Abstract: The invention provides a money sorting method and unit that can detect such a counterfeit as foreign money for which material, outer diameter and other features are very similar to a genuine coin, and that can decrease damage caused by the continuous trial of entry of counterfeit money. Sensors detect the material of a coin entered from a coin entry section, and at the same time, the outer diameter of the coin is detected by three sensors with a highly accurate method utilizing time ratio, pattern on the surface of the rolling coin is detected by converting output of the sensors to a basic pattern, and genuineness of the entered coin is judged based on these detection results.

Abstract: The invention provides a money sorting method and unit that can detect such a counterfeit as foreign money for which material, outer diameter and other features are very similar to a genuine coin, and that can decrease damage caused by the continuous trial of entry of counterfeit money. Sensors detect the material of a coin entered from a coin entry section, and at the same time, the outer diameter of the coin is detected by three sensors with a highly accurate method utilizing time ratio, pattern on the surface of the rolling coin is detected by converting output of the sensors to a basic pattern, and genuineness of the entered coin is judged based on these detection results.

Abstract: A distributed processing unit which permits easy modification of set data that has been written in a memory (19) of a coin mechanism (1) which constitutes a processor without the use of special terminals. When set data settings stored in the memory (19) of the coin mechanism (1) are to be modified, the coin mechanism (1) is disconnected from a signal line (8) from an automatic vending machine controller (2) at a connector (9), and a computer (50) is connected to the connector (9). In this state, the program routine of a CPU (11) in the coin mechanism (1) is modified by special instructions transmitted from the computer (50), thus permitting the contents of the memory (19) of the coin mechanism (1) to be read out by the computer (50) and the set data in the memory (19) to be rewritten by operation of the CPU (11).

Abstract: A distributed processing unit which permits easy modification of set data that has been written in a memory (19) of a coin selector (1-1) which constitutes a processor. A computer (50) is connected to a connection line that connects the memory (19) and a CPU (11) of the coin selector (1-1), and to a mode terminal of the CPU (11), signals applied to the mode terminal of the CPU (11) prohibit access to the memory (19) by the CPU (11) and enable direct access to the memory (19) by the computer (50) so that the set data in the memory (19) can be overwritten under the control of the computer (50).

Abstract: A coin mech controller (70), when receiving a coin payment set command from a main controller (10), judges the presence or absence of a coin within an acceptor (100). In the absence of a coin within the acceptor (100), the coin mech controller (70) controls to immediately pay out coins corresponding to a coin payment amount calculated by the main controller (10). In the presence of a coin within the acceptor (100), the coin mech controller (70) controls to pay out coins corresponding to the coin payment amount calculated by the main controller (10) after the coin within the acceptor (100) has passed through.

Abstract: A coin payout device that has been improved such that a coin jam will be automatically dislodged in the event that a coin jam occurs, and there will be no problem of overpayment. When coin payout is performed by the forward rotation of a coin payout motor (40), a coin payout controller (80) detects the occurrence of a coin jam from the operational circumstances of a carrier switch (60) up to the time when a first timer (81) runs out, and determines whether the reverse rotation of the coin payout motor (40) would cause a problem based on the current state of the carrier switch (60), so that the coin payout motor (40) is reversed and the coin jam dislodged only when no problem will be caused.

Abstract: In a case where a succeeding coin has arrived at a coin discriminator (110) before a preceding coin passed through the coin discriminator (110) arrives at a disposition position of a true/false coin distributor (120), the true/false coin distributor (120) is shifted to a false coin side to distribute both of the preceding and succeeding coins to the false coin side. When the preceding coin passed through the coin discriminator (110) is true one and if the succeeding coin has already arrived at the coin discriminator (110) immediately after passage of the preceding coin through the true/false coin distributor (120), the true/false coin distributor (120) is shifted to the false coin side to distribute only the succeeding coin to the false coin side.

Abstract: A coin processing apparatus arranged to automatically execute a cancellation process for canceling acceptance of an inserted coin by detecting, on the basis of output levels of receiving coils in a plurality of sets of coin selecting coils disposed on a coin path, a fact that the inserted coin has been guided into a return path through the operation of a return lever, and also to judge the occurrence of coin jamming and coin counter-flow on the basis of the output levels of the receiving coils. The output level of the receiving coil in each of the plurality of sets of coin selecting coils is monitored so as to carry out the automatic cancellation process in case the output levels of the respective receiving coils concurrently exceed a predetermined threshold level and persist longer than a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A classification accuracy setting device and a method therefor of a coin selector used in an automatic vending machine, a money exchanger and other various automatic service apparatuses. In accordance with the operation of the device, a reed switch is turned on to set a classification accuracy selection mode, the number of coins of each denomination received in this mode is counted, and reference values of classification accuracies which have been stored in a memory are rewritten in response to the counted number.

Abstract: A coin to be judged is passed near an oscillation coil excited by an exciting signal containing a plurality of harmonic components, that is nonsinusoidal alternating current, and the coin is sorted in accordance with a signal produced by a receiving coil electromagnetically coupled with the oscillation coil and containing at least two harmonic components. The signal induced in the receiving coil may be a composite signal of at least two harmonic components. This signal may consist of a first signal of a composite of at least two harmonic components and a second signal of a composite of at least two other harmonic components.