Currency anti-theft device

• US 5,952,920 A
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MACE Security International
• Original Assignee: MACE Security International
• Inventors: Braddick, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/106,577
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 340/571, 340/568, 340/539, 340/570, 340/572, 102/367, 102/368, 109/2, 109/5, 109/6, 109/10, 109/21, 558/374
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/02 with smoke, gas, or coloured or odorous powder or liquid

Abstract

A system and method to deter the theft of paper currency comprising a currency pack assembly containing coded electronics and an ignitable chemical pack. There is a coded teller sentry unit located near the cash drawer in which the currency pack assembly is stored. The currency pack assembly contains a coded transmitting/receiving apparatus that signals the coded teller sentry unit when the currency pack assembly is removed from the cash drawer. The coded teller sentry unit is connectable to a silent alarm and may trigger the silent alarm upon removal of the currency pack from the cash drawer. The coded teller sentry unit is also connectable to surveillance equipment such as cameras, and activates such equipment automatically upon removal of the currency pack assembly from the cash drawer. There is also a coded door control unit located near the egress to the building which detects when the currency pack assembly has left the building. The coded door control unit is connectable to an alarm which is sounded upon removal of the currency pack assembly from the building, and is connectable to a door locking mechanism which locks the doors of the building after the currency pack assembly has left the building. Once the currency pack assembly has left the building, a microprocessor in the currency pack assembly begins timing down to a pre-set ignition time to ignite the chemical pack. The chemical pack contains chemical dye, colored smoke, and, where permitted by law, teargas. The system can provide notification to law enforcement personnel or other monitoring systems, prevent re-entry of the thief into the building, and ideally induce the thief to abandon the stolen currency.

Claims

1. A system for deterring theft of paper currency comprising:

a coded transmitting and receiving door control unit, having an encoder-decoder, said door control unit located by the egress of a facility, wherein a door unit alarm and a door locking means are activatable by said door control unit;

an ignitable chemical pack enclosed within a currency pack assembly comprising a coded transmitting and receiving unit, having an encoder-decoder, said receiving unit in communication with said door control unit and also in communication with

a coded transmitting and receiving teller sentry unit, having an encoder-decoder, said teller sentry unit located within the cashier area of said facility to signal immediately when said currency pack assembly leaves the cash drawer in which it is stored wherein a device chosen from the group consisting of;

an audible alarm, a silent alarm and surveillance systems, is activatable by said teller sentry unit;

wherein said door locking means locks at least one pre-fitted door of the facility such that no one may enter the facility but wherein those inside the facility may exit wherein said door locking means is lockable upon receipt of a coded signal from said coded door control unit when the coded door control unit detects that the currency pack assembly has left the facility.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said chemical pack inside said currency pack assembly contains and emits chemicals to stain bank notes with colored dye.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said chemical pack contains pyrotechnic chemicals to emit a cloud of colored smoke to identify the location of stolen money.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said chemical pack contains and emits tear gas agent to disable a person carrying said currency pack.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said tear gas agent is orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile(CS) tear gas agent.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said coded teller sentry unit has electrical terminals that are connectable to automatically activate said surveillance systems upon removal of said currency pack assembly from the cash drawer, in response to a coded signal transmitted to said coded teller sentry unit by said coded transmitting and receiving unit of said currency pack assembly.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said surveillance systems are surveillance camera systems.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said coded teller sentry unit has electrical terminals that are connectable to automatically activate said silent alarm upon removal of said currency pack assembly from the cash drawer, in response to a coded signal transmitted to it by said coded transmitting and receiving unit of said currency pack assembly.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said coded teller sentry unit has electrical terminals that are connectable to automatically activate said audible alarm upon removal of said currency pack assembly from the cash drawer, in response to a coded signal transmitted to it by said coded transmitting and receiving unit of said currency pack assembly.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said coded door control unit has electrical terminals that are connectable to automatically activate said door unit alarm when said coded door control unit receives signals from said coded transmitting and receiving unit of said currency pack assembly upon removal of said currency pack assembly from the facility.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said door unit alarm is chosen from the group consisting of:

a silent alarm and an audible alarm.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said coded door control unit has electrical terminals that are connectable to automatically activate said door locking means when said coded door control unit receives coded signals from said coded transmitting and receiving unit of said currency pack assembly.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said currency pack assembly further comprises a microprocessor which, when coded signals being transmitted by said coded door control unit and said coded transmitting and receiving unit of said currency pack assembly are no longer being received each by the other, signals said chemical pack that said currency pack assembly has left the facility and said microprocessor begins timing down to ignition of said chemical pack.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said system further comprises a coded testing currency pack assembly for use with said system for testing said system.

15. The testing currency pack of claim 14 further comprises an ignition tester such that said system is testable completely through to ignition of said chemical pack.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said coded door control unit, said coded transmitting and receiving unit of said currency pack assembly, and said coded teller sentry unit transmit and receive radio signals.

17. A method for preventing theft of paper currency from a facility, comprising the steps of:

detecting when a currency pack assembly has left a cash drawer where it is normally stored,

transmitting a coded signal to a coded teller sentry unit indicating that said currency pack assembly has left the cash drawer,

activating a silent alarm by a coded signal from said coded teller sentry unit to said silent alarm,

detecting when said currency pack assembly has left the facility by having a coded door control unit which determines when said currency pack assembly exits the facility,

sounding an audible alarm when said coded door control unit determines that said currency pack assembly has left the facility,

locking the doors to the facility when said coded door control unit determines that said currency pack assembly has left the facility such that no one may enter the facility but such that individuals inside the facility may exit,

initiating, when said coded door control unit has determined that said currency pack assembly has left the facility, a timing microprocessor to begin counting down to ignition of a chemical pack contained inside said currency pack assembly such that after a predetermined time, said chemical pack is ignited, and

emitting colored dye, smoke, and teargas to disable a thief, thereby indicating the location of the thief and the stolen currency, marking the stolen currency such that it is readily identifiable, and causing the thief to drop the stolen currency.