Systems, methods and devices for processing coins with linear array of coin imaging sensors

A coin imaging sensor system for a coin processing apparatus, the coin processing apparatus including a housing with an input area for receiving coins, one or more coin receptacles for stowing processed coins, a rotatable disk configured to impart motion to the coins, and a sorting head having a lower surface generally parallel to and adjacent the rotatable disk, the lower surface forming a plurality of shaped regions configured to guide the coins, responsive to motion imparted by the rotatable disk, to a plurality of exit stations through which the coins are discharged from the coin processing apparatus to the one or more coin receptacles, the coin imaging sensor system comprising:

• a linear array of non-optical imaging sensors configured to mount in the sorting head and facing the rotatable disk, the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors being configured to sense each of the coins and output signals indicative of coin image information;
• an image processing circuit operatively coupled to the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors and configured to process the signals indicative of coin image information output therefrom,
• wherein the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors includes a plurality of drive plates and a plurality of pickup plates, the plurality of drive plates and the plurality of pickup plates lying transverse to a coin travel path, the plurality of drive plates being separated from the plurality of pickup plates by sensor gaps, and each one of the plurality of drive plates corresponding to and capacitively coupled to a separate one of the plurality of pickup plates lying further within the coin travel path, wherein a capacitance with respect to each drive plate and pickup plate pair varies in accordance with surface variations of each of the coins passing across the sensor gaps, and
• wherein the signals indicative of coin image information include a plurality of chords and traces corresponding to the plurality of chords scanned by the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors, wherein each trace corresponds to information detected along an arc;
• and
• a processor operatively coupled to the image processing circuit and configured to examine the processed signals and the traces to generate therefrom a reconstructed image for each of the coins, including topographic variations in each of the coins.

A currency processing device comprising:

• a coin processing unit configured to process coins, the coin processing unit including:
• a rotatable disk configured to impart motion to the coins;
• and
• a sorting head having a lower surface generally parallel to and adjacent the rotatable disk, the lower surface forming a plurality of shaped regions configured to guide the coins, responsive to motion imparted by the rotatable disk, to a plurality of exit stations through which the coins are discharged from the coin processing unit to one or more coin receptacles;
• a linear array of non-optical imaging sensors mounted to or adjacent the coin processing unit, the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors being configured to sense each of the processed coins and output signals indicative of coin image information,
• wherein the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors includes a plurality of drive plates and a plurality of pickup plates, the plurality of drive plates and the plurality of pickup plates lying transverse to a coin travel path, the plurality of drive plates being separated from the plurality of pickup plates by sensor gaps, and each one of the plurality of drive plates corresponding to and capacitively coupled to a separate one of the plurality of pickup plates lying further within the coin travel path, wherein a capacitance with respect to each drive plate and pickup plate pair varies in accordance with surface variations of each of the coins passing across the sensor gaps, and
• wherein the signals indicative of coin image information include a plurality of chords and traces corresponding to the plurality of chords scanned by the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors, wherein each trace corresponds to information detected along an arc;
• and
• at least one processor configured to receive the signals indicative of coin image information including the traces from the linear array of non-optical imaging sensors and generate therefrom a reconstructed image of each of the coins, including topographic variations in each of the coins.