An apparatus that denests a stack of containers and methods of separating a stack of containers and making the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a denester and a counting device. The denester is configured to separate a first stack of at least 2 containers into a plurality of second stacks of containers. Each of the second stacks includes an exact number of containers, the exact number being a positive integer less than m. The counting device is configured to count the exact number of containers in the first stack. The method of separating containers includes counting an exact number of containers in a first stack of m containers using the counting device, and separating the exact number of containers from the first stack using the denester.

A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction, which is capable of improving the accuracy with which the number of card-type medium is counted, is provided. A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium includes optical sensors that calculate the number of the card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction of the card-type medium, a carriage to which the sensors are mounted, a circuit board that is fixed to the carriage, and a carriage driving mechanism that moves the carriage such that the sensors move along an end surface of the card-type medium. In this card-type medium counting mechanism, a processing circuit that processes an output signal from the sensors and outputs a digital signal is mounted to the circuit board.

A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction, which is capable of improving the accuracy with which the number of card-type medium is counted, is provided. A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium includes optical sensors that calculate the number of the card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction of the card-type medium, a carriage to which the sensors are mounted, a circuit board that is fixed to the carriage, and a carriage driving mechanism that moves the carriage such that the sensors move along an end surface of the card-type medium. In this card-type medium counting mechanism, a processing circuit that processes an output signal from the sensors and outputs a digital signal is mounted to the circuit board.

A system includes a longitudinal rack storing a plurality of items, a shoe movably attached to the rack, a magnet coupled to the shoe and a longitudinal circuit board arranged along the length of the rack. The circuit board includes an array of sensors along the length of the rack, wherein spacing between each pair of sensors equals a thickness of an item stored in the rack. Each sensor generates a voltage value depending on a position of the magnet in relation to the sensor. The circuit board further includes a memory storing voltage values generated by the sensors, and a processor configured to monitor voltage values generated by the sensors, detect that a particular sensor has generated a maximum voltage value and determine a number of items stored in the rack based on a particular number of items corresponding to the particular sensor.

A system includes a longitudinal rack storing a plurality of items, a shoe movably attached to the rack, a magnet coupled to the shoe and a longitudinal circuit board arranged along the length of the rack. The circuit board includes an array of sensors along the length of the rack, wherein spacing between each pair of sensors equals a thickness of an item stored in the rack. Each sensor generates a voltage value depending on a position of the magnet in relation to the sensor. The circuit board further includes a memory storing voltage values generated by the sensors, and a processor configured to monitor voltage values generated by the sensors, detect that a particular sensor has generated a maximum voltage value and determine a number of items stored in the rack based on a particular number of items corresponding to the particular sensor.

A microcontroller-based casino token counting system including one or more token bins comprising a casino dealer token tray suitable for receiving and holding stacks of tokens for the purpose of counting the tokens and calculating both quantities for each bin and total monetary values for all tokens in the dealer tray. Detection of token quantity in each bin is accomplished in various embodiments including Contact Image Sensors, Linear Image Sensors, and methods of converting both reflected light from each token, or detection of shadows cast by tokens using ambient casino lighting. Tray data from all bins is thus displayed to the operator, stored, and/or transmitted for the purpose of remote monitoring.

A system includes a longitudinal rack storing a plurality of items, a shoe movably attached to the rack, a magnet coupled to the shoe and a longitudinal circuit board arranged along the length of the rack. The circuit board includes an array of sensors along the length of the rack. Each sensor generates a voltage value depending on a position of the magnet in relation to the sensor. The circuit board further includes a memory storing voltage values generated by the sensors, and a processor configured to monitor voltage values generated by the sensors, detect that a particular sensor has generated a maximum voltage value and determine a number of items stored in the rack based at least in part upon a particular number of items corresponding to the particular sensor.

An information processing apparatus includes a counting unit, a storage control unit, a first determination unit, and a second determination unit. The counting unit counts the number of objects queuing in a waiting line. The storage control unit stores estimated times when the objects enter the waiting line and the number of objects queuing in the waiting line counted by the counting unit in association with each other. The first determination unit determines estimated time when each object exits the waiting line based on the number of objects exiting the waiting line and the number of objects queuing in the waiting line. The second determination unit determines waiting time of each object in the waiting line based on the estimated time when the object enters the waiting line and the estimated time when the object exits the waiting line.

A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction, which is capable of improving the accuracy with which the number of card-type medium is counted, is provided. A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium includes optical sensors that calculate the number of the card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction of the card-type medium, a carriage to which the sensors are mounted, a circuit board that is fixed to the carriage, and a carriage driving mechanism that moves the carriage such that the sensors move along an end surface of the card-type medium. In this card-type medium counting mechanism, a processing circuit that processes an output signal from the sensors and outputs a digital signal is mounted to the circuit board.

A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction, which is capable of improving the accuracy with which the number of card-type medium is counted, is provided. A card-type medium counting mechanism that calculates the number of card-type medium includes optical sensors that calculate the number of the card-type medium held so as to stack in a thickness direction of the card-type medium, a carriage to which the sensors are mounted, a circuit board that is fixed to the carriage, and a carriage driving mechanism that moves the carriage such that the sensors move along an end surface of the card-type medium. In this card-type medium counting mechanism, a processing circuit that processes an output signal from the sensors and outputs a digital signal is mounted to the circuit board.