Coin Acceptors, Inc.

Other

Coil Acceptors, Inc.

Ronald A Hoormann

Joseph L Levasseur

Mark H Leibu

Douglas M Petty

Ronald E Lovall

Steven Michael Costello

A device for sensing predetermined characteristics of an object such as a coin or a token in order to determine its validity or genuineness and in some cases its denomination, the device including a combination of optical and electromagnetic sensors which operate together along a coin path and capable to analyze the coin or token in different positions so that if there are multiple holes or rings of transparent material they can be sensed and used to determine the coin or token's validity and denomination.

Detection device

A device and method for controlling change payout from a plurality of coin tubes of a vending machine, each of which plurality of coin tubes has a particular coin type stored therein, including a processor for processing data and controlling vend operations, and coin level sensors for indicating the level of coins stored in each of the plurality of coin tubes, the processor programmed to determine the amount of change payback and whether one or more predetermined conditions are satisfied, including whether a first payout routine has been disabled, and if the first payout routine has been disabled, to execute a global payout routine which includes steps to effect an attempt to payout one coin only from a full coin tube, and steps to effect, if a coin is not paid out from a full coin tube, an attempt to payout one coin from a coin tube storing a coin denomination which cannot be evenly divided into the next highest coin denomination stored in one of the plurality of coin tubes.

Global coin payout method and control apparatus

A device and method for controlling change payout from a plurality of coin tubes of a vending machine, each of which plurality of coin tubes has a particular coin type stored therein, including a processor for processing data and controlling vend operations and counters for maintaining a count of the coins in each of the plurality of coin tubes, the processor programmed to determine the amount of change payback and whether a particular coin type available for payout is desired to be saved and the identity of such coin type, and further programmed to generate a payout array in which the number of coins of the coin type desired to be saved has been reduced from the number that would otherwise be specified and the number of coins of other coin types are adjusted accordingly.

Coin payout method and control means

The present invention relates, in one form thereof, to making a coin payout from a vending machine having a processor for processing data and a plurality of coin tubes for storing coins, each coin tube having one coin denomination type stored therein. The machine further includes coin counter, coupled to the coin tubes and to the processor, for determining when a coin is deposited in each coin tube and when a coin is removed from each coin tube. In one form of the present invention, the processor is programmed to determine whether certain conditions are satisfied for a particular vend and, if such conditions are satisfied, paying out at least one coin selected on the basis of predetermined criteria.

Coin payout method and control apparatus

A coin validation circuit and method of operation thereof, including a memory having stored therein a data entry for each acceptable denomination, a validation control circuit, preferably including a microprocessor, operatively connected to the memory, an analysis circuit, preferably a ringing circuit, operatively connected to the validation control circuit and operable to produce output signals, and a monitor circuit operatively connected to the analysis circuit to respond to a particular predetermined output signal characteristic, the validation control circuit operable during a coin validation operation with respect to any one of the acceptable denominations to retrieve from the memory a predetermined data entry, to produce a conditioning signal corresponding to the retrieved predetermined data entry to effect a pre-conditioning of the analysis circuit in accordance therewith, and to thereafter produce a coin analysis initiation signal, the analysis circuit responsive to such initiation signal to produce an output signal the characteristics of which are dependent, in part, both upon the particular pre-condition of the analysis circuit and upon any coin in the coin analysis field of the analysis circuit, the output signal produced in response to such initiation signal having associated therewith the particular predetermined output signal characteristic if a coin of the particular acceptable denomination whose associated data entry was retrieved from memory and utilized to pre-condition the analysis circuit is in the coin analysis field of the analysis circuit, regardless of the denomination of the coin submitted to examination or the particular acceptable denomination with respect to which the coin validation operation is conducted.

Coin detection and validation means and method

A coin sizing circuit and method of operation therefor for use with a coin-operated vending system for distinguishing between various deposited coins as they travel along a predefined path, comprising first and second spaced sensors positioned to detect the movement of a deposited coin thereby, the sensors being responsive to movement of the deposited coin to produce an initial sensing status signal and two further sensing status signals as the coin moves along the predefined path by the sensors and reaches particular positions relative thereto, a memory having predetermined coin sizing data stored therein, and processing circuitry, preferably a programmed microprocessor, operatively connected to the sensors to receive the sensing status signals produced thereby and also operatively connected to the memory to permit the retrieval therefrom of the data stored therein. The processing circuitry is responsive to production of the initial sensing status signal and the first occurring of the two further sensing status signals to establish a time window interval, and is subsequently responsive to production within the time window interval of the second occurring of the two further sensing status signals so as to distinguish a coin whose movement past the sensors effects production within the time window interval of the second occurring of the two further sensing status signals from other coins whose movements past the sensors effect productions of the second occurring of the two further sensing status signals at times outside of the time window interval.

Coin sizing means and method

A coin validation circuit and method of operation thereof, including a memory having stored therein a data entry for each acceptable denomination, a validation control circuit, preferably including a microprocessor, operatively connected to the memory, a ringing circuit operatively connected to the validation control circuit and operable to produce damped wave output signals, and a monitor circuit operatively connected to the ringing circuit to respond to a particular predetermined damped wave output signal characteristic, the validation control circuit operable during a coin validation operation with respect to any one of the acceptable denominations to retrieve from the memory a predetermined data entry, to produce a conditioning signal corresponding to the retrieved predetermined data entry to effect a pre-conditioning of the ringing circuit in accordance therewith, and to thereafter produce a ring initiation signal, the ringing circuit responsive to such ring initiation signal to produce during a ringing time interval a damped wave output signal the characteristics of which are dependent, in part, both upon the particular pre-condition of the ringing circuit and upon any coin in the field of the ringing circuit, the damped wave output signal produced in response to such ring initiation signal having associated therewith the particular predetermined damped wave output signal characteristic if a coin of the particular acceptable denomination whose associated data entry was retrieved from memory and utilized to pre-condition the ringing circuit is in the field of the ringing circuit during the ringing time interval, regardless of the denomination of the coin submitted to examination or the particular acceptable denomination with respect to which the coin validation operation is conducted.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Ronald A Hoormann