Coin validation
AssigneeMars, Incorporated
InventorsRichard Guy Bointon, Richard Douglas Allan, Nicola Marie Funnell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Coin validation apparatus comprising a coin path (2, 5, 6); an impact element (14) disposed in the coin path to be contacted by a coin (10); an impact transducer (8) arranged to generate an output signal in dependence on vibration of the impact element (14); and control means (7) for determining a coin parameter based on the output signal; characterised in that the impact element (14) is shaped to create multiple impacts with a passing coin (10).
Claims31
Coin validation apparatus comprising a coin path;
- an impact element disposed in the coin path to be contacted by a coin;
- an impact transducer arranged to generate an output signal in dependence on vibration of the impact element;
- and control means for determining a coin parameter based on the output signal;
- wherein the impact element is shaped to create multiple impacts with a passing coin and wherein the impact element comprises a coin-contacting surface carrying a plurality of coin-impacting features spaced along the coin path.
Coin validation apparatus comprising a coin path;
- an impact element disposed in the coin path to be contacted by a coin;
- an impact transducer arranged to generate an output signal in dependence on vibration of the impact element;
- and control means for determining a coin parameter based on the output signal;
- wherein the impact element is shaped to create multiple impacts with a passing coin;
- and wherein the control means is arranged to respond to portions of the output signal corresponding to a plurality of impacts, to perform statistical processing on the output signal, and to be responsive to the sum of a plurality of peak amplitude levels.
Coin validation apparatus comprising a coin path;
- an impact element disposed in the coin path to be contacted by a coin;
- an impact transducer arranged to generate an output signal in dependence on vibration of the impact element;
- and control means for determining a coin parameter based on the output signal;
- wherein the impact element is shaped to create multiple impacts with a passing coin;
- and wherein the control means is arranged to respond to portions of the output signal corresponding to a plurality of impacts and to be responsive to the difference in amplitude between portions of the output signal of different amplitudes.
A method of validating a coin comprising the steps of:
- causing said coin to undergo multiple impacts in a coin path;
- transducing said multiple impacts with an impact transducer to generate an output signal;
- analyzing temporal portions of the output signal corresponding to said plurality of impacts;
- performing statistical processing on said portions of the output signal, to generate a measure signal;
- and
- utilizing said measure signal to determine the validity of said coin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.