System, method, and computer program for managing storage distribution of money tills

• US 7,366,681 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Balance Innovations LLC (The Brink's Company)
• Original Assignee: Balance Innovations LLC (The Brink's Company)
• Inventors: Carter, Odie Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Doren; Beth Van
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saindon; William V
• Application Number:
  US11/094,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20050211450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 705/11
• US Class Current: 705/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/004 Coin packages
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/06 Devices for stacking or otherwise arranging coins on a support, e.g. apertured plate for use in counting coins
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0027 Details of drawer or money-box

Abstract

An automated management system for monitoring and controlling distribution and storage of money tills, and linking tracking of employee productivity to time in receipt of a till. The system comprises a cabinet, a control panel, and a personal computer. The cabinet is mounted through a wall to provide an interface having a front side accessible from a first area and a rear side accessible from a second area, such as a cash room. The interior cabinet space is divided into till compartments that are selectively accessible from both the front and rear of the cabinet. Tills are loaded and removed from the rear by cash room personnel and from the front by cashiers. The system is operable to anticipate, based upon work schedules, needed till types or amounts; compile and maintain useful associated records, including employee productivity; and link to other systems to further improve efficiency.

Claims

1. A system for controlling storage and distribution of money tills, the system comprising:

a housing having a front side and a back side and substantially defining an interior space, the interior space being partitioned to provide a plurality of compartments, with at least one of the compartments being adapted to receive and store at least one of the money tills,

an input device operable to accept an input of an employee identifier for identifying a particular employee; and

a computing device operable to receive the input, record the employee identifier and a current time at which the input is received, and control access to the plurality of compartments based upon the input, wherein the computing device is interfaced with a point-of-sale system and receives therefrom information pertaining to a time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of a cash register, and wherein the computing device is adapted to determine and record a difference between the current time at which the input of the employee identifier is received and the time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of the cash register.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, there being at least two doors for controlling access to each compartment, including—

a front side door for controlling access to the compartment through the front side of the housing; and

a back side door for controlling access to the compartment through the back side of the housing.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including a presence sensor associated with the at least one compartment for detecting a presence of any money till received within the compartment and for reporting the presence to the computing device.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including a type sensor associated with the at least one compartment for detecting a type of any money till received within the compartment and for reporting the type to the computing device.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including one or more visual display devices mounted to the housing and operable to visually communicate a status of the at least one compartment and a status of any money till received within the compartment.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted through a wall so as to present the front side to a first area defined by the wall and to present the back side to a second area defined by the wall.

7. A method of controlling storage and distribution of money tills using a system comprising at least one compartment operable to receive at least one of the money tills, an input device operable to accept input data, and a controller operable to control access to the compartment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing authorization information;

(b) receiving and storing a compartment status for each compartment and a till type for each money till;

(c) accepting the input data from the input device;

(d) comparing the input data to the authorization information to generate at least one of a plurality of possible comparison results, with the possible comparison results including at least a first comparison result and a second comparison result;

(e) allowing access to at least one of the compartments based upon generating the first comparison result;

(f) disallowing access to at least one of the compartments based upon generating the second comparison result;

(g) recording and storing information, including the time of accepting the input data, with the information being referenced to the input data;

(h) interfacing with a point-of-sale system;

(i) receiving from the point-of-sale system information pertaining to a time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of a cash register; and

(j) determining and recording a difference between the current time at which the input of the employee identifier is received and the time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of the cash register; and

(k) generating a report containing at least some of the information referred to in steps (g) and (j).

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, the information referred to in step (g) including the compartment status and till type.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of detecting and communicating via a portable signaling device the occurrence of a condition.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, the portable signaling device being a pager and the condition being non-availability of a particular till type.

11. A method of controlling storage and distribution of money tills, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a housing having a front side and a back side and substantially defining an interior space, the interior space being partitioned to provide a plurality of compartments, with at least one of the compartments being adapted to receive and store at least one of the money tills, and each compartment being associated with a door for controlling access to the compartment;

(b) receiving an input of an employee identifier for identifying a particular employee;

(c) recording the employee identifier and a current time at which the input is received;

(d) controlling the door, and thereby controlling access to the plurality of compartments, based upon the input;

(e) interfacing with a point-of-sale system;

(f) receiving from the point-of-sale system information pertaining to a time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of a cash register; and

(g) determining and recording a difference between the current time at which the input of the employee identifier is received and the time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of the cash register.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the step of providing at least two doors for controlling access to each compartment, including—

a front side door for controlling access to the compartment through the front side of the housing; and

a back side door for controlling access to the compartment through the back side of the housing.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the step of detecting a presence of any money till received within the at least one compartment.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the step of detecting a type of any money till received within the at least one compartment.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the step of visually communicating a status of the at least one compartment and a status of any money till received within the compartment.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the step of mounting the housing through a wall so as to present the front side to a first area defined by the wall and to present the back side to a second area defined by the wall.

17. A system for controlling storage and distribution of items associated with a sales environment, the system comprising:

a housing having a front side and a back side and substantially defining an interior space, the interior space being partitioned to provide a plurality of compartments for receiving the items associated with the sales environment, and each compartment being associated with a door for controlling access to the compartment;

an input device operable to accept an input of an employee identifier for identifying a particular employee; and

a computing device operable to receive the input, record the employee identifier and a current time at which the input is received, and control access to the plurality of compartments based upon the input, wherein the computing device is interfaced with a point-of-sale system and receives therefrom information pertaining to a time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of a cash register, and wherein the computing device is adapted to determine and record a difference between the current time at which the input of the employee identifier is received and the time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of the cash register.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, there being at least two doors for controlling access to each compartment, including—

a front side door for controlling access to the at least one compartment through the front side of the housing; and

a back side door for controlling access to the compartment through the back side of the housing.

19. The system as set forth in claim 17, further including a presence sensor associated with each compartment for detecting a presence of the item associated with the sales environment received within the compartment.

20. The system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the housing is mounted through a wall so as to present the front side to a first area defined by the wall and to present the back side to a second area defined by the wall.

21. A system for controlling storage and distribution of money, the system comprising:

a housing having a front side and a back side and substantially defining an interior space, the interior space being partitioned to provide a plurality of compartments for receiving the money, and each compartment being associated with a door for controlling access to the compartment;

an input device operable to accept an input of an employee identifier for identifying a particular employee; and

a computing device operable to receive the input, record the employee identifier and a current time at which the input is received, and control access to the plurality of compartments based upon the input, wherein the computing device is interfaced with a point-of-sale system and receives therefrom information pertaining to a time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of a cash register, and wherein the computing device is adapted to determine and record a difference between the current time at which the input of the employee identifier is received and the time at which the particular employee logged into or logged out of the cash register.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21, there being at least two doors for controlling access to each compartment, including—

a front side door for controlling access to the at least one compartment through the front side of the housing; and

a back side door for controlling access to the compartment through the back side of the housing.

23. The system as set forth in claim 21, further including a presence sensor associated with each compartment for detecting a presence of the money received within the compartment.

24. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the housing is mounted through a wall so as to present the front side to a first area defined by the wall and to present the back side to a second area defined by the wall.