Patent ID: 6412620
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: G06K,G07D

Abstract:
A coin discriminating apparatus comprising:light emitting means for emitting light toward one surface of a coin being transported, a line sensor for photoelectrically detecting light emitted from the light emitting means and reflected by the one surface of the coin and producing image pattern data of the one surface of the coin, reference data storing means for storing reference data of coins of each denomination, first denomination determining means for calculating a diameter of the coin based on the image pattern data of the one surface of the coin produced by the line sensor, comparing the thus calculated diameter of the coin with reference diameter data of coins of each denomination stored in the reference data storing means and preliminarily determining the denomination of the coin, and denomination discriminating means for reading reference pattern data of coins of the denomination determined by the first denomination determining means from the reference data storing means, comparing the thus read reference pattern data with image pattern data of the one surface of the coin and finally determining the denomination of the coin, the light emitting means comprising a plurality of light emitting elements and at least 70% of the light emitting elements being disposed on straight lines connecting the center of a reference coin and points where a periphery of the reference coin crosses the line sensor and at positions equidistant from the center of the reference coin by the same distance L.