Importance

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Abstract

A coin discrimination method and device reliably acquires stable two-dimensional images of the surfaces of coins, and using the acquired two-dimensional images is able to perform discrimination, reliably and at high speed, between genuine and counterfeit coins, and between coin types. In a coin pathway configured so as to block interfering light, sensors are positioned at an image-capture position and at a position upstream from the image-capture position; an image sensor is caused to begin image capture simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor upstream of the image-capture position, of a coin, and illumination is emitted for a short time simultaneously with the detection, by the sensor at the image-capture position, of the coin, to acquire an image of the coin. Specific patterns are detected in a binary image obtained by converting the acquired image to binary level, and coin discrimination is performed based on the detected patterns.

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First Claim