Automatic remote banking system and equipment

• US 3,949,364 A
• Filed: 08/02/1974
• Issued: 04/06/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kinker, Donald E., Clark, Robert W., Barone, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US05/494,231
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 243/2, 340/147 A, 340/152 R, 340/149 R, 340/149 A, 186/1 R, 186/1 A, 186/1 B
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/04 Conveying the articles in carriers having a cross-section approximating that of the pipe or tube; Tube mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/0096 Accepting paper currency or other valuables in containers, e.g. in code-marked envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/135 Remote note containers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/205 Housing aspects of ATMs

Abstract

A banking system, equipment and operations are provided which dispense cash at an unmanned station from a money vault unit at a remote station to a customer who verifies his identity at the unmanned station. The system and equipment also may accept deposits from the customer at the unmanned station and convey the deposits to a depository unit at the remote station. The unmanned station may be combined in a blank drive-up or walk-up service unit served by a teller located at either the unmanned or the remote station during business hours. The automatic equipment at the unmanned station and the money vault and depository units at the remote station provide maximum security for money or articles handled. Along with this security feature, the automatic equipment does not require the presence of a teller to provide banking services for customers during non-business hours.

Claims

1. In remote banking equipment of a type which includes a customer station and a remote bank control station;

in which the customer station has keyboard means, card reader means, and message panel means;

in which communication means connects the customer and control stations; and

in which a customer may enter identification and transaction data and material into the keyboard and card reader, and upon verified identification may receive at a customer station dispenser terminal a selected amount of currency determined by the transaction data keyed-in at the keyboard;

the combination, including a pneumatic tube system connecting the customer station dispenser terminal and the control station forming a component of said communication means;

the tube system having a control terminal at the control station;

a carrier movable in the pneumatic tube system between the control and dispenser terminals;

vault means located at the control station containing and storing a supply of currency;

the -vault means including currency delivery and conveyor means communicating between the currency supply and a control-terminal-located carrier for transferring selected amounts of currency from the currency supply to such control-terminal-located carrier;

switch means at the control station movable to energize the customer and control stations for automatic unmanned operation;

controller means including circuitry operatively connected between the customer and control stations and operative upon verified customer identification and entry of identification and transaction data at the customer station keyboard and card reader in accordance with instructions at the message panel means to actuate the currency delivery and conveyor means to deliver a selected amount of currency to a control-terminal-located carrier determined by the transaction data keyed-in at the keyboard; and

said pneumatic tube system being operative upon delivery of said selected amount of currency to said control-terminal-located carrier to move the carrier from the control terminal to the dispenser terminal at the customer station.

2. The equipment defined in claim 1 in which the currency delivery and conveyor means has a currency receive zone and feed roll;

in which the currency delivery and conveyor means when actuated delivers the selected amount of currency from the currency supply to the feed roll; and

in which the feed roll discharges the currency to the control-terminal-located carrier.

3. The equipment defined in claim 1 in which the carrier is a captive carrier;

in which a carrier terminal cradle is located at the control terminal; and

in which the carrier is normally located on said cradle.

4. The equipment defined in claim 1 in which the communication means includes a depository unit located at the control station, a deposit terminal located at the customer station separate from the dispenser terminal, and a deposit pneumatic tube system connecting the depository unit and deposit terminal.

5. The method of protecting currency dispensed at an unmanned customer station in remote banking equipment of a type in which a customer station is served from a remote central control facility station;

the steps of providing keyboard, card reader and message panel means at a customer station;

connecting the customer and central control stations with pneumatic tube means having a terminal at each station;

providing a supply of currency at the control station;

enclosing the control station currency supply within vault means;

locating the pneumatic tube control terminal within the vault means;

delivering a selected amount of currency from the currency supply in the control station vault means to the pneumatic tube control terminal and through the pneumatic tube means to the customer station; and

initiating the delivery of currency from the currency supply to the customer station by entering identification and transaction data into the keyboard and card reader means and verifying such customer identity at the control station.

6. The method of protecting currency dispensed at an unmanned customer station in remote banking equipment of a type in which a customer station is served from a remote central control facility station;

the steps of providing keyboard, card reader and message panel means at a customer station;

connecting the customer and central control -stations with transport means having a terminal at each station;

providing a supply of currency at the control station;

enclosing the control station currency supply within vault means;

locating the transport means control station terminal within the vault means;

delivering a selected amount of currency from the currency supply in the control station vault means to the transport means control station terminal and through the transport means to the customer station; and

initiating the delivery of currency from the currency supply to the customer station by entering identification and transaction data into the keyboard and card reader means and verifying such customer identity at the control station.