Method and arrangement for processing negotiable instruments

• US 6,755,340 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wincor Nixdorf GmbH & Company (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wincor Nixdorf GmbH & Company (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Löser, Martin, Voss, Hans-Günther, Ademmer, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US09/890,361
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 235/378, 235/379, 235/381, 235/382, 235/385, 382/137, 382/139, 382/135, 382/136, 382/140, 902/18, 902/9, 902/10, 902/11, 902/12, 902/13, 902/15, 902/16, 902/17, 705/43
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes

Abstract

A method and arrangement for processing negotiable instruments (20) such as banknotes or monetary payment forms in an automatic banking machine (10), having the features:

Inserting the negotiable instruments (20) into an input compartment (18), setting a control criterion on the basis of the type of negotiable instruments (20) to be processed, transporting the negotiable instruments (20) one after the other from the input compartment (18) and through a negotiable instrument recording device (24, 26) into a temporary store (30); the nominal value of banknotes is stored in a value store, payment forms are depicted and the image data stored in an image store; depositing the negotiable instruments (20) from the temporary store (30) in at least one secure store (34, 36) after completion of a deposit operation.

Claims

1. A method of processing negotiable instruments (20) including banknotes and monetary payment forms in an automatic banking machine (10) equipped with a counting-in function, having the features:

inserting a respective one of single negotiable instruments and a stack of negotiable instruments (20) into an input compartment (18) said input compartment being configured to allow the stack of negotiable instruments to be inserted into the input compartment together in a single operation,

setting a control criterion for an electronic processing device (60) on the basis of the type of negotiable instruments (20) to be processed,

removing the negotiable instruments (20) one after another from the input compartment (18) and transporting them through at least one negotiable instrument recording device (24, 26) into a temporary store (30)

banknotes being checked for authenticity and their nominal value being recorded and stored in a value store (72),

payment forms being depicted and the data representing the depiction being stored in an image store (74),

transporting the negotiable instruments (20), at the latest after completion of a deposit operation, from the temporary store (30) into at least one store (34, 36) for their safe keeping,

characterized in that

while the negotiable instruments (20) are passing through the negotiable instrument recording device (24, 26), the latter itself generates the control criterion, the authenticity of the banknotes is checked and their nominal value is recorded, and payment forms are depicted and the data representing the depiction is stored.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the control criterion is set before the removal of the first negotiable instrument (20) from the input compartment (18) and by operating a selection switch (70).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the control criterion is set after the removal of a negotiable instrument (20) from the input compartment (18) and with the aid of a sensor which is able to distinguish at least between banknotes and other sheet materials.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which an image of each payment form depicted during its transport from the input compartment 18 to the temporary store (30) is displayed on a visual display unit (62).

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, in which information written and/or printed on the payment form is converted into DP-processable information with the aid of a character recognition method and this information is displayed in plain text in a subarea of the visual display unit (62).

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, in which, with the aid of keyboard inputs, the information printed and/or written on the payment form is transferred by the visual display unit (62) into a/the subarea of the visual display unit (62) and depicted there, or the plain-text information depicted in the subarea is corrected and then its agreement with the information printed and/or written on the payment form is confirmed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, in which the depiction of each payment form, on its own or together with the information depicted in the subarea of the visual display unit (62), is printed on an deposit receipt and the latter is made available to the depositor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the payment form, before or during the transport into the secure store (36), is printed with an item of canceling information.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which, before the processing of a first negotiable instrument (20), the number of an account to which the negotiable instruments (20) to be accepted are to be credited is made known to the electronic processing device (60).

10. An arrangement for implementing the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising

an input compartment (18), which can be closed by a closure flap (14), with a following transport path (22) for negotiable instruments (20),

a banknote checking and recognition device (24) arranged on the transport path (22),

an image recording station (26) arranged on the transport path (22) and having a video camera (27) for recording the image of payment forms,

an image store (74) for storing the video image data about a payment form,

a temporary store (30) for negotiable instruments (20), arranged downstream of the banknote checking and recognition device (24) and the image recording station (26),

at least one deposit store (34, 36) for negotiable instruments (20),

a generator (70 for a control criterion representing a type of negotiable instrument,

a value store (72), at least for the nominal value of a recognized banknote.

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, having a diverter (28) which is arranged on the transport path (22) and, in a first position, connects the temporary store (30) to the input compartment (18) or an output compartment and, in a second position, connects the temporary store (30) to the at least one secure store (34, 36).

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, on whose transport path (22) a printing device (38;

38′

) is arranged.

13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, having a generator for the control criterion, designed as a selection switch (70).

14. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, in which the generator for the control criterion is designed as a sensor which is arranged on the transport path and is able to distinguish at least between a banknote and other sheet material.

15. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, in which the banknote checking and recognition device (24) is arranged upstream of the image recording station (26), and a negative banknote recognition signal serves as an activation signal for the image recording station (26).

16. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10. in which the video camera (27) is arranged in the banknote checking and recognition device (24) and produces a depiction of each negotiable instrument (20) passing through the latter.

17. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, in which the video image data about a depicted negotiable instrument (20) is stored in the image store (74) only in the event of a negative banknote recognition signal.

18. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, having a visual display unit (62) for displaying a payment form by using the video image data, and a keyboard (64) for recording or correcting and confirming information taken from the display of the payment form on the visual display unit (20).

19. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, whose image recording station (26) comprises a video camera (27) designed as a full image camera or a line-scan camera.

20. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, having a keyboard and/or a card reader (66) for the input of an account number into a computer (80) managing accounts.

21. A method of processing negotiable instruments (20) such as banknotes or monetary payment forms in an automatic banking machine (10) equipped with a counting-in function, having the features:

inserting a single example or a stack of negotiable instruments (20) into an input compartment (18),

setting a control criterion for an electronic processing device (60) on the basis of the type of negotiable instruments (20) to be processed,

removing the negotiable instruments (20) one after another from the input compartment (18) and transporting them through at least one negotiable instrument recording device (24, 26) into a temporary store (30),

capturing an image of each payment form depicted during its transport from the input compartment 18 to the temporary store (30) and displaying the image on a visual display unit (62),

manually inputting information printed and/or written on the payment form the information being transferred by the visual display unit (62) into a subarea of the visual display unit (62) and depicted there, or the plain-text information depicted in the subarea is corrected and then its agreement with the information printed and/or written on the payment form is confirmed,

banknotes being checked for authenticity and their nominal value being recorded and stored in a value store (72),

payment forms being depicted and the data representing the depiction being stored in an image store (74), and

transporting the negotiable instruments (20), at the latest after completion of a deposit operation, from the temporary store (30) into at least one store (34, 36) for their safekeeping.

22. An arrangement for implementing the method as claimed in claim 21, comprising

an input compartment (18), which can be closed by a closure flap (14), with a following transport path (22) for negotiable instruments (20),

a banknote checking and recognition device (24) arranged on the transport path (22),

an image recording station (26) arranged on the transport path (22) and having a video camera (27) for recording the image of payment forms,

an image store (74) for storing the video image data about a payment form,

a temporary store (30) for negotiable instruments (20), arranged downstream of the banknote checking and recognition device (24) and the image recording station (26),

at least one deposit store (34, 36) for negotiable instruments (20), a generator (70 for a control criterion representing a type of negotiable instrument,

a value store (72), at least for the nominal value of a recognized banknote.

23. The arrangement as claimed in claim 22, having a diverter (28) which is arranged on the transport path (22) and, in a first position, connects the temporary store (30) to the input compartment (18) or an output compartment and, in a second position, connects the temporary store (30) to the at least one secure store (34, 36).

24. The arrangement as claimed in claim 22, in which the generator for the control criterion is designed as a sensor which is arranged on the transport path and is able to distinguish at least between a banknote and other sheet material.

25. The arrangement as claimed in claim 22, in which the banknote checking and recognition device (24) is arranged upstream of the image recording station (26), and a negative banknote recognition signal serves as an activation signal for the image recording station (26).

26. The arrangement as claimed in claim 22, in which the video camera (27) is arranged in the banknote checking and recognition device (24) and produces a depiction of each negotiable instrument (20) passing through the latter.

27. The arrangement as claimed in claim 26, in which the video image data about a depicted negotiable instrument (20) is stored in the image store (74) only in the event of a negative banknote recognition signal.

28. The arrangement as claimed in claim 22, having a visual display unit (62) for displaying a payment form by using the video image data, and a keyboard (64) for recording or correcting and confirming information taken from the display of the payment form on the visual display unit (20).