Banknote handling apparatus

A banknote handling apparatus including a receiving unit that receives banknotes to be counted, a recognition unit that recognizes attributes of the banknotes, a storing unit that stores the banknotes sorted based on a recognition result by the recognition unit, an operation unit for selecting a counting mode and a setting for stacking, and a verification counting process control unit that executes a first counting process when the operation unit selects a verification mode as the counting mode, stores the banknotes in stacking units in a designated first setting for stacking, executes a verification counting process to the banknotes stacked in the first setting for stacking, stores the banknotes in stacking units in a designated second setting for stacking that is different from the first setting for stacking, and determines match/mismatch of the number of banknotes of each denomination in the first counting process and the verification counting process.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a banknote handling apparatus, and particularly, to a banknote sorting machine including a verification counting process mode.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the banknote handling apparatuses that execute various types of processes related to banknotes is a banknote sorting machine that sorts the banknotes by denomination. Some of the banknote sorting machines include a verification counting process mode. The verification counting process mode is a mode for recounting the banknotes a plurality of times, which are once counted, in order to ensure the credibility of the counting result.

The verification counting process mode is highly demanded mainly in the pachinko market in Japan and in the casino market in the United States, and the verification process is required by law in some countries.

An example of the banknote handling apparatus with the verification counting process mode includes a technique shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-52970.

The technique disclosed in the Utility Model draws attention of the operator by a flashed display of the number of counted banknotes if there is a difference between the number of banknotes set by means for setting the number of banknotes and the number of banknotes actually counted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The verification counting process mode shown in the Utility Model simply alarms the difference between the counting results, and it is unreasonable to apply the concept to the banknote sorting machine including a function of sorting a multiplicity of types of banknotes.

The present invention focuses on the fact that the same target banknotes are processed for a plurality of times (usually twice) in the verification counting process. An object of the present invention is to provide a banknote handling apparatus including a plurality of stacking units, the banknote handling apparatus being capable of improving the reliability of the counting result, obtaining a desired sorted state after the verification counting process, and having improved convenience.

According to the present invention, there is provided a banknote handling apparatus a banknote handling apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives banknotes to be counted;

a recognition unit that recognizes attributes including denominations of the banknotes to be counted imported from the receiving unit;

a storing unit that stores the banknotes sorted based on a recognition result by the recognition unit in accordance with a setting for sorting;

an operation unit that can select a counting mode and a setting for stacking; and

a verification counting process control unit that imports the banknotes to be counted to execute a first counting process when the operation unit selects a verification mode as the counting mode, stores the banknotes in the plurality of stacking units in a designated first setting for stacking, executes a verification counting process to the banknotes stacked in the first setting for stacking, stores the banknotes in the plurality of stacking units in a designated second setting for stacking that is different from the first setting for stacking, and determines match/mismatch of the number of banknotes of each denomination in the first counting process and the verification counting process.

According to the banknote handling apparatus, changing the setting for stacking for a plurality of stacking units between a first counting process and a verification counting process can efficiently use the stacking result in the first counting process, thereby simplifying the processing of banknotes and improving the credibility in counting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1is a perspective view of an appearance of a banknote sorting machine100as an embodiment of a banknote handling apparatus according to the present invention.

InFIG. 1, on one side of the upper surface, a hopper101that imports the banknotes, which are placed in a stacked state, by separation feeding is arranged, and on the other side, a rejecting unit102configured to dispense that dispenses the imported banknotes, which are rejected as a result of recognition described below, is arranged.

On the front upper center, an operation unit103that selects various processing modes including a verification counting process mode related to the present invention is arranged, and two display units104and105are arranged adjacent to the operation unit103. The operation unit103includes input keys for the operator to input an instruction.

The display units104and105display overall information.

On the lower part of the banknote sorting machine100, stacking units111to114in which the front surfaces are open so that the sorted banknotes can be easily removed. It is preferable that the number of stacking units corresponds to the number of types of sorted banknotes, and this example includes four stacking units.

On the upper part of the stacking units111to114, individual display units121to124that display information specific to the stacking units are respectively arranged in correspondence with the stacking units111to114.

FIG. 2is a perspective front view of a schematic internal construction of the banknote sorting machine100shown inFIG. 1.FIG. 2mainly illustrates a transport system and a sensor system.

A transport path201that transports banknotes from the hopper101is formed up to the stacking units. The transport path is usually combined with a belt transport mechanism. Various sensors202to213are arranged along the transport path. The sensor202arranged closer to the outlet of the hopper101and the sensor203arranged closer to the inlet of the following recognition unit220detect whether the banknotes are certainly imported based on the transit time and whether there is no double feeding. The recognition unit220includes various detecting parts for detecting fitness, authentication, denomination, orientation, face/back, and the like of the imported banknotes. The representatively shown sensor204detects the denomination or authentication by, for example, a transparent sensor based on the light transmittance.

The rejecting unit102connected to the recognition unit220rejects banknotes removed from the sorting target by the recognition unit220by activation of a diverter231. The sensor205detects whether rejected banknotes exist. The banknotes to be sorted are transported while the sensor206detects the transport state. Diverters232,233, and234are properly switched according to the denomination, and the banknotes are stored in relevant stacking units among the stacking units111to114. Residual detecting sensors221to224detect the storage status of the banknotes.

FIG. 3is a block diagram of the control system in the banknote handling apparatus according to the present invention.

The operation unit103for inputting an instruction is connected to a control unit200constituted by a microprocessor and the like. Signals from the recognition unit220in the device and the sensors202to224are inputted to the control unit200.

Based on the instructions and the signals, the control unit200can control the hopper101, the transport systems201and231to234, the stacking units111to114, the rejecting unit102, and the like, display the information necessary for the display units104,105, and107, and issue a warning from the warning unit108in response to the generation of an error or the like. A memory250that stores necessary programs and calculation results is connected to the control unit200.

A sorting operation will be described using the above Figures. Japanese banknotes are illustrated as an example, and the stacking units111to114are allocated to four denominations, 1,000-yen bills (denomination1), 2,000-yen bills (denomination2), 5,000-yen bills (denomination3), and 10,000-yen bills (denomination4), respectively. The denominations are mixed, and the face/back and the orientations of the banknotes are mixed in the banknotes to be counted that are placed on the hopper101.

The conventional banknote sorting machine determines the denomination to count the number of banknotes by denomination, returns the banknotes again to the hopper after the first counting process to perform the second counting as a verification counting process, and compares the counting result and the first counting result to check whether there is no error in the denomination and the amount of money.

For this purpose, there can only be one type of stacking unit that stores the counted banknotes as long as the banknotes can be counted by denomination, because the stacking units are not necessary for each denomination.

On the other hand, there are a plurality of stacking units in the invention of the present specification, and the setting for stacking can be changed between the first counting process and the verification counting process. The verification process, in which the setting for stacking is changed, is executed by selecting a mode from various verification modes programmed in advance, which will be described below, and displayed on, for example, the display unit104in the operation unit103.

FIG. 4is a diagram for explaining allocation of the stacking units in the first counting process and the verification counting process in various verification modes1to8.FIG. 4illustrates the designation of setting for stacking that can be selected in the first counting on the left side and that can be selected in the verification counting on the right side. The setting for stacking is also designated by the operation unit103, while the display of the display unit104is checked.

First Embodiment

The verification mode1inFIG. 4will be described. In this case, denominations are mixed in the banknotes to be counted, stacking after the first counting is performed by old and new banknotes for the banknotes with changed design, and stacking after the verification counting is performed by denomination. Therefore, the stacking after the first counting is performed by allocating the stacking units111and112for new banknotes and the stacking units113and114for old banknotes, the stacking units111and113are prioritized, and the stacking destinations are changed to the second stacking units112and114when the stacking units111and113are full.

When old/new-mixed and mixed denomination banknotes are placed on the hopper101and the verification mode1is designated and inputted from the operation unit, the banknotes are sequentially sent into the apparatus one by one from the lowest layer by a separated feeding operation. The fitness, authentication, denomination, orientation, and the number of banknotes are checked when the banknotes pass through the recognition unit220, and obvious counterfeit notes and unidentifiable banknotes are rejected by switching the diverter231to the rejecting unit side.

Other banknotes pass through the transport path201, and the diverters232to234are switched based on the recognition result in the recognition unit220. The new banknotes are stacked in the stacking units111and112, and the old banknotes are stacked in the stacking units113and114. An individual display unit arranged on each stacking unit displays the existence of the stacked banknotes and the number of banknotes in each stacking unit in a simple way.

A hopper sensor not shown outputs a no-banknote signal when there are no more banknotes on the hopper. Thereby, the storage unit of the apparatus stores the number of banknotes of each denomination and the total amount of money at this point, and the counting result by denomination is displayed on, for example, the display unit105as a first counting result.

After the first counting, the new banknotes are stacked in the stacking units111and112, and the old banknotes are stacked in the stacking units113and114. Therefore, the old and new banknotes are not mixed within the stacking units.

Next, the verification counting process is executed. The banknotes removed from the stacking units111to114are placed on the hopper101. Then, the counting starts again. As described, during the verification counting process, the stacking units111to114are allocated to four denominations, 1,000-yen bills, 2,000-yen bills, 5,000-yen bills, and 10,000-yen bills, respectively.

As with the first counting, the hopper101feeds out the banknotes, and the recognition unit220checks the fitness, authentication, denomination, orientation, and the number of banknotes. The diverters232to234are switched based on the denomination to stack the banknotes in the stacking units111to114corresponding to the denominations. A hopper sensor (not shown) outputs a no-banknote signal when there are no more banknotes on the hopper101. Thereby, the storage unit in the apparatus stores the number of banknotes of each denomination and the amount of money at this point, and the display unit105displays the verification counting result. The display unit105also displays the first counting result and a message related to match and mismatch.

When the verification counting process is finished, the new banknotes are stacked on the lower side and the old banknotes are stacked on the upper side in each stacking unit for each denomination.

FIG. 5is a flow chart, in which the above operations are organized, showing details of the counting process operation in the banknote sorting machine according to the present invention.

First, the operation unit accepts a designation input indicating a normal counting process mode or a verification counting process mode (step S101).

In the case of the normal counting process, whether the banknotes are set in the hopper is checked (step S102), the banknotes are imported after the banknotes are set (step S103), the imported banknotes are recognized and counted (step S104), and the banknotes are stacked in the stacking units (step S105). When there are no more banknotes to be counted in the hopper, the counting result is displayed, and the process ends.

On the other hand, in the case of the verification counting process, the mode designation is prompted before the start of counting (step S111), and the way the banknotes are stacked in the stacking units is set according to the designated mode after the designation. When the banknotes are set in the hopper (step S112), importing of the banknotes is started (step S113), the banknotes are recognized and counted (step S114), and the banknotes are stacked in appropriate stacking units according to the recognition result (step S115). When there are no more banknotes to be counted in the hopper (step S116), the counting result is displayed (step S117), and a message prompting to again place the banknotes of the stacking units on the hopper is displayed on, for example, the display unit.

In accordance with the message, whether the banknotes are removed is checked (step S118), and if the removal is confirmed, the allocation of the stacking units for the verification counting is performed (step S119). If the stacking units are set for each orientation in the first counting process, placing the stacking units in the same orientation on the hopper for the verification counting can arrange the banknotes to be counted in the same orientation.

When the placement of the banknotes on the hopper is confirmed (step S120), the verification counting process is started by pressing of a start button (not shown) or with automatic start by a timer, and the banknotes are imported (step S121). The way the banknotes are stacked in the stacking units is already changed at this point. Therefore, based on the recognition result in the recognition unit (step S122), the banknotes are stacked to the stacking units (step S123).

When there are no more banknotes to be counted in the hopper (step S124), the verification counting result is displayed in addition to the first counting result. On that occasion, match/mismatch with the first counting result is displayed. Especially, the mismatch (step S126) is determined as an error, and the display is flashed, or attention is drawn such as by the sound of alarm sound (step S127).

Second Embodiment

This embodiment illustrates the verification mode2inFIG. 4, and banknotes with mixed denominations are counted.

In the following embodiments, the placement to the hopper101, import, and recognition, the storage to the stacking units, and the like are the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, detailed description will be omitted, and modes of stacking to the stacking units will be mainly described.

In the verification mode2, in the first counting, the denominations and the number of banknotes are checked, four kinds of combinations of face/back and upright/inverted are judged, and the banknotes are stacked in the stacking units111to114allocated for the combinations. In the following description, these four cases may be collectively called “orientation”. Thus, the case of face and upright is defined as “A”, the case of back and upright is defined as “B”, the case of face and inverted is defined as “C”, and the case of back and inverted is defined as “D”. After the first counting process, the face/back and upright/inverted are organized in the stacking units. Therefore, in the verification counting process if all banknotes are placed so that the upper sides of the banknotes are face and upright, all banknotes have the same orientation in the verification counting process. In the second embodiment, in the verification counting process, four denominations, which are 1,000-yen bills, 2,000-yen bills, 5,000-yen bills, and 10,000-yen bills, are allocated to the stacking units111to114respectively. Therefore, after the verification counting process, four stacked batches with organized denominations and orientation are obtained.

Third Embodiment

The verification mode3inFIG. 4is illustrated, and banknotes with mixed denominations are counted.

In this mode, the banknotes are sorted by fitness in the first counting, and the banknotes are stacked by denomination in the verification counting.

The mode is convenient to efficiently sort the banknotes to remove banknotes with problems in the circulation.

Fourth Embodiment

The verification mode4inFIG. 4is illustrated, and the banknotes with mixed denominations are counted.

In this mode, the banknotes are sorted into four combinations of old/new and fitness in the first counting. Therefore, for example, the stacking unit111stacks new and fit banknotes, the stacking unit112stacks new and unfit banknotes, the stacking unit113stacks old and fit banknotes, the stacking unit114stacks old and unfit banknotes, and the banknotes are stacked by denomination in the verification counting. Thus, if the stacked banknotes in the stacking units111to114in the first counting are sequentially subjected to the verification counting, the new and fit banknotes, the new and unfit banknotes, the old and fit banknotes, and the old and unfit banknotes are sequentially stacked from the bottom of the stacking units of each denomination. As a result, handling after the verification counting process is facilitated.

Fifth Embodiment

The verification mode5inFIG. 4is illustrated, and the banknotes already sorted by denomination are counted in the following embodiments 5 to 7.

In this mode, the banknotes are sorted by old/new in the first counting and stacked by orientation in the verification counting.

Sixth Embodiment

In this mode, the banknotes are sorted by old/new in the first counting and are stacked by fitness in the verification counting.

Seventh Embodiment

In this mode, the banknotes are stacked by orientation in the first counting, and the banknotes are placed in the same orientation and stacked by fitness in the verification counting. As a result, the banknotes in the same orientation and fitness can be easily obtained.

Eighth Embodiment

In this mode, the banknotes are stacked by orientation in the first counting, and the banknotes are placed in the same orientation and stacked by old/new in the verification counting. As a result, the banknotes in the same orientation and old/new can be easily obtained.

Although the banknote handling apparatus according to the invention of the present specification has been described by explaining some of the embodiments, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments.

For example, the number of stacking units is not limited to four as in the embodiments, but may be more or less. It is usually preferable that the number of stacking units matches the number of types of banknotes to be sorted.

The allocation of the stacking units shown in the embodiments is also examples, and arbitrary combinations are possible. Registering the combinations in advance as verification modes allows selecting the combinations at the start of processing.