The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 11, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 17, 2000
Eiko Hibari, Saitama, JP;
Laurel Bank Machines Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A coin discriminating apparatus includes a first light source for projecting light onto one surface of a coin being transported, a second light source for projecting light onto the other surface of a coin being transported, a first light detector for photoelectrically receiving light emitted from the first light source and reflected by the one surface of the coin and producing image pattern data of the one surface of the coin, a first pattern data memory for storing the image pattern data of the one surface of the coin produced by the first light detector, a second light detector for photoelectrically receiving light emitted from the second light source and reflected by the other surface of the coin and producing image pattern data of the other surface of the coin, a second pattern data memory for storing the image pattern data of the other surface of the coin produced by the second light detecting means, a reference data memory for storing reference data of coins of each denomination, a discriminator for comparing the image pattern data of the one surface of the coin with the reference data of coins of each denomination and comparing the image pattern data of the other surface of the coin with the reference data of coins of each denomination, thereby discriminating whether or not the coin is acceptable and the denomination of the coin. According to the thus constituted coin discriminating apparatus, it is possible to discriminate whether or not coins are acceptable and the denominations of coins with high accuracy even when coins has a common pattern on one side surface thereof but a different pattern on the other side surface thereof like Euro coins.