Patent ID: 7419059

Claim:
A device for handling objects such as coins or similar items of different object types, comprising a transport path having a plurality of separating stations for said objects, wherein each separating station is for separating objects of one object type from the transport path and each separating station is operable between an activated state, in which a passing object is separated from the transport path, and a deactivated state, in which a passing object is not separated from the transport path but continues along the transport path past the separating station in question, a sensor for detecting said objects and respectively determining an object type of each of said objects, and a controller associated with said plurality of separating stations for respectively controlling said separating stations by selectively activating, deactivating, or maintaining an activated state of each separating station depending on the determined object type of each of said objects, said controller being configured for: logically forming a plurality of trains of objects, each train of objects having an object type, by successively combining objects which have been detected one after the other and which objects have a distance therebetween which is less than a threshold value; determining that a first train of objects has been detected by the sensor; determining an object type of said first train of objects; activating to an activated state a first separating station based on the determined object type of said first train of objects; determining that a second train of objects has been detected by the sensor; determining an object type of said second train of objects; and while said first separating station is in the activated state, selectively deactivating or maintaining the activated state of said first separating station based on the determined object type of said second train of objects.