JP2011180958A - Detection unit for coin identification device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a detection unit for a coin identification device capable of detecting a material, an outer shape and plate thickness data of a coin by a minimally-sized sensor and a minimally-sized circuit constitution. <P>SOLUTION: The detection unit includes a coin passage 1 for making a coin pass, a sensor S1, a sensor S2, and a transmitting circuit. The sensor S1 and the sensor S2 are disposed across the coin passage while being spaced in an advancing direction 10 of the coin 2 in the coin passage 1. A signal waveform from the transmitting circuit including the sensor S1 and the sensor S2 in the passage of the coin 2 in contact with a left wall 3 of the coin passage 1 which is inclined in a direction of turning the coin sideways is inputted to an arithmetic processing unit, and data for the material of the coin, data for the material and the outer shape of the coin, and data for the plate thickness thereof are extracted from the first half, the middle and the latter half of the waveform, respectively, to identify the domination and authenticity of the coin. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a detection unit of a coin discriminating apparatus for identifying the denomination and authenticity of a coin passing through a coin transport passage in a vending machine, a money changer, and the like.

Vending machines, currency exchange machines, and the like are equipped with a coin identification device so that various types of coins can be handled. The coin identification device is individually provided with sensors for detecting the material, outer shape, and thickness of coins along the coin path, and an electronic circuit for identifying the type and authenticity of the coins from signals from the sensors.

As an example of the above, the material, outer shape, and plate thickness of the inserted coin are detected by one set of material sensor, one set of outer shape sensor, and one set of plate thickness sensor, which are connected to the output of each detection unit. The detection circuit has a unique detection circuit, and the determination data from the detection circuit is digitally calculated to determine the authenticity of the coin. The element for detecting coins is composed of three sets of sensors and three detection circuits. (See Patent Document 1)

In addition, two types of detection of the material and outer shape of the inserted coin are configured by one sine wave signal generation unit, two sets of sensors, and one detection circuit, and are arranged with an interval between the two sets of sensors. The two sets of sensors consist of four coils, and a sine wave signal transmission circuit that excites the four coils and a detection circuit are connected in series or in parallel, and the output of the detection circuit is input to an identification circuit to determine the authenticity of the coin. It is carried out. This device has the effect that the sine wave signal generator and the detection circuit can be shared. (See Patent Document 2)

JP 2001-167310 A JP 2009-26088 A

In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-26088, the purpose of inspecting the material and the outer shape is constituted by two sensors constituted by four coils and one detection circuit, and the number of detection circuits is reduced by one. In the system, there is no plate thickness detection, and in order to add a plate thickness detection function, generally one set of sensors and one detection circuit are newly added. Therefore, in order to detect three elements of the material, outer shape, and plate thickness of the inserted coin, it is composed of three sets of sensors composed of a total of six coils and two detection circuits, one detection circuit. Although it has been reduced, it has not been sufficient for cost reduction.
The problem to be solved is that the purpose of detecting three elements of the input coin material, outer shape, and plate thickness is configured with the minimum number of sensors and the minimum circuit.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a coin passage composed of a left side wall and a right side wall, a first sensor incorporating a first coil, and a second sensor incorporating a second coil. And a transmission circuit connected to the first sensor, the second sensor, and an arithmetic processing unit, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are spaced apart from each other in the coin traveling direction, and The first sensor is disposed on the left side wall, the second sensor is disposed on the right side wall, and the coin passage is structured to be inclined in a direction in which a coin to be inspected is laid down. The main feature is that the material, the outer shape, and the plate thickness of the coin passing through the coin passage are determined based on a signal from the transmission circuit.

The center position of the first sensor and the center position of the second sensor from the bottom surface of the coin passage are higher than the radius of the smallest diameter coin to be denominated, and from the bottom surface of the coin passage, It is desirable that the height of the outer peripheral upper surface of the first sensor and the height of the outer peripheral upper surface of the second sensor be equal to or less than the diameter dimension of the smallest diameter coin that is denominated.

By detecting the material from the material acquisition timing (TZ) of the signal waveform from the transmission circuit, the outer shape from the intermediate timing (T2), and the plate thickness from the plate thickness acquisition timing (TA), the material, the outer shape, and the plate thickness can be detected. . Further, by arranging the third sensor on the center line of the first sensor and the second sensor, the intermediate timing (T2) can be reliably detected.

The “sensor” of the present invention is composed of one pot core and one coil, but one set of sensors shown in the prior art document is opposed to two pot cores with two coils sandwiching a coin path. Therefore, one set of sensors in the prior art document is two sensors of the present invention.

The “transmitter circuit” may be either a self-excited transmitter circuit or a separately-excited transmitter circuit, and includes a filter and a smoothing circuit attached to the transmitter circuit. As an example of the separate excitation transmission circuit, a combination of a sine wave signal generation circuit and an operation amplification described in JP 2009-26088 A may be used.

The timing of the signal waveform from the transmission circuit is divided into four equal times from the standby state waveform until the coin is detected and returned to standby, and the material acquisition timing (TZ) is detected when approximately 25% has elapsed from the start of detection. The time when approximately 50% has elapsed from the start is the intermediate timing, and the time when approximately 75% has elapsed since the start of detection is the latter half timing.

  The detection unit of the coin identification device of the present invention can be configured with two sensors and one detection circuit to detect three elements of material, outer shape, and plate thickness, and the number of coils is reduced by 67% compared to the conventional one. In addition, there is an advantage that the number of detection circuits is reduced from 50% to 67% compared to the conventional circuit.

The coin identification device of the present invention is configured to identify a predetermined coin inserted from an insertion port of a vending machine or the like and guide it to a coin stacking unit or a return port, and a coin identification device for identifying a coin The detection unit will be described. The detection unit of the coin discriminating device of the present invention efficiently uses the arrangement and passage structure of the two sensors provided in the coin passage and the waveform obtained from the detection circuit in order to detect the material, outer shape, and plate thickness of the coin. Analyzed and configured with minimum parts.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a coin passage 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. A sensor S1 includes a coil L1 and is disposed outside the left side wall 3, and a sensor S2 includes a coil L2 and a right side. They are arranged outside the wall 4 and at intervals in the traveling direction 10. The coin passage 1 has a structure in which the traveling direction is low, and the coin 2 moves by its own weight in the traveling direction 10 between the left side wall 3 and the right side wall 4.
The detection direction of the coil L1 of the sensor S1 and the coil L2 of the sensor S2 is toward the center of the coin path, and when the coin 2 moves, the coin 2 can be magnetically detected by the sensors S1 and S2.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram viewed from the arrow 13 in FIG. 1. The left side wall 3 and the right side wall 4 are structured so as to be inclined in the direction 16 in which the coin 2 is laid down, and the coin 2 is closely attached to the left side wall 3. Let it pass. Further, a member that presses the coin 2 against the left side wall 3 or a thread trimming mechanism may be installed on the right side wall 4 to press the coin 2. Further, it is preferable to provide ribs or the like for reducing friction with the coin 2 on the left side wall 3 and the right side wall 4.
The passage width 12 is set to be wider than the maximum thickness of the coins in the denominations to be authenticated, and when the coin 2 is moving in the vicinity of the sensors S1 and S2, a gap is formed in the coin passage as shown in FIG. 11 occurs. The right side wall 4 has a structure that can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow 14 when a coin clogging occurs, but it is desirable that the passage width 12 after clogging is returned to the specified position every time.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the coin discriminating apparatus. The coils L1 and L2 have approximate magnetic characteristics, the two coils are connected in series, and the interaction with the internal capacitors C1 and C2 of the transmission circuit 6 is shown. The transmission frequency is set to about 100 KHz with material detection characteristics. The frequency is an example, and differs depending on the type and size of the sensor or the type of coin to be detected. Preferably, the frequency is set so that the material at the shallow position on the coin surface can be detected.
The signal 15 from the coil L2 is smoothed by the rectifier circuit 7 and input to the A / D port of the arithmetic processing unit 8. The arithmetic processing unit 8 stores and calculates the signal waveform data from the rectifier circuit 7, collates the authenticity determination data preset in the memory 9, and performs denomination and authenticity determination.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the detection area from two coins having different outer shapes and sensor arrangements. A coin 2A having a larger outer shape moves on the passage bottom surface 5 from the left in the drawing in the traveling direction 10, and the sensors S1 and S2 A coin 2A (dotted line) having a small outer shape, showing a position moved in the middle, is described for comparison.
The auxiliary line 21 indicates the height of the coin with the smallest diameter among the denominations to be identified. If the identification coins are four denominations of 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen and 500 yen, the minimum diameter is 50 yen coins. Since the height is 21 mm, the height from the passage bottom surface 5 is set to 21 mm and parallel to the passage bottom surface 5. The outer circumferences of the sensors S1 and S2 are arranged slightly lower than the auxiliary line 21.

The reason why the sensors S1 and S2 are arranged slightly lower is that the sensors S1 and S2 need to detect coins on the entire surface of the sensor S1 in the material detection described later, and the center of the coin 2B is the auxiliary line 22 that goes out of the sensor S1. When moved to the position, the outer peripheral height 23 of the sensor S1 is set lower than the coin 2B diameter 31.
In the sensor arrangement, the coin 2A having a large outer shape is in contact with the sensors S1 and S2 with a large area, but the coin 2B having a small outer shape is in contact with a small area.
The difference between the areas detected by the coins 2 </ b> A and 2 </ b> B is the sum of the black portions 17 and 18.

The dotted lines 24 and 25 in FIG. 4 assume the case where the sensor is arranged at a low position, and the difference in the area detected by the coin 2A and the coin 2B is the sum of the black portions 26 and 27. Thus, the detection area difference when the sensor position is high is the sum of the black portions 17 and 18, and the detection area difference when the sensor position is low is the sum of the black portions 26 and 27. By installing it at the top, the amount of change in the detection area increases with respect to changes in the outer dimensions of the coin, which is advantageous for outer shape detection. If the centers 28 and 29 of the sensors S1 and S2 are installed at a position higher than the radius (30) of the smallest coin, the height of the arrangement of the sensors S1 and S2 can be reliably measured.

The optimum dimension of the distance between the sensor S1 and the sensor S2 is such that the outer circumference of the sensors S1 and S2 does not protrude from the outer circumference of the outer diameter of 26.5 mm of 500 yen, which is the largest diameter coin, in order to obtain the feature of outer shape detection. If the maximum value is taken, a large difference in detection area can be obtained with respect to changes in the outer dimension of the coin.
The minimum distance between the sensors S1 and S2 is preferably a dimension that does not overlap the sensors S1 and S2 in terms of the sensor diameter, but is not limited to this when the sensor outer shape is large, and should be larger than the optimum dimension value. There is also.

5 shows the waveform W1 of the input signal to the A / D of the arithmetic processing unit 8 in FIG. 3 when the coin 2A having a large outer shape shown in FIG. 4 moves from the left on the passage bottom surface 5 in the traveling direction 10. Is shown. When the coin 2A in FIG. 4 is located upstream of the sensor S1, there is no action from the coin 2A to the sensors S1 and S2 in the state of time T0 on the horizontal axis in FIG. 5, and the voltage V0 is generated. When the coin 2A in FIG. 4 arrives at the sensor S1 (T1), the voltage indicated by the waveform W1 in FIG. 5 starts to decrease, and when the coin 2A entirely overlaps the sensor S1 in FIG. 4, the waveform W1 in FIG. Decreases to V1. The voltage V1 at this time indicates a value specific to the material of the coin 2A. When the coin 2A in FIG. 4 further moves in the advancing direction 10 and reaches an intermediate point between the sensors S1 and S2, the intermediate timing T2 in FIG. 5 is reached and the input signal becomes the lowest voltage of the voltage V2.
When the coin 2A in FIG. 4 leaves the sensor S2 after passing near the sensor S2, the waveform W1 shown in FIG. 5 becomes the plate thickness acquisition timing (TA), and after detecting the voltage V3, the waveform W1 is the voltage at the separation timing (T3). Return to V0.

The waveform W1 is temporarily stored in the arithmetic processing unit 8 in FIG. 3, and the denomination or authenticity of the coin is determined. The arithmetic processing unit 8 detects the arrival timing T1 and the end timing T3 of the waveform W1 in FIG. 5 by calculation. Subsequently, the time of arrival timing (T1) and separation completion timing (T3) is divided into two, the intermediate point is obtained and the result is set as intermediate timing (T2), and the maximum or minimum voltage of the data before and after the intermediate timing (T2) Ask for. Usually, the maximum voltage or the minimum voltage is near the timing (T2). The minimum voltage, the maximum voltage, or the voltage at the intermediate timing (T2) is the coin outline data.

The result of calculating the intermediate point between the arrival timing (T1) and the intermediate timing (T2) in FIG. 5 is the material detection timing (TZ), and the voltage V1 of the material detection timing (TZ) of the waveform W1 becomes the material data of the coin. . The material data may be a method of averaging data before and after the material detection timing (TZ).
The result of calculating the intermediate point between the intermediate timing (T2) and the withdrawal timing (T3) is the plate thickness acquisition timing (TA), and the voltage V3 at the plate thickness acquisition timing (TA) of the waveform W1 becomes the plate thickness data of the coin. . The plate thickness data may be a method of averaging data before and after the plate thickness acquisition timing (TA).

Waveforms W1 and W2 in FIG. 6 are the same in material and plate thickness, but FIG. 3 shows a case where coins 2A and coins 2B having different external shapes move from the left on the passage bottom surface 5 in FIG. The coin 2B having a small outer shape is the waveform W2 in FIG. 6, and the signal waveform W1 of the coin 2A having a large outer shape is indicated by a dotted line for comparison.
The timing (T4) in FIG. 6 is the material detection timing of the waveform W2, and is in a position where the coin 2B in FIG. 4 is detected only by the sensor S1, and the input signal at this time is the voltage V4 in FIG. It becomes equal to the input signal voltage V2 of the large coin 2A.

When the coin 2B in FIG. 4 further moves in the advancing direction 10 and reaches a timing T5 in FIG. 6, which is an intermediate point between the sensors S1 and S2, the input signal waveform W2 becomes a voltage V5. The difference between the detection voltages V2 and V5 is due to the influence of the area differences 17 and 18 in contact with the sensor according to the external dimensions described in FIG. 4, and the voltage of the input signal at the timing (T5) in FIG. 6 detects the external shape of the coin. It is used as data for

When the coin 2B in FIG. 4 further moves in the advancing direction 10 and passes through the vicinity of the sensor S2, the input signal becomes the voltage V6 in FIG. 6 and exhibits the same characteristics as the input signal voltage V3 of the coin 2A having a large outer shape. When it leaves, it returns to voltage V0.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an input signal waveform when coins having the same material and outer dimensions as coin 2A in FIG. 4 but having different thicknesses are moved. Waveform W1 when coin 2A is moved ( The waveform of the coin thinner than the coin 2A is indicated by W3 (solid line).
When the coin 2A and the coin 2B in FIG. 4 are in the vicinity of the center of the sensor S1, the coin moves in close contact with the left side wall 3 as shown in FIG. 2, and the sensor S1 detects the material property at a position close to the coin surface. Yes. The waveform W1 and the waveform W2 of FIG. 7 at this time are the position of timing (T7), show the equivalent voltage, without being influenced by the thickness of the coin. When the coin 2A and the coin 2B in FIG. 4 are at an intermediate point between the sensor S1 and the sensor S2, the detection is omitted in the same manner as the outer shape detection.

The position where the coin shown in FIG. 4 reaches near the center of the sensor S2 is not affected by the sensor S1, but is affected by the sensor S2. The timing is the timing (T8) in FIG. 7, and the voltage of the thin coin waveform W3 is V8, which is higher than the voltage V3 of the waveform W1 of the coin 2A. This is due to the influence of the gap 11 between the coin 2 and the sensor S2 in FIG. 2, and the thin plate coin has a larger gap 11 and reduced electromagnetic coupling.
Thus, the plate thickness of the coin 2 can be measured by detecting the voltage near the timing (T8) in FIG. Further, the difference or change ratio between the voltage V7 near the timing (T7) and the voltage V8 near the timing (T8) may be calculated and used as the plate thickness data.

Thus, by analyzing the data from the arrangement and waveform of the sensors S1 and S2 that detect the material, it is possible to detect the coin identifying device that detects the outer shape and the plate thickness. In addition, since detection is configured with a single circuit, it is no longer necessary to perform processing that is difficult to compensate for temperature fluctuations between circuits.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram in which a sensor is added as an example of the third sensor to perform edge detection. The edge sensor 20 is installed near the passage bottom surface 5 on the center line 19 of the sensors S1 and S2. . When the coin moves in this passage, the waveform W4 in FIG. 9 can be acquired, and by measuring the minimum voltage V9 of W4, the timing (T9) at which the coin moves to the center of the sensors S1 and S2 can be acquired.

By obtaining the timing (T9), the voltage V2 can be measured at the same time at the same timing, the external dimensions can be known, the data before the timing T9 is the material, and the thickness and software burden are reduced after the timing T9. it can. The third sensor may be material detection or optical position detection using different frequencies other than edge detection.

It is explanatory drawing seen from the upper surface of the coin channel | path. Example 1 It is explanatory drawing seen from the side of the coin channel. Example 1 It is a block diagram which shows an example of a coin identification device. Example 1 It is explanatory drawing about the detection area of two coins and a sensor from which an external shape differs. Example 1 It is a waveform when a coin moves through a coin passage. Example 1 It is explanatory drawing which shows the difference of a waveform when the coin from which an external shape moves a coin channel | path. Example 1 It is explanatory drawing which shows the difference in a waveform when the coin from which board thickness differs moves a coin channel | path. Example 1 It is explanatory drawing seen from the upper surface and front of sensor arrangement | positioning. (Example 2) It is explanatory drawing which shows the waveform of an edge detection sensor. (Example 2)

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coin passage 2 Coin 3 Left side wall 4 Right side wall 5 Passage bottom face 6 Transmission circuit 7 Rectification circuit 8 Arithmetic processing part 9 Memory 10 Traveling direction 16 Sideways direction 23 Outer peripheral height of 1st sensor and 2nd sensor 28 1st Center position of sensor 29 Center position of second sensor 30 Radius of minimum diameter coin 31 Diameter of minimum diameter coin S1, S2 First sensor, second sensor L1, L2 First coil, second coil T2 Middle Timing TA Thickness acquisition timing TZ Material acquisition timing

Claims (5)

A coin passage composed of a left side wall and a right side wall, a first sensor incorporating a first coil, a second sensor incorporating a second coil, the first sensor and the second sensor The first sensor and the second sensor are spaced apart from each other in the coin traveling direction, the first sensor is disposed on the left side wall, The second sensor is arranged on the right side wall, the coin passage is structured to be inclined in a direction in which a coin to be inspected is laid down, and the arithmetic processing unit includes a material and an outer shape of the coin passing through the coin passage. The detection part of the coin identification device characterized by determining plate | board thickness based on the signal from the said transmission circuit. The center position of the first sensor and the center position of the second sensor from the bottom surface of the coin passage are higher than the radius of the smallest diameter coin to be denominated, and the first position from the bottom surface of the coin passage is the first position. 2. The detection unit of a coin identification device according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral height of the second sensor and an outer peripheral height of the second sensor are equal to or less than a diameter dimension of a minimum diameter coin to be denominated. 3. The detection unit of a coin identification device according to claim 1, wherein the outer circumference of the first sensor and the outer circumference of the second sensor are in a position in contact with the inner side of the outer circumference of the largest diameter coin to be denominated. A material thickness is detected from a material acquisition timing (TZ), an outer shape from an intermediate timing (T2), and a plate thickness from a plate thickness acquisition timing (TA) by calculation of the arithmetic processing unit from a signal waveform from the transmission circuit. The detection part of the coin identification device according to claim 1. The detection unit of the coin identification device according to claim 1, wherein a third sensor is arranged on a center line of the first sensor and the second sensor.

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