Patent · US Expired

Coin acceptance means and method

US4763769A · kind A · utility

49Cited by
3References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 1986
Grant dateAug 16, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 3, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07F5/24
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A coin acceptance construction and method for use with a predefined price vending system which includes coin analysis apparatus capable of producing coin analysis data for determining coin validity, a controllable mechanism operable to effect the acceptance or return of deposited coins, coin availability status monitors for determining coins available for payback, such monitors producing coin availability status data indicative of the status of coins available for payback, and vend control circuitry for controlling a vend operation, which vend control circuitry is operable to accumulate credit and to effect a vend when the amount of accumulated credit at least equals the vend price. The coin acceptance construction, which may be either separate from the vend control circuitry, e.g., separate decoding circuitry, or form a part of the vend control circuitry, e.g., a programmed microprocessor, is responsive to the production by the coin analysis apparatus, upon detection thereby of a deposited coin, of coin analysis data representative of a valid coin to determine the acceptability of such validated deposited coin for the particular vend operation in progress, which determination is d…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.