Patent Publication Number: US-2010108462-A1

Title: Bill acceptor with license recognition and power-saving power control functions

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a bill acceptor for use with an automatic vending machine and more particularly, to a bill acceptor with license recognition and power-saving power control functions, which saves power consumption and prolongs the service life of the automatic vending machine. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Following fast development of technology, the distance among people has been greatly shortened, our mode of living has been changed, and different automatic vending machines are used everywhere to sell different products without serviceman. These automatic vending machines are highly invited for the advantage of saving much labor and bringing convenience to people. For example, a Q-shop has the advantages of scientific intelligence, quick service, and quick finish of payment. A Q-shop may provide automatic vending machines for vending drinks, cigarettes, tickets, ice creams, tickets, memorial coins, key rings, or even hamburgers and noodles. Nowadays, many virtual shops are established to make online shopping, allowing shoppers to shop across millions of products. 
     Further, more and more numbers of shops utilize automatic vending machines to sell different items for the advantages of saving labor and management cost and raising the profit. However, regular automatic vending machines do not limit sales to any person of any age. To prohibit young children unqualified people from buying controlled items, such as tobacco, wine, or other hazardous items, an automatic vending machine must be equipped with a bill acceptor having license recognition means to recognize the age or identity of the consumer. When using an automatic vending machine that sells controlled items, a user must insert a license (such as driver license, ID card, Health Insurance Card, etc.) into the machine so that the bill acceptor can check the real age and/or identity of the trader. 
     However, conventional automatic vending machines and bill/license recognition means are constantly kept in the power-on status when started up, wasting power consumption and increasing company running cost. When an automatic vending machine or bill/license recognition means is constantly kept in the power-on status, the internal electronic component parts of the automatic vending machine or bill/license recognition means may get damaged due to heat, shortening the service life or causing the automatic vending machine or bill/license recognition means unable to function normally. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide automatic vending system that eliminates the aforesaid problem. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a bill acceptor for use with an automatic vending machine, which saves power consumption and prolongs the service life of the automatic vending machine. 
     To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the bill acceptor comprises a body, and a circuit assembly mounted inside the body. The body comprises a bill/license insertion slot for the insertion of a bill and a license, a passage backwardly extending from the insertion slot, a sensor switch for detection the insertion of a bill/license. The circuit assembly comprises a bill recognition unit for checking the authenticity and par value of a bill, a license recognition unit for checking the authenticity obtaining a predetermined data of a license, a communication interface module for data communication between the bill recognition unit/license recognition unit and the automatic vending machine, and a power-saving power supply module electrically connected with the communication interface module. The power-saving power supply module controls the automatic vending machine to enter the sleep mode when the automatic vending machine is not used within a predetermined time period after startup, and provides power supply to wake up the automatic vending machine upon insertion of a bill/license and recognition of the authenticity of the inserted bill/license. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a bill acceptor in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the bill acceptor in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of the circuit assembly of the bill acceptor in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a circuit block diagram of the power-saving power supply module of the circuit assembly according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a system start-up operation flow chart according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a license recognition operation flow chart according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a bill recognition operation flow chart according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1˜4 , a bill acceptor with license recognition and power-saving power control functions in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a body  1 , and a circuit assembly  2  mounted in body  1 . 
     The body  1  comprises an insertion slot  11  for the insertion of a license and a bill, a passage  12  extending backwards from the insertion slot  11 , at least one sensor switch  13  installed in the junction between the insertion slot  11  and the passage  12  and adapted to detect the insertion of a license or bill, a light-shielding gate  14  set adjacent to the sensor switch  13  and controllable by the sensor switch  13  to close/open the passage  12 , a bill box  16 , which comprises a bill-bearing board  161  disposed at one side of the rear end of the passage  12  and a plurality of spring members  162  that support the bill-bearing board  161 , and a transmission mechanism  15 , which comprises a motor  151 , bill transferring means  152  rotatable by the motor  151  to transfer an inserted bill or license, and a bill holding-down device  153  disposed at the other side of the rear end of the passage  12  and adapted to force a bill away from the rear end of the passage  12  onto a bill-bearing board  161  of the bill box  16 . 
     The circuit assembly  2  comprises a bill recognition unit  21  and a license recognition unit  22  respectively disposed around the passage  12  behind the light-shielding gate  14 , a transmission control unit  23 , a communication interface module  24  electrically connected with the bill recognition unit  21  and the license recognition unit  22  for communication with an automatic vending machine  3  in which the bill acceptor is installed, a power-saving power supply module  25  electrically connected with the communication interface module  24  and the automatic vending machine  3 , a software update module  26 , and a user interface module  27 . The bill recognition unit  21  comprises a first recognition module  211 , a bill-checking optical transmitter  212  and a bill-checking optical receiver  213 . The license recognition unit  22  comprises a second recognition module  221 , a photography light source  222 , and an image sensor module  223 . The transmission control unit  23  comprises a bill transferring means control module  231  adapted for controlling the movement of the bill transferring means  152 , and a bill holding-down device control module  232  adapted for controlling the movement of the bill holding-down device  153 . The power-saving power supply module  25 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , comprises a first voltage converter  251  and a second voltage converter  252  for receiving different voltage inputs, a control switch  253  electrically connected with the second voltage converter  252 , a voltage detection and protection unit  254  electrically connected with the control switch  253  and adapted to detect, open and close the output voltage of the first voltage converter  251 , and high/low voltage converters  255  electrically connected with the first voltage converter  251  and adapted to convert input power into the different working voltages for the body  1  and the automatic vending machine  3 . The software update module  26  is electrically connected with the first recognition module  211  of the bill recognition unit  21  for receiving data from the communication interface module  24 . The user interface unit  27  is electrically connected with the first recognition module  211  of the bill recognition unit  21 , comprising an indication module  271  for transmitting work status data to the automatic vending machine  3  for display, and a DIP switch module  272  for receiving push-button signals from the automatic vending machine  3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5˜7  and  FIGS. 2˜4  again, the operation of the present invention runs subject to the following steps:
     ( 100 ) Start-up power supply.   ( 101 ) Run the system initialization.   ( 102 ) Automatically check the system, and then proceed to step   ( 103 ) in case of an error, or step to ( 105 ) when normal.   ( 103 ) Display the massage “error”, and then proceed to step ( 104 ).   ( 104 ) The bill acceptor and the automatic vending machine  3  enter the sleep mode.   ( 105 ) Stand by, and then return to step ( 104 ) when no any bill or license is inserted after a predetermined time period, or proceed to step ( 106 ) when receives a request from the automatic vending machine  3  for the insertion of a bill or license.   ( 106 ) Wake up the bill acceptor, and then proceed to step ( 107 ) if a license is inserted, or step ( 112 ) if a bill is inserted.   ( 107 ) Recognize the inserted license and then proceed to step ( 108 ) if the inserted license is invalid, or step ( 109 ) if the inserted license passed the examination.   ( 108 ) Display the message of “invalid license” and then proceed to step ( 105 ).   ( 109 ) Inform the automatic vending machine  3  and reject the inserted license, and then proceed to step ( 111 ).   ( 110 ) Send a cancellation notice when request or waiting of the automatic vending machine  3  is overtime.   ( 111 ) Determine whether a bill is inserted or the transaction is to be cancelled, and then proceed to step ( 112 ) when a bill is inserted, or return to step ( 105 ) when the transaction is cancelled.   ( 112 ) Recognize the authenticity and value of the inserted bill and then proceed to step ( 113 ) if the inserted bill is a true bill, or return to step ( 105 ) if the inserted bill is a counterfeit.   ( 113 ) Recognition process is processing.   ( 114 ) Wake up the automatic vending machine  3 .   ( 115 ) Inform a recognition result to the automatic vending machine  3 .   ( 116 ) Display the message of end of operation, and then return to step ( 105 ).   

     If no any bill or license is inserted into the insertion slot  11  of the body  1  within a predetermined time period after the bill acceptor and the automatic vending machine  3  have been started up, the bill acceptor and the automatic vending machine  3  immediately enter the sleep mode. When a bill or license is inserted through the insertion slot  11  of the body  1  into the passage  12 , the sensor switch  13  is induced to lift the light-shielding gate  14  and to start the transmission mechanism  15 , causing the transmission mechanism  15  to carry the inserted bill or license forwards. At the same time, the bill recognition unit  21  or license recognition unit  22  is driven to recognize the authenticity, par value and/or birth data of the inserted bill or license. After recognition of the authenticity of the inserted bill or license, the bill acceptor wakes up the automatic vending machine. 
     The bill recognition unit  21  and the license recognition unit  22  use the bill-checking optical transmitter  212  or photography light source  222  to radiate the inserted bill or license, and the bill-checking optical receiver  213  or image sensor module  223  to receive reflective light from the bill or license and then to transmit the received light or image data back to the first recognition module  211  or second recognition module  221  for recognition. After recognition, the first recognition module  211  or second recognition module  221  sends the recognition result to the power-saving power supply module  25  through the communication interface module  24 , enabling the power-saving power supply module  25  to start up the power supply of the automatic vending machine  3  for running a transaction. 
     After the bill acceptor and the automatic vending machine  3  entered the sleep mode, the power supply of the bill acceptor will be started up only when a bill or license is inserted into the insertion slot  11  of the body  1 , and the power supply of the automatic vending machine  3  will be started up only after recognition of the authenticity of a bill or license been inserted into the insertion slot  11  of the body  1  of the bill acceptor. Therefore, the invention saves the consumption of power supply when the bill acceptor and the automatic vending machine  3  are not used. If a person inserted an ordinary sheet member or a counterfeit bill or license into the insertion slot  11  of the body  1 , the automatic vending machine  3  will not be waked up. By means of this two-step power control design, the invention effectively saves the consumption of power supply, avoiding mistaken start-up of the automatic vending machine  3  to waste power consumption and lowering the automatic vending machine running cost. 
     Further, the indication module  271  of the user interface unit  27  transmits work status data to the automatic vending machine  3 , enabling the automatic vending machine  3  to display the message through a display screen, and therefore a user can know the work status of the automatic vending machine  3  in time. Further, the automatic vending machines  3  provides an input device for enabling a user to input signals to the DIP switch module  272  of the user interface unit  27 , driving the DIP switch module  272  to operate subject to the input signal. The input device of the automatic vending machine can be a set of operation buttons, a touch screen or switch means. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4  again, the power-saving power supply module  25  is adapted to receive different input voltages. The relatively higher input voltage, for example, 24V is inputted into the first voltage converter  251  and the second voltage converter  252 . The relatively lower input voltage, for example, 12V is inputted into the second voltage converter  252  and the control switch  253 . The second voltage converter  252  outputs the converted power supply to the control switch  253 . The voltage detection and protection unit  254  is electrically connected with the control switch  253  and electrically connected to the posterior circuit of the first voltage converter  251 . The first voltage converter  251  outputs the converted power supply to the high/low voltage converters  255 , which convert input power supply into different voltages for the body  1 , the motor  151 , the bill-checking optical transmitter  212 , the automatic vending machine  3  or other component parts for working, or directly transmit input power supply to the body  1 , the motor  151 , the bill-checking optical transmitter  212 , the automatic vending machine  3  or other component parts for working. 
     The voltage detection and protection unit  254  can detect the output voltage of the first voltage converter  251 , and cuts off power supply when the output voltage of the first voltage converter  251  is higher than a predetermined upper limit value or lower than a predetermined lower limit value, protecting the internal electronic devices against a surge and prolonging the service life of the automatic vending machine  3 . 
     Further, the power-saving power supply module  25  can be designed to receive 12V, 24V or other input voltage. The high/low voltage converters  255  can be designed to convert 12V into 3.3V, 5V and/or other voltages. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1˜4  again, the image sensor module  223  of the license recognition unit  22  can be a charge coupled device (CCD), complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), contact image sensor (CIS) or any other type of digital camera adapted to pick up the image and/or anti-counterfeit characteristics (watermark, steel stamp, hidden barcode, laser mark, etc.) of a license or bill. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  again, the bill transferring means  152  of the transmission mechanism  15  can be comprised of sheet-transfer rollers, transmission belt means, caterpillar chain means, rolling balls, etc. that can be rotated to transfer a license or bill. Further, the bill holding-down device  153  of the transmission mechanism  15  can be a crossed linkage, electromagnetic valve, push board or any other means capable of pushing a bill away from the rear end of the passage  12  onto the bill-bearing board  161  of the bill box  16 . 
     In conclusion, the bill acceptor with license recognition and improved power control arrangement of the present invention has the following features and advantages: 
     1. If the automatic vending machine  3  is not used within a predetermined time period after start-up, the automatic vending machine  3  immediately enters the sleep mode. When a bill or license is inserted through the insertion slot  11  of the body  1  into the passage  12 , the bill recognition unit  21  or license recognition unit  22  is driven to recognize the authenticity, par value and/or birth data of the inserted bill or license. After recognition of the authenticity of the inserted bill or license, the bill recognition unit  21  or license recognition unit  22  outputs a signal to the power-saving power supply module  25 , enabling the power-saving power supply module  25  to wake up the automatic vending machine  3 . Therefore, the automatic vending machine  3  is kept in the sleep mode when a user inserts a counterfeit license or bill or any other object into the insertion slot  11  of the body  1 , saving power consumption and avoiding waste of power supply. 
     2. If the bill acceptor is not used within a predetermined time period after start-up, the bill acceptor immediately enters the sleep mode while keeping the sensor switch  13  in action. When a user inserts a license or bill into the insertion slot  11  of the body  1 , the sensor switch  13  will be induced to wake up the bill acceptor, driving the bill acceptor to work. By means of the two-step sleep/wakeup functioning of the bill acceptor and the automatic vending machine  3 , the invention effectively saves the consumption of power supply, avoiding waste of power supply. 
     Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.