13, for example, three-digit alphanumeric characters. A data display unit 34 is disposed. The status display lamp 33 is turned off in a normal standby state and flashes when an error occurs. In addition, the data display unit 34 displays a geometric pattern in a normal standby state, displays a countdown in accordance with a medal throwing operation during a lending operation, and displays an error code when an error occurs.

  Inside the lower door 27, a game medium dispensing device 35 for dispensing and lending medal according to the amount of bills inserted into the bill processing device 31 is disposed. The lower door 27 is provided with a nozzle 36 for paying out medals thrown out from the game medium dispensing device 35 to the tray 21 of the gaming machine 12.

  The medal replenishment door 26 can replenish medals by opening the medal replenishment door 26 when the storage amount of medals in the game medium dispensing device 35 decreases. Inside the medal replenishment door 26, a hopper 37 is disposed on the upper part of the game medium throwing device 35 to open and store the medal replenishment door 26 to receive and store medals and lead it to the game medium throwing device 35. Yes.

  Further, a control device 38 for controlling the game medium lending machine 13 is disposed on the back side of the hopper 37 in the game medium lending machine 13.

  Moreover, sectional drawing of a banknote processing apparatus is shown in FIG.

  This banknote handling device 31 receives an identification unit 41 for identifying a banknote inserted from the banknote insertion slot 32, and accepts regular handling banknotes provided at the lower part of the identification unit 41 and fed from the identification unit 41, and accumulates them in the vertical direction. Storage section 42 is provided.

  The identification unit 41 includes a base 43 and a cover 44 that is disposed on the upper side of the base 43 so as to be openable with the rear side as a rotation fulcrum. Between the base 43 and the cover 44, a banknote insertion slot 32 that allows a banknote to be inserted is formed at the front end, and a banknote passage 45 that conveys banknotes is formed behind the banknote insertion slot 32. Yes.

  The bill passage 45 is provided with a transport means 46 capable of transporting bills in both the receiving direction in which the bill is received from the bill insertion port 32 into the passage and the return direction in which the bill is sent out to the bill insertion port 32. Yes. The transport means 46 includes a transport belt 47 disposed on the base 43 side and a transport roller (not shown) that is rotatably disposed on the cover 44 side. The transport belt 47 is divided into a plurality of width directions intersecting with the transport direction of the bill passage 45, and is stretched along the transport direction of the bill passage 45 by a plurality of rollers 48 rotatably supported by the base 43. The motor 49 (shown in FIG. 4) is driven to rotate. The plurality of transport rollers disposed on the cover 44 side conveys the banknotes with the respective transport belts 47 therebetween. An end portion of the bill passage 45 opposite to the bill insertion slot 32 is communicated with the storage portion.

  In the banknote passage 45, an identification unit 50 for identifying a banknote conveyed by the conveying means 46 is disposed. The identification unit 50 includes a first optical sensor 51 and a second optical sensor 52 that are arranged in order from the bill insertion slot 32 side and optically identify a bill, and a magnetic head 53 (FIG. 4).

  The optical sensors 51 and 52 are disposed on the base 43 below the bill passage 45 and the light emitting portion 54 using a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode (LED) disposed on the cover 44 above the bill passage 45. The light receiving unit 55 is provided.

  An insertion detection sensor 56 that detects insertion of a bill into the bill insertion slot 32 is disposed inside the bill insertion slot 32 and between the identification unit 50. A bill presence / absence detection sensor 57 that detects the presence / absence of bills in the bill passage 45 is disposed in the middle of the bill passage 45.

  In addition, the storage unit 42 has pressing means (not shown) that pushes and accumulates the bills sent for storage through the bill passage 45 of the identification unit 41 into the storage unit 42, and this pressing means also drives the transport belt 47. It is driven by a motor 49.

  A bill presence / absence detection sensor 61 (shown in FIG. 4) as a bill presence / absence detecting means and a bill full detection sensor 62 (shown in FIG. 4) for detecting the fullness of bills are arranged in the storage unit. The detection structures of the bill presence / absence detection sensor 61 and the bill full detection sensor 62 may be mechanical or optical.

  Moreover, the block diagram of a banknote processing apparatus is shown in FIG.

  The banknote handling apparatus 31 includes a control unit 71. The control unit 71 includes optical sensors 51 and 52 (a light emitting unit 54 and a light receiving unit 55) of the identification unit 50, a magnetic head 53, and an insertion detection sensor 56. The banknote presence / absence detection sensor 57 of the banknote passage 45 is connected, and the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 and the banknote full detection sensor 62 of the storage unit 42 are connected. Furthermore, a storage unit 72 that stores the count value of banknotes stored in the storage unit 42, a communication unit 73 that communicates with a host machine, and a power supply unit 74 that supplies power are connected. The host machine includes a game medium lending machine 13, an island controller 14, a terminal controller 15, and the like.

  When the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the absence of banknotes, the control unit 71 turns off the light emitting parts 54 and 54 of the optical sensors 51 and 52 and the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of banknotes. In this case, it has a function of blinking one or both of the light emitting portions 54 of the optical sensors 51 and 52, or both alternately. When supplying power from the power supply unit 74, regardless of the communication state of the communication unit 73, when the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of a banknote, it has a function of blinking the light emitting unit 54.

  Next, the effect | action of the banknote processing apparatus 31 is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 and FIG.

  When the banknote processing device 31 is turned on to prepare for opening the amusement store, it is confirmed whether or not the banknote is detected by the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 (step 1). When the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the absence of banknotes (NO in step 1), the light emitting unit 54 is turned off (step 2), while the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of banknotes (step 2). In step 1 (YES), the light emitting unit 54 is blinked (step 3).

  Then, communication with a higher-level machine such as the terminal controller 15 is secured, and when a reset command is received from the higher-level machine (YES in step 4), the process proceeds to a standby state in which reset processing is performed and banknotes can be accepted. (Step 5). In the reset process, an operation check of the transport means 46 and the like is performed, and if a bill remains in the bill passage 45, it is discharged from the bill insertion slot 32. The clerk collects the discharged banknotes.

  If the player inserts a bill into the bill insertion slot 32 and detects it with the insertion detection sensor 56 (YES in step 11) while the bill processing apparatus 31 is on standby, the transport means 46 is operated to insert the bill into the bill passage. The image is identified by the identification unit 50 while being transferred to 45 and conveyed. The identification unit 50 performs optical identification with the first optical sensor 51 and the second optical sensor 52, and magnetic identification with the magnetic head 53 (step 12). In the optical identification by the first optical sensor 51 and the second optical sensor 52, the light emitting unit 54 above the bill is turned on, and the light transmitted through the bill is received by the light receiving unit 55 below the bill. At the time of identification, if the presence of banknotes is detected in the storage unit 42 and the light emitting unit 54 is blinking, the light emitting unit 54 stops blinking and the light emission of the light emitting unit 54 is controlled by the lighting pattern corresponding to the identification. To do.

  The identification result of the identification unit 50 is notified to the host machine (step 13).

  If it is identified as a legitimate handling banknote, it receives the take-in command sent from the host machine (YES in step 14) and transports the identified banknote in the banknote path 45 to the end of the banknote path 45. To store in the storage unit 42 (step 15).

  When it is recognized as a banknote other than a handled banknote or an unidentifiable banknote, a return command transmitted from the host machine is received (YES in step 16), and the banknote in the banknote passage 45 is transferred to the opposite banknote insertion slot 32. It is conveyed in the directed return direction and returned from the bill insertion slot 32 (step 17).

  After the banknotes are stored in the storage unit 42 or returned, the banknote handling apparatus 31 returns to the standby state. When the banknote handling apparatus 31 returns to the standby state, it is confirmed whether the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of banknotes (step 18). When the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the absence of banknotes, the light emitting section 54 is turned off (step 19). On the other hand, when the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of banknotes, the light emitting section 54 is blinked (step 20). ).

  Further, when collecting banknotes from the banknote processing device 31 of each game medium lending machine 13, as shown in FIG. 2, the collection clerk A goes in front of one game medium lending machine 13, and the banknote processing apparatus 31. The banknote passage 45 is looked into from the banknote insertion port 32 and the presence or absence of light emission of the light emitting unit 54 is visually confirmed.

  If the collection clerk A confirms that the light-emitting unit 54 is turned off, it is determined that there is no bill, and moves to the next gaming medium lending machine 13, and similarly, in the bill passage 45 from the bill insertion port 32 of the bill processing apparatus 31. Look into the camera and visually check whether the light emitting unit 54 emits light.

  When the collection staff A visually recognizes the flashing of the light emitting unit 54, it is determined that there is a bill, the upper door 25 of the game medium lending machine 13 is opened, and the bill is taken out from the storage unit 42 of the bill processing apparatus 31 and collected. If all banknotes are taken out from the storage section 42, the light emitting section 54 is turned off, and if there are any remaining banknotes, the light emitting section 54 continues to blink, and the remaining banknotes can be prevented.

  Thus, when the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the absence of banknotes, the light emitting unit 54 is turned off, and when the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of banknotes in the storage unit 42, the light emitting unit 54 is caused to emit light. Thus, if the user looks through the bill insertion slot 32 of the bill passage 45 from the outside, the presence / absence of light emission of the light emitting portion 54 can be visually confirmed, and the presence / absence of bills in the storage portion 42 can be confirmed from the outside.

  In addition, when power is supplied from the power supply unit 74, regardless of the communication state of the communication unit 73, when the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of banknotes, the light emitting unit 54 emits light to communicate with the host device. Even if not, the presence or absence of banknotes in the storage unit 42 can be displayed.

  In addition, by using the light emitting unit 54 for identification used for identifying the banknote in the identifying unit 50, the existing banknote processing device 31 can also deal with without adding another light emitting unit and complicating the configuration.

  By the way, when the banknote collection process is performed during standby, it is determined that no banknote is inserted after the upper door 25 is closed and returned to standby (NO in step 11), and there is no banknote in the storage unit. Is determined (NO in step 18), the light emitting section 54 is turned off.

  Note that another light emitting unit may be used, for example, a light emitting unit having a different emission color may be used to distinguish it from the light emitting unit 54 for identification.

  In addition, depending on the state of the banknote processing device 31 such as an error or a banknote fullness, the light emitting unit 54 has a light emitting form different from the light emitting form of the light emitting part 54 when the banknote presence / absence detection sensor 61 detects the presence of a banknote. You may make it light-emit, and it will also become possible to display the state of an error of the banknote processing device 31 or a full banknote. The display of the status of the banknote handling device 31 such as an error or a full banknote is given priority over the display of the banknote in the storage unit 42.

  Further, the light emitting unit 54 is blinked when there is a bill in the storage unit 42, but the light emitting unit 54 may be continuously turned on.

  The bill presence / absence detection means for detecting the presence / absence of bills in the storage unit 42 includes a mechanical type and an optical type for directly detecting the bills, and software that counts in the storage unit 72 according to the identification result in the identification unit 50. It may be a natural one.

It is sectional drawing of the banknote processing apparatus which shows one embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the game media rental machine to which the banknote processing apparatus is applied. It is a block diagram of the game media rental system to which the banknote processing apparatus is applied. It is a block diagram of a banknote processing apparatus same as the above. It is a flowchart at the time of the power supply of a banknote processing apparatus same as the above. It is a flowchart at the time of operation | use of a banknote processing apparatus same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

31 Banknote handling equipment
32 bill insertion slot
41 Identification unit
42 compartment
45 bill passage
50 Identification part
54 Light emitter
61 Bill presence / absence detection sensor as bill presence / absence detection means
71 Control unit
73 Communications Department
74 Power supply

Claims (4)

A banknote passage that forms a banknote insertion slot on the front side and transports a banknote inserted from the banknote insertion slot, an identification unit having an identification section that identifies a banknote transported in the banknote path, and
A storage unit for storing banknotes identified as being legitimate handling banknotes by the identification unit of the identification unit;
Banknote presence / absence detecting means for detecting the presence / absence of banknotes in the storage unit
A light emitting part provided facing the banknote passage of the identification unit;
A control unit that turns off the light emitting unit when the banknote presence / absence detecting unit detects the absence of banknotes, and causes the light emitting unit to emit light when the banknote presence / absence detecting unit detects the presence of banknotes. A banknote processing apparatus. The bill processing device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit is a light emitting unit for identification used for identifying a bill by the identifying unit. A communication unit that communicates with the host machine and a power supply unit that supplies power,
The control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light when the presence of banknotes is detected by the banknote presence / absence detecting means regardless of the communication state of the communication unit when power is supplied from the power supply unit. 2. The banknote handling apparatus according to 2. The control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light in a light emitting form different from the light emitting form of the light emitting unit when the presence / absence of the banknote is detected by the banknote presence / absence detecting unit according to the state of the banknote processing device. The bill processing apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3.

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