This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for detecting foreign objects. In one aspect an apparatus for detecting a presence of an object is provided. The apparatus includes a resonant circuit having a resonant frequency. The resonant circuit includes a sense circuit including an electrically conductive structure. The apparatus further includes a coupling circuit coupled to the sense circuit. The apparatus further includes a detection circuit coupled to the sense circuit via the coupling circuit. The detection circuit is configured to detect the presence of the object in response to detecting a difference between a measured characteristic that depends on a frequency at which the resonant circuit is resonating and a corresponding characteristic that depends on the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. The coupling circuit is configured to reduce a variation of the resonant frequency by the detection circuit in the absence of the object.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for detection of metal objects in a predetermined space

A coin discrimination apparatus and method is provided. Coins, preferably after cleaning, e.g. using a trommel, are singulated by a coin pickup assembly configured to reduce jamming. A coin rail assists in providing separation between coins as they travel past a sensor. The sensor provides an oscillating electromagnetic field generated on a single sensing core. The oscillating electromagnetic field is composed of one or more frequency components. The electromagnetic field interacts with a coin, and these interactions are monitored and used to classify the coin according to its physical properties. All frequency components of the magnetic field are phase-locked to a common reference frequency. The phase relationships between the various frequencies are fixed, and the interaction of each frequency component with the coin can be accurately determined without the need for complicated electrical filters. In one embodiment, a sensor having a core, preferably ferrite, which is curved, such as in a U-shape or in the shape of a section of a torus, and defining a gap, is provided with a wire winding for excitation and/or detection. The sensor can be used for simultaneously obtaining data relating to two or more parameters of a coin or other object, such as size and conductivity of the object. Two or more frequencies can be used to sense core and/or cladding properties. Objects recognized as acceptable coins, using the sensor data, are diverted by a controllable deflecting door, to tubes for delivery to acceptable coin bins.

Coin discrimination apparatus and method

Methods and validation apparatus for achieving improved acceptance and rejection for coins, bills and other currency items. One aspect includes modifying item acceptance criteria by creating and defining three-dimensional acceptance clusters, the data for which are stored in look-up tables in memory associated with a microprocessor. A second aspect involves fraud prevention by temporarily tightening or readjusting item acceptance criteria when a potential fraud attempt is detected. A third aspect relates to minimizing the effects of counterfeit items such as slugs on the self-adjustment process for the item acceptance criteria. A final aspect relates to calculation of a relative value of the acceptance criteria in order to conserve memory space and minimize computation time.

Method and apparatus for improved coin, bill and other currency acceptance and slug or counterfeit rejection

An automated banking machine (10) accepts deposit items such as currency, checks, gift certificates or other items of value. Deposited items after being accepted in the machine and processed are moved to the container (260). The container includes an interior area (268) which is bounded by a shaker member (282) on which deposit items are supported. The machine is operative to control operation of an actuator (290) which moves the shaker member to impart shaking motion to deposited items (278) to facilitate the compact storage thereof within the container. The container is enabled to be removed from the machine to facilitate removal of the deposited items. Movement of the container out of and away from the machine is facilitated by rollable supports (296) and a retractable handle (298).

Automated banking machine

An apparatus and method for providing an indication of a type of note passing through the apparatus includes a note transport (12) which moves the note past a transversely spaced spot sensing assembly (18). Each assembly includes four emitters (32). Other elements of the invention include a reflectance detector (20), a transmission detector (22) and a memory (138). The emitters direct radiation onto test spots (34) and a control circuit (24) generates reflectance values from the detected radiation. These values are used to determine the note type.

Universal bank note denominator and validator

A multicoin tester has a coin inlet path 1 along which coins under test run edgewise past coils 2, 3 on opposite sides of the path, and through the windings of a coil 4. Electronic circuitry responsive to the inductive coupling of the coin with the coils operates a gate 5 to either reject the coin onto path 1b or to accept the coin into path 1a. As shown in FIG. 2 each of the coils 2, 3 and 4 is arranged in a parallel L-C resonant circuit 10, 11, 12 connected in the feedback path of an amplifier A1, the resonant circuit being energised sequentially by multiplexer M1. Each of the circuits 10, 11 and 12 has its own natural resonant frequency. The resonant circuits 10, 11, 12 are driven by a voltage controlled oscillator VCO. A phase locked loop including a phase comparator PS1 drives the oscillator VCO at a frequency corresponding to the natural resonant frequency of whichever of the circuits 10, 11 and 12 is connected thereto. As a coin passes say the coil 2, the resonant frequency of circuit 10 is modified by the coin and the phase locked loop changes the frequency of the VCO to maintain resonance. The resulting output at 15 varies both in amplitude and frequency. The amplitude deviation is digitized by an analogue to digital coverter ADC and compared by a microprocessor MPU with stored values in an EEPROM to determine coin acceptability and denomination; so as to operate gate 5 and provide other optional outputs.

Adam Rawicz-Szczerbo

Papers

Metallic article discriminator