Patent ID: 7963382

Claim:
A coin processing system, comprising: a rotatable disc for imparting motion to a plurality of coins of mixed denominations, wherein a rate of rotation is adjustable; an encoder attached to the rotatable disc for producing an encoder pulse for each incremental movement of the rotatable disc; a memory adapted to store master denominating characteristic information including a plurality of predetermined numbers of encoder pulses, each predetermined number of encoder pulses corresponding to a size of a particular coin denomination the coin processing system is adapted to process; a stationary sorting head having a lower surface generally parallel to and spaced slightly away from the rotatable disc, the lower surface forming the coin path for directing the movement of each of the coins and a coin exit region for sorting and discharging coins of particular denominations; a light source disposed on a first side of a coin path, the light source being configured to output a light beam traversing the coin path in substantially a same plane as the coin path; a light guide disposed in the stationary sorting head on a second side of the coin path to receive, at a proximal end of the light guide, the light beam traversing the coin path; a light detector disposed adjacent a distal end of the light guide, the light detector being adapted to generate a light-detection signal indicative of an incident light beam, each coin moving along the coin path passing through the light beam resulting in the suspension of the generation of the light-detection signal through a full diameter of each coin; and a controller programmed to receive the encoder pulses from the encoder and to receive the light-detection signal from the light detector, the controller being further programmed to determine a number of encoder pulses received during a period of non-receipt of the light-detection signal caused by each coin passing through the light beam, the controller being programmed to compare the determined number of encoder counts to the stored master denominating characteristic information upon resuming to receive the light-detection signal from the light detector to determine the denomination of the coin passing through the light beam.