Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6659340
-
Patent Number
6,659,340
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, December 5, 200023 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 9, 200320 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Le; Thien M.
- Lee; Seung H
Agents
- Vidas, Arrett & Steinkraus
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 235 379
- 235 486
- 235 382
- 902 9
- 902 13
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A currency receiving device for receiving currency from a user, comprising a safe having a lockable access opening and a transfer slot, a local processor, operatively connected to the safe, the local processor having a user interface to communicate with the user, and being capable of communicating with a remote processor, a currency counter, operatively connected to the safe, to count the currency deposited by the user, and a removable currency receptacle, removably contained within the safe and operatively connected to the currency counter, to receive currency from the currency counter and to store the currency, the removable currency receptacle having a unique identifier, wherein, upon the currency receptacle being installed in the safe, the identifier is correlated with the count of currency deposited by the user.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the general field of currency handling equipment, and more particularly to devices capable of accepting deposits of paper currency.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Paper currency or cash is still extensively used, particularly in high cash environments such as supermarkets and other large retail stores. However, from the retailer's point of view the use of cash can present problems associated with security and efficient handling. Unlike non-currency financial instruments such as credit cards, debit cards, checks and the like, which are generally integrated from point-of-sale with a computerized banking system, cash must be counted and securely transported to a bank depository before it can be properly credited to its owner's account.
The general procedure is to store cash collected in the course of a business day in a secure local storage device such as a store safe. Safes are well known devices for storing valuables that generally comprise a reinforced container made from a strong steel or concrete, and having a lockable access door with internal or heavily reinforced hinges. The stored cash may then be retrieved from the safe periodically by security personnel, such as armed security guards, and securely transported to the bank depository.
This arrangement, while prevalent, presents several problems. First, a sales clerk will generally need to make a series of deposits into the local safe over the course of a day to avoid the security risk of having too much cash on hand. This requires repeated re-opening the lockable access door. When there are several clerks making deposits it becomes convenient to simply leave the door open. However, this undermines the very purpose of the safe, since the stored currency is not protected from theft, fire, and other hazards unless the door is closed and locked.
Another issue is that the security guards may not arrive to retrieve the cash until the next day, or even later. Further, the stored cash is usually randomly scattered throughout the interior of the safe, and then has to be stuffed into bags and loaded onto an armoured vehicle. Unless this happens to be the guard's last pick-up of the day, there are probably other cash pick-ups from other outlets. The cash may therefore not arrive at the bank until a day or two after it is received from the customer. The delay may be even longer if the armoured vehicle picks up loads for deposit at different institutions. This could impose yet a further intervening step of unloading at a central site, sorting according to eventual destination, and re-loading onto another truck.
A further matter is that while the cash is in transit there is a loss of float interest by the owner. Since the cash has not been credited, it is also not available to help fund current operations. Further, the funds represented by this cash-in-transit may not be accurately known to the owner, thereby compromising the owner's ability to maintain tight financial controls.
Yet another issue is that, notwithstanding the various security measures, while in transit the anonymous nature of the cash makes it a persistent and tempting target for pilferage, misappropriation, and theft. For example, the cash bag may be opened or cut and its contents removed. If a bag has been opened and re-closed, it may be difficult to subsequently identify whether there has been a theft or a loading error. Alternatively, one or more bags may be taken outright and the misappropriation not evident until some time later. Moreover, in all of these cases it would be difficult to determine at which precise point in the circuit from the safe to the bank depository that the misappropriation or theft occurred.
Some of these issues have been partly addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,122, which discloses a currency receiving device comprising a safe with an attached currency counter and having a currency receiving opening with a retractable cover, to selectively provide access to the interior of the safe. Cash placed for deposit is counted and then passed from the currency counter to the safe through the currency receiving opening. The patent further teaches a removable currency receptacle made of heavy gauge steel, placed in the safe, to receive the currency.
This patent teaches a device that may enable regular deposits to be made into the safe while the main access door is kept closed and locked. The removable receptacle is a more convenient and secure enclosure to use to transport cash from the safe to the bank depository.
However, the retractable cover taught is not an effective means of transferring the currency from the currency counter to the safe, and can result in currency being jammed and the cover not closing properly. This creates an opportunity for unauthorized access to the cash stored in the currency receptacle. Further, if the currency receptacle is not installed the device will still work and undesirably deposit currency loosely into the interior of the safe. Yet another matter is that if the main door of the safe is open, the receptacle may be easily removed and its contents taken. Further, even when the currency receptacle is removed by authorized personnel, it is still vulnerable to access by unauthorized personnel while in transit. This can be a problem since, as noted, the receptacle may pass through several trucks and loading sites before reaching the bank depository. The patent fails to teach any means by which a misappropriation during transit can be identified, or by which the cash may be better integrated into the financial banking system.
As a result, regardless of whether a receptacle is used the cash being transported still represents a valuable asset of largely undetermined value that is essentially floating in space until it reaches the bank depository. Therefore, in contrast to modern electronic payment means such as credit or debit cards, cash continues to be a form of payment that is relatively awkward to collect and record, and is not as efficiently integrated into commercial financial systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is a currency receiving device and method which overcomes these disadvantages. Most particularly, this device should include a removable currency receptacle with a unique identifier, recognizable by the currency receiving device, so that deposit information can be correlated with the particular receptacle receiving the deposit. This information is preferably kept at a remote location or processor, but may also be kept with the currency receptacle itself.
The label or identifier provides a tag through which the physical location and progress of the cash-in-transit can be known, and by which the cash contents itself may be effectively tied into the financial system. In this way the cash may be accurately known to its owner from the time it is first deposited in the safe until it is physically deposited at the owner's bank. This should assist the owner in maintaining accurate financial controls, and may even enable early crediting of the owner's bank account, thereby reducing the float expense.
The receptacle should also have a lockable lid to deter unauthorized access while it is in transit. Further, it would be advantageous for the currency receiving device to have a lockable mounting device to securely hold the currency receptacle when it is installed in the safe, to prevent unauthorized removal of the receptacle or its contents and to provide for more efficient operation. The currency receiving device should recognize the presence of the receptacle so that currency will not be transferred unless the receptacle is securely in place. Finally, it would be advantageous to have a retractable cover or access gate to ensure that the deposited currency is quickly, securely, and reliably transferred from the currency counter to the receptacle.
Accordingly, there is provided a currency receiving device for receiving currency from a user, comprising:
a safe having a lockable access opening and a transfer slot;
a local processor, operatively connected to said safe, said local processor having a user interface to communicate with the user, and being capable of communicating with a remote processor;
a currency counter, operatively connected to said safe, to count the currency deposited by the user; and
a removable currency receptacle, contained within said safe and operatively connected to said currency counter, to receive currency from the currency counter and to store said currency, said removable currency receptacle having a unique identifier;
wherein, upon said currency receptacle being installed in said safe, said identifier is correlated with said count of currency deposited by said user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference will now be made, by way of example only, to preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the attached figures.
FIG. 1
is a front perspective view of the currency receiving device of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a rear view of the currency receiving device of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a partial cut-away view of
FIG. 1
, showing an internal mechanism and a currency receptacle of the currency receiving device;
FIG. 4
is a partial cut-away view of the currency receptacle of
FIG. 3
, showing an internal mechanism of the currency receptacle;
FIG. 5
is a front perspective view of the currency receptacle of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 6
is a perspective view of an unloading station, showing the currency receptacle of
FIG. 3
being unloaded;
FIG. 7
is a perspective view of a mounting device, which forms part of the internal mechanism of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 8
is an exploded view of a section of the mounting device of
FIG. 7
;
FIG. 9
is a further perspective view of the mounting device of
FIG. 7
, with the currency recepacle of
FIG. 3
installed;
FIG. 10
is a top view of an access gate, which forms part of the internal mechanism of
FIG. 3
; and
FIG. 11
is a diagram view of the currency receiving device of
FIG. 1
, showing three currency receptacles installed in three currency receiving devices, in transit on an armoured vehicle, and at a bank depository, while being monitored by a network controller.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1
shows a front perspective view of an apparatus or device comprising the currency receiving device of the present invention. The device is generally indicated with reference numeral
10
. As will be discussed in greater detail, the device
10
functions to receive and store paper currency or cash deposited by a user. The present invention also includes aspects and methods that enhance security for storing and transporting said received currency, and that improve integration of said stored currency with computerized financial and banking systems.
FIG. 1
shows as elements of the currency receiving device a storage area
12
, a local processor
14
having a touch screen
15
, currency counter
16
, card reader
18
, print receipt slot
20
, and cheque slot
22
. The currency counter
16
further comprises an input hopper
24
, reject tray
26
, and an escrow bin
28
having a lockable housing
30
. The local processor
14
is preferably a personal computer (PC) having a touch sensitive screen, or “touch screen”. While a conventional type screen may also be used, it can be appreciated that a touch screen has the benefit of reducing the need for a keyboard and its associated complication and expense.
A transfer slot or currency receiving opening
32
is shown bounded by dotted lines on the bottom surface of the escrow bin
28
, thereby providing a passageway from the escrow bin
28
into the storage area
12
. An access gate
34
having a front slider
36
and a rear slider
38
is positioned underneath said currency receiving opening
32
, on a top surface inside storage area
12
. Access gate
34
has an open position in which the front slider
36
and rear slider
38
are substantially apart, thereby exposing currency receiving opening
32
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, access gate
34
also has a closed position in which the front slider
34
and rear slider
36
are drawn together to form a contiguous connection
39
, thereby covering or blocking the passageway provided by currency receiving opening
32
.
It may also be noted that the device
10
of the present invention preferably includes an uninterrupted power service (ups) device. If power to the device
10
is lost during a transaction, the ups device can take over and provide power to complete the transaction. Subsequently the device
10
will not accept further deposits until the power is restored.
FIG. 2
shows a rear view of the device
10
, from which it may be seen that storage area
12
comprises a safe
40
for storing currency and a separate cheque safe
42
to store deposited cheques. Safe
40
has a lockable access opening or door
41
. Each safe will have one or more locks
44
for security purposes. In
FIG. 2
safe
40
is shown having two locks
44
for added security. It can be appreciated that the locks
44
are most commonly of the combination type, but other types of locks that provide adequate security may also be used.
FIG. 3
is a partial cut-away view of
FIG. 1
showing certain internal elements of the currency receiving device
10
. Access gate
34
with its component parts, the front slider
34
and rear slider
36
, is now more fully shown in a partially open position. Positioned beneath access gate
34
is a removable currency receptacle or canister
46
. Canister
46
is generally a rectangular container sized and shaped to receive paper currency. Said canister
46
has an access opening or open top end
48
, so that when access gate
34
is open there is an unobstructed path or passageway from the bottom surface of escrow bin
28
(
FIG. 1
) into the interior of canister
46
. Internal to canister
46
is a movable platform
50
operatively connected to a rotatable shaft
52
, which attaches to a first roller
54
at the base of the shaft. First roller
54
in turn maintains a contiguous connection with a second roller
56
, which is driven by a reversible electric motor
58
(not shown). A stack of paper currency or cash
60
is shown on the platform
50
, and also on the input hopper
24
.
Canister
46
is secured in place by a mounting device
62
located on the bottom interior surface of the device
10
, inside safe
40
. The mounting device
62
has among its components a locking lever
64
, a backing rod
65
, and two lock-arms
66
. It can be seen in
FIG. 3
that canister
46
is bounded on all four sides by these elements of mounting device
62
. The front of the canister
46
adjoins backing rod
65
, the two sides are bounded by the long sides of the two lock-arms
66
, and the back of canister
46
is held on either side by hook-like projections at the end of the same lock-arms
66
. As will be shown in greater detail below, backing rod
65
is fixed in place, and lock-arms
66
may be locked into the above position upon rotation of locking lever
64
and activation of a separate lock mechanism. Accordingly, in the locked position shown canister
46
is effectively secured. This also has the benefit of positioning canister
46
so that the open end
48
is directly below currency receiving opening
32
, where it can most conveniently receive deposits of currency
60
from the escrow bin
28
. Additionally, securing the canister
46
has the benefit of deterring unauthorized attempts to remove the canister
46
, particularly when lockable access door
41
is open. Yet a further benefit provided by mounting device
62
is that it enables an electrical connection to be made between canister
46
and an electronic control box (not shown), as will be discussed in greater detail below.
In order to provide adequate security for the currency being stored, the body or outer shell of the currency receiving device
10
is preferably constructed from heavy gauge steel. It can also be appreciated that other materials that provide adequate security and protection may also be used. In particular, the safe
40
and cheque safe
42
are preferably constructed from the type of steel or other materials commonly used to construct safes, and that are generally well known to those skilled in the art.
In its preferred embodiment device
10
is approximately 54 inches high, 35 inches wide, and 29 inches deep. The canister
46
is approximately 29½ inches high, 8¾ inches wide and 5¼ inches deep. For this height dimension the canister
46
has a capacity of about 3,500 currency notes. These dimensions of the device
10
have been found to be adequate in that they provide sufficient space in which to install the various component elements such as the currency counter
16
and local processor
14
. As well, in this embodiment the touch screen
15
is positioned at a height of about 48 inches, which is a convenient height for viewing by most users. Further, it may be noted that the height of canister
46
, at 29½ inches, leaves a narrow gap of about two inches with the top of the storage area
12
, or safe
40
. This relatively narrow clearance or gap has the benefit of limiting the ability of a person to reach into the canister's open end
48
to misappropriate the cash contents. Of course it can also be appreciated that other dimensions of the device
10
and canister
46
may also be used that would provide adequate results.
An overview of the operation of an individual currency receiving device
10
to receive a deposit may now be shown. A user of the device will generally be initially issued a magnetically encoded card and a personal identification (PIN) number. The user begins the deposit by swiping the card through the card reader
18
and, when the card is recognized as described further below, be prompted for a PIN number. The user then enters the PIN number by touching the designated characters displayed on the touch screen
15
. Upon the PIN number being checked and accepted the device enters into a deposit dialogue with the user. It can be appreciated that other measures than a magnetic card and pin number may also be used to identify the user, as long as an acceptable level of security is provided. For example, systems based on fingerprint or eye identification may also be used, particularly when those technologies become sufficiently advanced.
Through instructions on the touch screen
15
the user will be prompted to place the cash or currency
60
to be deposited onto the input hopper
24
. The deposit could be a single bill or currency note, but is more typically a stack of such notes. Preferably, a single deposit should be limited to the maximum capacity of the escrow bin, which is generally about 200 notes. After being counted by the currency counter
16
, the counted cash
60
drops into the escrow bin
28
. The currency receiving opening
32
and access gate
34
are sized and shaped so that the cash that falls into the escrow bin
28
rests on the closed access gate
34
, closely centered about the currency receiving opening
32
. At this point the lockable housing
30
is locked so the user is not able to retrieve the cash. Any currency that is rejected for being unreadable will be placed on the reject tray
26
. An instruction will appear on the touch screen
15
instructing the user to place the rejected currency in the input hopper
24
for another try.
The touch screen
15
displays the count recorded by the currency counter
16
and prompts the user whether to continue with the deposit. If the count displayed does not match the user's expectation, the user will likely select that part of the touch screen indicating the option not to proceed, whereupon the lockable housing
30
is unlocked and the user retrieves the cash. If the user selects the touch screen option to proceed with the deposit, access gate
34
will open by means of front slider
36
and rear slider
38
moving apart. The cash
60
will then fall into canister
46
through open end
48
until it comes to a rest on platform
50
, or alternatively on top of a stack of currency
60
that may already be in place on platform
50
from previous deposits.
In the above procedure, the user will also be prompted to deposit any cheques into cheque slot
22
, where they are retained for safekeeping in cheque safe
42
. The deposited cheques are preferably bundled or enclosed in an envelope by the user prior to deposit.
In
FIG. 3
platform
50
is shown at about the middle of canister
46
for illustration purposes. In practice, platform
50
will be positioned higher up at a level such that the top of the platform
50
, or alternatively the top of a stack of currency
60
that may rest on the platform
50
, is just below the open end
48
. At this level there is preferably only a short distance of about one inch for the cash
60
to fall from its initial position at the base of escrow bin
28
.
Since the notes being deposited themselves possess a certain thickness, in most cases the platform
50
will need to be further lowered so that the new, larger stack
60
on the platform
50
will fall completely within the canister
46
. The platform may be lowered by activating reversible electric motor
58
(not shown) so that second roller
56
rotates. Rotating second roller
56
engages first roller
54
, which in turn rotates shaft
52
such that platform
50
descends down the canister
46
. As will be shown in greater detail, when the top of stack
60
drops below open end
48
the electric motor
58
is de-activated. It can also be appreciated that platform
50
may move in an upward direction by reversing the direction of electric motor
58
. Upon clearing the open end
48
, access gate
34
closes by bringing front slider
36
and rear slider
38
together.
Canister
46
is shown in greater detail in
FIGS. 4 and 5
.
FIG. 4
is a cutaway rear view from which it can be seen that platform
50
occupies a larger section of the interior of canister
46
, and that rotatable shaft
52
and a variety of other elements occupy a narrower section at the back of the canister
46
. In the preferred embodiment of canister
46
the platform
50
is about 3½″ wide, and the narrower section at the back is about 1¼″ wide.
The other elements of canister
46
may now be identified. There is a mounting bracket
68
through which platform
50
attaches to rotatable shaft
52
. As may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, mounting bracket
68
has an internal thread so that said bracket rises or descends along shaft
52
as shaft
52
rotates. As bracket
68
moves up and down, platform
50
is moved along as well. The other elements shown in
FIG. 4
are electrical in nature. There is a solenoid lid lock
70
, an electronic or circuit board
72
, a first electrical connector or contact board
74
having contact points
75
, a top sensor comprising an upper rest sensor
76
and a lower rest sensor
78
, and a bottom or full capacity sensor
80
. In the preferred embodiment sensors
76
and
78
are electro-optical switches, and full capacity sensor
80
is a mechanical micro switch. There are also various wires
82
shown connecting the electrical elements. The contact board
74
is mounted through a hole cut out of the rear wall of canister
46
. The other elements described are mounted on a backing plate (not shown) that separates these elements from the platform
50
.
The various electrical elements connect electrically to circuit board
72
.
FIG. 4
shows wires connecting each of the sensors
76
,
78
, and
80
with circuit board
72
, and there are also connecting wires (not shown) from solenoid
70
to circuit board
72
. Circuit board
72
in turn connects through wires
82
to contact board
74
, and as will be shown contact board
74
connects electrically to local processor
14
when canister
46
is installed in mounting device
62
. In this way the electrical elements of canister
46
connect with local processor
14
, so that canister
46
and local processor
14
can exchange information and instructions.
Sensors,
76
,
78
, and
80
, provide the feedback information governing movement of platform
50
. When a new deposit of currency is made platform
50
is lowered until currency stack
60
triggers lower rest sensor
78
. This ensures that the currency stack
60
is completely within receptacle
46
, and access gate
34
can be safely closed. Then, platform
50
is raised slightly until upper rest sensor
76
is triggered. At this point platform
50
is positioned fairly close, or approximately one inch in the preferred embodiment, below currency receiving opening
32
, and is ready to receive the next deposit.
The present invention makes use of dual sensors
76
and
78
to reposition platform
50
to enhance reliability of the deposit. If the top bills in a stack being deposited happen to be dirty or crumpled, it is possible that a single detection sensor, for example sensor
76
, might trigger prematurely. In that case access gate
34
might attempt to close while there are still some bills in the path of the currency receiving opening
32
. This would create a gap between front slider
36
and rear slider
38
, and possibly provide an opportunity for a person to improperly reach into canister
46
.
Full capacity sensor
80
is triggered when platform
50
descends towards the bottom of canister
46
, as canister
46
approaches its full capacity. It can be appreciated that sensor
80
should be set at a height somewhat above the bottom of canister
46
. This is because sensor
80
is most likely to be triggered in the course of receiving a new deposit. To fully accommodate the balance of the deposit within canister
46
, platform
50
may well need to continue beyond the trigger point. Otherwise, if sensor
80
is set too close to the bottom, a user who has elected to proceed with a deposit might have to be informed that the deposit cannot be accepted. Accordingly, sensor
80
should be set at a sufficient height so that the maximum expected deposit can be accommodated below the level set. Once sensor
80
is triggered, device
10
can inform subsequent users that the machine is full and cannot receive new deposits until the canister
46
is replaced.
Turning to
FIG. 5
, the lock mechanism of canister
46
may now be reviewed. It can be seen that canister
46
has a removable lid
84
having tabs
86
. Lid
84
slides into the top or open end
48
of the canister through groove
88
. Canister
46
also includes slots
90
that are sized and shaped to accept tabs
86
when lid
84
is pushed to the end of groove
88
.
FIGS. 4 and 5
further show that canister
46
is closed on all sides except for the top or open end
48
. It can be seen from
FIG. 5
that this top end may be closed by inserting and sliding lid
84
until said lid completely covers said open end
48
. While lid
84
is shown as a removable element, separate from canister
46
, it can be appreciated that other forms of construction are also possible as long as the lid functions to selectively open or close access to the interior of canister
46
. For example, lid
84
could be attached to canister
46
through a pivot point or hinge.
In
FIG. 5
solenoid lid lock
70
is hidden and shown in outline view. It can be seen from this view that solenoid
70
activates a pin
92
which moves vertically up or down as it is actuated by solenoid
70
.
FIG. 5
further also shows a hole
94
in one of the tabs
86
.
The mechanism by which canister
46
is locked in the preferred embodiment can now be understood. After closing canister
46
by sliding lid
84
to the end so that tabs
86
engage slots
90
, hole
94
will be positioned immediately above and in line with pin
92
. Solenoid
70
is then activated, causing pin
92
to thrust upward so that it fills hole
94
. In this position lid
84
cannot be removed as it is held in place by pin
92
. It may be noted that the lock mechanism has three sensors, not shown, that feed back to circuit board
72
. There is a lid-on sensor to indicate when lid
84
is fully inserted so that the tabs
86
engage the slots
90
, a pin-inserted sensor to indicate when pin
92
is in hole
94
, and a solenoid-on sensor to indicate when solenoid
70
is activated. The signals sent by these sensors trigger the device
10
to activate or de-activate the solenoid
70
as appropriate. Three sensors are used for the lock mechanism in the preferred embodiment to enhance security and guard against tampering. For example, if a person were to attempt to somehow push in pin
92
to try to remove lid
84
, this would be recognized as tampering because the solenoid-on sensor would not be off as expected. It can be appreciated that other methods of mechanically securing a cover or lid, or for achieving an electronically controlled lock, may also be used to achieve these functions of the present invention.
It can be appreciated that locking of the lid
84
could also be achieved through use of a conventional key lock, whereby turning a key would raise or lower pin
92
. However, an electronic lock whereby pin
92
is electrically activated by solenoid
70
is preferred, as it enables removable canister
46
to function as a self contained, sealed unit which cannot be re-opened until solenoid
70
is re-actuated in the reverse direction. This reduces the risk of misappropriation and pilferage of the cash contents of canister
46
. As will be discussed in greater detail, the electronic lock capability of canister
46
is an advantage of the present invention, particularly when canister
46
needs to be removed from device
10
and transported to a bank depository.
In order to unlock canister
46
, an unloading station or device that simulates or replicates the functionality of device
10
may be used.
FIG. 6
shows one functional embodiment of an unloading station
96
. In this embodiment, canister
46
is mounted on a support frame
98
. There is a contact board connector
104
(not shown) that provides an electrical contact to contact board
74
, a duplicate second roller
56
that engages first roller
54
, and a duplicate electric motor
58
, which is visible in
FIG. 6. A
computer such as a conventional personal computer (PC) functions as local processor
14
. The PC connects with a control box
102
which connects with the electric motor
58
and an electrical contact to the control board
74
. The control box
102
is an element of device
10
, and has additional functions that will be discussed in greater detail below.
To unload the canister
46
, the PC or local processor
14
signals, through control box
102
, for solenoid
70
to remove pin
92
from hole
94
. Lid
84
can then be removed. Then PC
14
activates electric motor
58
to drive platform
50
towards open end
48
. As platform
50
moves, its cash contents
60
spill out of canister
46
, so that the cash can be collected and sorted. It can be appreciated that the software and hardware components of unloading station
96
will only be made available to an authorized user of device
10
, and that unloading station
96
will include appropriate security measures such as password protection. Accordingly, currency
60
deposited inside a locked canister
46
should be reasonably secure from misappropriation except in cases of overt acts such as where the canister
46
is stolen outright and opened or broken apart by force. It can be appreciated that other embodiments of unloading station
96
may also be used. For example, the PC
14
and control box
102
might be integrated in a common housing mounted on the support frame
98
.
It can be appreciated from the above discussion that circuit board
72
contains electronic circuits that receive information from sensors
76
,
78
, and
80
, which govern movement of the platform
50
, and also from the sensors associated with the lock mechanism. Circuit board
72
makes this information available to local processor
14
through the electrical connection provided by contact board
74
. In addition to this functionality, circuit board
72
also contains in its on-board memory a unique identifier or electronic tag, which uniquely identifies the canister
46
in which circuit board
72
is installed. The identifier or electronic tag similarly becomes available to local processor
14
through the connection of contact board
74
. As will be shown in greater detail, the identifier for a particular canister
46
may be known and used not only by local processor
14
, but also by the broader system to which device
10
is attached.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the removable currency receptacle or canister
46
possesses this unique identifier. As a result of having a unique identifier, the canister
46
when removed and locked becomes not only a self-contained and sealed unit as described above, but it also becomes an identifiable unit whose location and movement may be readily tracked by automated computer means. Further, information relating to the various deposits made, such as the currency received, the denomination breakdown and the identity of the users, may be correlated with the unique identifier to optimize financial management. It can be appreciated that circuit board
72
could be designed so that the correlated deposit information could be kept on circuit board
72
itself, so that the information would travel with canister
46
. However, as will be discussed below it is preferred that the correlated deposit information be kept in a more centralized location, where it can be better integrated with the owner's overall financial system.
It can also be appreciated that the unique identifier may be implemented by means other than an electronically readable tag, such as for example, a bar-code system. In many applications it is preferred to use an electronic tag rather than a bar-code. Using a bar-code requires the additional hardware of a bar-code reader, which is costly and adds further complication to the device
10
. By contrast, the electronic tag is relatively easily implemented by software and firmware. Further, the electronic tag offers greater security because it is internal to the canister
46
and therefore hidden from observers. Yet another reason is that the canisters
46
are typically subjected to harsh handling in the course of their lifetime. In that environment a bar-code, which is externally displayed, may get smudged and become unreadable. Finally, the electronic tag offers possibilities for greater integration because it enables a canister to be “plugged in” to an electronic system through contact board
74
. For example, the canister might be plugged in while on board a truck or other vehicle, which would enable it to be tracked while being transported. Of course, in applications where it is desired a bar-code identifier may be may be readily implemented.
The canister
46
is preferably constructed from a hard plastic material. While other materials such as sheet steel could also be used, it was found that such material can be heavy and difficult to manufacture within the desired tolerance. In particular a heavy canister can be a drawback as it makes management of the canisters particularly cumbersome and inconvenient, and accordingly may limit the number of employees available to handle the canisters at a location to those who have a certain minimum level of strength.
It has been found that a canister formed from high impact polycarbonate, such as the Lexan™ brand from the General Electric Company, produces adequate results. Another material that may be used is glass reinforced plastic. Canisters from this material are more easily manufactured by injection moulding. The canister may be made in two parts for easier insertion of internal components, and then joined by an industrial strength adhesive. Canisters made from these plastic materials are generally adequate in being reasonably lightweight while still strong and durable. They also will generally crack or break if subject to tampering. This is desirable, since if cash has been inappropriately removed from a canister it is advantageous to be aware that this has occurred.
The mounting device
62
that holds canister
46
in place is shown in more detail in
FIGS. 7-9
.
FIG. 7
shows mounting device
62
in an initial position prior to insertion of canister
46
. Some of the elements described earlier in
FIG. 3
may now be seen in more detail, including second roller
56
(on which is mounted electric motor
58
, not shown), locking lever
64
, backing rod
65
, and the two lock-arms
66
. From this view it can be seen more clearly that lock-arms
66
comprise a straight rod with a short hook at an outer end. It can also be seen that in this position lock-arms
66
flare out to the side slightly. This widens the space between the outer edges of the two lock-arms
66
so that canister
46
may be more easily inserted.
Further key elements of the mounting device
62
shown in
FIG. 7
include a second electrical connector or contact board connector
104
having contact pins
105
, solenoid lock
106
, and insertion rod
108
. There is a junction block
112
having a hole
113
adjacent to solenoid lock
106
. Hole
113
is sized and shaped to accept a projection rod
114
(hidden from view, shown in outline) thrust by solenoid lock
106
. In
FIG. 7
, solenoid lock
106
is not activated, and projection rod
114
is not aligned with hole
113
. There is also a second junction block
115
that connects backing rod
65
to the other lock-arm
66
. Through the connection provided by backing rod
65
and the two junction boxes, the lock-arms
66
located on opposite sides of mounting device
62
are configured to move in unison.
Contact board connector
104
is sized and shaped so that when canister
46
is installed, contact pins
105
establish a secure physical and electrical connection with contact points
75
of contact board
74
attached to the canister
46
. In the preferred embodiment contact points
75
are female and contact pins
105
are male, since handling of canister
46
might cause male contacts to break. It can be appreciated however that this setup could be reversed if desired, and that other types of electrical connectors could also be used.
FIG. 8
shows the area surrounding insertion rod
108
in greater detail. It can be seen that insertion rod
108
is a straight rod with a short hook at the outer end. Insertion rod
108
is itself fixedly connected to connecting rod
107
, which rotates about hinge
109
. It can also be seen in
FIG. 8
that there is a relatively short projecting pin
110
extending from the other side of connecting rod
107
, and a hole
111
in the adjacent lock-arm
66
. Hole
111
is sized and shaped to accept insertion of projecting pin
110
. Hinge
109
is biased so that connecting rod
107
, with attached insertion rod
108
, is urged towards the adjacent lock-arm
66
.
Returning to
FIG. 7
, it can now be seen how canister
46
is inserted into mounting device
62
. In the initial position without canister
46
, connecting rod
107
is urged under bias towards lock-arm
66
, and projecting pin
110
is similarly urged and is inserted into hole
111
. This prevents any movement of the adjacent lock-arm
66
. Through the mechanical connection provided by backing rod
65
and junction box
115
, the opposite side locking-arm
66
is similarly immobilized. Therefore, the two lock-arms
66
are held in
25
, the flared out position, providing a wider opening to accept a canister. It may also be noted that as there is no canister in
FIG. 7
, there is no electrical connection with pins
105
. From this the device
10
can be informed that there is no canister
46
installed, and device
10
can accordingly decline any user attempts to deposit currency. In this way the present invention avoids a problem with the prior art in which it was possible for the device to receive deposits even without the currency receptacle installed.
Returning to the close-up view of
FIG. 8
, insertion of canister
46
is represented by a dotted line indicating the leading edge of said canister. It can be seen that when canister
46
contacts insertion rod
108
, said rod and connecting rod
107
rotate to overcome the bias on hinge
109
, so that projecting pin
110
is removed from hole
111
. This releases lock-arms
66
so that they can be moved.
FIG. 9
shows the mounting device
62
upon installation of the canister
46
, shown in dotted outline. As noted above, canister
46
is inserted so that insertion rod
108
rotates, releasing projecting pin
110
from hole
111
. Now that it is free, locking lever
64
can be rotated upward. Through the linkage mechanism shown in
FIG. 9
, lock-arms
66
are moved forward and drawn parallel to each other, forming a snug fit around the edges of canister
46
. Lock-arms
66
closely fit the two sides of the canister
46
, and also grip the back of canister
46
on either side with their hook-shaped outer edges. Further, as canister
46
is gripped it is pushed forward so that contact board
74
makes a secure physical and electrical connection with contact board connector
104
. In this installed position, canister
46
is positioned so that its top, or open end
48
, is directly below currency receiving opening
32
and access gate
34
. Additionally, upon installation the first roller
54
located in canister
46
is impressed into contiguous contact with second roller
56
located as part of the mounting device
62
. To facilitate this contact, electric motor
58
and its attached second roller
56
are preferably spring mounted. The spring mounting provides some margin or room for the second roller
56
to accommodate the first roller
54
, and also provides a measured pressure or bias between the rollers to help ensure that rotation of second roller
56
will effectively rotate first roller
54
.
Finally,
FIG. 9
also shows that as locking-arms
66
have moved forward junction box
112
has rotated so that hole
113
is now in alignment with projecting rod
114
. Solenoid lock
106
is actuated so that projecting rod
114
thrusts forward into hole
113
. This locks locking-arms
66
so they cannot be moved, and similarly locks canister
46
in place so it cannot be removed from device
10
. It is an advantage of the present invention that solenoid-lock
106
is electronically controlled by device
10
, because in that way canister
46
cannot be removed until device
10
is satisfied that proper canister removal security and procedures are being followed. This would include, for example, not releasing solenoid-lock
106
unless lid
84
is on and locked.
It can be appreciated that mounting device
62
offers a number of advantages over the prior art. It enables device
10
to know when the canister is installed, so that currency does not fall loosely in the safe. It locks the canister
46
so that it cannot be removed without authorization or unless lid
84
is on and locked. It further holds the canister
46
more firmly and in the proper position, so that the transfer of currency from the currency counter
16
and escrow bin
28
proceeds more smoothly. Through its connection with circuit board
72
, it makes possible the canister electronic lock and unique identifier function.
Turning now to
FIG. 10
, a more detailed view of the access gate
34
is provided.
FIG. 10
is a plan view of access gate
34
, when viewed from underneath, within safe
40
. Accordingly, currency note or stack
60
is shown largely in outline, as it is largely hidden from view while resting in escrow bin
28
, above access gate
34
in this view. As in
FIG. 3
, access gate
34
is shown partially open, in that front slider
36
and rear slider
38
are apart but not to their fullest possible separation. It can also be seen from
FIG. 10
that front slider
36
and rear slider
38
slide along grooves provided by side plates
134
and
136
. Said side plates are constructed to provide a low friction surface for the movement of said front and rear sliders.
FIG. 10
shows that access gate
34
has additionally an actuator
116
. The actuator
116
of the preferred embodiment is a 24 volt linear actuator, having opposing arms
118
and
120
, which respond mechanically to an electrical input. Accordingly, upon receipt of a 24 volt electrical input, arms
118
and
120
project forcefully outwards in opposing directions along a linear path. Electrical power can then be removed and said arms will remain in an extended position. Upon receipt of a subsequent 24 volt electrical signal, said arms
118
and
120
retract forcefully towards the body of the actuator
116
along the same linear path. Again, power can be removed and the arms will stay retracted until the next signal is received.
Access gate
34
further includes a link-arm mechanism which connects arms
118
and
120
to front slider
36
and rear slider
38
such that, when arms
118
and
120
are thrust outwards, the front and rear sliders separate thereby opening or increasing exposure of currency receiving opening
32
. Similarly, when arms
118
and
120
are retracted inwards the sliders are drawn together, thereby eliminating their separation and closing currency receiving opening
32
.
The link-arm mechanism is structured as follows. Actuator arm
118
connects to rod
122
at hinge
121
, which in turn is fixedly connected with rod
124
at its mid-point, hinge
123
. Rod
124
also contains two additional hinges at either end. There is hinge
125
which connects with rear slider
38
, and hinge
127
which connects with long-rod
126
. In turn, long-rod
126
connects with front slider
36
. Similarly, actuator arm
120
connects to rod
128
at hinge
129
, which in turn is fixedly connected with rod
130
at its mid-point, hinge
131
. Rod
130
also contains two additional hinges at either end. There is hinge
133
which connects with rear slider
38
, and hinge
135
which connects with long-rod
132
. In turn, long-rod
132
connects with front slider
36
.
It can now be appreciated how the link-arm mechanism acts to connect actuator arms
118
and
120
with the front and rear sliders. When, for example, actuator arms
118
and
120
thrust outwards, fixedly-connected rods
122
and
124
on one side, and
128
and
130
on the other side, rotate so that hinges
125
and
133
move rearward, and hinges
127
and
135
, with attached long-rods
126
and
132
, move forward. This in turn causes rear slider
38
to withdraw and front slider
36
to slide forward, thereby opening exposure to currency receiving slot
32
. Since rods
124
and
130
each are attached to both front slider
36
and rear slider
38
, the two sliders will move at approximately the same speed both when opening and when closing.
In
FIG. 10
the structure of the preferred embodiment of access gate
34
further includes a knob
138
supported by a support rod
140
which is fixedly connected to rod
130
. There is a spring
142
attached to knob
138
at one end and to the side of rod
128
at the other end. There is also a limit rod
144
fixedly attached to rod
130
.
The above elements regulate the extent to which front slider
36
and rear slider
38
move as the actuator is activated. On the open part of the cycle, when actuator arms
118
and
120
push out and sliders
36
and
38
move apart, limit rod
144
acts to limit the extent of movement of rod
128
so that the sliders do not move farther than necessary. The degree to which the sliders do move is preferably set in any event to be wider than the width of the currency
60
, to ensure that there is ample room for the currency to fall without obstruction.
On the closing part of the cycle, when the actuator retracts arms
118
and
120
, it is important that said sliders close completely so that there is no gap between them. If the actuator moves insufficiently there will be a gap. A gap would provide an opportunity for someone to reach in or pry open the sliders and extract cash from the canister
46
. On the other hand, if the actuator moves more than is required to close the sliders, there will be a strain on the actuator. This could result in excessive wear and tear on the actuator, and lead to premature breakdown. However, the tolerance of a commonly used actuator may not be sufficiently exact to precisely align the movement of actuator arms
118
and
120
with the movement of the sliders. For this reason, the spring
142
is used to take up any slack. The actuator
116
is set so that on contraction it over-closes, that is, acts to move sliders
36
and
38
beyond a fully closed position. Since it is not possible for the sliders to move beyond a fully closed position, the excess load or slack is taken up by the spring
142
. In this way the sliders
36
and
38
are able to repeatedly move to a fully closed position, leaving no gap, and at the same time present no excess strain on the actuator
116
.
Finally, it may be noted that in the preferred embodiment of the access gate
34
there is a sensor (not shown) to detect when access gate
34
is open. This sensor is useful to alert device
10
if someone is attempting to pry open the front slider
36
and rear slider
38
, since the sensor should only detect opening when actuator
116
has been activated by the device
10
.
It can be appreciated that the access gate
34
of the present invention provides a number of advantages over the prior art. The access gate
34
involves a mechanism that is symmetrical, like a scissors, so that the sliders
36
and
38
each move a substantially equal distance and in a substantially opposite direction whenever they are opened or closed. The access gate
34
accordingly provides smoother travel and is quicker when both opening and closing. This is particularly useful when opening, as it reduces the risk that currency
60
will get jammed or caught between the sliders. The design is relatively simple, requiring less adjustment and maintenance, and there is accordingly less wear on the actuator and other moving parts. Further, the access gate
34
as a whole is smaller, so less space is needed within the device
10
.
The broader functionality of the control box
102
and local processor or PC
14
can now be appreciated. The PC
14
acts as a primary controller or processor of the device
10
. A software program running on the PC
14
provides a user interface that controls interaction with the user. For example, the program prompts the user to place the deposit in the input hopper
24
, informs the user of the count, and requests instructions whether to proceed with the deposit. It can be appreciated that a person skilled in the art would be familiar with the various prompts, instructions, and procedures involved in designing software for accepting user cash deposits.
In addition, the PC
14
is a primary or central controller of the various elements or peripherals of the device
10
. For example, upon completion of a deposit the PC
14
directs the printer to print a receipt, which is emitted through the print receipt slot
20
and torn off by the user. Other elements directly controlled by the PC
14
include the currency counter
16
, and card reader
18
. The PC
14
also handles communication with the control box
102
and with outside devices, as discussed in more detail below.
The control box
102
, referred to above in the discussion of the unloading station
96
, functions as a secondary controller to provide a convenient electrical interface to some of the elements of the device
10
, and also to offload, from the PC
14
, some of the processing burden required to control those elements. Communication between the PC
14
and control box
102
in the preferred embodiment is through a standard RS-232 interface protocol. The control box
102
is generally a dedicated electronic unit that may be constructed using electronic design principles well known to persons skilled in the art.
The control box
102
has the capability to receive electrical signals, most typically from a sensor, to process that information using an on-board microprocessor, to activate various elements by sending an appropriate electrical signal, and to exchange instructions and information with the PC
14
. Beginning with the safe
40
, the control box
102
monitors a sensor that triggers when the lockable access door
41
of the safe
40
is open. With respect to the currency counter
16
, the control box
102
monitors two micro switch sensors located inside and outside respectively of the escrow bin lockable housing
30
. While in the preferred embodiment the control box
102
does not activate the counting function of the currency counter
16
, as this is done by the PC
14
, the control box
102
does provide a clear function which resets the currency counter
16
to zero.
With respect to the access gate
34
, the control box
102
provides the signal that activates the actuator
116
, causing the actuator
116
to expand outwards or collapse inwards as described earlier. The control box
102
also monitors an optoswitch sensor that keeps track of whether the front and rear sliders
36
and
38
are open. With respect to the mounting device
62
, the control box
102
functions include monitoring a lever lock sensor that informs on the position of the locking lever
64
, and another sensor that informs on whether the mounting device
62
is locked. Further, the control box
102
provides the electrical signals that drive the reversible electric motor
58
. With respect to the canister
46
, the control box
102
connects with the contact pins
105
of the contact board connector
104
located at the mounting device
62
. Through this connection the control box
102
can access the circuit board
72
of the canister
46
, and monitor the various sensors of the canister
46
, including the lid-lock sensors and the platform control sensors
76
,
78
, and
80
.
Accordingly, it can be appreciated that through the connections described above, the control box
102
is informed of whether the canister
46
is locked in place in the mounting device
62
, whether the lid
84
of the canister
46
is on and locked, and whether the platform
50
is in position to receive a new deposit, or alternatively, unable to accept further deposits. The control box
102
can read the unique electronic tag or identifier from the circuit board
72
. Through its control of the electric motor
58
, the control box
102
can direct the platform
50
as necessary. It can be further appreciated that all of this information can be communicated to the PC
14
through the RS-232 interface, and utilized by the PC
14
for overall maintenance and control of the device
10
.
The local processor or PC
14
is preferably a standard personal computer in a convenient touch screen embodiment running an industry standard operating system. In the preferred embodiment the Windows NT™ operating system is used, though it can be appreciated that other operating systems may also be used. As noted, the control box
102
has an on-board processor. Since this processor is not likely to be a personal computer, it is most likely to run from an operating system or program appropriate for internal control of such devices. Finally, it can be appreciated that there may be other embodiments of the device
10
in which the functions of the control box
102
are expanded or narrowed from those shown, or even where the control box
102
is not used, so that all control flows directly from the local processor.
In addition to the various internal elements of the device
10
described above, the present invention further includes a remote processor or network controller
100
. The network controller
100
is a computer in active communication with device
10
, or more particularly, with local processor
14
of device
10
. Physically, the communication may be by any established communication means, such as telephone line, data line, or wireless ethernet. Preferably the network controller
100
runs on the same operating system as PC
14
, so that network communication is facilitated.
The network controller
100
fulfills functions relating to administration of client or depositor accounts and also relating to monitoring of device status. The administration related software of the network controller
100
maintains or has ready access to a database containing such financial and security material as customer identification, account balances, and authorized PIN numbers and magnetic card codes. Further, as will be discussed in greater detail, the network controller
100
is informed and keeps track of deposit information at each device
10
by correlating said deposit information with the unique identifier or electronic tag associated with each canister
46
.
The monitoring function software of the network controller
100
receives and processes a stream of information from the device
10
relating to the status of device
10
. This includes such information as whether lockable access door
41
of safe
40
is open or closed, whether a canister
46
is installed and ready to accept deposits, whether canister
46
is full and needs to be replaced, and whether any elements are malfunctioning. If there is a service problem, the network controller
100
may alert or dispatch the appropriate service personnel as soon as the problem is identified. Depending on the nature of the problem, the network controller may put device
10
out of service pending repair.
Physically, the network controller
100
can be a single computer at a particular location running both the administration and the monitoring software. However, since the administration software relates primarily to banking, and the monitoring software relates primarily to machine maintenance, in practice the network controller
100
may be conveniently divided into two separate systems running at two distinct locations. In that case, the administration software would typically run on a bank computer, and the monitoring software would run on a service or maintenance company computer. Both systems would be networked to the device
10
.
Whether it is implemented as one computer or two, the network controller
100
is integral to the operation of the device
10
of the present invention. In general, it is preferable to keep system-wide and security related information such as PIN numbers separately from the local processor or PC
14
. The PC
14
is accordingly designed to run the operation of the local currency receiving device
10
, and to pass on specific deposit information and the installed canister's unique identifier to the network controller
100
, rather than to keep such information stored locally. This simplifies the design of the individual device
10
, and enables the device operator to take a system approach. This is most practical since most users of the device
10
of the present invention will have more than one location accepting deposits, and will have a need to track a multiple number of devices
10
. For example, a supermarket chain will generally have a multiple number of individual stores. Accordingly, the network controller
100
will most often control a multiple number of devices
10
. In the case where there is just one device
10
, a separate PC at the same location as the device
10
may be used to fulfill the functions of the network controller
100
.
The PC
14
also receives local device status information, which it in turn communicates to the monitoring software of the network controller
100
. The PC
14
will also receive instructions in response from the network controller
100
relating to device status, such as for example an instruction to stop accepting new deposits.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, centralized control and tracking of deposits is made possible by the use of the unique identifier or electronic tag of the present invention.
FIG. 11
shows the network controller
100
networked to three currency receiving devices of the present invention, each having an installed canister with unique identifiers “#1”, “#2” and “#3” respectively. The three devices may represent, for example, three customer retail outlets disparately located in an urban area. When each of the canisters
46
is first installed, the local processors
14
at each device
10
inform the network controller
100
that a canister
46
having a particular electronic tag is installed. Accordingly, as shown the network controller
100
has in its storage or memory each of the unique identifiers, as well as related information such as store location. Subsequently when each canister
46
is removed and transported, generally by armoured vehicle
146
to a bank depository
148
, the network controller can track the canisters as long as communication channels are available with the vehicle
146
and bank depository
148
. The bank depository
148
represents a secure location with financial or currency processing capability that is operated by a bank or financial institution where the owner of the deposited currency maintains an account.
The full cycle of operation of the present invention, from customer deposit to bank acceptance, can now be appreciated. In a system consisting of a network controller
100
networked to a multiple number of currency receiving devices
10
, a security person or guard approaches a device
10
at a particular location to install an empty canister
46
. The guard swipes his or her card through the card reader
18
, enters a PIN number, and informs the local processor
14
, through touch prompts on a touch screen, that he or she wishes to remove the currently installed canister
46
and install a new, empty canister
46
. The local processor communicates the card and PIN number information to the network controller
100
, and waits to receive confirmation that the guard's entries are approved. Upon receiving confirmation, the PC
14
continues with the canister installation procedure.
Upon prompting by the PC
14
, the guard opens the lockable access door
41
of safe
40
. The canister
46
currently installed is locked in its place in the mounting device
62
, and has its lid
84
removed. The local processor
14
, acting through the control box
102
, is aware through sensor readings that the lid is off and accordingly will not release the solenoid lock
106
. The guard therefore slides the lid
84
onto canister
46
and pushes it to its fully in position. Upon sensing this, the PC
14
activates solenoid lid lock
70
so that pin
92
engages hole
94
. Again, through feedback of the locking sensors, the local processor is aware that the lid is locked, and will then release solenoid lock
106
of mounting device
62
. This enables the guard to pull down locking lever
64
and remove the full canister
46
from the device
10
.
The empty replacement canister
46
, with its lid on and locked, can then be slid into the mounting device
62
. As the locking lever
64
is pushed forward, the canister
46
is secured in position and properly aligned under the access gate
34
. In particular, contact points
75
of contact board
74
are mechanically and electrically connected with the contact pins
105
of the contact board connector
104
of the mounting device
62
. Acting through the control box
102
, the local processor
14
senses that canister
46
is properly installed by reading the electronic tag of the new canister. It then activates the solenoid lock
106
on the mounting device
62
, which locks the newly installed canister
46
in place. Then, the local processor
14
releases solenoid lid lock
70
, and prompts the guard to remove the lid
84
. Through the locking sensors, PC
14
knows that the lid
84
has been removed, and prompts the guard to close and lock the lockable access door
41
. Through the sensor on this door, PC
14
receives confirmation that this door is locked. Finally, PC
14
communicates to the network controller
100
the unique identifier or electronic tag of the installed canister
46
, and that the device is now ready to accept deposits. The PC
14
may also communicate device status information for processing by the monitoring software. The touch screen
15
display displays a notice to users that the device
10
is ready to accept deposits.
An individual user wishing to make a deposit will swipe his or her assigned card through the card reader
18
and enter their PIN number. The local processor
14
communicates this information to the network controller
100
and proceeds only after receiving confirmation that the user information is authorized. The user is then prompted to place any cheques for deposit in cheque slot
22
, and cash for deposit on the input hopper
24
. Then the local processor
14
activates the currency counter
16
, and the counted currency, less any rejected notes, is deposited into the escrow bin
28
. The lockable housing
30
is in a locked position, so the user can see the currency but not remove it. The count of currency is communicated to the PC
14
and displayed to the user, and the user is queried whether to proceed with the deposit. If the user declines, the PC
14
unlocks the lockable housing and the user retrieves the cash. Otherwise, actuator
116
of access gate
34
is activated, front slider
36
and rear slider
38
are thrust forcefully apart, and the currency falls onto platform
50
, or the top of a stack of currency already present from previous deposits. The local processor
14
, acting through the control box
102
, activates the electric motor
58
to lower platform
50
until lower rest sensor
78
is activated. Then, actuator
116
is again activated so that sliders
36
and
38
retract forcefully, and access gate
34
is closed. The direction of electric motor
58
is reversed and platform
50
rises until the top of the stack of currency triggers upper rest sensor
76
.
Next, PC
14
communicates the deposit information relating to this transaction to the network controller
100
, which correlates the deposit information with the canister's unique identifier. This deposit information typically includes such information as the canister's unique identifier, identity of the user making the deposit, the total deposit value, breakdown of the bill count by denomination, and date and time of the deposit. Other useful information such as the identity of the customer and location of the device
10
may not need to be sent with the deposit information, since it may already be known to the network controller through the canister's unique identifier. The local processor or PC
14
will preferably not keep a local record of the deposit information, since as noted this unnecessarily burdens the PC
14
. The PC
14
may also send device status information for processing by the monitoring software.
As noted above, from the time the canister
46
is installed the network controller
100
is informed of the canister's unique identifier or electronic tag. During the time that the canister
46
is installed in the device
10
and receives deposits, the network controller
100
is kept updated, so that at all times the network controller
100
has current information, often called the audit or audit record, of the contents and deposit records associated with an identifiable canister
46
. When the canister
46
is removed from the device
10
, as described above, this audit information or record remains with the network controller
100
.
Returning to
FIG. 11
, which shows the canisters in transit from their devices
10
to the bank depository
148
, as discussed the network controller
100
is able to track the canisters through the electronic tag associated with each canister, using whatever communication channels are available. In
FIG. 11
, the various communication channels between the elements are represented by jagged arrows. Communication lines
150
between the devices
10
and the network controller
100
represent the networked communication described above. Communication line
152
between the armoured vehicle
146
and network controller
100
represents what is most likely a wireless communication means. Communication line
154
between the bank depository and network controller
100
may similarly be a networked communication or other communication means well known to those skilled in the art.
It can now be appreciated how the electronic tag facilitates tracking of the canisters
46
. As each canister
46
is loaded onto an armoured vehicle, the electronic tag might be read by a specially designed electronic interface which would communicate this information to the network controller
100
, using communication lines
152
. The reading might consist of plugging canister
46
into a stationary or handheld unit having a connector similar to contact board connector
104
. It can be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that a variety of devices or means of communication could be designed to conveniently read and communicate the electronic tag of canister
46
.
The armoured vehicle
146
might continually re-transmit its position to the network controller
100
as it goes about its pickup and delivery schedule. Further, the process of reading and communicating the electronic tags of canisters
46
in transit could be repeated at subsequent points in the delivery route, such as, for example, at an intermediate site where canisters
46
gathered from many devices
10
are dropped-off, sorted according to eventual destination, and re-loaded onto new armoured vehicles. Similarly, at the destination bank depository
148
the electronic tags could again be read and communicated, using communication lines
154
, thereby confirming to the network controller
100
that the canisters
46
have safely reached their destination. The method of the present invention therefore in effect imparts, with respect to the service of transporting cash, the type of efficiency and control typically associated with modern courier services, in which the location of many packages are electronically tracked while in transit.
Further, since the canister
46
of the present invention is electronically locked while in transit, and can only be unlocked by a secured and specialized unloading station, the risk of pilferage and theft of the canister in transit is reduced. It has been described that the lid
84
of canister
46
cannot be removed until the canister
46
itself is locked in the mounting device
62
. Similarly, the canister
46
cannot be removed from device
10
unless the lid
84
is first inserted and locked. Therefore, using the method of the present invention even the security personnel charged with the duty of transporting the canister
46
have minimal if any exposure to the cash contents of the canister
46
. Accordingly, the present invention minimizes if not eliminates the opportunity for intervening human contact with the deposited cash.
It can now be appreciated how the present invention enables owners of high cash retail or other business outlets, including those with multiple locations, to be continually aware of both the audit record of cash received for deposit and the whereabouts of that cash, from the time of the deposit up to the point where the cash is delivered to the owner's bank. In this way the method of the present invention enables such enterprises to better track cash deposits, and thereby obtain improved financial management. It may also be possible to arrange for the bank to recognize and give some credit to the owner for the cash as soon as it is deposited in device
10
and recorded at the network controller
100
, thereby reducing or eliminating financial losses due to float. When the canisters are actually delivered to the bank depository
148
, a confirmation count of their contents could be made and compared to the amount originally credited.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description was in respect of preferred embodiments and that various alterations and modifications are possible within the broad scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the audit information could also be stored on the canister electronic board, so that this information could be conveniently available to reading devices while the canister is in transit. Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art but are not described in any further detail herein.
Claims
- 1. A currency receiving device for receiving currency from a user, comprising;(a) a sale having a lockable access opening and a transfer slot; (b) a local processor, operatively connected to said safe, said local processor having a user interface to communicate with the user, and being capable of communicating with a remote processor; (c) a currency counter, operatively connected to said safe, to count the currency deposited by the user; (d) a removable currency receptacle, removably contained within said safe, to receive currency from the currency counter and to store said currency, said removable currency receptacle having: (i) an open and a closed position controllable by said local processor upon establishing communication with a first data port, said receptacle being operatively connected to said currency counter when said receptacle is in said open position, and said receptacle being removable from said currency receiving device when said receptacle is in said closed position, (ii) a unique identifier, and (iii) said first data port having access to said unique identifier; and (e) a mounting device contained within said safe, to secure said removable currency receptacle within said safe, said mounting device having a second data port operatively connected to both said first data port, when said receptacle is secured in said mounting device, and to said local processor, to enable communication between said removable currency receptacle and said local processor; wherein, upon said currency receptacle being secured in said mounting device in said safe, said identifier is communicated to said local processor through said first and second data ports and correlated with said count of currency deposited by said user.
- 2. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, further including a remote processor which can communicate with said local processor.
- 3. The currency receiving device according to claim 2, wherein said local processor communicates said unique identifier to said remote processor.
- 4. The currency receiving device according to claim 3, wherein said count of currency deposited by said user is provided to said local processor, which in turn communicates said count of currency to said remote processor where said count of currency is correlated with said unique identifier.
- 5. The currency receiving device according to claim 2, wherein said user must be approved before said currency receiving device will accept said deposit of currency from said user, and wherein said local processor requests approval for said user from said remote processor, and said remote processor responds to said local processor with a communication of an approval or a rejection of said user.
- 6. The currency receiving device according to claim 2, wherein status information relating to said currency receiving device is provided to said local processor, which in turn communicates said status information to said remote processor.
- 7. The currency receiving device according to claim 6, wherein said remote processor evaluates said status information and responds to said local processor with a communication to cease accepting further deposits of currency, and wherein said remote processor also communicates a request to a service provider to provide service to said currency receiving device.
- 8. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said currency receptacle is available to receive or dispense currency when in said open position, said currency receptacle securely denying access to said stored currency when in said closed position.
- 9. The currency receiving device according to claim 8, wherein said currency receptacle further includes an openable lid and a lock, wherein said currency receptacle is in an open position when said lock is unlocked and said lid is opened, and wherein said currency receptacle is in a closed position when said lid is closed and said lock is locked.
- 10. The currency receiving device according to claim 9, wherein said lid has tabs, and said currency receptacle has a groove to receive said lid and slots sized and shaped to receive said tabs, wherein said lid is closed by sliding said lid in said groove until said tabs engage said slots.
- 11. The currency receiving device according to claim 10, wherein said currency receptacle has a movable pin and at least one of said tabs has a hole sized and shaped to receive said movable pin, wherein said currency receptacle is locked when said movable pin engages said hole.
- 12. The currency receiving device according to claim 11, wherein said movable pin is moved through a link mechanism actuated by a solenoid receiving an electrical signal.
- 13. The currency receiving device according to claim 12, wherein said currency receptacle includes a lock sensing means, to sense when said lock is locked.
- 14. The currency receiving device according to claim 13, wherein said lock sensing means comprises at least one of: a first sensor to detect when said tabs engage said slots, a second sensor to detect when said movable pin engages said hole, and a third sensor to detect when said solenoid is activated.
- 15. The currency receiving device according to claim 11, wherein said movable pin is moved through a link mechanism actuated by a key.
- 16. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said currency receptacle contains an access opening and a platform which moves to receive and hold said currency, said platform being operatively connected to said access opening.
- 17. The currency receiving device according to claim 16, wherein said platform is electrically driven.
- 18. The currency receiving device according to claim 17, wherein said platform is driven by a rotating shaft having a first roller operatively connected with a rotating second roller, said second roller being attached to an electric motor and rotating when said electric motor is activated.
- 19. The currency receiving device according to claim 18, wherein said electric motor is spring mounted to urge said second roller into operative connection with said first roller.
- 20. The currency receiving device according to claim 16, wherein said currency receptacle has a top sensor to detect when currency received by the moving platform is contained within the currency receptacle.
- 21. The currency receiving device according to claim 20, wherein said top sensor includes a higher sensor and a lower sensor, said moving platform descending until said lower sensor is cleared, said moving platform then rising until said higher sensor is triggered.
- 22. The currency receiving device according to claim 16, wherein said currency receptacle has a bottom sensor, to detect when said currency receptacle is nearing full capacity.
- 23. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said currency receptacle has an electronic board, operatively connected to said first data port, to at least store said identifier.
- 24. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said currency receptacle is constructed from a hard plastic material.
- 25. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting device lockably secures and prevents unauthorized removal of said currency receptacle when said currency receptacle is installed in said currency receiving device, said currency receptacle being operatively connected to said currency counter when lockably secured to said mounting device.
- 26. The currency receiving device according to claim 25, wherein said second data port is sized and shaped to make electrical contact with said first data port, said second data port making electrical contact with said first data port when said currency receptacle is installed in said mounting device.
- 27. The currency receiving according to claim 25, wherein said mounting device includes securing rods to secure and prevent unauthorized removal of said currency receptacle when said currency receptacle is installed in said mounting device.
- 28. The currency receiving device according to claim 27, further including rod-locking means to lock said securing rods when said currency receptacle is installed in said mounting device.
- 29. The currency receiving device according to claim 28, wherein said rod-locking means is a solenoid actuated by an electrical signal.
- 30. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, further including an access gate for selectively opening or closing said safe, wherein currency contained in the currency counter is transferred to the currency receptacle in said safe when said safe is open.
- 31. The currency receiving device according to claim 30, wherein said safe is selectively opened or closed by said access gate selectively opening or closing said transfer slot in said safe.
- 32. The currency receiving device according to claim 31, wherein said access gate includes a front slider and a rear slider, each of said sliders having a first and a second position,wherein said transfer slot is closed when said front slider and said rear slider are in their respective first positions, and wherein said transfer slot is opened when said front slider and said rear slider are in their respective second positions.
- 33. The currency receiving device according to claim 32, wherein said access gate includes an actuator having an off and an on position, said actuator being operatively connected to a link-arm mechanism, said link-arm mechanism being operatively connected to said front slider and said rear slider,wherein, upon setting said actuator into said off position, said link-arm mechanism engages said front slider and said rear slider to move said sliders into their respective first positions, thereby closing said transfer slot, and wherein, upon setting said actuator into said on position, said link-arm mechanism engages said front slider and said rear slider to move said sliders into their respective second positions, thereby opening said transfer slot.
- 34. The currency receiving device according to claim 33, wherein said front slider and said rear slider each move a substantially equal distance and in a substantially opposite direction when said sliders move from their first position to their second position, and when said sliders move from their second position to their first position.
- 35. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the currency counter has a first bin to receive currency deposited by the user, and a second bin, accessible to the user and operatively connected to the transfer slot, to hold the deposited currency after said deposited currency has been counted.
- 36. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said local processor informs said user of the count of currency deposited, and further provides response means accessible by the user.
- 37. The currency receiving device according to claim 36, wherein said response means is a computer touch screen.
- 38. The currency receiving device according to claim 36, wherein said currency is transferred from said currency counter to said currency receptacle when said user response confirms said user's intention to complete the deposit, and wherein said currency is retrieved by said user from said currency counter when said user response confirms said user's intention not to complete the deposit.
- 39. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, further including a secondary controller to communicate with and receive information from said local processor, said currency counter, and said currency receptacle.
- 40. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said local processor is configured to enable said currency receptacle to be opened upon receiving said unique identifier from said first data port.
- 41. The currency receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said local processor is configured to lockably secure said currency receptacle to said mounting device upon receiving said unique identifier from said first data port.
- 42. The currency receiving device according to claim 41, wherein said local processor is configured to enable said currency receptacle to be opened upon said currency receptacle being lockably secured to said mounting device.
- 43. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user, said method comprising:(a) providing a currency receiving device, comprising a safe, a local processor operatively connected to said safe, said local processor having a user interface to communicate with the user, a currency counter, operatively connected to said safe, to count the currency deposited by the user, a removable currency receptacle removably contained within said safe and having an open and a closed position controllable by said local processor upon establishing communication with a first data port, said receptacle being operatively connected to said currency counter when said receptacle is in said open position, to receive currency from the currency counter and to store said currency, said removable currency receptacle having a unique identifier and said first data port having access to said unique identifier, and a mounting device contained within said safe, to secure said removable currency receptacle within said safe, said mounting device having a second data port operatively connected to both said first data port, when said receptacle is secured in said mounting device, and to said local processor, to enable communication between said removable currency receptacle and said local processor; (b) receiving at least one deposit of currency from said user into said currency counter and transferring said at least one deposit of currency into said currency receptacle; and (c) correlating said identifier with said count of currency deposited by said user.
- 44. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 43, said method further including the steps of:(a) providing a remote processor at a remote location, said remote processor being capable of communicating with said local processor of said currency receiving device; and (b) communicating said identifier of said currency receptacle to said remote processor when said currency receptacle is installed in said currency receiving device.
- 45. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 44, said method further including the step of communicating currency deposit information from said currency receiving device to said remote processor.
- 46. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 45, wherein said currency deposit information comprises the currency count and identity of the depositor of each currency deposit.
- 47. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 45, wherein said currency is owned by an owner, said owner having an account at a financial institution, said remote processor being associated with said financial institution or in communication with said financial institution, and wherein said deposited currency is credited to the account of said owner at said financial institution.
- 48. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 45, wherein said currency receptacle is available to receive or dispense currency when in said open position, said currency receptacle securely denying access to said stored currency when in said closed position, and wherein said mounting device lockably secures and prevents unauthorized removal of said removable currency receptacle, said removable currency receptacle being operatively connected to said currency counter when said removable currency receptacle is lockably secured to said mounting device.
- 49. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 48, wherein said currency receptacle further includes an openable lid and an electronic lock, wherein said currency receptacle is in an open position when said electronic lock is unlocked and said lid is opened, and wherein said currency receptacle is in a closed position when said lid is closed and said electronic lock is locked.
- 50. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 49, further including the steps of:(a) unlocking and opening said lockable access opening; (b) installing said currency receptacle inside said safe by lockably securing said currency receptacle to said mounting device; (c) communicating said unique identifier from said first data port to said second data port and said local processor; (d) opening said currency receptacle by said local processor sending a signal unlocking said electronic lock and opening said lid; (e) closing and locking said lockable access opening; (f) upon receiving said at least one deposit of currency into said currency receptacle, unlocking and opening said lockable access opening; (g) closing said currency receptacle by closing said lid and said local processor sending a signal locking said electronic lock; (h) removing said currency receptacle from said safe; (i) transporting said currency receptacle to a secure location; (j) opening said currency receptacle by unlocking said electronic lock and opening said lid; and (k) dispensing said deposited currency from said currency receptacle for safekeeping at said secure location; wherein, said currency deposited in said currency receptacle remains inaccessible to any person until said lid is opened at said secure location.
- 51. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 50, wherein said step of transporting said currency receptacle from said currency receiving device to said secure location is by transportation means, said transportation means being able to communicate with said remote processor, said method further including the step of:(a) communicating said identifier of said currency receptacle to said remote processor at least once while said currency receptacle is being transported from said currency receiving device to said secure location.
- 52. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 51, wherein said transportation means communicates with said remote processor by wireless communication means.
- 53. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 50, said method further including the steps of:(a) providing a financial processor at said secure location, said financial processor being in a state of communication with said remote processor; and (b) communicating said identifier and said currency deposit information to said financial processor, when said currency receptacle is installed in said currency receiving device.
- 54. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 53, wherein said currency is owned by an owner, said owner having an account at a financial institution, said secure location being associated with said financial institution, and wherein said deposited currency is credited to the account of said owner at said financial institution when said currency deposit information is communicated from said remote processor to said financial processor.
- 55. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 54, said method further including the steps of:(a) obtaining a confirmation count by counting said deposited currency dispensed from said currency receptacle when said currency receptacle is received at said secure location; and (b) comparing said confirmation count with the count of currency previously credited to the account of said owner at said financial institution.
- 56. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 44, said method further including the step of communicating currency receiving device status information to said remote processor.
- 57. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 56, wherein said currency receiving device status information comprises information identifying whether the lockable access opening is open or closed, and information identifying whether the currency receptacle is in an open or closed position.
- 58. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 44, wherein said remote processor is capable of communicating with a plurality of currency receiving devices.
- 59. A method of receiving a deposit of currency from a user according to claim 43, wherein said remote processor is capable of communicating with a plurality of currency receiving devices.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2312275 |
Jun 2000 |
CA |
|
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 307 375 |
Jun 1988 |
EP |
2 246 899 |
Apr 1991 |
GB |
WO 8702808 |
May 1987 |
WO |
WO 9111778 |
Sep 1991 |
WO |