Coin discrimination apparatus
AssigneeCoin Controls Limited
InventorsJohn Kershaw, Lesley Hutton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Coin discrimination apparatus includes a coin rundown path along which coins roll so as to impact a snubber provided with a piezo electric device. The coin impact produces an oscillatory voltage output from the device, which is sampled over a predetermined period for its peak maximum and minimum values. The values are combined in a predetermined relationship to produce a coin parameter signal indicative of coin mass and the material from which it is made. Coin acceptability is determined on the basis of the value of the coin parameter signal.
Claims13
Coin discrimination apparatus comprising:
- means defining a path for coin under test;
- a surface to be impacted by coins that pass along path;
- sensor means for providing an electrical output signal in response to impact of a coin with the surface;
- means for defining a predetermined duration following impact of the coin with the sensor means;
- maximum peak detecting means for detecting the peak maximum amplitude of the output signal that occurs within said predetermined duration following impact;
- minimum peak detecting means for detecting the peak minimum amplitude of the output signal that occurs within said predetermined duration following impact;
- and
- means for determining coin acceptability in dependence upon the detected values of the peak maximum and minimum amplitudes.
Apparatus according to 1 and further including an optical sensor.
Apparatus according to 1 wherein said sensor means comprises a piezo electric element.
Coin discrimination apparatus comprising:
- means defining a path for coin under test;
- a surface to be impacted by coins that pass along path;
- sensor means for providing an electrical output signal in response to impact of a coin with the surface;
- means for detecting the peak maximum and minimum of said output signal within given duration following impact;
- means for determining coin acceptability in dependence upon said detected maximum and minimum of output signal;
- means for deriving a coin parameter signal as a given function of said detected maximum and minimum of said output signal, and means for determining coin acceptability in dependence upon said coin parameter signal;
- wherein said coin parameter signal includes a combination of said maximum and minimum values wherein the value of said maximum is scaled by a predetermined factor relative to the value of the minimum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.