Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENT REQUESTING AND
DISPENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD
Background of the Invention
5 The present invention relates generally to
systems and methods for requesting and dispensing
negotiable instruments such as bank checks, traveler's
checks, and money orders. More particularly, the
present invention relates to systems and methods that
10 enable bank customers to request and receive negotiable
instruments from machines that print the requested
instruments, and that are located remotely from one or
more authorizing banks or automated teller machines
("ATMs").
15 Some known systems and methods for requesting
and dispensing negotiable instruments provide public
dispensing devices, such as ATMs, that are wall mounted
units which may be found in places such as banks,
airports, train and bus stations, supermarkets, etc.
20 Such dispensing devices are inconvenient in that a bank
customer must locate such a device before a desired
negotiable instrument can be obtained. In many
instances it may not be possible to locate such a
device, particularly when a bank customer is in a
25 remote location or when it is very late at night.
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Another known system and method for
requesting and dispensing negotiable instruments
provides a portable dispensing device that a bank
customer may carry. This device is inconvenient in
that the bank customer must first download a sufficient
amount of money to the device to cover any instruments
which the customer wishes to dispense. To do so, the
bank customer may have to go to, or ship the device to,
a bank or some other facility where the download can
take place. Such a requirement may render the device
useless to a bank customer in the event that the
customer requires an instrument that exceeds the
balance remaining in the portable device. This may be
particularly frustrating to the customer in situations
in which the customer has the required funds in an
account with a bank affiliated the dispensing device,
but such funds have not yet been downloaded to the
dispensing device.
In some known systems and methods for
requesting and dispensing negotiable instruments,
requested negotiable instruments may only be dispensed
from an instrument dispenser that is used to request
the negotiable instrument, such as an ATM that
dispenses traveler's checks. This requirement is
inconvenient in that in many instances a party may
desire to request, at one location, an instrument that
is to be dispensed to another party at a second
location. For example, a parent at home may request
that a money order be dispensed to that parent's child
from an instrument dispenser at a summer camp, boarding
school, or college.
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In view of the foregoing, it would be
desirable to provide a system and method for requesting
and dispensing negotiable instruments through which a
bank customer can request and receive a negotiable
5 instrument without having to locate and use a public
negotiable instrument dispensing device.
It would also be desirable to provide a
system and method for requesting and dispensing
negotiable instruments through which a bank customer
10 can rea_uest and receive a negotiable instrument using a
portable, hand-held dispenser that obtains
authorization to dispense the negotiable instrument by
communicating with an authorizing bank over a wireless
communication link.
15 It would be further desirable to provide a
system and method for requesting and dispensing
negotiable instruments through which a bank customer
can request from one device that a negotiable
instrument be printed and dispensed from another
20 device.
Summary of the Invention
It is therefore an object of this invention
to provide a system and method for requesting and
dispensing negotiable instruments through which a bank
25 customer can request and receive a negotiable
instrument without having to locate and use a public
negotiable instrument dispensing device.
It is another object of this invention to
provide a system and method for requesting and
30 dispensing negotiable instruments through which a bank
customer can request and receive a negotiable
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instrument using a portable, hand-held dispenser that
obtains authorization to dispense the negotiable
instrument by communicating with an authorizing bank
over a wireless communication link.
5 It is a further object of this invention to
provide a system and method for requesting and
dispensing negotiable instruments through which a bank
customer can request from one device that a negotiable
instrument be printed and dispensed from another
device.
These and other objects of the present
invention are achieved by providing a system and method
for requesting and dispensing negotiable instruments
such as bank checks, money orders, and traveler's
15 checks. An instrument may be requested through this
system and method by a bank customer from a telephone,
a computer, a fixed-location dispenser, or a portable,
hand-held dispenser that is in communication with a
bank computer. This request may be made orally, using
20 touch tones, or using data transmission over a
communication network that may include telephone lines,
two-way radio links, microwave links, satellite links,
cellular telephone links, computer networks, and/or the
Internet. After a request is processed and approved,
25 the requested instrument may then be dispensed at any
time to the bank customer or another party from any
receive-only dispenser, fixed-location dispenser, or
portable, hand-held dispenser that is also in
communication with the bank computer.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
The above and other objects and advantages of
the present invention will be apparent upon
consideration of the following detailed description,
5 taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which like reference numerals refer to like parts
throughout, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an illustrative
system for requesting and dispensing negotiable
10 instruments in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of a portable, hand-
held dispenser in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section,
of
15 one embodiment of portable, hand-held dispenser
a
having a fan-fold
negotiable instrument
supply in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a side view, partly in section,
of
another embodiment
of a portable, hand-held
dispenser
20 having a roll negoti able instrument supply in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an organizer-
style, portable, han d-held dispenser (with its top
open) in accordance with the present invention;
25 FIG. 6 is a top view of an organizer-style,
portable, hand-held dispenser (with its top closed)
in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a front view, partly in section,
of
one embodiment of organizer-style, portable, hand-
an
30 held dispenser (with its top open) having a fan-fold
negotiable instrumen t supply in accordance with the
present invention;
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FIG. 8 is a front view, partly in section, of
another embodiment of an organizer-style, portable,
hand-held dispenser (with its top open) having a roll
instrument supply in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an illustrative
portable, hand-held dispenser in accordance with the
present invention;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fixed-
location dispenser in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an illustrative
fixed-location dispenser in accordance with the present
invention;
15 FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a receive-
only dispenser in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an illustrative
receive-only dispenser in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 14 is a flow diagram showing the
processing of instrument requests at a bank computer in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 15 is a flow diagram showing the
requesting and dispensing of instruments using an
interactive voice mode in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 16 is a flow diagram showing the
requesting and dispensing of instruments using an
interactive data mode in accordance with the present
invention;
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FIG. 17 is a flow diagram showing the
requesting and dispensing of instruments using a non-
interactive mode in accordance with the present
invention: and
5 FIG. 18 is a flow diagram showing the receipt
of authorization for, and printing and dispensing of,
instruments using a receive-only dispenser in
accordance with the present invention.
Detailed Descrir~tion of the Invention
10 As stated above, the present invention
provides a system and method that allows bank customers
to request and receive negotiable instruments from
instrument dispensers that are located remotely from an
issuing bank without the need to locate and use a
15 publicly-available ATM. Instrument dispensers may
include receive-only dispensers, fixed-location
dispensers, and portable, hand-held dispensers.
Receive-only dispensers are designed to only dispense
instruments that are requested using another device.
20 These dispensers may be preferred in locations, such as
boarding school or college dormitories, or the homes of
elderly or ill relatives or friends, where there is a
need to dispense instruments but little need to request
instruments because instruments are likely to be
25 requested from other locations.
Fixed-location dispensers are general purpose
dispensers that provide the capabilities to both
request and dispense instruments. These dispensers may
be located in a banks customer's home, buildings (such
30 as commercial offices, hotel rooms, airports, and train
and bus stations), automobiles, planes, trains, buses,
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_ g _
and/or any other suitable location. Preferred fixed-
location dispensers further include a telephone
operating mode that allows access to telephone banking
systems.
Portable, hand-held dispensers, like fixed-
location dispensers, provide the capabilities to
request and dispense instruments, and in preferred
embodiments include a telephone operating mode that
allows the dispenser to be used as an ordinary
10 telephone or used to access a telephone banking system.
These portable, hand-held dispensers preferably are a
size and weight that enable the dispensers to be easily
held in a single hand, and preferably incorporate a
battery power source and wireless telephone that enable
15 the dispensers to be used without having to be
physically connected to an external power source or
communication link.
In order to receive a negotiable instrument,
a bank customer must first generate a request for the
20 desired instrument. This request may be generated
using a telephone, a computer, a fixed-location
dispenser, or a portable, hand-held dispenser. The
request may be made using interactive modes or a non-
interactive mode. In the interactive modes, menu
25 options and prompts are communicated to a bank customer
by a bank computer either acoustically (i.e., using
voice based menus and prompts) or digitally (i.e.,
using data transmission). Acoustically communicated
menu options and prompts may be received by a bank
30 customer through a telephone, or through a fixed-
location dispenser or portable, hand-held dispenser
that is operating as a telephone. Digitally
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communicated menu options and prompts may be received
by a bank customer through a customer computer, fixed-
location dispenser, or portable, hand-held dispenser
that displays the menu options and prompts
5 electronically on a display screen. The bank customer
responds to each of these prompts as they are presented
and the responses are processed and organized by the
bank computer to form the instrument request.
In the non-interactive mode, menu options and
prompts are generated and presented electronically on a
display screen to a bank customer by a customer
computer, fixed-location dispenser, or portable, hand-
held dispenser. These menu options and prompts are
then responded to by the bank customer, and the
15 responses are processed and organized by the customer
computer, fixed-location dispenser, or portable, hand-
held dispenser to form the instrument request. Once
the instrument request has been formed, the instrument
request is transmitted to the bank computer from the
20 customer computer, fixed-location dispenser, or
portable, hand-held dispenser.
When requesting an instrument, a bank
customer may be required to specify, for example, the
account number from which the instrument is to be
25 drawn, a personal identification number (PIN)
associated with that account, the type of instrument
requested (e.g., a bank check, money order, or
traveler's check), the value of the instrument, the
national currency in which the instrument is to be
30 issued (e. g., dollars, francs, marks, etc.), the name
of a payee of the instrument, the address of the payee
of the instrument, the date of the instrument, a memo
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for the instrument, a designation of the instrument
dispenser from which the requested instrument is to be
dispensed, when the instrument may first be dispensed,
and/or any other suitable information. On the other
5 hand, when requesting a traveler's check, for example,
the bank customer may be permitted to leave the value
of the instrument, the national currency in which the
instrument is to be issued, the name of a payee of the
instrument, the address of the payee of the instrument,
10 the date of the instrument, and any memo for the
instrument unspecified. As noted above, in selecting a
designated instrument dispenser, the bank customer is
not limited to selecting a particular instrument
dispenser from which the customer may be submitting the
15 instrument request, but rather the customer may select
any desired instrument dispenser that can communicate
with the bank computer.
Once the request information has been
generated, either in whole (in a non-interactive mode)
20 or in part (in an interactive mode), the requested
information is then transmitted to a bank computer over
a communication network, such as a telephone system.
The request is preferably transmitted as a single
continuous burst of data in the non-interactive mode,
25 and as a series of individual responses, either by
voice, Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones, or data,
to prompts provided by a bank computer in the
interactive modes, although any suitable method of
transmitting data may be used. The communication
30 network may include a wireless telephone, radio, or
satellite network to facilitate requests from wireless
telephones, radio transceivers, and portable, hand-held
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dispensers. The communication network may also include
a computer network to facilitate requests from customer
computers, fixed-location dispensers, and portable,
hand-held dispensers that are connected to computer
5 networks or the Internet. DTMF tone requests and data
transmission requests are preferably transmitted
directly from the communication network into the bank
computer. Voice requests may be entered into the bank
computer using a suitable voice recognition system or
10 using a bank employee to type the voice requests into a
bank computer terminal connected to the bank computer.
After a request has been received by the bank
computer, the request is processed to determine if
dispensing of the requested instrument is authorized.
15 Whether authorization is granted may be based upon
factors such as the value of the instrument requested,
the available balance or credit in the customer's
account, whether the bank customer has entered an
authentic personal identification number (PIN), whether
20 the bank can authorize dispensing of negotiable
instruments in the designated currency, the number or
value of previously made requests, and/or any other
suitable criteria. After the bank computer has
determined whether the request is authorized, the bank
25 computer then transmits an authorization or denial
notification to the customer. This notification is
preferably given substantially instantaneously to the
customer over the same device through which the request
was submitted (e. g., a customer telephone, a customer
30 computer, a fixed-location dispenser, or a portable,
hand-held dispenser). For example, a notification in
response to a oral request may be given through a pre-
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recorded or synthesized audio message played to the
customer, or through a bank employee reading the
notification off a bank computer terminal to the
customer, during the same telephone call through which
the request was submitted.
If the request is authorized, dispensing
information is then also transmitted from the bank
computer to a designated receive-only dispenser, fixed-
location dispenser, or portable, hand-held dispenser.
10 The dispensing information may include a payee name, a
payee address, the face amount of the instrument, a
national currency type, a request date, an instrument
date, a memo, a security mechanism such as an
authorization code or a digitized copy of the
15 customer's signature, an account number, an instrument
type (e. g., a bank check, money order, or traveler's
check), an instrument number, a PIN that must be
entered by the recipient to receive the instrument, the
date on which the instrument may first be dispensed,
20 and/or any other suitable information. This
information may be transmitted as part of the
authorization notification (when the notification is
transmitted as data) or as a separate data
transmission.
25 When transmitting dispensing information to a
designated instrument dispenser, a bank computer may
have to first establish communications with the
instrument dispenser before the information can be
transmitted. For example, in those cases in which a
30 customer requests that an instrument be dispensed from
a designated instrument dispenser that is not the same
as an instrument dispenser that is being used to submit
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the instrument request, or in instances where a
customer submits an instrument dispensing request from
a customer telephone or customer computer, the bank
computer will have to establish communications with the
5 designated instrument dispenser prior to transmitting
the dispensing information. Communications may be
established, for example, by the bank computer
originating a modem-based telephone call which is
answered by the designated instrument dispenser.
10 Once the dispensing information has been
transmitted to the appropriate instrument dispenser,
the requested instrument may be dispensed, subject to
any special instructions regarding the date on which
the instrument may be dispensed. When dispensing
15 information is transmitted to a designated instrument
dispenser other than a device used to submit the
instrument request, dispensing of the instrument will
preferably not commence until an authorized recipient
has accessed the designated instrument dispenser and
20 requested that the instrument be dispensed. Dispensing
of the instrument may include selecting one of a
plurality of pre-printed instrument stocks (i.e., a
particular paper type) and printing information on that
stock such as a date, a payee name, a payee address, an
25 instrument face value, a currency type, an instrument
type (e. g., bank check, money order, or traveler's
check), a memo, a security mechanism such as an
authorization code or a digitized copy of a customer's
signature, an account number, an instrument number,
30 and/or any other suitable information.
In some instances, the instrument may be
dispensed to someone other than the bank customer. For
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example, a parent may request that an instrument be
dispensed to a child at a school or camp. To provide
at least a minimum level of security when instruments
are dispensed to persons other than the bank customer,
5 dispensers in preferred embodiments of the present
invention may require that a password or personal
identification number (PINS be entered by a potential
recipient to obtain the requested negotiable
instrument. This password or PIN is preferably
10 selected by the bank customer at the time of generating
the instrument request, but alternatively may be
selected by the bank computer just prior to giving the
authorization notification or may be selected in
advance by the bank customer.
15 Rather than immediately dispensing the
negotiable instrument, the bank customer or recipient
of the requested instrument may also have the option of
deferring dispensing of the instrument until sometime
in the future. This may be desirable, for example, in
20 instances where a parent wishes to request in advance a
semester's worth of weekly living expense checks for a
child away at college, but also wishes to prevent the
child from obtaining those checks until a date during
that semester that corresponds to each check.
25 Preferred embodiments of the present
invention also permit a bank customer to change an
instrument request after the dispensing information is
received at a designated instrument dispenser but
before the time when an instrument is dispensed. This
30 change may include a cancellation or modification of
the instrument request. During this time period, the
bank customer may submit a change request to the bank
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computer in all of the same ways that an instrument
request can be submitted to the bank computer (e. g.,
using a DTMF tone request using a customer telephone,
or a data transmission request using a fixed-location
dispenser). This change information may include any of
the information in the corresponding dispensing
information and preferably includes an account number
and an instrument number. Upon a change request being
received at a bank computer, the bank computer will
10 determine if the request is authorized. Determining
whether a change request is authorized may be based on
whether a personal identification number (PIN) entered
by the bank customer is authentic, whether the
requested instrument has already been dispensed,
15 whether the bank computer is able to establish
communication with the designated dispenser, and/or any
other suitable criteria. In the event that the change
request is denied, a change denial notification will be
transmitted to the bank customer. Otherwise, a change
20 authorization notification will be transmitted to the
bank customer and change information will be
transmitted to the designated instrument dispenser.
The change notification is transmitted to the bank
customer preferably substantially instantaneously and
25 through the same device through which the change
request was submitted. The change information is
transmitted to the designated instrument dispenser in
substantially the same manner as the dispensing
information, may include any of the information in the
30 corresponding dispensing information, and preferably
includes an account number and an instrument number.
Once this change information is received at the
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instrument dispenser, the requested negotiable
instrument will no longer be available to be dispensed
from the instrument dispenser.
After a receive-only dispenser, fixed-
5 location dispenser, or portable, hand-held dispenser
has been used to request and/or dispense a negotiable
instrument, a bank customer or instrument recipient may
download data regarding request and/or dispensing
information to a personal computer, printer, and/or any
20 other suitable device using an external device
interface in each of the dispensers. This data
preferably includes all of the data communicated
between the instrument dispenser and the bank computer.
Once downloaded, this data may preferably be used to
15 generate reports and bookkeeping entries.
A preferred embodiment of a system 30 for
requesting and dispensing negotiable instruments is
illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown, system 30 comprises a
bank computer 32, a bank computer terminal 39, a bank
20 telephone 36, a communication network 90, a wireless
network 42, a customer telephone 49, a customer
computer 45, a receive-only dispenser 46, a fixed-
location dispenser 48, and a portable, hand-held
dispenser 50. Generally speaking, a request to receive
25 a negotiable instrument is made by a bank customer
using customer telephone 44, customer computer 45,
fixed-location dispenser 48, or portable, hand-held
dispenser 50.
Using customer telephone 44, a bank customer
30 may request an instrument by voice or by using keys on
customer telephone 44 to generate DTMF tones. Customer
telephone 99 may be located anywhere in the world, may
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be a traditional or wireless telephone, and may be
connected to bank computer 32 or bank telephone 34 via
a traditional telephone system, a wireless telephone
system, and/or any other suitable communication
network.
Using a customer computer 45, a bank customer
may request an instrument by sending a data
transmission request to bank computer 32 via a direct
telephone connection, a computer network connection, an
10 Internet connection, or any other suitable connection,
using a terminal emulator, a web browser, dedicated
banking software, or any other suitable piece of
software.
Using a fixed-location dispenser 48 or
15 portable, hand-held dispenser 50, a bank customer may
request an instrument by voice or by using keys on
dispenser 48 or 50 to generate DTMF tones when the
dispenser 48 or 50 is being operated as a telephone or
being operated in an interactive voice mode. Using a
20 fixed-location dispenser 48 or portable, hand-held
dispenser 50, a bank customer may also request an
instrument by sending data transmissions from dispenser
48 or 50 when the dispenser is operating in a non-
interactive mode or an interactive data mode. Fixed-
25 location dispenser 48 and portable, hand-held dispenser
50 may be connected to bank computer 32 or bank
telephone 34 via a traditional telephone system, a
wireless telephone system, a computer network
connection, an Internet connection, and/or any other
30 suitable communication network.
Upon a request being generated, the request
is then transmitted over communication network 40, and
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possibly wireless network 42, to bank computer 32.
Communication network 40 may include telephone systems,
computer networks, the Internet, and/or any other
suitable communication networks. Wireless network 42
5 may include wireless telephone systems, radio
communication systems, satellite communication systems,
and/or any other suitable wireless communication
networks. DTMF tone and data transmission requests are
preferably directly entered into bank computer 32 from
10 communication network 40. For voice requests made
using customer telephone 44, fixed-location dispenser
98, or portable, hand-held dispenser 50, a bank
employee may be used to enter the request into bank
computer 32 via bank telephone 36 and bank computer
15 terminal 34. Alternatively, a suitable voice
recognition system in bank computer 32 may be used to
input the voice request directly into bank computer 32.
After an instrument request is received, bank
computer 32 then determines whether the request is
20 authorized. This determination may be based upon the
value of the instrument requested, the available
balance or credit in the customer's account, whether a
personal identification number (PIN) entered by the
bank customer is authentic, the number or value of
25 previously made requests, and/or any other suitable
criteria. Once the determination is made, a
notification is sent from the bank computer 32 to the
bank customer at the customer telephone 44, customer
computer 45, fixed-location dispenser 48, or portable,
30 hand-held dispenser 50 over communication network 40,
and possibly wireless network 42. This notification is
preferably given substantially instantaneously and in
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the same way in which the instrument request was
submitted. For example, for voice requests made by a
bank customer to a bank employee using a customer
telephone 44, a notification may be communicated to the
5 bank customer by first displaying the notification on
bank computer terminal 34, and then having the bank
employee read the notification to the bank customer.
If the request is authorized, dispensing
information will then also be transmitted to a
10 designated instrument dispenser. This dispenser may be
a receive-only dispenser 46 or the same or a different
fixed-location dispenser 48 or a portable, hand-held
dispenser 50 from which the instrument request may have
been submitted. As with the authorization or denial
15 notification, the dispensing information is transmitted
over communication network 40, and possibly wireless
network 42.
Once the dispensing information has been
received, an instrument may be dispensed at the
20 designated instrument dispenser. In preferred
embodiments of the present invention, the recipient of
the negotiable instrument, who may also be the bank
customer, may be asked whether the recipient would like
the instrument to be dispensed immediately or to be
25 dispensed at a later point in time. The preferred
embodiments of the present invention also permit the
requesting bank customer, who may not be the intended
recipient of the instrument, to designate the earliest
point in time at which an instrument may be dispensed
30 from an instrument dispenser.
A bank customer may also request that an
instrument waiting to be dispensed from a designated
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instrument dispenser be changed. This change may
include cancellation or modification of the instrument,
and may be requested from a customer telephone 44, a
customer computer 45, a fixed-location dispenser 48, or
5 a portable, hand-held dispenser 50. Like instrument
requests, this change request is then transmitted over
communication network 40, and possibly wireless network
42, to bank computer 32. As with instrument requests,
change requests made by voice may be transmitted to
10 bank computer 32 via a bank employee using bank
telephone 36 and bank computer terminal 34.
Alternatively, voice change requests may be entered
into bank computer directly by a suitable voice
recognition system.
15 After a change request has been received,
bank computer 32 verifies the identity of the bank
customer issuing the change request and contacts the
designated instrument dispenser. If the identity of
the bank customer is verified and the instrument is
20 waiting to be dispensed from the designated instrument
dispenser 46, 48, or 50, bank computer 32 will transmit
a change authorization notification to customer
telephone 44, customer computer 45, fixed-location
dispenser 48, or portable, hand-held dispenser 50 from
25 which the change request was made, and will transmit
change information to designated instrument dispenser
46, 48, or 50. This change information may include any
of the information in the corresponding dispensing
information and preferably includes an account number
30 and an instrument number. Once the change information
has been received at designated instrument dispenser
46, 98, or 50, the corresponding original instrument
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will no longer be available to be dispensed from the
instrument dispenser. If, however, the identity of the
bank customer cannot be verified, the instrument has
been dispensed, or the bank computer 32 cannot
5 communicate with the designated instrument dispenser
46, 48, or 50, a change denial notification will be
transmitted to the bank customer and the instrument
request will not be canceled or modified.
FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 illustrate an embodiment
10 100 of a portable, hand-held dispenser 50. As shown in
FIG. 2, all components of portable, hand-held dispenser
100 are housed within a body 103 that is preferably
formed from plastic, but may also be formed from
aluminum or any other suitable material. Located on
15 the top of body 103 are an antenna 102, a dispensing
slot 104, and negotiable instruments 106, and on the
bottom of body 103 are an external power input 116 and
an external device interface connector 118: Antenna
102 is a radio frequency antenna that enables portable,
20 hand-held dispenser 100 to communicate with wireless
network 42 (FIG. 1), and is preferably flexible and
telescopic. Alternatively to providing an antenna 102
in portable, hand-held dispenser 100, portable, hand-
held dispenser 100 may incorporate a telephone jack
25 (not shown) that may be used to connect portable, hand-
held dispenser 100 to a standard telephone wall outlet
(not shown). Dispensing slot 104 includes a narrow
opening in body 103 through which an instrument 106 can
pass and a serrated edge that is preferably formed from
30 a light metal such as aluminum or any other suitable
material and that may be used to tear off instruments
from portable, hand-held dispenser 100. Although
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dispensing slot 104 is illustrated as being positioned
at the top of body 103, dispensing slot 109 may be
positioned on the bottom, front, back, or any other
suitable position on body 103. Instruments 106 may be
5 any type of negotiable instrument and are preferably
preprinted, thermally-printable paper forms that may be
recognized as a traveler's check, a money order, or a
bank check. For security purposes, instruments 106
preferably incorporate a water mark, micro-printing, or
10 any other suitable anti-counterfeiting mechanism.
External power input 116 may be used to
connect an external source of power such as a 110 VAC
line cord, a 12 V~C automobile cigarette lighter
adapter cord, or any other suitable external power
15 source to portable, hand-held dispenser 100. External
device interface connector 118 may be used to connect
portable, hand-held dispenser 100 to an external device
such as a computer, a printer, or any other suitable
external device and may be an electrical connector, an
20 optical connector, or any other suitable type of
connector or combination of connectors. As stated
above, this connection may be used, for example, to
download data from portable, hand-held dispenser 100 to
a computer, printer, or other suitable device.
25 Located on the front of body 103 are a power
button 108, a speaker 110, a power indicator 112, a
display 140, a keypad 126, and a microphone 114. Power
button 108 is used to toggle the power of portable,
hand-held dispenser 100 between on and off states.
30 Speaker 110 is used to enable a user of portable, hand-
held dispenser 100 to hear a telephone line when
portable, hand-held dispenser 100 is being used to make
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a telephone call for a regular voice telephone call or
for requesting an instrument in an interactive-voice
mode. Power-on indicator 112 is used to indicate the
power state of portable, hand-held dispenser 100, is
5 illuminated when the power state is on, and preferably
is a low-power light emitting diode (LED), although any
other suitable indicator could be used. Display 140 is
used to display menu options, messages, settings,
prompts, telephone numbers, and any other desired
10 information. Display 140 is preferably a back-lit
liquid crystal display (LCD), however, any other
suitable display could also be used. Microphone 114 is
used to enable a user of portable, hand-held dispenser
100 to speak on a telephone line when portable, hand-
15 held dispenser 100 is being used to make a telephone
call for a regular voice telephone call or for
requesting an instrument in an interactive-voice mode.
When the power of portable, hand-held
dispenser 100 is turned-on, power indicator 112 will
20 illuminate and, preferably, display 140 will present a
main menu of options from which the bank customer can
select how to use portable, hand-held dispenser 100.
For example, menu options may allow the customer to use
the portable, hand-held dispenser as a telephone, to
25 initiate an interactive-voice-mode instrument request,
to initiate an interactive-data-mode instrument
request, to initiate a non-interactive-mode instrument
request, to print an instrument stored in portable,
hand-held dispenser 100, to change an instrument
30 requested but not dispensed, and to configure the
settings of portable, hand-held dispenser 100. As
another example, a fast cash menu option may be
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provided which, upon selection, automatically requests
a traveler's check (or any other type of negotiable
instrument) for a predetermined amount that is to be
dispensed from portable, hand-held dispenser 100 using
S data setup in the portable, hand-held dispenser 100.
Of course, other menu options could alsa be available
to the customer without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
Keypad 120 enables a user to control the
10 operation of portable, hand-held dispenser 100. Keypad
120 includes a one ("1") key 121, a two ("2," "a," "b,"
or "c") key 122, a three ("3," "d," "e," or "f") key
123, a four ("4," "g," "h," or "i") key 124, a five
( "5, " "j , " "k, " or "1") key 125, a six ("6, " "m, " "n, "
15 or "o") key 126, a seven ("7," "p," "q," "r," or "s")
key 127, an eight ("8," "t," "u," or "v") key 128, a
nine ("9," "w," "x," "y," or "z") key 129, a star ("*")
key 130, a zero ("0" ) key 131, a pound key ( "#" ) 132, a
clear ("clr") key 133, a send key 134, an end key 135,
20 a select ("se1") key 136, a cursor (up, down, left, and
right arrows) key 137, and a receive ("rcv") key 138.
Number keys one through nine and zero 121-129 and 131,
star key 130, and pound key 132 may be used to dial
telephone numbers, to select menu options, to respond
25 to prompts, and to perform and other function for which
these keys are suitable. To facilitate the use of
telephone banking systems, and other DTMF tone based
response systems, pressing any of keys 121-132 will
cause the corresponding DTMF tone to be generated on
30 the telephone line. For example, to request that an
instrument be sent to portable, hand-held dispenser
100, or any other dispenser 46, 48, or 50 (FIG. 1), a
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bank customer may use portable, hand-held dispenser 100
to place a telephone call to a telephone banking system
and enter the request information using DTMF tones.
Clear key 133 may be used to delete part or all of an
entered telephone number, menu option selection, prompt
response, or any other user-entered information. Send
key 134 may be used to initiate a telephone call once a
user has entered a telephone number. End key 135 may
be used to terminate a telephone call once the call has
been completed.
Select key 136 may be used to accept a menu
option selection, prompt response, or any other
suitable information once entered or displayed on
display 140. Cursor key 137 may be used to navigate
15 menus that may be displayed on display 140 of portable,
hand-held dispenser 100, and is preferably a four
direction key that may be pressed in the up, down,
left, and right directions to generate four unique
switch outputs. When a menu is displayed, pressing
20 cursor key 137 may cause the menu to be scrolled with
respect to a highlighted cursor region on display 140.
In this way, the bank customer can highlight and then
select (using select key 136) any of the menu options.
Finally, receive key 138 is used to activate a modem
25 internal to portable, hand-held dispenser 100 when a
user is ready to receive data during a telephone call.
While this modem is activated, speaker lI0 and
microphone 114 are preferably deactivated, and number
keys 121-129 and 131, star key 130; and pound key 132
30 preferably do not produce DTMF tones. Power button 108
and keys 121-138 are preferably push-button, momentary-
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contact switches, but may alternatively be any suitable
switch.
A side-layout view of portable, hand-held
dispenser 100 is illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown in
5 FIGS. 2 and 3, antenna 102, dispensing slot 104,
instruments 106, power button 108, speaker 110, power
indicator 112, display 140, keypad 120, and microphone
119, external power input 116, and external device
interface connector 118 are located on the outside top,
10 front, and bottom of body 103 of portable, hand-held
dispenser 100 and perform the functions described
above. On the inside of body 103 of portable, hand-
held dispenser 100 are electronics 146, a battery 194,
a printer 148, a fan-fold negotiable instrument supply
15 192, and instruments 106. Electronics 146 provide the
communication, processing, control, input, output, and
power circuits for portable, hand-held dispenser 100,
and preferably include a radio frequency transceiver, a
modem, memory, a microprocessor, a printer controller,
20 a display controller, an audio controller, a keypad
controller, an external device interface, and a power
supply. Battery 144 is used as a source of power for
electronics 146 and other components requiring power in
portable, hand-held dispenser 100. Battery 144 is
25 preferably a nickel metal hydride battery or nickel
cadmium battery, although any other suitable type of
battery or batteries could also be used, and may be
removed from the back of portable, hand-held dispenser
100 while being recharged so as to allow another
30 battery 144 to be installed.
Printer 148 is used to print instruments 106
that are dispensed by portable, hand-held dispenser
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100. Printer 148 includes print head 199, alignment
head 150, drive rollers 151, drive pins 152, and
backing plate 153. Print head 149 is used to print on
instruments 106 all or only a part of the information
5 and other markings indicated on a dispensed instrument
106. Print head 149 is preferably a thermal print head
that remains in fixed position and spans the width of
instrument 106. Alternatively, any other suitable type
of print head 199 could also be used, and print head
10 149 could be less than the full width of instrument 106
and/or capable of moving along the width of instrument
106 along one or more rails (not shown) under the power
of a print head drive motor (not shown). Alignment
head 150 is used to align instruments 106 as they are
15 fed from instrument supply 142 so that any printed
information lines up with any preprinted markings on
instruments 106. Alignment head 150 may be an optical,
magnetic, mechanical, or any other suitable sensor, and
may detect pre-printed markings, holes, or any other
20 suitable indicator on instruments 106.
Drive rollers 151 and drive pins 152 move
instruments 106 from instrument supply 142 past print
head 149 and through dispensing slot 104. Drive
rollers 151 and drive pins 152 are preferably driven by
25 a low power electric motor (not shown), and may be any
suitable mechanism for moving instruments 106 as
indicated. Backing plate 153 is used to maintain
instruments 106 in contact with or in close proximity
to print head 149 and alignment head 150. Backing
30 plate 153 is preferably plastic and runs the width of
instrument 106 and the length between print head 149
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and alignment head 150, although any other suitable
material and size could also be used.
Fan-fold instrument supply 142 is used to
supply negotiable instruments 106 that are dispensed by
5 portable, hand-held dispenser 100. As described above
in connection with the description of negotiable
instruments 106 in FIG. 2, negotiable instruments 106
in fan-fold instrument supply 142 may be any type of
negotiable instrument and are preferably preprinted,
10 thermally-printable paper forms that may be recognized
as traveler's checks, money orders, or bank checks.
For security purposes, negotiable instruments 106
preferably incorporate a water mark, micro-printing, or
any other suitable anti-counterfeiting mechanism. Fan-
15 fold negotiable instrument supply 142 preferably
incorporates negotiable instruments 10& into a
continuous length of connected negotiable instruments
which are perforated between each other to allow them
to fold into a compact stack. Alternatively, to using
20 a fan-fold negotiable instrument supply 142 to provide
negotiable instruments 106 as shown in FIG. 3, a roll
negotiable instrument supply 154, as shown in FIG. 4,
or any other suitable instrument supply, could be used
in portable, hand-held dispenser 101. To load either
25 fan-fold negotiable instrument supply 192 or roll
negotiable instrument supply 159, a user preferably
removes battery 144 from the back of portable, hand-
held dispenser 100, removes any negotiable instruments
106 in dispenser 100, inserts a new negotiable
30 instrument supply 142 or 154 into dispenser 100,
manually feeds a negotiable instrument 106 into printer
148, and replaces battery 144.
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FIGS 5, 6, 7, and 8 illustrate an alternate
embodiment 200 of portable, hand-held dispenser 50
(FIG. 1) of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5,
portable, hand-held dispenser 200 resembles a hand-held
5 organizer and may include functions such as a telephone
directory, a word processor, a memo pad, a reminder, a
scheduler, a calender, and a calculator. Portable,
hand-held dispenser 200 includes a top body portion
203, a bottom body portion 205, and a hinge 256 which
10 connects the top body portion 203 to the bottom body
portion 205 and allows the body portions 203 and 205 to
be folded adjacent to each other (i.e., closed) or to
be opened as illustrated. A flexible ribbon cable 257
is incorporated into hinge 256 to allow the circuitry
15 in top body portion 203 to be connected to circuitry in
bottom body portion 205. A display 240 is located on
the inside face 255 of top body portion 203. Display
240 is used to display menu options, prompts, and
information to a user of hand held dispenser 200.
20 Display 290 is preferably a back-lit liquid crystal
display (LCD), although any other suitable display
could be used.
Bottom body portion 205 includes an antenna
202, a dispensing slot 204, instruments 206, an
25 external power input 216, an external device interface
218, and a keypad 220. Antenna 202, dispensing slot
204, instruments 206, external power input 216, and
external device interface connector 218 are
substantially the same as antenna 102, dispensing slot
30 104, instruments 106, external power input 116, and
external device interface connector 118, respectively,
that are described above in connection with FIG. 2.
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Keypad 220 preferably includes all of the letters,
numbers, and characters of a full type-writer style
keyboard and provides the user with control over the
operation of portable, hand-held dispenser 200 being
used as an organizer or an instrument dispenser.
Keypad 220 may be any suitable style of keypad, such as
a membrane keypad.
The top of top body portion 203 of portable,
hand-held dispenser 200 is illustrated in FIG. 6. As
shown, the top of top body portion 203 incorporates
components that enable portable, hand-held dispenser
200 to be used as a telephone when the body portions
203 and 205 (FIG. 5) are in a closed position. These
components include a power button 208, a speaker 210, a
15 power indicator 212, a keypad 219, a microphone 214,
and a display 241. Power button 208, speaker 210,
power indicator 212, keypad 219, and microphone 214 are
substantially the same as power button 108, speaker
110, power indicator 112, keypad 120, and microphone
20 114, respectively, that are described above in
connection with FIG. 2. Display 241 is used to display
telephone numbers, menu options, prompts, and any other
suitable information when portable, hand-held dispenser
200 is being used as a telephone or an instrument
25 dispenser. Display 291 is preferably a back-lit liquid
crystal display (LCD), although any other suitable
display could also be used. Although these components
are illustrated as being incorporated into the top of
top body portion 203, they could alternatively be
30 incorporated into the bottom of bottom body portion
205. In such an implementation, a battery 244 (which
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is illustrated in FIG. 7) would preferably be located
in top body portion 203.
FIG. 7 illustrates a side-layout view of
portable, hand-held dispenser 200 showing top body
5 portion 203, display 240, bottom body portion 205,
keypad 220, and instruments 206. As also shown, bottom
body portion 205 incorporates electronics 246, a fan-
fold instrument supply 242, instruments 206, a printer
248, and a battery 244. Electronics 246, fan-fold
10 instrument supply 242, instruments 206, printer 248,
and battery 244 are substantially the same as
electronics 146, fan-fold instrument supply 142,
instruments 106, printer 148, and battery 144,
respectively, that are described above in connection
15 with FIG. 3. Alternatively to using a fan-fold
instrument supply 242 to provide instruments 206 as
shown in FIG. 7, a roll instrument supply 254, as shown
in FIG. 8, or any other suitable instrument supply,
could be used in portable, hand-held dispenser 200. To
20 load either fan-fold instrument supply 242 or roll
instrument supply 254, a user preferably removes
battery 244 from the bottom of portable, hand-held
dispenser 200, removes any instruments 206 in dispenser
200, inserts a new instrument supply 242 or 254 into
25 dispenser 200, manually feeds an instrument 206 into
printer 298, and replaces battery 244.
Although FIGS. 2-8 illustrate portable, hand-
held dispensers 100 and 200 in forms that resemble a
portable telephone and a personal organizer, the
30 present invention could be implemented in any device
that enables a bank customer to request and dispense a
negotiable instrument. For example, portable, hand-
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held dispensers 100 and 200 could be implemented in a
palm-top computer, a lap-top computer, a portable, pen-
based computer, or any other suitable, portable
electronic device.
5 FIG. 9 shows a block diagram of preferred
embodiments of portable, hand-held dispenser 100.
Although FIG. 9 is illustrated for portable, hand-held
dispenser 100, the block diagram of this figure is
generally applicable to portable, hand-held dispenser
10 200 as well. As illustrated, portable, hand-held
dispenser 100 comprises antenna 102, electronics 146,
printer 148, display 140, speaker 110, microphone 114,
keypad 120, external device interface connector 118,
power indicator 112, battery 144, power button 108, and
15 external power input 116. These components are
described above in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3. More
particularly, electronics 146 comprise a radio
frequency (RF) transceiver 172, a modem 173, memory
174, a microprocessor 175, a printer controller 176, a
20 display controller 177, an audio controller 178, a
keypad controller 179, an external device interface
180, a power supply 181, a data/address bus 182, a
power bus 184, and an audio bus 183.
The central control of electronics 146 is
25 performed by microprocessor 175. Microprocessor 175
executes software instructions that enable it to
receive inputs from other components in electronics
146, processes these inputs, and send outputs to the
other components in electronics 146. Microprocessor
30 175 may be any suitable microprocessor,
microcontroller, or any other device capable of
receiving inputs, processing those inputs, and
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generating outputs. Memory 174 is used to store data
and software for microprocessor 175 and other
components of electronics 146. Memory 174 may include
random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),
5 programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable
programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically
erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash
memory, and/or any other suitable memory or combination
of memories.
10 Keypad controller 179 monitors inputs from
keypad 120, buffers those inputs, and generates
interrupts to microprocessor 175 when those inputs have
been received. Audio controller 178 controls the audio
output signals sent to speaker 110 and the audio input
15 signals received from microphone 114. Audio output and
input signals may be sent between audio controller 178
and RF transceiver 172 over audio bus 183. Audio
output and input signals may also be sent between audio
controller 183 and microprocessor 175 over address/data
20 bus 182. These audio output and input signals may be
telephone conversation signals, DTMF tones, or
indicator tones, and/or any other audio signals.
Display controller 177 receives inputs from
microprocessor 175 and drives display 140. Printer
25 controller 176 receives inputs from microprocessor 175,
and controls the feeding, alignment, and printing of
instruments 106 (FIGS. 2-4) by printer 148.
RF transceiver 172, modem 173, and external
device interface 180 all enable electronics 146 to
30 communicate with external equipment. RF transceiver
172 is a combined transmitter and receiver that
preferably enables electronics 146 to communicate with
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a wireless network 42 (FIG. 1). This wireless network
92 (FIG. 1) may be a cellular phone system, a wireless
radio network, a satellite communication network, or
any other suitable wireless communication network, or
5 combination of networks. Alternatively to implementing
electronics 146 with an RF transceiver 172, electronics
146 could be implemented with a telephone transceiver
(not shown) that would enable electronics 146 to
communicate over a standard telephone line by being
10 connected to the telephone line through a telephone
jack (not shown) which would replace antenna 102.
Modem 173 enables electronics 146 to transmit
and receive data from a bank computer 32 (FIG. 1),
other computers, network access servers, facsimile
15 machines, and any other modem compatible equipment.
Modem 173 is preferably a 56 kilo-baud modem, although
any other suitable modem may be used. Modem 173
communicates with RF transceiver 172 over audio bus 183
and communicates with microprocessor 175 over
20 address/data bus 182.
External device interface 180 enables
electronics 146 to communicate with external printers,
computers, and any other suitable equipment, through
external device interface connector 118. External
25 device interface 180 is preferably a serial interface,
although a parallel interface, an optical interface, or
any other suitable interface or combination of
interfaces could be used.
Finally, power supply 181 provides power
30 rectification and regulation, power monitoring,
microprocessor 175 watchdog, power button 108
monitoring, and power indicator 112 drive functions.
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Power supply 181 provides power to each of the
electronic circuits of portable, hand-held dispenser
100 through power bus 184. Power supply 181 receives
power from battery 194 and/or external power input 116.
Whenever power button 108 is depressed, power supply
181 buffers the input depression and sets the power
state of portable, hand-held dispenser 100 to the
appropriate state, and illuminates or extinguishes
power indicator 112 accordingly. When turning power
10 off, power supply 181 may request that a power down
sequence be executed by microprocessor 175.
A preferred embodiment 300 of a fixed-
location dispenser 48 is illustrated in FIG. 10. As
shown fixed-location dispenser 300 comprises a display
15 340, a keypad 320, a power button 308, a power
indicator 312, a hand set 361, an external device
interface connector 318, an external power input 316, a
telephone jack 358, a telephone line cord 359, a
dispensing slot 304, and instruments 306. Display 340
20 is used to present menu options, prompts, telephone
numbers, and/or any other suitable information to a
user of fixed-location dispenser 300. Display 390 is
preferably a back-lit liquid crystal display, although
any suitable display may be used. Keypad 320, power
25 button 308, power indicator 312, dispensing slot 304,
instruments 306, external power input 316, and external
device interface connector 318 are substantially the
same as keypad 120, power button 108, power indicator
112, dispensing slot 109, instruments 106, external
30 power input 116, and external device interface
connector 118, respectively, that are described above
in connection with FIG. 2. Hand set 361 allows a user
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to operate fixed-location dispenser 300 as a telephone.
Hand set 351 incorporates a microphone (not shown} and
a speaker (not shown) like a traditional telephone hand
set. Telephone jack 358 and telephone line cord 359
5 are used to connect fixed-location dispenser 300 to a
standard telephone wall outlet, and may be any suitable
telephone jack and line cord.
A block diagram of fixed-location dispenser
300 is illustrated in FIG. 11. As shown, fixed
10 location dispenser 300 (FIG. 10) comprises electronics
346, a telephone jack 358, a printer 348, a display
340, a handset 361, a keypad 320, an external device
interface connector 318, a power indicator 312, a power
button 308, and an external power input 316. Telephone
15 jack 358, display 340, handset 361, keypad 320,
external device interface connector 318, power
indicator 312, power button 308, and external power
input 316 are described above in connection with
FIG. 10. Printer 348 is substantially the same as
20 printer 148 described above in connection with FIGS. 3
and 9. Electronics 346 comprises a telephone
transceiver 385, a modem 373, memory 374, a
microprocessor 375, a printer controller 376, a display
controller 377, an audio controller 378, a keypad
25 controller 379, an external device interface 380, and a
power supply 381. Modem 373, memory 374,
microprocessor 375, printer controller 376, display
controller 377, keypad controller 379, and external
device interface 380 are substantially the same as
30 modem 173, memory 174, microprocessor 175, printer
controller 176, display controller 177, keypad
controller 179, and external device interface 180,
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respectively, that are described above in connection
with FIG. 9. Telephone transceiver 385 enables fixed-
location dispenser 300 (FIG. 10) to operate as a
telephone by converting audio signals sent to and
received from audio controller 378 over audio bus 383
to signals that are compatible with a telephone system.
Telephone transceiver 385 connects to a telephone
system through modem 373 and telephone jack 358. Audio
controller 378 in fixed-location dispenser 300 (FIG.
10 10) is substantially the same as audio controller 178
that is described above in connection with FIG. 9 for
portable, hand-held dispenser 100 (FIGS. 2-4) except
that in fixed-location dispenser 300 (FIG. 10) audio
controller 378 is connected to a handset 361 (which
15 incorporates a speaker and microphone) rather than a
separate speaker 110 and a microphone 114, as shown in
FIG. 9. Power supply 381 is also substantially the
same as power supply 181 that is described above in
connection with FIG. 9 for portable, hand-held
20 dispenser 100 (FIGS. 2-4) except that in fixed-location
dispenser 300 (FIG. 10) power supply 381 receives power
from only external power input 316 and not from a
battery 144 as shown in FIG. 9.
FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment 400 of
25 receive-only dispenser 46 (FIG. 1). As shown, receive-
only dispenser 400 comprises a body 403 that houses all
of the components of receive-only dispenser 400. Body
403 is preferably formed from plastic, although
aluminum or any other suitable material may also be
30 used. On a top face 462 of body 403 are a power button
908, a power indicator 412, an instrument received
indicator 465, a display 440, and a keypad 420. Power
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button 408 and power indicator 412 are substantially
the same as power button 108 and power indicator 112,
respectively, that are described above in connection
with FIG. 2. Instrument received indicator 465 is used
to indicate to a recipient of an instrument that there
are one or more instruments ready to be dispensed by
receive-only dispenser 400. Display 490 is used to
display menu options, prompts, and information to a
user of receive-only dispenser 400. Display 440 is
10 preferably a back-lit liquid crystal display, although
any other suitable display may also be used. Keypad
420 is used to control the operation of receive-only
dispenser 400, and comprises number keys 421-429 and
431, star key 430, pound key 432, print key 966, OK key
15 467, and clear key 468. Number keys 421-429 and 431,
star key 430, and pound key 432 are substantially the
same as number keys 121-129 and 131, star key 130, and
pound key 132, respectively, that are described above
in connection with FIG. 2. Print key 466 is used to
20 instruct dispenser 400 that a user would like to print
a received instrument. Usually the user will press
this button in response to the instrument received
indicator 465 being illuminated. OK button 467 is used
to indicate that a user wishes to accept a current
25 entry, a menu option, or prompt response displayed on
display 440. Clear button 468 is used to erase all or
part of an entry displayed on display 440.
On a left side 463 of body 403 of receive-
only dispenser 400 is a dispensing slot 404 and
30 instruments 906. Dispensing slot 404 and instruments
406 are substantially the same as dispensing slot 104
and instruments 106, respectively, that are described
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above in connection with FIG. 2. On a back face 464 of
body 403 of receive-only dispenser 400 are a telephone
jack 458, a telephone line cord 459, a external power
input 416, and an external device interface connector
5 418. Telephone jack 458 and telephone line cord 459
are used to connect receive-only dispenser 400 to a
standard telephone wall outlet, and may be any suitable
telephone jack and line cord. External power input 416
connects receive-only dispenser 900 to an external
10 source of power such as 110 VAC wall outlet, a DC
transformer, or any other suitable source of power.
External device interface connector 418, like connector
118 that is described above in connection with FIG. 2,
is used to connect receive-only dispenser 400 to
15 external devices such as printers, computers, or any
other suitable external devices.
A block diagram of receive-only dispenser 400
is illustrated in FIG. 13. As shown, receive only
dispenser comprises electronics 446, telephone jack
20 458, external power input 416, power button 408, power
indicator 912, external device interface connector 418,
keypad 420, display 440, and printer 448. Telephone
jack 458, external power input 416, power button 408,
power indicator 412, external device interface
25 connector 418, keypad 420, and display 440, are
described above in connection with FIG. 12. Printer
448 is substantially the same as printer 198 that is
described above in connection with FIGS. 3 and 9.
Electronics 446 comprises a modem 473, memory 474, a
30 microprocessor 475, a printer controller 976, a display
controller 477, a keypad controller 479, an external
device interface 480, and a power supply 481. Modem
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473 is used to allow electronics 446 to communicate
with computers, network access servers, and any other
suitable equipment, through telephone jack 458. Memory
474, microprocessor 475, printer controller 476,
5 display controller 477, keypad controller 479, and
external device interface 480 are substantially the
same as memory 174, microprocessor 175, printer
controller 176, display controller 177, keypad
controller 479, and external device interface 180,
10 respectively, that are described above in connection
with FIG. 9. Power supply 481 provides power
rectification and regulation, power monitoring,
microprocessor 175 watchdog, power button 408
monitoring, and power indicator 412 drive functions.
15 Power supply 481 provides power to each of the
electronic circuits of receive-only dispenser 400
(FIG. 12) through power bus 484. Power supply 481
receives power from external power input 416. Whenever
power button 408 is depressed, power supply 481 buffers
20 the input depression and sets the power state of
receive-only dispenser 400 (FIG. 12) to the appropriate
state, and illuminates or extinguishes power indicator
412 accordingly. When turning power off, power supply
481 may request that a power down sequence be executed
25 by microprocessor 475.
A bank computer process 500 which operates in
bank computer 32 (FIG. 1) is illustrated in FIG. 19.
As shown, once bank computer process 500 has begun at
step 502, process 500 waits for and receives an
30 instrument request telephone call from a customer
telephone 44, a customer computer 45, a fixed-location
dispenser 48, or a portable, hand-held dispenser 50
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(FIG. 1) at step 504. After a call has been received,
process 500 determines whether the call is an
interactive call at test 506. In an interactive call,
a bank customer generates an instrument request by
responding to menu options and prompts generated by
bank computer 32 (FIG. 1). In a non-interactive call,
a bank customer generates an instrument request prior
to connecting to bank computer 32 (FIG. 1) and then
connects to bank computer 32 (FIG. 1) to transmit the
10 generated request. The determination of whether or not
a call is an interactive call may be based in part on
the type of call received. Voice response calls and
DTMF tone response calls initiated from a customer
telephone 49 (FIG. 1), or a fixed-location dispenser 48
15 or portable, hand-held dispenser 50 (FIG. 1) while
operating as a telephone, are interactive calls.
Process 500 may determine that a call is a
voice response call or a DTMF tone response call by
detecting that no modem signals are present on the
20 telephone line during the first few seconds after the
call is received. Calls from a customer computer 45
(FIG. 1) using a dumb terminal or an Internet browser,
for example, are also interactive calls. In these
cases, although modem signals may be present on the
25 telephone line during the first few seconds after each
call is received, process 500 may determine that these
calls are interactive calls by not receiving an
additional signal, such as a special non-interactive
mode indicator data packet, during the first few
30 seconds of each telephone call. Other calls from a
customer computer 45, a fixed-location dispenser 48, or
a portable, hand-held dispenser 50 (FIG. 1) may be
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either interactive or non-interactive calls depending
upon the particular software (or hardware) implemented
in the calling device. In these instances, process 500
may also determine that these calls are interactive or
5 non-interactive based upon whether an additional
signal, such as a special non-interactive mode
indicator data packet, is received during the first few
seconds of each telephone call.
If the call is determined not to be an
10 interactive call at test 506, process 500 then receives
an instrument request digitally at step 508. Once this
request has been received, process 500 determines
whether the requested instrument is authorized and
notifies the customer of this determination at test
15 510. Whether authorization is granted may be based
upon factors such as the value of the instrument
requested, the available balance or credit in the
customer's account, whether a personal identification
number (PIN) entered by the bank customer is authentic,
20 and the number or value of previously made requests.
If the request is determined not to be authorized at
test 510, process 500 then ends the call at step 514
and loops back to step 504 to wait for more telephone
calls. If, however, the request is determined to be
25 authorized at test 510, then process 500 transmits
dispensing information to the designated instrument
dispenser at step 512. This instrument dispenser may
be any receive-only dispenser 46, fixed-location
dispenser 48, or portable, hand-held dispenser 50 (FIG.
30 1) which can communicate with bank computer 32
(FIG. 1) .
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If the call is determined to be an
interactive call at test 506, process 500 then presents
an interactive menu or prompt to the bank customer at
step 516. In response to this menu or prompt, the
5 customer enters, and the bank computer 32 (FIG. 1)
receives, a response at step 518. After each response
is received at step 518, process 500 then determines
whether the customer has completed responding to menus
and prompts at test 520. If the customer has not
completed responding to menus or prompts, then process
500 loops back to step 516 to present more menus or
prompts to the customer. Otherwise, process 500
proceeds to test 524 to determine if the customer has
requested an instrument. If process 500 determines
15 that an instrument has not been requested at test 524,
process 500 ends the telephone call at step 514 and
loops back to step 504 to wait for and receive other
telephone calls.
If, however, process 500 determines that an
instrument has been requested at test 524, then process
500 branches to test 510 to determine whether the
requested instrument is authorized and to notify the
customer of this determination. If the requested
instrument is authorized, process 500 then transmits
dispensing information to the designated instrument
dispenser at step 512. The designated instrument
dispenser is preferably indicated in the instrument
request submitted by the bank customer, however a
default instrument dispenser designation may also be
30 used. Once the dispensing information has been
transmitted at step 512 or if test 510 determines that
the requested instrument is not authorized, then
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process 500 ends the telephone call at step 514 and
loops back to step 504 to wait for another call.
Prior to transmitting dispensing information
to a fixed-location dispenser 48 or portable, hand-held
dispenser 50 (FIG. 1) that is being used as a telephone
or in an interactive-voice mode, step 512 may have to
prompt the bank customer to activate a modem in
dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1) by pressing a "receive" key
138 (FIG. 2) or 338 (FIG. 10). Also, when transmitting
10 dispensing information to a designated instrument
dispenser, a bank computer may have to first establish
communications with the designated instrument dispenser
before the information can be transmitted. For
example, in those cases in which a customer requests
15 that an instrument be dispensed from an instrument
dispenser that is not the same as an instrument
dispenser that is being used to submit the instrument
request, or in instances where a customer submits an
instrument request from a customer telephone or
20 customer computer, the bank computer will have to
establish communications with the designated instrument
dispenser prior to transmitting the dispensing
information.
A process for an interactive voice mode 550
25 in a fixed-location dispenser 98 or portable, hand-held
dispenser 50 (FIG. 1) is illustrated in FIG. 15.
Interactive voice mode process 550 may be initiated by
a bank customer selecting an interactive voice mode
menu option from a main menu of options on the
30 dispenser 98 or 50. As shown, once the interactive
voice mode process has begun at step 552, the bank
customer places a telephone call to a bank computer 32
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(FIG. 1) at step 554. This call may be placed
automatically upon selecting to initiate an
interactive-voice-mode instrument request option from a
main menu on dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1) or may be
5 manually placed when using dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1)
as a telephone. Once the call is received by bank
computer 32 (FIG. 1), the computer will generate a
series of menu options and prompts to which the
customer will listen and respond at step 556. These
10 options and prompts may be presented using a recorded
voice, a synthesized voice, or the voice of a live bank
employee. For example, one menu may give the customer
the option of hearing his or her account balance or
requesting a money order. As another example, prompts
15 may ask a customer to enter his or her account number,
his or her PIN, a number for a selected payee from a
menu of payees, an amount to be indicated on the
instrument, a selected currency type from a menu of
currency types, a payment date, etc.
20 In order to respond to these options and
prompts, for example, the bank customer may press any
of the number keys 121-129 and 131, the star key 130,
or the pound key 132 (FIG. 2) on portable, hand-held
dispenser 100 (FIG. 2) to generate the corresponding
25 DTMF tone. Each response may be completed by entering
an indicated number of digits or only the necessary
digits (omitting leading zeros) followed by pound key
132 (FIG. 2). When entering a letter, the customer may
enter the number that corresponds to that letter on
30 number keys 121-129 (FIG. 2) a predetermined number of
times in rapid succession. For example, to enter a
"c," the customer may press two key 122 four times, to
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enter a "b," the customer may press two key 122 three
times, to enter an "a," the customer may press two key
122 two times, and to enter a "2," the customer may
press two key 122 one time. Alternatively to
5 responding using DTMF tones, the customer may submit
voice responses to a bank employee or a suitable voice
recognition system incorporated into bank computer 32
(FIG. 1) .
While the bank customer is interacting with
the bank computer 32 (FIG. 1), process 550 monitors a
receive key and an end key on dispenser 48 or 50
(FIG. 1) at test 558. If neither a receive key or an
end key has been pressed, process 550 loops back to
step 556 to allow the bank customer to listen and
15 respond to more menu options and prompts. If an end
key is pressed, process 550 terminates at step 560. If
the customer has pressed a receive key, possibly in
response to direction from a bank computer 32 (FIG. 1),
dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1) activates its modem at step
20 562, receives dispensing information from bank computer
32 (FIG. 1) at step 564, and ends the call at step 566.
After dispensing information has been received and the
call has been completed, dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1)
prompts and determines whether the customer would like
25 to print the requested instrument now or later at step
568 and test 570. If it is determined that the
customer would like to print now, then the requested
instrument is printed and dispensed at step 574.
Otherwise, the dispensing information for the requested
30 instrument is stored for later printing at step 572.
After the requested instrument has been dispensed at
step 574 or the dispensing information has been saved
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for later printing at step 572, process 550 is
terminated at step 560.
FIG. 16 illustrates an interactive data mode
process 600 for a fixed-location dispenser 48 or
5 portable, hand-held dispenser 50 (FIG. 1). Interactive
data mode process 600 may be initiated by a bank
customer selecting an interactive data mode menu option
from a main menu of options on dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG.
1). Once process 600 has begun at step 602, process
10 600 activates a modem in dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1)
and calls a bank computer 32 (FIG. 1) at step 604.
After the call to the bank computer 32 (FIG. 1) has
been established, data is received from the bank
computer 32 (FIG. 1) at step 606. This data may be
15 menu information, prompt information, request
notification information, dispensing information,
and/or any other suitable information. Process 600
then determines whether this information is for a menu
or prompt at test 608. If the data is determined to be
20 for a menu or prompt, then the menu or prompt is
displayed at step 610 and a response is received from
the customer and transmitted to the bank computer 32
(FIG. 1) at step 612. Once this response is
transmitted to bank computer 32 (FIG. 1), process 600
25 returns to step 606 to receive more data from bank
computer 32 (FIG. 1).
If the data is determined not to be for a
menu or prompt at test 608, then process 600 determines
whether the bank customer has requested an instrument
30 at test 614. If the customer has not requested an
instrument at test 619, the call is ended at step 616
and process 600 terminated at step 618. If the
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customer has requested an instrument, then process 600
determines whether the request has been authorized at
test 620. If the request is not authorized, the
customer is notified at step 622, the call is ended at
step 616, and process 600 is terminated at step 618.
Otherwise, if the request is determined to be
authorized at test 620, then process 600 asks whether
the customer would like to print the requested
instrument now or later at step 624. If the customer
elects to print the instrument now, the instrument is
printed and dispensed at step 628. Otherwise, if the
customer elects to print the instrument later, the
dispensing information for the instrument is saved at
step 626. Once the instrument has been printed at step
628 or the dispensing information saved at step 626,
process 600 is terminated at step 618.
A non-interactive mode process 650 for a
fixed-location dispenser 98 or portable, hand-held
dispenser 50 (FIG. 1) is illustrated in FIG. 1?. Non-
interactive mode process 650 may be activated by
selecting a non-interactive mode process menu option or
a fast cash menu option from a main menu on a dispenser
48 or 50 fFIG. 1). Once process 650 has begun at step
652, menus and prompts are presented to a bank customer
and the customer enters the required information to
generate an instrument request at step 659. Once the
instrument request has been generated, process 650
activates a modem in dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1) and
calls bank computer 32 (FIG. 1) at step 656. After
communications have been established between bank
computer 32 and dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1), the
instrument request is transmitted to the bank computer
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32 (FIG. 1) and a response to the instrument request is
received at dispenser 48 or 50 (FIG. 1) at step 658.
This response may include a denial notification, or an
authorization notification and/or dispensing
5 information. Upon the response being received, the
call is terminated at step 660.
Once the call has been terminated, process
650 determines from the response whether the instrument
request has been authorized at test 662. If the
10 request is determined not to be authorized at test 662,
then process 550 notifies the bank customer of the
cienial at step 664 and process 650 is terminated at
step 672. Otherwise, if the request is determined to
be authorized at test 662, then process 650 determines
15 whether the customer would like to print the requested
instrument now or later at test 666. If it is
determined that the bank customer would like to print
the requested instrument later, the dispensing
information for that instrument is saved for later
20 printing at step 668. Otherwise, if it is determined
that the bank customer would like to print the
requested instrument now, the requested instrument is
printed and dispensed at step 670. Once the dispensing
information has been saved at step 668 or the
25 instrument is printed at step 670, process 650 is
terminated at step 672.
A receive and dispense process 700 for
execution in a receive-only dispenser 46, fixed-
location dispenser 48, or portable, hand-held dispenser
30 50 (FIG. 1) is illustrated in FIG. 18. As shown, once
process 700 has begun at step 702, process 700 waits
for a call to be received at dispenser 46, 48, or 50
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(FIG. 1), or for a print button to be depressed or menu
option selected on dispenser 46, 48, or 50 (FIG. 1), at
step 709. Once a call has been received or a print
button or menu option has been selected, process 700
5 determines whether a call or print request was received
at test 706. If a call is determined to have been
received, then process 700 activates a modem in
dispenser 46, 48, or 50 (FIG. 1) and answers the call
at step 708. Once the call has been answered, process
10 700 receives data from the bank computer 32 (FIG. 1) at
step 710 and ends the call at step 712. After the call
has been terminated, process 700 illuminates an
instrument received indicator or displays an instrument
received message on dispenser 46, 48, or 50 (FIG. 1)
15 and loops back to step 704 to wait for another call to
be received or for a print request.
If, however, a call is determined'not to have
been received at test 706, then process 700 prompts a
user of dispenser 46, 48, or 50 (FIG. 1), who may be a
20 bank customer or instrument recipient, for and receives
instrument identification information and a password at
step 716. The instrument identification information is
used to identify the desired one of multiple
instruments for which dispensing information may be
25 stored in a particular dispenser 46, 48, or 50 (FIG.
1). This instrument identification information may
include any of the dispensing information transmitted
to dispenser 96, 48, or 50 (FIG. 1) from bank computer
32 (FIG. 1), and preferably includes an account number
30 and an instrument number. After the instrument
identification information and password have been
entered, process 700 determines if the password is
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valid at test 718. This may be accomplished by
comparing the password entered with a password or PIN
included in the corresponding dispensing information
stored in dispenser 46, 48, or 50 (FIG. 1). If the
5 password is determined to be valid, the requested
instrument is printed and dispensed to the user at step
720. Once the requested instrument has been dispensed
at step 720 or if it is determined that the entered
password is invalid at test 718, then process 700 loops
back to step 704 to wait for another call or print
request.
Thus, a system and method for requesting and
dispensing negotiable instruments through which a bank
customer can request and receive a negotiable
15 instrument using a portable, hand-held dispenser, and
through which a bank customer can request from one
device that a negotiable instrument be printed and
dispensed from another device, is provided. It will be
understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of
20 the principles of the invention and that various
modifications can be made by those skilled in the art
without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention, which is limited only by the claims that
follow.
