JP2009009326A - Coin depositing and dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a time from coin deposition to transmission of data of a denomination of the coin. <P>SOLUTION: A coin depositing and dispensing device includes: a coin conveyance part 9 which conveys a coin thrown into a coin deposition slot 3 one by one; a first detection part 55 which detects a conveyed coin; a coin selection part 11 which is arranged at a downstream side of a coin conveyance direction rather than the first detection part 55 and sorts out the coin according to the denomination; a coin storing part 14 which stores the coin sorted out by the coin selection part 11 according to a denomination; and a second detection part 12 which detects the coin sorted out by the coin selection part 11. The denomination of the coin which the first detection part 55 has detected is specified based on detection output of the first detection part 55, and the data of specified denomination is transmitted to an article sales data processor before detection output of the second detection part 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a coin deposit / withdrawal device (see, for example, Patent Document 1 or 2) that is connected to a merchandise sales data processing device such as a POS terminal. As a basic function of the coin deposit / withdrawal device, the coins inserted from the coin slot are transported to the inside of the housing, sorted by type by the coin sorting unit and stored in the coin storage unit, and the coins stored by type Is paid out based on a payout instruction from a POS terminal or the like.

  The coin sorting unit may be provided with a counting sensor for each denomination. In the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus, the denomination of the inserted coin is specified based on the detection output of the counting sensor. The specified denomination data is transmitted to the merchandise sales data processing apparatus.

JP 2000-123247 A JP 2007-41667 A

  The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus as described above may be used in a self-checkout terminal that allows merchandise sales data processing by a customer. In this case, the coin deposit / withdrawal device functions as a settlement unit that enables settlement by the customer.

  The self-checkout terminal includes a reading unit (for example, a barcode scanner) that reads a product code attached to a product. The customer causes the reading unit to read the product code of the product desired to be purchased. The self-checkout terminal acquires the unit price of the product based on the read product code, and calculates the total amount to be paid by the customer based on the acquired unit price. Further, the calculated total amount is displayed on a display unit (for example, LCD) to notify the customer. The customer deposits money equivalent to the reported total amount into a coin depositing / dispensing device or the like as a settlement unit.

  Data on the denomination of coins deposited in the coin depositing and dispensing device is transmitted to the self-checkout terminal. The self-checkout terminal determines the amount deposited by the customer based on the transmitted denomination data, and calculates the change amount from the difference between the total amount and the deposited amount. And the payment instruction | indication about the calculated change amount is transmitted to a coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus. The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus dispenses coins based on the transmitted dispensing instruction.

  However, in the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus, since the denomination of the inserted coin is specified based on the detection output of the counting sensor provided in the coin sorting unit, for example, when the distance from the coin to the coin sorting unit is long The time from coin insertion by the customer to denomination data transmission becomes longer. This delays the time for determining the deposit amount and paying out the change amount, and makes the customer who uses the self-checkout terminal wait.

  An object of the present invention is to shorten the time from coin insertion to data transmission of the coin denomination.

  The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus of the present invention is arranged and conveyed at a position where a coin insertion slot, a coin conveyance section for conveying coins inserted into the coin insertion slot one by one, and a position at which the conveyed coin passes. A first detection unit that detects a coin to be detected, a coin sorting unit that is arranged downstream of the first detection unit in the coin transport direction and that sorts the transported coins according to denominations, and the coins A coin storage unit that stores the coins selected by the selection unit by denomination, a second detection unit that is provided for each denomination in the coin selection unit, and detects a coin selected by the coin selection unit; A communication unit that is connected to the product sales data processing device and realizes transmission and reception of data with the product sales data processing device, and the first detection unit based on the detection output of the first detection unit Identifying the denomination of the coin detected by the second detection unit Before there is a force, and the denomination of the data the specified so as to send to the merchandise sales data processing apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the denomination is specified based on the detection output of the first detection unit provided upstream of the second detection unit (counting sensor) provided in the coin sorting unit, and the second Since the data is transmitted before the detection output of the detection unit (counting sensor) is present, the time from when the coin is inserted until the denomination data of the coin is transmitted to the commodity sales data processing device is shortened. The

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The present embodiment is an application example to the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus 1 built in the settlement terminal 201 as the merchandise sales data processing apparatus constituting the self-checkout terminal 101.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a self-checkout terminal 101. The self-checkout terminal 101 according to the present embodiment includes a payment terminal 201 and two scale devices 301 disposed on the left side of the payment terminal 201.

  The settlement terminal 201 has a base housing 202 installed on the floor surface and an upper housing 203 placed on the upper surface of the base housing 202. On the right side surface of the base housing 202, there is provided a basket mounting table 102 for mounting a shopping basket (not shown) containing a product to be purchased by a customer.

  On the right side of the front surface of the upper housing 203, a barcode scanner 204 as a reading unit for reading a product code is arranged as a user interface. The barcode scanner 204 optically reads a product code attached to each product in the form of a barcode. A printer cover 205 in which a receipt issuing port 208 is formed is disposed on the left side of the front surface of the upper housing 203. A card insertion slot 212 of a card reader / writer 252 (see FIG. 5) built in the upper housing 203 is formed between the barcode scanner 204 and the printer cover 205. On the back side of the printer cover 205, a receipt printer 251 (see FIG. 5) is provided in the upper housing 203. A receipt (not shown) printed by the receipt printer 251 is issued from the receipt issuing port 208. The upper housing 203 also incorporates a speaker 271 (see FIG. 5).

  The upper housing 203 is provided with an LCD 210 as a display unit for displaying information as a user interface. In addition, a touch panel 211 as an input unit for inputting information is attached to the display surface of the LCD 210 as a user interface.

  The base housing 202 contains a coin depositing / dispensing device 1 and a bill depositing / dispensing device 501 (see FIG. 5 for both). A coin input unit 701 for a customer to input coins is provided on the central upper surface of the base housing 202. On the left side of the front surface of the base housing 202, the coin receiving portion 23 that is a part of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1 is exposed. On the right side of the front surface of the base housing, a banknote deposit / withdrawal port 503 and a banknote deposit / withdrawal port 504 which are part of the banknote deposit / withdrawal apparatus 501 are exposed.

  On the back surface of the base housing 202, a display pole 217 for displaying the current state of the self-checkout terminal 101 is erected. The display pole 217 has a light emitting portion 218 that selectively emits blue and red light at the tip.

  Next, the scale device 301 will be described. A weighing pan 303 is provided on the weighing housing 302 of the weighing apparatus 301. The weighing pan 303 has a mounting table 303a on its upper surface. A bag holder 304 is attached to the mounting table 303a. That is, a pole-shaped arm support portion 305 is erected at the rear center portion of the mounting table 303a, and the temporary mounting table 306 is fixed to the upper end of the arm support portion 305. The temporary mounting table 306 has a flat upper surface. The temporary placement table 306 is a table used for temporarily placing products after the barcode is read by the barcode scanner 204. A holding arm 307 and a hook 308 are attached to the lower surface of the temporary table 306. The holding arm 307 holds a pair of handles included in a plastic shopping bag (not shown) in a skewered state. The plastic bag is formed with an ear part that can be removed by a perforation between a pair of grips and formed with a hook hole, and the hook 308 is an arm that holds the plastic bag through the hook hole. 307 and hold together. The scale housing 302 incorporates a load cell unit (not shown) that converts a load of a product placed on the placement table 303a into an electric signal. An output signal from the load cell unit is output to the settlement terminal 201.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1. In front of the right side of the housing 2 which is a housing of the coin depositing and dispensing device 1, a coin insertion slot 3 opened upward is provided. Inside the base housing 202 of the payment terminal 201, a communication part (not shown) that connects the coin insertion part 701 and the coin insertion slot 3 is provided. That is, the coins inserted into the coin insertion unit 701 are inserted into the coin insertion slot 3 of the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 1 through this communication unit. A concave coin receiving portion 23 having an open upper surface is disposed at a position on the left front side of the housing 2. The coin receiving unit 23 is exposed from the base housing 202 of the payment terminal 201.

  The coin insertion slot 3 is provided with a plurality of sets of insertion sensors 4 that photoelectrically detect the presence or absence of coins. In addition, the coin slot 3 is provided with a slot belt 5 for transporting the inserted coins toward the back. The inlet belt 5 is connected to and driven by a motor M (see FIG. 6). On the slot belt 5, there is provided a slot roller 6 that is positioned at one end of the coin slot 3 and that feeds coins that are randomly loaded one by one. A coin transport surface 7a for supporting the coin is formed at a position for receiving the coin sent out by the insertion slot roller 6. The coins on the coin transport surface 7a are transported while being pressed against the coin transport surface 7a by the rotation of the transport belt 7 provided on the upper surface side of the coin transport surface 7a. The conveyor belt 7 is connected to and driven by a motor M (see FIG. 6). A coin guide portion 50 that bends the conveyance direction at a substantially right angle is provided at the end portion of the conveyance belt 7. A conveying belt 8 is provided at a position continuous with the coin guide 50 so as to be substantially parallel to the width direction of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1. The transport belt 8 transports coins whose transport direction is bent at a substantially right angle by the coin guide 50.

  Accordingly, the insertion slot belt 5, the insertion slot roller 6, the conveyance belt 7, the coin conveyance surface 7a, the coin guide section 50, and the conveyance belt 8 are used to separate and convey the coins that are introduced from the coin insertion slot 3 one by one. The transport unit 9 is configured.

  A detection sensor 55 as a first detection unit is provided in the conveyance path of the coins conveyed by the conveyance belt 7. The detection sensor 55 of the present embodiment is an optical sensor. The detection sensor 55 which is an optical sensor converts the amount of light in a region where the passing coins do not block the detection sensor 55 into a voltage and outputs the voltage to the control unit 30 (see FIG. 6).

  On the coin transport surface 7a, a reject hole 25a is formed through which the maximum diameter coin transported by the transport belt 7 can be dropped. Reject hole 25a is closed by reject shutter 25b. That is, even if the coin to be conveyed is a coin with the smallest diameter, the rejection shutter 25b allows the passage through the rejection hole 25a.

  The reject shutter 25b is pressed and held in a closed state by a reject solenoid 25c (see FIG. 6) provided on the lower surface side thereof. The reject solenoid 25c is displaced by being energized, and the reject shutter 25b is opened. A reject storage unit (not shown) for storing coins is disposed at the tip of the coins falling from the reject hole 25a in the dropping direction. Accordingly, the coins dropped from the reject hole 25a are stored in the reject storage unit. The reject hole 25a, the reject shutter 25b, and the reject solenoid 25c constitute a reject unit 25. The reject unit 25 includes a reject sensor 25d (see FIG. 6) that detects coins falling from the reject hole 25a.

  A hole base portion 31 that is a plate-like member parallel to the conveyor belt 8 is disposed below the conveyor belt 8. The hole base portion 31 is provided with six sorting holes 10 according to denomination along the conveyor belt 8. The sorting hole 10 is a hole of a metal type whose hole width dimension is gradually increased. That is, six sorting holes 10 are provided in a size corresponding to each denomination in the order of 1 yen, 50 yen, 5 yen, 100 yen, 10 yen, and 500 yen from the right side of FIG. The coins conveyed by the conveyor belt 8 fall from the corresponding denomination sorting holes 10 as described in detail with reference to FIG. The hole base 31 and the sorting hole 10 constitute a coin sorting unit 11 that sorts the coins transported by the transport belt 8 according to the denomination.

  The coin sorting unit 11 is provided with a counting sensor 12 as a second detection unit that detects coins falling from each sorting hole 10. The sorting hole 10 communicates with the coin storage portion 14 (14a to 14f) having an upper opening which is partitioned by the partition plate 13 according to denomination. The coin storage unit 14 is disposed at a position for receiving a coin dropped from the sorting hole 10 and stores the coin.

  The width of the bottom surface portion of each of the coin storage portions 14a to 14f is wider than the diameter of the coins stored in each of the coin storage portions 14a to 14f, and the coin has a diameter equal to that of the coin stored in each of the coin storage portions 14a to 14f. It is set to be narrower than the width including the thickness of.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the sorting hole 10. On one side of the sorting hole 10, a conveyance reference surface 10 b is formed along the conveyance belt 8. The sorting hole 10 is provided with an inclined guide 10 a that guides the coin C falling from the sorting hole 10 into the inside of the coin storage portion 14. The inclined guide 10a is inclined downward as it goes from the end on the transport reference surface 10b side to the end on the support portion 10c side, and drops the coins C that have been sorted and dropped by the sorting hole 10 downward. .

  The coins C are conveyed by being pressed against the conveyance reference surface 10b by the conveyance belt 8 (see FIG. 2). At this time, the coin C is supported by the conveyance reference surface side support portion 10d on the conveyance reference surface 10b side and the support portion 10c on the opposite side of the conveyance reference surface 10b. When the coin C transported along the transport reference surface 10b is located in the sorting hole 10 having a size corresponding to the denomination and is not supported by the support portion 10c, the coin C is transported to the transport reference surface side support portion 10d. It pivots downward with the contact point as a fulcrum and falls from the sorting hole 10. The coin C that has fallen from the sorting hole 10 slides down the inclined guide 10a. Coins C that have slipped down the inclined guide 10a are stored in the corresponding coin storage portions 14.

  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal side view showing the internal structure of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1. A payout belt 15 is provided on the bottom surface portion of the coin storage portion 14. The payout belt 15 is stretched around a driving roller 16 and a driven roller 17 that are connected to and driven by a motor M (see FIG. 6). The payout belt 15 is inclined and formed so as to form an ascending slope whose height increases toward the downstream side in the payout conveyance direction (right side in FIG. 4).

  Further, a separation roller 18 that separates coins one by one is provided at an outlet of the coin storage unit 14 with an interval through which one coin can pass with respect to the payout belt 15. The separation roller 18 is provided across all the outlet portions.

  Furthermore, a coin aligning unit 19 is provided at the exit of the coin storage unit 14 to align a predetermined number of coins in a line and wait. The coin alignment unit 19 includes a payout belt 15 and also functions as a coin payout path.

  Each coin aligning portion 19 is provided with a payout shutter 20 that presses the leading coin C on the payout belt 15 to temporarily stop the coin C. The payout shutter 20 is connected to a payout solenoid 21. The payout shutter 20 retracts from the payout belt 15 when the payout solenoid 21 is driven. When the payout shutter 20 that has pressed the leading coin C on the payout belt 15 is retracted from the payout belt 15, it becomes possible to pay the designated number of coins C to the coin receiving portion 23 (see FIG. 2). ing.

  Immediately after the payout shutter 20, a payout sensor 22 which is an optical sensor for counting the number of coins paid out by denomination and a material sensor 27 which is an oscillation coil for detecting the material of the coin are provided. Yes.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection of each unit included in the payment terminal 201. The settlement terminal 201 includes a control unit 253 that controls each unit. The control unit 253 includes a CPU 255 that centrally controls each unit, a ROM 256 that stores fixed data in a fixed manner, a RAM 254 that stores variable data in a rewritable manner, a VRAM 257 that generates a display image to be displayed on the LCD 210, and an HDD 258. Yes. The HDD 258 stores various files such as operation programs, PLU files, image files, audio files, sales files, and the like. All or a part of these operation programs and various files are transferred to the RAM 254 and used when the settlement terminal 201 is activated. In addition to the unit price, the PLU file stores the weight, the lower and upper limit values for the weight, the product display, and the like in a rewritable manner in association with the product code that identifies each product.

  The control unit 253 includes a barcode scanner 204, an LCD 210, a touch panel 211, a receipt printer 251, a card reader / writer 252, a speaker 271, a light emitting unit 218, a coin depositing / dispensing device 1, a bill depositing / dispensing device 501, a weighing device 301, and a plurality of units. A communication interface 261 that implements data communication with an attendant terminal (not shown) for monitoring the self-checkout terminal 101 is connected via a bus line 259. The control unit 253 controls these units and executes various processes.

  Product sales data processing executed by the control unit 253 of the payment terminal 201 will be described. The merchandise sales data process includes a search process, a weight check process, and a settlement process (see FIG. 8).

  When the barcode attached to the product is read using the barcode scanner 204, the search processing recognizes the product code specified by the read barcode, searches the PLU file, and corresponds to the product code. It is a process which acquires the unit price to perform, weight, and a product display.

  The weight check process determines whether the weight weighed by the scale device 301 after reading the bar code and the weight obtained by the search process are the same as the weight obtained by the search process. This is a process of determining by determining whether or not the value is between the value and the upper limit value.

  The payment process is a process of calculating the total amount that the customer should pay based on the unit price acquired in the search process, and executing the payment of the total amount. The total amount is temporarily registered in the RAM 254 or registered in the sales file. In the settlement process, the calculated total amount can be settled using cash. The handling of cash is executed by the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 or the banknote deposit / withdrawal apparatus 501.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection of each part provided in the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1. The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 includes a control unit 30 as an information processing unit that executes information processing. The control unit 30 is responsible for controlling each unit. A POS terminal is connected to the control unit 30 via the communication interface 33. The control unit 30 includes a CPU 30a that centrally controls each unit, a ROM 30b that stores fixed data such as a control program in advance, and a RAM 30c that stores rewritable data such as the number of coins C of denomination. ing.

  A collation table 45 is formed in the ROM 30b. The collation table 45 stores a voltage value that is a detection output of the detection sensor 55 and a denomination in association with each other.

  In the RAM 30c, a first denomination type file 41 and a second denomination type file 42 for storing the number of coins for each denomination are formed (see FIG. 7).

  In addition to the counting sensor 12, the detection sensor 55, and the reject sensor 25d, the control unit 30 includes sensors 32 including an input sensor 4, a payout sensor 22, a material sensor 27, etc., each motor M, a reject solenoid 25c, and a payout solenoid 21. They are connected via a bus line 34. The control unit 30 controls driving of each motor M based on the detection output of the sensors 32 and the like. Further, the control unit 30 drives and controls the reject solenoid 25c and the dispensing solenoid 21. Although only one payout solenoid 21 is illustrated, a plurality of payout solenoids 21 are connected to the payout shutter 20 and correspond to each coin storage portion 14. Each of the plurality of dispensing solenoids 21 is controlled by the control unit 30.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a data structure of the first denomination type number file 41 and the second denomination type number file 42. The first denomination type number file 41 and the second denomination type number file 42 are formed in the RAM 30c of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 for each transaction. As shown in FIG. 7, the first denomination number file 41 and the second denomination number file 42 have data structures that can store the number of coins for each denomination. As will be described later, in the first denomination type number file 41, the number of coins for each denomination based on the detection output of the detection sensor 55 is stored by the control unit 30. Further, the number of coins for each denomination based on the detection output of the counting sensor 12 is stored in the second denomination type number file 42 by the control unit 30.

  In such a configuration, in the payment terminal 201 of the self-checkout terminal 101, the above-described merchandise sales data processing is executed by the customer.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of merchandise sales data processing executed by the control unit 253 of the payment terminal 201. First, the customer takes out a product from the shopping basket placed on the basket placing table 102 and causes the barcode scanner 204 to read the barcode. Thereby, the control part 253 of the payment terminal 201 performs a search process (step S101).

  Next, the customer causes the barcode scanner 204 to read the barcode, and then stores the product in a shopping bag held by the scale device 301. A product load is applied to the mounting table 303 a by storing the product in the shopping bag, and an output signal from the load cell unit is input to the settlement terminal 201. Thereby, the control part 253 of the payment terminal 201 performs a weight check process (step S102). When it is determined that the weights are not identical in the weight check process, the execution of the merchandise sales data process is stopped.

  When the customer has finished reading the barcodes for all the products he / she wishes to purchase, the customer executes a predetermined operation and makes a settlement using the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 or the like. That is, the control unit 253 of the payment terminal 201 executes a payment process (step S103). In the settlement process, the control unit 253 of the settlement terminal 201 displays the calculated total amount on the LCD 210 and displays a message for prompting the insertion of money on the LCD 210. As a result, the customer inserts money into the coin insertion unit 701 or the bill deposit port 503. As described above, the coins input to the coin input unit 701 are input to the coin input port 3 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1.

  The coin C inserted into the coin insertion slot 3 is detected by the insertion sensor 4. If there is a detection output of the insertion sensor 4, the control unit 30 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 controls the drive of the motor M. As a result, the slot belt 5 rotates and the coins C are conveyed and fed one by one by the slot roller 6. The coins C sent out by the slot roller 6 are conveyed one by one by the conveying belt 7. Coin C passes detection sensor 55 during conveyance. The detection sensor 55 detects the coin C and outputs it to the control unit 30 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the control unit 30 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1 based on detection outputs of the detection sensor 55 and the counting sensor 12. If there is a detection output of the detection sensor 55 (Y in step S201), the control unit 30 specifies the denomination based on the detection output (step S202). In step S202, the control unit 30 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 compares the voltage value, which is the detection output of the detection sensor 55, with the voltage value stored for each denomination in the collation table 45, thereby selecting the denomination. Identify.

  If there is no voltage value that matches the collation table 45 and the denomination cannot be specified (N in step S203), the coin C that has passed the detection sensor 55 is determined to be a false coin. That is, the control unit 30 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 drives and controls the reject solenoid 25c so that the reject unit 25 excludes the coin C. That is, the reject solenoid 25c is energized. As a result, the reject shutter 25b is opened, and the coin C falls from the reject hole 25a.

  On the other hand, if there is a voltage value that matches the collation table 45 and the denomination can be specified (Y in step S203), the control unit 30 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1 corresponds to the first denomination type number file 41. “1” is added to the denomination (step S204). And the control part 30 of the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus 1 transmits the data about the specified denomination to the payment terminal 201 via the communication interface 33. That is, in the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1, the denomination of the coin C is specified one by one and the data is transmitted to the settlement terminal 201.

  Thereafter, the coin C is further transported by the transport belt 8 and falls from the sorting hole 10. At this time, the coin C is detected by the counting sensor 12. If there is a detection output of the counting sensor 12 (Y in step S207), the control unit 30 of the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus 1 outputs the second denomination type file 42 for the denomination corresponding to the counting sensor 12 that has output. “1” is added to (step S208).

  That is, the control unit 30 of the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 1 transmits the data of the denomination specified before the detection output of the counting sensor 12 to the settlement terminal 201.

  The control unit 253 of the settlement terminal 201 sequentially stores the received denomination data in the RAM 254, and determines the number of coins denominated for each coin type inserted by the customer.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the denomination of the coin C is specified based on the detection output of the counting sensor 12 provided in the coin sorting unit 11 and the data is transmitted to the settlement terminal 201. Thus, the time from when the coin C is inserted into the coin slot 3 until the denomination data of the inserted coin C is transmitted from the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 to the settlement terminal 201 is shortened. As a result, the control unit 253 of the payment terminal 201 can quickly determine the customer's deposit amount in the settlement process, and the time for which the customer waits until the deposit amount is determined is further shortened.

  Returning to the description of the settlement process in step S103 of the flowchart of FIG. The control unit 253 of the settlement terminal 201 calculates the change amount from the difference between the calculated total amount and the determined deposit amount. The control unit 253 of the settlement terminal 201 transmits a payout instruction for the calculated change amount to the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 or the banknote deposit / withdrawal apparatus 501. The control unit 30 of the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 1 controls the motor M and the dispensing solenoid 21 to execute coin dispensing based on the received dispensing instruction.

  By the way, during the settlement process, a jam may occur after the transported coin C is detected by the detection sensor 55 and may be sorted by the coin sorting unit 11 and not stored in the coin storage unit 14.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1 in a state where a coin jam has occurred. Coins CJ in the vicinity of the coin guide 50 are deviated from the forced conveyance by the conveyance belt 7 or the conveyance belt 8 and stay. As shown in FIG. 10, when a jam occurs on the coin after passing through the detection sensor 55, the coin is conveyed to the coin sorting unit 11 and is not stored in the coin storage unit 14. However, according to the present embodiment, since the denomination data specified based on the detection output of the detection sensor 55 is transmitted to the payment terminal 201, the control unit 253 of the payment terminal 201 determines the deposit amount. be able to. That is, even when a coin jam occurs, there is no longer waiting for the customer.

  Next, processing executed when a coin jam occurs will be described. First, when a coin jam as shown in FIG. 10 occurs, since the coin is detected by the detection sensor 55 but not by the counting sensor 12, it is stored in the first denomination type file 41. There is a difference between the number of coins of the denomination and the number of coins of the denomination stored in the second coin type file 42.

  Moreover, since the coin detection by the count sensor 12 is not performed, the interval between the detection output of the detection sensor 55 and the detection output of the count sensor 12 is longer than the normal state where no coin jam has occurred.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the control unit 30 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 when a coin jam occurs. When the output interval between the detection sensor 55 and the counting sensor 12 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time set in advance due to the occurrence of a coin jam (Y in step S301), the control unit 30 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1 With reference to the first denomination type number file 41 and the second denomination type number file 42, the difference in the number of denominations for each denomination is calculated (step S302). That is, in step S302, the number of sheets stored in the first denomination type file 41 and the second denomination type file 42 is compared for each denomination, and the difference between the denominations is calculated. To do.

  For example, a case where a coin jam occurs and a 500 yen coin, a 100 yen coin, and a 10 yen coin each stay will be described. In this case, in the first denomination type file 41, the number of coins for the 500 yen coin, the 100 yen coin, and the 10 yen coin is each increased by one as compared with the second denomination type file 42. ing. That is, the control unit 30 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 calculates one for each of the 500 yen coin, the 100 yen coin, and the 10 yen coin as the number difference for each denomination.

  Next, the control unit 30 of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 transmits the data of the difference in the number of denominations calculated in step S302 to the settlement terminal 201 via the communication interface 33 (step S303).

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the control unit 253 of the payment terminal 201 when a coin jam occurs. When the control unit 253 of the settlement terminal 201 receives the data on the number difference for each denomination from the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 (Y in step S401), the control unit 253 generates the occurrence of the coin jam together with the received information on the number difference of the denomination. A jam occurrence notification screen G including a message to be notified is generated and displayed on the LCD 210 (step S402). In step S402, the control unit 253 of the payment terminal 201 may transmit data that tells the attendant terminal that a coin jam has occurred.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a screen example of the LCD 210 when a coin jam occurs. On the LCD 210, a jam occurrence notification screen G is displayed. The jam occurrence notification screen G includes a character string “coin jam has occurred” as a message informing the occurrence of a coin jam. Furthermore, the jam occurrence notification screen G includes information on the number of denominated coins CJ according to the data of the difference in the number of denominations received from the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1. The store clerk who has seen the jam occurrence notification screen G opens the base housing 202 of the settlement terminal 201 and further opens the housing 2 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1 to remove the remaining coins CJ. At this time, the jam occurrence notification screen G includes information on the number of coins CJ denominated, so that a jam occurs even if the stayed coin CJ is dropped and hidden in the housing 2. By comparing the number of denominations included in the notification screen G with the number of denominations of the actual coin CJ, it is possible to recognize and find that there are not enough coins.

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a self-checkout terminal. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of a coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus. It is a perspective view which expands and shows a selection hole. It is a vertical side view which shows the internal structure of a coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical connection of each part with which a payment terminal is provided. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical connection of each part with which a coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus is provided. It is a schematic diagram which shows the data structure of the 1st money type number file and the 2nd money type number file. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the merchandise sales data process which the control part of a payment terminal performs. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which the control part of a coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus performs based on the detection output of a detection sensor and a count sensor. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus of the state in which the coin jam generate | occur | produced. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which the control part of a coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus performs when coin jam occurs. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which the control part of a payment terminal performs when coin jam occurs. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of a screen of LCD when coin jam occurs.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus, 3 ... Coin insertion slot, 9 ... Coin conveyance part, 11 ... Coin selection part, 12 ... Count sensor (2nd detection part), 25 ... Reject part, 30c ... RAM (memory | storage part), 33 ... Communication interface (communication unit), 55 ... Detection sensor (first detection unit), 201 ... Payment terminal (product sales data processing device)

Claims (4)

A coin slot,
A coin transport unit that transports coins inserted into the coin slot one by one;
A first detector that is disposed at a position where the conveyed coin passes and detects the conveyed coin;
A coin sorting unit that is arranged on the downstream side in the coin transport direction from the first detection unit and sorts the transported coins according to denominations;
A coin storage unit that stores the coins selected by the coin selection unit in denominations;
A second detection unit which is provided for each denomination in the coin sorting unit and detects coins sorted by the coin sorting unit;
A communication unit that is connected to the product sales data processing device to realize data transmission and reception with the product sales data processing device;
Based on the detection output of the first detection unit, the denomination of the coin detected by the first detection unit is specified, and before the detection output of the second detection unit is present, the data of the specified denomination Means for transmitting to the product sales data processing device;
A coin deposit and withdrawal device. A rejection unit that is provided downstream of the first detection unit in the coin conveyance direction and upstream of the coin sorting unit and excludes the coins conveyed by the coin conveyance unit from being conveyed by the coin conveyance unit. When,
When the denomination of the coin detected by the first detection unit cannot be specified based on the detection output of the first detection unit, the drive unit of the rejection unit is driven so that the rejection unit excludes the coin Means for controlling;
The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus according to claim 1. Based on the detection output of the first detection unit, means for specifying the number of coins of each coin type detected by the first detection unit and storing it in the storage unit;
Means for specifying the number of coins denominated by the second detection unit based on the detection output of the second detection unit and storing it in the storage unit;
When the interval between the detection output of the first detection unit and the detection output of the second detection unit is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the coin detected by the first detection unit stored in the storage unit The number difference for each denomination is calculated based on the number for each denomination and the number for each denomination of the coins detected by the second detection unit, and the data for the calculated number difference for each denomination is calculated as described above. Means for transmitting to the merchandise sales data processing device;
The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus according to claim 2. When sending the calculated difference in the number of denominations to the merchandise sales data processing device, the fact that a coin jam has occurred is also sent to the merchandise sales data processing device.
The coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus according to claim 3.

Images