Object counter and identification system
Patent 5757876 Issued on May 26, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date: 
February 7, 2017. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
February 7, 2017. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesChip structure System for monitoring the movement of money and chips on a gaming table Patent #: 4755941 InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 795143 filed on 02/07/1997US Classes:377/7, Coins377/14, Where the different categories represent monetary amounts (e.g., wages, charges)377/24DimensionExaminersPrimary: Wambach, Margaret RoseAttorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassG03M 007/00AbstractA system for counting the number of objects of known thickness in a stack and identifying the objects by their color in which an ultrasonic sensor is mounted at a known distance from a reference point that defines the beginning of the stack. The ultrasonic sensor is operated to measure the round trip transit time of ultrasonic energy reflected back from the closest object in the stack and the number of objects in the stack is calculated on the basis of the known distance and the round trip transit time. A color sensor senses the color of at least one object in the stack to identify the object. In a casino application where the objects are chips of known monetary value, the value of the chips in the stack can be calculated. | |
