EP1602082A1 - Identification of coins, including magnetic characteristics - Google Patents

Identification of coins, including magnetic characteristics

Info

Publication number
EP1602082A1
EP1602082A1 EP04710748A EP04710748A EP1602082A1 EP 1602082 A1 EP1602082 A1 EP 1602082A1 EP 04710748 A EP04710748 A EP 04710748A EP 04710748 A EP04710748 A EP 04710748A EP 1602082 A1 EP1602082 A1 EP 1602082A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
coin
electrical current
decay pulse
coil configuration
detection region
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP04710748A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1602082A4 (en
EP1602082B1 (en
Inventor
Alexandre Pogossov
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.)
Microsystem Controls Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
Microsystem Controls Pty Ltd
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 Microsystem Controls Pty Ltd filed Critical Microsystem Controls Pty Ltd
Publication of EP1602082A1 publication Critical patent/EP1602082A1/en
Publication of EP1602082A4 publication Critical patent/EP1602082A4/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1602082B1 publication Critical patent/EP1602082B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

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
    • G07D5/08—Testing the magnetic or electric properties

Definitions

  • the term "coin” denotes both official currency coins and coin-like elements in general having a nominal value for releasing or otherwise operating prescribed equipment into which the element may be inserted. Such elements include tokens and the like.
  • a known configuration of coin validator includes a coin path extending from an input opening past at least one but usually a pair of detect coil sets that define a coin detection region. Downstream of the detection region is a gate that is responsive to a coin accept/reject decision to pass each coin either to a retention or sort region or along a return path.
  • the accept/reject decision is made by a controller module that includes a coin identification circuit incorporating the detect coil(s).
  • a switch interrupts a current supply to the coil or to one of the coils.
  • a decaying voltage pulse is developed across the coil or coils.
  • the coin detection circuit includes one or more comparators that assess the shape of the pulse, for example by recording times at which the pulse falls to certain predetermined voltage levels. With sufficient readings, a coin signature is obtained that is characteristic of the coin and provides a basis for the aforementioned coin accept/reject decision.
  • a further limitation of single pulse technology is that there is no characteristic feature of the decay pulse waveform capable of distinguishing magnetic coins, for example steel-or nickel-containing coins, from non-magnetic coins, for example of aluminium or bronze.
  • magnetic coins for example steel-or nickel-containing coins
  • non-magnetic coins for example of aluminium or bronze.
  • the invention essentially proposes a treatment of the decay pulse that reduces the required dynamic range in subsequent analysis and preferably also results in a discernible parameter representative of the magnetic permeability of the detected coin. More specifically, the treatment includes integration of the decay pulse.
  • the invention provides, in its first aspect, a coin identification circuit including:
  • a coil configuration defining a coin detection region, disposed in a first sub-circuit for supplying electrical current to the coil configuration; means to modify said electrical current being supplied to the coil configuration when a coin is in said detection region, whereby to trigger a first decay pulse characteristic of said coin in a second sub- circuit including said coil configuration;
  • means to modify the current includes means to interrupt, change the value, reverse the current or any other modification.
  • said parameter values include a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin.
  • a parameter may be, for example, an absolute or relative value of said integral decay pulse at a predetermined time.
  • the coin identification circuit is part of a coin validator configuration including:
  • the coil configuration may comprise a single coil but, for most applications, preferably comprises a pair of coils or sets of coils, in which the coin passes between the coils.
  • One of the coil sets may be used for excitation and is supplied with current except when interrupted or abruptly changed, while the other is a response coil set in which the first decay pulse is detected on interruption or change of the current in the excitation coil set.
  • only one coil set may be implemented. In this case, the same coil set is used for excitation and first decay pulse detection.
  • the invention also provides a method of identifying a coin or of discriminating between two or more coins, including:
  • the step of modifying the electrical current may include interrupting, changing the value, reversing the current or any other modification to the current.
  • said parameter values include a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin, eg. an absolute or relative value of the integral decay pulse at a predetermined time.
  • a coin in a detected region will interrupt current flowing through a coil or coil set.
  • current may be abruptly applied to the coil or coil set when a coin is detected.
  • Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the invention that utilises a single coil or a set of coils connected in series or in parallel for both excitation and response;
  • Figures 2A and 2B are complementary curves respectively depicting a typical voltage decay pulse generated in the coil of Figure 1 when the current supply to the coil is interrupted on detection of a coin in the adjacent coin path, and the corresponding integral of the decay pulse (these pulses are as observed at the points A and B respectively in Figure 1 );
  • Figure 3 diagrammatically depicts the integral curve for a coin having a high conductivity core, e.g., copper, and low conductivity surround, e.g., copper-nickel alloy; and
  • Figure 4 is a circuit diagram for a modified embodiment in which there are separate excitation and response coils or sets of coils, and an active reset circuit.
  • the illustrated coin identification circuit 10 includes a coil configuration 12 that defines a coin detection region 14 adjacent the coil.
  • the coil configuration is a single coil or coil set 12a to which, in operation, a direct electrical current is delivered by a power supply 13.
  • coin detection region 14 comprises a portion of a coin path (not shown) along which a coin travels through the detection region on route from a coin insertion opening to a gate responsive to identification of the coin in the detection region to either divert the coin from the coin path or constrain it to traverse the path to a coin return opening.
  • a common application of this type is a coin validator.
  • coil 12a is a set of coil segments connected in series or in parallel and arranged to either side of the coin path for countering the influence of coin position in the coin path.
  • a control device 15 responsive to detector 48 opens switch 20 to interrupt the current supply to coil 12a.
  • This interruption triggers a first voltage decay pulse 50 (Figure 2A) in the coil 12a that is processed by a sub-circuit 17 comprising an integrator 40, in turn comprising capacitor 44 and reset switch 45 for providing initial condition to the integrator 40; and analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) 30.
  • ADC 30 may be substituted by a number of comparator sub-circuits.
  • the ADC or comparators are arranged to measure sufficient electrical parameter values to characterise the pulse and thereby to identify the coins.
  • Decay pulse 50 is conventionally known to contain characteristic information concerning the coin.
  • the peak 52 of pulse 50 carries information about the size of the coin while the tail 54 is a measure of thickness and material or alloy content.
  • the problem with conventional arrangements has been that the peak can reach tens and even hundreds of volts while accurate measurement of the tail 54 requires a resolution of the order of millivolts or microvolts. It is difficult and costly to obtain good accuracy at both high and low levels, but the conventional approach is to clamp the voltage peak, which of course reduces the accuracy of the coin assessment.
  • voltage decay pulse 50 in sub-circuit 17 is integrated by integrator 40 to derive a further integral decay pulse 60 (Figure 2B) of much smaller amplitude dynamic range relative to the decay pulse 50.
  • the integrator 40 thus compresses the original pulse into a waveform having limited dynamic range, allowing one to assess both the leading edge 62 of the pulse (size information) and the tail 64 (thickness/alloy information) with similar accuracy.
  • the integral decay pulse 60 includes a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin, ie. the amplitude or height of the tail 64 or the value of the voltage asymptote to which the curve trends.
  • the tail 64a for a non-magnetic coin has a different Y-axis value than the tail 64b for a magnetic coin, such as a steel or nickel coin or a coin having a steel or nickel- containing component.
  • a coin detection circuit 10 in accordance with the invention is able not only to achieve enhanced accuracy in coin characterisation and therefore in coin discrimination, but also to discriminate on the basis of magnetic permeability.
  • it is possible to distinguish non-magnetic coins from magnetic coins, which are otherwise very difficult to distinguish.
  • these advances are achieved using single pulse technology which is already advantageous in its ability to discriminate multiple coins presented in close succession.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary form of integrator 40 utilising an operational amplifier 42 with an input resistor 43 and with both a capacitor 44 and a reset switch 45 in its feedback.
  • Reset switch 45 is connected for operation by control device 15 jointly with switch 20. It is observed that this arrangement of an inverting integrator using an input resistor is tolerant to any, even very high, input voltage.
  • the circuit arrangement of integrator 40 differs of course from units such as scaling amplifiers employed in comparative arrangements because, in the absence of a resistor across capacitor 44, the time constant is infinite while switch 45 is open.
  • Figure 3 depicts, highly diagrammatically, an integral decay pulse curve for a coin having two distinct components such as a copper core of diameter D 2 , and an annulus surround of outer diameter Di of a copper-nickel alloy, which thereby has lower conductivity.
  • FIG 4 is a circuit diagram for a slightly more sophisticated embodiment that employs separate coils or sets of coils 12b, 12c respectively for excitation and response or pick-up, and an active reset sub-circuit 70.
  • the coils or coil sets 12b 12c define an air gap 13 through which the coin 5 passes while traversing its coin path.
  • each coil set 12b, 12c may have plural coil segments between which the coin passes, and indeed respective coil segments of the sets may be co-wound to each side of the coin path.
  • One coil set 12b is then for excitation, while the other 12c is for response and is part of sub-circuit 17a.
  • Active reset circuit 70 has the advantage that it is able to compensate for low-frequency voltages across set of coils 12c while the circuit 70 is in the active reset condition.
  • the coin discrimination can be less susceptible to 50/60Hz ambient stray magnetic field.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Testing Of Coins (AREA)
  • Hard Magnetic Materials (AREA)
  • Magnetic Record Carriers (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Magnetic Means (AREA)

Abstract

A coin identification circuit including a coil configuration defining a coin detection region, disposed in a first sub-circuit for supplying electrical current to the coil configuration. The circuit includes means to modify the electrical current being supplied to the coil configuration when a coin is in the detection region, whereby to trigger a first decay pulse characteristic of the coin in a second sub-circuit including the coil configuration. Means are included to at least partially integrate the first decay pulse, whereby to derive a further integral decay pulse of small amplitude range relative to the first decay pulse. The circuit also includes means to measure sufficient parameter values for the integral decay pulse to identify the coin. A method of identifying a coin or of discriminating between two or more coins is also described.

Description

IDENTIFICATION OF COINS, INCLUDING MAGNETIC CHARACTERISTICS
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to coin identification and is concerned in particular preferred embodiments with determining whether a coin is magnetic or non-magnetic
When employed herein, the term "coin" denotes both official currency coins and coin-like elements in general having a nominal value for releasing or otherwise operating prescribed equipment into which the element may be inserted. Such elements include tokens and the like.
Background of the Invention
A known configuration of coin validator includes a coin path extending from an input opening past at least one but usually a pair of detect coil sets that define a coin detection region. Downstream of the detection region is a gate that is responsive to a coin accept/reject decision to pass each coin either to a retention or sort region or along a return path. The accept/reject decision is made by a controller module that includes a coin identification circuit incorporating the detect coil(s). When a coin reaches a predetermined position in the detection region, at which the coin is magnetically coupled with the coil or coils, a switch interrupts a current supply to the coil or to one of the coils. As a result of the electromagnetic induction, a decaying voltage pulse is developed across the coil or coils. Eddy currents in the coin affect the shape of the pulse. The coin detection circuit includes one or more comparators that assess the shape of the pulse, for example by recording times at which the pulse falls to certain predetermined voltage levels. With sufficient readings, a coin signature is obtained that is characteristic of the coin and provides a basis for the aforementioned coin accept/reject decision.
These single pulse configurations have the advantage of rapid response. Single pulse technology is therefore particularly suited to validators employed in gaming machines and other applications where multiple coins may be inserted in rapid succession. However, the technology has the disadvantage of low accuracy arising from the limited dynamic range of the comparators. The peak of the pulse, carrying information about coin size, can reach tens and hundreds of volts while accurate measurement of the decay tail, indicative of thickness and alloy composition, requires a resolution of the order of millivolts or microvolts. It is difficult and costly to obtain good accuracy at both high and low levels, and a known practice is to clamp the voltage peak, resulting in a reduction of information available for analysis.
A further limitation of single pulse technology is that there is no characteristic feature of the decay pulse waveform capable of distinguishing magnetic coins, for example steel-or nickel-containing coins, from non-magnetic coins, for example of aluminium or bronze. There are instances internationally where the only significant parameter distinguishing two coins of quite different denomination or relative value is magnetic permeability.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to at least address one or both of these drawbacks of single pulse coin identification circuits.
Summary of the Invention
The invention essentially proposes a treatment of the decay pulse that reduces the required dynamic range in subsequent analysis and preferably also results in a discernible parameter representative of the magnetic permeability of the detected coin. More specifically, the treatment includes integration of the decay pulse.
The invention provides, in its first aspect, a coin identification circuit including:
a coil configuration defining a coin detection region, disposed in a first sub-circuit for supplying electrical current to the coil configuration; means to modify said electrical current being supplied to the coil configuration when a coin is in said detection region, whereby to trigger a first decay pulse characteristic of said coin in a second sub- circuit including said coil configuration;
means to at least partially integrate said first decay pulse, whereby to derive a further integral decay pulse of small amplitude range relative to said first decay pulse; and
means to measure sufficient parameter values for said integral decay pulse to identify said coin.
Preferably, means to modify the current includes means to interrupt, change the value, reverse the current or any other modification.
Preferably, said parameter values include a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin. Such a parameter may be, for example, an absolute or relative value of said integral decay pulse at a predetermined time.
In an application, the coin identification circuit is part of a coin validator configuration including:
a coin insertion opening;
a coin return opening;
structure defining a coin path from the coin insertion opening to the coin return opening, which coin path extends through said coin detection region; and
gate means in said coin path between said coin detection region and said coin return opening, responsive to identification of an object in the detection region to either divert the object from said coin path or constrain it to traverse the path to said coin return opening. The coil configuration may comprise a single coil but, for most applications, preferably comprises a pair of coils or sets of coils, in which the coin passes between the coils. One of the coil sets may be used for excitation and is supplied with current except when interrupted or abruptly changed, while the other is a response coil set in which the first decay pulse is detected on interruption or change of the current in the excitation coil set. For some applications only one coil set may be implemented. In this case, the same coil set is used for excitation and first decay pulse detection.
The invention also provides a method of identifying a coin or of discriminating between two or more coins, including:
passing the coin or coins in succession through a coin detection region defined by a coil configuration to which electrical current is being supplied;
modifying said electrical current supplied to the coil configuration when a coin is in said detection region, whereby to trigger a first decay pulse characteristic of the coin in a sub-circuit including the coil configuration;
at least partially integrating said first decay pulse, whereby to derive a further integral decay pulse of small amplitude range relative to said first decay pulse; and
measuring sufficient parameter values for said integral decay pulse or pulses to identify said coin or to discriminate between said coins.
The step of modifying the electrical current may include interrupting, changing the value, reversing the current or any other modification to the current.
Preferably, in said method, said parameter values include a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin, eg. an absolute or relative value of the integral decay pulse at a predetermined time. For most applications, a coin in a detected region will interrupt current flowing through a coil or coil set. However, in other applications, particularly low power applications, current may be abruptly applied to the coil or coil set when a coin is detected.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the invention that utilises a single coil or a set of coils connected in series or in parallel for both excitation and response;
Figures 2A and 2B are complementary curves respectively depicting a typical voltage decay pulse generated in the coil of Figure 1 when the current supply to the coil is interrupted on detection of a coin in the adjacent coin path, and the corresponding integral of the decay pulse (these pulses are as observed at the points A and B respectively in Figure 1 );
Figure 3 diagrammatically depicts the integral curve for a coin having a high conductivity core, e.g., copper, and low conductivity surround, e.g., copper-nickel alloy; and
Figure 4 is a circuit diagram for a modified embodiment in which there are separate excitation and response coils or sets of coils, and an active reset circuit.
Preferred Embodiments
The illustrated coin identification circuit 10 includes a coil configuration 12 that defines a coin detection region 14 adjacent the coil. In this case, the coil configuration is a single coil or coil set 12a to which, in operation, a direct electrical current is delivered by a power supply 13. In a practical application, coin detection region 14 comprises a portion of a coin path (not shown) along which a coin travels through the detection region on route from a coin insertion opening to a gate responsive to identification of the coin in the detection region to either divert the coin from the coin path or constrain it to traverse the path to a coin return opening. A common application of this type is a coin validator.
Typically, coil 12a, although depicted in Figure 1 as a single coil, is a set of coil segments connected in series or in parallel and arranged to either side of the coin path for countering the influence of coin position in the coin path.
When a coin 5 in the coin path reaches a predetermined location in the coin detection region 14 at which the coin is magnetically coupled to coil 12a, determined for example by interruption of an optical detector 48, a control device 15 responsive to detector 48 opens switch 20 to interrupt the current supply to coil 12a. This interruption triggers a first voltage decay pulse 50 (Figure 2A) in the coil 12a that is processed by a sub-circuit 17 comprising an integrator 40, in turn comprising capacitor 44 and reset switch 45 for providing initial condition to the integrator 40; and analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) 30. ADC 30 may be substituted by a number of comparator sub-circuits. The ADC or comparators are arranged to measure sufficient electrical parameter values to characterise the pulse and thereby to identify the coins.
Decay pulse 50 is conventionally known to contain characteristic information concerning the coin. The peak 52 of pulse 50 carries information about the size of the coin while the tail 54 is a measure of thickness and material or alloy content. The problem with conventional arrangements has been that the peak can reach tens and even hundreds of volts while accurate measurement of the tail 54 requires a resolution of the order of millivolts or microvolts. It is difficult and costly to obtain good accuracy at both high and low levels, but the conventional approach is to clamp the voltage peak, which of course reduces the accuracy of the coin assessment. In accordance with the invention, voltage decay pulse 50 in sub-circuit 17 is integrated by integrator 40 to derive a further integral decay pulse 60 (Figure 2B) of much smaller amplitude dynamic range relative to the decay pulse 50. The integrator 40 thus compresses the original pulse into a waveform having limited dynamic range, allowing one to assess both the leading edge 62 of the pulse (size information) and the tail 64 (thickness/alloy information) with similar accuracy.
A further advantage realised for this configuration is that the integral decay pulse 60 includes a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin, ie. the amplitude or height of the tail 64 or the value of the voltage asymptote to which the curve trends. Specifically, as exemplified in Figure 2B, the tail 64a for a non-magnetic coin has a different Y-axis value than the tail 64b for a magnetic coin, such as a steel or nickel coin or a coin having a steel or nickel- containing component.
Hence, a coin detection circuit 10 in accordance with the invention is able not only to achieve enhanced accuracy in coin characterisation and therefore in coin discrimination, but also to discriminate on the basis of magnetic permeability. Thus, it is possible to distinguish non-magnetic coins from magnetic coins, which are otherwise very difficult to distinguish. Moreover, these advances are achieved using single pulse technology which is already advantageous in its ability to discriminate multiple coins presented in close succession.
Figure 1 illustrates one exemplary form of integrator 40 utilising an operational amplifier 42 with an input resistor 43 and with both a capacitor 44 and a reset switch 45 in its feedback. Reset switch 45 is connected for operation by control device 15 jointly with switch 20. It is observed that this arrangement of an inverting integrator using an input resistor is tolerant to any, even very high, input voltage. The circuit arrangement of integrator 40 differs of course from units such as scaling amplifiers employed in comparative arrangements because, in the absence of a resistor across capacitor 44, the time constant is infinite while switch 45 is open. By way of further illustration, Figure 3 depicts, highly diagrammatically, an integral decay pulse curve for a coin having two distinct components such as a copper core of diameter D2, and an annulus surround of outer diameter Di of a copper-nickel alloy, which thereby has lower conductivity.
Figure 4 is a circuit diagram for a slightly more sophisticated embodiment that employs separate coils or sets of coils 12b, 12c respectively for excitation and response or pick-up, and an active reset sub-circuit 70. The coils or coil sets 12b 12c define an air gap 13 through which the coin 5 passes while traversing its coin path. Again, while the diagram simply shows two separate coils, each coil set 12b, 12c may have plural coil segments between which the coin passes, and indeed respective coil segments of the sets may be co-wound to each side of the coin path. One coil set 12b is then for excitation, while the other 12c is for response and is part of sub-circuit 17a. Active reset circuit 70 has the advantage that it is able to compensate for low-frequency voltages across set of coils 12c while the circuit 70 is in the active reset condition. Thus the coin discrimination can be less susceptible to 50/60Hz ambient stray magnetic field.
It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

Claims

1 A coin identification circuit including:
a coil configuration defining a coin detection region, disposed in a first sub-circuit for supplying electrical current to the coil configuration;
means to modify said electrical current being supplied to the coil configuration when a coin is in said detection region, whereby to trigger a first decay pulse characteristic of said coin in a second sub- circuit including said coil configuration;
means to at least partially integrate said first decay pulse, whereby to derive a further integral decay pulse of small amplitude range relative to said first decay pulse; and
o means to measure sufficient parameter values for said integral decay pulse to identify said coin.
2. A coin identification circuit according to claim 1 wherein the means to modify said electrical current includes means to interrupt said electrical current.
3. A coin identification circuit according to claim 1 wherein the means to modify said electrical current includes means to change said electrical current.
4. A coin identification circuit according to claim 1 wherin the means to modify said electrical current includes means to reverse said electrical current.
5. A coin identification circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said parameter values include a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin.
6. A coin identification circuit according to claim 5 wherein said parameter is an absolute or relative value of said integral decay pulse at a predetermined time.
7. A coin identification circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the coil configuration comprises a pair of coils or sets of coils, in which the coin passes between the coils.
8. A coin validator including a coin identification circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and further including:
a coin insertion opening;
a coin return opening;
structure defining a coin path from the coin insertion opening to the coin return opening, which coin path extends through said coin detection region; and
gate means in said coin path between said coin detection region and said coin return opening, responsive to identification of an object in the detection region to either divert the object from said coin path or constrain it to traverse the path to said coin return opening.
9. A method of identifying a coin or of discriminating between two or more coins, including:
passing the coin or coins in succession through a coin detection region defined by a coil configuration to which electrical current is being supplied;
modifying said electrical current supplied to the coil configuration when a coin is in said detection region, whereby to trigger a first decay pulse characteristic of the coin in a sub-circuit including the coil configuration;
at least partially integrating said first decay pulse, whereby to derive a further integral decay pulse of small amplitude range relative to said first decay pulse; and
measuring sufficient parameter values for said integral decay pulse or pulses to identify said coin or to discriminate between said coins.
10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the step of modifying said electrical current includes interrupting said electrical current.
11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the step of modifying said electrical current includes changing said electrical current.
12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the step of modifying said electrical current includes reversing said electrical current .
13. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein said parameter values include a parameter that is a measure of the magnetic permeability of the coin.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said parameter is an absolute or relative value of the integral decay pulse at a predetermined time.
EP04710748A 2003-02-13 2004-02-13 Identification of coins, including magnetic characteristics Expired - Lifetime EP1602082B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2003900636A AU2003900636A0 (en) 2003-02-13 2003-02-13 Identification of coins, including magnetic characteristics
AU2003900636 2003-02-13
PCT/AU2004/000176 WO2004072912A1 (en) 2003-02-13 2004-02-13 Identification of coins, including magnetic characteristics

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1602082A1 true EP1602082A1 (en) 2005-12-07
EP1602082A4 EP1602082A4 (en) 2006-05-24
EP1602082B1 EP1602082B1 (en) 2008-12-10

Family

ID=30005336

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04710748A Expired - Lifetime EP1602082B1 (en) 2003-02-13 2004-02-13 Identification of coins, including magnetic characteristics

Country Status (5)

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EP (1) EP1602082B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE417336T1 (en)
AU (1) AU2003900636A0 (en)
DE (1) DE602004018279D1 (en)
WO (1) WO2004072912A1 (en)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664245A (en) * 1980-07-07 1987-05-12 Orin W. Coburn Coin chute assembly
US4742903A (en) * 1985-07-26 1988-05-10 Autelca Ag. Device for coin checking
EP0331530A2 (en) * 1988-03-04 1989-09-06 Sanden Corporation Coin discriminating device

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0546127Y2 (en) * 1986-12-29 1993-12-01
GB8717493D0 (en) * 1987-07-23 1987-08-26 Scan Coin Ab Coin discriminator
GB9217451D0 (en) * 1992-08-17 1992-09-30 Case Icc Limited Method and apparatus for coin discrimination

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664245A (en) * 1980-07-07 1987-05-12 Orin W. Coburn Coin chute assembly
US4742903A (en) * 1985-07-26 1988-05-10 Autelca Ag. Device for coin checking
EP0331530A2 (en) * 1988-03-04 1989-09-06 Sanden Corporation Coin discriminating device

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO2004072912A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2004072912A1 (en) 2004-08-26
ATE417336T1 (en) 2008-12-15
DE602004018279D1 (en) 2009-01-22
EP1602082A4 (en) 2006-05-24
EP1602082B1 (en) 2008-12-10
AU2003900636A0 (en) 2003-02-27

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