METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISCRIMINATING COIN

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for discriminating a coin which can surely discriminate whether or not the coin is acceptable, the denomination of the coin, and whether or not the coin is worn out beyond a predetermined level, by optically detecting the surface pattern of the coin without upsizing a device. SOLUTION: In the method for discriminating a coin, the surface of the coin is subjected to light, the reflected light is detected photoelectrically to generate detected pattern data on the surface of the coin, standard pattern data on a coin of corresponding denomination are binarized, the degree of matching between patterns of the detected pattern data and the standard pattern data is calculated, if the degree of matching between the patterns is equal to or above a second threshold, the fouling level of the surface of the coin is discriminated as being equal to or below the predetermined level. When a difference between a light section data signal intensity mean value and a dark section data signal intensity mean value is less than a first threshold, or the degree of matching between the patterns is less than the second threshold, the surface of the coin is discriminated as being worn out beyond the predetermined level. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI