Mars, Incorporated

Mei, Inc.

American Tech Manufacturing, Inc.

Other

Trafalgar Industries Inc.

Thomas E Shuren

David Charles Deaville

Robert Clauser

Frank V Linker, Jr

John Zouzoulas

Alfred F Bergeron

Elwood E Barnes

Neil Young

Scott B Hudis

Bob M Dobbins

Andre Gerlier

David Michael Furneaux

Scott Hudis

Bob MacKenzie

Michael Chittleborough

Mahendrakumar D Desai

Andrew M Yellop

Karen Aurelius

Neil M Young

Robert J Clauser

Replenishing coins in a coin store associated with a coin handling device includes feeding a batch of coins from a bulk coin store to a receptacle near the coin handling device, delivering coins from the receptacle to the coin handling device and routing at least some of those coins from the coin handling device to the coin store associated with the coin handling device.

Batch re-load of coin recycler

Tracking information in a note handling facility, such as an amusement gaming facility, involves, in some implementations, communications between components of the system to facilitate tracking the location and movement of note acceptors and cassettes for storing notes. Such components can include host machines, note acceptors, cassettes for storing notes, databases, and/or note counting machines. RF tag chips can be embedded in or mounted to some of the components to facilitate the communications. RF tag readers can be provided at appropriate locations within the facility to facilitate reading information from and writing information to the RF tag chips.

Tracking information in a note handling facility

A security gate mechanism for a currency handling apparatus having a currency passageway includes a rotatable gate having a slit therein. The slit is aligned with the currency passageway when the rotatable gate is in an initial position. A drive wheel is coupled to the rotary gate for driving the rotatable gate in first and second directions, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction. A positioning member is selectively engageable with the drive wheel for positioning the rotatable gate in the initial position such that the slit in the rotatable gate is substantially aligned with the passageway. The positioning member is arranged to be engageable with the drive wheel when the drive wheel rotates the rotatable gate in the second direction, but it is not engageable with the drive wheel when the drive wheel rotates the rotatable gate in the first direction.

Security gate mechanism for a currency handling device

A device and technique for storing flexible media of different dimensions is described. In an implementation, the device includes a carriage having at least two rotating members, a membrane wrapped about each rotating member, a frame and at least one actuator. When flexible media, such as a banknote, is fed into the device, the actuator causes the carriage to move in a forward direction so that a first membrane unwraps to press a banknote onto a stack. The carriage then moves in a reverse direction back into an initial position, and the first membrane wraps about a rotating member and a second membrane unwraps to hold the banknote in place.

Flexible media stacking and accumulating device

A validator portion of a bill validator is disclosed comprising two different plastic materials of different colors, fused together. The first plastic material is preferably opaque, or black, and the second plastic material is preferably clear. The clear material is used to provide windows through the validator housings for light to pass from light sources, such as light emitting diodes, to photodetectors, such as phototransistors, and protects the light source and photodetectors from water, dirt and air. Prisms can be provided as well, to provide a detector for foreign matter such as string. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the validator can be formed by a two shot, injection molding process.

Bill validation using light transmitted across bill pathway

A validator portion of a bill validator is disclosed comprising two different plastic materials of different colors, fused together. The first plastic material is preferably opaque, or black, and the second plastic material is preferably clear. The clear material is used to provide windows through the validator housings for light to pass from light sources, such as light emitting diodes, to photodetectors, such as photo-transistors, and protects the light source and photodetectors from water, dirt and air. Prisms can be provided as well, to provide a detector for foreign matter such as string. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the validator can be formed by a two shot, injection molding process.

Validation housing for a bill validator made by a two shot molding

An apparatus and method for reducing vandalism and minimizing damage from liquids injected into apertures of a vending machine is described. An anti-salting module, having a housing with an integral tray for collecting liquids, is connected beneath a bill validator in a vending machine A rubber fillet is connected to the rear of the bill validator and directs injected fluids to the tray. A moisture sensor integral to the tray is connected to detection and control circuitry. When moisture is detected, the detection and control circuitry operates to interrupt power and control signals to the bill validator. Other external sensors, such as a second moisture sensor and a continuity sensor for monitoring the status of other vending machine components, may also be connected to the detection and control circuitry. After moisture has been detected, vending machine power and control signals can be restored only when moisture is no longer present, and a SET switch is depressed by service personnel.

Vending machine apparatus and method to prevent fraud and minimize

A method and apparatus to prevent fraud in a bill acceptor system utilizing a lockable, removable cassette is disclosed. A security arrangement including a security sensor and a microprocessor monitors the attachment of the cassette for proper installation, and monitors the bill pusher cycle when an accepted bill is loaded into the cassette. If the cassette is not properly installed or if a bill pusher cycle fails to complete, indicating a possible fraud attempt, then the bill validator is disabled.

Security arrangement for use with a lockable, removable cassette

An improved method and apparatus for the autodiscrimination of barcodes is described. First, an interrupt driven technique for timing the duration of space and bar barcode data is described which allows a microprocessor to decode a first quantum of barcode data during a substantial portion of the time the microprocessor is timing the duration of space and bar data of a second quantum of barcode data. Second, an improved method of locating a barcode margin and eliminating types of barcode to be tried for purposes of decoding is described. Briefly, an integer ratio of space and following bar duration data is compared to a predetermined number, and a determination is made as to whether the space is a margin based on the comparison. Preferably, the two techniques are used in conjunction to speed the autodiscrimination in apparatus for scanning a plurality of different types of bar codes.

Method and apparatus for bar code data autodiscrimination

An improved motor cntrol for banknote handling apparatus is described. An improved stacker pusher motor arrangement has a defined cycle of operation. The time it takes the stacker pusher motor to complete a predetermined portion of this cycle is measured. A braking time is computed from the measured time, and a braking control signal dependent thereon is applied to the stacker pusher motor to stop the stacker pusher motor at the appropriate position. An improved banknote transporting arrangement measures the time needed for a banknote to travel from a first point to a second point. A braking time is computed from the measured time and an appropriate braking control signal is applied to stop the banknote at the appropriate position.

Motor control for banknote handing apparatus

An apparatus for determining lead integrity of DIP devices, wherein the leads of the DIP devices extend from a track for supporting the DIP devices during passage through the apparatus. Included is a transmitter for the transmission of a signal, positioned so that the leads of the DIP devices traveling on the track intersect the transmitted signals and a receiver for receiving and converting a transmitted signal to an electrical signal, positioned so that as the leads of the DIP device intersect the transmitted signal, the receiver generates an electrical signal reflective of the intersection for determining the integrity of the leads based upon the electrical signal. The receiver includes receptors positioned on either side of the track such that each receptor receives the transmitted signal intersected by the leads as the DIP devices travel on the track. The receptors are arranged wherein a first receptor is oriented upstream along the track and wherein at least two other receptors are oriented such that one is further than the other from the track in order to receive signals which intersect the leads at at least two spaced points therein. Both other receptors are downstream in the direction of travel of the DIP devices.

Apparatus and method for lead integrity determination for dip devices

An apparatus for determining lead integrity of DIP devices, wherein the leads of the DIP devices extend from a track for supporting the DIP devices during passage through the apparatus. Included is a transmitting means for the transmission of a signal, positioned so that the leads of the DIP devices traveling on the track intersect the transmitted signals and a receiving means for receiving and converting a transmitted signal to an electrical signal, positioned so that as the leads of the DIP device intersect said transmitted signal, the receiving means generates an electrical signal reflective of the intersection for determining the integrity of the leads based upon the electrical signal. The receiving means includes receptors positioned on either side of the track such that each receptor receives the transmitted signal intersected by the leads as the DIP devices travel on the track. The receptors are arranged wherein a first receptor is oriented upstream along the track and wherein at least two other receptors are oriented such that one is further than the other from the track in order to receive signals which interest the leads at at least two spaced points therein. Both other receptors are downstream in the direction of travel of the DIP devices.

Microprocessor-based vending apparatus incorporating a plurality of separately driven individual dispensing assemblies is disclosed. The dispensing assemblies are scanned to determine their state and any malfunctioning assembly disabled to prevent attempted selection by a user without shutting down the entire vending machine. The state of the malfunctioning dispensing apparatus is retained in memory so that the state of each dispensing assembly may be selectively displayed through activation of a display switch causing the microprocessor to sequentially identify and display those dispensing devices which malfunctioned. The microprocessor performs all change-making functions normally performed in vending machines to greatly reduce the complexity and expense of the coin-accepting apparatus. Additionally, data is stored representing the quantity of each coin denomination present and change-making capability is disabled when coin denominations are reduced to a predetermined count. Cash flow data is stored in memory and may be displayed upon request. All functions of the vending apparatus are continuously monitored to assure proper operation and alarm conditions to identify malfunctions are developed. The status of all such functions are stored in memory for subsequent display or data transfer. Data transfer may be to an off-line printer, an off-line memory, optically coupled data transducers or the like. The off-line memory has a transceiver which is automatically energized by the vending machine transceiver to initiate data transfer.

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, PA, United States of America

Thomas E Shuren