IDENTIFICATION OF COINS, INCLUDING MAGNETIC CHARACTERISTICS

摘要

A coin identification circuit including a coil configuration defining a coin detection region, disposed in a first sub-circuit for supplying electrical current to the coil configuration. The circuit includes means to modify the electrical current being supplied to the coil configuration when a coin is in the detection region, whereby to trigger a first decay pulse characteristic of the coin in a second sub-circuit including the coil configuration. Means are included to at least partially integrate the first decay pulse, whereby to derive a further integral decay pulse of small amplitude range relative to the first decay pulse. The circuit also includes means to measure sufficient parameter values for the integral decay pulse to identify the coin. A method of identifying a coin or of discriminating between two or more coins is also described.