System consisting of bank note processing machines, bank note processing machine and associated operating method

• US 20070152034A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient (Giesecke & Devrient GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Inventors: Matzig, Christoph, Dietz, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/00 Devices accepting coins; Devices accepting, dispensing, sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/28 Setting of parameters; Software updates
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/00 Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network

Abstract

A system of banknote processing machines, a banknote processing machine and a method for operating same are provided wherein data necessary for operation of the banknote processing machines are exchanged between the banknote processing machines and a service center.

Claims

1. System comprising at least one banknote processing machine, which is connected to a service centre by means of a network, wherein

data necessary for operation of the at least one banknote processing machine and/or of data produced during operation of the at least one banknote processing machine is exchanged between the banknote processing machine and the service centre via the network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the exchanged data comprise software.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the exchanged data comprise comparison data and/or presets.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data from the service centre fully or partially replaces and/or enhances the data in the banknote processing machine.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the banknote processing machine and the service centre have an interface for connection to the network.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein a number of banknote processing machines are connected to one another, wherein the exchange of data with the service centre takes place via one of the banknote processing machines and/or via the connection of the banknote processing machines.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein one or more banknote processing machines are assigned to an operator that is able to monitor and/or control the banknote processing machines by means of a monitoring unit.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein data from banknote processing machines and/or operators are stored in a data memory of the service centre.

10. The system according to claim 1 or 8, wherein the service centre is arranged to evaluate the data from the banknote processing machines.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre is connected to departments.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the departments are arranged to provide data to the service centre.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein the departments are arranged to evaluate data from the service centre.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein each department is arranged to access data of the other departments.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the departments are arranged to request data from the banknote processing machines.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the departments are arranged to provide data to the banknote processing machines.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein one of said departments is arranged to provide software for operation of the banknote processing machines.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein one of said departments is arranged to provide comparison data for the banknote processing machines.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein one of said departments is arranged to provide data and/or software and/or information for repairing and/or servicing the banknote processing machines.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein one of said departments is arranged to provide information concerning the banknote processing machines.

21. The system according to claim 1, including at least one further service centre connected to the network.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one service organization and/or service person is connected to the service centre via the network.

23. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre is arranged to provide a trial version of the data for the banknote processing machines, which is usable by the banknote processing machines only for a limited time and/or for a predetermined number of uses.

24. The system according to claim 1, configured so as to enable operators and/or service organizations and/or banknote processing machines to search for information and/or data from the service centre in a targeted manner.

25. The system according to claim 1, 8 or 11, wherein the service centre and/or the departments communicate via the network with the operators and/or the service organizations and/or service personnel, in particular by means of graphic signals and/or text signals and/or image signals and/or sound signals.

26. The system according to claim 8, wherein the exchange of data between the service centre and the banknote processing machines, the service organization, and the operators, uses a standard protocol.

27. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre is arranged to request data from the banknote processing machines.

28. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre is enabled to adjust and control the banknote processing machines.

29. The system according to claim 1, wherein the banknote processing machines are arranged to request data from the service centre.

30. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre is enabled to charge fees for transmitting data to the banknote processing machines.

31. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre is arranged to provide individual presets for each of the banknote processing machines.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein each of the banknote processing machines is arranged to check whether new individual presets are available from the service centre and, if so, to use these new presets.

33. The system according to claim 1, wherein adjustments to the respective banknote processing machine are undertaken by the banknote processing machine depending on the location.

34. The system according to claim 1, wherein the banknote processing machines are arranged to send fault reports to the service centre and/or the service organization and/or the operator.

35. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre and/or the service organization and/or the operator request fault reports from the banknote processing machines.

36. The system according to claim 34, wherein any faults that have occurred are displayed by the banknote processing machines by means of an input/output device.

37. The system according to claim 4, wherein when a fault has occurred and/or when a fault report has been received from the banknote processing machines, the service centre generates instructions to remove this fault and provides said instructions to the respective banknote processing machine.

38. The system according to claim 1, wherein for certain operating processes and/or fault clearance operations, the presence of one or more persons is absolutely necessary.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein the presence of the person or persons is monitored.

40. The system according to claim 1 wherein the service centre informs the service organization and/or a service person if certain faults occur on one of the banknote processing machines.

41. The system according to claim 40, wherein the service centre transmits to the service organization and/or to the service person information concerning the type of fault and/or concerning the measures to be carried out and/or concerning replacement parts that are required.

42. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre checks whether a banknote processing machine, a service organization and an operator are authorized to exchange data with the service centre.

43. The system according to claim 1, wherein the banknote processing machines, the service organizations and the operators check whether the service centre is authorized to exchange data with them.

44. The system according to claim 1, wherein data from the service centre are loaded by a banknote processing machine if the data from the service centre are of a newer version.

45. The system according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of data between the service centre and the banknote processing machines takes place at a specified point of time.

46. The system according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of data between the service centre and the banknote processing machines is refused by the banknote processing machines.

47. The system according to claim 46, wherein if the exchange of data is refused by a banknote processing machine, the service centre takes control of the banknote processing machine in order to perform the exchange of data.

48. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data of the banknote processing machine are backuped prior to an exchange of data into the banknote processing machine and/or the service centre.

49. The system according to claim 48, wherein the backuped data of the banknote processing machine can be used again or further if the exchange of data between the service centre and the banknote processing machine fails.

50. The system according to claim 1, wherein fundamental parts of the data of the banknote processing machines cannot be altered by an exchange of data.

51. The system according to claim 1, wherein the banknote processing machines are arranged to check whether the data to be exchanged originate from an authorized source.

52. The system according to claim 1, wherein the banknote processing machines are arranged to check prior to each use of data whether the data to be used originate from an authorized source.

53. The system according to claim 1, wherein data to be exchanged, which must be paid, are identified, and exchange with the banknote processing machines is possible only if proof of payment exists.

54. The system according to claim 1, wherein data to be exchanged, which must be paid, are identified, and use by the banknote processing machines is possible only if proof of payment exists.

55. The system according to claim 53, wherein the proof of payment is provided by an individual identifier of a banknote processing machine.

56. The system according to claim 53, wherein the proof of payment is provided by an identifier for a number of banknote processing machines.

57. The system according to claim 1, wherein an amount to be paid for data is set depending on the use of the data by the banknote processing machine.

58. The system according to claim 1, wherein data concerning the banknotes processed by the banknote processing machines are transmitted to the service centre.

59. The system according to claim 58, wherein comparison data are generated by the service centre from the data concerning the banknotes.

60. The system according to claim 59, wherein comparison data generated by the service centre are exchanged with the banknote processing machines.

61. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre is arranged to generate an alarm message as a result of exchanging data with one or more of the banknote processing machines, which alarm message is sent to at least one of the banknote processing machines.

62. The system according to claim 61, wherein the alarm message places the banknote processing machines in a special mode of operation.

63. The system according to claim 61, wherein the alarm message contains further data, which are generated by the service centre and/or originate from the banknote processing machine(s) whose data triggered the generation of the alarm message.

64. The system according to claim 61, wherein the alarm message is generated when counterfeit or suspect banknotes are found.

65. The system according to claim 61, wherein a service person sets up by means of the banknote processing machines or a computer a connection via the network to the service centre and/or the service organization in order to request assistance and/or replacement parts.

66. The system according to claim 65, wherein the operations carried out by the service person are communicated via the network to the service centre and/or the service organization.

67. The system according to claim 66, wherein the service centre and/or the service organization charges fees based on the operations communicated.

68. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service centre informs the operating person if certain faults occur on one of the banknote processing machines.

69. The system according to claim 68, wherein the service centre transmits information concerning the type of fault and/or concerning the measures to be carried out and/or concerning replacement parts that are required to the operating person.

70. The system according to claim 68, wherein the service centre asks the operating person to deliver the necessary replacement parts to the location of the respective banknote processing machine.

71. The system according to claim 68, wherein the service centre asks the departments to provide data and/or software for clearing the fault on the banknote processing machines.

72. The system according to claim 71, wherein the departments provide the data and/or software for clearing the fault on the banknote processing machines by text and/or graphically and/or optically and/or acoustically.

73. The system according to claim 1, wherein when certain faults occur, the service centre clears the faults via the network.

74. The system according to claim 1, wherein operating persons of the banknote processing machines define specific configuration data.

75. The system according to claim 74, wherein the specific configuration data are stored in the banknote processing machine, the service centre and/or the service organization and/or the computer of the operator.

76. The system according to claim 75, wherein the stored specific configuration data are used by an operating person of the banknote processing machines when this operating person operates the banknote processing machine.

77. Banknote processing machine, wherein the banknote processing machine is used in a system according to claim 1.

78. The banknote processing machine according to claim 77, wherein the banknote processing machine has an interface for connection to the network.

79. Service centre, wherein the service centre is used in a system according to claim 1.

80. The service centre according to claim 79, wherein the service centre has an interface for connection to the network.

81. Method for operating at least one banknote processing machine as well as a service centre, comprising the steps:

exchanging data necessary for operation of the at least one banknote processing machine between the at least one banknote processing machine and the service centre, in accordance with a system consisting of the at least one banknote processing machine and the service centre, according to claim 1.