Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
Method for determining and/or verifying
the contents of coin rolls.
Field of the invention.
The invention relates to a method for determining
and/or verifying the contents of coin rolls and to a
device for carrying-out such a method.
Prior art.
Coin rolls wrapped with paper are known from the
practice. Further is known from the practice a method for
verifying the contents of a coin roll, wherein the coin
roll is weighed on a weighing device, and wherein the
detected weight is compared to a reference weight being
specific for a coin roll of a certain coin type and de-
nomination and for the number of contained coins. If
weight and reference weight match, the coin roll is
accepted. If however weight and reference weight do not
match, the coin roll is sorted out and the coins
contained therein are subjected to an inspection and/or
counting process. It is disadvantageous in this method
that by suitable selection of counterfeit coins or low-
value disks, a reference weight can be adjusted rather
precisely. A coin roll having at its opposite ends one
coin each of correct denomination, therebetween however
such counterfeit coins or disks, thus cannot be
identified with the in so far known method.
From the documents DE 38 44 519 C2 and DE 38 44 777
C2, devices for producing coin rolls are known in the
art, wherein the coin rolls thereby produced are wrapped
with a transparent packing material. Such coin rolls may
be subjected, in addition to the weight determination, to
a visual test of the coin borders by a person, this is
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
- 2 -
however very time-consuming and further very doubtful.
Technical object of the invention.
It is the technical object of the invention to
provide a method for determining and/or verifying the
contents of coin rolls, by means of which in a simple and
reliable way the number of contained coins can be
determined and if applicable in addition a test for
validation can be performed.
Basics of the invention and preferred embodiments.
For achieving this technical object, the invention
teaches a method for determining and/or verifying the
contents of coin rolls preferably wrapped with
transparent packing material, wherein means for optically
detecting detect on the cylindrical envelope surface at
least one line extending over the complete longitudinal
extension of the coin roll and transform it into a
signal, wherein the signal is fed to an evaluation unit,
wherein in the evaluation unit the signal is evaluated
with regard to periodically repeated signal features, and
the number of the cycles of the signal features is deter-
mined and stored as the number of coins wrapped in the
coin roll, and wherein by the evaluation unit means for
displaying the number of coins and/or a recording unit is
controlled with the stored number of coins.
The invention is based on the finding that a signal
generated by means of an optical sensor system contains
periodic signal features based on the lining-up of the
coin borders in a coin roll. The detected region of the
cylindrical envelope surface is in the simplest case a
line. It is however also possible to transform a partial
area of the cylindrical envelope surface extending from a
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
- 3 -
cylindrical base surface to the opposite cylindrical base
surface into a signal. Here the above explanations apply
in an analogous manner.
In an advantageous embodiment of the method, in the
evaluation unit in addition at least one cycle can be
compared to a reference cycle or different reference
cycles for a certain coin type and one coin denomination
or several coin denominations, in case of the cycle
matching with a reference cycle, it and thus the coin
type and/or the coin denomination can be assigned to the
signal and stored. Herein, the fact is used that coins of
different coin types and/or coin denominations have
different coin borders, thus a detection or verification
of the coins packed in the coin roll being made possible.
The measurement cycle (and consequently the reference
cycle) can be measured for various signal features
existing in the cycle. A signal feature may be the course
of the intensity of reflected visible light. Another
signal feature may be the received color, if applicable
according to the light wavelengths irradiated on the coin
roll. In this embodiment, it is therefore on the one hand
possible to perform an automatic detection of the coin
type and denomination (for this the evaluation of one
cycle is sufficient), however on the other hand also to
test each of the coins of the coin roll for correct coin
type and denomination and if applicable to detect
counterfeit coins or disks (then all cycles are evaluated
and not only counted). Thus also an automatic coin roll
detection in conjunction with a verification of the
contained coins and thus detection of incorrect coin
rolls is possible, for instance by that in the case of a
cycle or several cycles not matching with a given ref-
erence cycle or in the case of a cycle not'matching with
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
- 4 -
other cycles of the signal, the evaluation unit generates
an alarm signal.
The invention further relates to a device for
determining and/or verifying the contents of coin rolls
preferably wrapped with transparent packing material by
means of a method according to the invention, comprising:
means for stably placing down a coin roll . to be tested,
means for optically detecting disposed such that the
optical detection angle covers at least a partial section
of the cylindrical envelope surface, wherein the partial
section continuously extends from one border to the
opposite border of the coin roll, an evaluation unit
connected to the means for optically detecting, and a
display unit and/or recording unit connected to the
evaluation unit.
The means for stably placing down a coin roll to be
tested is in the simplest case a plane, horizontal
surface, on which a coin roll placed down on the
cylindrical envelope surface rests. It may be
recommendable that a marking, for instance an outline, is
applied on the surface, in order that the coin roll can
be positioned with regard to the means for optically
detecting and if applicable oriented with,regard to its
longitudinal extension. It is however also possible to
use a placing-down groove, where the coin roll is placed
down. In this case it may be recommended to provide at
least one marking in the groove or next to the groove,
which determines the position of a cylindrical front face
of the placed down coin roll. The means for placing down
may however also be a human hand positioning the coin
roll in the optical detection angle of the means for
optically detecting.
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
- 5 -
The means for optically detecting may be selected
from the group including "electronic optical or IR
camera, CCD sensor, scanner line, contact image sensor
and barcode scanner". These components are well known to
the man skilled in the art and do not require any further
explanation.
In the evaluation unit, the signal of the means for
optically detecting is received and processed. Processing
basically comprises the detection of periodically
repeated signal features, the number of cycles being the
number of the coins in the coin roll. The number thus de-
termined may be shown on the means for displaying the
number of coins, for instance a numerical display.
Alternatively or additionally, the determined number of
the coins may be fed to a recording unit, where then for
instance a balancing of received coin rolls and a stock
processing may be performed.
In the following, the invention will be explained in
more detail with reference to figures representing
examples of execution only. There are:
Fig. l: a diagrammatical representation of a
device according to the invention,
Fig. 2: a first variant of the invention,
Fig. 3: a second variant of the invention,
Fig. 4: a third variant of the invention,
Fig. 5: a fourth variant of the invention,
Fig. 6: a diagrammatic representation of a signal
curve, and
Fig. 7: a diagrammatic representation of a signal
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
- 6 -
feature.
In Fig. 1 can firstly be seen means for stably
placing down a coin roll 1 to be tested, for instance a
placing-down surface 2. There a coin roll 1 is placed
down. Above the placing-down surface 2 with the coin roll
1 thereon are arranged means for optically detecting 3,
and that such that the optical detection angle 4 covers
at least a partial section of the cylindrical envelope
surface 5 of the coin roll 1, wherein the partial section
continuously extends from one border 6 to the opposite
border 7 of the coin roll 1. An evaluation unit 8 is con-
nected to the means for optically detecting 3, and
electrical signals of the latter are fed to said
evaluation unit. A display unit 9 and a recording unit 10
are connected to the evaluation unit 8.
In Figs. 2 to 5 are shown various optical detection
systems. Fig. 2 shows an electronic camera 11, the signal
of which is fed to the evaluation unit 8 including a
processor. There is made a digital picture recogni-
tion/processing, whereby at least the number of coin
borders and consequently the number of coins is detected.
Fig. 3 shows a variant, wherein the coin roll 1 is placed
down on a transparent placing-down surface 2 (for
instance made of plastic or glass), here also comprising
a groove 12. On the side of the placing-down surface
opposite to the coin roll l, a scanner line 13 is
disposed, by means of which the coin roll is scanned. For
this purpose, the scanner line 13 is controlled in a way
known to the man skilled in the art. Thereby is generated
a line picture of the coin roll 1, from which by means of
conventional picture recognition and evaluation software
the number of coins can be determined. It is however also
possible that the scanner line 13 is moved to and fro
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
_ 7 _
beneath the coin roll 1 and in the direction at right
angles to the longitudinal extension of the scanner line
13, thus a two-dimensional picture being obtained. This
in addition permits the recognition of border stampings
of the coins. Further, in addition the color of the coin
borders can be evaluated, thereby beside counting, a test
for authenticity with high reliabilit y being made
possible. Analogous considerations apply for the variant
of Fig. 2.
In Fig. 4 is shown a particularly simple variant,
namely with a barcode scanner 14. This is a manual
device. An operator can hold a coin roll 1 with one hand
and operate the barcode scanner 14 in a conventional
manner with the other hand. In addition to the number of
coins, further their border stampings or inscriptions can
be detected.
In the variant of Fig. 5 a heat-camera picture 17 is
recorded and evaluated by means of a heat camera 15.
Differing from the above variants, a determination of the
number of coins can be made by determining the total
length of the coin roll 1 only. With sufficient
sensitivity or contrast capability of the heat camera,
the periodically repeated signal features can however
also be obtained by the heat-camera picture 17, which are
further processed as described above. It may be
recommendable that the placing-down surface' 2 is tempered
above or below the ambient temperature, in order that a
sufficient heat contrast is achieved.
In all shown cases, the coin roll 1 is wrapped with a
transparent foil 16.
The respective means for optically detecting 3 are
controlled in a way known to the man skilled in the art.
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
g
The man skilled in the art is further familiar with the
usual algorithms for picture detection and evaluation,
which can easily be adapted to the method according to
the invention.
In Fig. 6, an analogous signal is diagrammatically
shown, which in the case of smooth coin borders is
obtained by means of a scanner line 13. The ordinate is
the signal intensity, here shown as a voltage. The
abscissa is the travel coordinate along the longitudinal
extension of the scanner line 13 (shown as a continuous
line, in reality there are discrete values). Periodically
repeated signal features can be seen, here plateaus 18.
The number of cycles or plateaus 18 corresponds to the
coins present in the coin roll 1. The number of plateaus
can for instance easily be calculated in a conventional
manner after transformation of the voltage into digital
voltage values. The flanks 19 and 20 correspond to the
borders 6 and 7 of the coin roll 1. In Fig. 7, there is
in detail shown a section of a plateau 18, for a coin
having a border stamping. The plateau 18 has a detail
structure being specific for a certain border stamping.
If this detail structure is compared to a given reference
period, the evaluation unit 8 can determine by this
comparison, whether the coin detected by the plateau 18
is a type or value corresponding to the assigned
reference period. This may take place for one plateau 18
only. Then this serves for detecting the values of the
coins in the coin roll 1. However, this may also take
place for all plateaus 18. Then this serves for
inspecting the coin roll 1 for any coins not identical to
the other coins of the coin roll 1.
The invention may be used in the most various fields.
A first field is a "stand-alone" application, for
CA 02513798 2005-07-20
- 9 -
instance at money transfer points, such as bank counters
or the like. Then an operator can check received as well
as handed-out coins rolls. A second field is the
supervision of packing processes, such as in the prior
art mentioned initially. Then a device according to the
invention is provided in a packaging machine, and the
packing step is performed thereafter. A third field is
the automatic delivery and/or acceptance in money
acceptance or money delivery and/or money change
machines. Here, an automatic verification of received
and/or handed-out coin rolls is performed. The recording
unit is then integrated in the conventional control
system of the automatic device.
