Patents Assigned to Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20080133254
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a management system for a game arcade which does not decrease authenticity of money information, and is manageable without changing setting even if the number of a game machine is increased. A transmitting side includes money identification units, a slave processing unit connected to each money identification unit, and a slave wireless communication unit connected to each slave processing unit. A receiving side includes a master processing unit, and a master wireless communication unit connected to the master processing unit and communicating with the slave wireless communication unit. The system establishes a communication channel between the master wireless communication unit and the slave wireless communication unit, and the slave processing unit transmits the money information and the check information to the slave wireless communication unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: ASAHI SEIKO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Masaru Miyaji
  • Patent number: 7377507
    Abstract: An automatic flat-article dispensing apparatus which can dispense a relatively large and heavy flat articles without damaging the articles and without increasing the size of the apparatus and significantly increasing the energy consumption. The apparatus for dispensing a flat article, has a table which supports stacked flat articles and suction ports disposed over the table and facing the flat articles. A suction device provides suctions to hold the top flat article of the stacked flat articles by sucking air through the suction ports. A conveyance device conveys the flat article sucked via the suction port in a lateral direction with respect to the direction of the stack. The suction ports are a first suction port and a second suction port which are disposed in the lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Takahito Yamamiya
  • Patent number: 7364157
    Abstract: A compact banknote dispensing device including a storage section for storing one or more banknotes, a discharging unit driven by a first motor for discharging banknotes one-by-one at a first speed, and a transporting unit driven by a second motor for receiving the discharged banknotes from the discharging unit and transporting the discharged banknotes at a second speed where the second speed is faster than the first speed, the one-way clutch permitting the discharged banknote to be continuously drawn at the second speed without damaging the discharged banknote. The compact banknote dispensing device includes a length sensor disposed about a U-shaped guiding unit and connected to a control unit. The control unit determines whether the transported banknote is acceptable for dispensing and is transported properly. The compact banknote dispensing device turns off the motors in an error condition and sounds an audible alarm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joji Iida
  • Patent number: 7337954
    Abstract: So as to reduce the size of a reading and writing apparatus for IC coins and to lower the cost of a reading and writing apparatus for IC coins, a reading and writing apparatus for IC coins is provided that includes a reception portion that receives an IC coin with its surface facing a customer, and moves the IC coin in a predetermined direction to sends the IC coin to a reading and writing portion. The reading and writing portion retains the received IC coin with its surface visually confirmed by the customer. A reading and writing unit for the IC coin is placed at the reading and writing portion, and a sorting portion sorts the IC coin held at the reading and writing portion to a return portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co. Ltd
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Takahito Yamamiya
  • Patent number: 7188836
    Abstract: A compact driving unit for an automatic banknote receiving and storing unit. The banknote receiving and storing unit includes a banknote accepting unit, a safe unit, a transporting unit for moving an accepted banknote to a position adjacent the safe unit, a translating unit for non-rotationally displacing the accepted banknote into the storing section of the safe unit, and a driving lever pivoted by a driving crank in the transporting unit to operate the translating unit. The safe unit and the transporting unit are removable from a chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahito Yamamiya
  • Patent number: 7188761
    Abstract: A value medium dispensing unit having a read/write device for operatively communicating with a user device capable of recording value information includes a housing having an opening on a vertical side, and a read/write device operatively mounted within the opening having a receptor surface that extends at a slanted angle to the vertical side. The receptor surface has a size to enable contact with a user device such as a smart card when it is at least partially inserted within the opening whereby an operative receptor surface is partially recessed within the housing and positioned to facilitate a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Ito
  • Patent number: 7128314
    Abstract: A banknote dispensing device including a storage section for storing one or more banknotes, a discharging unit driven by a first motor for discharging banknotes one-by-one at a first speed, and a transporting unit driven by a second motor for receiving the discharged banknotes from the discharging unit and transporting the discharged banknotes at a second speed where the second speed is faster than the first speed, the one-way clutch permitting the discharged banknote to be continuously drawn at the second speed without damaging the discharged banknote. The banknote dispensing device includes one or more sensors connected to a control unit, the control unit determining whether the transported banknote is transported properly and turning off the motors in an error condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joji Iida
  • Patent number: 7073654
    Abstract: A coin selector assembly includes a coin passageway having at least a pair of thickness sensor unit operatively positioned along the coin passageway to provide respective measurements of the thickness of the coin. A comparing unit compares the respective thickness signals with corresponding stored standard values representative of a genuine coin to determine the authenticity of the coin. Additional sensor unit can be positioned along the coin passageway and excited with different frequencies. Thus, a material sensor unit and a diameter sensor unit or a pair of diameter sensor unit can also be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinari Matubara, Hiroshi Ohtomo
  • Patent number: 7066807
    Abstract: A receiving and dispensing device for coins comprises a coin receiving device to receive the entry of coins of various denominations. The coins are segregated and verified as to authenticity. The coins are then transported along an upper and lower selecting section which are connected by appropriate guiding passageways to sets of upper and lower coin hoppers aligned in both a horizontal and vertical configuration to form a compact configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Masayoshi Umeda
  • Patent number: 7059957
    Abstract: A miniaturized coin hopper device is provided so as to have a lower height. The device has an electric motor which is arranged such that the projection end of a rotated axis thereof is located at a lower side. A first gear is fixed on this projection end of rotated axis. A disk for discharging coins one by one is provided at the bottom of a hopper which stores the coins. A second gear rotates this disk. A gear train connects this second gear and the first gear. The problem of a true coin being disbursed when a pseudo-coin was stored in a hopper device and the return button was pushed is also addressed. A distinguishing element checks the money kind of a deposited coin. A reserve temporarily holds the coin distinguished by this distinction element. A storage for coins of same money kind and a disbursing element is provided for the the coin in this storage to return the coin reserved in the temporary reservation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoharu Kurosawa, Hiroshi Abe
  • Patent number: 7018285
    Abstract: A guiding structure for discs is disclosed. The guiding structure includes a hopper that dispenses discs one at a time, a guiding device that guides and aligns the dispensed discs, and a holding device for the discs that is located at the lower section of the guiding passageway. The guiding device may be detachably attached to the hopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Enomoto
  • Patent number: 6981698
    Abstract: An automatic dispensing machine of substantially flat goods is provided which detects the over-dispensing of goods while accommodating for varying thickness of the substantially flat goods. The automatic dispensing machine includes a table which supports goods such as cards, a suctioning device which pulls the cards, a transporting device which transports the cards after they are pulled by the suctioning device, a position-control device which controls the distance between the uppermost card and the suctioning device. The position-control device is configured to increase the distance between the uppermost card and the suctioning device based on a dispensing signal. The distance between the uppermost card and the suctioning device is then decreased until a predetermined distance is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahito Yamamiya, Akira Okuyama
  • Patent number: 6981641
    Abstract: A smart card handling device with a communication board attaching unit including a first base attached to the card handling device and a second base for carrying a set of one or more communication boards for communicating with a non-contact type smart card or a contact type smart card along a transporting passageway. The first base and the second base have a complementary mounting to suitably mate together. The communication board attaching unit can selectively pivot to enable a recycling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Minoru Enomoto
  • Patent number: 6938896
    Abstract: An automatic card dispenser unit for displaying and dispensing cards includes a storage housing for storing an array of cards. A holding member operatively positions a lower most card at a load station in a vertical alignment for display. A controller unit can receive a user input to dispense a card which will activate a dispenser assembly to cause a pickup member to removably grasp the card surface and release it from the holding member along a predetermined path of movement. A stopper member is mounted in the path of movement for separating the card from the pickup member to enable the card to be dispense to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Tamotsu Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 6932235
    Abstract: A dispensing system including a coin hopper for dispensing coins, a printer which prints a value on a ticket, a memory unit for storing a winning amount from a gaming machine, a judgment unit which outputs a dispensing amount to the coin hopper or printer based on the winning amount stored in the memory unit and a threshold value, a controlling unit which selectively asserts a command to either the coin hopper or the printer, a character information converting unit which converts information from a dispensing command into character information for printing on the printer, and a coin hopper driver for operating the coin hopper based on the dispensing amount from the judgment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Abe, Masaru Miyaji
  • Patent number: 6929259
    Abstract: A duplicate let off prevention device for sheets includes a first exit guide, a second exit guide which is spaced from the first exit guide at a distance that is larger than the thickness of one sheet and is smaller than the thickness of two sheets, and a pre-exit guide which is movably located adjacent a sheet storing device. Stacked sheets are segregated in a wedge-like configuration as they contact the respective guides. A stopper can stop the sheets when the pre-exit guide moves. The pre-exit guide is biased to exert a force to assist in the segregation of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Joji Iida
  • Patent number: 6910566
    Abstract: A coin receiving and dispensing device includes a coin selector unit with a coin entry for determining a type of coin and directing the coin based on that determination. A coin dispensing device for storing coins that can be dispensed as change and a coin storage safe along with a return coin exit can also be provided. A coin passageway unit that can include a removable cover member can extend over and form a portion of the coin passageways whereby a technician by removing the cover member can have access to the servicing of the various coin passageways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Masayoshi Umeda
  • Patent number: 6907976
    Abstract: A coin selecting apparatus is set forth which includes detectors adapted to detect a plurality of parameters of diameter, material and thickness of a deposited coin. A processor compares the detected data to stored data for an authentic coin to determine authenticity. The deposited coins are summed and compared to an amount set by a coding switch to be deposited. A display displays the amounts received and authenticated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: D526359
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Takeuchi
  • Patent number: D540391
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Irie