Security arrangement for use with a lockable, removable cassette
AssigneeMars, Incorporated
InventorsThomas Shuren, John Zouzoulas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus to prevent fraud in a bill acceptor system utilizing a lockable, removable cassette is disclosed. A security arrangement including a security sensor and a microprocessor monitors the attachment of the cassette for proper installation, and monitors the bill pusher cycle when an accepted bill is loaded into the cassette. If the cassette is not properly installed or if a bill pusher cycle fails to complete, indicating a possible fraud attempt, then the bill validator is disabled.
Claims17
A security arrangement for use with a bill acceptor and a removable cashbox, comprising:
- a security sensor means which generates signals when a cashbox is attached and when a bill loading cycle takes place;
- and
- a processing and control element which monitors the security sensor means and disables the bill acceptor if the cashbox is not properly attached.
A security arrangement for use in a bill acceptor system which comprises a bill validator, a bill pusher and a lockable, removable cassette, comprising:
- a switch pin which is displaced by a pusher plate of the lockable, removable cassette when the pusher plate is in the open position;
- a microswitch which closes when the switch pin is displaced by the pusher plate, and opens when the pusher plate moves to load a bill into the cassette;
- and
- a processing and control circuit which monitors the microswitch and disables the bill validator if the lockable, removable cassette is not properly installed or if non-sequential operation of the bill pusher and the microswitch is detected.
A method of utilizing a security arrangement with a removable cashbox a bill acceptor system to prevent fraud, comprising:
- actuating a security sensor to generate a signal when a cashbox is attached to a bill acceptor;
- initiating a bill loading cycle;
- monitoring the security sensor during the bill loading cycle for a particular sequence of signals indicating proper installation;
- and
- disabling the bill acceptor if the cashbox was improperly installed.
A method of utilizing a security sensor with a bill acceptor system comprising a lockable, removable cassette, a bill pusher and a bill validator, to prevent fraud, comprising:
- actuating the security sensor and generating a signal when a pusher plate of the lockable, removable cassette is extended to its open position upon installation;
- initiating a bill loading cycle wherein the bill pusher moves the pusher plate into a bill compartment of the cassette and then retracts such that the pusher plate returns to its open position;
- monitoring the security sensor during the loading cycle;
- and
- enabling the bill validator to accept bills if the security sensor generated signals in the proper sequence as the pusher plate moved during the bill loading cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.