Cash register and method of accounting for cash transactions

• US 6,550,671 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Smith, Newton James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/062,345
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/380, 235/383, 235/375, 235/379, 235/441, 235/381, 235/494, 235/472.01, 705/21, 705/16, 194/206, 194/217, 194/207
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/0087 Banknote changing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/32 Record keeping transaction aspects G07F19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/08 with rotating drums which display the money entered
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells

Abstract

A method of obtaining, recording and using the denomination and the serial number of bills received into cash registers from purchasers, and using computer automation to dispense other bills from the cash registers to make change. Enhanced accounting, security and efficiency for cash transactions is provided by electronically associating bills with information describing the purchases and, optionally, transmitting electronically this information to the purchaser. Optical character recognition is used to identify the denomination and serial number of each bill. Optionally, a cashier may enter a duress code into the register to initiate a silent alarm signal, identify the serial numbers of each bill dispensed under duress, or mark an invisible ink onto each bill dispensed under duress. The method also enables determining whether each bill received is counterfeit or stolen.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

depositing at least one bill having a serial number into a cash register;

optically scanning each bill as each bill is being deposited into the cash register;

identifying the serial number of each bill;

recording each serial number in a database;

dispensing at least one bill from the cash register in response to an input command; and

updating the database of serial numbers to reflect each bill deposited into the cash register and each bill dispensed from the cash register.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the denomination of each bill.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

associating each bill deposited and each bill dispensed with a given transaction.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

recording a product or service identification in the database in association with each transaction.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

recording a purchaser identification code in the database in association with each given transaction.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting a transaction report to an electronic address associated with the purchaser identification code.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transaction report comprises the net amount of bills deposited and the products or services associated with the transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the net cash receipts into the register as bills deposited into the register less bills dispensed from the cash register.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the net cash receipts for use in an accounting program.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a duress code into the cash register; and

initiating a silent alarm signal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying the serial numbers of each bill dispensed under duress.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

marking an invisible ink onto each bill dispensed under duress.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether each bill is counterfeit.

14. The method of claim 13, where the step of determining whether each bill is counterfeit includes a process selected from ultraviolet detection, watermark detection, magnetism detection, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the serial number of each bill received with a database of serial numbers of stolen bills to determine if each bill received is stolen.

16. A method comprising:

maintaining a database representing the denomination of each bill received into a cash register;

identifying, using the cash register, an amount due to be paid by a purchaser for goods or services;

optically scanning a first bill deposited into the cash register;

determining the denomination of the first bill received into the cash register;

determining an amount of change due to the purchaser;

identifying from the database a second bill within the cash register having a denomination appropriate for dispensing as change;

dispensing the second bill from the cash register; and

updating the database to reflect deposit of the first bill into the register and dispensing of the second bill from the register.

31. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

comparing instructions for comparing the serial number of each bill received with a database of serial numbers of stolen bills to determine if each bills received is stolen.

17. A computer program product comprising:

depositing instructions for depositing at least one bill having a serial number into a cash register;

scanning instructions for optically scanning each bill as it is being deposited into the cash register;

identifying instructions for identifying the serial number for each bill;

recording instructions for recording the serial numbers in a database;

dispensing instructions for dispensing at least one bill from the cash register in response to an input command; and

updating instructions for updating the database of serial numbers to reflect each bill deposited into the cash register and each bill dispensed from the cash register.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

identifying instructions for identifying the denomination of each bill.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

associating instructions for associating each bill deposited and each bill dispensed with a given transaction.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

recording instructions for recording a product or service identification in the database in association with each transaction.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

recording instructions for recording a purchaser identification code in the database in association with each given transaction.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

transmitting instructions for transmitting a transaction report to an electronic address associated with the purchaser identification code.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the transaction report comprises the net amount of bills deposited and the products or services associated with the transaction.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

determining instructions for determining the net cash receipts into the register as bills deposited into the register less bills dispensed from the cash register.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising:

providing instructions for providing the net cash receipts for use in an accounting program.

26. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving instructions for receiving a duress code into the cash register; and

initiating instructions for initiating a silent alarm signal.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising:

identifying instructions for identifying the serial numbers of each bill dispensed under duress.

28. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising:

marking instructions for marking an invisible ink onto each bill dispensed under duress.

29. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

determining instructions for determining whether each bill is counterfeit.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, where the determining instructions for determining whether each bill is counterfeit includes instructions selected from ultraviolet detection instructions, watermark detection instructions, magnetism detection instructions, and combinations thereof.

32. A system for managing currency transactions comprising:

depositing means for depositing at least one bill having a serial number into a cash register;

scanning means for optically each bill as it is being deposited into a cash register;

identifying means for identifying the serial number for each bill;

recording means for recording the serial numbers in a database;

dispensing means for dispensing at least one bill from the cash register in response to an input command; and

updating means for updating the database of serial numbers to reflect each bill deposited into and each bill dispensed from the cash register.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

identifying means for identifying the denomination of each bill deposited.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

associating means for associating each bill deposited and each bill dispensed with a given transaction.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

recording means for recording a product or service identification in the database in association with each transaction.

36. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

recording means for recording a purchaser identification code in the database in association with each given transaction.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a transaction report to an electronic address associated with the purchaser identification code.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the transaction report comprises the net amount of bills deposited and the products or services associated with the transaction.

39. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

determining means for determining the net cash receipts into the register as bills deposited into the register less bills dispensed from the cash register.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

providing means for providing the net cash receipts for use in an accounting program.

41. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving a duress code into the cash register; and

initiating means for initiating a silent alarm signal.

42. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

identifying means for identifying the serial numbers of each bill dispensed under duress.

43. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

marking means for marking an invisible ink onto each bill dispensed under duress.

44. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

determining means for determining whether each bill is counterfeit.

45. The system of claim 44, where the determining means for determining whether each bill is counterfeit includes means selected from ultraviolet detection means, watermark detection means, magnetism detection means, and combinations thereof.

46. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

comparing means for comparing the serial number of each bill deposited with a database of serial numbers of stolen bills to determine if each bill deposited is stolen.