Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
:~2~7~3~
I!lETElOD AND APPARATUS FC)R IDENTIFYING AND
INDICATI__'rHE CONTENT OE DO(~UMENT CANIS RS
Technical Field
This invention relates to document containers such as
currency containers which are used in automated document
dispensing machines and Automated Teller Machines ~ATMs).
Specifically this invention relates to improved apparatus and
methods for labeling such document containers with
information in a machine readable form which is used to keep
track of such things as the location, ownership, and serial
numbers of each container; the type and denomination of the
documents in each container; and changes in the status of the
documents in each container.
Background Art
Automated document dispensing machines such as ATMs
contain supplies of documents to be dispensed. ~sually such
machines dispense several types of documents. These
documents may include different denominations of paper
currency or traveler~ checks. It is the general practice to
load a store of documents into an ATM in specialized
containers called "canisters~ Canisters are usually filled
with documents at locations away from the ATM under ~ecure
conditions. Normally each canister will contain only one
type of documentO Cani~ters generally contain locking
mechanisms which secure the canisters once they are filled
with documents~ Canisters are transported to the ATM in the
locked condition. Special unlocking mechanisms inside the
ATM unlock the canisters as they are loaded into the ~achine.
Canister~ are designed to operate in conjunction with
the particular document removal mechanism incorporated into
the ATM. The canister is an integral part of the document
- , .
- , . . .
.
- .:
. : ' '
.
., ' ~ .
dispensing system~ An example of a canister adapted ~or use
in an ATM is disclosed in ~.S. Patent No. 4 r 113 r 14U ~
Canisters present the advantage o~ allowing large
numbers of documents to be loaded into ATMs quickly and also
permit interchangeability of canisters between machines which
have the same type of document removal mechanism. All paper
c~rrency in the United States has the same physical
dimensions and consistency regardless of denomination.
Thereforer canisters which are used to dispense paper
currency are interchangeable with regard to the denomination
of the currency which may be dispensed therefrom.
While the interchangeability of document canisters
between ATMs and the ability to place different types of
paper currency in the same canister are desirable featuresr
problems have developed. First, most AT~s are designed to
dispense a plurality of denominations of bills and therefore
must contain a plurality of canisters, one for each
denomination of bills. Most ATMs are designed so that each
bill type must be provided at a particular location inside
the ATM to achieve a proper dispense. Failure to load the
various bill canisters into the proper canister locations
will result in malfunctions; for example, the ATM dispensing
ten dollar bills when twenty dollar bills are reque~ted.
Financial institutions and other operators of ~T~s have
sought to avoid these problems by physically labeling each
canister with information on the document type contained
therein and by labeling the corresponding positions for the
canisters inside the ATM. Taking these precautions generally
insures that the person loading the canisters will do so
properly; however, errors still occur. Further, it is
.. , . ~ :
- . : . ~ :
' ' '' ' .' ' ' ' ' : . '
,
3~
difficult to remove such permanent labeliny from a canister
when it is desired to use the canister to ~ispense a
different type of document.
As canisters are an integral portion of the document
delivery system, defects in a canister may cause dispense
failures. Such failures sometimes occur infrequently at
irregular intervals making the cause of the problem difficult
to pinpoint. Some operators of ATMs have assigne~ serial
numbers to their canisters to monitor whether certain of them
are involved in an extraordinary number of dispense failures,
which may indicate a defective condition. As serial numbers
are generally printed on the canisters in a human readable
form, tracking the identity of canisters involved in failures
requires considerable bookkeeping and paperwork. Such manual
record keeping is often subject to human error. In addition
because dispense failures are generally readily corrected,
all failures may not be reported. These problems make
keeping track of the canisters involved in failures
burdensome and available records are often inaccurate~
Additional problems may arise when several entities
such as a group of banks elect to operate a network of many
AT~s, which are located away ~rom the banks such as in
grocery stores, shopping malls, and airports. In such a
network several of the financial institutions may wish to
share responsibility for servicing the ATNs, including
providing the canisters filled with documents and currency.
In these situations there is need to know the origin of the
currency or documents dispensed from each AT~ to settle
accounts between the participants. For example, if a
customer of a first bank receives money at an ATM located in
a shopping mall and the currency in that ATM belonged to a
second bank, it is necessary to keep track of the parties
.
~ . . ' . .
~7~3~
-- 4
involved in the transaction so that the first bank can repay
the second bank for the money received by its customer.
Tracking accounts is less complex if the second bank always
provides the currency dispensed from a particular ATM and the
identity of the ATM where each transaction occurs is
maintained in the records of the network. The situation
becomes increasingly complicated however when several
entities share responsibility for loading currency into the
same ATM; for example, each providing the currency on
alternative weeks. This greatly complicates the record
keeping necessary to settle accounts between the various
parties involved. Such record keeping is prone to inaccuracy
because it is difficult to keep track of the origin of the
currency or documents involved in particular transactions.
As more entities share xesponsibility for loading documents
into ATMS, the problems of record keeping grow
proportionately.
Others have previously attempted to overcome some of
the foregoing problems by labeling document canisters in a
manner which can be received by the computer system which
controls the operation of an ATM. Such information may be
stored or utilized in combination with other data to
accomplish such things as, for example, to prevent operation
of the ATM when the canisters have been misloaded and to
~rack the particular serial numbers assigned to such
canisters. Unfortunately~ all of the systems known in the
prior art are of limited usefulness or have other undesirable
characteristics. De La Rue Systems Ltd. of London, England
has developed a system which identifies the denomination of
the currency contained in a document canister loaded into an
ATM. De La Rue's system involves the placement o~ a magnetic
element on an external portion of each canister. The
~ 3~ ~
location of the magnetic element is dependent on the
denomination of the contained currency. If the canister i5
loaded into the ATM correctly, the magnetic element will be
located adjacent to a magnetic sensing switch mounted inside
the ATM near the canister~ When the magnetic element is
adjacent to the switch, a signal is generated. It is only
when all the signals from the canisters are present that the
A~M will operate. While this system prevents operation of
the ATM when canisters are misloaded, it has the limitation
that the ATM cannot be operated until the problem is
identified and corrected. In addition, the location of the
magnetic elements on De La Rue's canisters are difficult to
change, making it difficult to change a canister from one
denomination of currency to another. Due to variance in the
strength of magnetic elements, a canister with a weak magnet
may not actuate the magnetic sensing switch in the ATM. Also
the magnetic elements tend to lose magnetic strength with the
passage of time and vibration which frequently occurs during
transport, accelerates demagnetization. The De La Rue system
provides no means of indicating ownership, serial numbers of
the canisters or for indicating the status of the documents.
The Inter Innovation Company of the Netherlands has
also developed a meth~d ~f la~eling canisters used in its
ATMs. This system involves placement of information
concerning the denomination of the bills contained in a
canister as well as the serial number assigned to the
canister, on a read-only memory (ROM) computer chip installed
in the canister. When the canister is placed in the ATM, an
electrical lead inside the ATM is connected to the canister.
The information on the ROM is then read by the computer which
controls the operation of the ATM. This method provides the
advantage that canisters can be installed in any canister
location in the ATM and the computer system will conform the
operation of the document dispensing mechanisms to the
..
denomination of the bills located in the corresponding
canisters. Inter Innovation's method also provides a means
of tracking the location of each canister by its serial
number which can be combined with information on the
ownership of the various canisters stored in the memory of
the computer to settle accounts. In addition, information o~
the canisters involved in failures can be stored in the
memory of the computer which operates the ATM and can be
analyzed to determine if any canister is demonstrating an
extraordinary number of failures suggestive of a defective
condition. The Inter Innovation system has several
limitations, however. Canisters loaded with currency are
heavy and are frequently transported significant distances
prior to being installed in an ATM~ Transport exposes the
canister to vibration and e~tremes of temperature which can
damage the ROM~ In addition, because canisters are loaded
and unloaded frequently, the electrical connectors between
the ATM and the canister wear out rapidly resulting in
failures. The Inter Innovation system is expensive to
implement due to the need to include additional electrical
equipment in the canister and the ATM as well as to program
each ROM. The ROM is sensitive to static electricity and may
lose all or a portion of its memory due to exposure to small
static charges created by clothing or carpeting. Also if the
information is going to be utilized to settle accounts among
institutions, the computer operating the ATkl must be
progra~med and a portion of its available memory dedicated to
storing ownership information concerning Pach canister.
Lastly, the information on the ROM is ~ifficult to change in
the event it should become necessary to dispense a different
type of currency from a canister or to change the serial
number.
-
. .
3~
-- 7
There is frequently a need for ATMs to dispensedocuments other than currency. Usually these documents are
dispensed using the same dispense mechanisms which were
originally designed to handle only paper currency. Such
documents may include, for example, travelers checks,
coupons, and gift certificates. Such documents will
generally have physical characteristics that differ somewhat
from paper currency. Often however these documents may be
effectively dispensed provided that the operation of the
dispense mechanism is slightly modified. In many cases such
modifications can be automatically implemented provided that
the computer which controls the operation of the dispensing
mechanism has available a sub-routine which will operate to
control the ATM's dispense mechanism in accordance with ~he
characteristics of the documents. The parameters which may
need to be modified may include, for example, the speed at
which the dispense mechanism operates or the cycle times of
certain components of the dispense mechanism. If a means is
available to distinguish these other documents from currency
in the canister, these changes in the operation cycle of the
dispensing mechanism can be implemented by the computer
automatically. In addition, paper currency itself may have
different characteri~tics depending on whether it is new or
used. It is therefore desirable to vary the operating
parameters of the dispensing mechanism to better suit the
character of the currency in a canister. To applicant's
knowledge no prior system has been developed that is capable
of presenting such information on a document canister in a
form that can bP received and utilized by the computer which
operates an ATM.
As a result of the limitations which exist in prior
systems, there exists a need for an inexpensive and reliable
apparatus and method for providing, identifyingr and
indicating information concerning the contents of a document
- . . . .
.
'. ~ ' ' " .~' ' ~ ' '
.
S3~
canister, which information can be read, transmitted,
and utilized by a computer controlling the operation of
an ~TM or other document dispensillg mechanism and wh:ich
information is secure ~rom tampering bllt may be readily
changed by authori~ed personnel.
Disclosure of Invention
It is an object o~ an aspect of the present
invention to provide apparatus and a method for labeling
a document canister with information indicating
ownership of the canister and the serial number assigned
to the canister in a machine usable form.
It is a further object of an aspect of the
invention to provide apparatus and a method for labeling
information indicativs of the type, denomination, and
character of documents contained in a canister in a
machine usable form.
It is a further object of an aspect of the
invention to provide apparatus and a method for labeling
information on a document canister in machine usable
form, which information is tamper resistant but which
may be readily changed by authorized personnel to
reflect changes in the contents or ownership of the
canister.
It is a further object of an aspect of the
invention to provide apparatus and a method for labeling
informati~n on a document canister in a machine usable
form, a portion of which information operates as a check
to verify that all the other information labeled on the
canister is accurately received.
' .
: .. . . .
'~' ' ~ ~ .. '
., , - ' ' .:
'.: .'
.~'' ' ' ' ' ,-
.:
. ~ .
It is a further object of an aspect of the
invention to provide apparatus and a method Eor labeling
information on document callisters in a machine usable
form that is less expensive to implement than apparatus
and method~ presently available.
It is a further object of an aspect of the
invention to provide apparatus and a m~thod for labeling
information on a document canister in a machine usable
form which indicates the changing status of the
documents located inside the canister, such as to
provide an indication of when the documents need to be
replenished.
~5
Further objects of aspects of the invention will
become apparent in the attached description of the best
modes ~or carrying out the invention and the appended
claims.
According to the invention o~ the present
application an apparatus and a method are providad for
labeling in~ormation on a document canister for an ATM,
which information is provided in a form which is read by
apparatus located inside the ATM. The information is
communicated to the computer controlling the operation
of the ATM which then operates to change the operation
of the dispensing mechanisms of the ATM to con~orm such
operation to the type of documents contained in the
canister~ Canister identifying information is analyzed
with information concerning dispense failures in the
data storage area of the computer to identify canisters
involved in dispense failures and to point out possible
defective conditions which may exist in such canisters.
Further, the information provided according to the
present invention is used to track the ownership o~ the
canister and the documents contained in the canister,
which information is used to simpli~y the settlement of
accounts between a plurality of parties who load their
document caniæters :into an ATMo
, ~ , .
. : . - - .
'
; ~
~.~i7~3~
-- 10 --
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention,
a canister which contains documents to be dispensed by an ATM
has a series of uniformly sized holes in a first portion of
the canister; the first portion being the face of the
canister which is first inserted into the ATM when the
canister is loaded. Buttons formed of resilient material are
installed in these holes from the inside of the canister.
The buttons incorporate a lip at one end; the lip being a
larger diameter than the holes in the canister. The lip
prevents the buttons once installed, from falling or being
pulled to the outside of the canister through the
buttonholes. Behind the buttons on the inside of the
canister is a spring-loaded backing plate. The backing plate
causes the buttons to act as protuberances that e~tend out of
the canister to the full extent possible under normal
con~itions. The backing plate is detachable and may be
readily removed by authorized persons who have access to the
inside of the canister so that the arrangement of the buttons
in the holes may be changed.
Inside the ATM where the face of the canister having
the buttons is positioned when the canister is in its
operating position, there is located a series o~ electrical
switch actuators. The location of these switch actuators
corresponds to each of the buttonholes in the canister. When
the canister is in its installed position, the buttons
protrudiny from the caniste~ contact the corresponding switch
actuators causing electrical switches associated with the
switch actuators to generate electrical signals.
The canister also incorporates a guide hole in its
front wall. The guide hole is positioned to mate with a
guide pin located inside the ATM. When the canister is in
. . . :
:'' ' ' . . : . : .
~ 1 1 --
its operatirlg position, the mating of the guide hole and
guide pin insures that each button is properly oriented to
contact its corresponding switch actuator.
The electrical switches associated with the switch
actuators generate electrical signals which are indicative of
the arrangement of the buttons in the holes on the canister.
These electrical signals are transmitted to the computer
which controls the operation of the ATMo The computer
compares the received signals to information stored in its
memory to determine the information represented by the
arrangement and processes or stores such information
according to its programming.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the buttonholes in the canister may be divided
into subsets. Each subset is assigned to represent a
particular item of information such as the owner of the
canister, the canister serial number, the document type
contained in the canister, the document denomination
contained in the canister, or the condition of the contained
documents. In addition, a further subset is reserved for an
accuracy check to insure that all the information represented
by ~he but~on arrangements in the other subsets is accurately
received by the computer operating the ATM. Arrangements of
buttons in the holes of the subsets is designated to
represent particular information. Each arrangement and the
information represented thereby, are programmed and stored in
the memory of the computer which controls the operation of
the ATM.
A button which is not part of another subset is
attached to a mechanism inside the canister, which mechanism
monitors the status of the document supply. The backing
plate is cut away behind this button to provide access for
the mechanism. The mechanism operates to move the associated
- , . . : -- . . .
: . . . .
, '.-'' ': : . , :" ' ' , '
- : . . : . -... -
.: . : - : . .
~7~
button in and out of the canister and causes it to
contact the associated switch actuator on the ATM in
response to changes in the supply of documents.
According ko the preferred embodiment of tha invention,
the mechanism causes the button to change position when
the document supply inside the canister decreases a
predetermined amount. The movement of the button and
the associated signal produced by the electrical switch
associated with the button is received by the computer
which yenerates an output indicating that the documents
in the canister need to be replenished.
In yeneral t according to the present invention,
there is provided a system for dispensing a selected
variety of document from a document dispensing machine,
said machine having document selection means for
selecting a variety of document to be dispens2d and a
plurality of documents of a least two varieties each
variety being contained in and dispensable from an
interchangeable document canister, said canisters being
mounted on said ma~hine in a plurality of canister
portion~, comprising:
a machine readable indicia, labelling each canister
said indicia including the presence or absence of
a characteristic at a plurality of selected
locations on said canister, an arrangement of said
characteristics representative of the document
variety in said canister,
reading means reading said indicia associated with said
machine, said reading means generatiny signals
representative of canister positions in said
machine and document therein;
processor means interpreting said signals and storing
information on each canister's position and
contained document variety in a memory;
means controlling said machine accordiny to said
document selection means and the information stored
,.. .
}7~,3ql3~
12a
in memory, to dispense a document from a can.ister
containing the. selected documerlt variety.
In accordance with a ~urther aspect of the
present invention, there is provided a system Eor
dispensing a selected variety of document from a
document dispensing machine, said machine having
document selection means for selecting a variety of
document to be dispensed and a plurality of documents of
at least tWG variaties, each varieky being contained in
and dispensable from an interchangeable document
canister, said canisters being mounted on said machine
in a plurality of canister positions, comprising:
a machine readable indicia labelling each canister,
said indicia including the presence or absence of a
characteristic at a plurality of selected locations
on said canister, said plurality comprised of at
least two subsets, a first arrangement of said
characteristics in a ~irst subset representative of
the document variety in said canister; reading said
indicia in said first subset with first reading
means associated with said machine, said ~irst
reading means generating first signals
reprasentative of canister positions in said
machine and document variety therein;
processor means interpreting said first signals and
storing information on each canister's position and
contained document variety in a memory: and
means controlling said machine according to said
document selection means and the information stored
in said memory, to dispense a doc~ment from a
canister containing the selected document variety.
Brief Description of_Drawinqs
Figure l is a perspective view of a canister
~, . . .....
-
.' ' ' :'' ' ' .
-'
-
12bconta;ning currency and incorporatiny the preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the document
canister' with its top raised.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism which
removas documents from the canîster inside an ATM and
the switch actuators which correspond to the buttonhole
locations on the canister.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a button which
may be installed in the buttonholes in the canister.
Figure 5 are side and perspective views of a guide
pin which is used to align the switch actuators in the
ATM with the buttonholes in the canister.
Figure 6 is a partially sectioned perspective view
of the posterior portion of the cani~ter.
. . :.: '' ' ~
~ ~ , . ' '' ' .
. .
~i63~L
13
Figure 7 is an exploded view of the front of the
canister and the button retaining assembly.
Figure 8 is a partially sectioned top view of the
canister and the switch actuators on the ATM which
correspond to the buttonhole locations.
Figure 9 is a section view of the canister and the
document removal mechanism in operating position.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the roller of
the document removal mechanism.
Figure ll is a front view of the canister showing
the buttonholes divided into subsets.
Figures 12 through 16 show arrangements of buttons
in the subsets of buttonholes.
Best Mode~ for Carryinq Out Invention
The preferred embodiment O:e the present invention
is used in conjunction with the friction picker
mechanism for removing documents from a document
canister in an ATM described in United States Patent No.
4,494,747 and assigned to the assignee of the present
invention. Portions of the friction picker mechanism
are shown in the drawings. Features of the friction
picXer mechanism not essential for understanding the
present invention have been deleted for clarity and
brevity.
- . . .
, .
iL2~
Referring now to the drawings and æpecifically to
Figure 1, there is shown a document canister generally
designated 10. The canister is composed of a lower portion
11 consisting of sidewalls 12, bottom wall 14l partial front
wall 15, and back wall 16. Canister 10 also has a top 18
which includes flanges 20, which extend over side walls 12
and baclc wall 16 when the top is in its closed position.
Flanges ~0 terminate in thickened portions 22 near the front
of the canister. Top 18 also incorporates a face plate 24
which has a plurality of buttonholes 26 and a guide pin hole
27. Thickened portions 22 of flanges 20 terminate in ears
23. Ears 23 cooperate with hinge means 28 attached to lower
portion 11 which allows top 1~ to be opened as shown in
Figure 2. Top 18 and lower portion 11 are preferably made of
molded plastic construction. Canister 10 also incorporates
locking means generally indicated 29 which may be used to
selectively fasten top 18 to lower portion 11. A plurality
of buttons 25 are located in and e~tend through certain of
buttonholes 26, the arrangement of said buttons being
significant to the present invention as later explained.
Canister 10 contains a stack of paper currency 30. The
stack is supported off the bottom of the canister on a shelf
portion 31 and held between guide rails 32 which extend
upward from canister bottom 14. A pusher plate 36 ~see
Figure 6) contacts the rear of stack 30~ Pusher plate 36
includes a foot portion 38. A slot 40 is cut into and
extends longitudinally along the center cf shelf portion 31.
Guide means (not shown) attached to foot 38 limit the
movement of pusher plate 36 to along slot 40r Force
application means (not shown) applied to pusher plate 36 tend
to move pushçr plate 36 and stack 30 in the direction of
arrow A. This force causes the bill located at the front of
stack 30 to be present at the opening in partial front wall
15 of the canister generally designated 34. Opening 34 is
:. . , -
- ~ .
, . : , . - , .
.. , . . -
.
, ~ ', . . : ' : ~ ,
- ~s -~
~;27~3~
open during removal of docunlents from canister 10; however,
closure means are normally provided to secure opening 34 when
the canister is outside an ATM. The interior portion of
partial front wall 15 contacts the upper portion of the
first bill in stack 30 and counteracts the force applied to
the stack by pusher plate 36, thus retaining the stack inside
the canister.
A button retaining assembly generally designated 42 is
shown located behind face plate 24 inside the canister 10 in
Figure 7. Buttonholes 26 are sized to accept buttons 25.
Buttons 25 include a cylindrical portion 44 (see Figure 4) of
uniform diameter and a lip portion 46 of a larger diameter.
Buttons 25 terminate in a flat portion 48. The relationship
of the diameters of buttonholes 26 and the cylindrical
portion 44 of a button 25 is such that a button may slide
back and forth in buttonholes 26 but is prevented from fully
passing through a buttonhole by the larger diamete~ of lip
46.
A backing plate 50 is mounted to the rear of buttons 25
~0 inside canister 10. Backing plate 50 has four (4) notches
52. Backing plate 50 also incorporates a flange 51 and a
cut-away portion 53, the purpose of which will be explained
later. The backing plate is normally held against the
posterior of buttons 25 by spring loaded fastener assemblies
generally designated 54. Spring loaded fastener assemblies
54 are each comprised of a spring 56 and flat washers 58 to
the front and rear of spring 56. Bolts 60 extend through
flat washers 58 and springs 56 as well as through notches 52
of backing plate S0. ~ex-shaped holes 61 in face plate 24
accept threaded inserts 62. Bolts 60 are threaded into
inserts 62 and thereby attach to face plate 24. The presence
of bolts 60 extending through notches 52 prevents lateral
movement of backing plate 50. The force applied by springs
' ' , .
- 16 -
~L27630~
56 to backing plate 50 tends to push buttons 25 through face
plate 24 to the maximum possible extent, thus giving the
~uttons a spring loaded effect (see Figure 8).
A bushing 64 surrounds guide pin hole 27 and is mounted
on face plate 24 by attaching means. Bushing 64 is
preferably made of a wear resistant material which allows
guide pin hole 27 to retain its dimensional integrity despite
repeated acceptance of guide pins which align and locate
canister 10 with a document removal mechanism as will
be later explained.
A link 66, preferably of stamped metal construction :-
extends longitudinally parallel to canister top 18. Link 66
incorporates a first straight portion 68, a second portion 70
perpendicular ko straight portion 68, and a third portion 72
parallel to portion 68. Link 66 ter~inates in a tab portion
74, the face of which is parallel to face plate 24. Tab
portion 74 corresponds to the cut-away portion 53 of backing
plate sn. A hole 76 is centrally located in tab portion 74. :~-
A button 2~' is fixably mounted to tab 74 through screw means
78 which extend through hole:76. hink 66 also incorporates
guide slots 80. Shoulder bolts 81 e~tend through flat
washers 82 which are located above and underneath slots 80.
~ex-shaped holes 83 in top 18 accept threaded inserts 84.
Shoulder bolts 81 are threaded into inserts 84 and are
thereby fixably attached to top 18~ Slots 80 allow link 66
to move freely baok and forth along the line of arrow B in
Figure 7~
Link 66 also incorporates a slot 86 located between
slots 80. A pin 88 is comprised of a cylindrical portion 8g,
a threaded portion 90, and a shoulder portion 92. The
threaded portion 90 of pin 88 extends through slot 86 of link
, . .
- ~ . . .
..
: '
. .
., : . ..
.
- 1.7 -
i3~
66. A nut 94 located on the side of link 66 opposite pin B8
accepts threaded portion 90 and locks pin 88 in position
relative to slot 86.
A flag 96 (see Figure 6) is attached to the posterior
of pusher plate 36 by fastening means 98. Flag 96 is
preferably made of flexible material such as plastic and
extends above and outward from pusher plate 36. With top 18
in closed position, Flag 96 is of sufficient height that it
will contact cylindrical portion 89 of pin 88 which serves as
target means~ As currency is depleted from stack 30 and
pusher plate 36 moves in the direction of arrow A, flag 96
contacts pin 88. As currency is further depleted and pusher
plate 36 moves further forward in the canister, flag ~6 is
deflected applyin~ a force to pin 88. This force tends to
move pin 88 and link 66 to which it is connected in the
direction of arrow B in Fisure 7. This applied force causes
button 25' attached to link 66 which serves as movement means
to be pushed outward through face plate 24 to the maximum
extent possible. Eventually flag 96 moves past pin 88 and
the force is no longer exerted on button 25'. As pin 88 can
be positioned in any location along slot B6, the movement of
button 25' is used as an indication of the positivn of pusher
plate 36 and thus can be used to indicate when currency stack
3D should be replenished. As will be later e~plained, if
provisions are made in the programming o the computer
controlling the operation of the ATM for counting the number
of times a force is exerted by button 25', additional pins 88
may be installed along slot 86. Each time that flag 96
contacts a pin 88 a force is exerted by button ~5' and by
counting the number of times such force is exerted~ tbe
computer monitors the movement of pusher plate 36 and thus
obtains an indication of the number of bills remaining in
stack 30.
' .' " ' ' ., ' ~ ~'
~7~3~
1~3
F`igure 3 shows a currency Eriction picker mechanism
100 which removes currency from canister 10~ The
operation of picker mechanism 100 is described in detail
in United States Patent No. 4,494,747. Each canister 10
in the ATM operates in conjunction with a corresponding
picker mechanism 100. The picker mechanism is housed in
a frame 101. Frame 101 includes a canister mounting
plate 103. A roller member 102 is mounted on a shaft
106. Shaft 106 extends between bearing means 108 which
extend through frame 101. Roller member 102
incorporates two (2) grooved portions llO (see Figure
10). The circumference of roller 102 is smooth except
for high friction rubber portions 112. Roller 102 also
incorporates cam means 11~. Picker mechanism 100 also
has a pair of stripper rolls 116 which are mounted on a
shaft 118. Shaft 118 is positioned such that the outsr
circumferences of stripper rolls 116 lie within grooves
110 of roller 102 (see Figure 93. 5haft 118 is mounted
on bearing means ~not shown3 which extend through frame
101. During operation, shafts 11~ and 106 are driven by
drive means ~not shown) such that both rotate in the
counter-clockwise direction as shown in Figure 9. A
U-shaped lever 120 rides on a s:haft 122 which is mounted
to frame 101 by mounting means tn~t shown). U-shaped
lever 120 has two legs 124, th~ inside of which maintain
contact with cam means 114 during the operating cycle of
the picker mechanismc
Frame 10~ of picker mechanism 100 includes a switch
plate 126. Switch plate 126 incorporat~s a series of
holes (not separately shown) through which extend
actuators 128 of electrical switches 130. A guide pin
132 is fixably mounted to, and extends outward from
switch plate 126 (see Figure 8). Guide pin 132 includes
a head portion 134, a shaft portion 136, a flange
portion 138, and a threaded portion 140 (see Figure 5).
. .
.
,
.
-
,
-- 19 --
7~3~
When picker mechanism 100 receives canister 10 so thatdocuments can be removed therefro~l, bottom 14 of canister 10
is placed on canister mounting plate 103 of frame 101 of the
mechanism. In moving canister 10 into operating position,
opening 34 in partial front plate 15 of the canister moves
towards roller 102 of the picker mechanism until the currency
stack 30 contacts lever 120 (see Figure 9). When the
canister is fully inserted, head 134 and shaft 136 of guide
pin 132 are accepted into guide pin hole 27 of canister 10.
This fit insures that canister 10 is properly aligned with
respect to picker mechanism 100. When documents are to be
dispensed, roller 102 of picker mechanism 100 rotates in the
direction o~ arrow C. U-shaped lever 120 is controlled by
cam 114 and h~lds stack 30 away from roller 102 except at
those times during rotation when the high friction portion
112 is in position to contact stack 30. This rotational
movement of roller 102 causes the first bill to be removed
from stack 30 by the grabbing action exerted by high friction
portion 112. As a consequence, the first bill in
stack 30 is pulled downwards into stripper rolls 116 which
are rotating in the same rotational direction as roller 102.
The action of stripper rolls 116 insure that only one (1)
bill at a time is removed from stack 30 and that any
additional bills are pushed or stripped backwards into the
stack. Further rotation of roller 102 causes the first bill
to be pulled past stripper rolls 116 due to the frictional
characteristics and large surface area of high friction
portion 112. Once the first bill has been pulled off stack
30 and past stripper rolls 11~, it is moved by transport
means (not shown) to a location for delivery outside the ATM.
:`
Buttonholes 26 in canister 10 are positioned such that
when the canister and picker mechanism 100 are in operating
position the buttonholes are in alignment with actuators 128
of switches 130, which actuators extend through switch plate
: : '
' ,.. ~ '
. :
.
- 2(~ -
3~
126 (see Figures 8 and 9). The cylindrical portions 44 of
DUttOnS 25 are of sufficient length that 1at portions ~8
contact actuators 12B and push buttons 25 inward. The action
of spring assemblies 54 and backing plate 50 resists the
inward movement of buttons 25 as canister 10 is moved into
operating position. This reaction force causes actuators 128
which serve as sensing means, to be depressed. The spring
loaded action of buttons 25 insures that actuators 128
contact all of the buttons in the arrangement even if f ace
plate 24 and switch plate 126 are not perfectly parallel.
Electrical switches 130 serve as signal generating means
which exhibit a first electrical condition when their
corresponding actuators 128 are not in contact with buttons
25 and a second electrical condition when actuators 128 are
in contact with buttons 25. Electrical switches 130 are
connected to the computer which controls the operation of the
ATM.
Though actuators 128 correspond to the location of each
buttonhole 26, buttons 25 are located only in certain
selected holes. According to the preferred embodiment of the
present invention, the arrangement of buttons is
representative of information. Through the action of
switches 130 which change their electrical condition in
response to the presence of buttons~ the button arrangement
on the canister is transferred into a corresponding
arrangement of electrical signals. Each button 25 is an
information indicating means which may have one of two
conditions; a first condition when a button is present and a
second Gondition when a button is absent.
Button 25' like buttons 25 extends through a buttonhole
26 in canister 10. Button 25' corresponds to a particular
switch actuator 128' on switchplate 126. Button 25' however
differs from the other buttons in that it is not
. . ~ .
- ~
- .
', ' .. , ' ' ' , : .
' ' . . .
i3~
spring-loaded due to cut~away port:ion 53 in backing plate
50. Button 25' does not normally contact its corresp4ndiny
~ctuator when canister lO is loaded~ As currency stack 30 is
depleted due to removal of currency, pusher plate 36, which
is a tracking means tracking the end of the stack 30, moves
forward in canister lO. Eventually flag 96 which is a
position indicating means contacts pin 88 which serves as a
flag sensing means. Further movement of pusher plate 36
causes flag 96 to exert a force on pin 88. This force is
transmitted by pin 88 to link 6~ which slides forward. As
link 66 slides forward button 25' contacts its switch
actuator 128' (see Figure 8). Further exertion of force by
flag 96 on pin 88 causes button 25' to push on actuator 128'
which changes the electrical condition of its corresponding
lS switch 130'. ~not separately shown) This change in
electrical condition is sensed by the computer that controls
the operation of the ATM. Further forward movement of pusher
plate 36 causes flag 96 to nwipe" past pin 88 and thus a
force is no longer exerted. The release of this force
results in button 25' no longer pushing on actuator 128' and
the electrical condition of switch 130' reverts to its
original condition. Thus button 25' is an information
indicating means which indicates the position of pusher plate
36 and thereby the number of documents remaining
in stack 30.
Additional pins 8B may be mounted on link ~6 at spaced
intervals. As flag 96 wipes past each of these pins, button
25' exerts a force on its corresponding switch actuator 128'
which changes the electrical condition of its corresponding
switch 130'. The computer controlling the operation of the
ATM is programmed to count the number of times switch 130'
changes its position and thereby calculates the rate of
depletion of stack 30.
.
.
:
- .~2 -
~ 27~3~
The arrangement of buttons 25 in buttonholes 26 on
canister 10 is representative of information. The
arrangement is reproduced through the depression of switch
actuators lZ8 and is electrically represented in the
electrical signals generated by switches 130. The computer
controlling the operation of the ATM to which switches 130
are connected is programmed to recognize each possible
arrangement and to correlate the arrangements with the
information each represents. The computer then stores and
processes this information according to its programming to do
such things as monitor canisters involved in dispense
failures, settle accounts between parties who operate a
network that the ATM may be part of, control the picker
mechanisms to insure the correct amount of currency is
dispensed, and adjust the operation of the picker mechanisms
to conform to the docu~ents in the canisters.
According ~o the pre~erred embodiment of the invention,
buttonholes 26 are divided into groups or subsets. Each
subset is designated as representing a particular type of
information~ Figure 11 shows canister 10 with the
buttonholes 26 in face plate 24 holding no buttons.
Buttonholes 26 are divided into si~ ~6) subsets shown
separated by dotted lines. A first subset 136 is designated
to represent ownership of the canister and the
contained currency. As subse~ 136 has a pair of holes in
which buttons can be placed, there are a maximum of four ~4)
differen~ ways in which buttons can be arranged in the holes
of subset 136. These four ~4) arrangements are shown in
Figure 12. Ownership by a first bank is represented by
arrangement 138, a second bank by arrangement 140, a third
bank by arrangement 142, and a fourth bank by arrangement
144. The computer controlling the operation of the ATM is
programmed to recognize the electrical signals generated by
'.. ,' ' ' . ' '' . ' ~:,, ', '.-' "
~, . . ' , ~ . ' , '
: ~ ,
~ 23 -
7~3~
switches 130 in resporlse to these arrangements and is further
programrlled to use the inEormation to settle accounts between
the banks~ If more than four (4) banks supply canistersl the
additional banks can be handled by adding additional
buttonholes ~6 to ~ubset 136 and appropriately programming
the computer.
A second subset 146 is designated to represent canister
serial numbers. Canisters are assigned decimal serial
numbers which are represented by buttons forming binary
numbers. This is accomplished by having each buttonhole in
subset 146 represent a binary digit; absence of a button in a
buttonhole representing a "0", and the presence of a
buttonhole representing a aln. As subset 146 comprises six
(6) buttonholes, the number of decimal serial numbers which
can be represented are (2)6 or 64. Arrangements of buttons
in subset 146 for canisters having serial numbers zero
through 38 are shown in Figure 13. Serial numbers in ~xcess
of 64 are obtained by adding additional buttons to subset
146. Information on serial numbers of canisters involved in
dispense failures can be stored in the memory of the computer
and analyzed to determine canisters that may have defective
conditions. Further, because ownership of each canister is
indicated by the arrangement of buttons in subset 136, the
compu er can distinguish between canisters of different
owners which have the same serial number.
A third subset 148 is designated to represent document
character. This subset contains a pair of buttonholes each
of which comprises a sub subset. The sub-subset 150
consisting of the upper buttonhole in subset 148 (see
Figure 15) indicates document type. According to the
preferred em~odiment of the present invention, the ATM
dispenses two (2) types of documents; paper currency and
' ~ . ~ , '
- : , ,
: . ,: .
. :, ., ~ . ~ . . '
-
- 24 -
~d~l,3~
coupons which are approximately the same physical size as
paper currency. ~he absence of a button in sub-subset 150
indicates that the documents in the canister are currency.
The presence of a button indicates coupons. The computer
operating the ATM is programmed to recognize the data
represented by this arrangement and to control the operation
of the various picking mechanisms to dispense currency or
coupons according to what is requested. In addition, as
coupons may be optimally dispensed at a different rate than
currency, the computer is programmed to adjust the rotational
speed of roller member 102 and stripper rolls 116 of the
picker mechanism 100 to a predetermined speed optimum for the
dispense of coupons when the button is present.
Sub-subset 152 is the other subset of subset 148. It
includes a single buttonhole. Sub-subset 152 represents data
on the new or used character of the documents in the
canister. The presence of a button in the hole represents
new documents whereas the absence of a button represents
used. As new and used documents are optimally dispensed at
different speeds, the computer is programmed to adjust the
speed of picker mechanism 100 based on the new or used
character of the given type of documents. Thus there are
four (4) possible arrangements of buttons in subset 148 shown
in Figure 1~. These clockwise from upper left, are: used
currency, used coupons, new coupons, and new currency.
A fourth subset 154 of buttonholes 26 is designated to
represent doeument denomination. As subset 154 contains a
pair of holes, four (4) denominations may be represented as
shown in Figure 15. These arrangements of buttons in subset
154 are assignPd to represent from top to bottom in Figure
15, $1 r $5 r $10 r and $20 denominations. The computer
controlliny the operation of the ATM is programmed
:, :
::' ` .
.
. ~, . ,' : .
- 2.5 -
~763~
to recognize these arrangements and to control the operation
of the picking mechanisms according to the denomination of
the documents in ~he canister loaded adjacen~ to each picking
mechanism~ Thus regardless of the positions of the various
canisters in the ArrM~ the correct type and denomination of
documents is dispensed.
A fifth subset 156 contains button 25' which is a means
for indicating the status of documents inside the canister.
As was previously explained, the condition of button 25'
varies with the number of documents remaining in the
canister. Button 25' causes the production of a signal each
time a pre-established document level is reached. The
computer is programmed to count the signals caused by button
25' and to provide an indication of the number of documents
remaining in each canister as well as when each canister
needs to be replenished.
A sixtb subset 158 is used to verify that the data
reported by the arrangements of buttons in subsets 136, 146,
148, and 154 have been received. This is accomplished by
buttonholes representing decimal numbers through binary
digits as previously explained. The number of buttonholes
required in tbe verification subset is determined by the
maximum number of buttons that could possibly be present in
all the other subsets, excluding subset 156. If for example,
there are potentially sixteen (16) buttons that could be
located in all the other subsets, the data for verification
subset 158 would require four (4) buttonholes. This is so
because a number comprised of four (4) binary digits may have
up to ~2)4 or sixteen (16) different combinations. The
condition of subset 156 cannot be verified by the
verification subset 1S8 as its condition varies with the
document supply and is not pre-established as is the case
with other subsets.
,
.
.'. . . ` - - ' . : :.
,
.. :
- 26 -
~ pon in~ertion of canister 10 into operating position
relative to picker 100, the computer receives signals fron
switches 103 representative of the arrangements of the
buttons in subsets 136, 146, 148, 154, and the verification
subset 158. The computer is programmed to calculate the
number of signals received on account of the various buttons
25, exclusive of the buttons in the verification subset, and
determines the total. Thereafter the computer reads the
signals from the verification subset, transforms the signals
into a binary number, and converts the number to a decimal
number which is compared to the total of buttons found in the
other subsets. If the values compared do not coincide, the
computer is programmed to give a signal indicating a fault
condition. The arrangement of buttons in subset 158
representing zero (0) through twelve ~12) buttons, which are
the total number of buttons which may be present in subsets
136, 146, 148l and 154 are shown in Figure 16~
Other subsets of buttonholes 26 could be designated to
represent other information based on the needs of the
operator of the ATM. The number of buttons and thus the
amount of information which can be presented on one canister
is limited only by physical constraints such as the size of
face plate 24, switch plate 126, buttons 25, and switches
130. One way of reducing the space occupied by actuators 128
and switches 130 is to use a single conductive array of
tactile s~itches such as an FL-type array manufactured by
S.P. America Inc., of San Jose, California, in lieu of
individual switches~
Once information is placed on canister 10 through an
appropriate arrangement of buttons 25, the computer will read
the information and operate to dispense documents from the
canister according to the information presented. The buttons
on canister 10 are not subject to tampering as they are
,. . .
' ~ ~ ' ~'; '.' .. ' -, ' '
. , ' ~ ~ . . '
: ' ~ .
- ~7 -
~L~t~
mounted from behind face plate 26 and must be removed from
inside canister 10 which is normally secured by locking means
29. In addition, buttons 25 are made of durable plastic
material and are not subject to breakage. The arrangement of
buttons is not sensitive to vibration, shock or changes in
temperature~ If, however, it is desired to place a different
denomination or type of document in a canister, a change in
button arrangement may be easily accomplished so that the
computer will operate using the canister in conformance with
the new document. To change the button arrangement, the
locking means of canister 10 is opened and spring assemblies
54 removed. Removal of these parts releases backing plate
50. Removal of backing plate 50 provides access to
buttonholes 26 and the rear of buttons 25. Buttons 25 may
then be relocated, removed, or new buttons installed.
Backing plate 50 and spring assemblies 54 are reinstalled by
reversing the disassembly process. Thus the rearrangement of
buttons may be accomplished quickly and by persons without
particular technical expertise.
The foregoing method and apparatus may be used to
present information on document canisters in machine readable
~orm which can be utili~ed for a variety of purposes in a
document dispensing system. The invention i~ inexpensive to
i~plement, reliable and is not subject to failure due to
human error or mishandling of the equipment involved. The
invention is resistant to tampering and yet information
presented according to the invention may be easily modified
by authorized personnel not having technical skill.
Thus, the new method and apparatus for identifying and
indicating the contents of document canisters achieves the
above-stated objectives, eliminates difficulties encountered
in the use of prior apparatus and methods, solves problems,
and obtains the desirable results described herein.
- . .
.
,
-, : .
-
, . . .
,
- :~8 ~
In the foregoing descriptions certain terms have been
used for brevity, clarity, and understanding; however, no
unnecessary limitations are to be implled thereEr~m because
such terms are for descriptive purposes and are intended to
be broadly construed. Moreover the description and
illustrations given are by way of example and the invention
is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
~aving described the features, discoveries, and principles of
the invention, the manner in which it is utilized, and the
advantages and useful results obtained, the new and useful
methods r structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts,
combinations, systems, equipment, operations r and
relationships are set forth in the appended claims.
'. ' ~ . ' ' '.
.
: . . , . . :
:, . . : - , ~: . ~
.
.
