JP3303955B2 - Material sensor for coin processing machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used for a circulating coin processor that sorts received coins according to denomination and reuses them as change. The present invention relates to a material sensor for a coin processor that discriminates and emits, for example, a counting signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a simplified diagram showing a conventional material sensor for a coin processing machine. The material sensor includes a sensor coil 1 having, for example, a ferrite core which is excited at a constant frequency by an LC transmission circuit 2. A detection unit 3 for detecting the output level of the transmission circuit 2 which changes when a coin 10 approaches the sensor coil 1 via the gap member 9, and converts a detection signal 3 S of the detection unit into a digital signal to generate a digital signal at regular intervals. A control unit including a material discriminating unit (not shown) that discriminates the type of coin by its material using the difference between the detection signal level (standby value) before the detection of the coin and the detection signal level when the coin is detected as a judgment value. 4 and a data storage unit 5. When applying the material sensors to a coin processing machine, up to six material sensors are used in Japan corresponding to coins of six denominations.

FIG. 7 is a characteristic diagram showing a change in a detection signal level due to the proximity of a coin in a conventional material sensor for a coin processing machine. The oscillation of an LC oscillation circuit 3 composed of, for example, a Colbitz oscillator or the like depends on the material of the coin. When the frequency is selected, the amplitude of the detection signal 3S at the standby value level when the coin 10 is located at a position away from the sensor coil 1 increases the penetration of the magnetic flux penetrating the coin as the coin 10 approaches the sensor coil 1. The depth changes, and the output level detector 3 changes accordingly.
Assuming that the amplitude of the detection signal 3S detected in step (1) increases and the thickness of the gap member 9 is constant, the maximum value of the variation in the amplitude indicates a constant level depending on the material of the coin. Accordingly, the material discriminating unit (not shown) in the control unit 4 determines whether the amplitude of the detection signal 3S exceeds the medium detection level and reaches the bronze detection level or the bronze detection level, and passes the coins passing therethrough. By discriminating 10 by its material, for example, a function as a payout counting sensor that outputs a counting signal of coins is obtained.

[0004]

As described above, in a material sensor for detecting a change in signal level due to the material of a coin with reference to a standby value which is a signal level before detection of a coin, a standby value serving as a reference is used. It is required that the value does not always change stably below the medium detection level. However, in a material sensor using a sensor coil and an LC oscillator, it is difficult to eliminate the temperature dependency of the oscillation frequency because the inductance and capacitance of the LC circuit change due to a change in ambient temperature. There is a problem that the signal level becomes unstable.
In particular, in the conventional circulation type coin processing machine, since the standby value of the material sensor is updated at the time of power-on and at the time of withdrawal / recovery operation, the withdrawal / recovery operation is performed relatively frequently. In the used state, the standby value is repeatedly updated at short time intervals, and the fluctuation of the standby value due to a change in the ambient temperature or the like does not matter. However,
For example, when the power is turned on in a cold morning and the coin processor does not operate until the store is opened, the effect of the ambient temperature on the standby value is large, and sometimes the standby value exceeds the medium detection level. In this case, in this case, the coin processor outputs a sensor abnormality signal, which causes an inconvenience that extra work is required for investigating and recovering the cause.

It is also conceivable to construct a material sensor using circuit components having low temperature dependency. However, in this case, there is a problem that the material sensor becomes large and the cost increases. An object of the present invention is to provide a material sensor for a coin processing machine having a stable discriminating function by repeatedly updating a standby value by software during a standby period of a dispensing / restoring operation.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a material sensor for a coin processor according to the present invention is provided in a coin processor, and is provided with a sensor coil which is excited at a constant frequency by an LC transmission circuit; A detection unit for detecting the output level of the transmission circuit which changes due to the proximity of a coin; a detection signal of this detection unit being converted into a digital signal and taken in at a fixed interval, and a detection signal level (standby value) before the coin is detected
And a control unit including a data discriminating unit and a data storage unit for discriminating the type of coin by its material as a determination value based on a difference between a detection signal level when the coin is detected and the coin processing machine. A pre-processing operation unit that stores a value obtained by multiplying the first fetched data by a predetermined number (X-1) as a total counter value of (X-1) times data in the data storage unit at the time of startup and at the end of the withdrawal / recovery operation. And adding the X-th fetched data (current value) to the total counter value of the (X-1) -times data during the withdrawal and recovery operations of the coin processing machine, and dividing by the predetermined data number X. A standby value calculation unit that updates the stored standby value at each of the predetermined intervals with the obtained standby value as a new standby value;
-1) A value obtained by subtracting the new standby value from the sum of the total counter value of the batch data and the X-th captured data (current value) is stored as the new total counter value (X−
1) The control unit includes a standby value updating unit including a new total counter value calculation unit that updates a total counter value of batch data.

Here, the standby value updating means includes an average value calculating unit for obtaining an average value of the latest X times of the fetched data at regular intervals during the dispensing / restoring operation of the coin processing machine and updating the stored standby value. It may be configured to include. Further, a sensor coil provided in the coin processor and excited at a constant frequency by the LC transmission circuit, a detection unit for detecting the output level of the transmission circuit which changes due to the proximity of the coin, and a detection signal of the detection unit is converted into a digital signal. A control unit that converts and takes in at fixed intervals, and discriminates the type of coin by its material using the difference between the detection signal level (standby value) before detecting the coin and the detection signal level when detecting the coin as a judgment value. And a data deviation calculating unit that obtains a displacement of each of the captured data of the plurality of sets of material sensors with respect to a standby value previously stored in the data storage unit. A displacement direction detector for rearranging a plurality of data displacements in ascending order, a correction value calculator for calculating an average value of a plurality of small deviation values, A detection signal level change amount calculation unit for obtaining a difference between the correction data obtained by the correction data calculation unit and the correction data, and a determination unit that issues a notification signal if the change amount of the detection signal level is equal to or greater than a determination level. The control unit may be provided with a waiting value validity determination unit including the following.

[0008]

In the material sensor for a coin processor provided with the standby value updating means of the present invention, when the power of the coin processor is turned on, a standby value is generated by an initial process and is temporarily stored in a storage section. The stored standby value is immediately called by the pre-processing operation unit, and a value obtained by multiplying the first fetched data by a predetermined number (X-1) is temporarily stored in the data storage unit as a total counter value of (X-1) times. Remember. Next, the total counter value of the temporarily stored (X-1) data is called by the standby value calculation unit,
The average value of X-times data obtained by adding the acquired data (current value) which is converted into a digital signal and taken in at a certain interval and dividing the obtained addition value by a predetermined number of data X is set as a new standby value. Then, the standby value temporarily stored in the storage unit is updated. The new total counter value calculation unit obtains a new total counter value by subtracting the new standby value from the sum of the total counter value of the (X-1) data obtained by the standby value calculation unit and the current value. , Which has already been temporarily stored in the data storage unit by the preprocessing operation unit (X-
1) Update the total counter value of the batch data. Further, the newly updated new total counter value is called by the standby value calculation unit, and the update of the standby value and the update of the total counter value are repeated at regular intervals in accordance with the acquired data in the same manner as described above. Will be Therefore, the new standby value which is successively updated by a simple calculation by the standby value updating means is obtained by taking X changes in the standby value caused by a change in the ambient temperature during the standby period of the dispensing and recovery operations of the coin processor. This has the effect of thinning in the form of the average value of the data, and provides a function of avoiding the situation where the standby value exceeds the medium detection level due to a change in the ambient temperature. The calculation processing by the standby value updating means is repeatedly performed until a withdrawal / recovery command is issued from the coin processing machine. While the discrimination of coins during operation is performed by the material discriminating unit, the discrimination of the material of coins can be performed stably due to a small change in the standby value.

[0009] Here, the standby value updating means, when the coin processing machine is activated and during the dispensing / recovery operation, the latest fetched data X
If it is configured to include an average value calculation unit that obtains the average value of the batches at regular intervals and updates the stored standby value, the standby value updating unit that stops during the withdrawal / recovery operation is complemented. The standby value can be updated even during the recovery operation.

On the other hand, in the material sensor for a coin processor provided with the waiting value validity judging means according to the present invention, the data displacement calculating section uses a plurality of sets of material sensors for the waiting value stored in the data storage section in advance. The displacement of the captured data at the same time is calculated, the displacement direction detector sorts the obtained data displacements in ascending order, and the correction value calculator calculates the average value of a plurality of small deviation values and corrects the standby value. Since the value is a value, the obtained correction value includes the influence of the ambient temperature of the plurality of captured data evenly. Next, the change amount calculation unit obtains a difference (change amount) between a plurality of pieces of input data from a plurality of sets of material sensors and the correction value obtained by the correction value calculation unit. This includes other fluctuation factors excluding the influence, for example, an increase in the signal level due to the proximity of a coin to the sensor coil. Therefore, the judgment unit compares each change amount with a predetermined judgment level, and if the change amount is equal to or more than the judgment level, emits a notification signal, so that the coin processing machine can be expected to wait during the withdrawal / recovery operation. If a coin is approaching, an alert will be issued,
During the withdrawal / recovery operation, coins can be discriminated.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified configuration of a material sensor for a coin processing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a standby value updating procedure in the material sensor for a coin processing machine according to the embodiment. The members denoted by the same reference numerals have the same functions as those of the conventional example, and the description thereof will be omitted. In the figure, a sensor coil 1 which is excited at a constant frequency by an LC transmission circuit 2, a detection unit 3 for an output level of the transmission circuit 2, and a detection signal 3S of this detection unit are read and a control unit 12 is read.
A / D conversion unit 1 converts the digital signal into a digital signal according to a read command 12S issued at a constant interval.
3. Discriminating the type of coin by its material, using the detection signal level (standby value) before the sensor detects the coin as a reference value and the difference from the detection signal level when the coin is detected as a judgment value The material sensor for the coin processing machine constituted by the control unit 11 including the unit 14 and the data storage unit 5,
In the control unit 11, a preprocessing operation unit 15, a standby value operation unit 16,
And a standby value updating means 20 comprising a total counter value calculating unit 17 for updating the standby value for each of the captured data captured at certain intervals during the standby period of the dispensing / restoring operation of the coin processing machine.

That is, the pre-processing operation unit 15 is held in the data storage unit 5 at the beginning of the standby period of the coin processing machine, that is, when the power is turned on, when the dispensing operation is completed, and when the recovery operation is completed. A temporary total counter value obtained by multiplying the standby value by (X−1), which is one less than the number X of data for averaging processing, is obtained by the following equation, and is temporarily stored in the data storage unit 5.

The temporary total counter value = (initial standby value) × (X−1) (Equation 1) The standby value calculation unit 16 calculates the temporary total counter value or a new total counter described later. The average value of the X times data obtained by adding the fetched data (current value) digitally converted by the A / D converter 13 to this value and dividing the obtained addition value by a predetermined data number X Is obtained by the following equation, and the standby value temporarily stored in the storage unit 5 is updated.

New standby value = (total counter value + current value) / X (Equation 2) Next, the total counter value calculator 17 obtains the total counter value during the calculation by the standby value calculator 16 (total value).・ Counter value +
The new standby value is subtracted from the current value), the obtained total counter value is calculated as the new total counter value for the next calculation by the following equation, and the total counter value already stored in the data storage unit 5 is updated. I do.

New total counter value = (stored total counter value + current value) −new standby value (Equation 3) The arithmetic processing based on (Equation 2) and (Equation 3) is performed by the acquisition control unit 12. Each time the A / D converter 13 takes in the detection signal 3S at a fixed interval in accordance with the command, the detection is repeated, and each time, the new standby value and the new total counter value are updated. Alternatively, the process is continued until a restoration command is issued. Therefore, when a withdrawal command or a recovery command is issued from the coin processing machine,
The latest waiting value temporarily stored in the data storage unit 5 is taken in by the material discriminating unit 14 and the material of the coin is discriminated as a fixed waiting value.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing the standby value update state of the material sensor for a coin processing machine according to the embodiment. The initial standby value in the preprocessing conversion section is 4, and the number of data X for averaging is shown in FIG. 4, the new standby value and the change of the total counter value of the X-1 times data when the current value (captured data) changes stepwise in the range of 3 to 5 are shown. As is clear from the figure, the standby value is averaged, so that the fluctuation range is 3.78 to 4.45, and the fluctuation range of the current value is 3 to
It is smaller than 5. Therefore, when the medium detection level in the material discriminating unit 14 is set to 5, the standby value may exceed the medium detection level even if a state where the captured data (current value) exceeds 5 due to a change in the ambient temperature or the like occurs. Therefore, there is an advantage that it is possible to avoid the occurrence of troubles such as the coin processor issuing a sensor abnormality signal. Further, the fluctuation range of the standby value can be reduced by increasing the number X of data to be averaged, but the arithmetic processing in the standby value updating means 20 is simple, and the data temporarily stored in the data storage unit 5 is stored. Since only the memory of the latest data, which is sequentially updated, is sufficient, the standby value updating means 20 can be incorporated in the control unit 11 composed of, for example, a microcomputer without increasing the memory. A coin processor equipped with a material sensor having a large standby value updating effect can be obtained without increasing the complexity and size of the coin processing machine.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a standby value updating operation in a different embodiment of the present invention.
However, the above-described implementation is characterized in that an average value calculation unit that obtains an average value of X times of the latest captured data at regular intervals and updates the stored standby value during the dispensing / restoring operation of the coin processing machine is provided. It is different from the example. The figure shows an example in which the number X of averaged data is set to 4. The value obtained by dividing the added value of the four latest captured data by the number 4 of averaged data is set as a standby value, which is captured at regular intervals. It is configured to repeat every time data is captured. The obtained waiting value is in the range of 3.5 to 4.25, which is close to the above-mentioned embodiment, and complements the above-mentioned waiting value updating means for stopping the operation during the dispensing / restoring operation of the coin processing machine. Therefore, the effect of smoothing the update of the waiting value is expected.

FIG. 5 is a system flow diagram showing a means for judging the validity of a standby value of a material sensor for a coin processing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.
A data deviation calculating unit 31 for calculating the displacement S of each of the data acquired by the plurality of sets of material sensors with respect to the standby value stored in advance in the data storage unit of the control unit, and the obtained plurality of data displacements S are arranged in ascending order. Replacement displacement direction detection unit 32
A correction value calculator 33 for calculating an average value of a plurality of small data displacement amounts; and a detection signal level change amount calculator for calculating a difference between a plurality of captured data and a correction value obtained by the correction value calculator 33. 34, and a determination unit 35 that updates the detection signal level to a new change amount if the change amount is equal to or less than the judgment level, and issues a notification signal if the change amount is equal to or more than the judgment level.

The procedure of the arithmetic processing in the waiting value validity judging means will be described below based on a numerical example. Displacement (s) Sa = + 5 Ascending order Sc = + 3 Average Sc + Sb + Sf / 3 Sb = + 4 Sb = + 4 = 3.67 Sc = + 3 Sf = + 4 Sd = + 12 Sa = + 5 Se = + 6 Se = + 6 Sf = + 4 Sd = + 12 displacement amount-average value (change amount of signal level) Sa = + 5-3.67 = 1.33 Sb = + 4-3.67 = 0.33 Sc = + 3-3.67 = -0.33 Sd = + 12−3.67 = 8.33 Se = + 6−3.67 = 2.33 Sf = + 4−3.67 = 0.33 In the above numerical example, the standby value fixed by the data deviation calculation unit 31 and the standby value The six displacement amounts obtained as the difference are rearranged in the ascending order by the displacement direction detecting unit 32, and an average value 3.67 of the small displacement amounts Sc + Sb + Sf is obtained by the correction value calculating unit 33, and the change amount calculating unit Average value from each displacement at 34 The remainder obtained by subtracting 3.67 is sent to the determination unit 35 as the amount of change in the signal level. Now, assuming that the medium detection level in the determination unit 35 is 5, it is possible to determine for each material sensor that the standby value of the material sensor that has output the displacement amount Sd is abnormal and the others are normal. Further, assuming that the bronze coin detection level is 8, since the change amount 8.33 of the material sensor that has output the displacement amount Sd exceeds the bronze coin detection level, it can be determined that a bronze coin has been detected. .

In the material sensor for coin processing machine provided with the waiting value validity judging means according to the present invention, the data deviation calculating unit determines whether the waiting value stored in the data storage unit is the same as that from the plurality of sets of material sensors. The difference between the captured data at the time and the standby value stored in advance is compared with each other as the amount of displacement, so that the influence of the ambient temperature is eliminated, material discrimination is performed using the obtained amount of change in signal level, and coin counting is performed. And the advantage that the abnormality monitoring of the material sensor can be directly performed.

[0021]

According to the material sensor for a coin processor of the present invention, as described above, the standby value updating means for averaging a plurality of fetched data by a predetermined formula is provided in a control unit using a microcomputer, for example. The standby value is updated according to the data capture interval. As a result, the fluctuation range of the standby value can be significantly reduced by increasing the update frequency and the averaging process, and there is no need to use a member having low temperature dependence for the sensor coil and the oscillation circuit. It is possible to avoid a situation where the standby value exceeds the medium detection level due to a change in the ambient temperature, which is a problem with the conventional technology, without causing an increase in the size of the medium. A coin processing machine provided with a stable material sensor can be provided. In addition, the standby value updating means has an advantage that the arithmetic processing is simple and the numerical value to be stored is only the latest data, so that the arithmetic processing can be speeded up.

In a material sensor for a coin processing machine provided with means for judging the validity of a standby value, the difference between data acquired at the same time from a plurality of sets of material sensors and a previously stored standby value is determined by a displacement amount. Therefore, there is an advantage that the influence of the ambient temperature is eliminated, and the amount of change in the signal level can be used to directly count coins by material and monitor abnormality of the material sensor.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified configuration of a material sensor for a coin processing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a standby value updating procedure in the material sensor for the coin processing machine according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing a standby value update state of the material sensor for the coin processing machine according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a standby value update operation in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a system flow chart showing a means for judging the validity of a standby value of a material sensor for a coin processor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a simplified configuration diagram showing a conventional material sensor for a coin processing machine.

FIG. 7 is a characteristic diagram showing a change in detection signal level due to proximity of a coin in a conventional material sensor for a coin processor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sensor coil 2 Oscillation circuit 3 Output level detection part 3S detection signal 4 Control part 5 Data storage part 9 Gap member 10 Coin 11 Control part 12 Reading control part 13 A / D conversion part 14 Material discrimination part 15 Preprocessing conversion part 16 Standby Value conversion unit 17 Total counter value calculation unit 20 Standby value update unit 30 Wait value validity judgment unit 31 Data displacement calculation unit 32 Displacement direction detection unit 33 Correction value calculation unit 34 Detection signal level change amount conversion unit 35 Judgment unit

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sensor coil provided in a coin processing machine and excited at a constant frequency by an LC transmission circuit, a detection unit for detecting an output level of the transmission circuit that changes when a coin approaches, and a detection signal of the detection unit. Converts to digital signal and captures it at certain intervals, and discriminates the type of coin according to its material, using the difference between the detection signal level (standby value) before detecting the coin and the detection signal level when detecting the coin as the judgment value In the material sensor provided with a material discriminating unit and a control unit including a data storage unit, the first fetched data is multiplied by a predetermined number (X-1) when the coin processing machine is started and when the dispensing / restoring operation is completed. A pre-processing operation unit for storing the value as a total counter value of (X-1) data in the data storage unit; and (X-1) during a standby period of the dispensing and recovery operations of the coin processing machine. The stored standby value is updated at each of the predetermined intervals, with a standby value obtained by adding the Xth captured data (current value) to the total counter value of the batch data and dividing by the predetermined data number X as a new standby value. A standby value calculation unit, and a total data of the (X-1) times data
A new total for updating the total counter value of the stored (X-1) -times data as a new total counter value obtained by subtracting the new standby value from the sum of the counter value and the X-th captured data (current value). A material sensor for a coin processing machine, wherein standby value updating means including a counter value calculating section is provided in the control section. 2. A standby value updating means comprising an average value calculating section for obtaining an average value of X times of latest taken-in data at regular intervals during a dispensing / restoring operation of the coin processor and updating the stored standby value. The material sensor for a coin processor according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A sensor coil provided in a coin processing machine and excited at a constant frequency by an LC transmitting circuit, a detecting unit for detecting an output level of the transmitting circuit which changes due to the proximity of a coin, and a detecting signal of the detecting unit. Converts to digital signal and captures it at certain intervals, and discriminates the type of coin according to its material, using the difference between the detection signal level (standby value) before detecting the coin and the detection signal level when detecting the coin as the judgment value In a material sensor comprising a plurality of sets of control units and data storage units, a data deviation calculation unit for calculating a displacement of each of the plurality of sets of material sensor capture data with respect to a standby value previously stored in the data storage unit, A displacement direction detection unit that rearranges the obtained data displacements in ascending order, a correction value calculation unit that calculates an average value of a plurality of small deviation values, A detection signal level change amount calculation unit for obtaining a difference between the captured data and the correction value obtained by the correction value calculation unit, and a determination unit for issuing a notification signal if the change amount of the detection signal level is equal to or greater than a determination level. A material sensor for a coin processing machine, wherein means for determining the validity of a standby value including: is provided in the control unit.