Method, system, and computer readable medium for setting discrimination criterion information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11574516-B2
Application number	US-202016796235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 22, 2019
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

A method for setting discrimination criterion information pieces for one or more additional denominations in a coin discrimination apparatus is provided, which eliminates the task of visiting the installation location of an existing coin discrimination apparatus to exchange this apparatus for a new one including discrimination criterion information pieces for one or more additional denominations and the task of setting discrimination criterion information pieces for the one or more additional denominations manually in the apparatus. A target denomination is designated from current denominations whose discrimination criterion information pieces are stored in a coin discrimination apparatus. Then, discrimination criterion information pieces for an additional denomination are calculated based on discrimination criterion information pieces for the target denomination, target denomination standard information pieces corresponding to the discrimination criterion information pieces for the target denomination, and additional denomination standard information pieces corresponding to the discrimination criterion information pieces for the additional denomination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for setting discrimination criteria for an additional denomination not currently stored in a coin discrimination apparatus that conducts authenticity discrimination and denomination discrimination of coins using sensor information outputted from coin sensors in addition to discrimination criteria for each of current denominations in the coin discrimination apparatus, the method comprising:
determining whether the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination are stored in a discrimination criteria storing device of the coin discrimination apparatus in which the discrimination criteria for each of the current denominations are stored;
designating a target denomination from the current denominations when it is determined that the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination are not stored;
calculating the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination by multiplying discrimination criteria for the target denomination by ratios between
target denomination standards
to be complied with by discrimination criteria for the target denomination when setting the discrimination criteria for the current denomination designated as the target denomination using a standard apparatus for setting the target denomination standards for the coin discrimination apparatus by its manufacturer, and
obtained by conducting the authenticity discrimination and denomination discrimination of coins having the target denomination using the standard apparatus, and

additional denomination standards
to be complied with by discrimination criteria for the additional denomination when setting the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination using the standard apparatus for setting the additional denomination standards for the coin discrimination apparatus by its manufacturer, and
obtained by conducting the authenticity discrimination and denomination discrimination of coins having the additional denomination using the standard apparatus;

storing the calculated discrimination criteria for the additional denomination in the discrimination criteria storing device;
setting the coin discrimination apparatus to conduct authentication discrimination and denomination discrimination using the calculated discrimination criteria for the additional denomination, wherein
when the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination are calculated by multiplying the ratios by the discrimination criteria for the target denomination, two or more calculation methods are selectively used,
each of the two or more calculation methods obtains the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination by applying
predetermined parameters
to

a predetermined equation, and
one of the two or more calculation methods is selectively used to reduce an effect of a fluctuation of
the coin discrimination performance of the coin discrimination apparatus
from

the coin discrimination performance of the standard apparatus;

switching the coin discrimination apparatus
from a normal mode in which the coin discrimination apparatus performs coin discriminating operations for discriminating the authenticity and denomination of a coin from discrimination criteria for the current denominations,
to a new denomination adding mode for determining whether the additional-denomination discrimination criteria are stored in the coin discrimination apparatus and for calculating the additional-denomination discrimination criteria in the event the additional-denomination discrimination criteria are not stored in the coin discrimination apparatus by performing the determining, designating, calculating, storing, and setting operations; and

automatically switching the coin discrimination apparatus from the new denomination adding mode to the normal mode when the operations performed in the new denomination adding mode are completed, wherein
the target denomination is designated by selecting the current denomination that produces the smallest difference when calculating the difference between
a specific information piece or a value that is extracted from the output signal waveform of each current denomination from a respective coin sensor of the coin sensors and
a specific information piece or a corresponding value that is extracted from the output signal waveform of the additional denomination from a corresponding coin sensor of the coin sensors.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
it is determined whether or not two or more of the target denominations can be designated from the current denominations, and
when two or more of the target denominations can be designated from the current denominations, the two or more of the target denominations are selectively used in such a way that differences in value between one of the target denomination standards for each of the two or more of the target denominations and a corresponding one of the additional denomination standards are as small as possible.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
two or more of the target denominations are designated from the current denominations, and
one of the target denomination standards for each of the two or more of the target denominations is used for calculating the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where it is required to set the discrimination criteria for two or more of the additional denominations at one time, two or more of the target denominations are switchably designated when calculating the discrimination criteria for each of the two or more of the additional denominations.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a single software component
(a) stores the target denomination standards and the additional denomination standards in the coin discrimination apparatus using the target denomination which is designated in advance,
(b) calculates the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination by multiplying the ratios by the discrimination criteria for the target denomination,
(c) stores the calculated discrimination criteria for the additional denomination in the discrimination criteria storing device, and
(d) sets the coin discrimination apparatus to conduct authentication discrimination and denomination discrimination using the calculated discrimination criteria for the additional denomination.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the discrimination criteria for the target denomination are given by amplitudes of a first set of waveforms that vary according to the sensor information;
the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination are given by amplitudes of a second set of waveforms that vary according to the sensor information;
the target denomination standards are given by amplitudes of a third set of waveforms that vary according to the sensor information;
the additional denomination standards are given by amplitudes of a fourth set of waveforms that vary according to the sensor information; and
a relationship between the amplitudes that give the discrimination criteria for the target denomination and the amplitudes that give the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination is given by a relationship between the target denomination standards and the additional denomination standards.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the discrimination criteria for the additional denomination include information relating to a material of the coins, information relating to a thickness of the coins, and information relating to a diameter of the coins; and
when the information relating to the diameter of the coins is calculated, one of the current denominations that has a nearest diameter to the additional denomination is

Assignees

• Asahi Seiko Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sano Koji
• Banno Hiroshi
• Ohtomo Hiroshi

Classifications

• G07D11/165

  Picking · CPC title

• G07D7/16

  Testing the dimensions · CPC title

• G07D5/02 Primary

  Testing the dimensions, e.g. thickness, diameter; Testing the deformation · CPC title

• G07D2205/0012

  automatic adjustment, e.g. self-calibration · CPC title

• G07D5/08

  Testing the magnetic or electric properties · CPC title