Correlation of information to a transaction in a cash handling device

• US 8,556,166 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Folk, Amy Baker, Bohen, Daniel Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malone, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US12/183,895
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 235/383, 705/1.1, 705/39, 705/43, 382/135
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs

Abstract

Methods and devices provide correlation of information to a transaction in cash handling devices. A first input may be provided to a cash handling device in order to initiate a transaction. Information related to the transaction to be entered in the cash handling device. The information may be correlated to the transaction in the cash handling device. The information may be stored in the cash handling device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling initiation of a deposit transaction on a cash handling device;

receiving, by a computer system, transaction information related to the transaction to be entered in the cash handling device;

correlating, by the computer system, the transaction information to the transaction, wherein the transaction information includes additional information that is entered and specified when an indication of an issue is not defined in the cash handling device wherein the additional information is inputted by a user during the transaction describing a damaged condition of currency deposited into the cash handling device during the transaction and wherein the issue included in the transaction information is not specifically prompted by the cash handling device;

storing, by the computer system, the transaction information in the cash handling device;

compensating the transaction based on the additional information; and

detecting discrepancies and extracting the additional information for audits or resolving the discrepancies.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction information is stored as metadata for the transaction.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the correlation is selected from the group consisting of:

a link, a uniform resource locator, a database record, and a pointer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the transaction information is stored in a format selected from the group consisting of:

text, rich text, html, audio file, and image file.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the transaction information is input by a device selected from the group consisting of:

a keypad, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a digitizer, and a microphone.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the cash handling device comprises a cash recycler.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the steps of the method are implemented as computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction information is stored as a file in memory on the cash handling device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the cash handling device comprises a cash recycler.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the steps of the method are implemented as computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information includes a physical characteristic of currency deposited into the cash handling device during the transaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction information comprises a memorandum provided by a user during the transaction.

13. A method comprising:

enabling a user to initiate a transaction to deposit currency into a cash handling device, said currency including at least one paper bill and at least one coin;

receiving from the user a manual identification of a total amount of the currency deposited wherein the identification is via an input device selected from the group consisting of;

a keypad, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a digitizer, or a microphone;

scanning, by a computer system, said at least one paper bill by the cash handling device;

receiving, by the computer system, transaction information about the transaction to be entered into the cash handling device;

storing, by the computer system, said transaction information in memory in the cash handling device;

correlating, by the computer system, the transaction information and the transaction together in the cash handling device, wherein the transaction information includes additional information that is entered and specified when an indication of an issue is not defined in the cash handling device wherein the additional information is inputted by the user during the transaction describing a damaged condition of currency deposited into the cash handling device during the transaction and wherein the issue included in the transaction information is not specifically prompted by the cash handling device; and

compensating the transaction amount based on the additional information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the transaction information identifies an amount difference between said at least one paper bill that was scanned and the manual identification of the total amount of currency deposited.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the transaction information is stored as metadata for the transaction.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the transaction information is stored as a file in memory on the cash handling device and is correlated to the transaction by a link.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the transaction information is stored in a format selected from the group consisting of:

text, rich text, html, audio file, and image file.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions;

memory that stores the computer-executable instructions;

a scanner to scan at least one paper bill;

a display;

an input means for receiving user input;

wherein the computer executable instructions cause the apparatus to;

receive a first input through the input means in order to request a deposit transaction;

enable currency to be inserted into the apparatus, said currency including said at least one paper bill and at least one coin;

use the scanner to scan said at least one paper bill;

receive a second input through the input means to indicate a total amount of the currency inserted into the apparatus;

receive a third input through the input means to provide transaction information about the deposit transaction;

store the transaction information in the memory;

correlate in memory the transaction information with the deposit transaction, wherein the transaction information includes additional information that is entered and specified by a user during the deposit transaction describing a damaged condition of the currency inserted into the apparatus;

compensate the transaction based on the additional information; and

detect discrepancies and extract the additional information for audits or resolving the discrepancies.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processor, the memory, the scanner, the display, and the input means are included within a cash handling device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the processor, the memory, the display, and the input means are included within a cash recycler.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the transaction information is stored in said memory in a format selected from the group consisting of:

metadata, a database record, a text file, a rich text file, an html file, an audio file, and an image file.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the correlation in memory is selected from the group consisting of:

a link, a uniform resource locator, a database record, and a pointer.