Patent ID: 7070037

Claim:
A valuation system for determining the monetary value of coins included in a plurality of stacks of coins arranged for dispensing from an automatic coin dispensing machine, the valuation system comprising: a single stationary sensor arranged to determine the height of the stack of coins in each of the plurality of stacks of coins as the plurality of stacks of coins rotate past the single sensor; a microprocessor in communication with the sensor, the microprocessor adapted to determine the monetary value of coins in each of the plurality of stacks of coins by (A) determining the type of coin in each of the plurality of stacks of coins; (B) determining the number of coins in each of the plurality of stacks of coins by dividing the determined height by a known coin height for the determined type of coin in each of the stacks of coins; (C) determining a monetary value of the coins in each of the plurality of stacks of coins by multiplying the determined number of coins by a known coin value for the determined type of coin in each of the plurality of stacks of coins; and (D) determining an overall monetary value for the coins in the plurality of stacks of coins by summing the determined monetary value for each of the plurality of stacks of coins; and a display in communication with the microprocessor for visually displaying the overall monetary value of the plurality of stacks of coin.