Check-actuated control mechanisms – Control mechanism actuated by check – other than coin – which...
Patent
1987-11-20
1990-11-13
Skaggs, H. Grant
Check-actuated control mechanisms
Control mechanism actuated by check, other than coin , which...
194212, 194213, 194317, 453 3, G07F 700
Patent
active
049695495
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to tokens and to apparatus for handling tokens.
The invention is particularly but not exclusively concerned with tokens which are generally coin-sized and shaped, and which contain electronic circuitry capable of storing a value which can be read out by an interrogator which communicates with the token in a contactless manner. Preferably, the data stored by the token can also be altered by the interrogator. Examples of such a token and of apparatus for interrogating the token are described in GB-A-2153128 and EP-A-147099.
In the interrogators described in those patent specifications, coins and tokens are inserted into a common path leading to a coin validator. The validator is readily capable of ascertaining that an inserted token does not have physical properties corresponding to any of the coins the validator is programmed to validate. Accordingly, the inserted token is caused to be delivered to a reject path. The interrogator is disposed along the reject path so that any tokens and non-genuine coins are received by the interrogator. The interrogator detects the presence of a received token or rejected coin, attempts to interrogate the item and if no response is received (i.e. if the received item is a non-genuine coin rather than a token) the item is delivered to a return chute. If the received item is a token, interrogation takes place before the item is returned to the user via the return chute.
Such an arrangement is very convenient in some installations, particularly when it is desired to convert certain types of existing coin validation apparatus to render them capable of handling tokens.
It has now been found, however, that there is a different arrangement which is more desirable in many circumstances.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided coin validation apparatus for discriminating between acceptable coins and non-acceptable items, the apparatus additionally being able to discriminate tokens and being operable to direct the discriminated tokens along a path leading to a token interrogator, which path is different from a path along which said non-acceptable items are directed. The tokens may be directed along the same path as at least one acceptable coin denomination. The path may lead to a gate, desirably an escrow gate, from which the coins and tokens can be selectively directed either to a store (such as a cashbox) or to a return chute for return to the user.
According to another aspect of the invention apparatus for handling coins and data-storing tokens is operable to measure a property of received items, to recognise a received item as a coin of a particular denomination in dependence upon whether a measured property lies within a range associated with that denomination, and to recognise a received item as a token in dependence upon whether a measured property lies within a further range associated with the token. In the preferred embodiment, the validator stores a particular parameter range for a coin denomination, and recognises an inserted item as that coin denomination if the measured property lies within that range. Preferably, the validator stores ranges associated with different properties, and recognises the coin only if all of a plurality of measured properties fall within the respective parameter ranges. Other ranges are preferably stored to enable detection of other coin denominations. In addition, the validator stores a range specifically associated with the tokens (or a plurality of ranges each associated with a different measured property of the tokens). Accordingly, a data-storing token can be recognised just as though it were a different denomination of coin.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, apparatus for handling coins and tokens comprises a coin validator arranged to receive both coins and tokens, an interrogator positioned to receive tokens from the validator, and means for initiating the operation of the interrogator in response to the validator detecting that a received item is a token. Preferably, the val
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Gastineau Cheryl L.
Mars Incorporated
Skaggs H. Grant
LandOfFree
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