Cash cassette burglary prevention system and cash cassette burglary prevention method

• US 6,191,690 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Mukogawa, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PREVIL, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US09/539,612
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.6, 340/686.1, 340/687, 340/570, 340/560.1, 340/531, 340/539, 340/568.7
• US Class Current: 340/568.7
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/005 Portable strong boxes, e.g. which may be fixed to a wall or the like E05G1/08, E05G1/14 take precedence; devices to prevent theft or loss of bags, trunks, baskets, or the like A45C13/18; coin boxes for coin freed apparatus G07F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/10 with alarm, signal or indicator E05G1/14 takes precedence; burglar, theft or intruder alarm per se G08B13/00; fire or explosion alarm per se G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/66 Wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/125 Secure containers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/225 for detecting or indicating tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/26 Servicing, repairing or coping with irregularities, e.g. power failure or vandalism
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/02 with smoke, gas, or coloured or odorous powder or liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength

Abstract

The distance between a cash cassette and the person who is handling the cassette is measured automatically in case that there is a risk that a cash cassette may be stolen during a burglary. When the distance equals or exceeds a predetermined distance, it is concluded that a burglary has occurred, and various burglary alarm devices are activated. Accordingly, even when only one person performs a cash cassette exchange at a location which is easily accessible to other people, the commission of a crime can be immediately detected, so that the theft of a cash cassette during a burglary can be prevented. Therefore, the number of persons required for a cash cassette exchange can be reduced, which results to a reduction of operating costs. Further, since extra space is not required for a cash cassette exchange, restriction of a choice of an installation location for an automatic transaction apparatus can be considerably reduced.

Claims

1. A cash cassette burglary prevention system for preventing burglary of a cash cassette loaded in an automatic transaction apparatus, comprising:

a detector for detecting load and unload of said cash cassette in a predetermined location in said automatic transaction apparatus;

a determination device, which is activated in accordance with the results obtained by said detector, for determining the distance between said cash cassette and an operator who is handling said cash cassette; and

a burglary alarm device, which is activated in accordance with the results obtained by said determination device, for executing a predetermined burglary alarm operation.

2. The cash cassette burglary prevention system according to claim 1, wherein said determination device is activated in case that said detector detects the unload of said cash cassette in said predetermined location;

and said burglary alarm device is activated in case that said detector determines that said distance to said operator equals or exceeds a predetermined distance.

3. The cash cassette burglary prevention system according to claim 1, wherein said burglary alarm device is a tone generator, a smoke generator, an ink spray device, a light-emitting device, or a combination of said devices.

4. The cash cassette burglary prevention system according to claim 1, wherein said burglary alarm device is a burglary alarm transmission device for notifying the occurrence of a burglary to a monitoring center which monitors said automatic transaction apparatus.

5. The cash cassette burglary prevention system according to claim 1, wherein said burglary alarm device is a position information transmission device for notifying position information concerning said cash cassette to a monitoring center which monitors said automatic transaction apparatus.

6. The cash cassette burglary prevention system according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined location is a rack provided in said automatic transaction apparatus or in a vehicle which delivers said cash cassette;

said detector includes a first portion to be attached to said cash cassette and a second portion to be attached to said rack; and

said detector detects the load and unload of said cash cassette in said rack in accordance with contacting state or close state of said first portion and said second portion.

7. The cash cassette burglary prevention system according to claim 1, wherein said determination device includes a first portion to be attached to said operator and a second portion to be attached to said cash cassette, one of said first portion and said second portion transmits a radio wave having a predetermined level and the other portion receives said radio wave, and said determination device determines that the distance between said operator and said cash cassette equals or exceeds a predetermined distance in case that the level of said radio wave is equal to or lower than a predetermined level.

8. A cash cassette burglary prevention method for preventing burglary of a cash cassette loaded in an automatic transaction apparatus, comprising the steps of:

detecting load and unload of said cash cassette in a predetermined location in said automatic transaction apparatus;

determining the distance between said cash cassette and an operator who is handling said cash cassette in case that the unload of said cash cassette is detected at said detecting step; and

performing a predetermined burglary alarm operation in case that it is determined at said determining step that said distance between said cash cassette and said operator equals or exceeds a predetermined distance.