JP7245142B2 - Coin handling system and coin handling equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coin processing system and a coin processing device for processing coins.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, coin processors for handling special coins unsuitable for market distribution, such as damaged coins (deformed coins, damaged coins), commemorative coins, old coins, etc., are known. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an example of such a coin processing device.

In the coin processing device of Patent Literature 1, one coin is placed at a deposit position inside the housing through the deposit port. The placed coin is imaged by a camera at the deposit position. At this time, the camera captures a top image and side images on both sides of the coin. These images are displayed on the display unit together with candidates for coin types and denominations.

The operator selects the kind and denomination of the coin from a plurality of candidates while looking at the top image of the coin. When the coin type and denomination are selected, this information is associated with the image and stored in the storage unit. After that, the coins are sorted and stored in the loss coin box or the commemorative coin box depending on whether they are loss coins or commemorative coins.

When two coins are superimposed and placed on the deposit position, the operator can recognize the overlapping of the coins by referring to the side images of the coins. As a result, the operator can take measures to replace the coins.

Further, in the following patent document 2, when the examination table on which a plurality of coins are placed is photographed from above and below, and the number of coins by denomination calculated from each photographed image does not match, coins of different denominations describes a money handling apparatus that determines that there is a possibility that the two sides are almost completely overlapped, and displays a message prompting the user to change the placing state of the coins on the examination table.

JP 2015-018304 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-033041

In the coin processing device of Patent Document 1, the operator himself/herself judges whether or not the coins overlap by referring to the side image. is also possible. In this case, for example, the coin processing device extracts the area of the coin from the side image of the coin, and determines that the coins overlap when the height of the area exceeds a predetermined threshold. Then, when it is determined that the coins overlap each other, the coin processing device executes notification processing for prompting the operator to replace the coins.

However, in this configuration, when the coins are bent, or when the coins are thickened due to foreign matter attached thereto, it may be erroneously determined that the coins are overlapping. In this case, the operator is repeatedly requested to replace the coins even though the coins are properly placed, which makes the operation extremely complicated.

In view of such problems, the present invention provides a coin capable of smoothly confirming whether or not coins are placed on a placing area in an overlapping manner, and of improving work efficiency by omitting unnecessary checking work. It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing system and coin processing device.

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a coin processing system. A coin processing system according to this aspect includes a placement area in which a coin is placed, an imaging unit that captures an image of the placement area, and a coin placed in the placement area based on an image captured by the imaging unit. and a control unit that controls processing for the coin. Here, when it is determined that a plurality of coins are overlapped in the placement area based on the captured image, the control unit prompts the operator to confirm the placement state of the coins in the placement area. a first process; when it is determined that a plurality of coins are overlapped in the placement area based on the captured image; A second process of allowing the operator to select either of continuing the processing of the placed coin and selectively executing the second process.

According to the coin processing system according to this aspect, when it is determined that coins overlap each other, the first processing of ensuring that the operator confirms the placement state of the coins in the placement area and the placement of the coins. Since the second process in which the operator can arbitrarily select confirmation of the state and continuation of the process is selectively executed, the operator can select either the first process or the first process when it is necessary to confirm the overlapping of coins. It is only necessary to check the placement state of the coins when executing the second process, and if it is not necessary to check the stacking of coins, the continuation of the process can be selected when executing the second process. Therefore, the operator can smoothly check whether or not the coins are stacked on the placement area, and can improve the efficiency of the work by omitting unnecessary checking work.

In the coin processing system according to this aspect, the control unit may be configured to perform the first process a predetermined number of times, and then shift to the second process.

According to this configuration, when it is determined that the coins overlap, the operator always confirms the placed state of the coins a predetermined number of times. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably confirm whether or not the coins are placed on the placement area while overlapping each other.

In this case, the control unit may be configured to perform the first process once and then shift to the second process.

According to this configuration, when it is determined that the coins are piled up, the operator confirms the placement state of the coins at least once, so that the stacking of the coins can be reliably eliminated. In addition, since the number of executions of the first process is limited to one, the operator can, when executing the first process, appropriately remove the coins from overlapping each other, and then quickly perform the process according to the execution of the second process. continuation can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and smoothly process the coins while reliably eliminating the overlapping of the coins.

In the coin processing system according to this aspect, the control section may be configured to receive input of execution conditions for the first process and the second process.

According to this configuration, the operator may erroneously determine that the coins are overlapping when the coins to be processed are bent, or when the coins are thickened due to foreign matter adhering to them. is high, the execution condition is set in advance so that only the second process is executed prior to coin processing, thereby avoiding the first process that requires confirmation of the placed state of the coin. can. As a result, the operator can smoothly process the coins. Also in this case, the operator can appropriately select the confirmation process of the placed state of the coins when executing the second process. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the coins from being processed while the coins are piled up.

The coin processing system according to this aspect can include a display for displaying information. In this case, in the first process, the control unit causes the display unit to display a first alert screen for prompting the operator to check the placement state of the coin in the placement area, and the second process. and displaying a second warning screen for prompting the operator to select either confirmation of the placement state of the coins in the placement area or continuation of processing of the coins placed in the placement area. can be configured to be displayed on the

According to this configuration, by referring to the first caution screen and the second caution screen, the operator can accurately grasp the possibility that coins overlap in the placement area, and the second caution By operating the prompting screen, it is possible to smoothly perform necessary actions out of confirmation of the placement state and continuation of processing.

In the coin processing system according to this aspect, the imaging unit captures a top surface image and a side surface image of the coin placed on the placement area, and the control unit determines the overlapping of the coins based on the side surface image. It may be configured to determine the presence/absence.

According to this configuration, it is possible to smoothly determine the overlapping of coins based on the side image.

In this case, when one coin is placed on the placement area, the coin processing system does not include the image of the coin in the side image, and a plurality of coins are stacked on the placement area. In this case, an imaging restriction means may be provided for restricting imaging by the imaging unit so that the side image includes an image of a coin. The control unit may be configured to determine whether or not coins overlap based on whether or not the side image includes an image of a coin.

According to this configuration, by comparing the side image obtained when the coins are not overlapped with the side image obtained during the actual operation in the control unit, it is possible to smoothly determine whether or not the coins are overlapped. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly determine the presence or absence of overlapping of coins by a simple process.

In this configuration, the image capturing unit includes a mirror and a camera, and captures the side image with the camera through the mirror, and the control unit continuously performs the first process and the second process a predetermined number of times. It can be configured to perform processing for notifying the possibility that the mirror is dirty when a coin overlap is detected.

According to this configuration, it is possible to smoothly determine the possibility that the mirror is dirty as the first process and the second process are executed. In addition, when it is determined that the mirror may be dirty, the operator is informed of the fact, so that the operator can take measures to remove the dirt on the mirror. Therefore, it is possible to properly perform coin overlap determination in the subsequent first process and second process, and to efficiently proceed with these processes.

Further, the control unit executes a process of notifying the possibility that the mirror is dirty when the coin image is not included in the top image and coin overlap is determined based on the side image. may be configured as follows.

According to this configuration, it is possible to more accurately determine the possibility that the mirror is dirty. Therefore, the operator can appropriately deal with dirt on the mirror.

In the coin processing system according to this aspect, the placement area may be configured to have a size that allows a plurality of coins to be placed.

According to this configuration, a plurality of coins can be processed at once, and processing efficiency can be significantly improved.

In this configuration, the control unit receives input of the number of coins to be placed in the placement area, and when the input number of coins does not match the number of coins extracted based on the captured image, , it may be configured to determine that the coins placed on the placement area are overlapped.

According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not the coins overlap by simple processing without processing the side images of the coins.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a coin processing device. A coin processing apparatus according to this aspect includes a placement area on which a coin is placed, an imaging unit that captures an image of the placement area, and a coin placed in the placement area based on an image captured by the imaging unit. and a control unit that controls processing for the coin. Here, when it is determined that a plurality of coins are overlapped in the placement area based on the captured image, the control unit prompts the operator to confirm the placement state of the coins in the placement area. a first process; when it is determined that a plurality of coins are overlapped in the placement area based on the captured image; A second process of allowing the operator to select either of continuing the processing of the placed coin and selectively executing the second process.

According to the coin processing device according to this aspect, the same effects as those of the coin processing system according to the first aspect can be achieved.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to smoothly check whether or not coins are stacked on the placement area, and it is possible to improve work efficiency by omitting unnecessary checking work. A coin handling system and coin handling device can be provided.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the embodiment shown below is merely one example of the implementation of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of the money handling system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are perspective views showing the configuration of the special coin processing device according to the first embodiment. 3(a) and 3(b) are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the special coin processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are perspective views showing a specific configuration of the special coin processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure around the placing member and the partition when no coin is placed on the placing surface according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5(b) is a diagram schematically showing a side image in a state where no coin is placed on the placement surface according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure around the placement member and the partition when coins are placed on the placement surface without overlapping according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5(b) is a diagram schematically showing a side image in a state where coins are placed on the placement surface without overlapping according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure around the placement member and the partition when coins are stacked on the placement surface according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5(b) is a diagram schematically showing a side image in a state where coins are stacked on the placement surface according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing configurations of a special coin processing device, an operation terminal, and a loose coin processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing deposit processing of special coins such as loss coins according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 10A to 10D are diagrams showing screens displayed on the operation display section of the operation terminal during special coin deposit processing according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 11A to 11C are diagrams showing screens displayed on the operation display section of the operation terminal during special coin deposit processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing deposit processing of special coins such as loss coins according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing coin overlap determination processing according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing deposit processing of special coins such as loss coins according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of a dirt notification screen according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing mirror contamination determination processing according to a modification of the fourth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing residual detection processing (mirror dirt notification processing) according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing base image acquisition processing (mirror dirt notification processing) according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a special coin processing device when cut along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, according to a modification. FIGS. 19(a) and 19(b) are cross-sectional views of the main parts of the special coin processing device when cut along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, according to another modification. FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a special coin processing device according to still another modification.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the combination of the loose coin processing device 4, the special coin processing device 7, and the operation terminal 8 corresponds to the "coin processing system" described in the claims. Also, the camera 51 and the mirrors 142 and 143 correspond to the "imaging unit" recited in the claims, and the wall sections 131c and 132c correspond to the "imaging restriction means" recited in the claims.

However, the above description is only for the purpose of associating the structure of the scope of claims with the structure of the embodiment, and the above correspondence allows the invention described in the scope of claims to correspond to the structure of the embodiment. It is not limited at all.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a money handling system 1 according to this embodiment.

The money processing system 1 includes a banknote bundle processing device 2, a loose banknote processing device 3, a loose coin processing device 4, a wrapped coin processing device 5, a valuable medium processing device 6, a special coin processing device 7, and an operation terminal. 8 and a money storage device 9 .

The banknote bundle processing apparatus 2 includes a banknote bundle forming unit that binds a predetermined number (for example, 100) of loose banknotes to form a banknote bundle (banded banknote), and a banknote bundle storage unit that stores the banknote bundle. The loose banknote processing device 3 has a banknote storage unit capable of storing loose banknotes by denomination, and performs deposit processing of depositing loose banknotes into the banknote storage unit and dispensing processing of dispensing loose banknotes from the banknote storage unit. The banknote bundle processing device 2 is connected to the loose banknote processing device 3, and based on the loose banknotes sent from the loose banknote processing device 3, the banknote bundle forming unit generates a banknote bundle and throws out the banknote bundle to the outside. Alternatively, the generated banknote bundle is stored in the banknote bundle storage unit.

The loose coin processing device 4 has a coin storage unit capable of storing loose coins by denomination, and performs deposit processing for depositing loose coins into the coin storage unit and dispensing processing for dispensing loose coins from the coin storage unit. The wrapped coin processing device 5 has a wrapped coin forming unit that wraps a predetermined number (eg, 50) of loose coins to form wrapped coins, and a wrapped coin storage unit that stores the wrapped coins. The wrapped-coin processing device 5 is connected to the loose-coin processing device 4, and based on the loose coins sent from the loose-coin processing device 4, the wrapped-coin forming unit generates wrapped coins and throws them out. Alternatively, the generated wrapped coins are stored in the wrapped coin storage unit.

The valuable medium processing device 6 processes valuable media that are not handled by the banknote bundle processing device 2 and the loose banknote processing device 3 . Specifically, the valuable medium processing device 6 has an unfit bill storage unit and a valuable security storage unit. Processing for depositing and withdrawing damaged bills that cannot be processed by the processing device 3 to and from the bill storage unit, and processing for depositing and withdrawing specific securities such as checks and bills to and from the securities storage unit. The valuable medium processing device 6 also has a new bill storage unit, and performs processing for dispensing new bills, which are unused banknotes, from the new bill storage unit.

The special coin processing device 7 handles special coins that are not suitable for market distribution, such as damaged coins (deformed coins, damaged coins), commemorative coins, and old coins. These special coins cannot be handled by the loose coin processing device 4 .

The operation terminal 8 includes an operation display section 301 and a printer 302 . Using the operation terminal 8 , the user operates the banknote bundle processing device 2 , the loose banknote processing device 3 , the loose coin processing device 4 , the packaged coin processing device 5 , the valuable medium processing device 6 , the special coin processing device 7 and the money storage device 9 . Perform operations for deposit processing and operations for withdrawal processing.

The money storage device 9 is used to store banknote bundles that cannot be stored in the banknote bundle processing device 2 or packaged coins that cannot be stored in the packaged coin processing device 5 .

2(a) and 2(b) are perspective views showing the configuration of the special coin processing device 7. FIG.

The special coin processing device 7 has an outer shell formed by a rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 . An opening 11 is formed in the upper front side of the housing 10 . This opening 11 is opened and closed by a shutter 12 . 2(a) shows a state in which the opening 11 is closed by the shutter 12, and FIG. 2(b) shows a state in which the opening 11 is opened. The shutter 12 is supported by the housing 10 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along guide grooves 13 formed on the left and right inner surfaces of the housing 10 .

When the shutter 12 is opened, the first mounting area 21 and the second mounting area 22 arranged side by side are exposed to the outside. The first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are separated by a partition 23 . Directly below the first placement area 21, a first storage box 31 for storing coins placed on the first placement area 21 is installed so as to be able to be pulled out forward. Directly below the second placement area 22, a second storage 32 for storing the coins placed on the second placement area 22 is installed so as to be able to be pulled forward. That is, a first storage 31 and a second storage 32 are provided in association with the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, respectively.

The types of coins to be placed on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 can be arbitrarily set. The type of coin to be placed in each placement area is set using, for example, a predetermined setting screen. The type of coin in each set placement area is stored in the storage unit within the operation terminal 8 . Labels 33 and 34 are attached according to the settings. Here, the first placement area 21 is set as a placement area for lost coins, and the second placement area 22 is set as a placement area for commemorative coins.

3(a) and 3(b) are sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the special coin processing device 7. FIG. 3(a) and 3(b) respectively show cross-sectional views taken along the line A-A' in FIG. 2(a). FIG. 2(a) shows a state immediately after the shutter 12 is closed after target coins are placed on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, and FIG. 2(b). shows a state in which the storage operation is started thereafter.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the first placement area 21 is composed of a frame member 24 and a placement member 25 . The inner surface of the frame member 24 constitutes the inner surface of the first mounting area 21 together with the side surface of the partition 23, and the upper surface of the mounting member 25 is the bottom surface of the first mounting area 21, that is, the first mounting area. It constitutes a coin placement surface in the area 21 . The frame member 24 is fixed inside the housing 10, and the mounting member 25 is supported by the support frame 41 so as to be movable forward and backward. The support frame 41 is provided with an opening 41 a that allows communication between the inner surface of the frame member 24 and the first storage 31 . The second placement area 22 also has the same configuration as in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

Note that the frame member 24 may be a single member that is common to both the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 , and may be separate for each of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 . may be provided in Further, the mounting member 25 may be a single member common to both the first mounting region 21 and the second mounting region 22, and each of the first mounting region 21 and the second mounting region 22 may It may be provided separately.

A camera 51 whose angle of view includes both the first mounting area 21 and the second mounting area 22 is installed on the upper inner surface of the shutter 12 . That is, all the coins placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are captured by one camera 51 at the same time. The camera 51 is installed directly above the partition 23 . In addition, a light emitting unit for illuminating the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 is installed inside the housing 10 .

When the mounting member 25 is moved backward from the state of FIG. 3A by a drive mechanism (not shown), the bottom surface of the first mounting area 21 is gradually opened. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, the coin C1 drops into the first storage 31 from the opened bottom surface through the opening 41a. The mounting member 25 moves to a position where the front end of the mounting member 25 is positioned on the inner surface of the rear end side of the frame member 24 . As a result, all the coins C1 placed on the first placement area 21 drop into the first storage 31 and are stored in the first storage 31 . Coins placed on the second placement area 22 are also stored in the second storage 32 by the same operation.

In the coin storage operation shown in FIG. 3(b), the operator assigns a predetermined denomination to the image of the coin captured by the camera 51 in the state shown in FIG. 3(a). is executed by doing The assigned denomination is associated with the coin image and stored in the storage unit of the operation terminal 8 . The process of storing the coin image and denomination in the storage unit will be described later with reference to FIG.

4(a) and 4(b) are perspective views showing a specific configuration of the special coin processing device 7. FIG.

4A and 4B, the mounting member 131 corresponds to the mounting member 25 in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the partition 141 corresponds to the partition 23 in FIG. The plates 111, 121 and the side plates 101a, 101b correspond to the frame member 24 in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

4(a) and 4(b) show the configuration of the structure housed in the housing 10. FIG. FIG. 4(a) shows a state in which the mounting member 132 has moved most forward, and FIG. 4(b) shows a state in which the mounting member 132 has moved most rearward.

The special coin processing device 7 includes a support frame 101 , wall plates 111 and 121 , a coin placement unit 130 , a partition 141 and a drive mechanism 150 .

The support frame 101 is made of a metal material, and has a shape in which side plates 101a and 101b rise from the left and right ends of the bottom plate. Wall plates 111 and 121 are installed on the upper portion of the support frame 101 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction. A partition 141 is installed between these wall plates 111 and 121 . Upper ends 111 a and 111 b of the wall plate 111 have shapes along the upper surfaces of the mounting members 131 and 132 , respectively, and protrude above the upper surfaces of the mounting members 131 and 132 . Lower ends 121a and 121b of the wall plate 121 have shapes along the top surfaces of the mounting members 131 and 132, respectively, and are slightly recessed upward from the top surfaces of the mounting members 131 and 132, respectively.

A guide member 102 is installed to extend forward from the rear end of the support frame 101 . Further, guide members 103 extending in the front-rear direction are installed on the inner surfaces of the left and right side plates 101a and 101b of the support frame 101, respectively. The coin stacking unit 130 is supported by the support frame 101 by the guide members 102 and 103 so as to be movable forward and backward.

The coin placement unit 130 includes placement members 131 and 132 , a base member 133 and a rack gear 134 . Mounting members 131 and 132 are installed in front of the upper surface of the base member 133 so as to be aligned horizontally. A rack gear 134 is installed behind the upper surface of the base member 133 so as to extend forward and backward. The front side of the base member 133 is provided with a notch 135 extending in the front-rear direction at the central position in the left-right direction.

The base member 133 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The outer edge of the base member 133 is raised over the entire circumference. Two rollers are provided on each of the left and right side surfaces of the base member 133 .

The coin stacking unit 130 is supported by the support frame 101 by fitting the left and right rollers into a pair of guide members 103 arranged side by side. At this time, the lower end of the partition 141 fits into the notch 135 of the base member 133 . Also, the rack gear 134 meshes with the gear 152 of the drive mechanism 150 . Thus, the structure shown in FIG. 4(a) is constructed.

The placing member 131 is formed with a placing surface 131a for placing a coin. The mounting surface 131a is flat and inclined at a predetermined angle (about several degrees) so that the left side is higher than the right side. The placing member 132 is formed with a placing surface 132a for placing a coin. The mounting surface 132a is flat and inclined at a predetermined angle (about several degrees) so that the right side is higher than the left side. The inclination angles of the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a with respect to the horizontal plane are the same. By tilting the mounting surfaces 131 a and 132 a in this manner, the coins placed on the mounting surfaces 131 a and 132 a can easily face the camera 51 . As a result, the image of the coin captured by the camera 51 is less likely to be distorted.

The drive mechanism 150 includes a motor 151 and gears 152 . The drive mechanism 150 is fixed to a member separate from the support frame 101 . The gear 152 is driven according to the drive of the motor 151 . As a result, the driving force is transmitted from the gear 152 to the rack gear 134 to move the coin placing unit 130 back and forth.

4A, the first placement area 21 is composed of wall plates 111 and 121, a side plate 101a, a partition 141, and a placement member 131. As shown in FIG. The inner side surfaces of the wall plates 111 and 121, the inner side surface of the side plate 101a, and the left side surface of the partition 141 constitute the inner side surface of the first mounting area 21, and the upper surface of the mounting member 131, that is, the mounting surface. The bottom surface of the first placement area 21 is configured by 131a.

The second placement area 22 is composed of wall plates 111 and 121 , a side plate 101 b , a partition 141 and a placement member 132 . The inner surfaces of the wall plates 111 and 121, the inner surface of the side plate 101b, and the right side surface of the partition 141 constitute the inner surface of the second mounting area 22, and the upper surface of the mounting member 132, that is, the mounting surface. The bottom surface of the second mounting area 22 is configured by 132a.

When the motor 151 is driven to move the coin placing unit 130 to the position shown in FIG. 4B from the state shown in FIG. 4A, the bottoms of the first placing area 21 and the second placing area 22 are formed. The mounting members 131 and 132 retreat backward, and openings 101c and 101d connected to the first storage 31 and the second storage 32 are generated in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, respectively. At this time, the movement of the coins placed on the placement members 131 and 132 is restricted by the wall plate 121 . As a result, the coins placed on the placement members 131 and 132 drop into the first storage 31 and the second storage 32 through the openings 101c and 101d. Thus, these coins are stored in the first storage 31 and the second storage 32 . In the present embodiment, lost coins placed in the first placement area 21 are stored in the first storage 31, and commemorative coins placed in the second placement area 22 are stored in the second storage 32. be.

Further, light emitting units L1 and L2 are arranged on the upper outer sides of the side plates 101a and 101b, respectively. The light emitting units L1 and L2 are linear light sources extending back and forth. For example, the light emitting units L1 and L2 are configured by arranging a plurality of LEDs back and forth. The light emitting units L<b>1 and L<b>2 project light upward on the first mounting area 21 and the second mounting area 22 . The projected light is reflected by the upper inner surface of the shutter 12 and guided to the first mounting area 21 and the second mounting area 22 . The light projected from the light emitting unit L1 is guided to both the first mounting area 21 and the second mounting area 22, and the light projected from the light emitting unit L2 is directed to the first mounting area 21 and the second mounting area 21. Both regions 22 are led to. Thereby, the coins placed on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are illuminated.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure around the placement member 131 and the partition 141. FIG. FIG. 5(a) shows a cross section of the structure in the vicinity of the mounting member 131 and the partition 141 taken along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the partition 141 has mirrors 142 and 143 on its left and right sides, respectively. The mirrors 142 , 143 are of rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the partition 141 . The mirrors 142 , 143 extend over the entire longitudinal extent of the partition 141 . Mirrors 142 and 143 are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the mounting surface. That is, slopes are formed on both left and right sides of the partition 141, and mirrors 142 and 143 are installed on these slopes, respectively. The tilt angles of the mirrors 142 and 143 with respect to the mounting surface are the same. The inclination angles of the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a with respect to the horizontal plane are also the same.

In FIG. 5(a), the light beam captured by the camera 51 is indicated by a dashed line. A light beam captured by the camera 51 extends parallel to the mounting surfaces 131 a and 132 a and is bent vertically upward by the mirrors 142 and 143 . That is, the mirrors 142 and 143 are inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a so that the camera 142 captures light rays traveling parallel to the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a. Therefore, the camera 51 takes an image of the space above the placement surfaces 131a and 132a from the side. That is, the camera 51 captures the side images together with the top images of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 .

Wall portions 131c and 132c extending in the front-rear direction are formed on the inner edges of the mounting members 131 and 132, respectively. The light rays captured by the camera 51 are restricted by the walls 131c and 132c. That is, the light rays traveling inward along the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a within a predetermined distance from the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a are blocked by the walls 131c and 132c and do not reach the mirrors 142 and 143. FIG. The height of the walls 131c and 132c with respect to the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a is equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the thickest coin among all kinds of coins mounted on the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a. , and is set equal to or less than the thickness of the thinnest stacked coins.

When the heights of the walls 131c and 132c are set in this way, when one coin is placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, the image of the coin is displayed on the side image. is not included, and when a plurality of coins are placed on top of each other in the first placing area 21 and the second placing area 22, the image of the coin is included in the side image. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the coins placed on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 overlap based on whether or not the side image includes the image of the coin.

In this embodiment, in order to make this determination more smoothly, markers M1 and M2 are provided on the inclined surfaces 131b and 132b (see FIG. 4A for the inclined surface 132b) following the outer edge of the mounting surface 131a. is provided. That is, on the inclined surface 131b of the mounting member 131, the marker M1 is provided in a range corresponding to the height of the wall portion 131c, and the marker M2 is provided in a predetermined range above the marker M1. The markers M1 and M2 are provided in a belt shape over the entire range of the mounting surface 131a in the front-rear direction. The markers M1 and M2 are given different colors. For example, marker M1 is yellow and marker M2 is red. The markers M1 and M2 are provided, for example, by applying paint to the inclined surface 131b. The inclined surface 132b of the mounting member 132 is similarly provided with markers M1 and M2.

FIG. 5(b) is a diagram schematically showing the side image PS.

The side image PS has a range W1 corresponding to the walls 131c and 132c, a range W2 corresponding to the marker M2, and a range W3 corresponding to the area above the marker M2. The color of the range W2 is the same color (here, red) as the marker M2. A range W4 in which the color of the marker M1 (here, yellow) slightly leaks is included between the ranges W1 and W2.

In the case of FIG. 5A, since no coin is placed on the placement surface 131a, the side image PS of the first placement area 21 is an image of the coin in the range W2 as shown in FIG. 5B. is an image that does not contain Further, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the coin C1 is placed without overlapping on the placement surface 131a, the thickness of the coin C1 is included in the range of the height of the wall portion 131c. As shown in 6(b), the side image PS of the first placement area 21 is an image that does not include the coin image in the range W2.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7A, when two coins C1 are stacked on the loading surface 131a, the thickness of the overlapping coins C1 exceeds the height of the wall portion 131c. As shown in 7(b), the side image PS of the first placement area 21 is an image including the coin image P11 in the range W2. In this way, it is possible to determine whether or not the coins placed on the placement surface 131a are overlapped based on whether or not the coin image P11 in the range W2 is included. The presence or absence of overlapping of coins on the placement surface 132a can also be determined in the same manner.

In the actual determination, first, the base image of the side image PS is acquired in a state where no coins are placed on the placement surfaces 131a and 132a. Then, it is determined whether or not the coin image P11 is included in the range W2 by comparing the side image PS acquired during the actual operation of coin processing with the base image. Specifically, when the range W2 (red range) on the base image has a color defect of a predetermined width or more in the range W2 on the side image PS acquired during the actual operation, the range W2 contains an image of a coin, it is determined that the coins overlap. In this way, by comparing the base image with the side image during actual operation, it is possible to smoothly determine the overlapping of coins through simple processing.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the special coin processing device 7, the operating terminal 8 and the loose coin processing device 4. As shown in FIG.

The special coin processing device 7 includes a shutter drive section 201 , a unit drive section 202 , a light emission drive section 203 , a communication section 204 , a control section 205 and a storage section 206 . The camera 51 is connected to the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8 via a communication cable such as a USB cable. Also, the communication unit 204 is connected to the communication unit 402 of the loose coin processing device 4 with a communication cable such as a serial communication cable.

The shutter drive unit 201 includes a motor and drive circuit for driving the shutter 12 and opens and closes the shutter 12 under the control of the control unit 205 . The unit driving section 202 includes a motor and a driving circuit for driving the mounting member 25 shown in FIGS. The light emission drive section 203 drives the light emission units L1 and L2 under the control of the control section 205 . The communication unit 204 communicates with the communication unit 402 of the loose coin processing device 4 under the control of the control unit 205 .

The control unit 205 includes an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the shutter driving unit 201 , the unit driving unit 202 , the light emission driving unit 203 and the communication unit 204 according to programs stored in the storage unit 206 . The storage unit 206 includes a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk, or the like, stores a control program for the control unit 205, and stores a work area during control processing of the control unit 205. used as

The operation terminal 8 includes the operation display unit 301 and the printer 302 described above, as well as a card reader 303 , a control unit 304 and a storage unit 305 .

The operation display unit 301 is composed of a touch panel having a display 301a and a touch sensor 301b. The display 301a displays various information. The touch sensor 301b detects a user's touch operation on the display 301a. The printer 302 performs deposit processing and withdrawal with respect to the banknote bundle processing device 2, the loose banknote processing device 3, the loose coin processing device 4, the packaged coin processing device 5, the valuable medium processing device 6, the special coin processing device 7, and the money storage device 9. The results of various processing such as processing are printed on paper as a journal and output. The card reader 303 reads the ID card and outputs the read data to the control section 304 .

The control unit 304 has an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU, and controls the operation display unit 301 , the printer 302 and the card reader 303 according to programs stored in the storage unit 305 . Further, the control unit 304 controls the banknote bundle processing device 2, the loose banknote processing device 3, the loose coin processing device 4, the wrapped coin processing device 5, the valuable medium processing device 6, and the money storage device via a communication cable such as a USB cable. Various commands and information are exchanged with each control unit 9 to control the operation of these devices.

A storage unit 305 includes a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, and a hard disk, stores a control program for the control unit 304, and is used as a work area when the control processing of the control unit 304 is performed. Further, the storage unit 305 holds a coin image database 305a in which reference images of loss coins and commemorative coins are associated with denominations. The coin image database 305a is prepared for each coin type (loss coin/commemorative coin). The coin image database 305 a is referred to by the control unit 304 when determining the denomination of the coin image captured by the camera 51 .

In this embodiment, the operation terminal 8 controls the special coin processing device 7 via the control unit 403 of the loose coin processing device 4 . That is, the control section 304 of the operation terminal 8 drives the shutter drive section 201, the unit drive section 202 and the light emission drive section 203 of the special coin processing device 7 via the control section 403 of the loose coin processing device 4. FIG. Specifically, a control command for controlling these drive units is transmitted from the control unit 304 to the control unit 403 of the loose coin processing device 4 . The control unit 403 transmits a control command corresponding to the received control command to the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7 via the communication unit 402 . The control section 205 drives the shutter drive section 201, the unit drive section 202 and the light emission drive section 203 according to the received control command.

8, the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8 directly controls the camera 51 of the special coin processing device 7, and directly acquires the image captured by the camera 51 from the camera 51. Further, the control unit 403 of the loose coin processing device 4 controls transmission of the control command from the operation terminal 8 from the communication unit 402 to the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7 as described above. Control to drive the coin processing unit 401 is performed according to a control command from the control unit 304 .

Next, a process for depositing special coins such as loss coins and commemorative coins into the special coin processing device 7 will be described.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing deposit processing for special coins such as loss coins. FIGS. 10(a) to (d) and FIGS. 11(a) to (c) are diagrams showing screens displayed on the operation display section 301 of the operation terminal 8 during special coin deposit processing. The flowchart of FIG. 9 is executed in the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8. FIG.

In the process of depositing special coins, the operator first operates the menu screen 510 shown in FIG. 10(a). The menu screen 510 includes an area 511 that displays selection candidates for processing items. The operator selects the “special coin” processing item in area 511 . As a result, among the types of money included in the area 512, items of lost/old coins and commemorative coins to be processed are highlighted. Further, in the area 513, an image 513a of the special coin processing device 7 for depositing the coin is displayed. By referring to the image 513a, the operator can smoothly grasp to which device the money should be deposited. After that, the operator operates the button 514 . Thereby, the processing shown in FIG. 9 is started.

The control unit 304 transmits an instruction to open the shutter 12 to the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7 (S101). As described above, this instruction is transmitted from the control section 304 to the control section 205 of the special coin processing device 7 via the control section 403 of the loose coin processing device 4 . As a result, the shutter 12 of the special coin handling device 7 is opened. Further, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display the set request screen 520 (S102). As a result, the screen of the operation display unit 301 is switched from the menu screen 510 of FIG. 10(a) to the set request screen 520 of FIG. 10(b).

Referring to FIG. 10(b), area 521 includes an image similar to area 511 in FIG. 10(a). In the area 522, an image 522a showing the form of allocation of coin types in the coin placement area of the special coin processing device 7 is displayed. Here, the left coin placement area (first placement area 21) is assigned to an area for placing lost coins, and the right coin placement area (second placement area 22) is assigned to place commemorative coins. assigned to an area for placement. By referring to the image 522a, the operator can accurately grasp the type of coin to be placed in each placement area.

The area 523 includes a message 523a prompting to set the coins to be processed in the special coin processing device 7 and to operate the button 524 after the setting is completed. The operator refers to the message 523a and places the loss coins and commemorative coins to be processed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 of the special coin processing device 7, respectively. When all loss coins and commemorative coins to be processed are set, the operator operates button 524 . As a result, the determination in step S103 of FIG. 9 becomes YES.

Thus, when the determination in step S103 becomes YES, the control unit 304 transmits an instruction to close the shutter 12 to the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7 via the control unit 403 of the loose coin processing device 4 ( S104). As a result, the shutter 12 of the special coin handling device 7 is closed. Then, the control unit 304 causes the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7 to turn on the light emitting units L1 and L2, and the coins placed on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are displayed on the camera 51. An image is taken (S105). Data of an image captured by the camera 51 is transmitted from the camera 51 to the control unit 304 via the USB cable. The control unit 304 causes the storage unit 305 to store the received image data.

Furthermore, the control unit 304 extracts the top surface image and the side surface image of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 from the received image data. The top image is an image of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 taken from above. The side image is an image of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 captured through the mirrors 142 and 143 .

The control unit 304 processes the top image and cuts out the image of each coin included in the image. For example, the control unit 304 identifies a coin area based on the brightness and darkness of the image, and cuts out a rectangular area inscribed in the identified coin area as a coin image area. However, the method of clipping the coin image is not limited to this. Then, the control unit 304 performs distortion correction on the clipped image of each coin, and acquires an image of each coin that is close to a perfect circle. Further, the control unit 304 collates the distortion-corrected image of each coin with the reference image held in the coin image database 305a to identify the denomination of each coin image.

Specifically, the control unit 304 extracts from the coin image database 305a the reference image with the highest degree of matching equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value for each coin image, and the denomination associated with this reference image is Assign to the coin image. At this time, the control unit 304 further assigns to each coin image a classification indicating whether the reference image assigned to each coin image belongs to a lost coin or a commemorative coin. In addition, an identification result indicating that the denomination is unknown is assigned to an image of a coin that has a degree of matching equal to or greater than the threshold and does not have a reference image.

After identifying the denomination of each coin image, the control unit 304 determines whether or not the coins placed on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 overlap based on the side image. (S106). This determination is performed by the method described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) to 7(b).

If the coins do not overlap (S106: NO), the control unit 304 performs captured image confirmation processing (S114). In this process, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a confirmation screen 530 shown in FIG. 10(c). Confirmation screen 530 includes an entire image 531 captured by camera 51 and buttons 532 and 533 .

The overall image 531 includes top images 531a and 531b and a side image 531c of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 . A button 532 is a button for continuing the process, and a button 533 is a button for canceling the process (restarting from the beginning). The operator refers to the confirmation screen 530 and operates the button 532 after confirming that the coins are properly placed. As a result, the control unit 304 executes the denomination acceptance process in step S115 of FIG.

In the denomination acceptance process, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a denomination input screen 540 shown in FIG. 10(d).

Referring to FIG. 10(d), denomination input screen 540 includes an entire image 541, a coin type selection portion 542, a denomination selection portion 543, and buttons 544 and 545. As shown in FIG. The whole image 541 is the whole image 531 of FIG. 10(c) with denomination notation 541b added. The notation 541b of the denomination determined in step S105 of FIG. 9 is added so as to overlap the image 541a of each coin. A “?” symbol 541c is added to the image 541a of the coin whose denomination is determined to be unknown in step S105 of FIG.

The coin type selection section 542 presents “loss coins” and “commemorative coins” as selection candidates. The denomination selection portion 543 presents “500 yen”, “100 yen”, “50 yen”, “10 yen”, “5 yen”, and “1 yen” as selection candidates.

The operator can set the denomination of each coin image 541a by operating the coin image 541a. For example, when setting the denomination for the coin image 541a identified as unknown denomination, the operator first touches the coin image 541a. As a result, a frame 541d indicating that the denomination is to be set is added to the image 541a of the coin.

Next, the operator refers to the image 541a with the frame 541d and visually confirms the coin type (loss coin/commemorative coin) and denomination of the image 541a. Then, the operator performs an operation to select the type visually confirmed from among the types presented as selection candidates to the coin type selection section 542, and further, the types presented to the denomination selection section 543 as selection candidates. An operation is performed to select a visually confirmed denomination from among the denominations. As a result, the type and denomination of the coin are set in the image 541a of the coin.

The operator performs the same operation on the images 541a of all coins whose denominations are unknown. The operator also performs the same operation on the coin image 541a with the incorrect denomination description 541b to correct the denomination. When the operator sets or corrects the denomination, the notation 541b of the denomination attached to the image 541a of the coin is displayed so as to be identifiable, for example, by changing the color.

When the appropriate denominations are set for all the coin images 541 a in this way, the operator operates the button 544 . As a result, the control unit 304 terminates the process of step S115 in FIG. 9 and executes the payment confirmation process (S116). In the deposit confirmation process, the control unit 304 associates the image 541a of each coin with the denomination shown in the notation 541b and causes the storage unit 305 to store them. At the same time, the control unit 304 counts the number of coins for each type and denomination, and causes the storage unit 305 to store the deposit result including the number of coins.

When the storage processing of various information is thus completed, the control section 304 transmits a notification indicating the completion of processing to the control section 205 of the special coin processing device 7 via the control section 403 of the loose coin processing device 4 . In response to this, the control section 205 of the special coin processing device 7 controls the unit drive section 202 to move the placement member 25 to the rearmost position. As a result, the coins placed on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are dropped and stored in the first storage 31 and the second storage 32, respectively. After that, the controller 205 moves the mounting member 25 to the frontmost position (initial position). This completes the coin deposit process.

When redoing coin processing, the operator operates a button 545 on the denomination input screen 540 of FIG. 10(d). As a result, the control unit 304 resets the processing for the coins placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, and controls the processing of the special coin processing device via the control unit 403 of the loose coin processing device 4. 7, an instruction to open the shutter 12 is transmitted. This allows the operator to redo the processing for these coins.

On the other hand, in step S106 of FIG. 9, when it is determined that the coins overlap in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 (S106: YES), the control unit 304 displays the first attention screen. It is displayed on the operation display unit 301 (S107).

FIG. 11A is a diagram showing a display form of the first alert screen 550. FIG.

Here, since the previous screen was the set request screen 520 of FIG. The first alert screen 550 includes a message 551 and a button 552 . The message 551 prompts the operator to check whether the coins are placed on top of each other. The operator understands from the message 551 that there is a possibility that the coins may overlap, and then operates the button 552 . As a result, the control unit 304 executes the rearrangement process in step S108 of FIG.

In the repositioning process, the control unit 304 transmits an instruction to open the shutter 12 . As a result, the shutter 12 of the special coin handling device 7 is opened. Further, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a guidance screen 560 shown in FIG. 11(b).

As shown in FIG. 11B, the guidance screen 560 includes a device image 561, a message 562, and a button 563. The device image 561 is an image showing the appearance of the special coin processing device 7 with the shutter 12 opened to replace coins. The message 562 prompts the operator to eliminate the overlapping of coins. In addition, the message 562 includes, as a note, content indicating that processing can be continued if a folded coin is erroneously determined to be overlapping coins.

The operator visually confirms the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 to check the presence or absence of overlapping coins and broken coins. Then, if there is overlapping of coins, the operator operates the button 563 after eliminating this. If the coins do not overlap, the button 563 is operated as it is.

Accordingly, the control unit 304 advances the process to step S109 in FIG. 9 and causes the camera 51 to image the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 again. Then, the control unit 304 cuts out the image of the coin and identifies the denomination of the image of each coin from the imaged image obtained by the imaging. The process of step S109 is the same as the process of step S105.

After that, the control unit 304 executes image confirmation processing (S110). In this process, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display the confirmation screen 530 of FIG. 10(c). The operator refers to the overall image 531 and operates the button 532 after confirming that the coins are properly placed without overlapping each other. As a result, the control unit 304 advances the process to step S111 in FIG. 9, and again determines whether or not the coins overlap based on the side images of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 extracted in step S109. judge. The determination method for determining whether or not coins overlap is the same as in step S106.

If it is determined that the coins do not overlap (S111: NO), the control unit 304 advances the process to step S115. The processing after step S115 is as described above. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an overlap (S111: YES), the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display the second attention screen (S112).

FIG. 11(c) is a diagram showing a display form of the second alert screen 570. As shown in FIG.

Here, since the previous screen was the confirmation screen 530 of FIG. The second alert screen 570 includes a message 571 and buttons 572 and 573 . The message 571 asks the operator whether or not to continue the process, although there is a possibility that the coins are overlapping. Buttons 572 and 573 are prepared as a response to this inquiry. In addition, the message 571 includes, as a cautionary note, the contents of conveying to the operator that a folded coin may be detected as overlapping of coins.

The operator has already replaced the coins during the process of step S108 in FIG. Therefore, the operator operates button 572 of second alerting screen 570 if he/she has an image that the overlapping of coins is surely eliminated at the time of this repositioning. On the other hand, if the operator has an image that the coin placement state should be checked again, the operator operates the button 573 of the second attention calling screen 570 .

If the button 572 has been operated, the control unit 304 determines YES in step S113 of FIG. 9, and advances the process to step S115. The processing after step S115 is as described above. On the other hand, if the button 573 is operated, the control unit 304 returns the process to step S108 and executes the rearrangement process again. The processing after step S108 is as described above.

The control unit 304 continues until it is determined that the overlapping coins have been eliminated by repositioning (S111: NO), or until the operator operates the button 572 on the second attention calling screen 570 in FIG. 11(c). (S113: YES), the processing of steps S108 to S113 is repeatedly executed. Then, when the determination in step S111 becomes NO or the determination in step S113 becomes YES, the control unit 304 advances the process to step S115. As a result, the denomination acceptance process (S115) and the deposit determination process (S116) are executed, and the process for the coin is completed.

<Effect of Embodiment 1>
According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

As processing when it is determined that coins overlap each other, a first processing (step S107) for making sure the operator confirms the placement state of the coins in the placement area, confirmation of the placement state of the coins, and continuation of the processing. and the second process (S112) in which the operator can arbitrarily select are selectively executed. If it is only necessary to check the placement state of the coins at the time and it is not necessary to check the stacking of coins, the continuation of the processing (operation of the button 572 on the second attention calling screen 570) should be selected when the second processing is executed. Just do it. Therefore, the operator can smoothly check whether or not the coins are stacked on the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 or not, and the operator can omit unnecessary confirmation work to improve work efficiency. can be achieved.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the control unit 304 determines that the coins overlap, the control unit 304 executes the first process (step S107) once, and then shifts to the second process (step S112). As a result, when it is determined that coins are piled up, the operator confirms the placement state of the coins at least once, so that the coin piles can be reliably eliminated. In addition, since the number of executions of the first process (step S107) is limited to one, the operator, when executing the first process, appropriately removes the overlapping coins before starting the second process (step S112). Processing can be continued as soon as it is executed. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and smoothly process the coins while reliably eliminating the overlapping of the coins.

In addition, in the first process (step S107), the control unit 304 displays the first warning screen 550 for prompting the operator to check the placement state of the coins in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22. is displayed on the operation display unit 301, and in the second process (step S112), confirmation of the placement state of the coins in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, and The operation display unit 301 is caused to display a second attention calling screen 570 for prompting the operator to select either continuation of coin processing or continuation of coin processing. Accordingly, by referring to the first caution screen 550 and the second caution screen 570, the operator can accurately grasp the possibility that the coins overlap in each placement area, and the second caution screen Manipulation of 570 facilitates the necessary response.

As described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) to 7(b), the special coin handling device 7 has the mirrors 142 and 143 arranged so that the camera 51 can detect the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 21. A top image and a side image of the coin placed in the placement area 22 are picked up, and the control unit 304 determines whether or not the coins are overlapped based on the side image. As a result, it is possible to smoothly determine the overlapping of coins based on the side image.

More specifically, by providing the wall portions 131c and 132c on the placement members 131 and 132, respectively, when one coin is placed in each placement area, the side image does not include the image of the coin. Light rays captured by the camera 51 are limited so that when a plurality of coins are stacked in each placement area, the coin image is included in the side image. Then, the control unit 304 determines whether or not the coins overlap based on whether or not the side image includes the coin image. Thus, by comparing the side image (base image) when the coins do not overlap with the side image acquired during the actual operation, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the coins overlap. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the coins are overlapped by a simple process.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are configured to have a size capable of placing a plurality of coins. Thereby, a plurality of coins can be processed at once, and processing efficiency can be significantly improved.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment described above, overlapping of coins is determined based on the side image. In contrast, in the second embodiment, overlapping of coins is determined based on the number of coin images cut out from the top image.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing deposit processing of special coins such as loss coins according to the second embodiment.

In the flowchart of FIG. 12, step S120 is added to the flowchart of FIG. Also, the contents of the processes in steps S106 and S111 are different from those in the first embodiment. Other steps are similar to the corresponding steps in FIG.

In step S120, the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8 causes the operator to input the number of coins to be processed while shifting from the menu screen 510 of FIG. 10(a) to the set request screen 520 of FIG. 10(b). The number input screen to be printed is displayed on the operation display unit 301 . The operator inputs the number of coins to be processed (the number of coins to be placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, respectively) on the number input screen. As a result, the set request screen 520 of FIG. 10(b) is displayed. When the operator sets the coin to be processed in the special coin processing device 7 according to the displayed set request screen 520 and operates the button 524 on the set request screen 520, the control section 304 performs the process of step S101 in FIG. to move to. The processes of steps S101 to S105 are the same as those of the first embodiment. After that, the control unit 304 shifts the process to step S106.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the overlap determination process in step S106.

The control unit 304 acquires (counts) the number of coins cut out from the top image in step S105 (S201). Next, the control unit 304 compares the acquired number of coins with the number of coins input by the operator in step S120 (S202), and determines whether or not they match (S203). Then, if both match (S203: YES), the control unit 304 determines that there is no overlap between the coins placed in the respective placement areas (no coin detection omissions) (S204). If they do not match (S203: NO), it is determined that the coins placed in each placement area overlap each other (there is an omission of coin detection) (S205). After making the determination in step S106 in this manner, the control unit 304 shifts the process to step S107 or step S114 depending on the determination result.

The processes after steps S107 and S114 are the same as those of the first embodiment except for the process of step S111. In step S111, the control unit 304 performs determination processing similar to that in FIG.

<Effect of Embodiment 2>
Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the first process (step S107) and the second process (S112) are selectively executed. 21 and the second placement area 22 can be smoothly checked, and unnecessary checking work can be omitted to improve work efficiency.

Further, in the second embodiment, whether or not coins overlap is determined based on whether or not the number of coin images cut out from the top image matches the number of coins to be processed input by the operator. Therefore, erroneous determination that a folded coin is an overlapping coin is suppressed. In addition, when the operator places the coin in a blind spot for imaging, or when the coin cannot be properly extracted from the top image due to discoloration or damage of the coin, etc., the coin may not be extracted properly. , the operator is requested to confirm. Therefore, it is possible to prevent omission of extraction of coin images for coins to be processed, and it is possible to associate coin images and denominations with respect to all coins and store them in the storage unit 305 .

However, in the second embodiment, if the operator erroneously inputs the number of coins to be processed, it is erroneously determined that the coins overlap.

Note that the overlapping coin determination process in the first embodiment and the overlapping coin determination process in the second embodiment may be used together in steps S106 and S111. In this case, for example, when it is determined that coins overlap in at least one of the two determination processes, steps S106 and S111 may be YES, or both of the two determination processes may determine that coins overlap. Steps S106 and S111 may be determined to be YES when it is determined that this has occurred.

<Embodiment 3>
In the first embodiment described above, the method of selectively executing the first process (step S107) and the second process (step S112) is set in the control unit 304 in advance. It is configured so that the operator can select the execution method.

For example, when the coins to be processed include folded coins, the determination in step S106 in FIG. 9 becomes YES even though the operator has placed the coins without overlapping, and the process proceeds to the first process (step S107). likely to migrate. In this case, the operator has to deal with both the first process (step S107) and the second process (step S112), and the coin processing cannot proceed quickly. In this way, when there is a high possibility of an erroneous determination that coins overlap, the first process (step S107) and the second process (step It can be assumed that it is preferable for the operator to be able to select how to perform S112).

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing deposit processing of special coins such as loss coins according to the third embodiment.

In the flowchart of FIG. 14, steps S130 and S131 are added to the flowchart of FIG. Other steps are similar to the corresponding steps in FIG.

In step S130, the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8 performs the first process (step S107) and the second process while shifting from the menu screen 510 of FIG. 10(a) to the set request screen 520 of FIG. 10(b). The operation display unit 301 displays a mode selection screen for allowing the operator to select the execution condition of (step S112). The mode selection screen includes, for example, a message asking the operator whether or not only the second process should be executed, and buttons (yes/no) for responding to the message.

When the operator responds to this mode selection screen, a set request screen 520 of FIG. 10(b) is displayed. When the operator sets the coin to be processed in the special coin processing device 7 according to the displayed set request screen 520 and operates the button 524 on the set request screen 520, the control section 304 performs the process of step S101 in FIG. to move to. The processes of steps S101 to S105 are the same as those of the first embodiment. After that, the control unit 304 proceeds to step S131.

In step S131, the control unit 304 determines whether or not the operator has selected execution of only the second process in step S130. If the operator does not select execution of only the second process (S131: NO), the control unit 304 advances the process to step S106. The processing after step S106 is the same as in the first embodiment. In this case, both the first process (step S107) and the second process (step S112) are performed as in the first embodiment.

If the operator selects execution of only the second process (S131: YES), the control unit 304 advances the process to step S110. The processing after step S110 is the same as in the first embodiment. Here, the first process (step S107) is skipped and only the second process (step S112) is performed. This simplifies the work during coin processing.

<Effect of Embodiment 3>
Also in the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the first process (step S107) and the second process (S112) are selectively executed. 21 and the second placement area 22 can be smoothly checked, and unnecessary checking work can be omitted to improve work efficiency.

In addition, since only the second process (step S112) can be selected to be executed, the operator can select the coin to be processed, such as when the coin to be processed is bent or when the coin is thickened due to foreign matter adhering to the coin. When it is considered that there is a high possibility of an erroneous determination that the coins overlap each other, the execution condition is set in advance so that only the second process is executed prior to the coin processing. It is possible to avoid the first process (step S107) in which confirmation of the placement state is essential. As a result, the operator can smoothly process the coins. Also in this case, the operator can appropriately select the confirmation process of the placed state of the coins on the second attention calling screen 570 of FIG. 11(c) when executing the second process. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the coins from being processed while the coins are piled up.

In the third embodiment, only the second process can be selected, but the method of selecting the first process and the second process is not limited to this. For example, the number of executions of the first process, the number of executions of the second process, and the like may be selectable. Further, in the third embodiment, the operator can set the selection method between the first process and the second process for each coin process. The processing selection method may be set in the special coin processing device 7 . Also, the configuration of the third embodiment may be applied to the second embodiment.

<Embodiment 4>
In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the processing of the first embodiment, processing is performed to notify the operator of the possibility that the mirrors 142 and 143 are dirty. That is, when it is determined that there is coin overlap for a plurality of consecutive times, the notification is made.

If the mirrors 142 and 143 become dirty, for example, even if the coin C1 is placed without overlapping as shown in FIG. 6A, the area W2 in FIG. , it may be determined that a coin overlap has occurred. Therefore, when the control unit 304 determines that there is overlapping of coins continuously a plurality of times, the control unit 304 determines that the determination may be caused by dirt on the mirrors 142 and 143, and notifies the operator to that effect. perform processing to notify to

This notification process is included in step S112 of FIG. 9, for example. When the process proceeds to step S112, in steps S106 and S111, it is determined whether the coins overlap twice in succession. For example, in step S112, the control unit 304 causes the second alert screen 570 to be displayed, and then displays the dirt notification screen for notifying the possibility that the mirrors 142 and 143 are dirty.

FIG. 15(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of a dirt notification screen 580. FIG.

When the operator operates one of the buttons 572 and 573 on the second attention calling screen 570 of FIG. display. Here, since the immediately preceding screen was the screen of FIG.

Dirt notification screen 580 includes messages 581 and 582 and button 583 . The message 581 prompts the operator to clean the mirrors 142 and 143 because the mirrors 142 and 143 may be dirty. In addition, the message 582 has a content suggesting to the operator that cleaning of the mirrors 142 and 143 is unnecessary when a folded coin is detected as overlapping coins as a note.

The operator operates the button 583 after confirming the contents of the messages 581 and 582 . Accordingly, the control unit 304 advances the process to step S113 in FIG. When the operator operates the button 573 on the second attention calling screen 570 (see FIG. 11C) displayed in step S112, the control unit 304 determines NO in step S113. In this case, the operator appropriately cleans the mirrors 142 and 143 in the repositioning process of step S108. On the other hand, when the operator operates the button 572 on the second attention calling screen 570 (see FIG. 11C) displayed in step S112, the control unit 304 determines YES in step S113. In this case, the operator appropriately executes the maintenance mode and cleans the mirrors 142 and 143 after the payment confirmation process (S116) is completed.

<Effect of Embodiment 4>
According to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to smoothly determine the possibility that the mirrors 142 and 143 are dirty as the first process (step S107) and the second process (step S112) are executed. Further, when it is determined that the mirrors 142 and 143 may be dirty, the operator is informed of the fact, so the operator can take measures to remove the dirt on the mirrors 142 and 143. can. Therefore, it is possible to properly perform coin overlap determination in the subsequent first process and second process, and to efficiently proceed with these processes.

In the fourth embodiment, the determination of the contamination of the mirrors 142 and 143 is included in the flow chart of FIG. 9, but this determination may be performed separately from the flow chart of FIG.

FIG. 15(b) is a flow chart in the case where the dirt determination of the mirrors 142 and 143 is performed separately from the flow chart of FIG.

In the flowchart of FIG. 15(b), a condition (step S302) of whether or not coins overlap at the same position is added as a dirt determination condition. That is, when the control unit 304 determines that the coins have overlapped a predetermined number of times consecutively (S301: YES), it determines whether or not the positions of these overlaps have occurred at the same position in the front-rear direction of FIG. 5(a). Further determination is made (S302).

If the mirrors 142 and 143 are dirty, the range of shadows produced on the side image due to the dirt is fixed at the same position in the longitudinal direction in the range W2 of FIG. 5(b). Therefore, when it is determined that the coins have overlapped each other for a predetermined number of times in a row, if the positions of the overlaps are the same, it is highly likely that this determination is due to dirt on the mirrors 142 and 143 . From this point of view, the determination condition of step S302 is added in the flowchart of FIG. 15(b).

If the determination in step S302 is YES, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a dirt notification screen (S303). The timing of the display may be at any time, or may be after the coin processing is completed, when the next coin processing is started, or when the special coin processing device 7 is activated next time. This screen includes, for example, the message 581 and button 583 of the dirt notification screen 580 of FIG. 15(a).

Note that the predetermined number of times in step S301 of FIG. 15A may not be two times, and may be three times or more. Further, the predetermined number of times in step S301 does not necessarily have to be the number of consecutive times in one coin processing sequence, and the number of consecutive times of overlap detection may be monitored over a plurality of coin processing sequences.

Also, the contamination of the mirrors 142 and 143 may be determined individually for each placement area (each mirror 142 and 143). In this case, in the notification process, the operator is notified of which mirror may have become dirty.

The configuration of the fourth embodiment may be applied to the second and third embodiments.

<Embodiment 5>
In the fourth embodiment, the possibility of contamination of the mirrors 142 and 143 is determined based on the fact that coin overlap detection continues for a predetermined number of times. First, it is determined that the mirrors 142 and 143 may be dirty when overlapping of coins is determined based on the side image.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing dirt determination processing for the mirrors 142 and 143 according to the fifth embodiment.

In FIG. 16, dirt on the mirrors 142 and 143 is also determined during the remaining coin detection process. Here, the residual detection processing is, for example, after the coins in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are stored in the first storage 31 and the second storage 32 in step S116 of FIG. This is a process executed to confirm that no coins remain in these placement areas.

When starting the residual detection process (S401: YES), the control unit 304 causes the camera 51 to image the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, and obtains a top image and a side image (S402). Then, the control unit 304 determines whether or not a coin is included in the top image (S403), and if a coin is included (S403: YES), the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 to inform the operator that coins remain (S404). In this case, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a screen for notifying in which of the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 coins are left, and also causes the special coin processing device 7 to A process for opening the shutter 12 is executed.

On the other hand, when no coin is included in the top image (S403: NO), the control unit 304 notifies the operator that no coins remain in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22. Processing is performed (S405). In this case, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a screen notifying that no coins remain. When the operator performs an operation to close this screen, the control unit 304 further determines whether or not coins overlap based on the side image (S406).

If the coins do not overlap (S406: NO), the control unit 304 terminates the process. On the other hand, if the coins overlap (S406: YES), the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a dirt notification screen and executes processing for opening the shutter 12 (S407). This screen includes, for example, the message 581 and button 583 of the dirt notification screen 580 of FIG. 15(a). In this case, the screen may further include a message indicating which mirrors may be dirty. The operator cleans the mirror according to message 581 and operates button 583 . Accordingly, the control unit 304 terminates the processing.

<Effect of Embodiment 5>
According to the fifth embodiment, the possibility that the mirrors 142 and 143 are dirty can be determined more appropriately than the fourth embodiment. Further, when it is determined that the mirrors 142 and 143 are dirty, the operator is informed of the fact, so that the operator can take measures to remove the dirt on the mirrors 142 and 143 . Therefore, it is possible to properly perform coin overlap determination in the subsequent first process and second process, and to efficiently proceed with these processes.

In the fifth embodiment, mirror contamination determination processing is performed together with residual detection processing, but mirror contamination determination processing may be performed in other situations. Since it is assumed that no coin is detected in the top image, the dirt determination process of the mirror is preferably executed in a situation where there is a high possibility that no coin is placed in each placement area. For example, mirror contamination determination processing may be performed when acquiring base images of a top image and a side image.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a flowchart when mirror contamination determination processing is performed in the acquisition processing of the base image. This processing is performed, for example, when the special coin processing device 7 is activated, or when a coin processing start operation is performed.

When the control unit 304 starts the base image acquisition processing (S501: YES), the control unit 304 advances the processing to step S502. The processing of steps S502 to S504 is the same as the processing of steps S402 to S404 in FIG. When the coin image is not included in the top image (S503: NO), the control unit 304 determines whether or not coins overlap based on the side image (S505). If coins do not overlap (S505: NO), the control unit 304 causes the storage unit 305 to store the top image and the side image acquired in step S502 as base images (S507), and ends the process. On the other hand, if coins are overlapping (S505: YES), the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a dirt notification screen and executes processing for opening the shutter 12 (S506). The processing of step S506 is the same as the processing of step S407 in FIG.

Like the process of FIG. 16, the possibility that the mirrors 142 and 143 are dirty can also be determined more appropriately by the process of FIG.

Further, the mirror contamination determination process according to the fifth embodiment may be applied when the process of FIG. 9 is executed. For example, when the control unit 304 detects that no coin is placed on either the first placement area 21 or the second placement area 22 based on the upper surface image, the control unit 304 detects that no coin is placed. Based on the side image of the placement area where there is no stack, it is determined whether or not the coins overlap each other. Then, if the control unit 304 determines that there is an overlap of coins based on the side image, the control unit 304 determines that there is a possibility that the mirror on the side of the placement area is dirty, and notifies that effect. I do. In this case, the control unit 304 causes the operation display unit 301 to display a notification screen including a message specifying a mirror that may be soiled.

In addition, when it is determined that there is no coin in a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the mirror based on the top image, based on the detection of coin overlap at the position of the side image corresponding to this range, Mirror contamination may be determined. Moreover, the presence or absence of a coin may be determined by detecting means such as a magnetic sensor, in addition to the top image.

<Change example>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above.

For example, in Embodiments 1 to 5, the placement surfaces 131a and 132a are inclined so that the left and right outer sides are higher, but the inclined state of the placement surfaces 131a and 132a is not limited to this.

For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the placement surfaces 131a and 132a may be inclined such that the left and right outer sides are lower. In this case, markers M1 and M2 are provided on the inner surfaces of the side plates 101a and 101b. Note that the placement surfaces 131a and 132a may be parallel to the horizontal plane without being inclined.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 18, the inclination angles of the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a may be different from each other. In this case, the tilt angles of the mirrors 142 and 143 are adjusted so that the light beams captured by the camera 51 for capturing side images are substantially parallel to the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a.

Also, as shown in FIG. 18, masks 142a and 143a are attached to mirrors 142 and 143 as imaging restricting means for restricting light rays within a range corresponding to the thickness of one coin from being captured by the camera 51. good too. In this case, the upper limit height of the marker M1 is set so as to be substantially the same as the upper limit height of the masks 142a and 143a with respect to the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a. Also in the configuration of FIG. 18, instead of the masks 142a, 143a, walls similar to those of the first embodiment may be provided near the inner boundaries of the mounting members 131, 132. FIG.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the side images are captured from inside the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, but the side images are captured from outside the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22. It may be imaged.

In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 19(a), the mirrors 144 and 145 may be arranged outside the first mounting area 21 and the second mounting area 22, respectively, or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 19(b). As shown in , cameras 52 and 53 for capturing side images may be separately arranged outside the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 .

Also in the configuration of FIG. 19A, the tilt angles of the mirrors 144 and 145 are adjusted so that the light beams captured by the camera 51 for taking side images are substantially parallel to the placement surfaces 131a and 132a. Markers M1 and M2 are provided on the outer surface of the partition 141 to exhibit the same function as in the first embodiment.

In the configuration of FIG. 19(a), the width of the mirrors 144 and 145 in the lateral direction is set relatively short in order to limit the amount of light rays within the range corresponding to the thickness of one coin from being captured by the camera 51. ing. In other words, the light beam at the height corresponding to the marker M1 (the light beam within the range corresponding to the thickness of one coin) does not enter the mirrors 144 and 145 . Also in this case, a side image PS similar to that in FIG. 5B is obtained.

In the configuration of FIG. 19(b), the cameras 52 and 53 are installed such that the imaging directions are substantially parallel to the placement surfaces 131a and 132a. Also in this case, the outer surface of the partition 141 is provided with markers M1 and M2. Further, in this configuration, the mask plates 161 and 162 elongated in the front-rear direction serve as imaging restricting means for restricting light rays within a range corresponding to the thickness of one coin from being captured by the camera 51. 132 is installed. The upper limit of the marker M1 is set to a height corresponding to the amount of protrusion of the mask plates 161 and 162 with respect to the mounting surfaces 131a and 132a. This configuration also provides a side image PS similar to that in FIG. 5(b).

Further, in the first to fifth embodiments, the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7 and the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8 communicate with each other via the separate coin processing device 4. The form of communication between the device 7 and the operation terminal 8 is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7 and the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8 may communicate with each other via a device other than the loose coin processing device 4. Direct communication with the control unit 304 of the operation terminal 8 may be performed.

Further, in the first to fifth embodiments, the operation display section 301 is separate from the special coin processing device 7, but the operation display section 301 may be provided integrally with the special coin processing device 7. FIG. In this configuration, the processing of FIGS. 9, 12, 13, 14, 15(b), 16 and 17 may be performed by the control unit 205 of the special coin processing device 7. .

In this case, the special coin processing device 7 is configured as shown in FIG. 20, for example. The special coin processing device 7 has an operation display section 207 consisting of a display 207a and a touch sensor 207b. The storage unit 206 holds a coin image database 206a similar to the coin image database 305a shown in FIG.

The control unit 205 executes the process of FIG. 9 while causing the operation display unit 207 to display the screens of FIGS. 10(a) to (d) and FIGS. 11(a) to (c). Information based on the processing result may be stored in the storage unit 206, or may be transmitted to the operation terminal 8 side and stored in the storage unit 305 on the operation terminal 8 side. The processing of the control unit 304 in the second to fifth embodiments is also executed by the control unit 205, and the screen of FIG. 15A is also displayed on the operation display unit 207. FIG.

Further, in the configurations of the first to fifth embodiments, the processing of FIGS. 9, 12, 16 and 17 may be performed by the control section 205 of the special coin processing device 7 side. In this case, the operation display unit 301 of the operation terminal 8 is simply used for displaying screens and accepting operation inputs. Also in this case, the storage unit 206 of the special coin processing device 7 holds the coin image database 206a, as in the case of FIG. In addition, the processes of FIGS. 9, 12, 16 and 17 may be performed by joint operation of the control unit 205 on the special coin processing device 7 side and the control unit 304 on the operation terminal 8 side.

Further, in the above embodiments 1 to 5, the first process (step S107) is executed only once, but after the first process (step S107) is executed a plurality of times, the process proceeds to the second process (step S112). may migrate.

Further, in the first to fifth embodiments, the shutter 12 is opened and closed to attach and detach the coin. It may be configured to be carried inside the body 10 . In this case, a placement area for placing coins is provided on the upper surface of the tray.

In addition, when the tray is provided in this way, a line sensor is provided above the doorway of the tray so as to straddle the placement area, and the top and side images of the placement area are picked up by this line sensor. good too. In this case, the tray is provided with the above-described first placement area 21 and second placement area 22, a partition 141 and mirrors 142 and 143. FIG. By operating the line sensor during the period in which the tray is carried in, it is possible to pick up a top image and a side image of each placement area.

Further, in the first to fifth embodiments, both the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 are captured by one camera 51, but the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 A camera may be arranged for each, and the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 may be individually imaged. In this case, the cameras may be arranged directly above the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, respectively.

Further, misplacement of coins in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 may be further detected based on the denomination identification result acquired in step S105 of FIG. For example, when a commemorative coin is placed in the lost coin placement area, that fact may be notified.

Further, in Embodiments 1 to 5, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the placing member 25 is moved backward to store the coin C1 in the first storage 31. However, the configuration for storing coins in the storage is not limited to this. For example, when the opening of the storage is longer in the rear direction than the placement member, the frame member 24 may be moved rearward to drop the coin to the rear of the opening and store the coin inside the storage. good. Alternatively, the placement member may be rotated downward to drop the coin into the storage.

Also, the number of placement areas is not necessarily limited to two, and may be one or three or more. The placement surface does not necessarily have to be a single plane, and may have steps for each width of the largest coin.

Also, the placement area may not necessarily be capable of placing a plurality of coins, and may be capable of placing only one coin. That is, the special coin processing device 7 may be configured to process coins one by one.

In addition, the special coin processing device 7 has a communication function with a tablet terminal or a smartphone, and special coins are deposited into the special coin processing device 7 using the display function and operation function of the tablet terminal or the like. may

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, foreign coins and old coins may be deposited as special coins into the special coin processing device 7 . Moreover, the present invention may be applied to a coin processing device that processes not only special coins but also ordinary coins.

In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims.

7 Special coin handling unit (coin handling device)
21 first placement area (placement area)
22 second placement area (placement area)
51 camera (imaging unit)
131c, 132c wall (imaging limiting means)
142, 143 mirror (imaging unit)
142a, 143a Mask (imaging restriction means)
161, 162 mask plate (imaging limiting means)
205, 305 control unit 207, 301 operation display unit (display unit)
550 First alert screen 570 Second alert screen

Claims (11)

a placement area on which coins are placed;
an imaging unit that captures an image of the placement area;
a control unit that controls processing for the coins placed in the placement area based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit;
The control unit
a first process of prompting an operator to confirm the placement state of the coins in the placement area when it is determined that a plurality of coins overlap in the placement area based on the captured image;
When it is determined that a plurality of coins are overlapping in the placement area based on the captured image, confirmation of the placement state of the coins in the placement area and checking of the coins placed in the placement area are performed. selectively executing a second process that prompts the operator to select either to continue the process;
A coin handling system characterized by: 2. The coin processing system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit shifts to said second process after executing said first process a predetermined number of times. The coin processing system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit receives input of conditions for executing said first process and said second process. a display unit for displaying information,
The control unit
causing the display unit to display, in the first process, a first alert screen for prompting an operator to confirm the placement state of the coin in the placement area;
In the second process, a second warning for prompting the operator to select either confirmation of the placement state of the coins in the placement area or continuation of processing of the coins placed in the placement area. 4. The coin processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a screen is displayed on said display unit. The imaging unit captures a top image and a side image of the coin placed on the placement area,
The coin processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit determines whether or not coins overlap based on the side image. When one coin is placed on the placement area, the image of the coin is not included in the side image, and when a plurality of coins are stacked on the placement area, the coin is displayed on the side image. An imaging restriction means for restricting imaging by the imaging unit so that the image of
6. The coin processing system according to claim 5, wherein said control unit determines whether coins overlap based on whether said side image includes an image of a coin. The imaging unit includes a mirror and a camera, and captures the side image with the camera through the mirror,
6. The control unit executes a process of notifying the possibility that the mirror is dirty when overlapping of coins is detected a predetermined number of times in succession during the execution of the first process and the second process. Or the coin processing system according to 6. The imaging unit includes a mirror and a camera, and captures the side image with the camera through the mirror,
The control unit executes a process of notifying the possibility that the mirror is dirty when the top image does not include the coin image and the coin overlap is determined based on the side image. 7. The coin processing system according to Item 5 or 6. The coin handling system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said placement area has a size capable of placing a plurality of coins. The control unit
Receiving an input of the number of coins to be placed in the placement area;
10. The coin according to claim 9, wherein it is determined that the coins placed in the placement area overlap when the number of coins inputted does not match the number of coins extracted based on the captured image. processing system. a placement area on which coins are placed;
an imaging unit that captures an image of the placement area;
a control unit that controls processing for the coins placed in the placement area based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit;
The control unit
a first process of prompting an operator to confirm the placement state of the coins in the placement area when it is determined that a plurality of coins overlap in the placement area based on the captured image;
When it is determined that a plurality of coins are overlapping in the placement area based on the captured image, confirmation of the placement state of the coins in the placement area and checking of the coins placed in the placement area are performed. selectively executing a second process that prompts the operator to select either to continue the process;
A coin processing device characterized by:

Images