Auto-positioning sensors for coin counting devices
AssigneeOuterwall Inc.
InventorDouglas A. Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for automatically positioning a coin sensor are disclosed herein. An auto-positioning coin sensor configured in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure includes a coin sensor for determining a physical characteristic of an object and a moving device operably coupled to the coin sensor. The moving device can be configured to adjust the position of the coin sensor to determine the physical characteristic. Auto-positioning coin sensors in accordance with the present technology can include coin sensors that can be positioned based on a measurement of a dimension of an object.
Claims21
A system for discriminating between coin and non-coin objects and determining coin denominations, the system comprising:
- a coin sensor for determining a physical characteristic of an object;
- and
- a moving device operably coupled to the coin sensor, the moving device configured to automatically adjust the position of the coin sensor to determine the physical characteristic, in response to a signal based on detection of the object.
A system for discriminating between coin and non-coin objects and determining coin denominations, the system comprising:
- a coin sensor for determining a physical characteristic of an object;
- a moving device operably coupled to the coin sensor, the moving device configured to automatically adjust the position of the coin sensor to determine the physical characteristic;
- a detection sensor for measuring a dimension of the object;
- a coin rail, wherein the coin sensor and the detection sensor are positioned adjacent the coin rail;
- and
- a controller electrically coupled to the coin sensor and the detection sensor, the controller configured to 1) receive a first signal from the detection sensor, the first signal being indicative of the dimension of the object, and in response to receiving the first signal, 2) send a second signal to the moving device to adjust the position of the coin sensor.
A consumer operated coin counting machine for discriminating coins, the coin counting machine comprising:
- a coin path;
- a first coin sensor configured to determine a first characteristic of a coin moving along the coin path;
- a second coin sensor configured to determine a second characteristic of the coin moving along the coin path;
- a moving device operably coupled to the second coin sensor;
- and
- a controller electrically connected to the moving device and configured to receive first information from the first coin sensor related to the first characteristic of the coin and send second information to the moving device to adjust the position of the second coin sensor to align the second coin sensor with the coin to facilitate determination of the second characteristic of the coin.
A computer-implemented method for determining whether individual objects are coins and determining the denomination of coins, the method comprising:
- moving an object along a path;
- measuring a dimension of the object with a first coin sensor positioned proximate the path;
- automatically adjusting the position of a second coin sensor positioned adjacent the path, based at least partly on the dimension of the object;
- and
- determining a physical characteristic of the object with the second coin sensor to determine whether the object is a coin and, if so, the denomination of the coin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.