JP3035585B2 - Coin processing device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coin processing apparatus for controlling the amount of stored coins in a coin processing apparatus used for a ticket vending machine and the like, and a control method therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a coin processing apparatus used in a ticket vending machine sorts coins inserted in an input section by a checker, and flows into a change hopper for each denomination. The required number of coins are discharged from the change hopper to the change section as change. The change hopper is provided with sensors for detecting the amount of stored coins in at least two upper and lower positions. Inside the change hopper, the upper surface of the stored coins is above the lower sensor and above the upper sensor. Coins are replenished from the replenishing hopper so as to be lower. That is, when the amount of coins in the change hopper becomes equal to or smaller than the lower sensor, coins are supplied from the supply hopper until the amount of coins becomes equal to or larger than the lower sensor.
Further, when the coin becomes equal to or larger than the upper sensor, the coin in the change hopper is collected in the collection safe until the coin falls below the sensor. The amount of coins in the change hopper is maintained between the lower sensor and the upper sensor by controlling the amount of supply from the supply hopper and the amount of collection to the collection safe in this manner.

[0003]

However, in the conventional coin processing apparatus, when the replenishment amount from the replenishment hopper is too large, the amount of coins stored in the change hopper with the coins inserted from the insertion port is detected by the upper sensor. Beyond
The replenished coins will be immediately collected in the collection safe. In addition, despite the tendency that the amount of coins in the change hopper tends to increase as a whole, if the amount of storage falls below the lower sensor in one change release operation and coins are replenished, some When the coin is inserted by the user, the stored amount exceeds the upper sensor, and a collecting operation is required. In such a situation, the coins supplied from the supply hopper may be immediately collected without being effectively used.
For this reason, there has been a problem that the consumption of coins in the replenishing hopper becomes severe, and the operation of the main device is stopped due to lack of change. Further, in order to solve this problem, a large amount of replenishment reserve must be prepared, and there is a problem that the size of the apparatus is increased.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to determine the amount of coins to be supplied from the replenishing hopper to the change hopper by fuzzy inference so that an appropriate amount of coins can be replenished in accordance with the amount of coins stored in the replenishing hopper. A coin processing device and a coin processing device that can prevent a decrease in operation efficiency and an increase in the size of the device .
And a control method thereof .

[0005]

According to a coin processing apparatus control method of the present invention, coins flow in from an input section and flow out to a change section, and are also supplied from a replenishing section and collected in a hopper to be collected in a collecting section. Fuzzy inference is performed based on the storage level and the rate of change in the difference between the amount of coins input from the input unit and the amount discharged to the change unit in the hopper, and the amount of supply from the supply unit or the amount of collection to the collection unit is determined. It is characterized by doing.
In the coin processing apparatus of the present invention, coins flow from the input section.
Into the change department and replenish from the replenishment department.
Coin collection level in the hopper collected by the collection unit.
From the coin input section in the hopper
Means for calculating the rate of change of the difference between the input amount and the outflow amount to the change section
And the storage level and change rate of coins in the hopper
Fuzzy inference and supply amount or collection from the supply unit
And a fuzzy inference unit that determines the amount of collection to the collection unit.
And features.

[0006]

In the present invention, fuzzy inference is performed based on the storage level of coins in the hopper and the rate of change in the difference between the amount of coins input into and out of the hopper, and the amount of coins supplied or collected from the replenishing unit. The amount of coins collected to the department is determined. Therefore, the supply and collection to the hopper are determined in consideration of the state of coins stored in the hopper and the state of increase and decrease of coins in the hopper.

[0007]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a coin processing apparatus to which a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
The change hopper 1 stores coins to be released to customers. Coins inserted from the insertion slot 2 flow into the change hopper 1 via a check unit (not shown). In addition, coins are supplied to the change hopper 1 from the supply hopper 4, and when the amount of coins stored in the supply hopper 1 exceeds a predetermined amount, the coins are collected in the collection safe 5.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the coin processing device provided in the ticket vending machine. The coins inserted through the insertion slot 2 are subjected to authenticity determination and discrimination of the denomination in the ticket inspection unit 6, and genuine coins are changed hoppers 1a to 1d according to the denomination.
It flows into and is stored. Further, the change is discharged from the change hoppers 1 a to 1 d and discharged to the change discharge port 3 via the transport conveyor 14. Each of the change hoppers 1a to 1d is provided with a collection safe 5a to 5d below. When the amount of coins stored in the change hoppers 1a to 1d exceeds a certain amount, the coins in the change hoppers 1a to 1d are collected. Safe 5a ~
Collected in 5d. Also, coins are supplied from the supply hopper 4 to the 100-yen change hopper 1c and the 10-yen change hopper 1d. In the figure, only the supply hopper 4 for supplying change to the change hopper 1c is shown.

The replenishing hopper 4 is provided with a coin discharging rod 11. The coin discharging rod 11 is rotated by a motor 13 and a shutter 12 is opened to release the coin.
A 0 yen coin is supplied from the supply hopper 4 to the change hopper 1c.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the structure of a change hopper in the coin processing apparatus. The hopper 1 is a change motor 24
The coin stored inside is discharged from the discharge port by the rotation of. At this time, the number of coins discharged is counted by the coin counting sensor 18. Further, the change hopper 1 is provided with sensors 15 to 17 for detecting the amount of stored coins inside. The sensors 15 to 17 detect whether or not the upper surfaces of the coins to be stored have reached their respective mounting positions.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the coin processing device. Supply motors 13a and 13b and change motors 24a to 24d are connected to the CPU 21 via an interface 25. Further, the checkout unit 3 is connected via the interface 26. Furthermore, the change section 27a-
27d is connected. Each of the change portions 27a to 27d is constituted by the above-described sensors 15 to 18, and is connected to the CPU 21 via the interface 28. Each of the change units 27a to 27d corresponds to each of the change hoppers 1a to 1d of 500 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 10 yen, and has the same configuration.

The CPU 21 executes fuzzy inference based on the detection values of the sensors 15 to 18 input via the interface 28, and drives the supply motors 13a and 13b and the change motors 24a to 24d. The fuzzy rules shown in FIG. 5 are stored in the ROM 22 connected to the CPU 21 in advance. This fuzzy rule is, for example, if (x1 = ZR and x2 = PL) then (Y
= NS) This indicates that if the storage amount in the change hopper 1 is appropriate and rapidly increasing, coins are released from the change hopper a little. Here, the storage amount x1 in the change hopper is determined by the detection results of the level sensors 15 to 17, the count value of the counting sensor 18 (the change release amount) and the input port.
It is calculated from the difference from the inflow amount (input amount) . That is,
When a coin exceeds the H level sensor 15, x1 = PL, and when the number of coins increases by 15 beyond the M level sensor 16, x
−PS, and x1 = PM when 30 sheets are added beyond the M level sensor 16. On the other hand, the rate of change x2 is calculated from the difference between the amount of coins inserted per transaction and the amount of change released.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show the membership functions of the storage amount and the change rate, respectively, of the antecedent part of the fuzzy rule used in the fuzzy inference of the above control method.
FIG. 8 shows the membership function of the consequent part of the fuzzy rule. These membership functions have been empirically determined, and together with the fuzzy rules described above, ROM2
2 is stored. The CPU 21 executes a known fuzzy inference according to these fuzzy rules and membership functions, and obtains a replenishment amount or a collection amount of coins to the change hopper 1 as an inference result. Then, the supply motors 13a and 13b or the change motors 24a to 24d are driven according to the obtained supply amount or collection amount. That is, when coins are to be supplied to the change hopper 1, the supply motor 13
The a and b are driven for a time corresponding to the replenishment amount, and the coin discharge rod 11 attached to the replenishment motor 13 is rotated to replenish an appropriate amount of coins. On the other hand, when the number of coins in the change hopper 1 is reduced, the change motor 24 is driven for a time corresponding to the amount of reduction, and the coins in the change hopper 1 are collected in the safe 5a.
Collect to ~ 5d.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the amount of coins stored in the change hopper 1 is fuzzy based on the three sensors 15 to 17 provided in the change hopper 1 and the difference between the input amount and the discharge amount. Fine grain control can be performed by inference, and coin supply and collection can be performed in accordance with the tendency of the change in the amount of coins in the change hopper 1.

[0015]

According to the present invention, it is possible to replenish or collect coins in the hopper in consideration of the tendency of changing the amount of coins stored in the hopper, and to reduce the replenishment preparation amount by effectively utilizing the replenished coins. However, there is an advantage that the operation efficiency of the apparatus can be increased and the size can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a coin processing apparatus to which a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the coin processing device.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a change hopper included in the coin processing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the coin processing device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing fuzzy rules in fuzzy inference used in the control method.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a membership function related to a first input variable of a prerequisite part in the fuzzy inference.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a membership function relating to a second input variable of the antecedent part in the fuzzy inference.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a membership function of a consequent part of the fuzzy inference.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A coin is supplied from an input section, flows out to a change section, is replenished from a replenishing section, and is stored in a hopper to be collected by a collecting section. the method of the coin processing apparatus characterized by a rate of change of the difference between the outflow of the change unit, performs fuzzy inference from, to determine the recovery of the supply amount or recovery section of the supply unit. 2. A coin flows in from an input section and flows out to a change section.
As well as replenished from the replenishment department and collected by the collection department
Means for determining the coin storage level in the hopper, and the amount of coins to be
Means for determining the rate of change of the difference from the outflow amount, and the coin storage level and the rate of change in the hopper.
Perform fuzzy inference and supply to the replenishing unit or to the collecting unit
And a fuzzy inference unit for determining the collection amount of
Characterized coin processing device.