Coin discrimination apparatus and method
US5988348A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07F5/24
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A coin discrimination apparatus and method is provided. Coins, preferably after cleaning, e.g. using a trommel, are singulated by a coin pickup assembly configured to reduce jamming. A coin rail assists in providing separation between coins as they travel past a sensor. The sensor provides an oscillating electromagnetic field generated on a single sensing core. The oscillating electromagnetic field is composed of one or more frequency components. The electromagnetic field interacts with a coin, and these interactions are monitored and used to classify the coin according to its physical properties. All frequency components of the magnetic field are phase-locked to a common reference frequency. The phase relationships between the various frequencies are fixed, and the interaction of each frequency component with the coin can be accurately determined without the need for complicated electrical filters. In one embodiment, a sensor having a core, preferably ferrite, which is curved, such as in a U-shape or in the shape of a section of a torus, and defining a gap, is provided with a wire winding for excitation and/or detection. The sensor can be used for simultaneously obtaining data rel…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.