Currency processing machine with multiple internal coin receptacles

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including coins of mixed denominations and paper notes, comprising:

• means for receiving and counting the paper notes;
• a hopper for receiving the coins of mixed denominations;
• a sorting device for sorting the mixed coins into denominations;
• a coin receptacle station for each denomination that receives the sorted coins, each coin receptacle station including a plurality of coin receptacles for holding the sorted coins and a coin distribution mechanism for selectively distributing the sorted coins between the plurality of coin receptacles, the coin receptacles of the coin receptacle station being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column having a plurality of rows;
• and
• means for determining the amount of the deposited funds.

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including currency bills and coins of a plurality of denominations, the currency processing machine comprising:

• means for receiving and counting the currency bills;
• a plurality of coin receptacles for holding coins, a first set of the plurality of coin receptacles being associated with a first coin denomination, a second set of the plurality of coin receptacles being associated with a second coin denomination;
• an input hopper being adapted to receive the coins of a plurality of denominations;
• a sorting device coupled to the input hopper, the sorting device being adapted to sort the coins into denominations and to discharge coins out of a plurality of exit channels, each exit channel corresponding to one of the plurality of coin denominations;
• at least one rotating distribution manifold coupled to the exit channels for selectively distributing the sorted coins between the first set of the plurality of coin receptacles and the second set of the plurality of coin receptacles;
• and
• a plurality of linear distribution manifolds, at least one of the plurality of linear distribution manifolds being coupled to one of the at least one rotating distribution manifolds, the at least one linear coin distribution manifold being disposed above and being adapted to selectively distribute sorted coins to coin receptacles within the first set.

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including coins of a plurality of denominations, the currency processing machine comprising:

• an input hopper being adapted to receive the coins of a plurality of denominations;
• a first coin processing unit coupled to the input hopper, the processing unit being adapted to determined the aggregate value of the coins received from the input hopper;
• an intermediate coin receptacle being adapted to receive a plurality of denominations of coins from the first coin processing unit and to hold the plurality of coin denominations received from the coin processing unit, the intermediate coin receptacle having an outlet being adapted to selectively discharge coins;
• and
• a second coin processing unit coupled to the outlet of the intermediate coin receptacle, the second coin processing unit being adapted to sort the coins received from the intermediate coin receptacle and to discharge the coins out of a plurality of exit channels, each of the plurality of exit channels corresponding to a predetermined coin denomination to be processed, the second coin processing device being adapted to count the number of coins being discharged from each of the plurality of exit channels.

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including coins of a plurality of denominations, the currency processing machine comprising:

• an input hopper being adapted to receive the coins of a plurality of denominations;
• a coin processing unit coupled to the input hopper, the coin processing unit being adapted to determine the aggregate value of the coins received from the input hopper, the coin processing unit being adapted to sort the coins received from the input hopper and to discharge the coins out of a plurality of exit channels, the plurality exit channels corresponding to the plurality of coin denominations to be processed;
• a plurality of intermediate coin receptacles being adapted to receive coins from a corresponding one of the plurality of exit channels, each of the intermediate coin receptacles being adapted to hold coins received from the exit channels, each of the intermediate coin receptacles having an outlet being adapted to selectively distribute coins;
• and
• a plurality of counters being adapted to count the number coins discharged from each of the outlets of the intermediate coin receptacles.

A method of processing coins with a currency processing machine, the method comprising:

• receiving coins of mixed denominations with a hopper;
• determining the aggregate value of the coins of mixed denominations received by the hopper with a first coin processing unit;
• directing the coins to an intermediate coin receptacle;
• selectively discharging the coins from the intermediate coin receptacle to a second coin processing unit;
• and
• sorting the coins into individual coin denominations with the second coin processing unit.

A method of processing coins with a currency processing machine, the method comprising:

• receiving coins of mixed denominations with a hopper;
• sorting coins received with the hopper into individual coin denominations with a coin processing unit;
• determining the aggregate value of the coins received with the hopper with a coin processing unit;
• directing the each individual coin denomination to one of a plurality of intermediate coin receptacles, each of the intermediate coin receptacles corresponding to an individual coin denomination;
• selectively discharging the coins from each of the intermediate coin receptacles;
• and
• counting the number of coins discharged from each intermediate coin receptacle.

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including currency bills and coins of a plurality of denominations, the currency processing machine comprising:

• means for receiving and counting the currency bills;
• a plurality of coin receptacles for holding coins, a first set of the plurality of coin receptacles being associated with a first coin denomination, a second set of the plurality of coin receptacles being associated a second coin denomination;
• an input hopper being adapted to receive the coins of a plurality of denominations;
• a sorting device coupled to the input hopper, the sorting device being adapted to sort the coins into denominations and to discharge coins out of a plurality of exit channels, each exit channel corresponding to one of the plurality of coin denominations;
• at least one rotating distribution manifold coupled to the exit channels for selectively distributing the sorted coins between the first set of the plurality of coin receptacles and the second set of the plurality of coin receptacles;
• and
• a plurality of linear distribution manifolds, at least one of the plurality of linear distribution manifolds being coupled to the at least one rotating distribution manifolds, the at least one linear coin distribution manifold being disposed above and being adapted to selectively distribute sorted coins to coin receptacles within the first set.

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including currency bills and coins of a plurality of denominations, the currency processing machine comprising:

• a plurality of coin receptacles arranged in a plurality of groupings of coin receptacles, each of the plurality of groupings of coin receptacles being associated with one of the plurality of denominations;
• a controller being adapted to assign a certain number of the plurality of coin receptacles to each of the plurality of groupings in response to user input;
• a hopper being adapted to receive the coins of a plurality of denominations
• a coin processing unit being adapted receive coins from the hopper and to sort coins into individual coin denominations including a first coin denomination;
• and
• a coin distribution network coupled to the coin processing unit, the coin distribution network being adapted to receive coins of one of the plurality of denominations and to distribute the coins to the associated grouping of coin receptacles.

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including currency bills and coins of a plurality of denominations, the currency processing machine comprising:

• a plurality of coin receptacles including at least two subsets of coin receptacles;
• a controller being adapted to configure the distribution of coins between the at least two subsets according to a selected operating configuration input by a user, a first operating configuration having each subset assigned to a corresponding one of the denominations with each subset corresponding to a different denomination, a second operating configuration having at least two subsets assigned to the same denomination;
• a hopper being adapted to receive the coins of a plurality of denominations,
• a coin processing unit being adapted receive coins from the hopper and to sort coins into individual coin denominations;
• and
• a coin distribution network receiving coins from the coin processing unit and distributing coins according to the selected coin operating configuration.

A currency processing machine in which a user deposits funds including coins of mixed denominations and paper notes, comprising:

• means for receiving and counting the paper notes;
• a hopper for receiving the mixed coins of a of a plurality of denominations;
• a sorting device for sorting the mixed coins into denominations;
• a plurality of coin receptacle stations for receiving the sorted coins, each of the plurality of coin receptacle stations being associated with a particular coin denomination, each coin receptacle station including a plurality of coin receptacles for holding the sorted coins and a coin distribution mechanism for selectively distributing a predetermined number of coins into each of the plurality of coin receptacles in response to an external signal from a host system, the coin distribution mechanism being adapted to terminate distributing coins to one of the plurality of coin receptacles in a coin receptacle station after a predetermined number of coins of the associated denomination have been distributed to that coin receptacle;
• and
• means for determining the amount of the deposited funds.

A method of processing coins with a currency processing machine having a plurality of coin receptacles for holding coins, a first set of the plurality of coin receptacles being associated with a first coin denomination, a second set of the plurality of coin receptacles being associated with a second denomination, the method comprising:

• receiving coins of mixed denominations with a hopper;
• sorting the coins of mixed denominations into individual denominations with a coin processing module;
• discharging the individual coin denominations from the coin processing module though a plurality of exit channels, each of plurality of exit channels corresponding to an individual coin denomination;
• channeling coins from at least one exit channel to a first distribution manifold;
• distributing coins with the first distribution manifold between the first set of the plurality of coin receptacles and the second set of the plurality of coin receptacles;
• channeling coins from the first distribution manifold to a second distribution manifold;
• distributing the coins with the second distribution manifold to the coin receptacles within the first set of the plurality of coin receptacles.