Universal cartridge for different cash recyclers

• US 8,600,842 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• 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): OBAID, FATEH M
• Application Number:
  US12/277,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

A cash recycler includes one or more universal cartridges storing cash which may be exchanged between different types of cash recyclers. 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 method, comprising:

determining, by a first cash recycler, that a first cartridge housed in the first cash recycler has at least one of a surplus and deficiency of at least one denomination of cash, wherein the first cartridge is configured to accept and dispense the at least one denomination of cash;

preparing, by a second cash recycler, a second cartridge for exchanging with the first cartridge of the first cash recycler, the second cartridge being housed in the second cash recycler and interchangeable with the first cartridge, wherein the second cartridge is configured to accept and dispense bills of the at least one denomination of cash, and wherein the first cartridge and the second cartridge are configured to be removably insertable into a plurality of different cash recyclers, at least one of the plurality of different cash recyclers being a different manufacture or different model from another of the plurality of different cash recyclers;

receiving, by the first cash recycler, the second cartridge in exchange for the first cartridge, the first cartridge containing a different number of bills of the at least one denomination of cash than the second cartridge; and

transmitting, by the first cash recycler, a notification indicating that the first cartridge was removed from the first cash recycler and indicating that the second cartridge was inserted into the first cash recycler.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the second cartridge in exchange for the first cartridge, reconciling, by the first cash recycler, an amount of funds available at the first cash recycler.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first cash recycler, that the first cash recycler no longer has a surplus or deficiency of the at least one denomination of cash.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first cash recycler determines that the first cartridge has a surplus of at least one denomination of cash, and

wherein the second cash recycler prepares the second cartridge to include fewer bills of the surplus denomination than the first cartridge.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first cash recycler determines that the first cartridge has a deficiency of at least one denomination of cash, and

wherein the second cash recycler prepares the second cartridge to include more bills of the deficient denomination than the first cartridge.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the second cash recycler, a real-time update of a cash inventory level of the first cash recycler after preparing the second cartridge; and

adjusting, by the second cash recycler, the amount of cash in the second cartridge based on the real-time update.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the first cash recycler, a third cash recycler to receive the first cartridge;

confirming, by the first cash recycler, that the first cartridge was inserted into the third cash recycler; and

in response to receiving the first cartridge, accounting, by the third cash recycler, for the change of cash at the third cash recycler if the first cartridge contains cash.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first cash recycler, that a number of bills of one or more denominations are unfit for recycling.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

inserting, by the first cash recycler, the unfit bills into a third cartridge.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the reconciling is based on first cash information stored on a first RFID tag associated with the first cartridge, second cash information stored on a second RFID tag associated with the second cartridge, and third cash information stored on a third RFID tag associated with the third cartridge.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the first cash recycler, a transportation plan; and

sending, by the first cash recycler, the transportation plan to a transport carrier.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first cartridge has a surplus of at least one denomination of cash, transmitting, by the first cash recycler, an alert indicating that the surplus exists and is comprised of at least one particular number of bills of at least one denomination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first cartridge includes the cash determined to be the surplus.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first cartridge has a deficiency of at least one denomination of cash, transmitting, by the first cash recycler, an alert indicating that the deficiency exists and that at least one particular number of bills of at least one denomination is needed to replenish the first cash recycler.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein preparing the second cartridge includes inserting into the second cartridge the at least one particular number of bills of the at least one denomination needed to replenish the first cash recycler.

16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:

determine that a first cartridge housed in a first cash recycler has at least one of a surplus and deficiency of at least one denomination of cash;

transmit a replenishment request to a second cash recycler, the replenishment request being configured to cause the second cash recycler to prepare a second cartridge for exchanging with the first cartridge of the first cash recycler, the second cartridge being housed in the second cash recycler, wherein the first cartridge and the second cartridge are configured to be removably insertable into a plurality of different cash recyclers, at least one of the plurality of different cash recyclers being a different manufacture or different model from another of the plurality of different cash recyclers; and

receive the second cartridge in exchange for the first cartridge, the first cartridge containing a different number of bills of the at least one denomination of cash than the second cartridge, wherein the first and second cartridge are configured to accept and dispense the at least one denomination of cash.

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

determine that a first cartridge housed in the apparatus has at least one of a surplus and deficiency of at least one denomination of cash;

transmit a replenishment request to a cash recycler, the replenishment request being configured to cause the cash recycler to prepare a second cartridge for exchanging with the first cartridge of the apparatus, the second cartridge being housed in the cash recycler, wherein the first cartridge and the second cartridge are configured to be removably insertable into a plurality of different cash recyclers, at least one of the plurality of different cash recyclers being a different manufacture or different model from another of the plurality of different cash recyclers; and

receive the second cartridge in exchange for the first cartridge, the first cartridge containing a different number of bills of the at least one denomination of cash than the second cartridge, wherein the first and second cartridge are configured to accept and dispense the at least one denomination of cash.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus and the cash recycler are different types of cash recyclers.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first cartridge and the second cartridge are configured to be removably insertable into a plurality of different types of cash handling devices.