JPH0773359A - Coin discrimination device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exactly grasp the cumulative number of thrown-in coins and abnormality generation condition on the side of the coin discrimination device such as the clogging condition of thrown-in coins on the market by providing a storage means for storing the cumulative number of thrown-in coins, the cumulative number of paid coins and abnormality information. CONSTITUTION:The coin discrimination device itself stores the cumulative number of thrown-in coins and the abnormality generation information such as on the clogging of the thrown-in or paid coins in a storage means 6. When a coin is thrown-in, a discrimination means 1 discriminates the validity of the thrown-in coin and when the validity of the thrown-in coin is determined, as the result of coin discrimination, a valid coin signal is sent, and the cumulative number of thrown-in coins is increased. Further, the coin is sorted by denomination while using a sorting means 2 and housed in a prescribed denomination cylinder. When the clogging of coins is generated at the time of sorting the coin, however, an abnormal signal is sent, it is stored in the storage means 6 as coin clogging abnormality content classification data, and the abnormal signal is continuously sent until the abnormal state is canceled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coin discriminating apparatus used in a ticket vending machine, a vending machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A coin identifying device mounted on a vending machine is also required to have a long life after being installed on the market. The coin identification device installed in the vending machine is
It is frequently used and in order to maintain the initial coin identification performance, regular cleaning and inspection work and recovery and repair work are required. In particular, in order to carry out recovery and repair work accurately, it is indispensable to grasp the actual usage record in the market. Conventionally, this type of coin discriminating apparatus has a configuration as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, 1 is an identification means for electrically identifying the coins in a non-contact manner, 2 is a sorting means for sorting the identified coins into denominations, 3 is a storing means for storing the sorted coins, and 4 is a stored coin. The payout means 5 for paying out is a control means for controlling each means. The operation of the coin discriminating apparatus configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, in a standby state in which no coins have been inserted, it is determined whether or not the identification sensors in the identification means 1 and the sorting means 2, the change coin detection sensor in the storage means 3, and the payout sensor in the payout means 4 are normal. If any of the sensors has an abnormality, an abnormality signal is sent and the check of each sensor is repeated again. If each sensor is normal, stop sending the abnormal signal and determine whether or not a coin has been inserted from the slot, and if no coin has been inserted, the identification sensor and the change coin detection sensor in the storage section again, The check of the payout sensor of the payout unit is repeated.

When coins are thrown in, the discriminating means 1 discriminates genuine coins from the coins which have been thrown in, and when the coins are discriminated as a result of coin discrimination, a genuine coin signal is given. The coin is distributed by the distribution means 2 and the coins are stored in a predetermined denomination tube. However, if a coin jam occurs when the coins are distributed, an abnormal signal is sent. On the other hand, when the inserted coin cannot be identified as a genuine coin, the sorting coin 2 is not operated and the inserted coin is returned.

Next, when the inserted coins are stored in a predetermined denomination cylinder, a return signal from the main control side of the vending machine, a clear signal after the vending operation, or
After the sales operation, it is in a state of waiting for a refund amount data signal, and when a return signal is input, coins of the same amount as the inserted coins are paid out in the same kind and same combination. When the clear signal after the selling operation is input, the input coins are collected and the input amount data is cleared. When the refund amount data signal after the selling operation is input, the coin payout means 4 is operated to pay out coins of the same amount as the refund amount data as change based on the refund amount data in the minimum number of combinations.

If the coins are normally dispensed both at the time of paying out by the return signal and at the time of paying out the change based on the refund amount data, the coin returns to the standby position, but if a coin jam occurs at the time of paying out. An abnormal signal is sent to the device, and the abnormal signal is continuously sent until the clogged-out state is released, and after the clogged-out state is released, the standby state is restored.

As described above, all the abnormalities generated on the coin discriminating apparatus side are sent to the main control side of the vending machine or the like as abnormal signals and managed by the main control side. Therefore, the main control unit of vending machines such as tickets and prepaid cards and currency exchange machines, and the coin number counter and
A counter for counting an abnormal state of the system is provided, and by accumulating the records of the counter, the frequency of use of the coin identifying device can be known.

[0008]

However, in such a conventional configuration, since the coin discriminating apparatus itself has no record of the usage record, when carrying out the recovery and repair work, the number of installation days in the market and the average input per day are required. It was necessary to calculate the cumulative input number from the number. In addition, it is difficult for the vending machine side to grasp the occurrence status of abnormalities on the coin identification device side such as coin jam in the identification section and coin disbursement in the payout section, and it takes a lot of effort for recovery and repair work and analysis. Had the problem of having to spend.

The present invention solves such a problem, and a coin discriminating apparatus capable of accurately grasping an abnormal occurrence state on the side of a coin discriminating apparatus such as a cumulative number of inserted coins in a market and a clogging state of inserted coins. The purpose is to provide.

[0010]

In order to achieve this object, a coin discriminating apparatus of the present invention comprises a storage means for storing the accumulated number of inserted coins, the accumulated number of paid out coins, and abnormality information. It was done.

[0011]

With this configuration, the coin discriminating apparatus itself stores in the storage means the abnormality occurrence information such as the accumulated number of inserted coins, the jammed coin jam, and the coin jam of the dispensed coin. The data of can be grasped accurately.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a coin discriminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a discriminating means for electrically discriminating non-contact coins, 2 is a discriminating means for discriminating the discriminated coins into denominations, and 3 is a discriminating means. Storage means for storing sorted coins, 4 is a payout means for paying out the stored coins, 5 is a control means for controlling the respective means, 6 is a cumulative number of coins inserted, a total number of coins dispensed, and abnormality information. Is a storage means for storing. Reference numeral 7 is an input / output unit for transmitting / receiving the data stored in the storage unit 6 to / from an external device. The storage means 6 is specifically a lithium battery or a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery and a C
It is also possible to use the one composed of a MOS static RAM or the like, or an EEPROM or a RAM in a microcomputer. In this embodiment, an EEPROM which is a non-volatile memory is used as the storage means 6. The operation of the coin discriminating apparatus configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, when the external device is not connected when the power is turned on, the standby state is entered, but when the external device is connected, data processing of the non-volatile memory 6 is performed by an instruction from the external device. . When a data output command is given from the external device side, the data stored in the non-volatile memory 6 is transmitted to the external device side by the input / output means 7. When a data clear command is given from the external device side, the data stored in the non-volatile memory 6 is cleared.

In the standby state, it is determined whether the identification sensor in the identification means, the change coin detection sensor in the storage section, and the payout sensor in the payout section are normal.
If there is an abnormality in any of the sensors, an abnormality signal is sent and stored in the nonvolatile memory as sensor abnormality occurrence content classification data, and the abnormality signal is continuously sent until the abnormal state is released. When the abnormal state is released, the check of each sensor is repeated again.

When a coin is thrown in, the discriminating means 1 discriminates a genuine coin from the inserted coin, and when the coin is discriminated as a result of the coin discrimination, a genuine coin signal is sent out. At the same time, the cumulative insertion number is added. Further, the sorting means 2 sorts the coins by denomination, and stores the coins in a predetermined denomination tube. However, if a coin jam occurs during coin distribution, an abnormal signal is sent out and stored in the non-volatile memory as coin jam abnormal occurrence content classification data, and the abnormal signal continues to be sent until the abnormal state is cleared.

On the other hand, if the inserted coin cannot be identified as a genuine coin, the sorting coin 2 is not operated and the inserted coin is returned.

Next, when the inserted coin is stored in a predetermined denomination cylinder, a return signal from the main control side of the vending machine, a clear signal after the vending operation, or
The amount of refund data after the sale operation is in a signal waiting state, and when a return signal is input, coins of the same amount as the input coins are paid out in the same kind and combination of coins and the number of coins paid out becomes the cumulative number of coins to be paid out. to add. When the clear signal after the selling operation is input, the input coins are collected and the input amount data is cleared. When the refund amount data signal after the selling operation is input, the coin payout means 4 is operated, and the coins of the same amount as the refund amount data are paid out as a change in the minimum number of coins based on the refund amount data and the paid out coins. Is added to the cumulative number of payouts.

When the coins are normally dispensed both at the time of paying out by the return signal and at the time of paying out the change based on the refund amount data, the coin returns to the standby position, but if a coin jam occurs at the time of paying out. An abnormal signal is sent to the non-volatile memory, and the corresponding coin payout type when a coin jam occurs and the payout sequence when a coin jam occurs are stored in the non-volatile memory as the classification data for coin jam abnormality occurrence until the abnormal condition is cleared. Continue sending out the abnormal signal,
It returns to the stand-by state after the clogging has been released.
Further, the contents stored in the non-volatile memory are rewritten to the latest contents each time they occur, and are always held by the coin discriminating device side as a plurality of pieces of information going back to the past from the latest information.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the accumulated number of coins inserted by the discriminating means 1 in the non-volatile memory 6 and the abnormal information (such as clogging of the coin sorting portion) when the coins are sorted by the sorting means 2 or the coins. Abnormal information at the time of paying out coins by the payout means 4 (coin payout clogging, payout applicable denomination when clogging occurs, payout denomination order when clogging occurs), coin change detection sensor abnormality information by the storing means 3 (change change detection sensor (Disconnection, etc.), an external device is connected to the input / output unit 7 at the time of collection and repair, and the data stored in the non-volatile memory 6 is read, thereby accumulating the number of coins to be inserted in the coin identifying device in the market installed state, Check the occurrence of a coin jam in the identification unit, a coin jam in the storage unit, a coin jam in the payout unit, and other sensor malfunctions of the coin identification device. It is possible to grasp the sure, the effort required to continuously charged test which has been performed in order to investigate the cause of the coin jams can be greatly reduced.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the storage means stores the accumulated coin number data of the discriminating means, the cumulative number of coins dispensed by the payout means, the jam occurrence information at the time of coin return, and the like. In addition, it is possible to realize an excellent coin discriminating apparatus capable of accurately grasping the accumulated number of inserted coins in the market installed state, the contents of the storage clogging, and the return occurrence clogging abnormality.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a coin identifying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional coin identification device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Identification means 2 Sorting means 3 Storage means 4 Dispensing means 5 Control means 6 Storage means 7 Input / output means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A discriminating means for discriminating coins, a coin discriminating means for discriminating the discriminated coins into denominations, a storing means for storing the sorted coins, and a paying-out means for paying out the coins stored in the storing means. And a storage unit for storing the cumulative number of inserted coins, the cumulative number of coins dispensed by the dispensing unit, and abnormality information generated on the side of the coin discriminating device. 2. The abnormality information stored in the storage means is the abnormality occurrence information of each sensor and the coin jam occurrence information in the identifying means, the sorting means, the storing means, and the payout means. Coin identification device. 3. The sensor abnormality occurrence information is classified into sensor abnormality information in the identifying means, change detecting sensor abnormality information in the storing means, and payout sensor abnormality information in the payout means, and stored in the storage means. The coin identifying device described. 4. The coin jam occurrence information is classified into coin jam occurrence information when power is turned on, identification section coin jam information when coin is inserted, and coin payout jam occurrence information when coin is dispensed, and coins are dispensed when coin is dispensed. Regarding the jam information, regarding the denomination when a jam occurs and the denomination payout order when a coin jam occurs,
The coin discriminating apparatus according to claim 2, which is stored in the storage means. 5. The coin according to claim 2, wherein the sensor abnormality information and the coin jam occurrence information stored in the storage means update the memory contents each time they occur and always have a plurality of latest and past information. Identification device. 6. The coin discriminating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input / output unit that transmits the data stored in the storage unit to the external device side in accordance with a command from the external device.