Patent ID: 8474593
Filing Date: 2013-07-02
Classification: G07D

Abstract:
1. A coin processing machine for serially processing coins of various denominations, each denomination coin having a respective coin diameter different than the diameters of coins of other denominations, each coin having an annular outer edge extending around opposite faces of the coin, the coin processing machine comprising: a guide surface, a set of at least two first coin sensors, a set of second coin sensors, and a controller for generating an output signal representing the denomination of a coin being processed by the coin machine; each coin sensor in the first and second sets of coin sensors capable of generating a signal representing the presence of a coin when a coin faces the coin sensor, the control system receiving the signals generated by the coin sensors; the guide surface having a length, the guide surface defining a side of a coin path extending in a downstream direction beside and along the length of the guide surface; the first coin sensors serially spaced along the coin path, the first coin sensors spaced in the downstream direction successively closer to the guide surface, each first coin sensor associated with a respective coin diameter whereby a coin associated with a respective first coin sensor moving downstream along the coin path with the edge of the coin against the guide surface would be sensed by such first coin sensor and a coin having a smaller diameter than the coin associated with such first coin sensor moving downstream along the coin path with the edge of the coin against the guide surface would not be sensed by such first coin sensor; the set of second coin sensors along the coin path and comprising at least one second coin sensor, each second coin sensor associated with a respective coin diameter and disposed to sense each coin moving downstream along the coin path with the edge of the coin against the guide surface; the sets of first and second coin sensors disposed along the coin path wherein a coin of a diameter associated with a second coin sensor moving downstream along the coin path with the edge of the coin against the guide surface will at some point along the coin path simultaneously face both said second coin sensor and the first coin sensor associated with that coin's diameter, the second coin sensor associated with that coin diameter spaced closer to the guide surface than the first coin sensor associated with that coin diameter; and the controller being configured to generate output signals representing the denominations of coins associated with each of the first coin sensors, the controller being configured to generate a first output signal representing the denomination of any of the one or more coin denominations associated with the second set of sensors only when the first and second coin sensors associated with said coin diameter simultaneously signal the presence of a coin and to not generate a second output signal representing some other denomination of the coin in response to any downstream coin sensor subsequently signaling the presence of the coin after the first output signal is generated as the coin moves along the coin path.