JPH06309544A - Coin discriminating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the coin discriminating device which normally performs the coin discrimination processing even in the case of the change of the environmental condition, in which the characteristic of a coin is measured, due to cleaning or the like. CONSTITUTION:A coin discriminating device 1 is provided with a coin data storage means 18 where coin data used to discriminate whether a coin is authentic or counterfeit and discriminate its denomination is stored, characteristic detecting means 4, 5, and 12 which detect the characteristic of a thrown-in coin 2, a discriminating means 11 which compares characteristic data detected by characteristic detecting means 4, 5, and 12 with coin data to discriminate whether the coin 2 is authentic or counterfeit and discriminate its denomination, and data rewrite means 11 and 13 which statistically processe characteristic data of the coin 2 judged to be authentic by the discriminating means 11 and rewrite coin data with new coin data based on processed characteristic data. Reference coin data is stored in the reference data storage means 18, and reference setting means 11 and 13 rewrite coin data in the coin data storage means 18 with reference data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to, for example, a vending machine,
The present invention relates to a coin identification device that is provided in a money changer or the like and that identifies the authenticity and type of inserted coins.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a coin discriminating device, a coin discriminating device having a so-called learning function is known. This device is a storage means for pre-storing the data of coins as a discrimination criterion as coin data, a memory for sequentially storing the characteristic data of the inserted coins detected by the sensor when an appropriate coin is inserted, and its memory. And a data rewriting means for calculating an average value of the characteristic data stored in the memory and storing the average value in the storage means as new coin data. Then, the data rewriting unit rewrites the coin data in the storage unit at any time or under a predetermined condition to correct the coin data that is the reference when determining the authenticity or type of the coin,
Coins are properly identified in accordance with the aging of the device. Specifically, for example, the range of the first coin data is 150 ± 15, but the learning function gradually corrects it to 100 ± 15 or 200 ± 15.

[0003]

In the conventional coin discriminating apparatus having the learning memory described above, when dust or dust is accumulated on the surface of the sensor due to long-term use, the coin data gradually increases due to its influence. Will be corrected. However, if dust or the like is removed by cleaning or the like, the sensor part will be in the same environmental condition as when the sensor is new, and the coin data used up to now may not be usable. That is, in the above example, the range of the final coin data is 1
In the case of 00 ± 15, if the characteristic data of the coin detected after cleaning is 150, it is determined that the coin is not appropriate. Therefore, despite the cleaning, there is a problem that the coin identification performance of the vending machine is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a coin discriminating apparatus which can normally perform a coin discriminating process even when environmental conditions for measuring the characteristics of coins are changed by cleaning or the like. The purpose is to provide.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object,
The coin discriminating apparatus of the present invention is a coin data storage means for storing coin data for discriminating the authenticity and the type of coins, a characteristic detecting means for detecting the characteristics of inserted coins, and characteristic data detected by the characteristic detecting means. And the coin data to determine the authenticity and type of the coin, and the statistically processing the characteristic data of the coin determined to be proper by the determining means, and the coin data to the processed characteristic data. In a coin identification device having data rewriting means for rewriting to new coin data based on, reference data storage means for storing reference coin data, and reference setting means for rewriting coin data in the coin data storage means to reference data are provided. It is characterized by that.

[0006]

According to the coin discriminating apparatus of the present invention, when a coin is inserted, the characteristic detecting means detects the characteristic and outputs characteristic data. The determination means compares the characteristic data with the coin data stored in the coin data storage means to determine the authenticity and type of the coin. Further, while repeating such discrimination, the data rewriting means converts the coin data into
The characteristic data of the coin determined to be appropriate by the determination means is statistically processed, and the coin data is appropriately rewritten to new coin data based on the processed characteristic data. In this way, the coin data stored in the coin data storage means is rewritten one after another to achieve the so-called learning function. On the other hand, when it becomes necessary to reset the coin data to the reference data, the reference setting means
The coin data in the coin data storage means is rewritten with the reference data. As a result, the coin data rewritten by the learning function is reset, and the coin identifying device starts the learning function from the beginning.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A coin discriminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. This coin discriminating device is of a type to be mounted on a vending machine.
Is a side view of the cutting. The coin identification device 1 includes a coin insertion opening 3 that is opened to insert a coin 2, a conveyance path 6 for conveying coins connected to the coin insertion opening 3, and a conveyance path 6
The first detection sensor 4 and the second detection sensor 5 facing the front, the receiving passage 8 for storing the coin 2 configured by branching the downstream portion of the transport path 6 in a coin storage not shown, and for returning the coin. A return passage 9, a coin passage gate 7 arranged at the inflow portion of the receiving passage 8, and a coin identification processing unit 10 for performing processing such as identification of coins.

The first and second detection sensors 4 and 5 operate as a part of the characteristic detection means, and both are composed of a magnetic sensor with a coupling coil. When the inserted coin 2 passes through a magnetic field. The change in the generated magnetic field is measured and characteristic data is output. In this case, the first detection sensor 4 mainly detects the shape, and the second detection sensor 5 mainly detects the material by using a low frequency.

When the coin 2 is inserted into the coin slot 3, the coin 2 rolls along the conveying path 6 into the coin discriminating apparatus 1. When the coin 2 reaches the positions of both the detection sensors 4 and 5, the detection sensors 4 and 5 output characteristic data for detecting the shape and material of the coin 2 to the coin processing unit 10, respectively. The coin processing unit 10 compares the characteristic data with the previously stored coin data to determine the authenticity and the type of the coin 2.

At this time, when the coin processing unit 10 determines that the coin is a proper coin, the characteristic data of the coin 2 is accumulated and stored in the memory in the coin processing unit 10 for each type of coin and the coin passage gate. 7 is opened, and the coin 2 is stored in the coin storage via the receiving passage 8. On the other hand, the coin processing unit 10
When it is determined that the coin 2 is not proper, the coin 2 is returned via the return passage 9. And this receiving passage 8
When the coin 2 passes through, the passage of the coin 2 is detected by a coin passage sensor (not shown), and the passage signal is output to the coin processing unit 10. When the coin processing unit 10 receives the passage signal, the coin processing unit 10 sends a coin proper signal to the outside of the coin identifying device 1 and the predetermined coin processing ends.

In parallel with the above operation, when the characteristic data of the coin 2 stored in the memory reaches a predetermined number of data, the coin processing unit 10 performs statistical processing, for example, calculation for obtaining an average value of the characteristic data. Then, new coin data is obtained from the average value and the already stored coin data, and the new coin data is rewritten.

Next, the electric circuit of the coin discriminating apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The components shown in the figure are mainly built in the coin processing unit 10, and the reference numeral 11 shown in the figure is a determination process for determining the authenticity and the type of the coin 2 as a determination unit, and a data rewriting unit. As a part of the standard setting means (hereinafter referred to as "CP").
U]).

The input port of the CPU 11 has an A / D
A processing circuit 12 including a conversion circuit and a signal processing circuit,
And the setting circuit 13 is connected. Further, the processing circuit 12 includes detection circuits 14 and 1 as characteristic detection means.
First and second detection sensors 4 and 5 are connected via 5, and oscillation circuits 16 and 17 are connected to both detection sensors 4 and 5, respectively. On the other hand, the storage unit 18 and the interface circuit 19 are connected to the input / output port of the CPU 11 via a bus line.

Explaining the above-mentioned components, the processing circuit 12 amplifies the detection signal as the characteristic data output from the detection circuits 14 and 15 with the insertion of the coin 2 to a predetermined amplitude, and the built-in clip circuit is used. After performing the waveform shaping, the waveform shaped characteristic data is output to the CPU 11 via the A / D conversion circuit.

The storage unit 18 has a reference data storage area (reference data storage means) in which reference data such as the thickness and material of coins, which serve as a discrimination reference, is stored in advance.
Characteristic data storage area that stores the characteristic data that measures the characteristics of the appropriate coins put on the market, and the coin data that is rewritten one after another based on the average value calculated by the learning function to be stored as new data And a coin data storage area (coin data storage means). Then, the CPU 11 accesses a predetermined address of the storage unit 18 to read out necessary data.
The reference data and the coin data initially stored in the coin data storage area are the data stored by the manufacturer at the manufacturing factory of the coin identifying device 1, and their contents are the same. However, the data content of the reference data is not changed and is stored as it is as the reference data, whereas the content of the coin data is corrected by the learning function at any time.

The setting circuit 13 is composed of, for example, a push button switch and a changeover switch provided inside the coin processing device 1. Of these, the push button switch is a rewrite of the coin data stored in the coin data storage area. Used as (standard setting means). That is, when the push button switch is operated, the reference data stored in the reference data storage area is read by the CPU 11 and then transferred to the coin data storage area to rewrite the stored coin data. , Are stored in the coin data storage area. That is, the contents of the coin data stored in the coin data storage area are the same as the contents initially stored. The above operation is performed by inputting the push button switch signal of the setting circuit 13 to the CPU 11
Is done automatically by. On the other hand, the changeover switch selects the allowable range width of coin data. That is, the allowable range width for identifying the authenticity and the type of the coin 2, for example, three types of allowable ranges such as ± 15, ± 10 and ± 5 for the value 100 of the coin data are prepared in advance. When foreign coins are used illegally, the allowable range width can be narrowed by setting the changeover switch.

The interface circuit 19 transfers signals for communicating with an external device, and when a proper coin is received, the CPU 11 sends a proper coin signal to the external device via the interface circuit 19. Is sent.

Next, the coin discrimination processing and the characteristic data storage processing of the CPU 11 will be described.
Compares and collates the characteristic data with the coin data under pre-programmed conditions to determine the authenticity and type of the coin. If the coin 2 is a proper coin, the characteristic data of the coin 2 is stored in the storage unit. It is stored in the 18 characteristic data storage areas. On the other hand, when it is determined that the coin 2 is not a proper coin, the characteristic data is not stored.

Then, the CPU 11 statistically processes the characteristic data accumulated and stored by the above-described processing, and based on the processed characteristic data, or the processed characteristic data and the coins already stored in the coin data storage area. The storage unit 1 is programmed under predetermined conditions based on both data and
We will correct the coin data of 8. Then, even if dust or the like is accumulated on the surfaces of the first and second detection sensors 4 and 5, the coin data is corrected one after another to become new coin data, so that there is no hindrance to the identification of coins. Has become. On the other hand, when dust or the like from both sensors 4 and 5 is removed by cleaning or the like, environmental conditions for detecting the characteristic data are different. For this reason, the characteristic data has a completely different numerical value from before, and if the coin data is used, most of the coins will be determined to be incorrect when determining the authenticity of the coin. In this case, when the user or the like operates the push button switch of the setting circuit 13, the contents of the coin data in the storage unit 18 are rewritten to the same contents as the reference data. Therefore, the coin data is the coin identification device 1
Is the data when it is new, so both detection sensors 4, 5
The data content corresponds to the detection environmental condition of No. 2, and the coins 2 inserted thereafter are correctly discriminated as to whether they are true or false. In addition,
After that, by operating in the learning function mode, the changed coin data continues to be corrected, and again becomes coin data corresponding to the secular change of the detection environmental condition of the characteristic data.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the coin data is corrected by the learning function in accordance with the secular change of the coin discriminating apparatus 1, the coin discriminating apparatus 1 detects the coin Even if the environmental conditions for measuring the characteristics are the initial conditions, it is possible to accurately determine the authenticity and the type of the inserted coin according to the conditions.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the use of the coin identification device 1 is not limited to vending machines, but is widely applied to coin sorting devices such as currency exchange machines, and the characteristic data of coins is also used as material.
The present invention is not limited to those relating to the thickness, the outer shape, etc., and can be applied to all characteristic data.

The coin discriminating apparatus 1 may be operated by switching between the normal mode in which the reference data is used as coin data for coin discrimination and the learning function mode described in the present embodiment. .

Further, the operation of the statistical processing is not limited to the average value calculation described in the present embodiment, but the standard deviation calculation can be performed, and the range of the reference data (the permissible range as a reference such as authenticity of coins) can be used. ) May be widened and the allowable range may be gradually narrowed in the learning function mode.

[0024]

As described above, according to the coin discriminating apparatus of the present invention, the coin discriminating process can be normally performed even when the environmental conditions for measuring the characteristics of coins are changed due to the cleaning of the vending machine. At the same time, the operation of the learning function can be restarted in response to the new environmental condition.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cutting side view of a coin identifying device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an electric circuit of a coin identifying device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 coin identification device 4 detection sensor 5 detection sensor 11 CPU 12 processing circuit 13 setting circuit 14 detection circuit 15 detection circuit 18 storage unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A coin data storage means for storing coin data for discriminating the authenticity and type of coins, a characteristic detecting means for detecting a characteristic of a inserted coin, and characteristic data detected by the characteristic detecting means, and Discrimination means for comparing the coin data to discriminate the authenticity and type of coins, and statistically processing the characteristic data of the coins discriminated to be proper by the discrimination means, and the coin data is processed as described above. In a coin discriminating apparatus having data rewriting means for rewriting new coin data based on characteristic data, reference data storing means for storing reference coin data, and reference setting for rewriting coin data in the coin data storing means to the reference data. And a means for identifying coins.