Money tracking robot systems and methods

• US 10,607,198 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Moore, Alicia Y., Hill, Miranda C., Symons, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Daniel I
• Application Number:
  US15/864,747
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/16 Handling of valuable papers within containers G07D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/00 Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines data processing equipment for bank accounting G06Q40/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robotic device for transporting physical money includes a receiving interface, a counter mechanism, a storage vault, and a control circuit. The receiving interface receives physical money. The counter mechanism is connected to the receiving interface and receives and counts the physical money inserted into the receiving interface. The storage vault stores the physical money counted by the counter mechanism and remains closed when the robotic device is at a first location. The control circuit determines an amount of physical money stored in the storage vault based on the counted physical money, controls a drive system of the robotic device to cause the robotic device to travel from the first location to a second location, and opens the storage vault when the robotic device reaches the second location.

Claims

1. A robotic device for tracking physical money, comprising:

a sensing device configured to detect a location of physical money stored in a financial institution by reading at least one tag attached to the physical money;

a drive system configured to drive the robotic device to follow the physical money from a first location to a second location, wherein both the first location and the second location are within the financial institution and remote from each other;

wherein the drive system further comprises at least one object sensor configured to sense objects along a route from the first location to the second location and provide commands to the drive system to drive the robotic device to the second area while avoiding the objects;

a control circuit configured to control the drive system to maintain a predetermined distance between the robotic device and the physical money;

wherein the sensing device is further configured to provide signals to the drive system to drive the robotic device to follow the physical money and an individual transporting the physical money from the first location to the second location and capture identifying information of the individual;

and a robotic device network circuit communicably coupled to a teller transaction device at the first location, the robotic device network circuit configured to;

receive a command from the teller transaction device to follow the physical money and individual transporting the physical money while the physical money is transported from the first location to the second location; and

transmit a confirmation message over a network to the teller transaction device indicating the physical money reaches the second location.

2. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the drive system comprises:

a navigation system configured to enable the robotic device to avoid obstacles while maintaining the position of the robotic device within the maximum distance of the position of the physical money; and

at least one of a wheel, a track, a tread, a propeller, a rotor, and a leg.

3. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the physical money is tagged with a wireless tag, and wherein the sensing device is configured to detect the position of the wireless tag.

4. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is configured to detect the position of the physical money by detecting the position of an individual transporting the physical money.

5. The robotic device of claim 4, wherein the sensing device includes at least one of a photographic camera, a video camera, an infrared camera, a LIDAR device, a near-field communication device, and a microphone.

6. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the first position is a physical money receiving area and the second location is a vault located within a financial institution.

7. The robotic device of claim 1, further comprising a robotic device network circuit communicably coupled to a teller transaction device, the robotic device network circuit configured to:

receive a command from the teller transaction device to track the physical money while the physical money is transported from a first location to a second location; and

transmit a confirmation to the teller transaction device when the physical money reaches the second location.

8. A method of tracking physical money by a robotic device, comprising:

detecting a location of physical money stored in a financial institution by reading at least one tag attached t the physical money with a sensing device of the robotic device;

driving the robotic device, via a drive system, to follow the physical money from a first location to a second location, wherein both the first location and second location are within the financial institution and remote from each other;

sensing, by the drive system, objects along a route from the first location to the second location and providing commands to the drive system to drive the robotic device to the second location while avoiding the objects;

maintaining a predetermined distance between the robotic device and the physical money by a control circuit controlling the drive system;

providing signals from the sensing device to the drive system to drive the robotic device to follow the physical money and individual transporting the physical money while the physical money is transported from the first location to the second location and capture identifying information of the individual;

receiving by a robotic network circuit of the robotic device communicably coupled to a teller transaction device at the first location, a command to follow the physical money and individual transporting the physical money while the physical money is transported from the first location to the second location; and

transmitting, by the robotic device, a confirmation message over a network to the teller transaction device indicating the physical money reached the second area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the physical money is tagged with a wireless tag, and wherein detecting the position of the physical money with the sensing device comprises detecting the position of the wireless tag.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the position of the physical money with the sensing device comprises detecting the position of an individual transporting the physical money.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sensing device includes at least one of a photographic camera, a video camera, an infrared camera, a LIDAR device, a near-field communication device, and a microphone.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising tracking the physical money from a first location to a second location;

and

transmitting a confirmation to the financial institution computing system when the physical money arrives at the second location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first location is a teller transaction device or an automated teller machine and the second location is a vault located within a financial institution.

14. A method of tracking physical money with a money receiving device, comprising:

storing physical money in the money receiving device at a first location in a financial institution;

determining when physical money is removed from the money receiving device and placed into a robotic device comprising;

a sensing device configured to detect a location of physical money stored in a financial institution by reading at least one tag attached to the physical money;

a drive system configured to drive the robotic device to follow the physical money from a first location to a second location, wherein both the first location and the second location are within the financial institution and remote from each other;

wherein the drive system further comprises at least one object sensor configured to sense objects along a route from the first location to the second location and provide commands to the drive system to drive the robotic device to the second area while avoiding the objects;

a control circuit configured to control the drive system to maintain a predetermined distance between the robotic device and the physical money;

wherein the sensing device is further configured, responsive to the physical money being removed from the money receiving device, to provide signals to the drive system to drive the robotic device to follow the physical money and an individual transporting the physical money from the first location to the second location and capture identifying information of the individual;

and a robotic device network circuit communicably coupled to a teller transaction device at the first location, the robotic device network circuit configured to;

receive a command from the teller transaction device to follow the physical money and individual transporting the physical money while the physical money is transported from the first location to the second location; and

transmit a confirmation message over a network to the teller transaction device indicating the physical money reaches the second location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the robotic device is configured to receive the physical money at the money receiving device, securely store the physical money in a storage vault onboard the robotic device when traveling from the location of the money receiving device to the destination, and enable unloading of the physical money from the storage vault at the destination.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the notification indicates that the physical money has arrived at the destination, and wherein the destination is a vault located within a financial institution.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the notification indicates at least one of the physical money being prematurely removed from the robotic device before the robotic device unloads the physical money at the destination, the robotic device being interfered with by an unauthorized device or person, or the robotic device encountering an obstacle preventing the robotic device from reaching the destination.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the money tracking device comprises a sensing device configured to monitor an individual while the individual transports the physical money from the location of the money receiving device to the destination.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the command signal includes an indication of the amount of physical money removed from the money receiving device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the money receiving device is a teller transaction device or an automated teller machine.