Claims
- 1. A method for providing a voucher in a coin discriminator having a discriminator printer, with the voucher configured to assist in distinguishing unauthorized duplicate or counterfeit vouchers, the method comprising:
using the discriminator printer to print, on a substrate, at least a first indicia containing an indication of a value of the voucher; providing a plurality of perforations in the substrate to define a first curved pattern of perforations; and providing the substrate with a thermally responsive second indicia.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the substrate with a thermally responsive second indicia includes providing the substrate with thermo-chromic ink.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the substrate with a thermally responsive second indicia includes providing the substrate with a thermally responsive second indicia that has an activation temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a plurality of coins in the coin discriminator; and counting the coins to obtain the value thereof.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the substrate includes providing thermal paper.
- 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing a third indicia on the substrate, the third indicia being at least partially obscured by the thermally responsive second indicia.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein using the discriminator printer to print includes printing the first indicia at an angle of approximately 90 degrees relative to the thermally responsive second indicia.
- 8. A voucher configured to assist in distinguishing unauthorized duplicate or counterfeit vouchers, the voucher comprising:
a substrate; a first indicia on the substrate; and a thermally responsive second indicia on the substrate, at least one of the first indicia and second indicia indicating a value of the voucher.
- 9. The voucher of claim 8 wherein the thermally responsive second indicia includes thermo-chromic ink.
- 10. The voucher of claim 8 wherein the thermally responsive second indicia has an activation temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 11. The voucher of claim 8, further comprising a third indicia on the substrate, the third indicia being at least partially obscured by the thermally responsive second indicia.
- 12. The voucher of claim 8 further comprising a substantially non-visible mark on the substrate, wherein rubbing adjacent to the mark with an object will render the mark visible.
- 13. A method in a coin-counting machine for providing a voucher configured to assist in distinguishing unauthorized duplicate or counterfeit vouchers, the method comprising:
providing a substrate with a thermally responsive first indicia; and printing on the substrate at the coin-counting machine at least a second indicia, the second indicia containing at least an indication of a value of the voucher.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein providing a substrate with a thermally responsive first indicia includes providing a substrate with thermo-chromic ink.
- 15. The method of claim 13 wherein providing a substrate with a thermally responsive first indicia includes providing a substrate with a thermally responsive indicia that has an activation temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
receiving a plurality of coins in the coin-counting machine; counting the received coins to obtain a total value; and printing on the substrate the value of the voucher relating to the total value.
- 17. The method of claim 13 wherein providing a substrate includes providing thermal paper.
- 18. The method of claim 13 further comprising placing a third indicia on the substrate, the third indicia being at least partially obscured by the thermally responsive first indicia.
- 19. The method of claim 13 wherein printing on the substrate at least a second indicia includes printing the second indicia at an angle of between 70 and 110 degrees relative to the first indicia.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein printing the second indicia at an angle includes printing the second indicia at an angle of approximately 90 degrees.
- 21. The method of claim 13 wherein providing a substrate with a thermally responsive first indicia includes providing a substrate with a thermally responsive first indicia having a responsiveness of 2-10 seconds.
- 22. A voucher configured to assist in distinguishing unauthorized duplicate or counterfeit vouchers, the voucher comprising:
a substrate; a first indicia on the substrate, the first indicia indicating a value of the voucher; a thermally responsive second indicia on the substrate, the second indicia being responsive at a temperature between 75 and 98 degrees Fahrenheit; a plurality of perforations in the substrate defining a pattern; and a substantially non-visible third indicia on the substrate, wherein rubbing adjacent to the third indicia with an object will render it visible.
- 23. The voucher of claim 22 wherein the thermally responsive second indicia includes thermo-chromic ink.
- 24. The voucher of claim 22 wherein the substrate includes thermal paper.
- 25. A voucher configured to assist in distinguishing unauthorized duplicate or counterfeit vouchers, the voucher comprising:
a substrate including at least a thermally responsive substrate portion, the thermally responsive substrate portion having a first visual appearance at a first temperature and a second visual appearance at a second temperature; and an indicia on the substrate.
- 26. The voucher of claim 25 wherein the first visual appearance of the thermally responsive substrate portion is lighter than the second visual appearance of the thermally responsive substrate portion, and wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.
- 27. The voucher of claim 25 wherein the first visual appearance of the thermally responsive substrate portion is darker than the second visual appearance of the thermally responsive substrate portion, and wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.
- 28. The voucher of claim 25 wherein the indicia is positioned adjacent to the thermally responsive substrate portion.
- 29. A voucher configured to assist in distinguishing unauthorized duplicate or counterfeit vouchers, the voucher comprising:
a substrate; a first indicia on the substrate; and a second indicia on the substrate, the second indicia having a first visual appearance at a first temperature and a second visual appearance at a second temperature, wherein one of the first visual appearance or the second visual appearance is a visible appearance and the other visual appearance is a non-visible appearance.
- 30. An article of manufacture configured to assist in distinguishing unauthorized duplicate or counterfeit articles, the article comprising:
a flexible and elongate substrate usable in connection with a coin-counting machine and configured to receive a first indicia from a printer operatively connected to the coin-counting machine; and a thermally responsive second indicia on the substrate.
- 31. The article of claim 30, wherein the coin-counting machine is usable to provide a total value related to a plurality of randomly received coins, and wherein the first indicia is a value related to the total value.
- 32. An apparatus for use in counting coins, comprising:
a coin discriminator usable to provide a total value related to a plurality of randomly received coins; a printer operatively connected to the coin discriminator; and a substrate having a first indicia and being configured to receive a second indicia, the second indicia being printed by the printer and indicating a value related to the total value, at least one of the first or second indicia being thermally responsive.
- 33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the thermally responsive indicia includes thermo-chromic ink.
- 34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the thermally responsive indicia and has an activation temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 35. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising a third indicia on the substrate, the third indicia being at least partially obscured by the thermally responsive indicia.
- 36. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising a substantially non-visible mark on the substrate, wherein rubbing adjacent to the mark with an object renders the mark visible.
- 37. An apparatus for use in counting coins, comprising:
a coin discriminator usable to provide a total value related to a plurality of randomly received coins; a printer operatively connected to the coin discriminator; and a substrate configured to receive thermally responsive indicia, the thermally responsive indicia being printed by the printer on the substrate.
- 38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the thermally responsive indicia includes thermo-chromic ink.
- 39. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the thermally responsive indicia and has an activation temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 40. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the thermally responsive indicia is a first indicia and wherein the substrate further includes a second indicia, the second indicia being at least partially obscured by the thermally responsive indicia.
- 41. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising a substantially non-visible mark on the substrate, wherein rubbing adjacent to the mark with an object renders the mark visible.
- 42. An apparatus for use in counting coins, comprising:
a coin discriminator usable to provide a total value related to a plurality of randomly received coins; a printer operatively connected to the coin discriminator; and a substrate having thermally responsive indicia, the substrate configured to be dispensed from the apparatus in response to a user input.
- 43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the thermally responsive indicia includes thermo-chromic ink.
- 44. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the thermally responsive indicia is a first indicia, and wherein the substrate is configured to receive a second indicia, the second indicia being printed on the substrate by the printer, the second indicia including a value related to the total value.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/422,917, filed Oct. 21, 1999, and currently pending, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/105,508, filed Oct. 23, 1998. Cross-reference is made to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/035,273, filed Mar. 8, 1998 which is a continuing application claiming priority from Ser. No. 08/237,486 filed May 3, 1994 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,079) which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/940,931 filed Sep. 4, 1992 which is the parent of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/255,539 filed Jun. 6, 1994 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,546) and cross-reference is further made to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/178,441 for “Voucher Coding for Self-Service Coin Discriminator” filed on Oct. 23, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,402) and to PCT/US97/11174 filed Jun. 27, 1997 for “Coin Discrimination Apparatus and Method, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60105508 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09422917 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
10039181 |
Jan 2002 |
US |