Automated banking machine currency tracking method

• US 7,433,844 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Laskowski, Edward L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARTLEY, KENNETH
• Application Number:
  US10/141,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/42, 705/43, 902/7, 902/8, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4213 of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2403/942 Bidirectional powered handling device
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/12 by means of the nip between two, or between two sets of, moving tapes or bands or rollers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/10 Mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/20 Controlling or monitoring the operation of devices; Data handling
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/24 Managing the stock of valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/36 Auditing of activities
• 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: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/181 Testing mechanical properties or condition, e.g. wear or tear G07D7/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/203 Dispensing operations within ATMs dispensing in general G07D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

An automated banking machine (10) includes a user interface (12) including an opening (20). Users of the machine deliver and receive individual sheets and stacks of sheets to and from the machine through the opening. Stacks of sheets may include sheets such as currency notes, checks or other documents. Stacks input to the machine may include mixtures of various types of sheets. The machine operates to receive notes, process checks and perform other operations. Notes received in the machine and assessed as valid may be recycled and dispensed to other users. Notes assessed by the machine as being of questionable validity may be marked thereon with a removable mark and subjected to further analysis.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) assessing validity of a document through operation of at least one assessing device of an automated banking machine, wherein the machine includes at least one marking device;

(b) responsive to the document being assessed to be of questionable validity in step (a), marking the document with at least one removable mark through operation of the at least one marking device, wherein the mark is removable from the document, wherein the marking permits a post-marking decision to initiate mark removal;

(c) operating the machine to transport the document marked in step (b).

2. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

conducting a transaction with the automated banking machine, wherein in the transaction the document is placed in the machine.

3. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:

associating an indicator with a transaction through operation of the machine, wherein in step (b) the at least one removable mark includes at least a portion of the indicator.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the indicator comprises a transaction number.

5. The method according to claim 4 and further comprising:

(d) removing the document from the machine;

(e) subsequent to step (d), assessing the validity of the document outside of the machine;

(f) reading the transaction number;

(g) notifying a person responsible for the transaction of the invalidity of the document responsive to determining in step (e) that the document is invalid.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the transaction is conducted on an account, and wherein the indicator is associated with the account.

7. The method according to claim 6 and subsequent to step (b) further comprising:

(d) assessing the document for validity;

(e) reading the indicator;

(f) notifying a holder of the account of invalidity of the document responsive to determining in step (d) that the document is invalid.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the transaction is conducted by a user, and wherein the indicator is associated with the user.

9. The method according to claim 8, and subsequent to step (b) further comprising:

(d) assessing the document for validity;

(e) reading the indicator;

(f) notifying the user of invalidity of the document responsive to determining in step (d) that the document is invalid.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the indicator comprises machine readable indicia.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the indicator comprises a bar code.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (b) the at least one removable mark comprises removable ink.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the removable ink comprises visible ink.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the removable ink comprises nonvisible ink.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the removable ink comprises ink only visible when exposed to radiation within a particular frequency range.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein removable ink comprises ink that is only visible when exposed to radiation in the UV range.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (b) the at least one removable mark comprises at least one removable label.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein step (c) includes storing the document in at least one first location in the machine.

19. The method according to claim 18 and further comprising:

(d) assessing the validity of at least one further document through operation of the machine;

(e) storing the at least one further document in the machine without marking the at least one further document, responsive to the at least one further document being assessed as valid in step (d).

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein in step (e) includes storing the at least one further document in at least one second location different from the first location.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein a first transaction conducted by a first user with the machine comprises steps (a) through (e), and further comprising:

conducting a second transaction for a second user through operation of the machine, wherein the second transaction comprises dispensing the at least one further document from the machine to the second user.

22. The method according to claim 18 and further comprising:

(d) removing the document from the machine;

(e) assessing the document for validity outside of the machine;

(f) maintaining the at least one removable mark on the document responsive to determining in step (e) that the document is invalid.

23. The method according to claim 18, and further comprising subsequent to step (b):

(d) assessing the document for validity;

(e) removing the at least one removable mark from the document responsive to the document being assessed as valid in step (d).

24. The method according to claim 23 and prior to step (d) removing the document from the machine, wherein step (d) is performed outside of the machine.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one removable mark comprises removable ink, and wherein step (e) comprises removing the ink.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the at least one removable mark comprises washable ink, and wherein step (e) comprises washing and drying the document.

27. The method according to claim 1 wherein the document comprises a currency note.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein in step (b) the document is marked responsive to the machine being unable to determine that the currency note is genuine.

29. The method according to claim 28 and further comprising:

granting a user presenting a document to the machine a credit for the document;

storing the document in the machine.

30. The method according to claim 29 and further comprising:

(d) removing the document from the machine;

(e) subsequent to step (d) assessing the document for validity;

(f) revoking the credit responsive to determining in step (d) that the document is not valid.

31. The method according to claim 28 wherein the automated banking machine comprises an ATM adapted to receive a currency note deposit.

32. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

(d) assessing validity of another document through operation of the machine;

(e) responsive to the another document being assessed to be invalid in step (d), marking the another document with at least one permanent mark through operation of the machine.

33. The method according to claim 32 and prior to step (d), receiving the another document from a user of the machine, and subsequent to step (e) delivering the document from the machine to the user.

34. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

(d) subsequent to step (b), determining to initiate removal of the at least one removable mark from the document;

(e) subsequent to step (d), initiating removal of the at least one removable mark from the document.

35. A method comprising:

(a) determining with an automated banking machine a document to have a validity unacceptable to the machine;

(b) responsive to the determining in step (a), generating unique identifying information relating to the document with the machine;

(c) marking the document with a readable indicating mark with the machine, wherein the identifying information corresponds to the readable indicating mark, and wherein the identifying information is unique from other unacceptable document identifying information.

36. The method according to claim 35 wherein (c) includes marking the document with at least one removable mark.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the document comprises a currency note, and wherein in (c) the currency note is marked responsive to the machine being unable to determine that the currency note is genuine.

38. The method according to claim 37 wherein the automated banking machine comprises an ATM adapted to receive a currency note deposit.

39. The method according to claim 35 wherein (c) includes marking the document with at least one permanent mark.

40. The method according to claim 35 wherein the document comprises a currency note.

41. The method according to claim 40 wherein in (b) the mark corresponds to a serial number on the currency note.

42. A method comprising:

(a) identifying an unacceptable currency note within an ATM including at least one identifying device and at least one marking device, wherein the at least one marking device is adapted to print a mark on an unacceptable currency note within the ATM;

(b) printing a mark on the unacceptable currency note identified in step (a) with the at least one marking device for unique identification of the unacceptable currency note from other marked unacceptable currency notes.

43. The method according to claim 42 wherein prior to (a), receiving the currency note into the ATM as a deposit.

44. The method according to claim 42 wherein step (b) includes printing at least one removable readable mark on the unacceptable currency note.

45. A method comprising:

(a) identifying, by operating within an automated banking machine at least one identifying device, an unacceptable currency note associated with a requested transaction involving the machine, wherein the machine includes at least one marking device;

(b) marking, by operating the at least one marking device the unacceptable currency note identified in step (a) with unique identification, wherein the unique identification includes at least a portion of an indicator associated with the requested transaction.

46. A method comprising:

(a) identifying, by operating within an automated banking machine at least one device, an unacceptable currency note associated with a requested note receiving transaction involving the machine;

(b) generating, responsive to the identifying in step (a), unique identifying information related to the unacceptable currency note;

(c) marking the unacceptable currency note with at least one readable indicating mark with the machine, wherein the identifying information corresponds to the at least one readable indicating mark, and wherein the identifying information differs from all other unacceptable currency note identifying information.