JP2647350B2 - Counter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a counter for pachinko balls, coins for slot machines and the like, and more particularly to a counter equipped with a fraud prevention means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a counter such as a pachinko ball or a coin for a slot machine, a semiconductor light emitting diode (LE) is used when an object to be counted passes through a passage portion one by one.
The counting is performed by a sensor that is a combination of D) and a semiconductor light receiving element. That is, for example, the light emitted from the light emitting diode is temporarily blocked by the passage of a pachinko ball, and the number of times the state where the light receiving element detects the reflected light or the number of times the state where the light receiving element becomes unable to detect the transmitted light occurs. Pachinko balls are counted.

[0003]

However, in such a counter, counting is performed as long as the light emitted from the above-described light emitting diode is blocked, so that a malicious user cannot count on the object to be counted. An illegal thing can be easily done by inserting a long and thin object into the passage. In particular, since counters for pachinko balls are used by unspecified large numbers of users at pachinko parlors, such fraudulent operations are continually performed, and fraudulent counting is performed simultaneously on multiple passages provided in the counter to improve counting efficiency. There is a problem that even rake-type illegal props are circulating, and the installer of such a counter has to worry about preventing fraud.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and includes a mechanism for simultaneously checking whether or not the object to be counted is proper, in addition to counting the number by an optical sensor. It is an object to provide a counter.

[0005]

The counter according to the present invention comprises:
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, (a) a passage having a predetermined width and a predetermined height for transporting the counted object,
(B) detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the counted object passing through the passage; and (c) shape recognition for recognizing whether or not the shape of the counted object detected by the detecting means is a predetermined shape. Means for recognizing the shape, wherein the shape recognizing means has a CCD and a comparing means for comparing an image obtained by the CCD with a previously stored image of the object to be counted.

It is preferable that the passage is inclined downward along a direction in which the object passes.

Preferably, the detecting means includes an optical sensor including a light emitting element for emitting light toward the passage and a light receiving element for detecting a reflected light of the light emitted toward the passage.

[0008]

The shape recognizing means has means for detecting the number of objects to be counted, and further includes a number of objects to be detected by the shape recognizing means, and a number of objects to be counted by the optical sensor. It is preferable to have a means for comparing

[0010] Further, it is preferable that display means is provided which is connected to the detecting means and displays a numerical value counted by the detecting means.

[0011] It is preferable that the display means is a display device for displaying a total number of the counted objects, a division number obtained by dividing the total number by a certain unit number, and a surplus number.

Further, it is preferable that warning means is provided which is connected to the shape recognizing means and issues a warning upon receiving a signal from the shape recognizing means.

It is preferable that the object to be counted is a pachinko ball.

[0014]

According to the counter of the present invention, the object to be counted is counted by the detecting means, and the shape of the article whose counting is performed is recognized by the shape recognizing means. Accordingly, the counting is performed at the same time as the counting to check that there is no abnormality in the counting object, thereby making it possible to prevent an incorrect counting due to, for example, illegally inserting an article other than the counting object.

If the passage is inclined downward in the direction in which the counted object passes, the counted object automatically rolls over the passage and passes, and the structure for transporting the counted object is simplified.

If the detecting means and the shape recognizing means are optically detected or recognized by an optical sensor, a CCD or the like, respectively, a counter with high accuracy and few failures can be obtained.

Furthermore, the counting obtained by the detecting means and the counting obtained by the shape recognizing means are collated, so that the counting of the object which moves unnaturally is not performed, so that the fraud is more reliably detected. This is prevented and the reliability of the finally obtained count is increased.

If a display device is connected to the detecting means, and the total number of the counted objects to be counted is automatically displayed, the mode of use is simplified. In addition, if the total number of the objects to be counted and the number of divisions obtained by dividing the total number by a certain number of units and the number of the remainders are displayed, the trouble of newly calculating such number of divisions and the number of remainders is eliminated. It is convenient to save.

By providing a warning means for receiving a signal from the shape recognizing means and issuing a warning, it is possible to easily supervise fraud prevention by the user.

The counter of the present invention is very effective when the object to be counted is a pachinko ball.

[0021]

Next, a specific embodiment of the counter according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A pachinko ball counter according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 is an external view, FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view as viewed from the side, and FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the main body 1 in which an upper portion of the housing is removed so that a pachinko ball passage 8 is exposed.

In the pachinko ball counter of this embodiment,
A display section 3 and a selection button 4 are provided on the front upper portion of the main body 1 together with a pachinko ball discharge opening 2. The main body 1 further has a ticket issuing section 5 and a ball return port 6 at a lower part on the front. In the lower part in front of pachinko ball outlet 2, ball drop 7
The ball drop opening 7 communicates with a plurality of rows of passages 8. These passages 8 are provided such that one rail plate 10 is provided at the bottom of the space sandwiched between the two partition plates 9, and the pachinko balls are guided on the rail plates 10 by the two partition plates 9 to roll. Is configured. The passage 8 has a gentle slope with a certain length, and is designed so that the pachinko balls falling from the ball drop opening 7 reach the reflection-type optical sensor 11 after the speed is somewhat reduced. Passage 8
Are arranged in 16 rows, and a reflection type optical sensor 11 and a CCD 12 are provided for each passage.

The reflection type optical sensor 11 is configured such that a light emitting element and a light receiving element are paired and mounted on the upper part of the passage 8. The light emitted from the light emitting element is reflected by the ball passing through the passage, and is sensed by the light receiving element, whereby the passage of the ball is detected. 2 and 3
In FIG. 7, the pachinko ball 13 is shown at a position immediately before detection by the reflection type optical sensor 9.

The CCD 12 is arranged so as to capture what passes through the passage 8 as an image, and a 16-gradation CCD is used. The shape of the counted object passing through the CCD 12 is clearly captured, and the captured image is compared with an image of the pachinko ball stored in the control unit (not shown) in advance, and the shape of the counted object is determined. Checked.

Next, the operation of the pachinko ball counter will be described with reference to these figures. When the pachinko balls are released into the pachinko ball discharge port 2 provided in the main body 1,
The pachinko balls 13 are dropped into the passage 8 from the ball drop opening 7 and are simultaneously sorted into a plurality of rows at the passage openings provided at the bottom thereof and roll into the counter. In this way, the pachinko ball 13 is further rolled further back and the reflection type optical sensor 9 and CC
It is detected and counted by D12, and the shape is recognized.

When an abnormal object to be counted is recognized by the CCD 12, a warning is displayed through the control unit,
An instruction such as sounding an alarm is transmitted, and an instruction to store an image used for recognition of the abnormal object to be counted in a memory can also be given.

Since the number of balls is also counted by the image recognition of the CCD 12, it is collated with the number obtained by the optical sensor 9 and used for the final judgment of the number of balls and the judgment of the presence or absence of impropriety. .

As described above, the number of balls is counted by the optical sensors provided in the passages of each row, and the total number of all the rows is automatically displayed on the display unit 3 as the total number. The number of balls counted in each of these columns by the control unit (not shown) is summed up, the division number divided by the designated unit number and the remainder are calculated and displayed on the display unit 3 respectively. In addition to the total number of balls, the display unit 3 also shows a division number obtained by dividing the total number by a certain number of units and a surplus number of balls as a fraction thereof. When it is confirmed that all the balls possessed by the user are released and that no balls remain at the bottom of the entrance 2, one of the selection buttons 4 is pressed. At this time, according to the request of the user, a ticket (receipt) in which the total number of balls including the surplus balls has been entered is desired, or a surplus ball can be returned at the same time as the ticket in which the displayed percentage is entered. The desired one can be selected depending on which of the select buttons 4 is pressed. When the selection button 4 is pressed, a ticket in which the total number of balls, the number of divisions, and the like are entered is taken out from the ticket issuing unit 5.
More released.

In this embodiment, the counter using pachinko balls as the object to be counted has been described. However, it is also possible to adopt a coin as the object to be counted, for example, by forming the passage in a vertically long slit shape. Furthermore, the shape is not limited to a sphere or a coin, and any shape that can pass through the passage in combination with the passage, such as one that slides on the passage and one that is carried by the passage. In this case, a large number of objects having the same shape can be counted by the counter of the present invention.

The number of rows of passages is arbitrary, and generally, the greater the number, the faster the number of balls or the number of objects to be counted. However, since the size of the main body of the counter is naturally limited, the practical number of columns is around the number shown in this embodiment.

Instead of the reflection type optical sensor used in this embodiment, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are separately arranged above and below the passage, and whether or not a direct optical path between both elements is blocked by the object to be counted. Alternatively, a transmission-type optical sensor that detects the object to be counted may be used. In general, the transmission type is superior to the reflection type in terms of sensitivity, but the transmission type needs to be provided with a window through which light is transmitted at the bottom of the passage, such as the pachinko ball of the present embodiment. If the object to be stained is an object to be counted, the light passing through the object may deteriorate the light transmittance, so that the reliability is inferior to that of the reflection type optical sensor as in this embodiment.

[0033]

According to the present invention, the shape of the object to be counted at a predetermined position of the counter is recognized, and the counting of the object to be counted is performed at a plurality of places. Is prevented, and a highly reliable count number is finally obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a counter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the counter of FIG. 1 as viewed from a side.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the counter of FIG. 1 as viewed from above.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Ball entrance 3 Display part 4 Selection button 5 Ticketing part 6 Ball return part 7 Ball dropout 8 Passage 9 Partition plate 10 Rail plate 11 Reflection type optical sensor 12 CCD 13 Pachinko ball

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A passage having a predetermined width and a predetermined height for conveying an object to be counted, (b) detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the object to be counted passing through the passage, and (c). And a shape recognizing means for recognizing whether or not the shape of the object to be detected detected by the detecting means is a predetermined shape, wherein the shape recognizing means stores a CCD and an image obtained by the CCD in advance. A counter having comparison means for comparing with the image of the object to be counted. 2. The counter according to claim 1, wherein the passage is inclined downward along a direction in which the object passes. 3. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit includes an optical sensor including a light emitting element that emits light toward the passage and a light receiving element that detects reflected light of the light emitted toward the passage. 2. The counter according to 1. 4. The shape recognizing means has means for detecting the number of the objects to be counted, and further includes a number of the objects to be detected by the shape recognizing means, and a number of objects to be detected by the optical sensor. 4. A counter according to claim 1, comprising means for comparing with the number of bodies. 5. The counter according to claim 1, further comprising display means connected to said detection means for displaying a numerical value counted by said detection means. 6. The display means includes: a total number of the object to be counted;
6. The counter according to claim 5, wherein the counter is a display device for displaying a division number obtained by dividing the total number by a certain unit number and a surplus number. 7. A warning means connected to the shape recognizing means and issuing a warning in response to a signal from the shape recognizing means is provided.
2. The counter according to 1. 8. The counter according to claim 1, wherein the object to be counted is a pachinko ball.