The present invention relates to coin evaluators and in particular, to a capacitance sensor for coin evaluation. There are a number of different sensors designed to evaluate metallic coins. Inductive sensors are commonly used and are sensitive to many inherent characteristics of coins simultaneously. Inductive sensors are responsive to magnetic permeability of the coin material, conductivity, quantity of the material and size of the coin. The simplest inductive sensors produce a response that depends on all of these characteristics, and as such, the resulting security is not high. Some inductive sensors attempt to measure the separate contributions of these characteristics, however, this requires a significant increase in the sophistication of the coin acceptor and its electronic evaluation system.
An alternate approach to improve the security of coin acceptors, is to have additional non inductive sensors. These sensors can provide a separate evaluation of the same characteristics that are influencing the inductive sensor signal (e.g., the coin diameter) or other characteristics such as coin weight. In the first case, the additional sensors can distinguish some of the characteristics influencing the inductive sensor signal while in the second case additional information is obtained.
In general, coin forgery is unprofitable primarily due to the low value of the coins. Unfortunately, coins of two countries which are of drastically different real values may be indistinguishable by coin acceptors because the coins are basically the same, other than the impressed patterns on the coins. Similarly, some industrially produced metallic washers without stamping on their surfaces are also indistinguishable from some coins by many coin acceptors.
There remains a need for an effective sensor which is most effective and is effective in distinguishing coins.
The capacity sensor of the present invention distinguishes coins by measuring the effect of the coin's periphery, and the parameters of the pattern impressed on the coin faces. In a preferred embodiment, the characteristics of the edge surface of the coins is measured.
According to the present invention, a capacity sensor arrangement evaluates geometrical parameters of coins in combination with a measurement of other parameters which impact capacitance to improve the security level of the coin acceptor.
According to the present invention a capacity sensor measures geometrical parameters of coins and utilizes the same electronic evaluation system for measuring all the parameters analyzed.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the capacity sensor measures the geometry of the periphery of the coin, and in particular, the diameter of the coin, the thickness of the coin, and an assessment of the pattern impressed on the faces of the coin.
The preferred capacity sensor includes a measuring capacitor and an auxiliary mechanical system. The measuring unit consists of two flat multilayer electrode systems, mounted parallel to each other on the opposite sides of a coin acceptor channel. The electrode systems are sized to cover the largest coin that the acceptor will accept. Each electrode system includes an active electrode facing the channel of the acceptor that includes a thin insulating covering layer thereover. A screening electrode is situated on the opposite side of the electrode system. It is separated from the active electrode by a thick insulating layer. Active electrodes of the two electrode systems form the measuring capacitor. The walls of the coin acceptor are inclined from vertical so that a coin moves closer to one of the walls. The first electrode system is mounted on the inclined wall and is fixed. The second electrode system selectively is mounted on the opposite wall and selectively moves towards the first electrode system to clutch a coin therebetween.
The first electrode system includes an additional electrode that is electrically connected with the active electrode of the same electrode system. An electromechanical system of the coin acceptor halts the coin inside the channel between the electrode systems, shifts the movable electrode system until the coin is clutched between the movable and fastened electrode systems, and subsequently shifts the movable system back releasing the coin for further movement along the channel. The auxiliary mechanical system includes a lever fastened to a passive electrode by a common shaft. The auxiliary mechanical system is mounted so that the lever is situated in the channel of coin acceptor and is displaced when the coin moves inside the channel. The displacement of the lever causes a displacement of the passive electrode relative to an additional electrode and the screening electrode of the first electrode system. With movement of the lever, the ratio of the passive electrode covering the additional and screening electrodes changes.
The electronic system is connected with the active electrodes of both electrodes systems; it measures the variation of the measuring capacitor capacity during the movement of a coin along the acceptor channel when the coin is between the electrode system and when the coin is clutched between the electrode systems.
When the coin moves along the coin acceptor channel past the lever, the maximum rotation angle value of the lever depends on the coin diameter. When the sharp edge of the lever slides over the edge surface of the coin the movement of the lever reflects the form of this surface. The corresponding rotation of the lever causes the shift of the passive electrode and leads to the variation of capacitive coupling between the additional and screening electrodes, and causes a variation of the measuring of the measuring capacitor. Any abrupt changes due to edges of the coin cause a change in this value. The coin continues along the coin acceptor channel until it is located between the electrode systems and the value of the measuring capacitor increases. The measured value is primarily a function of coin diameter and thickness. When the coin is clutched between the electrode systems the main contribution to the capacity of the measuring capacitor is made by the capacities between the measuring electrodes and faces of the coin and depend on the impressed pattern parameters, namely, on the depth of the relief and the ratio of concave and convex surface fragments on both faces of the coin.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, wherein:
A perspective view of a capacity sensor for measuring the geometric characteristics of coins is shown in FIG. 1. Two flat multilayer electrode systems 1 and 2 are positioned on opposite walls 3 and 4 of the coin acceptor channel 33. The electrode system 1 is fixed on the wall 3 of the channel and the electrode system 2 is movable towards or away from electrode system 1 by an electromechanical system 45 of the coin acceptor in the directions shown by the arrows 5. The movable electrode system 2 moves between an end position where the electrode system is located in the plane of channel wall 4 and a coin clutching position. Electrode systems 1 and 2 are separated by the width of the coin acceptor channel 33 when electrode system 2 is at the end position and the electromechanical system accurately controls the position of electrode system 2. The coin clutching position changes according to the thickness of the coin, but allows clutching of any type of coins that can be received in the coin acceptor.
There is also an arrangement that halts the coin between the electrode systems 1 and 2 before clutching. An example of the arrangement is the blind 6 that shuts the acceptor channel 33 immediately downstream of the electrode systems 1 and 2. Movement of the blind 6 is shown by arrows 7 and is controlled by the electromechanical system.
An auxiliary mechanical system of the sensor includes the lever 8 fastened to shaft 34 which causes the sympathetic rotation of the passive electrode 9. The lever is located in the acceptor channel 33 and the passive electrode is located behind the electrode system 1 and parallel to the channel.
The sequence of mechanical operations can be appreciated with reference to FIG. 1. In the initial state the blind 6 shuts the acceptor channel 33. The channel is inclined from the vertical and any inserted coin 10 moves freely along the channel in the direction shown by the arrow 11 due to a gravity bias. During this movement, one face of the coin slides along the channel wall 3 due to an inclination of the channel. While moving the coin strikes the lever 8 and the sharp edge 12 of the lever 8 slides along the edge surface of the coin and traces the shape thereof. The movement of the lever causes a sympathetic rotation of the passive electrode 9 as the electrode is fastened to the lever 8 by common shaft 34. As such, any abrupt transitions due to change in the periphery of the coin are translated to abrupt movements of the passive electrode and a change in capacitance.
The coin continues along the channel 33 into the space between the electrode systems 1 and 2 and is stopped by the blind 6. The electrode systems sense the coin (increase in capacitance) and electrode system 2 moves until the coin is tightly clutched. After tight clutching, electrode system 2 moves to the end position of
For some applications it is possible to use a simplified algorithm where the channel is always open. In this case, the coin is not clutched by the electrode systems and electrode system 2 is fixed or remains in the clear end position. This feature of tightly clutching the coin in some applications can be turned off. For example, bent coins typically would be rejected and it may be desirable to reduce the security level by turning off the clutching feature.
In the preferred embodiment, the coin passes the sensor as it moves along the channel and is then stopped between the electrode systems and evaluated. This evaluation can be appreciated with reference to
When the coin moves along the channel, it strikes and moves the lever of the auxiliary mechanical system causing the movement of the passive electrode. The movement of the passive electrode changes the capacitances of C4 and C5, and, therefore, changes the total capacitance of the measuring capacitor. The maximum change as the coin moves past the lever corresponds to the moment when the sharp edge 12 of the lever achieves the highest point and, thus, characterizes the diameter of the coin. The movement of this sharp edge along the surface of the brim generally traces the shape of the brim and changes the measured capacitance. Analyzing the changes in measured capacitance during the movement of the coin past the lever allows determination of both the diameter of the coin and the shape of the brim.
The coin continues to move along the channel until it is stopped between the electrode systems. This causes the emergence of C1 and C2 capacitors in the equivalent scheme (
The smaller the thickness of the insulating coverings 17, the more sensitive the system is to the influence of surface relief. Care should be exercised as too small a thickness reduces effectiveness. With appropriate coverings 17, the dominating contribution to the capacitances of C1 and C2 is delivered by the brim of the coin. Thus the capacitance of the measuring capacitor during the clutching of the coin between electrode systems depends on the peculiarities of the relief impressed on the faces of the coin, namely on its depth and the ratio of convex and concave fragments. This capacity is also registered by the electronic registering system. Note, that it is integral characteristics of the relief of the coin that are registered. These characteristics can occasionally coincide for different types of coins but the probability of this event is low.
There are many types of electronic schemes suitable for application as an electronic registering system of the sensor described. Some examples of electronic arrangements that utilize the capacitance sensor are generally shown in
In the arrangement of
Application of the described capacitance sensor together with sensors of other coin parameters increases the security of coin acceptors. In many cases, use of the capacity sensor allows simpler versions of other sensors. It is also possible to use the simplified version of the capacitance sensor which does not have the clutching function. It is also possible to allow the switch-on or switch-off of a certain sensor's functions in accordance with the demands to coins acceptors comprised in a given equipment. For example, to switch-on or switch-off the function of the imprinted relief parameters determination can be implemented simply by changing the algorithm of coin acceptor operation. When this function is switched off, the coin acceptor can accept deformed coins that would have been rejected during the process of impressed relief parameters determination.
There are some application where the switch-off of the above function is reasonable in spite of the deterioration of the security of the coin acceptor.
It should be noted that the proposed design of electrodes that are associated with the auxiliary mechanical system need not be incorporated into electrode system 1 and other arrangements are possible. For example, the additional and screening electrodes can form a separate electrode system.
It should be understood by those skilled in the art that obvious structural modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made primarily to the accompanying claims, rather then the foregoing Specification, to determine the scope of the invention.
The present application is a continuation of International Application PCT/CA00/00072 filed Jan. 28, 2000.
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655 810 | May 1986 | CH |
18 09 738 | Jun 1970 | DE |
3303179 | Feb 1984 | DE |
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2 226 678 | Jul 1990 | GB |
4-311294 | Nov 1992 | JP |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CA00/00072 | Jan 2000 | US |
Child | 09546907 | US |