U.S. patent application number 13/801085 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-01 for currency dispenser.
This patent application is currently assigned to Cummins-Allison Corp.. The applicant listed for this patent is Cummins-Allison Corp.. Invention is credited to John E. Jones.
Application Number | 20130193205 13/801085 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32829925 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130193205 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jones; John E. |
August 1, 2013 |
CURRENCY DISPENSER
Abstract
A vertically arranged combination desktop currency denominating
machine and currency dispenser comprising a currency denominating
module adapted to receive a stack of currency bills to be
denominated and to denominate the received currency bills, wherein
a transport mechanism transports bills individually from an input
receptacle adapted to receive the stack of currency bills to one or
more output receptacles. The combination further comprising a
dispenser retaining section adapted to store currency bills to be
dispensed to the one or more output receptacles during a dispensing
operation, the retaining section comprising one or more dispensing
receptacles, each dispensing receptacle adapted to hold bills
having a common denomination, wherein the dispenser retainer
section is positioned above the currency denominating module.
Inventors: |
Jones; John E.; (Winnetka,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cummins-Allison Corp.; |
Mt. Prospect |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Cummins-Allison Corp.
Mt. Prospect
IL
|
Family ID: |
32829925 |
Appl. No.: |
13/801085 |
Filed: |
March 13, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12615167 |
Nov 9, 2009 |
8413888 |
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13801085 |
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10773827 |
Feb 6, 2004 |
7635082 |
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12615167 |
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60445656 |
Feb 7, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
235/379 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 31/02 20130101;
B65H 31/24 20130101; B65H 2301/4214 20130101; G07D 11/30 20190101;
B65H 39/05 20130101; G07F 19/20 20130101; B65H 39/042 20130101;
B65H 2301/4318 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
235/379 |
International
Class: |
G07F 19/00 20060101
G07F019/00 |
Claims
1-61. (canceled)
62. An employee-assisted customer-operated deposit processing and
currency dispensing device, comprising: a housing; a user interface
configured to receive user inputs associated with financial
transactions, the financial transactions including at least deposit
transactions and withdrawal transactions; at least one display
device configured to display information associated with a
financial transaction; at least one input receptacle configured to
receive from a customer both currency bills and financial
institution documents to be processed in conjunction with a deposit
transaction; a plurality of document-containing receptacles; at
least one output receptacle configured to receive currency bills to
be dispensed to the customer in conjunction with a withdrawal
transaction, the at least one output receptacle being distinct from
the at least one input receptacle; a transport mechanism configured
to transport both currency bills and financial institution
documents, one at a time, from the at least one input receptacle,
past at least one sensor, and to one or more of the
document-containing receptacles, the transport mechanism further
configured to transport currency bills from one or more of the
document-containing receptacles to the at least one output
receptacle; one or more of the at least one sensor being configured
to generate image data associated with at least each financial
institution document transported past the sensor, the image data
associated with a document being usable to recreate an image of the
document, one or more of the at least one sensor being configured
to generate a characteristic information output signal associated
with at least each currency bill transported past the sensor; and a
processor coupled to the at least one sensor and configured to
receive therefrom the image data and the characteristic information
output signal, the processor being configured to determine from at
least the characteristic information output signal a denomination
of an associated currency bill, the processor also being coupled to
the user interface and the transport mechanism, the processor being
further configured to control the transports mechanism to
selectively transport currency bills from the at least one input
receptacle to one or more of the document-containing receptacles in
conjunction with a deposit transaction or from one or more of the
document-containing receptacles to the at least one output
receptacle in conjunction with a withdrawal transaction, or both,
based on the user inputs received via the user interface.
63. The device of claim 62, wherein at least some of the plurality
of document-containing receptacles are secured inside the housing
such that documents contained therein are not accessible to the
customer.
64. The device of claim 62, wherein the at least one display device
includes an employee display screen and a customer display screen
configured to display information associated with a financial
transaction to both an employee and the customer.
65. The device of claim 62, wherein the user interface is further
configured to accept instructions from both an employee and the
customer.
66. The device of claim 62, wherein the financial institution
documents receivable by the at least one input receptacle include
checks, deposit slips, and withdrawal slips.
67. The device of claim 62, wherein the processor, using
information received from the at least one sensor, is further
configured to distinguish between currency bills and financial
institution documents.
68. The device of claim 62, wherein the processor, using
information received from the at least one sensor, is further
configured to distinguish between different types of financial
institution documents.
69. The device of claim 62, wherein the processor, using
information received from the at least one sensor, is further
configured to verify that a total value of currency bills
transported from the document-containing receptacles to the at
least one output receptacle equals a total withdrawal value
specified by the customer via the user interface.
70. The device of claim 62, wherein the processor, using
information received from the at least one sensor, is further
configured to verify that a total value of currency bills received
via the at least one input receptacle and transported for storage
to one or more of the document-containing receptacles equals a
total deposit value specified by the customer via the user
interface.
71. The device of claim 62, wherein the at least one sensor
consists essentially of an image scanner operable to generate data
to denominate currency bills and image data for financial
institution documents.
72. The device of claim 62, wherein the processor, using the
information received from the at least one sensor, is further
configured to capture specific information from specific fields of
financial institution documents.
73. The device of claim 62, wherein the at least one input
receptacle is adjustable in size to accommodate currency bills and
financial institution documents of different sizes.
74. The device of claim 62, wherein the at least one input
receptacle is configured to receive and the processor is configured
to process a stack of mixed documents including both currency bills
and financial institution documents.
75. The device of claim 62, wherein the user interface is further
configured to accept a customer identification number that
associates the customer to a financial institution account.
76. The device of claim 62, further comprising a printer configured
to output to the customer a receipt for each of the financial
transactions.
77. The device of claim 62, further comprising a housing, wherein
the at least one sensor, the document-containing receptacles, the
transport mechanism, and the processor are contained within the
housing.
78. The device of claim 62, wherein the transport mechanism is
configured to transport documents at a rate of at least 400
documents per minute.
79. The device of claim 62, wherein the transport mechanism is
configured to transport currency bills at a rate of at least 800
bills per minute.
80. The device of claim 62, wherein the at least one sensor is
configured to operate at about 400 to about 600 documents per
minute.
81. A kiosk for conducting financial transactions, the kiosk
comprising: one or more user interfaces configured to receive user
inputs associated with financial transactions, the financial
transactions including at least deposit transactions and withdrawal
transactions; one or more display devices configured to display
information associated with a financial transaction to a user; one
or more input receptacles configured to receive currency bills and
financial institution documents associated with at least one
deposit transaction; one or more output receptacles configured to
receive dispensed currency bills, the one or more output
receptacles being distinct from the one or more input receptacles;
one or more sensors configured to capture images and acquire data
from currency bills and financial institution documents associated
with the at least one deposit transaction; a plurality of
document-containing receptacles; and a transport system configured
to transport currency bills and financial institution documents
from the one or more input receptacles, past the one or more
sensors, to one or more of the document-containing receptacles, the
transport system also being configured to transport currency bills
from one or more of the document-containing receptacles to the one
or more output receptacles.
82. A currency processing device configured to receive currency
bills from a customer, dispense currency bills to a customer, and
denominate both bills received and bills dispensed, the currency
processing device comprising: an input receptacle configured to
receive currency bills from a customer; an output receptacle
configured to output currency bills to the customer, the output
receptacle being positioned to be easily accessible to the
customer; bill-containing receptacles, one or more of the
bill-containing receptacles being configured to receive currency
bills from the input receptacle, one or more of the bill-containing
receptacles being configured to dispense currency bills to the
output receptacle; a sensor configured to acquire evaluation data
from bills being transported: from the input receptacle to
bill-containing receptacles and from bill-containing receptacles to
the output receptacle; a transport mechanism configured to
transport bills: from the input receptacle to bill-containing
receptacles and from bill-containing receptacles to the output
receptacle; and a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to
determine the denomination of a bill based on the acquired
evaluation data associated with the bill, whereby each bill
received from the customer may be subjected to the denomination
determination and each bill to be dispensed to the customer may be
subjected to the denomination determination.
83. The currency processing device of claim 82, wherein the
bill-containing receptacles are coupled to the transport mechanism
downstream of the input receptacle, and the sensor is positioned
downstream of the input receptacle.
84. The currency processing device of claim 82, further comprising
a housing having a footprint of less than about 325 square inches,
wherein the bill-containing receptacles, the sensor, and the
processor are secured inside the housing.
85. The currency processing device of claim 82, further comprising
a housing having a volume of less than about 12,000 cubic
inches.
86. The currency processing device of claim 82, wherein the sensor
is configured to image each bill, and the evaluation data comprises
replication data, the replication data being sufficient to
replicate at least a portion of an image of each bill.
87. The currency processing device of claim 86, wherein the sensor
is configured to operate at about 400 to about 600 bills per
minute.
88. The currency processing device of claim 82, further comprising
an employee display screen and a customer display screen, the
employee and customer display screens being configured to display
to an employee and a customer, respectively, information associated
with a financial transaction being conducted with the currency
processing device.
89. The currency processing device of claim 88, further comprising
a user interface configured to receive user inputs associated with
the financial transaction.
90. The currency processing device of claim 89, wherein the user
interface is further configured to accept instructions from both
the employee and the customer.
91. The currency processing device of claim 82, wherein the input
receptacle is configured to receive both currency bills and
financial institution documents to be processed.
92. The currency processing device of claim 91, wherein the
processor, using the evaluation data received from the sensor, is
further configured to distinguish between currency bills and
financial institution documents.
93. The currency processing device of claim 91, wherein the
processor, using the evaluation data received from the sensor, is
further configured to distinguish between different types of
financial institution documents.
94. The currency processing device of claim 91, wherein the input
receptacle is adjustable in size to accommodate currency bills and
financial institution documents of different sizes.
95. The currency processing device of claim 82, wherein the
processor, using the evaluation data received from the sensor, is
further configured to verify that a total value of currency bills
dispensed from the bill-containing receptacles to the output
receptacle equals a total withdrawal value specified by a
customer.
96. The currency processing device of claim 82, wherein the
processor, using the evaluation data received from the sensor, is
further configured to verify that a total value of currency bills
received via the input receptacle and transported for storage to
one or more of the bill-containing receptacles equals a total
deposit value specified by a customer.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/445,656, filed Feb. 7, 2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The field of the invention relates generally to a document
processing system and, more specifically, to systems whereby
documents are withdrawn and/or deposited into the document
processing system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Currently, in financial institutions, when tellers accept
deposits from customers, currency bills may be manually counted and
then put into a cash drawer. Checks are often clipped with a
receipt indicating the depositor and then put to the side until the
teller has time to verify the amounts. In some instances, the
currency bills and the checks may both be set aside for processing
at a later time. Generally, however, the customer is given a
receipt at the time the transaction occurs, indicating the amount
of the transaction. The receipt is generally based on the numbers
given to the teller by the customer.
[0004] Since the currency bills are put into the cash drawer along
with other currency bills, there is no way to track the currency
bills that are deposited into the system. After bills have been
placed into the cash drawer, there is no way to tie or link the
currency bills which have been deposited to the customer who
deposited them. If a currency bill is subsequently identified as
being counterfeit (for example, when the bill is forwarded to the
Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve identifies the bill as
being counterfeit), the bank must bear the loss since the currency
bill was not linked or otherwise associated with the person
depositing the bill.
[0005] As mentioned above, the amounts of the checks are often not
verified until after the customer is given a receipt for the
transaction. If there is a discrepancy, such as an adding error on
the part of the customer, the customer will not be notified until
after receiving a receipt indicating otherwise. Since the customer
has a receipt indicating the amount of the deposit, the customer
may rely on this information. For example, the customer may
withdraw or write checks based on the amount recorded on the
receipt. Although a hold may also have been placed on the deposited
funds, unless there are cleared funds to cover the attempted
withdrawal, such attempts to withdraw may cause the customer to
overdraw, which may cause customer dissatisfaction.
[0006] Also, when a customer requests money from the teller, the
teller must manually count out and distribute the funds. This may
be a time consuming process, which may also cause customer
dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the teller may make an error in
counting out the currency bills. If the teller withdraws too
little, the customer is likely to be dissatisfied. If the teller
withdraws too much, the customer may not inform the institution,
which would cause the institution to lose money.
[0007] Another problem with the current situation is that deposited
checks often must be transported to another location for scanning
and processing. This creates an extra step, adding time to a time
sensitive process (since the checks must be presented to the
issuing bank within a certain amount of time).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] One embodiment is a currency processing system for receiving
a stack of currency bills from a user, for dispensing bills to a
user, and for denominating both bills received and bills dispensed.
In one embodiment, the system comprises an input receptacle for
receiving the stack of bills; and a single output receptacle for
receiving processed bills, wherein the single output receptacle is
spaced apart from the input receptacle and easily accessible to the
user. A transport mechanism is adapted to transport bills
individually from the input receptacle to the single output
receptacle. A dispensing receptacle contains bills for dispensing;
and a dispensing mechanism is adapted to dispense bills
individually from the dispensing receptacle to the transport
mechanism for individual transport to the single output receptacle.
A sensor is positioned relative to the transport mechanism to
acquire evaluation data from each bill, in seriatim, as the bills
are transported to the single output receptacle. A processor is
coupled to the sensor and adapted to determine denomination of a
bill based on the evaluation data associated with the bill, whereby
each bill transported to the single output receptacle may be
denominated.
[0009] In some embodiments, more than one output receptacle is
provided.
[0010] In some embodiments, the currency processing system includes
an image scanner adapted to obtain an image of the bills deposited
and/or dispensed.
[0011] Some embodiments are similar to those described above but
are additionally adapted to process documents in addition to
currency bills such as checks and hence constitute document
processing systems.
[0012] The above summary of the present invention is not intended
to represent each embodiment, or every aspect, of the present
invention. This is the purpose of the figures and the detailed
description which follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a dispensing device according
to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate potential bill orientations for
transporting a bill through a scanner;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a document processing device
adapted to receive a deposit and to dispense a withdrawal;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a deposit device in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example image scanner which
may be used in conjunction with some of the dispensing and/or
deposit devices discussed in this application;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of example bill discriminating
components which may be used in conjunction with some of the
dispensing and/or deposit devices discussed in this
application;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a document processing
system in accordance with principles of the invention and having
dispensing capabilities;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of a single output
receptacle embodiment of a compact document processing system;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a currency dispensing device
according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a deposit device according to
one embodiment of the present invention; and
[0023] FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of a compact document
processing system comprising a barrier around dispensing
receptacles.
[0024] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications
and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way
of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein.
It should be understood, however, that the invention is not
intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather,
the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and
alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention
as defined by the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Currently, employees such as tellers and cashiers, utilize a
manual system for accepting and dispensing currency bills and
financial institution documents to and from customers. The term
"employee" refers to anyone authorized by the institution to update
a customer's account at the institution or authorized to transact
at least some types of business on behalf of the institution, store
or casino. This may include tellers, customer service
representatives, trust bankers, and others employed by a financial
institution. It also may include cashiers employed by a store or a
casino. This term also includes people who may not be employees of
the institution, but are authorized to access the accounts, such as
contract workers, consultants, and/or jobbers.
[0026] The term "currency bills" refers to all paper or currency
paper-like currency (e.g., sheet currency made of or comprising
plastic), including both U.S. and foreign currency bills.
[0027] The term "financial institution documents" refers to checks,
deposit slips, withdrawal slips, loan payment documents, loan
request documents, etc. The employees may also accept and/or
disburse coupons or bar coded documents, such as coupons redeemable
at a grocery store or bar coded winnings tickets that indicate the
amount of prize money won by an individual.
[0028] The term "customer" refers to a person having an account at
the institution or using the services of the institution. For
example, a customer at a bank is a person having an account at the
bank. A customer at a grocery store is someone purchasing goods at
the store. A customer at a casino is someone who is gambling or
purchasing goods at the casino.
[0029] The terms "operator" and "user" are general terms referring
to anyone, customers, employees, or others, who are operating or
otherwise using the system. The discussion below focuses on use of
a system at a financial institution such as a bank and a customer
depositing and withdrawing funds via the system. The concepts
discussed herein are also applicable to retail stores, casinos, and
other businesses.
[0030] Currently, employees must manually count out the currency
bills and financial institution documents they receive and
disburse; this is time consuming and increases the risk of
miscounting and counterfeits being passed and other errors
occurring. To reduce these risks and others, a document processing
device of the present invention may be used.
[0031] Turning now to FIG. 1, a currency dispensing system 100
according to one embodiment of the present invention is described.
The currency dispensing system 100 includes a plurality of
dispensers 102a-f and an output receptacle 104. Each of the
dispensers 102a-f is adapted to hold a different denomination of
currency, or like denomination of currency. For example, dispenser
102a may hold $1, dispenser 102b may hold $5, dispenser 102c may
hold $10, dispenser 102d may hold $20, dispenser 102e may hold $50,
and dispenser 102f may hold $100. Alternatively, two or more
dispensers may hold the same denomination. For example, in the
above example, dispenser 102c my hold $20 rather than $10 so that
both dispensers 102c and 102d would hold $20 bills. Such
arrangements may be useful when it expected that more of one or
more denominations, such as $20s, will be dispensed relative to
some of the other denominations.
[0032] Each of the plurality of dispensers 102a-f is connected to
the output receptacle 104 via a transport mechanism 106a-f. As
shown in FIG. 2a, the transport mechanisms 106a-f may be adapted to
transport currency bills such that the longer edge of a currency
bill 107 is perpendicular to the direction of transport. Stated
differently, a long edge of the currency bill 107 is the leading
edge. In other embodiments, the transport mechanisms 106a-f may be
adapted to transport currency bills such that a longer edge of the
currency bill 107 is parallel to the direction of transport, as
shown in FIG. 2b. Stated another way, a short edge of the currency
bill is the leading edge. In some embodiments, one or more bills
may be transported in a skewed manner. Examples of transport
mechanisms are discussed in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,815,592
and 6,311,819, both of which are incorporated herein by reference
in their entirety. The transport orientation described in this
paragraph also applies to the other embodiments discussed below
such as those discussed in connection with FIGS. 3-11.
[0033] Returning to FIG. 1, a controller 108 controls the operation
of the transport mechanisms 106a-f as is further described below.
The controller 108 is also coupled to an image scanner 110 that is
located along the path of transport mechanisms 106a-f, such that
any bill dispensed from any of the dispensers 102a-f is transported
past the image scanner 110 on its way to the output receptacle 104.
The image scanner 110 is adapted to obtain images of the currency
bills as the currency bills are transported past the image scanner
110 and to the output receptacle 104.
[0034] In an alternate embodiment, the image scanner may be
replaced by one or more sensors adapted to retrieve information
from passing bills which permits the passing bills to be
denominated such as sensor 126 depicted in FIG. 6. Examples of
denomination sensors or units are discussed in more detail below
such as in connection with FIGS. 4 and 6 as well as in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,295,196 and 5,687,963, both of which are incorporated herein
by reference in their entirety. Similarly, in other alternate
embodiments, one or more denomination sensors may be added to the
system depicted in FIG. 1 in addition to the image scanner 110.
[0035] Further operation of the system 100 according to one
embodiment of the present invention will now be described. An
operator inputs a withdrawal request into the controller 108 such
as via an operator interface 140. The controller 108 will receive
the request and instruct one or more of the transport mechanisms
106a-f to begin transporting an appropriate number of currency
bills from the appropriate dispensers 102a-f. The controller may
require a transaction identification, or some other verification or
tracking information, from the operator before dispensing any
currency. In a retail environment, the dispensers may be coupled to
a cash register that calculates the amount of currency to be
dispensed.
[0036] The transport mechanisms 106a-f that are activated cause the
appropriate dispensers 102a-f to dispense the appropriate number of
currency bills. The currency bills are then transported, one at a
time, past the image scanner 110 and to the output receptacle 104.
The dispensers can be activated one at a time so bills do not
collide, overlap, etc.
[0037] When a currency bill is transported past the image scanner
110, the controller 108 instructs the image scanner 110 to obtain
an image of the currency bill. The scanner 110 then transmits the
image back to the controller 108 for processing. In some
embodiments, the controller 108 is adapted to use the image of the
currency bill to denominate the bill. After being scanned, the
currency bill is then transported by the transport mechanism 106a-f
to the output receptacle 104, where the bills are accumulated and
then removed by the operator.
[0038] To more clearly explain the operation, a specific example
will be discussed. An operator inputs a withdrawal request of $175
into the controller 108 via an operator interface 140. The
controller 108 activates the transport mechanisms 106a-f that are
associated with the $100 bills, $50 bills, $20 bills and $5 bills.
In this example, the controller would activate transport mechanisms
106b, 106d, 106e, and 106f. The activation of the transport
mechanisms 106b,d,e,f would cause the associated dispensers 102b,
102d, 102e, and 102f to each dispense a currency bill. The
transport mechanism only causes the dispenser to dispense the
needed number of bills (in this example, one from each of the four
dispensers 102b, 102d, 102e, 102f).
[0039] After a bill is transported out of the dispenser, the
transport mechanisms 106 b, d, e, f will carry each bill, one by
one, past the image scanner 110 to the output receptacle 104 for
disbursement to the operator. The image scanner 110 is activated by
the controller 108, and obtains images of the bills as they are
transported past. The images obtained by the image scanner 110 are
then sent to the controller 108 for further processing. In some
embodiments, the controller 108 may discriminate the bill based
upon the image by comparing at least a portion of the image to
master reference data stored in memory and, thus can verify that
the correct amount was dispensed to the operator.
[0040] The above-described embodiment is able to disburse bills
with greater speed an accuracy than when done manually. Although
the operator may manually count out the dispensed bills to the
customer for further verification, the bills are dispensed quicker
by the system 100 than if the operator had to pull the bills out of
a cash drawer. Furthermore, the record of the disbursement is
created electronically, within the controller, so the operator does
not have to manually prepare a record, which also reduces the
likelihood of error.
[0041] Some embodiment may include one or more additional output
receptacles. For example, when it is determined that an incorrect
denomination of bills has been dispensed from one of the dispensing
receptacles 102a-f (e.g., a $20 bill was incorrectly included in
and dispensed from the $10 dispensing receptacle), such incorrect
bill may be routed to a different output receptacle (which may be
an internal retaining receptacle) and another bill may be dispensed
in its place. Bills which are determined to be suspect (discussed
in more detail below) may be handled in a similar manner.
[0042] Turning now to FIG. 3, a document processing system 200
according to another embodiment is illustrated. In this embodiment,
the document processing system 200 includes a deposit device 210, a
dispensing device 220, and a processor 230. The dispensing device
220 may be the same as the dispensing device 100 described above
and processor 230 may be the same as or in addition to controller
108. The deposit device 210 receives documents such as financial
institution documents and currency bills for deposit into a
customer's account (or for payment of goods and/or services). The
dispensing device 220 dispenses currency bills to the customer. The
processor 230 controls the operation of the dispensing device 220
and/or the deposit device 210. The processor 230 accepts
instructions from an employee and/or customer and transmits the
instructions to the appropriate machine. Alternatively, the
processor 230 may be included in the dispensing device 220 (as
described in the above embodiment), the deposit device 210, or
both.
[0043] The operation of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 will
now be described by way of an example. An operator inputs a
withdrawal request and a deposit request into the processor 230 via
an operator interface (not shown). The processor 230 activates the
dispensing device 220 to dispense an amount corresponding to the
withdrawal request. The processor 230 activates the deposit device
210 to accept documents that make up the deposit request.
[0044] The details of one embodiment of the deposit device 210 is
described below in connection with FIG. 4. According to some
embodiments, the document processing system according to the
present embodiment allows an operator to both deposit and withdraw
funds using a single machine. In alternate embodiments, the deposit
210 and dispensing devices 220 may be housed separately but
connected to form a single system. This dual functionality reduces
the costs to the financial institutions as they only have to
purchase one machine. Costs resulting from human error are reduced
because the document processing system 200 is quicker and more
accurate. The operator does not have to manually withdraw funds
from a drawer and then count the funds or manually separate
deposited documents into categories and then count and total the
value of the documents.
[0045] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a deposit device 250.
The deposit device 250 includes an input receptacle 252 and a
storage receptacle 254. The input receptacle 252 is adapted to
receive currency bills for deposit into the device. A stack of
currency bills placed in the input receptacle 252 may be sorted by
denomination, or the stack of currency bills may be of mixed
denominations. A transport mechanism 256 transports bills from the
input receptacle 252 to the storage receptacle 254, one at a time,
along a transport path. The transport mechanism 256 may be adapted
to transport the currency bills in the wide or the narrow
direction, as described above in FIGS. 2a and 2b. The storage
receptacle 254 may comprise one or more output receptacles.
[0046] A processor or controller 258 controls the operation of the
movement of the transport mechanism. When a currency bill--or stack
of currency bills--is placed into the input receptacle and a
deposit request is input into the controller 258, the controller
258 activates the transport mechanism 256 to transport the currency
bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle 252 and into the
storage receptacle 312.
[0047] In the present embodiment, the controller 258 also controls
operation of a denominating unit 260. The denominating unit 260 is
located along the transport path and is adapted to determine the
denominations of the currency bills as they are transported past
the denominating unit 260 by the transport mechanism.
[0048] The deposit device 250 thus may verify the amount of the
deposit request and to count the number of different denominations
that are being transported to the storage device 254.
[0049] The denominating unit 260 may determine the denominations of
passing bills itself and pass this information on to the controller
258 or the denominating unit 260 may comprise one or more
denomination sensors which retrieve characteristic information from
passing bills and transmit such characteristic information along to
the processor or controller 258 which in turn determines the
denominations of passing bills.
[0050] The denominating unit 260 may comprise one or more sensors,
depending on a number of variables. The variables relate to which
distinguishing characteristics of the currency bills are being
examined, for example, size, thickness, color, magnetism,
reflectivity, absorbability, transmissivity, electrical
conductivity, serial number, and so forth. The denominating unit
260 may also employ a variety of detection components including,
but not limited to, any combination of the following: a size
detector, a density sensor, an upper optical scan head, a lower
optical scan head, a single or plurality of magnetic sensors, a
thread sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultraviolet/fluorescent light
scan head, or an image scanner. These detection components and a
host of others are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.
6,278,795, entitled "Multi-Pocket Currency Discriminator," which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and co-pending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/965,428, entitled "A Document
Processing System Using Full Image Scanning," filed on Sep. 27,
2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Examples of discriminating denomination information from a currency
bill are shown and disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.
5,815,592, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety. Likewise, examples of denomination sensors or units are
discussed in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,196 and 5,687,963,
both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
[0051] An example of the operation of the deposit device 250, in
which the denominating unit 260 is a more general discrimination
unit 260 will now be described. An operator inputs a deposit
request such as via an operator interface 240 into the controller
256 of the deposit device 250. The operator then inserts a stack of
currency bills into the input receptacle 252 for deposit. Once the
currency bills are placed in the input receptacle 252, the
controller 258 activates the transport mechanism to begin
transporting the currency bills, one at a time, from the input
receptacle 252, past the discrimination unit 260 and to the storage
receptacle 254. As the currency bill reaches the discrimination
unit 260, the controller 258 activates the sensors within the
discrimination unit 260 so as to discriminate the currency bill.
The currency bill is then transported to the storage receptacle 254
for storage.
[0052] After discriminating the currency bills, the discrimination
unit 260 communicates the denominations of the currency bills to
the controller 258. The controller 258 may use the denomination
information to compare the amount denominated by the discrimination
unit 260 with the amount input during the deposit request. This is
one method that allows the teller to give the customer an accurate
deposit receipt--decreasing the possibility of customer
dissatisfaction. The controller 258 may also use this denomination
information to update a financial account belonging to the person
depositing the currency bills to reflect what the amount of the
deposit was.
[0053] In some embodiments the denomination unit 260 is replaced
with an image scanner as in FIG. 1. Alternatively, in some
embodiment, an image scanner may be added to the system 250 in
addition to the denomination unit 260.
[0054] Image Scanner
[0055] Turning now to FIG. 5, an image scanner 300 will be
described according to one embodiment of the present invention. The
image scanner 300 may be of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,888,812, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety. As shown in FIG. 5, the front 302 and back 304 surfaces
of documents 306 are scanned by a pair of scanheads 308 and 310,
that convert the images into electronic data representing those
images.
[0056] The scanheads 308 and 310 include electronic circuitry that
generates a sequence of analog signals representing light and dark
images defining the image on the document. The scanheads 308 and
310 may be arranged for simultaneously scanning both the front 302
and back 304 surfaces of the documents 306 and are connected
respectively to analog-to-digital converters 312 and 314 that
convert the analog values into discrete binary gray scale values
of, for example, 256 gray scale levels. The scanheads 308 and 310
are capable of obtaining images of varying resolutions. The
particular resolution chosen, which can be varied by the user, is
selected based upon the type of document being scanned, as is known
in the art. A commercially available imaging scanhead for use with
one embodiment of the present invention is the PI228MC-A4 Contact
Image Sensor (CIS) Module made by Peripheral Imaging Corporation in
San Jose, Calif., which contains a light source, focusing optics,
detector array and electronics for producing an analog output
containing 1728 pixels/line with a density of 200 pixels/inch.
[0057] The high resolution gray scale image data from the
analog-to-digital converters 312 and 314 is received by an image
data preprocessor 316 in which the data may be enhanced and
smoothed and which serves to locate the edges of successive
documents and discard irrelevant data between documents. If the
documents are slightly skewed, the image preprocessor 316 can also
perform rotation of the image data to facilitate subsequent
processing.
[0058] The image data output of the preprocessor 316 is monitored
for the occurrence of unacceptable image quality by an image
quality unit 318. For example, the image quality unit 318 monitors
the distribution of gray scale values in the image data and creates
a histogram. Acceptable quality images have a distribution of gray
scale values within certain prescribed limits. If the gray scale
distribution of the histogram falls outside these limits, this is
indicative of poor image quality and an error condition is
generated by the quality unit 318.
[0059] The image data is transmitted from the quality unit 318 to a
processor 320 that outputs the processed image data to a buffer 322
at the data input channel 324 to a controller 326. OCR and/or ICR
can use the image data to extract or capture specified information
from specified fields of the image. For example, when processing
checks, OCR can detect the "S" symbol as a coordinate to: the left
of the numeric check amount field box, and then extract the amount
from that box. A straight coordinate system or dimension system is
used where known dimensions of the box are used to locate the
field. Also, when scanning currency, OCR can detect the field where
the serial numbers are printed and extract those numbers.
[0060] When scanning bar-coded documents, the scanhead obtains an
image of the document, or just the bar-coded portion of the
document, and that image is used to decipher the information from
the bar code. For example, in some embodiments if a bar code is
used to represent the value of the document (e.g., on a casino
redemption ticket or a "Disney Dollar"), the scanhead obtains an
image of the bar code and then uses that image to read the bar code
and determine the value of the document, rather than reading the
bar code directly from the document. Computer software for decoding
bar-coded information from an image of the bar code are
commercially available, e.g., from VisionShape, Inc. of Placentia,
Calif., or Kofax Image Products of Irvine, Calif. In other
embodiments, a bar code reader may read the bar code directly from
a document.
[0061] According to one embodiment, the controller 326 is
programmed to locate fields for various types of currency and
perform processing. Based on scanning certain areas on the currency
or document, the controller 326 first identifies the type of
currency--for example, identifying the bills as being U.S. bills.
Then, based on that identification, certain fields of interest are
located, and the information in those fields is extracted and
stored for use by the system--for example, the serial number,
series designation, and/or denominational designations of U.S.
bills.
[0062] The controller 326 may also compress the image data, by
methods known in the art, for storage or in preparation for
transmission to another location, such as an outside location.
Programs for extracting and storing information from prescribed
fields in a document image are commercially available. For example,
OCR and ICR engines for converting pre-defined characters or data
fields into editable text and mapping it directly into a database
are available from Mitek Systems, Inc. in San Diego, Calif. Check
readers and OCR line readers are commercially available from a
variety of sources. Programs for converting bitmap images of
handwritten numeric amounts (e.g., written on checks or other
documents) into computer-usable character data are available from
Orbograph Corporation in Billerica, Mass.
[0063] The amount of image data per document may vary depending
upon the size and nature of the document and the efficiency of any
compression of the image data obtained by scanning that particular
document. To ensure that no data is lost in the event that the
volume of image data temporarily exceeds the transfer capacity of
the high speed data channel, a pre-channel buffer 322 is interposed
prior to the data channel 324, which is connected to the controller
326. The capacity of the pre-channel buffer 322 is continually
monitored by the controller 326 so that appropriate action may be
taken if the buffer becomes overloaded. The compressed image data
is received by the controller 326 over the high-speed data channel
324 and may be initially routed to temporary storage. The image
buffer is preferably of a size capable of storing the image data
from at least several batches or runs of checks or similar
documents. The controller 326 performs the functions of analyzing
the data. Alternatively, analysis of the data can occur at central
office computer or at a personal computer attached to the
system.
[0064] Other scanning modules and methods can be used in place of,
or in addition to, the particular one described above. These
include CCD array systems, multi-cell arrays and other well-known
scanning techniques. Examples of these techniques and devices are
described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,661,910; U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,164; U.S.
Pat. No. 5,023,782; U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,158; U.S. Pat. No.
5,187,750; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,780, each of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The scanning
module can also be a color image scanner such as the type described
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,292, which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
[0065] Discrimination and/or Authentication
[0066] An embodiment of the present invention having discrimination
and/or authentication functionality will be described in connection
with FIG. 6. This illustrated embodiment as well as others are
described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,354 and published PCT
application WO 95/24691, each of which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of
a currency denominating device 350 having a single scanhead 352.
The unit 350 includes a bill-accepting station 354 where a bill 356
in a stack, more generally stacks of bills 356 that need to be
identified and counted are picked up, one bill at a time, by a bill
separating mechanism 358 for sequential relay by a transport
mechanism 360 along a transport path, across a scanhead 352 where
the currency denomination of the bill is identified. The scanhead
352 is an optical scanhead that scans for characteristic
information from a scanned bill 356 that is used to identify the
denomination of the bill. The scanned bill 356 is then transported
to a bill stacking station 362.
[0067] The optical scanhead 352 of FIG. 6 comprises a pair of light
sources 364A and 364B directing light onto the bill transport path
so as to illuminate a substantially rectangular strip 366 on a bill
356 positioned adjacent the scanhead 352. Light reflected off the
illuminated strip 366 is sensed by a photodetector 368 positioned
directly adjacent the strip. The analog output of the photodetector
368 is converted into a digital signal by means of an
analog-to-digital (ADC) converter 370 whose output is fed as a
digital input to the controller 372.
[0068] While the scanhead 352 of FIG. 6 is an optical scanhead, it
may be designed to detect a variety of different types of
characteristic information from bills. Additionally, the scanhead
may employ a variety of additional detection means such as
magnetic, electrical conductivity, and capacitive sensors, as
discussed in more detail below.
[0069] Referring again to FIG. 6, the bill transport path in this
embodiment is defined in such a way that the transport mechanism
360 moves bills with the narrow dimension of the bills parallel to
the transport path and the scan direction. As a bill 356 traverses
the scanhead 352, the light strip 366 traverses the bill across the
narrow dimension of the bill. As depicted, the transport path is so
arranged that a bill 356 is scanned by the scanhead 352
approximately along the central section of the bill along its
narrow dimension, as shown in FIG. 6. The scanhead 352 functions to
detect light reflected from the bill as it moves across the
illuminated light strip 366 and to provide an analog representation
of the variation in light so reflected which, in turn, represents
the variation in the dark and light content of the printed pattern
or indicia on the surface of the bill. This variation in light
reflected from the narrow dimension scanning of the bills serves as
a measure for distinguishing, with a high degree of confidence,
among multiple currency denominations that the discrimination unit
is programmed to handle.
[0070] A series of such detected reflectance signals are obtained
across the narrow dimension of the bill, or across a selected
segment thereof, and the resulting analog signals are digitized
under control of the controller 372 to yield a fixed number of
digital reflectance data samples. The data samples are then
subjected to a normalizing routine that processes the sampled data
for improved correlation and for smoothing out variations due to
contrast fluctuations in the printed pattern on the bill surface.
The normalized reflectance data represents a characteristic pattern
that is unique for a given bill denomination and provides
sufficient distinguishing features among characteristic patterns
for different currency denominations. This process is more fully
explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 for a "Method and Apparatus
for Currency Discrimination and Counting," which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety.
[0071] In order to ensure strict correspondence between reflectance
samples obtained by narrow-dimension scanning of successive bills,
the initiation of the reflectance sampling process is preferably
controlled through the controller 372 by means of an optical
encoder 374 which is linked to the bill transport mechanism 360 and
precisely tracks the physical movement of the bill 356 across the
scanhead 352. More specifically, the optical encoder 374 is linked
to the rotary motion of the drive motor which generates the
movement imparted to the bill as it is relayed along the transport
path. In addition, the mechanics of the feed and transport
mechanism (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 referred to above) ensure
that positive contact is maintained between the bill and the
transport path, particularly when the bill is being scanned by the
scanhead 352. Under these conditions, the optical encoder 374 is
capable of precisely tracking the movement of the bill 356 relative
to the light strip 366 generated by the scanhead 352, by monitoring
the rotary motion of the drive motor.
[0072] The output of the photodetector 368 is monitored by the
controller 372 to initially detect the presence of the bill
underneath the scanhead 352 and, subsequently, to detect the
starting point of the printed pattern on the bill, as represented
by the thin borderline 356A which typically encloses the printed
indicia on bills. Once the borderline 356A has been detected, the
optical encoder 374 is used to control the timing and number of
reflectance samples that are obtained from the output of the
photodetector 368 as the bill 356 moves across the scanhead 352 and
is scanned along its narrow dimension.
[0073] The use of the encoder 374 for controlling the sampling
process relative to the physical movement of a bill 356 across the
scanhead 352 is also advantageous in that the encoder 374 can be
used to provide a predetermined delay following detection of the
borderline prior to initiation of sampling. The encoder delay can
be adjusted in such a way that the bill 356 is scanned only across
those segments along its narrow dimension which contain the most
distinguishable printed indicia relative to the different currency
denominations.
[0074] In the case of U.S. currency, for instance, it has been
determined that the central, approximately two-inch (5 cm) portion
of bills, as scanned across the central section of the narrow
dimension of the bill, provides sufficient data for distinguishing
among the various U.S. currency denominations on the basis of the
correlation technique disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 referred
to above. Accordingly, the encoder 374 can be used to control the
scanning process so that reflectance samples are taken for a set
period of time and only after a certain period of time has elapsed
after detection of the borderline 356A, thereby restricting the
scanning to the desired central portion of the narrow dimension of
the bill.
[0075] The controller 372 is programmed to count the number of
bills belonging to each currency denomination as part of a given
batch of bills that have been scanned, and to determine the
aggregate total of the currency amount represented by the scanned
bills in that batch. The controller 372 is also linked to an EPROM
376 and an output unit 378 which provides a display of the number
of bills counted, the breakdown of the bills in terms of
denomination, and the aggregate total of the currency value
represented by the counted bills. The output unit 378 can also be
adapted to provide a print-out of the displayed information in a
desired format.
[0076] The scanhead 352 may comprise multiple scanheads positioned
next to each other, or a single stationary scanhead extending
across the entire width of the documents being scanned. In this
case, the same scanhead may be used to generate the data needed to
denominate bills and to display and store the images that appear on
bills and other types of documents. For example, the electronic
data from a single scanhead may be used to denominate bills, and to
store images of bills, checks and other documents. Alternatively,
the same data may be used to also store images of only the serial
numbers of bills. One example of such a full-width imaging scanhead
is the aforementioned PI228MC-A4 Contact Image Sensor (CIS) Module
made by Peripheral Imaging Corporation in San Jose, Calif.
[0077] Two-sided scanning may be used to permit bills to be fed
into a currency discrimination unit with either side face up, and
also to permit high-speed scanning of images on both sides of the
documents being scanned. Examples of two-sided scanhead
arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,406 and in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,381,354, each of which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety. Master data such as master patterns
generated by scanning genuine bills may be stored for segments on
one or both sides of bills of all denominations. In the case where
master data or patterns are stored from the scanning of only one
side of a genuine bill, the data or patterns retrieved by scanning
both sides of a bill under test may be compared to a master set of
single-sided master data or patterns. In such a case, data or a
pattern retrieved from one side of a bill under test should match
one of the stored master data or patterns, while data or a pattern
retrieved from the other side of the bill under test should not
match any of the master data or patterns. Alternatively, master
data or patterns may be stored for both sides of genuine bills. In
such a two-sided system, data or a pattern retrieved by scanning
one side of a bill under test should match one of the master data
or patterns for one side (Match 1) of a genuine bill, and data or a
pattern retrieved from scanning the opposite side of the bill under
test should match one of the master data or patterns of the
opposite side of a genuine bill (Match 2).
[0078] A counterfeit detection function may also be included in the
device 350. A variety of different counterfeit detection techniques
are well known and have been incorporated in currency
discriminators. These known counterfeit detectors detect a variety
of different types of characteristic information from currency
bills, and employ a variety of different detection components such
as magnetic, optical of capacitive sensors. These include detection
of patterns of changes in magnetic flux (U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,974),
patterns of vertical grid lines in the portrait area of bills (U.S.
Pat. No. 3,870,629), the presence of a security thread (U.S. Pat.
No. 5,151,607), total amount of magnetizable material of a bill
(U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,458), patterns from sensing the strength of
magnetic fields along a bill (U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,184), and other
patterns and counts from scanning different portions of the bill
such as the area in which the denomination is written out (U.S.
Pat. No. 4,356,473).
[0079] With regard to optical sensing, a variety of currency
characteristics can be measured such as density (U.S. Pat. No.
4,381,447), color (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,490,846; 3,496,370; 3,480,785),
length and thickness (U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,651), the presence of a
security thread (U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,607) and holes (U.S. Pat. No.
4,381,447), and other patterns of reflectance and transmission
(U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,496,370; 3,679,314; 3,870,629; 4,179,685). Color
detection techniques may employ color filters, colored lamps,
and/or dichroic beamsplitters (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,841,358; 4,658,289;
4,716,456; 4,825,246, 4,992,860 and EP 325,364). An optical sensing
system using ultraviolet light is described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,640,463, incorporated herein by reference.
[0080] In addition to magnetic and optical sensing, other
techniques of detecting characteristic information of currency
include electrical conductivity sensing, capacitive sensing (U.S.
Pat. Nos. 5,122,754 (watermark, security thread); 3,764,899
(thickness); 3,815,021 (dielectric properties); 5,151,607 (security
thread), and mechanical sensing (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,381,447
(limpness); 4,255,651 (thickness)).
[0081] A UV authenticating technique can be employed along with one
or more other authenticating and/or discrimination techniques in
alternative embodiments of a denominating and/or imaging system.
For example, an imaging system may include both a UV authenticating
system and a magnetic authenticating system. It is known that
genuine U.S. bills reflect a high level of UV light and do not
fluoresce in response to UV illumination, except in certain special
cases described below. An embodiment of the imaging system
employing both UV and magnetic authentication would be able to
detect a counterfeit U.S. bill that passes the UV authentication
test (e.g., reflects sufficient level of UV light and does not
fluoresce in response to UV illumination), but fails the magnetic
authentication test. Put another way, an embodiment of an imaging
system that implements a plurality of authentication tests is able
to detect counterfeit bills that would otherwise go undetected
where only one authenticating test is employed. Further details of
a currency processing system employing UV, fluorescence and
magnetic authentication tests are described in detail in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,363,164, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
[0082] Security features added to U.S. currency beginning with the
1996 series $100 bills include the incorporation into the bills of
security threads that fluoresce under ultraviolet light. For
example, the security threads in the 1996 series $100 bills emit a
red glow when illuminated by ultraviolet light. The color of light
emitted by security threads under ultraviolet light will vary by
denomination, e.g., with the $100 bills emitting red light and the
$50 bills emitting, blue or purple light. Thus, the red light
emitted from the security thread of a $100 bill, in response to UV
illumination can be used to both authenticate and denominate that
bill.
[0083] Additionally, the location of the thread within the bill can
be used as a security feature. For example, the security threads in
all $100 bills are located in the same position. Furthermore, the
location of the security threads in other denominations will be the
same by denomination and will vary among different denominations.
For example, the location of security threads in $10, $20, $50 and
$100 bills may each be distinct. In such a situation, the presence
of a security thread in a specific location can be used to identify
the denomination of the bills. Alternatively, the location may be
the same in the $20s and the $100s but different from the location
of the security threads in the $50s. According to alternative
embodiments, the imaging processing system includes sensors to
evaluate the features of security threads, including location, in
currency bills. A currency processing system for evaluating the
authenticity of currency bills based on the fluoresce of security
threads under UV illumination and the location of the security
threads within the bills is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,164
B1, which has been incorporated herein by reference.
[0084] Alternatively or additionally, sensors may be employed to
detect bills or security threads printed or coated with
thermochromic materials (materials that change color with a change
in temperature). Examples of threads incorporating thermochromic
materials are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,301, incorporated
herein by reference.
[0085] The issuance of an error code such as a no-call code (where
the system is unable to denominate a bill) or a suspect code
(suspected counterfeit document) may be used to suspend processing
of a stack of bills such that the bill triggering one of these
codes is the last bill delivered to a receiving receptacle before
the operation of the system is suspended. Accordingly, the
triggering bill may be examined by the operator of the system so
that appropriate action may be taken based on the operator's
evaluation of the triggering bill. Alternatively, in a system
having two or more receiving receptacles, the issuance of one of
these error codes may cause the triggering bills to be diverted to
a different receptacle such as a reject receptacle, or bills that
result in a no-call code may be diverted to one receptacle and
those that result in a suspect code may be diverted to a different
receptacle. Accepted bills may be routed to one or more other
receptacles. When the currency bill that triggers a suspect code
has been imaged, the electronic data representing that image is
preferably retained in association with an identification of the
customer who deposited that bill, so that the account of that
customer can be debited in the event the bill is confirmed to be a
counterfeit.
[0086] Turning now to FIG. 7, a sectional view of a compact
document processing system 405 according to principles of one
embodiment is illustrated. The system 405 comprises an evaluation
module 410 and a dispensing module 420. The dispensing module 420
is responsive to a user interface 430 coupled to both the
evaluation module 410 and dispensing module 420. The document
processing system 405 illustrated includes six dispensing
receptacles 440a-f. The dispensing receptacles 440a-f are each
adapted to hold a stack of currency bills. Each dispensing
receptacle 440a-f holds one denomination of currency bill. For
example, $1 bills may be stored in dispensing receptacle 440a, $5
bills in dispensing receptacle 440b, $10 bills in dispensing
receptacle 440c, $20 bills in dispensing receptacle 440d, $50 bills
in dispensing receptacle 440e, and $100 bills in dispensing
receptacle 440f. Multiple receptacles may hold the same
denomination where volume of use dictates.
[0087] In other embodiments, foreign currency bills may be stored
in the various dispensing receptacles 440a-f. The number of
dispensing receptacles 440a-f may also be varied depending on the
number of different denominations of currency bills to be
dispensed.
[0088] From the dispensing receptacles 440a-f, the currency bills
are moved in seriatim from bottoms of the stacks of bills by
dispensing mechanisms to a guideway 442 that receives currency
bills moving rearward and changes the direction of travel to a
downward direction. Although shown as being fed from the bottom,
the currency bills can be fed from the top, front, or back of the
stack, for example. The type of feeding used could be friction
feed, vacuum feed, or any other conventional method of feeding
paper. An exit end of the curved guideway 442 directs the currency
bills onto a transport plate 444, which carries the currency bills
through an evaluation section 445. In some embodiments the
evaluation section comprises one or more denomination sensors
adapted to retrieve characteristic information which may be used to
denominate passing currency bills such as those described above and
in connection with U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,196; 5,687,963; 6,381,354
and published PCT application WO 95/24691, each of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In other
embodiments, the evaluation region additionally or alternatively
comprises an image scanner. In some embodiments the evaluation
region may comprise one or more authentication sensors or other
sensors as discussed above and in connection with FIG. 10
below.
[0089] Stacking of the currency bills, in one embodiment, may be
accomplished by driven stacker wheels 452, 454 associated with the
output receptacles 450a,b. The stacker wheels 452, 454 are
supported for rotational movement about respective shafts 456
journalled on a rigid frame and driven by a motor (not shown).
Flexible blades of the stacker wheels 452, 454 deliver the currency
bills onto a forward end of a stacker plate 448.
[0090] The document processing system 405 illustrated in FIG. 7 is
also able to receive documents for input. An input receptacle 540
is adapted to receive documents, such as currency bills and/or
checks, from a user to be deposited into the system 405. The input
receptacle 540 may have sides 541 that adjust to accommodate a
variety of sizes in checks and/or currency bills. For example, for
some foreign currencies, such as the Euro, different denominations
of currency bills have different sizes. Also, in the United States,
currency bills are of a different size than standard checks. Thus,
the input receptacle 540 in this embodiment has adjustable sides
541 to accommodate these variances.
[0091] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the input
receptacle 540 may be adapted to receive only one type of document
at a time. For example, an operator may stack the $20 bills in the
input receptacle first, then after the process is complete, the
operator may stack the $10 bills or checks. In some embodiments,
the input receptacle may be adapted to receive a stack of mixed
documents such as a mixture of U.S. denominations or a mixture of
U.S. denominations and checks. In some embodiments the system may
be adapted to sort documents by denomination and type such as for
example in FIG. 7 U.S. currency may be delivered to the top output
receptacle 450a and checks may be delivered to the bottom
receptacle 450b. Alternatively, the system may be adapted to
deliver "on-us" checks to the top receptacle 450a and "transit"
checks to the bottom receptacle. For example, if the compact
document processing system 405 is located at a bank teller station
in Bank A, then deposited checks drawn on Bank A would be "on-us"
checks whereas checks drawn on another bank, such as Bank B, would
be "transit" checks.
[0092] During operation, documents placed in input receptacle 540
are moved in seriatim from the input receptacle 540 along a
guideway 542 which receives the deposited documents moving rearward
and changes the direction of travel to a downward direction.
Although shown as be fed from the bottom, the deposited documents
can be fed from the top, front, or back of the stack. The type of
feeding used could be friction feed, a vacuum feed, or any other
method of feeding known to those skilled in the art. An exit end of
the curved guideway 542 directs the deposited documents onto the
transport plate 444, which carries the deposited documents through
the evaluation section 445 to one of two output receptacles 450a,b.
Stacking of the documents is accomplished as described above.
[0093] Once the deposited documents are placed in the output
receptacles 450a,b, the user may remove them and place them in an
appropriate storage receptacle (not shown). The storage receptacles
may be divided by document type (currency bills and checks).
Currency bill storage receptacles may be further subdivided by
denomination and check storage receptacles may be divided by on-us
and transit checks. These storage receptacles may be cash drawers,
which are similar to those currently used by tellers. In some
embodiments, the transport plate 444 may be connected directly to
the storage receptacles, allowing for automatic storage of the
deposited documents.
[0094] According to some embodiments, the document processing
system 405 is compact. For example, some embodiments have a height
(H.sub.1) less than about 40 inches, a depth (D.sub.1) less than
about 27 inches and a width (W.sub.1) of less than about 17 inches.
Alternatively, some embodiments have a height (H.sub.1) of between
about 30 and 40 inches, a depth (D.sub.1) of between about 20 and
30 inches and a width (W.sub.1) of between about 8 and 20 inches.
For example, some embodiments have a height (H.sub.1) of about
351/2 inches, a depth (D.sub.1) of about 24 inches and a width
(W.sub.1) of about 10 inches for embodiments adapted to process
currency only and a width of about 12 to 14 inches for embodiments
adapted to process commercial checks. An embodiment adapted to
process checks may also be adapted to process currency bills.
[0095] Some embodiments have a small footprint (depth.times.width).
For example, some embodiments have a footprint of between about 160
and 600 square inches (or about 1.1 square feet to about 4 square
feet): Some embodiments have a footprint of less than 460 square
inches (or less than about 31/2 square feet). Some embodiments have
a footprint of about 240 square inches (or about 1.7 square feet)
while others have a footprint of between about 288 to 336 square
inches (or between about 2 to 21/2 square feet).
[0096] Some embodiments have a small volume. For example, some
embodiments have a volume of between about 4800 and 24,000 cubic
inches (or about 23/4 to 14 cubic feet). Some embodiments have a
volume of less than 18,400 cubic inches (or less than about 11
cubic feet). Some embodiments have a volume of about 8520 cubic
inches (or about 5 cubic feet) while others have a volume of
between about 10,000 to 12,000 cubic inches (or between about 5.9
to 6.9 cubic feet).
[0097] FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of a document processing
system 405' similar to the system 405 shown in FIG. 7. The system
405' comprises a housing 406 the evaluation module 410 and
dispensing module 420. The housing 406 may be adapted to restrict
access to the dispensing receptacles 440 (see, e.g., FIG. 11). In
general, the system 405' of FIG. 8 is identical to system 405 of
FIG. 7 except that the system 405' of FIG. 8 has one output
receptacle while the system 405 of FIG. 7 has two output
receptacles.
[0098] According to some embodiments, the document processing
system 405' of FIG. 8 is compact. For example, some embodiments
have a height (H.sub.2) less than about 30 inches, a depth
(D.sub.2) less than about 20 inches and a width (W.sub.2) of less
than about 17 inches. Alternatively, some embodiments have a height
(H.sub.2) of between about 25 and 40 inches, a depth (D.sub.2) of
between about 15 and 30 inches and a width (W.sub.2) of between
about 8 and 20 inches. For example, some embodiments have a height
(H.sub.2) of about 291/2 inches, a depth (D.sub.2) of about 181/2
inches and a width (W.sub.2) of about 10 inches for embodiments
adapted to process currency only and a width of about 12 to 14
inches for embodiments adapted to process commercial checks. An
embodiment adapted to process checks may also be adapted to process
currency bills.
[0099] Some embodiments have a small footprint (depth.times.width).
For example, some embodiments have a footprint of between about 120
and 600 square inches (or about 0.8 square feet to about 4 square
feet). Some embodiments have a footprint of less than 340 square
inches (or less than about 21/2 square feet). Some embodiments have
a footprint of about 185 square inches (or about 1.3 square feet)
while others have a footprint of between about 222 to 259 square
inches (or between about 11/2 to 2 square feet).
[0100] Some embodiments have a small volume. For example, some
embodiments have a volume of between about 3000 and 24,000 cubic
inches (or about 13/4 to 14 cubic feet). Some embodiments have a
volume of less than 10,200 cubic inches (or less than about 6 cubic
feet). Some embodiments have a volume of about 5460 cubic inches
(or about 3 cubic feet) while others have a volume of between about
6500 to 7600 cubic inches (or between about 3.7 to 4.4 cubic
feet).
[0101] In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the
dispensing receptacles has approximately the same dimension,
allowing each of the dispensing receptacles 440a-f to hold about
300 currency bills. In other embodiments, the dispensing
receptacles 440a-f may have different dimensions, to allow the
dispensing receptacle holding the most popular denomination bills
(e.g., $10 and $20) to be larger, and thus, hold more of those
currency bills.
[0102] A document processing system in accordance with applicant's
teachings may comprise a single output receptacle (as illustrated,
for example in FIG. 8), two output receptacles (as illustrated, for
example in FIG. 7), or three or more output receptacles. Particular
systems are directed toward four and six output receptacle designs.
The dispensing module may comprise one or more dispensing
receptacles. Significant advantages may be realized in using a
modular system in accordance with some embodiments of the
invention. One such advantage, for both compact and floor-size
embodiments, is that the dispensing module can be secured from
ready access to reduce theft. Another advantage is that the system
405 can be built up one dispensing receptacle 440 at a time. This
build up capability allows the financial institution to customize
the system and scale up or down the system as needed.
[0103] FIG. 11 illustrates a device in which is identical that that
shown and described in connection with FIG. 8 but which
additionally includes a barrier 1100 around the dispensing
receptacles 440a-440f which prohibits access to the currency
residing in the dispensing receptacles while the barrier is in
place. The barrier may be, for example, a cabinet having doors
which can be locked. For example, in a bank environment, a manager
may be provided a key to the cabinet while bank tellers may not.
The barrier thus provides an added means of security and protection
of the integrity of the stacks of currency bills residing in the
dispensing receptacles. When a barrier is not in place the
dispensing receptacles and the contents of the dispensing
receptacles are externally accessible to the user of the device.
Such a barrier may be added to the other embodiments described in
this application such as described in connection with FIG. 7 and
the dispensing only embodiments as discussed below.
[0104] Alternate embodiments include embodiments similar to those
depicted and described about in connection with FIGS. 7, 8 and 11
but which omit the input receptacles 540 thus changing the deposit
and dispensing devices described in conjunction with FIGS. 7, 8 and
11 into solely dispensing devices.
[0105] Alternate embodiments include embodiments similar to those
depicted and described about in connection with FIGS. 7, 8 and 11
but in which the dispensing receptacles 440a-440f are arranged
horizontally behind the evaluation module 410.
[0106] Alternate embodiments include embodiments similar to those
depicted and described about in connection with FIGS. 7, 8 and 11
but which additionally contain changeable displays adjacent each
dispensing receptacle and wherein the devices 405, 405' are adapted
to display the denomination of bills contained in each dispensing
receptacle. For example, if $1 bills are located in dispensing
receptacle 440a and $5 bills are located in dispensing receptacle
440b, a display adjacent dispensing receptacle 440a may read "$1"
while a display adjacent dispensing receptacle 440b may display
"$5". Such an arrangement may be particularly useful when bills of
multiple countries are contained within the dispensing receptacles,
e.g., "$20" for receptacle 440a and "10,000 " for receptacle
440b.
[0107] In some embodiments, the evaluation region 445 in FIGS. 7,
8, and 11 does not include an image scanner but rather include
sensors adapted to permit the denomination of passing bills to be
determined without employing an image scanner. In such embodiments,
the evaluation units 410 in FIGS. 7, 8, and 11 may operate as one
or more of the embodiments described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,196;
6,311,819; 5,687,963; 6,381,354 and 6,256,407 and published PCT
applications WO 95/24691 and WO 99/48042, each of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In such
embodiments, when bills are to be dispensed, the amount of the
currency to be dispensed may be inputted via interface 430, the
appropriate number of bills whom the dispensing receptacles 440a-f
may be transported past the evaluation region 445 and to the one or
more output receptacles. As the bills are passed through the
evaluation region characteristic information from each bill is
obtained and used to denominate the bills. A bank teller, for
example, may then take the bills from the one or more output
receptacles and provide them to a customer requesting the
withdrawal.
[0108] As described below in conjunction with FIG. 9, the unit 405,
405' may be coupled to a printer or other device to generate a
cash-out ticket or cash-out information. Such an automatic
generation of a cash-out ticket can save time and as in balancing a
teller's or cashier's drawer at the end of the day or shift. For
example, at the beginning of each shift, a unit 405, 405' having a
predetermined amount of currency in the dispensing receptacles 440
may be assigned to a given teller. During the teller's shift, the
teller provides cash to customers as a result of withdrawal
requests. As the result of each dispensing operation, a cash-out
ticket is generated either electronically or physically (e.g.,
printout). At the end of the shift, the amount of currency left in
the dispensing receptacles should equal the beginning amount less
the total amount dispensed. According to some embodiments, the
units 405, 405' may be operated in a clearing or end of shift mode
wherein all currency remaining in the dispensing receptacles is
dispensed from the dispensing receptacles and into one or more of
the associated output receptacles and counted and totaled by the
units 405, 405'. The clearing total and then be reconciled with the
initial total and the total amount of previously dispensed money.
Where the cash-out tickets or amounts are stored electronically,
such as in a memory, the units 405, 405' may perform the
reconciliation automatically.
[0109] As an example, say the initial balance of currency in the
dispensing receptacles 440a-f at the beginning of a teller's shift
is $21,800 (e.g., made of 300 notes of $1 bills in one dispensing
receptacle, 300 notes of $5 bills in another dispensing receptacle,
300 $10 bills in another dispensing receptacle, 600 $20 bills in
two of the dispensing receptacles, and 100 $50 bills in another
dispensing receptacle). During the teller's shift, the teller
operates the unit during 50 dispensing transaction during which
$16,555 are dispensed. Accordingly, at the end of the shift it
expected that $5,245 remains in the dispensing receptacles. Using
the clearing mode, all remaining bills are dispensed. If they total
$5245 (as may be indicated via interface 430), the teller is in
balance and the reconciliation process is complete. Where cash out
tickets are electronically maintained (either individually and/or
as a running total), the unit 405,405' may automatically indicate a
correct reconciliation. Of course, processors and/or memories
external to the units 405, 405' may be used (e.g., where the units
405, 405' are coupled to an external computer system) and the
external processors and/or memories may receive cash-out
information (and/or cash-in information as discussed below) and/or
perform the reconciliation process.
[0110] When a customer provides a teller with a stack of currency
to be deposited, the teller may insert the stack in the input
receptacle 540 and the unit 405, 405' transports the bills past the
evaluation region to one or more of the output receptacles. The
total amount of the deposited currency (and/or a breakdown of the
number and/or value of bills of each denomination) is calculated by
the unit 405,405'. The unit may then generate a cash-in ticket or
information as discussed in more detail below, e.g., in connection
with FIG. 10. The cash-in ticket or information may be generated in
electronic and/or physical form such as a printed cash-in
ticket.
[0111] In some embodiments, the teller may then store the deposited
currency in his or her cash drawer until the end of his or her
shift. The reconciliation process described above may also include
a reconciliation of the amount of money expected to be in the
teller's drawer. For example, separately or in connection with the
reconciliation process discussed above, the unit 405, 405' may be
place into a deposit reconciliation mode during which the teller
may remove all the currency bills from his or her cash drawer and
insert them into the input receptacle 540. The units 405, 405' then
process the bills and total the amount of currency bills inserted
into the input receptacle 540. If the total amount equals the
expected amount (based on the cash-in tickets or information
accumulated during the teller's shift, then the teller's cash
drawer is in balance. Such procedures help expedite the
reconciliation process conducted at the end of each teller and
cashier shift. Similar processes can be performed at the beginning
of each shift.
[0112] In some embodiments, the evaluation region 445 in FIGS. 7,
8, and 11 comprises an image scanner. In such embodiments, the
evaluation units 410 in FIGS. 7, 8, and 11 may operate as one or
more of the embodiments described in U.S. provisional application
Ser. No. 60/350,588 filed Jan. 22, 2002 and corresponding U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/348,819 filed Jan. 22, 2003 and entitled
"Financial Institution System." each of which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety. Accordingly to some
embodiments containing such an image scanner, the image of every
document of a deposit transaction may be image and that image may
be stored for subsequent retrieval and recreation (e.g., the image
a previously deposited currency bill or check may be recreated and
printout out of a customer's statement). Likewise, as discussed in
more detail in the above mentioned applications, information may be
extracted from various fields on deposited documents (e.g., a
currency bills serial number, the amount of a check) and that
information tagged to the image of the document. Likewise,
information associated with the person depositing the documents
(e.g., the account number associated with a deposit transaction)
may be tagged to the image file and/or otherwise maintained. The
image and/or the extracted information may be electronically stored
in such a manner that it can be subsequently searched and
retrieved. For example, if a bank later learns that a bill that it
has received was counterfeit (e.g., by notification from the
Federal Reserve), the bank can search its database for currency
bills having the serial number on the discovered counterfeit bill.
When a match is found, by cross-referencing the serial number to
the person or account which deposited the bill, the person or
account who deposited the bill can be identified and the bank can
then charge the amount of the counterfeit bill back to the person
or account associated with the deposit transaction.
[0113] In embodiments wherein every deposited document is imaged
and that image is stored for subsequent retrieval, a customer
making a deposit may be provided (electronically and/or physically)
with an image of every document deposited. This can enhance
customer satisfaction and assist if any dispute about a deposit
subsequently arise. In some embodiments, the documents inputted
into the input receptacle 540 from deposit and imaging may include
a deposit slip, checks, and currency bills.
[0114] In other embodiments, only some deposited documents are
imaged and/or the image of the some of the deposited documents are
stored for subsequent retrieval. For example, in some embodiments,
the image of every check deposited is stored while the images of
currency bills are not.
[0115] In some embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8, and/or 11 employing an
image scanner, some or all of the currency bills dispensed during a
dispensing transaction may additionally or alternatively be imaged.
For example, bills identified as suspect or no call could be imaged
while others are not.
[0116] In some alternative embodiments of a document deposit
device, such as embodiments similar to those discussed in
connection with FIGS. 7, 8, and 11, the device comprises both one
or more denominating sensors (e.g., denominational determination as
described above in connection with FIG. 6) for denominating
deposited currency bills and an image scanner for imaging deposited
checks. The images of checks may be either handed off for
downstream processing (e.g., OCR) or processed on-board the
document deposit device in which case images and/or extracted
alpha-numeric data may be transmitted from the device to one or
more other computer systems.
[0117] According to some embodiments, the document processing
device (deposit and/or dispensing device) operates at at least 800
documents per minute. In other embodiment, the document processing
device operates at about 1500 documents per minute. For example,
devices such as those discussed in connection with FIGS. 7, 8, and
11 and which denominate currency but not an image documents operate
at 800 to 1500 bills per minute. Alternatively, in some embodiments
of devices such as those discussed in connection with FIGS. 7, 8,
and 11 and which image documents, operate at 400 to 600 documents
per minute.
[0118] Alternatively, in some embodiments of devices such as those
discussed in connection with FIGS. 7, 8, and 11 and which include
both one or more denominational sensors and one or more image
scanners and which simply denominate but do not image currency
bills and which image non-currency bills (e.g., checks), such
devices may operate at one than one speed, for example, one speed
when currency denomination is being performed (e.g., a first speed
of 800 to 1500 documents per minute) and at a second slower speed
when document imaging is being performed (e.g., a second speed of
400 to 600 documents per minute). In some such embodiments, when a
currency bill is determined to be a suspect it is also imaged and
the transport mechanism is reduced from the first transport speed
used to transport the bill past one or more authentication sensors
to the second slower transport speed so as to route the suspect
document past a downstream image scanner at the second transport
speed so that it may be imaged. Alternatively, when a bill is
identified as being suspect while operating at the first speed, the
device may prompt the operator to insert the bill into input
receptacle 540 and the device may subsequently process the suspect
bill in a second pass at the second speed wherein the bill is
imaged during the second pass.
[0119] Turning now to FIG. 9, a block diagram of one embodiment of
a currency bill dispensing device 500 is shown. The currency bill
dispensing device 500 includes dispensing receptacles 502a-f. As
discussed above in reference to FIG. 1, the dispensing receptacles
502a-f hold currency bills for disbursement to an operator. In the
illustrated embodiment, there are six dispensing receptacles
502a-f. In some embodiments, each dispensing bin may include
different countries currencies. This would be especially useful for
banks and/or other locations that often exchange foreign currency.
For example, the first dispensing bin 502a may hold British pounds,
the second dispensing bin 502b may hold French Francs, etc. The
dispensing receptacles 502a-f are connected to the output
receptacles 504a,b via a transport mechanism 506a-f.
[0120] A processor or controller 508 is operatively coupled to the
dispensing receptacles 502a-f and transport mechanism 506a-f for
controlling the operation of the device 500. The controller 508
operates in the same manner as described above in reference to FIG.
1.
[0121] Also connected to the controller 508 is a counter 510. The
counter 510 counts the number and denominations of the currency
bills being dispensed from the dispensing receptacles 502a-f. The
counter 510 communicates with the controller 508 to inform the
controller 508 that the correct number of currency bills are
dispensed. Also, the counter 510 may be used in some embodiments to
keep a running total of the number of currency bills dispensed from
each dispensing receptacle 502a-f over the course of a particular
period of time. In these embodiments, the operator can be notified
when the dispensing receptacles 502a-f are low on currency bills or
are empty.
[0122] A sensor 512 is placed along the path the currency bills are
transported, between the dispensing receptacles 502a-f and the
output receptacles 504a,b. The sensor 512 may be any variety of
sensor (e.g., optical, magnetic, etc.) and may comprise one or more
sensors. The sensor 512 may be used to denominate and/or authentic
currency and/or may comprise an image scanner to image documents.
As discussed above, a variety of characteristics may be detected
from documents such as size or thread detection. In some
embodiments, the sensor 512 is a denominating sensor similar to
that discussed above, for example, in connection with FIG. 6. In
others, the sensor 512 is an image sensor similar to that discussed
above, for example, in connection with FIG. 5. In some embodiments,
sensor 512 may comprise both a denominating sensor and an image
scanner as discussed above.
[0123] One or more sensors may also be included to authenticate
currency bills being dispensed to the customer. In other
embodiments, one or more sensors may be included to ensure that
doubles, or bills stacked on top of one another, are not dispensed
to the customer or that they are correctly counted. The sensor 512
may be used as a denominator to ensure that the correct
denomination of currency bills is being dispensed. If the sensor
512 is an image scanner, then, in some embodiments, the sensor 512
operates in the same manner as the image scanner described in FIG.
1.
[0124] The sensor 512 may also be connected to the counter 510 and
update the counter 510. For example, if the sensor 512 indicates
that the last currency bill that was sensed was really two
documents (e.g., doubles), the sensor 512 can update the counter
510 to reflect that two documents were dispensed instead of one.
This way, the counter 510 can keep an accurate track of all of the
bills dispensed, even if doubles are dispensed. This saves time,
since the operator does not have to stop the device if doubles are
sensed or rerun the request. The device will automatically update
itself and continue processing bills.
[0125] Also included in this embodiment are display screens 514a,
514b and an entry apparatus 516. The entry apparatus 516 allows the
operator to enter instructions (such as a withdrawal request,
including amount and/or type) into the dispensing device 500. The
entry apparatus 516 may be any one or more of a keypad, a keyboard,
denomination keys, touch screen, and/or any other entry device. The
display screens 514a, 514b allow both an employee and a customer to
view the entered instructions and any feedback from the controller
508. For example, the operator may input a withdrawal request for
$100 and the display screen may ask for verification of the amount
or in what denominations the operator would like the amount
disbursed.
[0126] The display screens 514a, 514b may also be used to view
images of the dispensed currency bills. If the sensor 512 is an
image scanner, and for some reason, the controller 508 is unable to
read an image of a particular currency bill, the image scanner may
flag that bill as a no call bill. The display screens 514a, 514b
may display the image of a no call bill and provide the operator
the opportunity identify and enter the denomination of the currency
bill. The operator can then use the entry apparatus 516 to enter in
missing information or information that could not be read by the
device.
[0127] The device of FIG. 9 may also include a receipt component
518 and/or a cash out component 520. The receipt component 518
provides the operator and/or customer with a receipt of the
transaction. The receipt component 518 may be a printer that prints
a receipt for the customer. The receipt may include only a summary
of the transaction, such as the amount withdrawn and the current
balance in the relevant account. Alternatively, the receipt may
also include copies of images of the withdrawn currency bills
and/or a break down of how many of each denomination of currency
bill was withdrawn. In alternative embodiments, the receipt
component 518 may be a disk, a CD-ROM, tape, or other memory
storage device that obtains an electronic copy of the receipt and
stores it for the operator. The receipt may also be e-mailed to the
customer or downloaded onto a handheld device. Download to the
handheld can be based on a standard, for a example an InfraRed Data
Association standard.
[0128] The cash out component 520 of this embodiment of the present
invention is designed to create cash out tickets. Cash out tickets
are often used by operators such as tellers to balance their cash
drawers at the end of the day. The teller, for example, generates
this ticket with every transaction to indicate that funds were
removed. The cash out tickets generally act as a receipt for the
employee at the end of the day or when the system needs to be
balanced. Currently, most tickets must be manually produced by the
employee of the bank. The employee hand writes or types the amount
of money disbursed from the system. All the cash out tickets are
totaled at predetermined periods, such as at the end of a shift or
work day, and compared against the amount actually disbursed from
the system.
[0129] The cash tickets can be automatically created by the system,
printed and/or downloaded for later use, in for example an
automated processing method. The cash out tickets could be printed,
and the dispenser could be manually balanced as in prior systems,
or the cash out tickets could be downloaded and could automatically
balance the currency bills in the dispenser at predetermined times.
This saves time for the employee, usually a teller, allowing for
quicker balancing of the device. Also, errors are reduced since the
device automatically produces the record; reducing the likelihood
of a mathematical or transcribing error from occurring.
[0130] Also operatively coupled to the controller 508 is a memory
522. The memory 522 may be adapted to store information from the
counter 510, the sensor 512, and/or the cash out component 520. The
memory 522 may store the information from the counter 510 regarding
how many of each denomination has disbursed. Additionally, the
memory 522 may also store master denominating and authenticating
information, against which information obtained from processed
bills (e.g., images, scans, magnetic, etc.) is compared. The memory
522 may also store how many of each denomination were initially
input into the dispensing receptacles 502a-f. This information may
be used by the controller 508 to inform the operator when any of
the dispensing receptacles are empty or nearly empty. The
information output by the cash out means 520 may also be stored in
the memory for later downloading and/or reviewing by the
operator.
[0131] An example of the operation of the dispensing device 500 of
FIG. 9 will now be described. First, an operator, such as a
customer or an employee, inputs a withdrawal request into the
device 500 via the entry means. The withdrawal request may include
a withdrawal amount and an account to be debited for the funds
about to be dispensed. The withdrawal request may also include a
PIN or other security access code. If the operator would like
specific denominations or combinations of denominations withdrawn,
the withdrawal request would also include this information.
[0132] The entry means communicates the withdrawal request to the
controller 508 for processing. The controller 508 may be
communicatively coupled to an outside accounting system (not shown)
and communicates with the outside accounting system to verify the
details of the withdrawal request. For example, the outside
accounting system may verify that the PIN corresponds to the
account number entered. Also, the outside accounting system may
verify that there are sufficient funds to cover the withdrawal
amount in the designated account. Once these have been verified,
the outside accounting system will provide approval to the
controller 508 to proceed with the operation.
[0133] The controller 508 then transmits an instruction to the
appropriate dispensing receptacles 502a-f to begin dispensing
currency-bills onto the transport mechanism 506a-f. The transport
mechanism 506a-f will begin moving, carrying the currency bills,
one at a time, from the dispensing receptacles 502a-f, past the
sensor 512 and the counter 510. When a currency bill is being
transported past the sensor 512, the sensor 512 retrieves
characteristic information from passing bills and sends a
corresponding characteristic information signal to the controller
508. The processor or controller 508 may then use the
characteristic information signal to discriminate the denomination
and/or authenticity of bills being dispensed by at least one of the
methods described above. If the device 500 cannot discriminate a
currency bill, the currency bill is flagged.
[0134] In some embodiments, when currency bills are flagged as
being "no call" bills, they are transported to the second output
receptacle 504b. This way, the bills that are unable to be
discriminated are kept separate and the controller instead causes
other bills to be dispensed to the operator for disbursement to the
customer or person making the withdrawal request, e.g., denominated
bills are routed to the first output receptacle 504a. The
controller 508 can then accurately dispense the correct number of
bills. In other embodiments, if a no call bill is discovered, the
system may halt, leaving the no call bill at a predetermined
location for removal and inspection by the operator.
[0135] In addition to being discriminated by the sensor 512, the
currency bills are also transported past the counter 510. The
counter 510 is in communication with the controller 508 and may
receive instructions from the controller 508 as to when to begin
counting bills. The counter 510 uses a sensor of its own and the
information from the sensor 512 to count the currency bills that
are transported past. The counter 510 provides the controller 508
with a total number of bills dispensed to the user, the total
number of bills dispensed of each denomination, the total number of
no call bills, and the dollar amount of the bills dispensed. This
information is useful to confirm the amount that was dispensed and
also to keep track of how many bills were dispensed from each
dispenser 502a-f, so as to inform an operator when any of the
dispensers 502a-f need refilling. In some embodiments the functions
of the counter 510 can be performed by the one or more sensors 512
and hence the separate counter 510 may be omitted.
[0136] According to some embodiments, the controller 508 may
transmit at least the amount actually disbursed to the customer to
the outside accounting system. The outside accounting system then
updates the appropriate account such as by debiting the account of
the customer to whom bills are dispensed. The controller 508 also
transmits the total amount disbursed to the cash out component 520
and the receipt component 518. The cash out component 520 uses the
total to create an internal receipt for the controller 508. As
discussed above, the cash out component 520 may create either a
paper or electronic cash out ticket that enables the dispensing
device 500 to balance itself at the end of a predetermined period
of time.
[0137] The receipt component 518 may create an external receipt for
the customer. The receipt component 518 may take the information
from the controller and prepare a receipt for the customer to take
away with them as confirmation of the transaction. As stated above,
the receipt means 518 may create the receipt in a paper and/or an
electronic format.
[0138] In some embodiments, the dispensing device 500 is linked to
a deposit device. In FIG. 10, one embodiment of a deposit device
600 according to such an embodiment is shown. The deposit device
600 includes an input receptacle 602, a transport mechanism 604,
and a plurality of storage receptacles 606a-c. The input receptacle
602 receives a stack of documents--e.g. currency bills, checks,
and/or other documents. The documents may be sorted by type
(currency bills first, then checks), or the documents may be mixed.
The transport mechanism 604 transports the documents, one at a
time, along a transport path, from the input receptacle 602 to one
of the storage receptacles 606a-c.
[0139] Connected to the transport mechanism 604 is a processor or
controller 608. The controller 608 acts similarly to the controller
described in FIGS. 1 and 9. Namely, the controller 608 is used to
direct the movement of the documents from the input receptacle 602
to the storage receptacles 606a-c.
[0140] The controller 608 is also connected to a sensing device
610. The sensing device 610 is used to identify the types of
documents being input into the deposit device 600. In the
illustrated embodiment, the sensing device 610 includes four
different detection devices: an image scanner 610a; a sensor 610b;
a denominator 610c; and an authenticator 610d. The image scanner
610a obtains images of the documents and identifies the documents
based on these images. For example, as a document passes by the
image scanner 610a on the transport mechanism 604, the controller
608 communicates with the image scanner 610a, and instructs the
image scanner 610a to obtain an image of the document. The image
may be stored for later use, such as in a statement verifying that
the document was deposited. The image may be used to determine the
type of the document being deposited. Likewise the image may be
used to denominate or obtain the value of the document, or for
other reasons.
[0141] Also included in this embodiment is a sensor 610b. The
sensor 610b may be used to measure the width or size of an item
deposited, and/or otherwise determine the type of document that is
being deposited. A denominator 610c is also included to denominate
currency bills that are deposited into the input receptacle 602.
The denominator 610c may use magnetic tests, optical imaging, UV
imaging, infrared imaging, thread tests, or other known
denomination techniques to denominate the deposited currency
bills.
[0142] The authenticator 610d is used to confirm the authenticity
of the document. When authenticating currency bills, the
authenticator may use many of the same tests as mentioned above in
the denominators 610c. Alternatively, the authenticator 610d may
use pattern detectors to detect the pattern of the bill and compare
the detected pattern to a stored pattern for authenticity. For
other types of bills, other authenticating techniques--MICR line
reading, testing for waterspots--may be used in addition to the
tests described above.
[0143] The depositing device 600 includes display panels 612a, 612b
and an entry means 614. The display panels 612a, 612b, and the
entry means 614 are similar and are used in a similar fashion as
the display panels 518a, 518b, and entry apparatus 520 described in
reference to FIG. 9. As discussed above, the entry means 614 may be
any combination of a keypad, keyboard, denomination keys, touch
screen, and/or any other known information entry devices.
[0144] A memory 616 is also included in the depositing device 600
and is in communication with the sensing device 610. The sensing
device 610 obtains images or information from the documents being
input into the depositing device 600 and then may transmit the
information to the memory 616 for storage. The memory 616 may be
used to store information regarding counterfeit documents. For
example, it is not uncommon for many counterfeit currency bills to
have the same serial number. The memory 616 may be used to store
lists of serial numbers associated with counterfeit bills. The
controller 608 is then used to compare the serial numbers stored in
the memory 616 with a serial number extracted from the input
currency bill. The memory 616 may also be used to store other
information useful in detecting counterfeits such as images of
genuine bills for comparison with deposited documents.
[0145] Also the controller 608 may also be coupled to a cash in
component 618 and a receipt component 620. The receipt component
620 may operate in the same way as the receipt component of FIG. 9.
The cash in component 618 operates under the same principles as the
cash out means of FIG. 9, but instead records information about
documents that are deposited into the device instead of currency
bills that are dispensed.
[0146] A counter 622 may also be connected to the controller. The
counter 622 may count the number and denominations of the currency
bills being transported by the transport mechanism 604. The counter
622 communicates with the controller 608 to verify number of
currency bills being accepted. Also, the counter 622 may be used in
some embodiments to keep a running total of the number of currency
bills being transported into each of the storage receptacles
606a-c. In these embodiments, the operator can then be notified
when the storage receptacles 606a-c are full or nearly full and
need to be emptied.
[0147] Now, an example of the operation of the deposit device 600
will be described. First, the operator who in some embodiments may
be a customer or an employee inputs a deposit request via the entry
means 614. The deposit request may include a deposit amount, the
account to be credited with the deposit, and possibly a PIN or
other security access code. A security access code is useful in ATM
applications, unattended applications as well as attended
applications. The security access code may be used to provide a
convenient method of transaction tracking rather than, or in
addition to, restricting access to currency. Also, the deposit
request may include a breakdown of the deposit, such as how much
being deposited is cash and how much is in the form of checks.
[0148] The deposit request is transmitted to the controller 608. In
some embodiments, the controller 608 may be coupled to an outside
accounting system (not shown) and the controller may communicate
with the outside accounting system in order to obtain verification
the details of the deposit request. The outside accounting system
may verify that the account number is valid and if a PIN is given,
that the PIN relates to the account number provided.
[0149] Once the information is verified, the controller sends a
signal to the transport mechanism 604 to begin operation. The
transport mechanism 604 begins moving, causing the documents
stacked in the input receptacle 602 to move into the deposit device
600.
[0150] As the transport mechanism 604 transports the documents from
the input receptacle to the storage receptacles 606a-c, the
documents pass by the four different evaluating means described
above. First, the documents are transported, one by one, past the
image scanner 610a. In some embodiments, the image scanner 610a may
receive an instruction from the controller when the document is
being transported by to obtain a image of the document. The image
of the document may then be stored in the memory 616.
[0151] The documents are then transported, one at a time, past a
sensor 610b. The sensor 610b is also operated by the controller and
may be of a variety of types. The sensor 610b may be a size sensor,
and thus used to determine the type of document being deposited.
For example, U.S. currency bills are of a different size than
standard U.S. checks. A size sensor may be able to tell the type of
document, at least preliminarily, merely by being able to measure
its size. Furthermore, in many foreign countries, such as Germany
and the United Kingdom, the currency bills vary in size depending
on the denomination. A size sensor used in conjunction with such
foreign currency bills may also operate as a denomination
discriminator, distinguishing between different denominations of
bills. The information from the sensor 610b is also transmitted to
the memory 616 and/or controller 608 for storage and later use.
[0152] After being transported past the sensor 610b, the document
is then transported past the denominator 610c. The denominator 610b
is also connected to the controller 608 and may receive
instructions as to when it should begin operation. In some
embodiments, the controller 608 will only instruct the denominator
610c to operate when currency bills are being transported
past--since the denominator 610c is unable to denominate checks.
Because the document has already passed by the image scanner 610a
and the sensor 610b, the type of document is already known. Thus,
the controller 608 may only instruct the denominator 610c to
retrieve characteristic information as a currency bill is about to
pass by the denominator 610c. Denominating the currency bills may
be used to verify the amount of currency that is actually
deposited, in comparison to the amount that may have been declared
(via the entry means 614) to be deposited. The denominator 610c may
use any means to denominate bills such as those discussed above,
e.g., magnetic tests, optical detection, UV imaging, infrared
imaging, thread tests, or other commonly known denomination
techniques to denominate the deposited currency bills. If, for
whatever reason--tears, doubles, no call, suspect--the currency
bill cannot be deposited, the currency bill is flagged. In one
embodiment, the transport mechanism 604 will cease operating,
causing the flagged bill to stop in a predetermined location. The
operator may then remove the flagged bill and examine the bill to
determine what the denomination is and whether to accept the bill.
In other embodiments, the flagged bill is transported to a
particular one of the storage receptacles 606a that is designed
specifically to receive flagged documents.
[0153] The document is then transported past an authenticator 610d.
The authenticator 610d is also in communication with the controller
608, and may receive instructions from the controller 608 as to
when to begin operation. According to one embodiment, the
authenticator 610d is used with all types of documents. For
example, the authenticator 610d receives information from the
controller 608 indicating what type of document it is looking for
(i.e. a check or a specific denomination of currency bill). The
authenticator 610d then uses that information to determine what
type(s) of tests should be performed on the passing document to
determine the documents authenticity. For example, if the document
being passed is a check, the authenticator would use a MICR reader
to read the MICR line. If the MICR line is absent or incorrectly
coded, then the check would be deemed a fake and labeled as a
flagged document. As in the flagged documents described above, the
transport mechanism 604 may cease operation and allow the operator
to pull the check out of a specific location, or the flagged check
may be transported to one of the storage receptacles 606a-c as
described above. The MICR-failed check can then be read by a human
to determine the correct information. If the check passes the
authentication test, it is then transported to the storage
receptacle 606b for storage.
[0154] If the document is a currency bill, the authenticator 610d
may use any variety of sensors or techniques to authenticate the
bill as discussed above. If a bill fails an authentication test,
the currency bill is a suspect bill, and may be treated as the
flagged documents described above.
[0155] After all of the documents have been evaluated by the
various evaluation means and sorted into the different storage
receptacles 606a-c, where appropriate, the controller 608 may
transmit the information received from the evaluation means to the
outside accounting system, cash in means 618, and receipt means
620. The controller 608 receives information pertaining to the
number of documents deposited, the total amount of the documents
deposited, the number and denomination of currency bills deposited,
the number and value of checks deposited, the number of no call
bills and checks, and/or the total amount of authenticated and
properly discriminated checks and currency bills, etc. The outside
accounting system uses the total of properly discriminated and
authenticated checks and currency bills to update the account
identified in the deposit request. The cash in component 618 is
used similarly to the cash out means described above, and acts as
an internal receipt for the deposit device, making balancing
simpler and more efficient. The receipt component 620 may be used
in the same manner as the receipt component 520 described in
reference to the dispensing device and creates a record for the
customer. In some embodiments, the receipt means 620 in the present
embodiment allows the customer to see which checks and currency
bills did not get immediately deposited and why. This is extremely
useful in decreasing customer dissatisfaction. The customer knows
almost immediately what the final deposit amount will be and why it
may differ from the amount declared as the deposit amount.
[0156] Of course, not all sensors 610a-610d need be included in all
embodiments, but rather it is contemplated that some of these
sensors may be omitted in different embodiments (e.g., depending on
the needs of a particular application). Likewise, as described
above, the functionality of these various sensors may be combined.
For example, based on the scanned image of a document using image
scanner 610a, a document may be discriminated as to type (e.g.,
check vs. currency bill) and/or denomination or value (e.g., check
amount). Likewise, the size of a document may be determinable using
the information retrieved for the image scanner and/or such
information may be used to authenticate the documents. Accordingly,
one or more of the sensors 610b-610d may be omitted. Likewise, in
some embodiments, the ability to perform certain functions such as
authentication and/or imaging may be omitted and thus the sensors
otherwise needed to perform such functions may be omitted. For
example, in some embodiments designed to only process currency
bills, the image scanner may be omitted while in others an image
scanner may be included.
[0157] Likewise, the arrangement of the sensors 610a-610d may be
varied.
[0158] In some embodiments, it is contemplated that the deposit
device and the dispensing device are connected and are used in
connection with each other. Such devices are useful, because a
customer can make both deposits and withdrawals at the same
location and also, the financial institution needs to only purchase
one machine, which is less costly and also takes up less space. In
the deposit and dispensing combination devices, the operation of
the devices are the same as the two described above, with the
exception that an operator may only have to input one transaction
request which may include both deposit and withdrawal requests.
This also saves time for the customer, in that it will take less
time and the customer only has to enter information once.
[0159] In some embodiments, the data in the memory 616 may be used
to subsequently track the deposited documents back to the person
who deposited them and/or to the account to which they were
deposited. This is helpful if a currency bill is later returned as
or determined to be counterfeit. For example, using the data stored
in memory such as the stored images of deposited documents and/or
extracted serial number data and account number data linked to a
stored document image or serial number, the bank or other
institution can correctly debit the party who deposited the
subsequently discovered counterfeit for the counterfeit and not
have to bear the loss. The tracking procedure is more fully
described in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/965,428, filed on Sep. 27, 2001, and herein incorporated by
reference in its entirety. Also, the image stored in the memory 616
may also be used for receipt purposes, or to prove a deposit at a
later date.
[0160] In some embodiments containing both a deposit device and a
withdrawal device, such as that described in connection with FIGS.
9 and 10, components the devices may be shared. For example, the
devices depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8 may function both as a deposit
device and a dispensing device. In these devices, many of the
components such as portions of the transport mechanism, the
evaluation sensors, and the output receptacles may be used during
both a deposit and a dispensing operation.
[0161] The systems and devices discussed above can also be used for
currency conversion. For example, the device can be adapted to
accept a deposit in U.S. dollars and dispense a corresponding
amount of a foreign currency or substitute currency. Alternatively,
an amount to be dispensed can be specified in U.S. dollars and the
device can then dispense a corresponding amount of a foreign
currency or substitute currency. For example, during a conversion
transaction, a customer may provide a teller $300 (U.S.) and
request the equivalent amount of Japanese yen. The operator could
enter $300 into the device and request dispensing of an equivalent
amount of Japanese yen, taking into account the current exchange
rate. Using the device of FIG. 9 as an example, the processor or
controller 508 would be programmed to make the necessary exchange
calculation and to automatically dispense an appropriate amount of
Japanese yen from the appropriate dispensing receptacles
502a-f.
[0162] Using a multiple-stacker configuration such as in FIG. 7,
for example, an automated currency conversion system can be
provided. For example, deposited US dollars could be placed in
input receptacle 540 of FIG. 7. The bills could then be transported
through the machine, denominated (e.g., in evaluation section 445),
totaled and restacked in output receptacle 450b. Subsequently, an
appropriate amount of foreign currency residing in one or more of
dispensing receptacles 440a-f could be dispensed into output
receptacle 450a--the dispensed currency also being denominated in,
e.g., evaluation section 445 prior to being dispensed into the
output receptacle 450a.
[0163] Some additional embodiments contemplated by the device will
now be described. For ease of understanding, the embodiments will
be labeled A through K.
Alternate Embodiment A
[0164] In this embodiment, a currency processing system for
processing currency to be deposited and withdrawn from a financial
account comprises an entry device. The entry device is adapted to
accept a customer identification number that associates a customer
to a financial institution account. The entry device is further
adapted to accept transaction information, which includes both
withdrawal and deposit amounts. Also included in the system is a
deposit device that is adapted to denominate each of a plurality of
currency bills that are inserted into the deposit device. The
deposit device has an image scanner that obtains images of the
dispensed bills and obtains a denomination of the dispensed bills
based on the images. The currency processing system also includes a
currency dispenser that has a dispensing receptacle that dispenses
a requested number of currency bills to an output receptacle and
has a denomination discriminating unit. The denominating
discriminating unit includes a detector and a processor. The
detector generates a characteristic information output signal in
response to detected characteristic information. The characteristic
information output signal is electrically coupled to the processor
and the processor receives the characteristic information output
signal and generates a denomination signal in response. The
processor also associates each deposit amount with the financial
account into which the currency bills are deposited.
Alternate Embodiment B
[0165] In this embodiment, a document deposit and withdrawal
processing system comprises an input receptacle that receives a
plurality of documents to be deposited. At least one of the
deposited documents has a value associated with it. The system also
includes a storage receptacle for receiving the plurality of
documents to be deposited and a scanning system to scan at least a
portion of the deposited and to obtain the value of the deposited
documents. To transport the documents from the input receptacle,
past the scanning system, and to the storage receptacle, a
transport mechanism is included. Further included in the system is
a dispensing receptacle for holding a plurality of currency bills
and an output receptacle for receiving the currency bills form the
dispensing receptacle. The transport mechanism transports the
documents from the dispensing receptacle, past the scanning system
and to the output receptacle. The scanning system denominates the
dispensed currency bills. To obtain a deposit amount--the sum of
the value of the deposited documents--a processor is also included
and is in communication with the scanning system. The processor
also obtains the withdrawal amount--the sum of the denominations of
the dispensed currency bills. The deposited amount and the
withdrawal amounts are all stored in a memory that is coupled to
the processor.
Alternative Embodiment C
[0166] This embodiment includes a document deposit and withdrawal
system comprising a deposit device, a currency bill dispenser, a
user interface, and a processor. The deposit device includes an
input receptacle for receiving a plurality of documents to be
deposited and at least one storage receptacle adapted to receive
the plurality of deposited documents. A scanning transport
mechanism transports each of the plurality of deposit documents,
one at a time, from the input receptacle, past a scanner, and to
the at least one storage receptacle. The scanner scans at least a
portion of the deposited documents.
[0167] The currency bill dispenser includes a plurality of
dispensing receptacles, each of the dispensing receptacles holding
a plurality of currency bills having the same denomination.
Different dispensing receptacles hold currency bills of different
denominations. The currency bill dispenser also includes an output
receptacle and a dispensing transport mechanism that transports
currency bills, one by one, from the dispensing receptacles and to
the output receptacle. The currency bill dispenser also includes a
counter that counts the number and denomination of the currency
bills that are being disbursed from the dispensing receptacles.
[0168] The user interface receives information from a user and is
in communication with the processor. The processor is also in
communication with the currency bill dispenser and the deposit
device. The processor converts information received by the user
interface into commands to at least one of the currency bill
dispenser and the deposit device.
Alternative Embodiment D
[0169] In this embodiment, a currency processing system for
processing currency bills to be withdrawn and currency bills to be
deposited, comprises a currency bill dispenser having a plurality
of dispensing receptacles. Each of the dispensing receptacle holds
a plurality of currency bills, and each of the dispensing
receptacles only holds one denomination of currency bill. The
currency bill dispenser also includes an output receptacle for
receiving the dispensed currency bills and a first scanner for
obtaining images of at least a portion of a currency bill that is
dispensed. The first scanner is also used to denominate the
dispensed currency bill. A dispensing transport mechanism transport
the dispensed documents from the plurality of dispensing
receptacles, past the first scanner and to the output
receptacle.
[0170] The currency processing system also comprises a deposit
device that includes an input receptacle for receiving a stack of
currency bills and at least one storage receptacle for holding the
deposited currency bills. A second scanner is included and obtains
an image of a portion of the deposited currency bill in order to
denominate the deposited currency bill. The deposited currency
bills are transported from the input receptacle, past the second
scanner, and to the storage receptacle by a depositing transport
mechanism.
Alternate Embodiment E
[0171] In this embodiment, a currency dispensing and accepting
system that is designed to denominate currency bills being
dispensed and accepted comprises a plurality of dispensing
receptacles, each of the dispensing receptacles holding a plurality
of currency bills. Each of the dispensing receptacles holds bills
having the same denomination, such that different dispensing
receptacles hold bills having different denominations. A dispensed
bill output receptacle receives dispensed currency bills from the
dispensing receptacle via a transport mechanism. An image scanner
obtains images of the dispensed currency bills to denominate the
currency bills and is located along the transport mechanism. A bill
accepting receptacle is also included and receives a stack of
currency bills to be accepted into the system. The transport
mechanism also transports currency bills from the bill accepting
receptacle from the bill accepting receptacle past the image
scanner, such that the accepted currency bills are also
denominated.
Alternate Embodiment F
[0172] This embodiment includes a document processing system for
processing currency bills to be withdrawn from a financial account
and documents to be deposited into the financial account, the
documents include currency bills and checks. The document
processing system comprises a currency bill dispenser and a deposit
device. The currency bill dispenser includes a plurality of
dispensing receptacles. Each of the dispensing receptacles holds a
plurality of currency bills, such that each of the dispensing
receptacles holds one denomination of currency bill. An output
receptacle is also included in the currency bill dispenser and
receives the dispensed currency bills. The currency bills are
denominated by a first denominator, which is located along a
transport mechanism. The transport mechanism transports the
dispensed currency bills, one by one, from the dispensing
receptacles, past the first denominator and to the output
receptacle.
[0173] The deposit device includes an input receptacle that
receives a stack of documents, including currency bills and checks.
A storage receptacle is included that holds the deposited currency
bills and checks. The deposited currency bills are denominated by a
second denominator and the deposited checks are imaged by an image
scanner, which obtains full images of the checks. A depositing
transport mechanism transports the deposited currency bills, one by
one, from the input receptacle, past the second denominator and to
the storage receptacle. Furthermore, the depositing transport
mechanism transports the deposited checks from the input
receptacle, past the image scanner and to the storage
receptacle.
Alternative Embodiment G
[0174] This embodiment is of a document processing system for
processing currency bills to be withdrawn from a financial account
and documents to be deposited into the financial account, the
documents including currency bills and financial institution
documents. The system comprises a currency bill dispenser that
includes a plurality of dispensing receptacles. Each of the
dispensing receptacles is adapted to hold a plurality of currency
bills, such that each of the dispensing receptacles holds one
denomination of currency bill. The currency bill dispenser also
includes an output receptacle for receiving the currency bills and
a first scanner for obtaining an image of a portion of a currency
bill being dispensed and for denominating the dispensed currency
bill. The dispensed currency bills are transported from the
plurality of dispensing receptacles, past the first scanner, and to
the output receptacle by a dispensing transport mechanism.
[0175] The document processing system also comprises a deposit
device, which includes an input receptacle for receiving a stack of
documents, including both checks and currency bills. A storage
receptacle is also included in the deposit device and holds the
plurality of deposited documents. Full images of the deposited
documents are obtained by an image scanner. The documents are
transported from the input receptacle, past the image scanner, and
to the storage receptacle by a depositing transport mechanism.
Alternative Embodiment H
[0176] In this embodiment, a document processing system for
processing currency bills to be withdrawn from a financial account
and documents to be deposited into the financial account, comprises
a currency bill dispenser, a deposit device, and a processor. The
currency bill dispenser includes a plurality of dispensing
receptacles, an output receptacle, a first scanner, and a
dispensing transport mechanism. Each of the plurality of dispensing
receptacles holds a plurality of currency bills, such that each of
the dispensing receptacles holds one denomination of currency bill.
The first scanner obtains an image of a portion of a currency bill
being dispensed and denominates the dispensed currency bill. The
output receptacle receives the dispensed currency bills, after
scanning. The transport mechanism transports the dispensed currency
bill from one of the plurality of dispensing receptacles, past the
first scanner and to the output receptacle.
[0177] The deposit device includes an input receptacle for
receiving a stack of documents, wherein the documents include
currency bills and checks. At least one storage receptacle is also
included and is adapted to hold a plurality of currency bills and
checks. The deposit device further has a second scanner that
obtains an image of a portion of a currency bill being deposited,
and thus denominates the currency bill. The second scanner
authenticates the currency bill being deposited, any currency bills
failing an authentication test being referred to as suspect bills.
Full images are then taken of the suspect bills by an image
scanner. The image scanner also obtains images of the deposited
checks. A depositing transport mechanism is also included and
transports deposited currency bills, one by one, form the input
receptacle, past the second scanner, past the image scanner and to
the storage receptacle. Deposited checks are transported by the
transport mechanism from the input receptacle, past the image
scanner, and to the storage receptacle.
[0178] The processor is in communication with the first scanner,
the second scanner, and the image scanner. The processor: instructs
the second scanner to scan the deposited currency bills; causes the
image scanner to not obtain images of deposited currency bills that
are determined to be authentic; and causes the image scanner to
obtain images of suspect currency bills. The system of the present
embodiment processes authenticated currency bills at a first rate
and checks and suspect bills at a second, slower rate.
Alternate Embodiment I
[0179] Another embodiment is a method for processing a withdrawal
request using a dispensing device, comprising receiving customer
identification information into an entry device. Next, the system
receives the withdrawal request into the entry device. Then, the
system dispenses currency bills corresponding to the withdrawal
request by transmitting the currency bills from a currency bill
dispenser, past a scanner, and to an output receptacle. After
scanning the currency bills as the currency bills are transmitted
past the scanner to obtain the denomination of the dispensed
currency bills, the system links the denomination of the dispensed
currency bills to the customer's identification information.
Alternative Embodiment J
[0180] This embodiment is a method of updating a financial account
belonging to a customer, comprising accepting a customer
identification number relating a customer to a particular financial
institution account and accepting transaction information. The
transaction information includes a withdrawal request having a
withdrawal amount and a deposit request having a deposit amount.
Documents are then accepted into a scanning device, which scans the
document to obtain a value of the documents deposited through the
use of a sensor in the scanning device. A number of currency bills
associated with the withdrawal request are then dispensed to an
output receptacle. Each of the deposited documents are then
associated with the financial institution account related to the
customer identification number, as is the deposit and withdrawal
requests. The system then stores the value of the scanned
documents, the deposit and withdrawal amounts, and the customer
identification number in a memory. The deposit and withdrawal
amounts are transmitted to an accounting system associated with the
financial institution account, which is then credited for the
deposit amount and debited with the withdrawal amount.
Alternative Embodiment K
[0181] Another embodiment is a method for processing a transaction
utilizing a document scanner, the transaction relating to a
financial account associated with a customer, comprising receiving
customer identification information into an entry device. A
transaction request is received into the entry device, and the
transaction request includes at least one of a declared deposit
amount and a declared withdrawal amount. The deposit amount is
transmitted to a processor. The document scanner then receives a
plurality of documents to be deposited and transports the deposited
documents, one by one, past an image scanner. The image scanner
obtains an image of each of the deposited documents and a
transaction amount for each of the deposited documents is obtained.
The transaction amounts of the deposited documents are then summed,
which is then compared to the declared deposit amount.
[0182] The withdrawal amount is transmitted to the processor, which
disburses currency bills from a plurality of dispensing receptacles
to a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism transmits the
currency bills from the dispensing receptacles and to an output
receptacle. The disbursed currency bills are then counted and
denominated. The number and denomination of the currency bills
disbursed are then compared to the declared withdrawal amount. A
receipt is printed that summarizes the transaction.
[0183] The customer identification number is associated with the
deposit and withdrawal amounts. The system then stores the images
of the scanned currency bills, the deposit and withdrawal amounts,
and the customer identification number in a memory.
[0184] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications
and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown
by way of example in the drawings and herein described in detail.
It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit
the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the
contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents,
and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
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