Replenishment arrangements for automated teller machines
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorIan Ross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated teller machine (ATM) includes a number of currency note holding cassettes 40. The notes are transferred to a dispensing slot 18 via paths 46 and 48. Mispicked notes are detected by multiple note detector 58 and diverted to reject bin 60 via diverter 56. When cassette contents reach a low level and require replenishment, notes are transferred from cassettes 40 via paths 45 and 91 by means of diverter 93 into a secure purge bin 90. Empty cassettes can be removed and replenished whilst the bin carrying the remaining notes is transferred for emptying by secure transportation.
Claims20
An automated teller machine (ATM) comprising:
- a plurality of cassettes each for storing currency notes;
- means for transporting notes unidirectionally from one of said cassettes;
- a removable secure purge bin for receiving currency notes;
- a diverter mechanism for diverting currency notes from said transporting means unidirectionally along a unidirectional path to the purge bin;
- and
- a processor for controlling the diverter mechanism to transfer remaining currency notes from the cassettes to the purge bin to empty the cassettes to allow replenishment thereof.
A method of allowing replenishment of an automated teller machine (ATM) having a plurality of storage devices each for storing currency notes, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining when a number of currency notes in said storage devices falls to a replacement level;
- and
- transferring remaining notes from the storage devices unidirectionally in an automatic sequence along a unidirectional path to a removable secure receptacle to allow the storage devices to be extracted for replenishment.
A method of allowing replenishment of an automated teller machine (ATM) having a plurality of cassettes each for storing currency notes, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining when a number of currency notes in said cassettes falls to a replacement level and providing a signal indicative thereof;
- and
- controlling a mechanism in response to the signal to unidirectionally transfer remaining notes from the cassettes along a unidirectional path to a removable secure purge bin to allow the cassettes to be extracted for replenishment.
A program storage medium readable by a computer having a memory, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for allowing replenishment of an automated teller machine (ATM) having a plurality of storage devices each for storing currency notes, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining when a number of currency notes in said storage devices falls to a replacement level;
- and
- transferring remaining notes from the storage devices unidirectionally in an automatic sequence along a unidirectional path to a removable secure receptacle to allow the storage devices to be extracted for replenishment.
An automated teller machine comprising:
- a dispenser slot;
- a plurality of cassettes for correspondingly holding currency notes of different denominations;
- means for transporting said notes unidirectionally from said cassettes to said slot for dispensing to a customer;
- a purge bin;
- means for determining when said notes in one of said cassettes falls in number to a replacement level;
- and
- means for selectively emptying unidirectionally along a unidirectional path into said purge bin notes remaining in said cassettes when partially filled to said replacement level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.