Monitoring apparatus

• US 8,091,777 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Laurel Precision Machines Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Laurel Precision Machines Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIKELS, MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US11/798,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20070267481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 235/375, 235/7.R, 235/22, 200/61.61, 109/2, 186/37, 340/568.2, 340/568.3, 340/571, 340/572.1, 340/545.6, 340/545.7, 705/21, 705/5, 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/10 Mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus for monitoring open/close statuses of open/close portions (5) of multiple money processing machines (1) includes: a reader monitoring apparatus (3) which monitors open/close status of the open/close portion (5) of each of the multiple money processing machines (1) by using an RFID inlet (6) and an RFID reader (4); and a control apparatus (2) for monitoring a processing status of each of the multiple money processing machines (1). If the reader monitoring apparatus (3) detects that the open/close portion (5) of the money processing machine (1) is opened, and if the control apparatus (2) determines that the money processing machine (1) is not operating, an alarm signal is output.

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring an open/close status of open/close portions of multiple money processing machines, comprising:

an open/close detection unit which detects the open/close status of the open/close portion of each of the multiple money processing machines and which comprises;

an RFID inlet which stores individually different ID information, which transmits radio waves and which is attached to each of the multiple money processing machines behind the open/close portion; and

an RFID reader which detects the radio waves transmitted from the RFID inlet via the open/close portion only if the open/close portion is opened and which is independently provided outside the money processing machine;

an operation status monitoring system monitoring an operation status of each of the multiple money processing machines; and

an alarm output unit which outputs an alarm signal if the open/close detection unit detects that the open/close portion is opened based on the radio waves and if the operation status monitoring system determines that the money processing machine is not operating, wherein

the operation status monitoring system successively transmits a first signal to each of the money processing machines in a predetermined interval, and

the operation status monitoring system determines an operation state of each of the money processing machines based on whether or not a second signal transmitted from the money processing machine in response to the first signal is detected.

2. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ID information comprises information for detecting or determining the money processing machine and the open/close portion to which the RFID inlet is provided.

3. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open/close portion is a drawer, and the ID information comprises information indicating or corresponding to the drawer.

4. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open/close portion is a door, and the ID information comprises information indicating or corresponding to the door.

5. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a memory unit which stores or records the ID information and a time at which the ID information was received by the RFID reader.

6. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a case of the money processing machine and the open/close portion comprise shielding materials.

7. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an alarm unit which raises an alarm based on the alarm signal.

8. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a communication unit for transmitting the alarm signal to a monitoring center.

9. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of the RFID readers.

10. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open/close detection unit detects each of a plurality of the open/close portions which is open by using the ID information.

11. A monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of money processing machines each of which includes at least one open/close portion;

an RFID inlet which stores individually different ID information, which transmits radio waves and which is attached to each of the money processing machines behind the open/close portion;

an RFID reader which detects the radio waves transmitted from the RFID inlet via the open/close portion only if the open/close portion is opened and which is independently provided outside the money processing machine;

an open/close detection portion which is provided outside the money processing machines and which detects open/close status of the open/close portion of each of said plurality of money processing machines;

an operation status monitoring portion which is provided outside the money processing machines, which successively transmits a first signal to each of the money processing machines in a predetermined interval and which monitors and determines an operation state of each of the money processing machines based on whether or not a second signal transmitted from the money processing machine in response to the first signal is detected; and

an alarm output portion which outputs an alarm signal if the open/close detection portion detects that the open/close portion is opened based on the radio waves and if the operation status monitoring portion determines that the money processing machine is not operating.