Automated transaction machine system

• US 6,726,097 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bowser, Robert, Blackson, Dale, Schultz, David, Eastman, Jeffrey, Force, Matthew, Junkins, Andrew, Laskowski, Edward L., Owens, Mark, Drescher, Keith A., Modi, Ashok, Horan, Dale, Ryan, Mike, Harty, Michael, Theriault, Mike, Beskitt, William D., Smith, Mark D., Graef, H. Thomas, Haney, Sean, Schadt, Bill, Blackford, Damon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US10/439,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20030201318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 705/35, 705/43
• 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 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/10 Mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/16 Handling of valuable papers within containers G07D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/942 Operator selects destination of item

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). Identification devices identify the type and character of a document, and distinguish genuine documents, such as genuine currency bills, from unidentifiable or suspect documents.

Claims

1. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:

a housing having an interior and having a sheet opening in communication with the interior, the sheet opening adapted to pass therethrough a stack comprising a plurality of sheets;

a sheet analyzing device within the interior, wherein the sheet analyzing device is adapted to analyze at least one criteria of sheets;

a sheet handling device extending within the interior and in operative connection with the sheet analyzing device;

a user interface including at least one input device in supporting connection with the housing;

at least one sheet storage device within the interior;

at least one control system in operative connection with the sheet handling device, sheet analyzing device and user interface, and wherein the control system is operative to cause each of a plurality of sheets in an input stack of sheets input to the interior through the sheet opening to be analyzed through operation of the sheet analyzing device and to be separated within the interior through operation of the sheet handling device into a first stack of sheets meeting the at least one criteria and a second stack of sheets not meeting the at least one criteria, and

wherein the control system is operative responsive to at least one input to the at least one input device to selectively cause one of either the first stack or the second stack to be extended through the sheet opening.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises at least one output device, and wherein the control system is operative to cause indicia associated with a value of the plurality of sheets in the first stack to be output through the at least one output device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control system is operative responsive to at least one input to the at least one input device to cause each of the plurality of sheets in the second stack in the interior to be further analyzed for the at least one criteria through operation of the sheet analyzing device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control system is operative responsive to at least one input to the at least one input device to cause at least one sheet in the first stack to be stored in the at least one sheet storage device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the at least one input device is adapted to receive account identifying information from a user of the apparatus, and wherein the control system is operative to cause an account associated with the account identifying information to be credited a value for the at least one sheet stored in the at least one sheet storage device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 and further comprising a recycling device in the interior and in operative connection with the control system, and wherein the recycling device includes the at least one sheet storage device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the control system is operative to cause the at least one sheet to be dispensed by the recycling device from the sheet storage device responsive to at least one input to the at least one input device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one sensor operative to sense the second stack extending in the sheet opening, and wherein the at least one sensor is in operative connection with the control system, and wherein the control system is operative to cause the second stack to be stored in the at least one sheet storage device when the second stack is extended through the sheet opening and the at least one sensor senses the second stack as not having been taken therefrom.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sheets comprise currency notes.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the at least one criteria comprises genuineness of the currency notes.

11. The method comprising:

(a) receiving from a user an input stack comprising a plurality of sheets through a sheet opening in a housing of an automated banking machine;

(b) analyzing each of the sheets in the input stack for at least one criteria through operation of the sheet analyzing device in the housing of the machine;

(c) separating each of the sheets from the input stack in accordance with the at least one criteria within the housing into either a first stack including only sheets meeting the at least one criteria and a second stack;

(d) receiving from the user at least one selection input through at least one input device of a user interface of the banking machine;

(e) delivering to the user one of either the first stack or the second stack through the sheet opening responsive to the at least one selection input.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the user interface comprises at least one output device, and further comprising:

(f) calculating at least one value through operation of the machine, wherein the value is associated with the plurality of sheets in the first stack;

(g) outputting indicia through the at least one output device indicative of the at least one value.

13. The method according to claim 11 and further comprising:

(f) receiving at least one input from the user through at least one input device of the user interface;

(g) analyzing at least one sheet in the second stack a further time for the at least one criteria through operation of the sheet analyzing device responsive to the at least one input in (f).

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein in (e) the second stack is delivered, and further comprising:

(f) receiving at least one input from the user through at least one input device of the user interface;

(g) storing at least one sheet from the first stack in at least one sheet storage device responsive to the at least one input received in (f).

15. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising:

(h) receiving account identifying information through the at least one input device, wherein the account identifying information is associated with an account of the user;

(i) crediting the account for the value associated with the at least one sheet stored in the at least one sheet storage device in (g).

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the automated banking machine comprises at least one sheet recycling device, and wherein the recycling device includes the at least one sheet storage device, and wherein in (g) the at least one sheet is stored in the at least one sheet recycling device.

17. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:

(h) receiving at least one input from a user through the at least one input device;

(i) dispensing the at least one sheet from the sheet storage device by the sheet recycling device responsive to the at least one input in (h).

18. The method according to claim 11 wherein in (e) the second stack is delivered through the sheet opening, and further comprising:

(f) sensing with at least one sensor for the user taking the second stack from the sheet opening;

(g) responsive to not sensing the second stack being taken by the user within a time, retracting the second stack within the machine and storing the stack in at least one sheet storage device in the machine.

19. The method according to claim 11 wherein the sheets in the input stack comprise currency notes.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein in (b) the sheets are analyzed for genuineness.