Laurel Bank Machines Company, Ltd.

Laurel Precision Machines Co., Ltd.

Mitsuhiro Nagase

Masataka Takahashi

The present invention provides an information input/output device for visually impaired users whereby the visually impaired users can easily obtain information for the operation and perform the operation without confusion. This device comprise a braille output unit having a plurality of projectable dotted portions and which enables output of a plurality of braille patterns by controlling the projection of the dotted portions, and a recognition means which recognizes that an operation concerning the braille patterns output by the braille output unit is input when the braille output unit is pushed within a predetermined period of time after the braille patterns are output by the braille output unit. When the user inputs an operation concerning the braille patterns, the user pushes the braille unit in which the braille patterns are output.

Information input/output device for visually impaired users

A sheet discriminating apparatus includes a light source for emitting light toward a sheet, a spectrophotometer for receiving light emitted from the light source and reflected by a non-printed surface portion of the sheet and generating spectral data, a memory for storing reference data, and a discriminator for discriminating genuineness of the sheet based on the spectral data generated by the spectrophotometer and the reference data stored in the memory. According to the thus constituted sheet discriminating apparatus, it is possible to accurately discriminate the genuineness of a sheet, particularly a bill or security certificate.

Sheet discriminating apparatus

Apparatus for discriminating bills includes a sensitive color plate provided on one side of a bill transport passage for transporting bills therethrough, and a light source for emitting light toward the sensitive color plate. A reflecting plate is provided parallel to the sensitive color plate on the other side of the bill transport passage for reflecting light from the light source transmitted through the sensitive color plate back toward the sensitive color plate. A band-pass filter passes light having a prescribed wavelength range and cuts light having other wavelengths. A photosensor detects the light reflected by the reflecting plate and transmitted through the sensitive color plate and the band-pass filter. With this arrangement, it is possible to discriminate bills having a transparent portion with high accuracy.

Apparatus for discriminating bills which have a transparent portion

A bill or security discriminating apparatus includes at least one irradiating device for irradiating a surface of a bill or security at a predetermined angle with the surface thereof, at least one polarization separating device for receiving light reflected by the surface of the bill or security and separating the received light into P-polarized light and S-polarized light, at least one first light detector for photoelectrically detecting the P-polarized light separated by the at least one polarization separating device and generating an electrical signal in accordance with intensity of the detected light, at least one second light detector for photoelectrically detecting the S-polarized light separated by the at least one polarization separating device and generating an electrical signal in accordance with intensity of the detected light, and a discriminator for discriminating the bill or security in accordance with the intensity of the P-polarized light and S-polarized light based on the electrical signals input from the at least one first light detector and the at least one second light detector. According to the thus constituted bill or security discriminating apparatus, it is possible to discriminate bills or securities with high accuracy even if they are damaged or wrinkled.

Bill or security discriminating apparatus using P-polarized and

A bill discriminating apparatus includes a light source for projecting a stimulating light onto a surface of a bill, a photomultiplier for photoelectrically detecting light emitted from the surface of the bill in response to the irradiation with the stimulating light and producing detected data corresponding to an amount of the detected light, a ROM for storing reference data, and a CPU for comparing the detected data produced by the photomultiplier and the reference data stored in the ROM and discriminating the bill.

Bill discriminating apparatus

A coin discriminating apparatus including a light projector for projecting light onto a coin, a light receiver for receiving light reflected by the coin and producing pattern data of the coin, pattern data memory for storing the pattern data as mapped into an x-y coordinate system, a center coordinate calculator for determining a center coordinate of the pattern data mapped in the x-y coordinate system in the pattern data memory, a pattern data converter for, based upon the center coordinate of the pattern data in the x-y coordinate system, the pattern data stored in the pattern data memory into an r-.theta. coordinate system and producing converted pattern data, a reference pattern data memory for storing reference pattern data mapped in the r-.theta. coordinate system and a coin discriminator for correcting the converted pattern data along a .theta.-axis and comparing the corrected converted pattern data with the reference pattern data to discriminate the coin. According to the thus constituted coin discriminating apparatus, it is possible to discriminate coins with high accuracy and at high speed.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Mitsuhiro Nagase