Method and Apparatus for Mobile Cash Transportation

• US 20140368345A1
• Filed: 06/12/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ellenby Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ellenby Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Dobbins, Bob M., Carullo, Thomas, Dobbins, Aaron H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,799,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.7
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2001/006 Cash boxes, e.g. with compartments
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/005 Portable strong boxes, e.g. which may be fixed to a wall or the like E05G1/08, E05G1/14 take precedence; devices to prevent theft or loss of bags, trunks, baskets, or the like A45C13/18; coin boxes for coin freed apparatus G07F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/10 with alarm, signal or indicator E05G1/14 takes precedence; burglar, theft or intruder alarm per se G08B13/00; fire or explosion alarm per se G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/125 Secure containers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/02 Mechanical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/06 by tampering with fastening

Abstract

A device designed to validate and transport paper currency in a protected fashion. While being transported, the device monitors for tampering or break-in attempts and subsequently generates warning notifications, or sounds an alarm depending on configuration and the type of tampering detected. The transport case provides end-to-end cash accountability from a location where a bill is inserted into the case, to the bank or cash destination, where the transport case is delivered. Additionally, a docking station accessory is described in which the transport case can be securely fixed while at a point of sale.

Claims

1. A portable cash transport apparatus comprising:

a currency validator for validating currency as the currency is inserted into the currency validator;

a tamper mechanism for detecting tampering with the portable cash transport apparatus;

a portable case enclosing the currency validator and the tamper mechanism with an insertion slot for insertion of currency into the currency validator; and

a battery powered controller controlling both the currency validator and the tamper mechanism, the controller and the tamper mechanism operating using battery power when the portable cash transport apparatus is not connected to another source of power and is being transported.

2. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting mechanism to mount the portable cash transport apparatus in a mounting dock.

3. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an internal polling mechanism to poll a user to provide a response, wherein if the response is not received in a predetermined time, an alarm is sounded.

4. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tamper mechanism further comprises:

light sensors and infrared proximity sensors to detect tampering.

5. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a keypad to arm and disarm the portable cash transport apparatus, the keypad requiring a correct key press sequence and proper delays between key presses.

6. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the portable case is closed, an internal cavity is defined having an illumination below a predetermined low level, and further comprising:

a mechanism to arm and disarm the portable cash transport case;

a sensor to detect possible tampering by detecting an increase in illumination above the predetermined level; and

a controller to determine the increase in illumination has occurred during a period when the portable transport case has not been disarmed.

7. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

reflective infrared (IR) proximity sensors to sense motion of a wall of the portable case or a nearby tool inserted through a wall of the portable case.

8. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication link to communicate a notification that an alarm has occurred.

9. The portable transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a battery adequate to supply power for mobile operation of the currency validator if the portable cash transport apparatus is not connected to another source of power.

10. The portable cash transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a polling mechanism to poll a mobile phone of an authorized user of the portable cash transport apparatus at periodic or random intervals.

11. The portable cash transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a vibration detector to detect impacts on an outer wall of the portable case.

12. The portable cash transport apparatus of claim 11, wherein the portable cash transport apparatus is disarmed in response to detection of a predetermined sequence of taps on the outer wall of the portable case by the vibration detector.

13. The portable cash transport apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an onboard database internal to the portable case storing all necessary user data and security parameters.

14. The portable apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a communication interface controlled by the controller to communicate a total amount of cash in the portable cash transport apparatus to a remote location.

15. A method for authenticating a secure keypad personal identification number (PIN) comprising:

generating a secure PIN comprising a sequence of keystrokes, a sequence of delays between the keystrokes, and a sequence of durations of the keystrokes in a training mode;

providing a user prompt to train the user to learn the secure PIN in the training mode;

entering a sequence of keystrokes in a correct order employing a keypad in an operational mode;

detecting a time delay between each pair of keystrokes in the sequence in the operational mode;

detecting a time duration of each keystroke in the sequence of keystrokes in the operational mode; and

authenticating the secure keypad PIN only if the time delays between sequential pairs of keystrokes fall within a first predetermined sequence of time windows, and the time durations of the sequence of keystrokes fall within a second predetermined sequence of time windows in the operational mode.

16. The method for authenticating a secure PIN of claim 15, wherein the user prompt comprises:

a first LED which illuminates to show the user how long to press each keystroke.

17. The method for authenticating the secure PIN of claim 15 further comprising:

repeating the user prompt in the training mode until a user successfully matches the user prompt a predetermined number of times.

18. The method of authenticating the secure PIN of claim 15, wherein the user prompt is an audio prompt.

19. The method for authenticating the secure PN of claim 15, wherein the secure PIN is randomly generated and different for each authorized user.

20. The method for authenticating the secure PIN of claim 15 further comprising:

storing the secure PIN for the user in a database in a portable transport case; and

retrieving the secure PIN to authenticate the user during arming and disarming of the portable transport case.