Cash handling device-to-cash handling device money movement

• US 8,430,303 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Sanders, William Thomas, Bohen, Daniel Christopher, Johnson, Shane Anthony, Folk, Amy Baker
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US12/277,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 705/35, 705/43, 902/8, 902/9, 902 12- 14
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/12 Containers for valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/24 Managing the stock of valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

A cash handling device includes one or more universal cartridges storing cash which may be swapped between different types of cash handling devices. The swapping of universal cartridges may allow for improved efficiency when a cash handling device is detected to have a need for additional currency, removal of surplus currency, removal of unfit currency, and other services.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing funds of cash handling devices comprising:

receiving an indication that a surplus amount of cash is available at an automated teller machine (ATM) associated with a first account;

receiving an indication that a deficient amount of cash is available at a point of sale device associated with a second account;

initiating removal from the ATM a storage apparatus that stores at least a portion of the cash available at the ATM, wherein the storage apparatus is configured to be removably insertable into both the ATM and the point of sale device such that the storage apparatus is enclosed within the ATM when inserted into the ATM and enclosed within the point of sale device when inserted into the point of sale device;

updating information stored at an identifier tag of the storage apparatus to prepare the storage apparatus for insertion into the point of sale device;

debiting the first account associated with the ATM in response to receipt of an indication that the storage apparatus was removed from the ATM; and

crediting the second account associated with the point of sale device in response to receipt of an indication that the storage apparatus was inserted into the point of sale device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving the indication that the surplus amount of cash is available at the ATM includes receiving a surplus change order that indicates the ATM includes the surplus amount of cash; and

receiving the indication that the deficient amount of cash is available at the point of sale device includes receiving a deficiency change order that indicates the point of sale device includes the deficient amount of cash.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring the amount of cash available at the ATM and the amount of cash available at the point of sale device;

receiving the indication that the surplus amount of cash is available at the ATM includes determining that the surplus amount of cash is available at the ATM based on the monitored amount of cash at the ATM; and

receiving the indication that the deficient amount of cash is available at the point of sale device includes determining that the deficient amount of cash is available at the point of sale device based on the monitored amount of cash at the point of sale device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the information included at the identifier tag includes at least one of:

indicating that the storage apparatus is scheduled for insertion into the point of sale device;

indicating an amount of cash stored in the storage apparatus; and

identifying a replacement storage apparatus at the point of sale device that the storage apparatus from the ATM is scheduled to replace.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

preparing a transportation plan that identifies a first plurality of cash handling devices having one or more respective storage apparatuses scheduled for removal and that identifies a second plurality of cash handling devices having one or more respective storage apparatuses scheduled for replacement, wherein the ATM is one of the first plurality of cash handling devices and the point of sale device is one of the second plurality of cash handling devices;

servicing the first plurality of cash handling devices and the second plurality of cash handling devices based on the transportation plan; and

wherein the transportation plan identifies which storage apparatuses scheduled for removal are intended to respectively replace which storage apparatuses scheduled for replacement.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

identifying in the transportation plan one or more of the storage apparatuses scheduled for removal as low priority;

identifying in the transportation plan one or more of the storage apparatuses scheduled for replacement as high priority; and

servicing cash handling devices having one of the storage apparatuses identified as high priority before servicing cash handling devices having one or more storage apparatuses identified as low priority.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving real-time inventory information from one or more of the storage apparatuses scheduled for removal or from one or more of the storage apparatuses scheduled for replacement; and

updating the transportation plan based on the real-time inventory information.

8. A system for managing funds of cash handling devices comprising:

a first cash handling device of a first type wherein the first cash handling device is associated with a first account and a first amount of cash is available at the first cash handling device;

a second cash handling device of a second type wherein the second cash handling device is associated with a second account and a second amount of cash is available at a the second cash handling device;

a storage apparatus configured to be removably insertable into both the first cash handling device of the first type and the second cash handling device of the second type such that the storage apparatus is enclosed within the first cash handling device when inserted into the first cash handling device and enclosed within the second cash handling device when inserted into the second cash handling device;

wherein the storage apparatus stores at least a portion of the cash available at the first cash handling device such that the first amount of cash available at the first cash handling device decreases and the second amount of cash available at the second cash handling device increases when the storage apparatus is removed from the first cash handling device and inserted into the second cash handling device; and

wherein removal of the storage apparatus from the first cash handling device causes the first account to be debited and insertion of the storage apparatus into the second cash handling device causes the second account to be credited.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a central processing center that services the first cash handling device and the second cash handling device; and

wherein the central processing center initiates removal of the storage apparatus from the first cash handling device and insertion of the storage apparatus into the second cash handling device in response to a determination that the first amount of cash available at the first cash handling device is a surplus amount of cash and that the second amount of cash available at the second cash handling device is a deficient amount of cash.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the first cash handling device transmits to the central processing center a surplus change order that indicates the first amount of cash is the surplus amount of cash; and

the second cash handling device transmits to the central processing center a deficiency change order that indicates the second amount of cash is the deficient amount of cash.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the central processing center monitors the first amount of cash available at the first cash handling device to determine that the first amount of cash is the surplus amount of cash; and

the central processing center monitors the second amount of cash available at the second cash handling device to determine that the second amount of cash is the deficient amount of cash.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the central processing center prepares a transportation plan that identifies a first plurality of cash handling devices having one or more respective storage apparatuses scheduled for removal and that identifies a second plurality of cash handling devices having one or more respective storage apparatuses scheduled for replacement, wherein the first cash handling device is one of the first plurality of cash handling devices and the second cash handling device is one of the second plurality of cash handling devices;

the central processing center initiates servicing of the first plurality of cash handling devices and the second plurality of cash handling devices based on the transportation plan; and

wherein the transportation plan identifies which storage apparatuses scheduled for removal are intended to respectively replace which storage apparatuses scheduled for replacement.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein one or more of the storage apparatuses scheduled for removal are identified in the transportation plan as low priority and one or more of the storage apparatus scheduled for replacement are identified in the transportation plan as high priority such that the cash handling devices having one or more storage apparatuses identified as high priority are serviced before the cash handling devices having one or more storage apparatuses identified as low priority are serviced.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein:

one or more of the storage apparatuses scheduled for removal or one or more of the storage apparatuses scheduled for replacement transmit real-time inventory information to the central processing center; and

the central processing center updates the transportation plan based on the real-time inventory information received.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the central processing center updates a first account associated with the first cash handling device in response to a determination that the storage apparatus has been removed from the first cash handling device; and

the central processing center updates a second account associated with the second cash handling device in response to a determination that the storage apparatus has been inserted into the second cash handling device.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the storage apparatus includes an identifier tag that stores information associated with the storage apparatus wherein the information stored at the identifier tag is updateable when the storage apparatus is inserted into the first cash handling device or the second cash handling device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the information stored at the identifier tag includes at least one of:

information identifying which cash handling device the storage apparatus is currently inserted into;

information identifying which cash handling device the storage apparatus is scheduled to be inserted into;

information indicating an amount of cash stored in the storage apparatus;

information identifying a replacement storage apparatus at the second cash handling device that the storage apparatus is intended to replace; and

information indicating a date and a time at which the storage apparatus was removed from one of the cash handling devices.

18. The system of claim 8 wherein the first cash handling device of the first type and the second cash handling device of the second type are selected from the group consisting of:

an automated teller machine, a point of sale device, a bank center cash recycler, a self-service payment cash handling device, a retail deposit-only machine, a retail cash recycler, a vending machine, and a retail deposit-only smart safe.

19. A method of managing funds of cash handling devices comprising:

receiving an indication that a surplus amount of cash is available at a first cash handling device of a first type wherein the first cash handling device is associated with a first account;

receiving an indication that a deficient amount of cash is available at a second cash handling device of a second type wherein the second cash handling device is associated with a second account;

initiating removal from the first cash handling device a storage apparatus that stores at least a portion of the cash available at the first cash handling device, wherein the storage apparatus is configured to be removably insertable into both the first cash handling device of the first type and the second cash handling device of the second type such that the storage apparatus is enclosed within the first cash handling device when inserted into the first cash handling device and enclosed within the second cash handling device when inserted into the second cash handling device;

debiting the first account in response to a determination that the storage apparatus has been removed from the first cash handling device;

crediting the second account in response to a determination that the storage apparatus has been inserted in the second cash handling device; and

wherein the cash stored in the storage apparatus increases the deficient amount of cash available at the second cash handling device when the storage apparatus is inserted into the second cash handling device.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising updating information stored at an identifier tag of the storage apparatus to prepare the storage apparatus for insertion into the second cash handling device.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first cash handling device is associated with a first account and the second cash handling device is associated with a second account and further comprising:

debiting the first account in response to receipt of an indication that the storage apparatus was removed from the first cash handling device; and

crediting the second account in response to receipt of an indication that the storage apparatus was inserted into the second cash handling device.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the first cash handling device of the first type and the second cash handling device of the second type are selected from the group consisting of:

an automated teller machine, a point of sale device, a bank center cash recycler, a self-service payment cash handling device, a retail deposit-only machine, a retail cash recycler, a vending machine, and a retail deposit-only smart safe.