Self-diagnosis method for a bank note depositing and dispensing machine

• US 4,931,963 A
• Filed: 08/03/1988
• Issued: 06/05/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Shin-ichi, Suto, Nobuo, Minematsu, Kimura, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/229,731
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/555, 364/471, 364/469, 364/478, 364/479, 364/401, 364/406, 364/408, 377/6-8, 377/10, 377/11, 377/13-16, 235/375-377, 235/379, 356/373, 356/375, 340/673, 340/675
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/235 for monitoring or indicating operating conditions; for detecting malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/26 Servicing, repairing or coping with irregularities, e.g. power failure or vandalism
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/36 Auditing of activities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs

Abstract

Diagnosis data for respective portions of an apparatus are collected from respective sensors provided on the apparatus at the respective portions thereof and stored in a memory for each of the respective portions. These diagnosis data are the amount of change with time and frequency of occurrence of abnormal operation. The amount of change with time is yielded from the number of treatments for a detection object of each sensor, while the frequency of occurrence of abnormal operations is provided as a ratio of the number of anbormal operations detected by the respective sensors to the number of treatments by the particular object or part involved. The resulting diagnosis data is compared with a predetermined reference value, and when the diagnosis data exceeds the reference value, a prediction alarm flag indicative of a prediction of necessary maintencance to prevent trouble from occuring is added to the diagnosis data and stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A method of self-diagnosis of a need for maintenance of parts and units of a bank note depositing and dispensing machine, wherein bank notes are accepted for deposit and are dispensed by said machine during which said parts and units perform respective tasks in connection with depositing and dispensing of said bank notes and change over time as a function of performance of such tasks, said method comprising:

(a) collecting respective number data, representative of a number of travelling bank notes in connection with which said tasks are performed by each said part and unit and corresponding to an amount of change over time of each said part and unit, by means of a plurality of sensors provided along paths of travel of the bank notes in the bank note depositing and dispensing machine;

(b) storing in a memory the thus collected number data corresponding to each said part and unit after adding said collected number data to previously collected number data representative of a number of bank notes previously detected by said sensors for each said part and unit;

(c) comparing the collected number data stored in said memory with a reference value previously defined and stored for each said part and unit;

(d) storing prediction alarm data in said memory for each said part and unit if said collected number data corresponding thereto is equal to or exceeds said reference value corresponding thereto;

(e) reading the thus stored prediction alarm data in said memory when a request instruction therefor is issued;

(f) diagnosing whether said prediction alarm data is provided in the thus read data; and

(g) displaying a prediction alarm representative of a presence of said prediction alarm data in said read data as an indication of a need for maintenance of each said part and unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said collected number data representative of the number of travelling bank notes is again stored in said memory when said collected number data does not exceed said reference value after comparison of said reference value with said collected number data.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising clearing said prediction alarm data and said collected number data for a respective part and unit from said memory by a keyboard, and continuing to store in said memory respective number data for each said part and unit representative of the number of bank notes treated for which said prediction alarm data has not been stored.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request instruction is given to the machine by means of a remote monitor device having prediction alarm display means for displaying said prediction alarm and request instruction means for requesting said instruction to read said stored data in said memory.

5. A method of self-diagnosis of a need for maintenance of separation/delivery parts of a bank note depositing and dispensing machine, wherein bank notes are accepted for deposit and are dispensed by said machine during which said separation/delivery parts of said machine may cause slanted feed and may cause overlapped feed of bank notes as a function of the need for maintenance of said separation/delivery parts, said method comprising:

(a) counting a number of occurrences of slanted feed and overlapped feed of bank notes, and a number of separations/deliveries of bank notes, respectively, for a predetermined period, for each said separation/delivery part of said machine;

(b) calculating a frequency of occurrence of said slanted feed and overlapped feed of said bank notes by dividing said number of occurrences by said number of separations/deliveries of bank notes;

(c) storing the thus calculated frequency of occurrence of slanted feed and overlapped feed for each separation/delivery part of the machine in a memory;

(d) comparing said frequency of occurrence of slanted feed and overlapped feed of bank notes stored in said memory with a respective predetermined reference value for each said separation/delivery part;

(e) storing prediction alarm data in said memory for each said separation/delivery part when said frequency of occurrence corresponding thereto is equal to or exceeds the said respective reference value;

(f) reading the thus stored prediction alarm data when a request instruction therefor is issued;

(g) diagnosing whether said prediction alarm data is provided in the thus read data; and

(h) providing a prediction alarm representative of a presence of said prediction alarm data in said read data as an indication of the need for maintenance of each said separation/delivery part.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the request instruction is given to the machine by means of a remote monitor device having prediction alarm display means for displaying said prediction alarm and request instruction means for requesting said instruction to read said stored data in said memory.

7. A method of self-diagnosis of a need for maintenance of each of a plurality of optical sensors provided along paths of travel in a bank note depositing and dispensing machine, during use of which machine levels of output of said sensors are subject to change, said method comprising:

(a) reducing an amount of current flowing into a respective light source of each said optical sensor compared to current flowing thereto during other times so that light emission from said light source is reduced during a predetermined time of diagnosis of each said light source;

(b) detecting an output level of each said optical sensor at said predetermined time of diagnosis;

(c) storing in a memory output level data indicative of the thus detected output level for each said optical sensor;

(d) comparing the thus stored output level data for each optical sensor with a reference value previously defined and stored in said memory;

(e) determining any said optical sensor output level of any said optical sensor that does not exceed said reference value, as an indication of optical sensors in need of maintenance;

(f) storing prediction alarm data in said memory for each of said optical sensors in need of maintenance;

(g) reading said stored prediction alarm data when a request instruction therefor is input from a keyboard;

(h) diagnosing whether said prediction alarm data is provided in the thus read data; and

(i) displaying a prediction alarm representative of a presence of said prediction alarm data in said read data as an indication of each of said optical sensors in need of maintenance.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the request instruction is given to the machine by means of a remote monitor device having prediction alarm display means for displaying said prediction alarm and request instruction means for requesting said instruction to read said stored data in said memory.

9. In a bank note depositing and dispensing machine, wherein bank notes are accepted for deposit and are dispensed, during which parts and units of the machine perform respective tasks in connection with depositing and dispensing of the bank notes and change over time as a function of performance of such tasks, the improvement wherein said machine includes means for self-diagnosis of a need for maintenance of said parts and units as a result of such change, said self-diagnosis means comprising:

(a) means for collecting respective number data representative of a number of bank notes in connection with which said data are performed by each said part and unit corresponding to an amount of change over time of each said part and unit, said collecting means comprising a plurality of sensors provided along parts of travel of the bank notes in said machine;

(b) means for storing in a memory the thus collected number data corresponding to each said part and unit after adding said collected number data to previously collected number data representative of a number of bank notes previously detected by said sensors for each said part and unit;

(c) means for comparing said collected number data stored in said memory with a reference value previously defined and stored for each said part and unit;

(d) means for storing prediction alarm data in said memory for each said part and unit if said collected number data corresponding thereto is equal to or exceeds said reference value corresponding thereto;

(e) means for reading the thus stored prediction alarm data in said memory when a request instruction therefor is issued;

(f) means for diagnosing whether or not said prediction alarm data is provided in the thus read data; and

(g) means for displaying a prediction alarm representative of a presence of said prediction alarm data in said read data as an indication of the need for maintenance of each said part and unit.

10. The improvement according to claim 9, further comprising means for again storing said collected number data in said memory when said collected number data does not exceed said reference value after comparison of said reference value with said collected number data.

11. The improvement according to claim 9, further comprising keyboard means for clearing said prediction alarm data and said collected number data for a respective said part and unit from said memory, and continuing to store in said memory the respective said number data for each said part and unit representative of the number of bank notes treated for which said prediction alarm data has not been stored.

12. The improvement according to claim 9, further comprising remote monitor means for providing said request instruction, said remote monitor means including prediction alarm display means for displaying said prediction alarm and request instruction means for requesting said instruction to read said stored data in said memory.

13. In a bank note depositing and dispensing machine, wherein bank notes are accepted for deposit and are dispensed, during which separation/delivery parts of said machine may cause slanted feed and may cause overlapped feed of bank notes as a function of a need for maintenance of said separation/delivery parts, the improvement wherein said machine includes means for self-diagnosis of said need for maintenance of said separation/delivery parts, said self-diagnosis means comprising:

(a) means for counting a number of occurrences of slanted feed and overlapped feed of bank notes, and a number of separation/deliveries of bank notes, respectively, for a predetermined period, for each said separation/delivery part of said machine;

(b) means for calculating a frequency of occurrence of slanted feed and overlapped feed of the bank notes by dividing said number of occurrences by said number of separations/deliveries of bank notes;

(c) means for storing said frequency of occurrence of slanted feed and overlapped feed for each said separation/delivery part of said machine in a memory;

(d) means for comparing said frequency of occurrence of slanted feed and overlapped feed of bank notes stored in said memory with a respective predetermined reference value for each said separation/delivery part;

(e) means for storing prediction alarm data in said memory for each separation/delivery part when said frequency of occurrence corresponding thereto is equal to or exceeds the said respective reference value;

(f) means for reading the thus stored prediction alarm data when a request instruction therefor is issued;

(g) means for diagnosing whether or not said prediction alarm data is provided in the thus read data; and

(h) means for displaying a prediction alarm representative of a presence of said prediction alarm data in said read data an as indication of the need for maintenance of each said separation/delivery part.

14. The improvement according to claim 13, further comprising remote monitor means for providing said request instruction, said remote monitor means including prediction alarm display means for displaying said prediction alarm and request instruction means for requesting said instruction to read said stored data in said memory.

15. In a bank note depositing and dispensing machine, wherein bank notes are accepted for deposit and are dispensed, said machine including a plurality of optical sensors provided along paths of travel in said machine, during use of which levels of output of said sensors are subject to change, the improvement wherein said machine includes means for self-diagnosis of any such change in said levels of output indicative of a need for maintenance of each of said sensors, said means comprising:

(a) means for reducing an amount of current flowing into a respective light source of each said optical sensor compared to current flowing thereto during other times so that the amount of light emission from said light source is reduced during a predetermined time of diagnosis of each said light source;

(b) means for detecting an output level of each said optical sensor at said predetermined time of diagnosis;

(c) means for storing in a memory output level data indicative of the thus detected output level for each said optical sensor;

(d) means for comparing the thus stored output level data for each said optical sensor with a reference value previously defined and stored in said memory;

(e) means for determining any said optical sensor output level of any said optical sensor that does not exceed said reference value, as an indication of optical sensors in need of maintenance;

(f) means for storing prediction alarm data in said memory for each of said optical sensors in need of maintenance;

(g) means for reading said stored prediction alarm data when a request instruction therefor is input from a keyboard;

(h) means for diagnosing whether said prediction alarm data is provided in the thus read data; and

(i) means for displaying a prediction alarm representative of a presence of said prediction alarm data in said read data as an indication of each of said optical sensors in need of maintenance.

16. The improvement according to claim 15, further comprising remote monitor means for providing said request instruction, said remote monitor means including prediction alarm display means for displaying said prediction alarm and request instruction means for requesting said instruction to read said stored data in said memory.