Control system communication apparatus and method for currency recycling automated banking machine

• US 6,131,809 A
• Filed: 11/17/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bowser, Robert, Force, Matthew, Drescher, Keith A., Schadt, Bill, Ryan, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/193,508
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/382, 235/379
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/20 Controlling or monitoring the operation of devices; Data handling
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/40 Device architecture, e.g. modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/203 Dispensing operations within ATMs dispensing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

An automated banking machine (10) identifies and stores documents such as currency bills deposited by a user. The machine then selectively recovers documents from storage and dispenses them to other users. The machine includes a central transport (70) wherein documents deposited in a stack are unstacked, oriented and identified. Such documents are then routed to storage areas in recycling canisters (92, 94, 96, 98). When a user subsequently requests a dispense, documents stored in the storage areas are selectively picked therefrom and delivered to the user through an input/output area (50) of the machine. The control system (30) for the machine includes a terminal processor (548). The terminal processor communicates with a module processor (552). The module processor (552) communicates with module controllers (554, 556, 558, 560, 562 and 564) which control the operation of devices. The module processor coordinates the activities of the module controllers to achieve the processing of documents reliably and at high speeds. A special protocol is used to communicate messages between the module processors and module controllers which provides increased reliability.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine including;

a module processor (MP);

at least one module controller (MC), wherein the module controller includes at least one module controller processor (MCP), wherein the MCP is in operative connection with the MP;

at least one document handling device, wherein the document handling device is in operative connection with the MCP, wherein the document handling device is operative responsive to the MCP to move a document in the machine; and

wherein the MP includes programming operative to send a first message to the MCP, and wherein the MCP includes programming operative responsive to receipt of the first message by the MCP to send a first acknowledgment to the MP and to cause the document handling device to move the document.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the MP programming is operative to cause the first message sent by the MP to include data representative of first indicia, and wherein the MCP programming is operative to cause the acknowledgment sent by the MCP to include data representative of the first indicia.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the MP programming is further operative to cause the MP to send a second message to the MCP, and wherein the MCP programming is operative to cause the MCP to send a second acknowledgment responsive to the second message, and wherein the second message and the second acknowledgment each include data representative of second indicia.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the MP programming is operative to cause the MP to send a plurality of successive messages to the MCP, and wherein each message includes data representative of a transaction number, and wherein the transaction number in each successive message is incremented relative to the transaction number in the preceding message, and wherein the MCP programming is operative responsive to each message to cause the MCP to send an acknowledgment, and wherein each acknowledgment includes data representative of the transaction number included in the message to which the acknowledgment is responsive.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 and further comprising a first register in the MP, wherein the register includes data representative of the transaction number in the last message sent by the MP to the MCP, and wherein the MP programming is operative responsive to receipt by the MP of the acknowledgment including data representative of the transaction number to increment the first register to a new transaction number, and the MP programming is operative to cause the MP to include data representative of the new transaction number in a next message sent by the MP to the MCP.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the MP is operative to communicate with a plurality of MCPs, and wherein each MCP is in operative connection with a respective document handling device, and wherein the MP programming is operative to cause the MP to send messages including data representative of a transaction number to each MCP, and the MCP programming is operative to cause each MCP to send acknowledgments to the MP responsive to receipt of such messages, each acknowledgment including data representative of the transaction number included in the message being acknowledged, and wherein the MP includes a plurality of first registers, wherein the MP includes one first register for each MCP.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the MP includes a timer, and wherein the timer is operative to calculate a timeout from a time when the first message is sent, and if the timeout passes without receipt of the acknowledgment including data representative of the first indicia, the MP programming is operative to cause the MP to resend the first message to the MCP.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the MCP includes a storage device, and wherein the storage device stores data corresponding to indicia in the last message the MCP received from the MP, and wherein the MCP further includes a comparing device, wherein the comparing device is operative to compare the indicia in received messages and indicia in the storage device, and wherein when the MCP has received the first message including the data representative of the first indicia, the MCP programming is operative to cause data representative of the first indicia to be stored in the storage device, and wherein upon receipt of the resent first message the MCP programming is operative to cause the MCP to compare the first indicia in the resent message and the data in the storage device corresponding to the previously received first message with the comparison device, and upon finding correspondence the MCP does not operate the document handling device in response to the resent first message.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the MCP programming is further operative responsive to receipt of the resent first message to send the first acknowledgment to the MP.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the MP programming is operative to send the first message to the MCP as a plurality of separate message fragments.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the MP programming is operative to include in at least one of the fragments which comprise the first message, data representative of a fragment number, wherein the fragment number corresponds to the number of fragments included in the message.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the MP programming is operative to include in at least one of the fragments which comprise the first message, data representative of a total message size for the first message.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the MP programming is operative to include in the first message, data representative of a first message direction, whereby the first message direction in the first message is representative of a message direction from the MP to the MCP.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the MCP programming is operative to include in the first acknowledgment data representative of a second message direction, wherein the second message direction is representative of a message direction from the MCP to the MP.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the MP programming is operative to further include in the first message, data representative of a destination address, wherein the destination address corresponds to the MCP.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 and further comprising a plurality of MCPs, and wherein the MP sends messages to each of the MCPs, and wherein each MCP has a different destination address, and wherein the MP programming is operative to include in a message to an MCP the respective destination address corresponding to the MCP, and wherein the MCP further includes a plurality of subaddresses, and wherein the MP programming is further operative to include in the first message data representative of one of the subaddresses.

10. The apparatus according to claim I wherein the MCP programming is operative to send a second message to the MP, and wherein the MP programming responsive to receipt of the second message by the MP is operative to send a second acknowledgment to the MCP.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the MCP programming is operative to cause the second message to include data representative of second indicia, and wherein the MP programming is operative responsive to receipt of the second message to include data representative of the second indicia in the second acknowledgment.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the second indicia is representative of a transaction number, and wherein the MCP programming is operative to cause a new transaction number to be generated and included in a new message subsequently sent by the MCP to the MP.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the MCP includes a second register, wherein the second register includes data representative of the transaction number, and wherein the MCP programming is operative responsive to receipt of the second acknowledgment by the MCP to increment the transaction number stored in the second register.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the MCP includes a timer, wherein the timer is operative to calculate a timeout after the second message is sent to the MP, and wherein the MCP programming is operative responsive to the MCP not receiving the second acknowledgment prior to the timeout to cause the MCP to resend the second message.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the MP includes a second storage device, and wherein the second storage device is operative to store data representative of the transaction number in the last message received by the MP from the MCP.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the MP further comprises a comparing device, wherein the comparing device is operative to compare data representative of the second indicia in the second message received by the MP to data representative of the transaction number stored in the second storage device, and further comprising a further device in operative connection with the MP, and wherein the MP programming is operative to cause the further device to operate responsive to the second message when the data representative of the transaction number included in the second message does not correspond to data representative of transaction numbers previously received by the MP as determined by the comparing device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 and further comprising a plurality of MCPs, wherein the MP receives messages from each of the MCPs, and wherein each MCP includes a second register and the MP includes a plurality of second storage devices, one second storage device corresponding to each MCP.

25. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the MCP programming is further operative to include in the second message data representative of a second message direction and a source address, wherein the source address corresponds to the MP.

26. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine including;

a module processor (MP);

at least one module controller (MC), wherein the module controller includes at least one module controller processor (MCP), wherein the MCP is in operative connection with the MP;

at least one module in the automated banking machine, wherein the module is in operative connection with the MCP, wherein the module is operative responsive to the MCP to operate in the automated banking machine;

wherein the MP includes programming operative to send a first message to the MCP, and wherein the MCP includes programming operative responsive to receipt of the first message by the MCP to send a first acknowledgment to the MP and to cause the module to operate.

27. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a first message from a module processor (MP) to a module controller processor (MCP) in an automated banking machine;

(b) receiving the first message with the MCP in the automated banking machine;

(c) moving a document with a document handling device responsive to receipt of the first message by the MCP; and

(d) sending an acknowledgment with the MCP to the MP responsive to receipt of the first message.

28. The method according to claim 27 and further comprising the steps of:

(e) including in the first message data representative of a transaction number; and

(f) including in the acknowledgment data representative of the transaction number.

29. The method according to claim 28 and further comprising the steps of:

(g) storing in connection with the MP a transaction number corresponding to the last message sent to the MCP;

(h) responsive to receiving the acknowledgment, incrementing the transaction number to obtain a new transaction number; and

(i) sending a subsequent message to the MCP with the MP, wherein the subsequent message includes data representative of the new transaction number.

30. The method according to claim 27 and further comprising the steps of:

(e) determining with a timer if a timeout has expired after sending the first message to the MCP, without receipt by the MP of an acknowledgment; and

(f) responsive to determining in step (e) that a timeout has occurred, resending the first message to the MCP.

31. The method according to claim 28 and further comprising the steps of:

(g) storing in a storage device in connection with the MCP, data representative of the transaction number included in the first message after receipt of the first message by the MCP;

(h) comparing with a comparing device in connection with the MCP, data representative of a transaction number in a second message received by the MCP, to the data representative of the transaction number in the storage device;

and alternatively either;

(i) responsive to the transaction number in the second message not corresponding to a transaction number in a previously received message, operating the document handling device responsive to the second message;

or

(j) responsive to the transaction number in the second message corresponding to a transaction number in a previously received message, not operating the document handling device responsive to the second message.

32. The method according to claim 28 and further comprising the step of:

including in the first message data representative of a message direction and a destination address, wherein the destination address corresponds to the MCP.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein the MCP includes subaddresses, and further comprising the step of including in the first message data representative of a subaddress in the MCP.

34. The method according to claim 27 wherein step (a) comprises:

sending the first message as a plurality of discrete message fragments;

including in at least one of the message fragments data representative of a fragment number, wherein the fragment number corresponds to the number of fragments in the message.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein step (a) further comprises:

including in at least one of the message fragments data representative of a message length, wherein the message length corresponds to the length of the first message.

36. The method according to claim 27 and further comprising the step of including in the first message data representative of a message class, wherein the message class is indicative of a priority of the message relative to other messages.

37. The method according to claim 27 and further comprising the steps of:

(e) sending a second message from the MCP to the MP;

(f) sending a further acknowledgment from the MP to the MCP responsive to receipt of the second message by the MP; and

sending a message from the MP to a further device responsive to receipt of the second message by the MP.