Apparatus and method for leasing documents of value

• US 6,015,087 A
• Filed: 10/04/1996
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stoutenburg, Earney, Vogt, Paul J., Seifert, Dean Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US08/726,133
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/385, 902/8, 902/17, 902/18, 902/22
• 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: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for issuing documents of value such as money orders, gift certificates, utility remittances, phone card, payroll, etc. An apparatus according to the disclosure may include a compartment for receiving substrates on which information associated with a document of value is printed, a code reader which reads codes uniquely associated with each substrate from the substrates, a printer that prints information on the substrates, and a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer. The control terminal is configured for communication with the code reader and for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with each substrate. The control terminal may detect and record deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus. An additionally disclosed aspect of the control terminal is as a print access controller permitting physical access to a portion of the printer upon receipt of an access code. A further aspect of the control terminal includes connecting with a system for modification of a portion of the apparatus. A further disclosed aspect of the apparatus is voiding substrates. Additionally disclosed are methods for issuing documents of value. The disclosed methods may include receiving substrates having associated codes, reading the codes; dectecting and recording deviations froman expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value, receiving a request to issue a document of value, and printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.

Claims

1. An apparatus for issuing documents of value, comprising:

a compartment for receiving substrates, each substrate having an associated code, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates;

a code reader, the code reader reading the codes associated with the substrates from the substrates;

a printer, the printer generating documents of value by printing information on the substrates; and

a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer, the control terminal configured for communication with the code reader and the control terminal further configured for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates, wherein the control terminal detects and records deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the documents of value comprise a money order.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrates comprise paper.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the codes associated with substrates are serial, and wherein the substrates are in serial order.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising means for recording which pre-serialized substrates have been printed on.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control terminal performs a predetermined action after detecting a substrate having an improper code.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the predetermined action is voiding the substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the detecting of a substrate having an improper code comprises detecting a substrate having a code that deviates from an expected order.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the control terminal further records one or more codes associated with the substrates responsive to detecting the substrate having a code that deviates from an expected order.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the codes are printed on the substrates.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrates are encoded using bar code.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrates encoding utilizes MICR.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code reader reads codes using OCR.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the memory stores information indicating that a substrate has been read by the code reader.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compartment comprises a lock and the lock is controlled by the control terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a printer access controller, the access controller permitting access to at least a portion of the printer upon receipt of an access code.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein an access code is associated with a limited number of users.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each access code is associated with a single individual.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a memory, wherein an access code used to obtain access to the printer is stored in the memory.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a time at which the printer is accessed is recorded in the memory.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a memory, wherein the memory stores information indicating whether the printer has been accessed.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory is nonvolatile.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory stores information indicating a time at which the printer has been accessed.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory stores information indicating which access code was used to access the printer.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for detecting that substrates have been removed from the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for detecting which substrates have been removed and when the substrates were removed.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control terminal is further configured to detect and record deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon receipt of a command to issue a document of value.

28. An apparatus for issuing documents of value, comprising:

a compartment for receiving substrates, each substrate having an associated code, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates;

a code reader, the code reader reading the codes associated with the substrates from the substrates;

a printer, the printer generating documents of value by printing information on the substrates; and

a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer, the control terminal configured for communication with the code reader and the control terminal further configured for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates, wherein the control terminal detects and records deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus, and wherein the control terminal performs a predetermined action after detecting a substrate having an improper code, and wherein the detecting of a substrate having an improper code comprises detecting a substrate having a code that is improper for a document of value of a predetermined type.

29. A method for issuing documents of value comprising:

receiving substrates, the substrates having associated codes, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates;

reading the codes from the substrates;

detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value;

receiving a request to issue a document of value; and

printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of detecting and recording deviations from an expected order occurs upon receiving the substrates.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon receiving a request to issue a document of value.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

receiving input of an access code; and

selectively permitting physical access to a portion of an apparatus implementing the method responsive to the access code.

33. A method for issuing documents of value comprising:

receiving substrates, the substrates having associated codes, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates;

reading the codes from the substrates;

detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value, wherein detecting deviations from an expected order comprises detecting a substrate having a code that is improper for a document of value of a predetermined type;

receiving a request to issue a document of value; and

printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.