Cash access system and method of operation

• US 5,367,561 A
• Filed: 02/10/1992
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nomura Holding America Incorporated (Nomura Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First City, Texas
• Inventors: Adler, B. Michael, Hird, John A., Owen, Lindsey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US07/832,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 379/91, 379/93, 379/95, 379/96, 379/97, 379/98, 379/102, 379/104, 379/105, 364/405, 364/408, 364/401, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 340/286.08
• US Class Current: 379/91.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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

Abstract

A cash access system is provided for disbursing funds to consumers, such as the guest of a hotel, according to instructions of the consumer. The system comprises circuitry for receiving instructions associated with the request from a selected one of a plurality of input terminals, for validating the request with the relevant authority, for instructing the management associated with the input terminals to disburse the funds to the consumer and for billing the consumer for the withdrawal.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system used to instruct a cashier to disburse requested funds to a patron of the system, the system comprising:

a selected input terminal, remotely located from the cashier, for relaying a fund-disbursement request from the patron;

input circuitry for receiving said request, prompting the patron via said input terminal for information needed to process said request, receiving said information from the patron via said input terminal, and processing said request;

authorizing circuitry coupled to said input circuitry and responsive to said information for validating said request;

relaying circuitry coupled to said authorizing circuitry and responsive to said validation for instructing the cashier to disburse the requested funds; and

accounting circuitry responsive to said input circuitry and said authorizing circuitry for creating a record of said fund-disbursement request, determining a charge for said disbursement, and billing the patron for said charge,said accounting circuitry comprising converting circuitry for converting the amount of requested funds from a first currency into a corresponding amount of a second currency, wherein said accounting circuitry determines said charge for said disbursement in said second currency.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said converting circuitry converts the amount of said charge into a corresponding amount of said first currency.

3. A telecommunications system used in conjunction with a hotel PBX operable to instruct a cashier to disburse funds to a hotel guest, the system comprising:

a telecommunications station available to the guest operable to generate first signals indicative of a requested cash withdrawal of the guest;

input circuitry for receiving said first signals via a PBX system resident in the hotel;

authorizing circuitry responsive to the input circuitry for contacting an external validation system and receiving second signals from said validation system indicating the validity of an account number entered by the guest;

relaying circuitry responsive to the authorizing circuitry for instructing the cashier of the hotel to disburse said requested cash withdrawal; and

accounting circuitry responsive to said input circuitry and to said authorizing circuitry for creating a record of said requested cash withdrawal, formulating a charge for said requested cash withdrawal, and billing said charge separately from said requested cash withdrawal,said accounting circuitry comprising converting circuitry for converting the amount of requested funds from a first currency into a corresponding amount of a second currency, wherein said accounting circuitry determines said charge for said disbursement in said second currency.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said converting circuitry converts the amount of said charge into a corresponding amount of said first currency.