Cash dispenser and method

• US 6,648,220 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beskitt, William, Bowser, Robert, Smith, Mark D., Force, Matthew, Junkins, Andrew, Ryan, Mike, Shirah, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/993,451
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/375, 705/17
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network

Abstract

An automated banking machine (10) has a housing (12) which is suitable for mounting in various manners and configurations. The machine includes a bill dispenser (42), a receipt printer (66) and other transaction function devices. The machine further includes a user interface (16) including input and output devices which customers may use to carry out transactions. The machine is configured to be dedicated to carrying out transactions through communication with a transaction switch (110). The machine is provided at little or no charge to a merchant who installs the machine at their facility. The merchant receives a portion of the transaction fees derived from transactions conducted by consumers at the machine. The process of qualifying the merchant and configuring the machine may be automated to facilitate installation and operation of the machine by the machine provider for the merchant.

Claims

1. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:

a lockable housing;

a controller within an interior area of the housing;

a cash dispenser in the housing and in operative connection with the controller;

and wherein the controller is programmed to communicate with at least one system address associated with a remote system and wherein the machine is adapted to prevent the at least one system address from being changed by persons having access to the interior area of the housing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a modem in operative connection with the controller, and wherein the system address comprises a phone number.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the system address comprises a network address.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the system address is associated with a provider of the machine.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the housing is adapted to be fully supported by connection to a wall.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the wall includes studs, and wherein the housing extends between the studs.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the housing is mounted to the wall through releasible fasteners.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the housing further comprises a lockable access door, and wherein the releasible fasteners are only accessible upon opening the lockable access door.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the machine further comprises a keypad and a locking mechanism, wherein the keypad and the locking mechanism are in operative connection with the controller, and wherein the access door is unlocked through operation of the locking mechanism responsive to at least one input to the keypad.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a printer in operative connection with the controller, wherein the printer is operative responsive to the controller to print documents.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the housing comprises an opening therein, wherein the opening is accessible from outside the housing, and wherein cash dispensed by the cash dispenser and documents printed by the printer are accessible through the opening.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the opening includes a member portion therein, and wherein cash is delivered on a first side of the member portion and printed documents are delivered on an opposed second side of the member portion.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the member portion extends generally horizontally.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the member portion includes a cut out, and wherein dispensed cash and printed documents are enabled to be grasped singlehandedly in the area of the cut out.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the printer comprises a paper roll support adapted to support a paper roll, and a print head wherein the print head is rotatably mounted in supporting connection with the paper roll support.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, and further comprising a spindle in supporting connection with the paper roll, wherein the spindle is supported on the paper roll support, and wherein the print head is supported on a support bracket rotatably mounted relative to the paper roll support, and wherein in the operative position of the print head the support bracket is operative to hold the spindle in engagement with the paper roll support.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the machine is operative to deliver notes from the cash dispenser so as to be accessible from outside the housing, and wherein the machine is operative to deliver documents from the printer so as to be accessible from outside the housing.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the notes and the documents are made accessible through a common opening in the housing.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the notes are made available at a position vertically above the documents.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17 and further comprising a scanning device, and wherein the notes and the documents are made accessible responsive to scanning a check with the scanning device.

21. The apparatus according to claim 10 and further comprising a wireless communication port in operative connection with the controller, wherein the machine is operative to dispense cash responsive to at least one message communicated through the wireless communication port.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the wireless communication port is adapted to communicate messages with at least one portable handheld device.

23. The apparatus according to claim 10 and further comprising a document scanner in supporting connection with the housing and in operative connection with the controller.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the document scanner is adapted to scan checks.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the controller is operative to cause the machine to dispense cash responsive to the scanning of a financial instrument with the document scanner.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cash dispenser includes a cash holding device, and wherein the cash holding device is rotatably mounted in supporting connection with the housing.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the housing further comprises a lockable cover, and wherein the cash holding device is rotatable between an access position and a non-access position, wherein in the access position cash is enabled to be manually added or removed from the cash holding device, and in the non-access position cash is not enabled to be manually added or removed from the cash holding device, and wherein the cash holding device is enabled to be moved to the access position only when the lockable cover is open.

28. (new) An apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine, wherein the machine comprises;

a housing having an interior area,

a cash dispenser and a controller in the housing,

wherein the cash dispenser is in operative connection with the controller,

machine hardware in the housing, wherein the hardware includes fixed therein at least one system address associated with a particular remote transaction switching system, wherein the at least one system address is unchangeable in the hardware,

wherein the controller is operative to send a cash dispense authorization request to only the system and only via the at least one system address,

wherein the controller is operative to receive cash dispense authorization from the system,

wherein the controller is operative to operate the cash dispenser to dispense cash responsive to receiving the cash dispense authorization.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein the machine hardware includes fixed internal programming including the at least one system address, wherein the machine is adapted to prevent the fixed internal programming from being changed by persons having access to the interior area of the housing.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein the machine comprises a dedicated ATM, wherein the ATM is configured to communicate only with the system.

31. The apparatus according to claim 28 and further comprising a particular remote transaction switching system,

wherein the system has at least one system address associated therewith,

wherein the system includes at least one computer,

wherein the at least one computer is operative to receive a cash dispense authorization request from the controller,

wherein the at least one computer is operative to direct messages to one or more networks to obtain cash dispense authorization,

wherein the at least one computer is operative to send a cash dispense authorization to the controller.

32. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:

a lockable housing bounding an interior area,

a cash dispenser, wherein the cash dispenser is adapted to store cash prior to dispense from the machine within the interior area,

a controller in supporting connection with the housing and in operative connection with the cash dispenser, and wherein the controller is programmed so as to be operative to cause cash to be dispensed from the machine through operation of the cash dispenser responsive to communication of at least one message between the machine and at least one remote system address, and wherein the controller is adapted to prevent changing programming of the controller to cause the machine to communicate the at least one message between the machine and any address other than the at least one remote system address.

33. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:

a lockable housing having an interior area,

a cash dispenser adapted to store cash prior to dispense from the machine in the interior area,

at least one controller in supporting connection with the housing and in operative connection with the cash dispenser, wherein the controller is programmed to cause the machine to communicate at least one message with at least one remote system, and is operative to cause cash to be dispensed from the machine responsive to communication of the at least one message between the machine and the at least one remote system, and wherein the controller is adapted to prevent changing programming of the controller to cause the machine to communicate the at least one message between the machine and any remote system other than the at least one remote system.

34. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:

a lockable housing;

a cash dispenser in supporting connection with the housing and adapted to store cash prior to dispense from the machine within an interior area of the lockable housing;

at least one controller in operative connection with the cash dispenser, and wherein the at least one controller is programmed so as to be operative to cause the cash dispenser to dispense cash from the machine responsive to communication of at least one message between the machine and at least one remote system, and wherein the at least one controller is adapted to prevent reprogramming of the controller to enable communication of the at least one message between the machine and any remote system other than the at least one remote system.