AU603798B2

AU603798B2 - Coin validation mechanism

Info

Publication number: AU603798B2
Application number: AU73298/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jesus Echapare Ibarrola
Original assignee: Azkoyen Industrial SA
Current assignee: Azkoyen Industrial SA
Priority date: 1986-05-21
Filing date: 1987-05-21
Publication date: 1990-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2007-05-21
Also published as: ES8708074A1; DK169243B1; DE3783077T2; EP0246993A2; DK241687D0; ATE83572T1; AU7329887A; DK241687A; EP0246993A3; DE3783077D1; JPS62286192A; ES555181A0; PT84900B; EP0246993B1; GR3007387T3; PT84900A

Abstract

This invention relates to coin selector mechanisms having in a consecutive arrangement three protection zones, two of them being optical and one of them being and electromagnetic zone intermediate the two optical zones, the optical zones taking the form of phototransistor type sensors while the electromagnetic zone, which is preferably the central zone, is embodied by at least one and preferably two windings which are interconnected and positioned opposite one another on either side of the coin path so that the fields produced by the coils intercept the coin path, the coils being connected to an oscilattor having two outputs, one output being connected to a microprocessor and the other output being connected to a rectifier connected to an analog-to-digital converter which outputs to the microprocessor.

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 603798 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT 'Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service:

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AZKOYEN INDUSTRIAL, S.A.

PERALTA (NAVARRA), SPAIN JESUS ECHAPARE IBARROLA ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Goldfields House 1 Alfred Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

1 Complete Specification for the invention entitled -E11wiVEDrftTI -PRT'T-m ITT 'NCTon Ro 7'\c\po c io'' The following stateent is a full description of this invention c "ficluding the best method of performing it known to me:- -i ASC 49

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This invention relates to improvements in coin sortinq mechanisms used in machines operated by the insertion of one or more coins.

Machines of the type indicated, such as vending machines, game machines, etc., are equipped with a coin receiving mechanism capable of accepting coins of different values. This mechanism includes a means for determining the value of the coin inserted, as well as whether the coin is genuine. Generally, the said means of determination consist of mechanical devices that make the necessary verfications based on the standard weights and sizes of the coins to be accepted. These mechanical devices are not very effective because they cannot detect cointerfeit coins made of different metals or alloys but which are identical or similar in weight and size to genuine coins.

There are also electronic detection devices with control zones arranged along the trajectory through which the coins travel, the said control zones being located at a specified distance from one another. These control zones consist, for example, of phototransistor sensors, by means of which it is possible to detect given characteristics of the coin, such as the diameter. However, they too are unable to detect counterfeit coins or tokens made of metals or alloys different from those of the coins of legal currency.

The purpose of this invention is to develop a coin sorting mechanism by means of which it is possible to determine or to detect all the characteristics of a coin necessary to establish with certainty both its value and its genuineness.

i; i 2 The coin sorting mechanism, according to the improvements of the invention, is based on the sequential passage of the U coin or token to be gaged through three gaging zones, two of which are optical and one of which is electromagnetic, the latter being preferably located between the two optical, gaging zones.

I These three gaging zones will be located in the trajectory through which the coins travel, which trajectory will preferably be a slope or inclined plane, to facilitate the movement of the tokens or coins, or a free fall.

The electromagnetic gaging zone will consist of one or more coils, preferably two, connected to one another and oositioned opposite one another, one on each side of the trajectory of the coin, so that the field or fields of the coils intersect the path or trajectory of the coins.

The coils are connected to an oscillator with two outputs, one of which is connected directly to a microprocessor, while the other output is connected to a rectifier, from which the signal is transmitted to an analog-digital converter, the output of which is connected to the microprocessor.

With the said arrangement, the microprocessor constantly receives signalz corresponding to the values at each instant in the rectifier output, to the operating frequency of the Qscillator and to the pulses generated by the phototransistors. These signals are processed to determine the exact characteristics of the variations recorded by the oscillator during the time of passage of the coin through the gaging zone, as well as the exact calculation of acceleration and velocity through the control 3 zones, between which the electromagnetic gaging zone is located. The various parameters are combined to obtain certain characteristic values for each type of coin.

The characteristic values obtained by the microprocessor are compared with the values stored in a memory for the identification of the coin, and in this way the coin is either accepted or rejected.

Below is a more detailed description of the characteristics and advantages of the invention, with reference being made to the attached drawings, where, in diagram form and by way of non-limitative example, a possible method of execution is represented, as follows: Fig. 1 illustrates a diagramatic representation of the coin sorting mechanism and its associated electronics, in 4' i accordance with the present invention; SFig. 2 shows cross-sectional views of the mechanical configuration of the coin-sorting mechanism; Vig. 3 shows how the diameter of the coin is measured; Fig. 4 shows how the alloy is measured, by passing the coin through an electromagnetic field; and Fig. 5 illustrates diagramatically how the various tii 4 measurements are correlated and calculated in association with the electronic componentry of the coin sorting mechanism.

In Fig. 1, the numeral 1 indicates the coin that will follow the trajectory designated by the number 2. Along this trajectory are arranged two control zones, designated by the Snumbers 3 and 4, the characteristics or nature of which are optical. Between these two controls zones is located an /i X 0197a/AMD ;F -ll. i 3a electromagnetic gaging zone 5. Check zones 3 and 4 preferably consist of phototransistor sensors. The electromagnetic gaging zone 5 consists of a pair of coils 6 connected to one another and positioned opposite one another. As the coin 1 moves through its trajectory, it first encounters sensor 3, consisting of a photodiode emitter-phototransistor receiver pair, and the edges of the coin entering and leaving this zone are sensed. Immediately afterward, the coin enters zone encountering an electromagnetic field produced by the connected coils 6, which are fed by an oscillator 7. The passage of coin 1 causes a change in 9* *c 1 1 $9 9 L I Ii I $1 I I I1 I t I I I

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C I I I I 0197aAIAD 7 fI I SE Sdr t Sr S S S 5*5 4 the operating conditions of the oscillator 7, which is manifested by variations in the amplitude and frequency of oscillation. Finally, the coin passes through control zone 4, in which the edges of the coin entering and leaving this zone are sensed.

All the data provided by control zones 3 and 4, as well as the oscillation frequency, are fed directly into a microprocessor 8. The amplitude variation of the oscillator, following rectification of the signal in the rectifier 9, is fed into the microprocessor through an analog-digital convertor 10. To avoid possible deviation of the oscillator due to use and prolonged wear thereof, an automatic compensator 11 is connected to it to eliminate the risk of any deviation in oscillation amplitude or frequency. That is, the automatic compensator 11 is not used to eliminate oscillation variations, but the deviations whi.ch could result from the eventual wear of the oscillator.

The set of signals produced by control zones 3 and 4, and those provided by the oscillator 7 and converter 10, are analysed by the microprocessor 8, calculating the velocity and acceleration of the coin or token and determining the dimensional and electrical (alloy) characteristics that identify the pieces being analysed.

Subsequently, the set of signals analysed by the microprocessor 8 can be identified for making a comparison between the data stored in the memory 12 and a given type of coin, in order to generation validation or invalidation and \0197a/AD I S 61rI *1 ,'r -1 4a control signals (for example, a device which blocks acceptance of the coin in question), on the basis of the said data and other signals and conditions, for example, the selective blocking of one or more types of coins, etc. The number 13 indicates the output of the identification and control signals, while number 14 indicates the control inputs.

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i r 1 c ,0197a/AMD mi The electronic coin selector of the present invention is therefore based on combination of two types of sensors: optical and electromagnetic.

The arrangement of said sensors on the inclined ramp can be seen in Fig. 2. The optical sensors 29 and 31 which measure the diameter of the coin, are located to the right and left of the electromagnetic sensor 30 for alloy measurement. This optimises the characteristics of the selector, since firstly, the space required by the sensor is minimal so that a small sized selector can be designed, and secondly, the optical I l. sensors give the relative position of the coin to be measured, referred to the electromagnetic sensor, and this information can be used to enhance selection quality.

CThe function sequence is as follows, referred to the aforementioned figure.

The coins or token are introduced at the insert mouth 33, stabilised and braked by the lever 34 before they begin to run down the inclined ramp where the sensors are located. The measurement sequence begins when the coin is intercepted by the first optical sensor 29. It is then intercepted by the electromagnetic field created by the inductance 30, before finally passing through the second optical sensor 31. This J sequence ends once the coin has passed this second sensor.

From then on, with the data provided by the three sensors, the microprocessor completes the calculations for the diameter of the coin and the alloy characteristics, for comparison with the diameter and alloy characteristics of coins programmed into the 197a/AMD, O UII I II-.

6 memory, the so-called identification process. If the data received coincides with that preprogrammed, the microprocessor gives the block 26 the order to open and waits for the coin to emerge from the LED at the outlet 32. When this happens, the microprocessor gives an electrical coin acceptance signal. If the data is not programmed, the block does not open and the coin is rejected, eimerging through opening 35 for reject coins.

The diameter measurement is achieved with two pairs of LED/phototransistors equidistant along the ramp such that they intercept a single chord of the coin, as shown in Fig. 3. The coin to be measured intercepts the LEDS sequentially in its movement. The signals it creates are entered in the microprocessor. Temporal analysis of the signals, with application of uniform accelerating movement equations, gives the length of the chord intercepted by the optical sensors and trit the diameter is obtained by simple trigonometric calculation.

The alloy measurement is performed by the coin passing through an electromagnetic field generated by one or two coils forming part of an oscillating circuit, as shown in Fig. 4.

Part of the field energy is dissipated in the coin, producing alterations in the oscillation conditions, translated into variations in the oscillator amplitude and frequency. The two signals are analysed simultaneously by the microprocessor during the time of the coin's passage, tc give measurements of extreme values and characteristic averages for each coin.

it According to the above description, there are three S measuring sensors which give two signals for the calculation of 1197a/AIMD 7 the diameter, and a further two for detecting the alloy. The electronic circuitry must be able to deal simultaneously with the four electrical signals and complete the calculations in a short space of time, as the coin does not stop at any point.

This is the reason why microprocessor-based circuitry has been selected, as shown in Fig. The nature of the invention thus being sufficiently described, as well as the manner of putting it into practice, it must be stated that the above provisions are subject to modifications of details which in no way alter its basic principle.

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Claims

1. A coin validation mechanism, comprising: a path or trajectory along which a coin is adapted to travel; at least two control zones provided in spaced apart relationship along said path or trajectory, each control zone comprising a photodiode and a phototransistor sensor adapted to provide acceleration and velocity signals of said coin passing along said path or trajectory; an electromagnetic gaging zone, comprising at least one Spair of coils, each coil positioned opposite one another, one V on each side of said path or trajectory, the fields produced by the coils being adapted to intersect said path or trajectory and provide an alloy measurement signal; and, a microprocessor, adapted to provide a diameter measurement signal in response to said S acceleration and velocity signals received from said control zones; provide an alloy measurement signal in response to variations in oscillating conditions of said coils b' &aid L electromagnetic gaging zone; compare each of said diameter measurement and said alloy U measurement signals with preset reference values stored in memory; accept or reject said coin if said measurements are matched or mismatched to said reference values t respectivi'

2. A coin validation mechanism as claimed in claim 0197a/AMD LS lu