Banknote-handling system

A banknote-handling system comprising

• a) a plurality of banknote-handling machines for depositing and/or dispensing valuable documents, such as banknotes, cheques, etc;
• b) a plurality of banks for accounting transactions in said banknote-handling machines;
• c) a co-ordinating central unit for receiving information relating to the banknote content of the machines and to the need for banknotes reported by the general public and businesses or made apparent in some other way, and for sending command signals on the basis of said information and intended for the activation of units within the system;
• d) a transport system for effecting the requisite transportation of banknotes between the banknote-handling machines and the banks in response to the need at that time;
• e) a central bank for monitoring the activities of said banks in general and the actual handling of banknotes;
• and
• f) an electronic information and signal transmission system for enabling, in a known manner, the individual and mutual activities to take place in said units;
• characterised in that the electronic information and signal transmission system is divided into two mutually separate subsystems, of which
• one subsystem (1) includes the transmission of information and signals relating to, and having their basis in transactions, such as banknote-handling, between the banks on the one hand and the general public and businesses on the other hand, with respect to their activities within the banknote-handling system;
• and
• the other subsystem (2) includes the purely administrative and technical signal transmission required in respect of the requisite co-operation between the various units, for instance co-ordinating central unit—vehicles, banknote-handling machines—banks, within the banknote-handling system.