Check accepting and cash dispensing automated banking machine that operates responsive to data bearing records

• US 20090145959A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crews, Tim, Blackson, Dale H., Smolk, Jasen J., Laskowski, Edward L., Turocy, Kenneth, Lucas, Brian E., Washington, Jon E., Graef, Harry Thomas, Jones, Brian, Dominick, Douglas T., Lightner, Bradley, Peters, David A., VanKirk, Thomas A., Ma, Songtao, Blackford, Damon J., Beskitt, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,748,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency

Abstract

An automated banking machine system and method includes ATMs which accept checks and dispense cash to users. The ATMs are operated to acquire image and magnetic data from deposited checks to determine the genuineness of checks and the authority of a user to receive cash for such checks. Cash may be dispensed to the user from the ATM in exchange for the deposited check. The ATMs are also operated to read particular data from deposited currency bills in order to determine counterfeit bills. The ATMs dispense cash responsive to communications with a transaction host.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an automated machine adapted to receive currency bills from machine users, wherein the machine includes;

at least one processor,

a currency bill receiving area,

a currency bill alignment area,

wherein the currency bill alignment area includes a plurality of disposed non-contact sensors extending along a first direction,

wherein the sensors are in operative connection with the at least one processor,

wherein the currency bill alignment area includes at least two alignment transports operative to move a currency bill in a second direction generally transverse of the first direction,

wherein the at least two alignment transports are in operative connection with the at least one processor,

a currency bill analysis arrangement,

wherein the currency bill analysis arrangement includes at least one sensing device,

wherein the at least one sensing device is operative to sense data involving a currency bill,

wherein the currency bill analysis arrangement is operative to distinguish between a valid currency bill and a suspected counterfeit currency bill,

an escrow holding area,

a valid currency bill storage area,

a suspect currency bill storage area,

wherein the suspect currency bill storage area differs from the valid currency bill storage area,

at least one currency bill transport device,

wherein the at least one currency bill transport device is in operative connection with the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move a currency bill from the currency bill receiving area to the currency bill alignment area,

wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to the sensors, to cause the at least two alignment transports to move at least part of a currency bill in the second direction to cause the currency bill to be substantially aligned in the first direction,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move a currency bill aligned in the currency bill alignment area, from the currency bill alignment area to at least one sensing device of the currency bill analysis arrangement,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move a currency bill from the currency bill analysis arrangement to the escrow holding area,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative, responsive to distinguishment by the currency bill analysis arrangement of a valid currency bill, to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move the valid currency bill from the escrow holding area to the valid currency bill storage area,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative, responsive to distinguishment by the currency bill analysis arrangement of a suspected counterfeit currency bill, to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move the suspected counterfeit currency bill from the escrow holding area to the suspect currency bill storage area.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the machine includes a cash dispenser operative to dispense cash from the machine.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the machine comprises an automated banking machine,

wherein the automated banking machine includes both a card reader device and a biometric reader device in operative connection with the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is operative to enable cash to be dispensed from the machine to an authorized machine user responsive to correspondence between identifying data read by the card reader device and biometric identifying data read by the biometric reader device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3

wherein the card reader device is operative to read both smart cards and RFID tokens,

wherein the biometric reader device includes both a retina scan device and an iris scan device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the machine is adapted to accept currency bill deposits from machine users, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause a user account to be credited amount corresponding to a currency bill deposit accepted by the machine.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move a currency bill in the first direction from the currency bill receiving area to the currency bill alignment area.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move a currency bill aligned in the currency bill alignment area, in the first direction from the currency bill alignment area to the currency bill analysis arrangement.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move a currency bill away from the currency bill analysis arrangement in the first direction.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to move the currency bill in the first direction through engagement therewith from the currency bill receiving area to the currency bill alignment area.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one currency bill transport device to disengage from engagement with the currency bill prior to causing the at least two alignment transports to move at least part of the currency bill in the second direction.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the at least two alignment transports are each disposed from each other in the first direction.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one sensing device includes an optical reading device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the optical reading device comprises a scanner device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the optical reading device is operative to detect a presence of fluorescent ink on a currency bill.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the currency bill analysis arrangement includes a printer operative to place fluorescent ink on a currency bill.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the optical reading device is operative to detect a presence of a hologram on a currency bill.

17. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a currency bill into a currency bill receiving area of an automated machine adapted to receive currency bills from machine users;

(b) operating at least one currency bill transport device to move the currency bill from the currency bill receiving area to a currency bill alignment area of the machine, wherein the currency bill alignment area includes a plurality of disposed non-contact sensors extending along a first direction, wherein the currency bill alignment area includes at least two alignment transports operative to move a currency bill in a second direction generally transverse of the first direction;

(c) operating the at least two alignment transports to move at least part of the currency bill in the second direction to cause the currency bill to be substantially aligned in the first direction;

(d) subsequent to step (c), operating the at least one currency bill transport device to move the currency bill from the currency bill alignment area to a currency bill analysis arrangement of the machine, wherein the currency bill analysis arrangement includes at least one sensing device, wherein the at least one sensing device is operative to sense data involving the currency bill;

(e) operating the currency bill analysis arrangement in determining whether the currency bill is one of a valid currency bill or a suspected counterfeit currency bill;

(f) subsequent to step (d), operating the at least one currency bill transport device to move the currency bill from the currency bill analysis arrangement to an escrow holding area;

(g) subsequent to step (f), operating the at least one currency bill transport device to move the currency bill from the escrow holding area to either;

a valid currency bill storage area, responsive to the currency bill being determined a valid currency bill in step (e), or

a suspect currency bill storage area, responsive to the currency bill being determined a suspected counterfeit currency bill in step (e).

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the machine includes a cash dispenser operative to dispense cash from the machine.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the machine comprises an automated banking machine,

wherein the automated banking machine includes at least one processor and both a card reader device and a biometric reader device in operative connection with the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is operative to enable cash to be dispensed from the machine to an authorized machine user responsive to correspondence between identifying data read by the card reader device and biometric identifying data read by the biometric reader device,

and further comprising:

(h) operating the card reader device to read identifying data;

(i) operating the biometric reader device to read biometric identifying data;

(j) operating the at least one processor to cause a determination of authorized user correspondence between the identifying data and the biometric identifying data; and

(k) responsive to the correspondence determined in step (j), operating the at least one processor to enable cash to be dispensed from the machine to the authorized user.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein step (f) occurs prior to step (e).