Abstract: A coin hopper includes a coin-dispensing unit including a hopper defining a coin outlet, a rotating disk, a power drive, a sensor module and a circuit module for dispensing coins having different thicknesses, and a coin-delivering presser mounted in the hopper and including an elastic member and a float rotatably supported on the elastic member for pressing on one thick coin or thin coin in the rotating disk, enabling the coins to be individually and smoothly delivered to the coin outlet for dispensing and avoiding a coin stuck problem.

Abstract: An authenticating device is used for optically authenticating a testing area of a first surface of a valuable document. The valuable document defines a normal perpendicular to the first surface and a datum penetrating the normal and two sides of the valuable document. The datum and the first surface collectively define a first area and a second area adjacent to the first area. The authenticating device includes a first light emitting unit, a second light emitting unit, and a light receiving component. The first light emitting unit is arranged within the first area. The second light emitting unit is arranged within the first area. The light receiving component is arranged within the second area. The first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit emit light to the testing area in sequence for authenticating the variable document.

Abstract: A foreign object detecting apparatus in bill passageway includes a laser light source, a first light detector and a second light detector. The laser light source is arranged in a first lateral side to emit a coherent laser beam toward a second lateral side. The first light detector is arranged in the second lateral side to receive the coherent laser beam and to measure the intensity of the coherent laser beam. The second light detector is arranged in one of a top side and a bottom side, wherein when a foreign object is presence in the bill passageway, the intensity of the coherent laser beam received by the first light detector is decreased by the blocking of the foreign object, and at least a portion of the coherent laser beam which is reflected, refracted, diffracted or scattered by the foreign object is received by the second light detector.

Abstract: A bill position adjustment method and system for bill acceptor is disclosed to include a body with an insertion slot and a bill passage, a transmission mechanism for transferring an inserted bill, a recognition device for recognizing the authenticity and value of an inserted bill, an entrance sensor and a stoppage sensor mounted in the bill passage for controlling the transmission mechanism to transfer the inserted bill into position for recognition, a bill passage adjustment mechanism for adjusting the width of the bill passage to correct the direction of an inserted bill into accurate alignment with the recognition device, and a bill sensor mounted in a sensor zone in the insertion slot for detecting the width of an inserted bill and controlling the bill passage adjustment mechanism to adjust the width of the bill passage subject to the detection result.

Abstract: A power-saving solar power supply system used in an automatic vending machine is disclosed to include a power supply module having a solar cell set and a rechargeable battery set, and a power management unit, which comprises a microprocessor, a voltage detection device that detects the voltage level of the solar cell set and the rechargeable battery set, an idle power supply module and a power switching module controllable by the microprocessor to switch between the solar cell set and the rechargeable battery set so that the idle power supply module provides battery power supply from the solar cell set or the rechargeable battery set to the recognition system of the automatic vending machine when the recognition system is in the idle mode, thereby saving power consumption.

Abstract: A vending machine monitoring method used in a vending machine monitoring system, which includes an automatic vending machine and a monitoring system that is attached to the automatic vending machine and uses a microprocessor to read in data signals transmitted between the main controller and peripheral apparatus (card-slide unit, bill acceptor, license recognition unit and coin slot unit) of the automatic vending machine through a connection interface, to process fetched data signals into waveform signals, to indicate any error message through an indicator light module, and to report processed waveform signals to an external remote system through a transmission module for display and further analysis and check of income.

Abstract: A bill acceptor and bill box assembly includes a bill acceptor for sensing the presence of a bill and verifying the authenticity of the bill, and a bill box having a bill entrance for receiving bills from the bill acceptor, a bill-receiving bearing board supported on a spring member, a bill-pressing board movable by a bill transfer mechanism to push each entered bill out of the bill entrance onto the bill-receiving bearing board, and an anti-skid device, which comprises two baffles arranged in parallel at two opposite lateral sides between the bill-pressing board and the bill-receiving bearing board and an anti-skid pad covered on the back wall of each baffle for stopping each received bill on the bill-receiving bearing board to keep each received bill in a fully extended smooth condition without wrinkles.

Abstract: A foreign object detecting apparatus in bill passageway includes a laser light source, a first light detector and a second light detector. The laser light source is arranged in a first lateral side to emit a coherent laser beam toward a second lateral side. The first light detector is arranged in the second lateral side to receive the coherent laser beam and to measure the intensity of the coherent laser beam. The second light detector is arranged in one of a top side and a bottom side, wherein when a foreign object is presence in the bill passageway, the intensity of the coherent laser beam received by the first light detector is decreased by the blocking of the foreign object, and at least a portion of the coherent laser beam which is reflected, refracted, diffracted or scattered by the foreign object is received by the second light detector.

Abstract: An anti-EMI lens module used in a bill acceptor is disclosed to include a circuit board, which has a plurality of electric recognition devices and a grounding device surrounding the electric recognition devices, a holder base mounted on the circuit board and holding a lens device and having a plurality of through holes respectively aimed at the electric recognition devices and a metal conducting layer disposed in contact with the grounding device of the circuit board and forming with the grounding device a grounding loop for absorbing and discharging static electricity during operation of the bill acceptor to protect the electric recognition devices against static electricity, radiowave and electromagnetic interference.

Abstract: A bill acceptor for use in an automatic vending machine to accept both cash payment and RFID stored-value card payment is disclosed to include a face panel that has a RFID sensing zone for sensing a RFID value-added card, a bill insertion slot for the insertion of a bill, a display for displaying data and operating buttons for operation by the user, and a bill acceptor body that has a bill passage connected to the bill insertion slot, a bill-transfer roller set for transferring an inserted bill from the bill insertion slot through the bill passage to a bill box and a control circuit module consisting of a microprocessor, a RFID chip, a sensor, a memory, a surveillance device and a clock.

Abstract: A bill position adjustment method and system for bill acceptor is disclosed to include a body with an insertion slot and a bill passage, a transmission mechanism for transferring an inserted bill, a recognition device for recognizing the authenticity and value of an inserted bill, an entrance sensor and a stoppage sensor mounted in the bill passage for controlling the transmission mechanism to transfer the inserted bill into position for recognition, a bill passage adjustment mechanism for adjusting the width of the bill passage to correct the direction of an inserted bill into accurate alignment with the recognition device, and a bill sensor mounted in a sensor zone in the insertion slot for detecting the width of an inserted bill and controlling the bill passage adjustment mechanism to adjust the width of the bill passage subject to the detection result.

Abstract: A bill acceptor for use with an automatic vending machine is disclosed to include a body having a bill/license insertion slot and a passage extending backwards from the bill/license insertion slot, and a circuit assembly, which includes a bill recognition unit for checking the authenticity and par value of a bill, a license recognition unit for checking the authenticity obtaining a predetermined data of a license, a communication interface module for data communication between the bill recognition unit/license recognition unit and the automatic vending machine, and a power-saving power supply module electrically connected with the communication interface module for controlling the automatic vending machine to enter the sleep mode when the automatic b vending machine is not used within a predetermined time period after startup and for providing power supply to wake up the automatic vending machine upon insertion of a bill/license and recognition of the authenticity of the inserted bill/license.

Abstract: A bill acceptor includes a housing defining an insertion slot and a passage extending from said insertion slot, a transmission mechanism for delivering each inserted bill/license from the insertion slot to the passage and then to a bill box been attached to the housing, a gate controllable to open/close the insertion slot, an solenoid valve controllable to move the gate between the close position and the open position, a first media sensor disposed at a front side relative to the gate for driving the solenoid valve to open the gate upon detection of the insertion of a bill/license into the insertion slot, and a second media sensor disposed at a rear side relative to the gate and adapted for driving the solenoid valve to close the gate after the delivery of an inserted bill/license to the passage by the transmission mechanism.

Abstract: A bill acceptor for verifying the authenticity of every inserted bill and accepting every verified bill is disclosed having operating buttons and a video display provided at a face panel for data input and displaying related operating message and data and a sensor zone for sensing a RFID stored-value card by a radio wave to fetch data from the RFID stored-value card and to add value to or deduct value from the RFID stored-value card subject to the operation mode selected by a consumer through the operating buttons.

Abstract: An anti-EMI lens module used in a bill acceptor is disclosed to include a circuit board, which has a plurality of electric recognition devices and a grounding device surrounding the electric recognition devices, a holder base mounted on the circuit board and holding a lens device and having a plurality of through holes respectively aimed at the electric recognition devices and a metal conducting layer disposed in contact with the grounding device of the circuit board and forming with the grounding device a grounding loop for absorbing and discharging static electricity during operation of the bill acceptor to protect the electric recognition devices against static electricity, radiowave and electromagnetic interference

Abstract: A valuable paper validator for use in a vending (coin change) machine is disclosed to include a delivery unit for delivering a valuable paper through a delivery path, a LED package having multiple LED chips spaced above the delivery path and controllable to emit different wavelengths of intense pulsed light, a collimator lens for collimating light passing from the LED package through the valuable paper, a photodiode spaced below the delivery path for collecting light passed through the valuable paper for verifying the authenticity of the valuable paper, and a condensing lens for focusing different wavelengths of light passed through the valuable paper onto the photodiode.

Abstract: A banknote detection apparatus and a banknote recognition system are disclosed. The apparatus is used for detecting special printing ink on a banknote and comprises a carrier set, at least a light emitter, at least a first light beam receiver and at least a second light beam receiver. The banknote is carried by the carrier set. The light emitter which is set at a side of the carrier set emits at least a detection light beam to illuminate the banknote. The first light beam receiver which is disposed at the same side receives a first image reflected by the special printing ink on the banknote, and the second light beam receiver which is disposed at another side receives a second image penetrated the special printing ink on the banknote. Lastly, a processing unit recognizes true or false of the banknote based on the first image and the second image.

Abstract: A card output control mechanism used in a card vending machine is disclosed to include a housing, transferring rollers for transferring cards forwards, output rollers for outputting each transferred card from the transferring rollers to a card outlet, and a dispensing wheel, which is rotated counter-clockwise at first to push a second card apart from a first card toward the transferring rollers when two cards are simultaneously transferred by the transferring rollers and then rotated clockwise to move the first card forward to the output rollers after the second card has been pushed away from the first card.

Abstract: A power control circuit used in a vending machine having a bill accepter and vending main units controlled by the bill accepter is disclosed to include a pulse signal generator installed in the bill inlet of the bill accepter and adapted to generate a triggering signal upon insertion of a bill into the bill inlet of the bill accepter, a driver, and a trigger, which controls the driver to drive the bill accepter between the power-saving stand-by mode and the work mode subject to the presence of the pulse signal from the pulse signal generator.

Abstract: A banknote acceptor is disclosed to have a banknote verification assembly detachably mounted in a housing for verifying the authenticity of the inserted banknote by means of an optical transmitter module, which uses an UV LED to emit UV light through the inserted banknote, and an optical receiver module, which uses a phototransistor to receive light passed from the UV LED through the banknote and to produce a corresponding output signal indicative of the fluorescent reaction of the fluorescent characteristics of fluorescent filaments of the paper material or the fluorescent reaction of the ink of the inserted banknote for enabling a control unit to verify the authenticity of the inserted banknote and for enabling a banknote holding down mechanism to force the verified banknote into a money box and hold it in place.