(19)
(11) EP 0 227 453 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
16.12.1987 Bulletin 1987/51

(43) Date of publication A2:
01.07.1987 Bulletin 1987/27

(21) Application number: 86309973

(22) Date of filing: 19.12.1986
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE GB IT SE

(30) Priority: 19.12.1985 NZ 214642

(71) Applicant: BONELCO INDUSTRIES, LIMITED
 ()

(72) Inventors:
  • Plester, David John
     ()
  • Watson, Duncan Karl
     ()
  • Pullman, Royce Lyndall
     ()

   


(54) Article detection and recognition


(57) A programmable coin acceptor which is readily reprogrammed to accept different coin sets is described. The acceptor includes a detector (10) which generates an alternating magnetic field through two spatially symmetric flux paths (23,25). Disposed in each of the flux paths (23,25) is a detector coil (22,26). When the acceptor is in use a coin is passed through one If the flux paths (23). The resulting difference in the flux through the two paths (23,25) induces a voltage across the detector coils (22,26). The amplitude of this voltage and its phase relative to the excitation voltage are derived and compared with stored information to determine whether the coin should be accepted. The stored information may readily be changed for a new coin set by switching the acceptor to programming mode and passing selected coins from the coin set through the detector (10) in a predetermined manner.






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