Device and method for handling of objects such as coins or similar items

A device for the handling of objects such as coins or similar items of different object types has a transport path with a plurality of separating stations for the objects. Each separating station is associated with an object type and is capable of assuming an activated position for separating a passing object, and a deactivated position, in which a passing object is not separated but continues past the separating station in question. The device has a sensor for detecting said object and for determining its object type, and a controller, which controls the separating stations by selective activation/deactivation depending on determined object types. The controller determines that a first train of objects has been detected, records information about an object type for said first train, determines that a second train of objects has been detected and records information about an object type for said second train. When controlling a separating station associated with the object type for said first train of objects, the controller uses the recorded information about the object type for said second train of objects.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the handling of objects such as coins or similar items of different object types. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for the handling of such objects, comprising a transport path with a plurality of separating stations for the objects, each separating station being associated with an object type and being capable of assuming an activated position, in which a passing object is separated from the transport path, and a deactivated position, respectively, in which a passing object is not separated from the transport path but continues along the same past the separating station. The device also has a sensor for detecting the objects and determining an object type, and a controller for selective activation/deactivation of the separating stations depending on determined object types. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for the handling of objects according to the above.

BACKGROUND ART

A coin sorting machine with active sorting is one example of a device according to the above. Active sorting means that each separating station in the machine has a movable member which by receiving control signals can be caused to switch between two different positions; a first, deactivated position in which the movable member assumes a retracted position with respect to the transport path and thus does not affect a passing coin, and a second, activated position in which the movable member assumes a position which intrudes upon the transport path and thus will separate a passing coin from the transport path. Electromagnetic solenoids are often used in the separating stations, wherein the control signals are applied voltages or currents at appropriate levels and the movable member is the movable core of the solenoid, and/or a deflector coupled to this movable core. Which separating station that is to be activated so as to sort off an individual coin is determined by a coin sensor and a controller, which detect suitable physical parameters for the coin (such as conductivity, permeability, diameter and/or thickness), determine a coin type (such as denomination, valid/false) and supply control signals to the correct separating station at the appropriate moment, i.e. at a correct timing so that the particular individual coin will be separated when the movable member of the separating station assumes its activated position, without thereby separating other coins than the intended one (for instance such coins that have another denomination and therefore shall be separated by another separating station).

One example of a coin sorting machine according to the above is disclosed in WO 99/33030, which in its illustrated embodiment has 10 separating stations, each having a solenoid, distributed along a circular transport path. Another example of a coin sorting machine for active sorting, having a linear rather than a circular transport path, is disclosed in WO 87/07742.

Another type of coin sorting machines are such that operate with a passive sorting technique. Here, instead of separating stations that can be activated/deactivated, purely passive arrangements are used for separating the coins at respective positions along the transport path. In a common type of passive coin sorting machines the coins are caused to roll down a sloping sorting rail, where sorting knives are arranged at successively decreasing heights above the transport path, wherein coins with the largest diameter are separated by the first sorting knife in the transport direction, and then coins having the second largest diameter are separated by the next sorting knife, and so on. Another common type of passive coin sorting machine instead uses a rotary carrier device which transports the coins in a circular transport path by way of a dragging movement over a baseplate, in which coin falling openings of successively increasing size have been arranged.

There are several drawbacks with the passive coin sorting machines described above. For instance, mechanical measures are required in the machine (replacement of baseplate, height position adjustment of sorting knives, etc) so as to adapt the machine for use in a coin system with another currency, etc. Another drawback is mechanical wear and tear of coins as well as sorting mechanism. In addition, some passive coin sorting machines have a limited sorting capacity.

Coin sorting machines with active sorting technique make it possible to avoid or at least mitigate the problems given above and are therefore both interesting and popular. Furthermore, they can be made compact.

By choosing components for the sorting mechanism and the coin sensor with high quality and accuracy, and by carefully programming the controller of the coin sorting machine, a coin sorting machine with active sorting technique can be made to exhibit an astonishingly high sorting capacity and a very good accuracy (low error rate). Of course, the active sorting technique has certain technical limitations as regards how fast the separating stations can switch between activated and deactivated positions. Therefore, during the operation of a coin sorting machine with active sorting technique, situations with so called coin trains are repeatedly occurring. A coin train is a sequence of successive coins, which even if they can be detected and determined in type individually by the coin sensor and the controller, they are too close to each other in distance to be sorted off individually by the separating stations. Such situations with coin trains can be handled appropriately by programming the controller to handle a coin train in different ways depending on its nature: whether all coins contained in the coin train are destined to the same destination or to different destinations, whether the coin train contains invalid coins that are to be returned (known as reject coins, etc), and so on.

Since coin sorting machines with active sorting technique contain movable components in the separating stations, there is a common need to increase the efficiency of the machine (the sorting capacity), at the same time reducing the wear and tear of the movable components, reducing the heat generated from their operation as well as limiting the generated noise to a reasonable level. By handling certain coins as a coin train rather then individual coins, improvements may be achieved in these areas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide improved devices and methods for the handling of objects such as coins or similar items with separating stations that can be activated/deactivated, focusing on the above-mentioned problems with sorting capacity, wear and tear of movable parts, heat generation and noise.

The objective stated above has been achieved through the inventor's realisation that not only a single train of objects should be considered when handling the objects (for instance sorting of coins) but also situations with successive trains of objects.

More specifically, the inventors have realised that the objects can be handled in the following way according to a first aspect of the invention: determining that a first train of objects has been detected by the sensor; recording information about an object type for said first train of objects; determining that a second train of objects has been detected by the sensor; recording information about an object type for said second train of objects; and using the recorded information about the object type for said second train of objects when controlling a separating station associated with the object type for said first train of objects.

Furthermore, the inventors have realised that the objects can be handled in the following way according to a second aspect of the invention: determining that a first train of objects has been detected; determining that a second train of objects has been detected, wherein the distance between the end of the first train (the trailing edge of its last object) and the beginning of the second train (the leading edge of its first object) per se is such that trains of objects could be handled independently from each other by the separating stations and the controller; determining whether the objects of the first train have the same destination among the separating stations as the objects of the second train and, if so, selectively activating the destination separating station in question and maintaining its activation during separation of the objects of the first train as well as the objects of the second train without intermediate deactivation of the destination separating station.

The objectives stated above are achieved by a device and at method, respectively, according to the appended independent patent claims. A device according to the invention can be comprised in a coin sorting machine. Then, the object types may include a number of different coin denominations, and the case where a coin is invalid. In addition to coins the objects may be constituted by tokens, gaming markers etc.

A device according to the invention may comprise means for transporting the objects along the transport path, the transport path being circular or linear.

The controller in a device according to the invention may be adapted to form a train of objects logically by successively combining objects that have been detected one after the other, these objects having a mutual distance less than a threshold value. This threshold value may be a function of a shortest possible time for activation followed by deactivation of said separating stations.

The controller in a device according to the invention may be adapted to perform selective activation of said same destination station and maintain its activation so as to separate the objects in said first and second trains without intermediate deactivation, even if the distance between a last object of said first train of objects and a first object of said second train of objects exceeds said threshold value.

Other objectives, advantages, aspects and features of the invention will appear from the attached detailed disclosure, the patent claims and the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

InFIG. 1there is shown a device according to one embodiment of the invention for sorting coins110-116which are carried along a circular transport path100by a transport mechanism not shown inFIG. 1. The transport mechanism as well as the general device may preferably be of the kind which is disclosed in the previously mentioned WO 99/33030, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The transport direction for coins110-116along the transport path100is clockwise inFIG. 1.

The device has a number of separating stations120which are located along the circular transport path100and each of which is associated with a certain coin type. The term coin type may include different coin denominations but also whether a coin is invalid and should be returned, or has a type which could not be determined and therefore should be re-circulated, or should be re-circulated for other reasons, according to the further description below. InFIG. 1there are illustrated two different coin types, the coins110,111,112,113and116belonging to a first coin type and having a smaller size than coins114and115which belong to a second coin type. In reality the device inFIG. 1will however handle more coin types than two in most applications.

A coin sensor130is located next to the transport path100and serves to detect an individual coin when it passes the sensor130along the transport path100as well as to determine a coin type for the coin in cooperation with a controller140. To this end, various physical parameters are detected for the coin, such as conductivity, permeability, diameter, thickness or weight, and the detection result is compared to prestored reference data, wherein a decision is made that the coin belongs to a certain coin type, if there is sufficient correspondence with any of the coin types that are defined by aforesaid reference data.

The controller140may be implemented by a commercially available microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or by another programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or alternatively as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), as discrete analogue and/or digital components, or as any combination of the above. The controller140has access to internal and/or external memory such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, or any combination of the above.

Based on the coin type which has been determined by the coin sensor130, the controller140will control the different separating stations120by supplying control signals150, so that each station at the correct time, i.e. when the coin in question to be sorted off is positioned next to the separating station that the coin type of the coin in question is associated with, is activated so as to separate the coin. To this end, the controller140uses an encoder or similar not shown inFIG. 1so as to keep continuously updated with the rotational angle and velocity of the transport mechanism that carries the coins along the transport path100.

The separating stations120, which preferably are electromagnetic solenoids, have a movable member121which may be switched between a deactivated, retracted position121and an activated extended position121′. In the deactivated position121all coins110-116pass past the separating stations120along the transport path100without being separated, whereas a coin116which is positioned next to an activated separating station120′ will be separated from the transport path100by the movable member121′ in the separating station120′, as illustrated inFIG. 1. The separating stations may also be driven hydraulically, pneumatically or purely mechanically, or by any combination of the above.

The device comprises a re-circulation means160, the purpose of which is to return such coins, that for some reason have not been separated by any of the separating stations120, back to the transport path100, so that the 20 coin in question will get a new chance of successful separation. Coins may have to be resorted for several reasons. One example is when two consecutive coins happen to overlap each other or otherwise lie too close to each other when they are detected by the coin sensor130,25wherein the coin sensor can not determine any coin type for the coins. When such coins are resorted, it is likely that they will keep a larger distance the next time they pass the coin sensor130. Therefore, the re-circulation is preferably such that re-circulation coins will not30immediately continue along the transport path100out on a new lap past the coin sensor130and the separating stations120but will instead be returned to the mass of coins which yet has not been processed by the device. Another reason for re-circulation can be that several 35 consecutive coins111,112,113in fact have been detected and determined in type by the coin sensor130and have been found to be of different coin types but have too short mutual distance to be separated individually by the separating stations120. Such a sequence of coins111-113, referred to as a coin train, is labeled117inFIG. 1. The processing of coin trains according to the invention will be described in detail later with reference toFIG. 3a-3dandFIG. 4-8.

Any of the separating stations120may operate as return station (reject) to return invalid coins back to the user. InFIG. 1the separating station120″ has this task. Furthermore, any of the separating stations120may have as its task to operate as re-circulation means160, i.e. to return coins through its separating movement back to the not yet processed mass of coins for another transport along the transport path100. In the embodiment disclosed inFIG. 1, however, the re-circulation means160is a separate, passive means which deflects re-circulation coins. In a re-circulation situation according toFIG. 1all separating stations120are therefore kept deactivated, wherein coins that are to be re-circulated will travel past all separating stations120and be returned for re-circulation by means160. The nature of the re-circulation means160is no central part of the present invention, but one possible re-circulation arrangement is shown in WO 01/48705. It is also possible to solve the re-circulation manually by aggregating coins that need to be re-circulated at a certain place in the coin sorting machine to be manually moved to another location for a new sorting round.

FIG. 2discloses a block diagram of the most important parts of a coin sorting machine200, in which the device according toFIG. 1may be included. Rather than being a coin sorting machine the machine200could just as well have been a coin counting apparatus, a machine for coin quality testing, a machine for identification of false or foreign coins, or a machine for sorting/counting/other handling of tokens, gaming markers, etc.

A mass of coins to be sorted by the machine200is deposited in a coin intake210. The coins are carried through a coin feeder220, such as a transport belt or a coin feeding device of “hopper” type, to a coin sorter250, which is constituted by the device ofFIG. 1, or comprises the same. The coin sorter250is operatively connected to a controller230, which in turn is operatively connected to a memory234such as a RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, hard disc, or any combination thereof.

At least parts of the memory234may be implemented by internal memory in the controller. The controller230may be implemented by a commercially available microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or by another programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or alternatively as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), as discrete analogue and/or digital components, or as any combination of the above.

The controller230is responsible for the overall operation of the machine200, including controlling a display236and a key pad238which forms a user interface. In embodiments of the invention the controller230may in addition cooperate with the coin sensor130and the controller140in the device according toFIG. 1, or may alternatively implement the controller140, so as to handle detection of coins, determination of their coin types, if necessary logically grouping them into coin trains and in response controlling the separating stations120by way of control signals150.

The coin sorting machine200also comprises a coin return240which returns non-approved coins through an external opening in the machine200, so that such coins may be collected by the user. Coins that have been successfully sorted by the coin sorter250, on the other hand, are collected in specific coin containers belonging to a coin storage260. The coin containers in the coin storage260may be externally accessible to the user, or may alternatively for reasons of security be accommodated in an internal locked space in the coin sorting machine200.

The operation of the device according to the embodiment inFIG. 1will now be described in detail with reference to the remaining Figures. Thus, the controller140is programmed to control the operation of the separating stations120in response to coin detection information from the coin sensor130in the following way.

The overall operation is as illustrated inFIG. 4. A routine400handles individual coins and when applicable groups then logically into coin trains. The routine400is illustrated in more detail inFIG. 5. Then, formed coin trains are handled in a routine410, which will be described in more detail with reference toFIG. 6-8.

The routine for the handling of individual coins starts by the coin sensor130detecting the coin in question in step502. A type for the detected coin is determined in accordance with the description above, and the coin type may hence be any of a number of different denominations that the device is adapted to handle, but also the case where the detected coin has been identified as invalid, or the case where no type could be determined for the detected coin. It is checked in step504whether the detected coin is too close in distance to an immediately preceding coin, i.e., at a distance less than a threshold value tc (too close), for the detected coin and the preceding coin to be separated individually by the separating stations120. The interpretation of the distance threshold value tc appears fromFIG. 3a-3d. If the distance to the preceding coin is less than the threshold value tc, the preceding coin is queued together with the currently detected coin for later forming of a logical coin train in step506, and then the execution returns to step502for detecting a new coin. If the distance to the preceding coin, on the other hand, is not less then the threshold value tc in step504, a coin train is formed in step508consisting of the detected coin and, if applicable, coins that are to belong to this coin train and that have been queued in previous iterations of step506. If the detected coin is a “real” individual coin, in the sense that it has a distance <tc to the immediately preceding coin as well as to the immediately succeeding coin, such a coin will consequently form a coin train in step505consisting of it self only. If, on the other hand, the detected coin is preceded by queued coins from step506, the coin in question will be logically grouped together in step505with the queued coins and be placed at the end of the formed coin train. In step508a flag is set with the meaning that the end of a coin train has been sighted. This flag will be used in step602inFIG. 6. The destination of the coin train now formed among the coin separating stations120, return station120″ or re-circulation means160is also recorded in step510. If all coins in the train are of the same type, the destination is the separating station associated with the type in question. If, however, not all coins in the train are of the same type, the destination will be the re-circulation means160.

When the routine400/500for handling individual coins has been ended, it is followed, as mentioned, by the routine410for the handling of coin trains. This routine is labelled600inFIG. 6and starts with aforesaid step602, in which it is checked whether a new coin train has been formed in step508. If this is not the case, the execution continues according to the illustration inFIG. 7with a check in step702as to whether there is a previous coin train in queue. If this is not the case, there is currently no action to take, wherein the execution ends. If, however, there is a previous coin train in queue, the execution continues to step704. This situation is illustrated inFIG. 3d, where there is a previous coin train1having a certain destination x. It is checked in step704whether the distance from the leading edge of the first coin300of the coin train to the intended destination x (the shortest distance for sorting to be possible is labelled302inFIG. 3d) is so short that the coin train must be handled immediately in order to be sorted off at the destination x. If it is found in step704that the distance from the first coin300to the destination x exceeds the smallest distance302, it is possible to wait yet another iteration for the end of a new coin train to be detected. Therefore, according to the invention the controller chooses not to handle the existing coin train1inFIG. 3dat the current moment but instead waits by letting the execution continue to step706. Step706is a pure safety check, where it is checked whether there (after all) in fact is a too short distance between the coin train1and the destination x. In such a case, the coin train1inFIG. 3dwill be re-circulated in step708, if not the execution of this iteration of routine600is ended. If it was found in step704that the coin train1must be handled during the current iteration, i.e. that the decision slot304, which is constituted by the difference between the actual distance from the first coin300in the coin train1to the destination x and the smallest distance302, is so small that there is a risk that there will be no time to separate the coin train1at the destination x, if one waits until the next iteration, the coin train1is handled in step710by having the controller140supplying, at the correct moment, suitable control signals150to the separating station120which corresponds to destination x, wherein this separating station is activated and the movable member121′ assumes it extended position according toFIG. 1. The separating station that corresponds to destination x is kept activated, until all coins contained in the coin train1have been separated, wherein the controller140will deactivate the separating station in question and its movable member will return to its retracted position121.

Referring again toFIG. 6, if it was found in step602that a coin train has been detected, it is checked in step604whether this new coin train shall be re-circulated. Such a situation is illustrated inFIG. 3c, where a first coin train1having a certain destination x is followed by a second coin train2having another destination z, which in this case is the re-circulation means160inFIG. 1. The reason why the coin train2must be re-circulated may be that any coin310′ in the coin train has been detected as unidentifiable, or alternatively has another denomination than any other coin310in the coin train. At the same time a flag is set to be used in a step812inFIG. 8, wherein the control continues to this step. Since the flag is set in this case, the execution continues to step814inFIG. 8, wherein the controller140from now on will control the separating stations120, so that the coin train2ofFIG. 3cduring its transport along the transport path100will pass all separating stations and reach the recirculation means160. Then, it is checked in step816whether there is a previous coin train in queue. If this is not the case, the execution of this iteration is ended. If, on the other hand, there is a previous coin train in queue, labelled coin train1inFIG. 3c, it is checked in step818whether there is still time to act for separation (cf. the description above for steps704-708inFIG. 7). If it is too late to act with of-sorting off the coin train1at the intended destination x, this coin train1is treated as re-circulation train in step820. Otherwise this coin train1is handled in the usual manner by activation followed by deactivation of the correct separating station120which corresponds to the destination x (cf. the description above of step710inFIG. 7).

Referring again toFIG. 6, if it was found in step604that the new coin train is not to be re-circulated, it is checked in step606whether there is a previous train in queue. If this is not the case, the new coin train is placed in queue in step608, waiting for potential future coin trains. Then, the execution continues to step808inFIG. 8, wherein essentially the same functionality is performed as has been described above for steps812and814. If it was found in step606that there is a previous coin train in queue, it is checked in step610whether this new coin train has the same destination as the previous one. If this is not the case, the situation is as illustrated inFIG. 3b, i.e. a first coin train1has a destination x, whereas a second coin train2has a destination y, which is not the same as x. The execution then continues in step802inFIG. 8, wherein it is checked whether the previous coin train1still has at least the smallest distance302between the first coin300and the intended destination x. If it turns out in step802that it is too late to act upon the previous coin train1, this previous coin train is marked as re-circulation train in step806. If, on the other hand, there is still time to act upon this previous coin train, this is marked for handling in step804in the usual manner (cf. the description above for step710inFIG. 7). Than the execution continues in step808in the way described above.

If it was found in step610that the preceding coin train has the same destination as the new coin train, this corresponds to a situation which is illustrated inFIG. 3a. Than, it is checked in step612whether it is too late to act upon the previous coin train1. If this is the case, the previous coin train is marked as re-circulation train in step614, and the new coin train2is placed in queue, wherein the execution continues with step808inFIG. 8in the way described above. On the other hand, if it was found in step612that there is still time to act upon the previous coin train1, this coin train1is handled by the controller140controlling, at the correct moment, the correct destination x among the separating stations120to assume its activated position, wherein all coins comprised in the coin train1are separated. Furthermore, the controller140controls the separating station120in question to keep its activated position even after the last one of the coins in the coin train1has been separated. Hereby, there is an opportunity to sort off also the next coin train2without deactivating and then again activating the separating station120in question in between. Since the situation inFIG. 3ais common, the procedure according to step616means a considerable reduction in the number of activations followed by deactivations of the separating stations120, with associated advantages in terms of reduced mechanical wear and tear, reduced heat generation, lower noise and, therefore, an opportunity of a higher sorting speed. Thus, the next coin train2is queued in step616to be sorted at the same destination x as the coin train1at a coming correct moment. Thus, this next coin train2logically becomes the previous coin train1in later iterations of the routine inFIG. 6, wherein the routine will wait for yet another coin train to be detected, which again may be of the same type and have the same destination x as before, wherein there is an opportunity to further keep the separating station in question in its activated position without intermediate deactivation between the coin trains. In more favourable situations, thanks to the invention it can thus be possible to sort off several and even many successive coin trains containing coins of the same type and thus intended for the same destination x. will only a first initial activation of the separating station (when the first coin train is separated) and a final deactivation of the separating station (when the last coin train has been sorted off). The penalty paid is that one must sometimes wait so long a time for a new coin train that the decision slot304for being able to sort off the previous coin train1has lapsed, wherein this previous coin train1then must be re-circulated. Tests and simulations however demonstrate that the advantages prevail and that the activations/deactivations of the separating stations are reduced as whole for a typical mass of coins.

The invention has been described above in the form of exemplifying embodiments. However, the invention is in no way limited to these but includes many other alternatives, as is defined by the scope of the appended patent claims and is further readily realised by a man skilled in the art.