RU2630761C1 - Roboticized device for customer service - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technology.

SUBSTANCE: invention is intended for quick assembly and installation in bank branches, large shopping centers, supermarkets, railway stations, airports with the purpose of providing fast, automated and safe services for issuing and receiving cash, exchanging currencies, obtaining bank documents, credit cards, paying bills, storage of cash, values and documents in cassettes or other storage systems; transfer of data to the information system of the company or bank about the operations being conducted; cash collection; information and reference services. The robotized customer service device comprises a housing protected its internal space from unauthorized access with workstations equipped with facilities for performing customer service operations and locks for receiving and transmitting material objects therethrough, and a robot arm with a control and gripping unit installed inside the housing, which can be repeatedly moved between workstations for customer service operations and locks. The housing is made in the form of connected to each other through the joint units of the protective panels, having internal panels with grid-forming holes for fixing the means for performing customer service operations.

EFFECT: ensuring quick changes in the number of workplaces, both in the direction of increase, and in the direction of reducing and replacing inoperative means for performing customer service operations, which allows to expand the operational and functional capabilities of the device.

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Description

The invention relates to multifunctional small-sized structures for accommodating robotic facilities and is intended for quick assembly and installation in bank branches, large shopping centers, supermarkets, train stations, airports in order to provide quick, automated and safe services for issuing and receiving cash, currency exchange, obtaining bank documents, credit cards, paying bills, storing cash, valuables and documents in cassettes or other storage systems ; data transfer to the information system of a company or a bank about operations; cash collection; information and reference services.

The optimal solution to reduce the large amount of manual work and transportation between consumers, retailers, banks, currency exchange centers and Central banks is the comprehensive automation of banking operations and other services provided at a location close to the consumers of services. Significant savings in time and money can be achieved when banknotes are circulated locally, money is reused, services for the provision of services and the sale of goods are provided comprehensively, in an automated mode, in a place easily accessible to the consumer. However, there are no technical solutions providing designs for complex automated banking or vending customer service.

Vending is understood as the sale of goods and services using automated systems (vending machines). Vending has become widespread in the world as a convenient and not very demanding way to trade or provide services.

Vending has existed for over a hundred years. The first machine to sell banal chewing gum was patented in the United States the year before last. Sales through such an apparatus quickly found fans, and the vending services market began to grow rapidly. The most powerful vending market is Japan, in which the turnover of such services is about 70 billion dollars.

About 20 million different vending machines have been installed and are operating around the world, in Europe one vending machine accounts for 120 people, in the USA - for 20. At the same time, one food vending machine in Russia accounts for 100 thousand people. All used machines have a narrowly specific purpose - it is either ATMs, ticket machines, or vending machines.

Currently, the most widely and frequently used are banking terminals, which essentially carry out one or two banking operations: issuing and investing cash, and are able to consistently serve customers one at a time. It is not possible to increase the throughput of such equipment. Vending services in other areas are presented separately; there are no integrated automated services. All automated tools have a special purpose and stationary execution.

Such stationary means include, for example, a bank terminal disclosed in publication RU 146027. This terminal includes an anti-vandal case with a display, a keyboard placed on the front panel, a control unit, a printer, a coin receiving unit, a banknote issuing unit, a card reader, a unit exchange of information, an additional information display is installed on the front panel to display advertising and informational information or information at the request of the client.

The development of this direction in the presentation of vending services was obtained in the description of patent document RU 148187 for a multifunctional banking terminal that contains at least two banknote issuing units, each of which is configured to issue different currencies, and one is equipped with a recycling system and a banknote sorting unit.

JPH07160929 discloses an automatic dispenser with a cash management function. Here, the task of managing the calculation of money using a cash register robot is solved, which adds money to the dispenser in automatic mode as they are used.

In addition, the analogue is the Q-Cash Router system for local money circulation, found on the Internet at www.banqit.com 01/15/2015. This design is equipped with four ATM panels, the main panel is used for making bundles of unsorted banknotes, two side panels are designed to give money to customers, and the fourth, located on the back of the case, is designed for use by bank staff. This design significantly improves the efficiency of cash turnover, since bank customers who want to withdraw money do not wait behind retailers making large deposits.

However, the possibilities of such a device are limited, since it serves only for depositing and withdrawing money. Thus, the throughput of the equipment does not increase significantly, the functions of the equipment remain the same - it provides for the withdrawal and investment of cash. This system does not have the flexibility and the possibility of reconfiguration, it is not universal, since it cannot provide the provision of vending services other than investing and withdrawing money.

Closest to the claimed invention is a robotic customer service device selected as a prototype, comprising a housing protecting its internal space from unauthorized access with workstations equipped with facilities for performing customer service operations and gateways for receiving and transmitting material objects through them and installed inside the casing, a robotic arm with a control unit and a grip that can repeatedly move between working m tests for performing customer service operations and gateways (see US Pat. No. 5,250,788, publ. 05/10/1993).

The disadvantage of the prototype is the low operational capabilities of the device, which does not allow for a quick change in the number of jobs and does not allow for the rapid replacement of inoperative means for customer service operations.

The analysis of the prior art showed that today there are no structurally independent mobile quickly installed robotic devices for multifunctional customer service, which would have high speed, would provide various banking and vending services, and at the same time be safe, efficient and environmentally friendly.

Disclosure of invention

The creators of the present invention had the task of creating a fully automatic service center with a flexible structure, which allows to increase the level of presence and accessibility of services to the population by placing on an area with high traffic and providing service to several customers at the same time. At the same time, any available banking and trading operations should be performed at each client location. All services in a new format product should be carried out without the participation of personnel in the self-service mode using information terminals, automated service tools and robotic tools. It is necessary to ensure local cash circulation and thereby increase security, reduce the cost of processing cash, and reduce transportation costs and, consequently, the environmental impact.

The technical result achieved by using the present invention is to provide high-speed changes in the number of jobs both in the direction of increase, and in the direction of reducing and replacing inoperative means for performing customer service operations, which allows to expand the operational and functional capabilities of the device. Operational capabilities are expanding due to the rapid change in the number of jobs and docked cells in general and as a result of a change in the number of clients served simultaneously, while the functionality of the device is expanding due to a change in the composition of jobs and cells from banking to customer service to various goods.

The technical result is achieved due to the fact that in a robotic device for customer service, containing a body that protects its internal space from unauthorized access, with workstations equipped with tools for performing customer service operations, and gateways for receiving and transmitting material objects through them and installed inside the case of a robot manipulator with a control unit and a gripper that has the ability to repeatedly move between workstations to carry out an opera For customer service and gateways, the casing is prefabricated in the form of protective panels connected to each other by means of docking units, having internal panels with holes forming a coordinate grid to secure means for carrying out customer service operations.

The invention and the possibility of achieving a technical result are disclosed in detail on a specific example of a robotic device with reference to the position of the drawings, where in FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a robotic device having a horizontal arrangement of docking cells composing it; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a robotic device with a vertical layout of mating cells; FIG. 3 - two protective panels connected by a docking unit.

In the drawings, the following notation:

1 prefabricated building

2 - dockable cell,

3 - robot manipulator,

4 - workplace (internal),

5 - gateway

6 - gripper of the robot manipulator,

7 - the base of the robot manipulator,

8 - guide,

9 - a material object transmitted through a gateway, for example, a container with an RFID tag,

10 - workplace (external),

11- window (opening) for access for maintenance personnel,

12 - additional robotic arms,

13 - protective panels

14 - inner panels with holes,

15 - docking unit,

16 - adjacent element.

When describing a robotic device for customer service, the following terms, definitions and abbreviations are used.

The working area is the place where the gripper 6 of the robotic arm 3 performs the operation of laying the object for processing or excavating a material object for subsequent movement.

Client - a person who interacts with the device in order to receive a particular service or perform an operation.

Client place - a component that provides direct interaction between the client and the device in order to receive a particular service or perform a maintenance operation.

RM - robotic arm 3.

The process is a logically completed sequence of actions of the client, RM, equipment of workplaces and client places, ensuring the fulfillment of the goal set by the client before the device.

Basic operations - actions carried out by the equipment of workspaces and / or the robotic arm during the implementation of the customer service process.

A module is a basic element of a device’s construct; it is used to place a customer service component in it.

A workplace (internal) is a work area 4 located in the same cell 2 as the robot manipulator 3 serving it, equipped with means for performing maintenance operations.

Workplace (external) - workspace 10 located outside the cell 2 of the robotic arm 3, equipped with means for performing maintenance operations.

Gateway - a transmission device that provides the movement of material objects between the workspace and the client place located outside the device’s security zone. The gateway 5 is controlled only by the commands of the control unit. The device, dimensions, principle of operation of the gateway are determined by the equipment of the interacting systems and the security requirements for this work area.

The implementation of the invention. The robotic customer service device contains a precast building 1 protecting its internal space from unauthorized access with workstations 4 and 10 equipped with means for performing customer service operations and gateways 5 for receiving and transmitting material objects 9 through them and installed inside the case 1 a robotic arm 3 with a control unit and a grapple 6, with the ability to repeatedly move between workstations 4 for customer service operations and a gateway E 5. The housing 1 is configured as a prefabricated connected to each other via connecting nodes 15 of the panels 13 with inner panel 14 forming a grid with openings for fastening means therein to perform maintenance operations yet.

Cells 2 can have a completely closed execution (the internal space is completely isolated, communication between cells 2 occurs through the inter-cell gateways 5, see Fig. 2) or partially closed execution. When docking, such cells 2 form a common internal space (Fig. 1). The robotic device allows you to organize and deploy the provision of services in shopping centers, transport hubs, small towns, campuses, venues for public events, recreation areas where the number of visitors is seasonal, shift camps, construction sites, and in disaster areas in the shortest possible time. . Ready-made cells 2 equipped with equipment for the provision of services (workstations 4 with facilities for performing customer service operations, a robotic arm 3) are joined at the installation site using docking nodes 15. Docking can be done to form a horizontal one (see Fig. 1 ), vertical (see Fig. 2) or combined (not shown in the drawings) arrangement of cells 2, forming a prefabricated housing 1. The walls of the cells 2 are formed by armored protective panels 13. In addition to the docking nodes 15, the cells 2 are equipped with connectors for electric connection (not shown in the drawings) between the cells 2. Various docking assemblies 15 can be used, for example, a docking assembly consisting of adjoining elements 16 welded to the respective protective panels 13, which are, for example, tubes into which the pins are inserted (not shown in the drawings shown).

Inside the housing 1 there are internal workstations 4. The robotic arm 3 can be attached directly to the wall of the cell 2. In addition, the base 7 of the robotic arm 3 can be installed in the guide 8 located in the housing 1, and move inside the housing 1 to perform basic functions. In addition, the base 7 of the robotic arm 3 can be equipped with vehicles, for example, wheels (not shown in the drawings) for movement inside the housing 1. The walls of the cells 2 of the housing 1 (protective panels 13) are equipped with gateways 5 for communication with external workplaces 10 and client places. Gateways 5 are banking gateways used by banks to communicate with customers, and are installed with the ability to receive and transfer through them items, containers with RFID tags, money, securities, etc.

The main function of the robot manipulator 3 is to move material objects 9 between work areas equipped with various banking and other equipment. Movable material object 9 is an object or the result of a banking, trading or other transaction, or is an object of storage. The workspace contains a device or devices that perform operations on material objects. The number of work areas in the housing 1 is limited only by the dimensions of the equipment to be placed, the dimensions of the internal space of the housing 1 and the space for operations by the robotic arm 3. The basic operations that are performed at the workplace are as follows: receiving bills from the gateway; verification of banknotes; counting bills; deposit of notes; issue of bills for RM; issue of notes to the gateway; receiving coins from the gateway; coin authentication; coin counting; deposit of coins; issuing coins for RM; issuing coins to the gateway; storage; printing of documents on operations; reception for storage from the gateway; storage; issuance from storage to the gateway.

To carry out these operations, the gripper 6 of the robotic arm 3 has the ability to repeatedly move between jobs 4 and gateways 5, carried out according to the commands of the control unit. The control unit (not shown in the drawings) is connected to all means of identification and / or data input, gateways 5, means of performing customer service operations and actuators of the robotic arm 3 and, according to the programs laid down in it, controls the operation of the entire device.

Internal workplaces 4 include means for performing customer service operations, which may be in the form of a check printing device, a banknote reception device, a banknote issuing device, a banknote counting device, a banknote authentication device, a coin receiving device, a coin issuing device, and a counting device coins, a device for verifying the authenticity of coins, a storage device, a device for printing documents and documents about operations, electrically connected to the control unit.

External workstations 10 include at least one customer identification tool selected from the group consisting of a magnetic stripe card reader, a smart card reader equipped with a contact microchip, a contactless smart card reader, a barcode scanner, and a biometric identification scanner, also related with control unit. Electrical connections between cells 2 are made using connectors installed on the connected parts of cells 2. The robotic device can be equipped with a collection gateway for moving packed money and items, a deposit storage gateway (not shown in the drawings) to ensure the movement of packaged in a container with an RPID tag objects between the client and the workplace and the RFID tag scanner associated with the control unit. Gateway 5 may be configured to receive and issue mail.

Inside the housing 1 can be placed a tool (not shown) for weighing correspondence connected to the control unit.

Using the means installed in it, the robotic device has the ability to provide the following services, including: banking services, in particular operations with bank cards; making payments in favor of third parties; sale of precious metal bullion, investment coins; acceptance of precious metal bullion, investment coins for the purpose of subsequent purchase and sale; cash deposit and transfer of values; cash exchange; acceptance of damaged, dilapidated and doubtful bills in an envelope; execution and receipt of banking documents that do not require the physical presence of a bank employee; sale of lottery tickets and obtaining lottery winnings; currency exchange; deposit storage, postal services, vending services, selling medical insurance policies for traveling abroad, receiving pension account statements, obtaining information on tax arrears, receiving information on unpaid administrative fines, filing an application and providing copies of documents for obtaining a bank loan, filing an application and providing copies of documents for obtaining a bank card and any combination thereof.

In the walls of one of the cells 2 there is a window 11 or a door for access for maintenance personnel. From the outside, security cameras (not shown in the drawings) can be installed on the housing 1 of the device. In the housing 1 can also be installed means of autonomous power supply (also not shown in the drawings), which energize all the funds located inside the cells 2 in the field or a power failure of the stationary power supply.

To increase the productivity of providing services, the device can be equipped with additional robotic manipulators 12. The device can be made mobile for quick movement in space to the place of use and equipped with means for providing movement - for example, wheels, a drive for independent movement, a clutch mechanism with a vehicle.

A robotic device for customer service, for example, to provide banking and retail and retail services, operates as follows.

The device moves assembled or in separate cells 2 to the installation site in bank branches, large shopping centers, supermarkets, train stations, airports, etc. - wherever there is a need to quickly and safely in an automated mode serve a large flow of customers by providing a variety of services. Service is carried out in several client places through several gateways 5 almost simultaneously, taking into account the fact that high-speed equipment is used - a robotic arm 3 with a control unit (processor), automated means of counting, authentication, reception and delivery. For example, when at one gateway 5 at one client location one client enters his request, through another gateway 5 an investment or issue of money, mail, sale of goods is made. If you need to receive a certain amount from the account, the client, using the means of identification and / or data input, enters a bank card for reading and uses the keyboard to indicate the amount to be received. The data are transmitted to the control unit, processed, checked, the program for the robot manipulator 3 is selected. Next, the control unit transmits commands to one of the workstations 4 or 10, in which the means for issuing banknotes for issuing the required amount are located and the device for printing receipts for printing a receipt . The gripper 6 of the robotic arm 3 moves to the bill issuing device, receives the required amount and moves to the gateway 5, the bill is laid out. Then, the gripper 6 of the robotic arm 3 moves to the check printing device, picks up the check and also passes it to the client through gateway 5.

When depositing money into the account, the client enters the necessary information through the means of identification and / or data entry and puts the deposit amount into the gateway 5. The data is transmitted to the control unit, the program for moving the robot manipulator 3 is selected. Grab 6 of the robot manipulator 3 (or the robot the manipulator along the guide, and the gripper 6) moves to the gateway 5, takes the money and subsequently transfers it to the banknote authentication device and the counting device. The latter transmit data to the control unit, confirming the authenticity of the notes and the correspondence of the size of the deposited amount. A command arrives to move the gripper 6 to the bill acceptor, where money is invested. Then, the gripper 6 of the robotic arm 3 moves to the check printing device, picks up the check and passes it to the client through the corresponding gateway 5.

In case of falsified banknotes or the amount does not match the entered data, the authentication device or the meter sends the relevant information to the control unit, which stops the operation, information on the cancellation of the operation appears on the display of the identification and / or data input device, the money is returned to the client.

When purchasing goods, the client also enters a request and puts the necessary amount into the gateway or provides his bank card details. The data goes to the control unit, the operation algorithm is selected. When paying in cash, the gripper 6 of the robotic arm 3 sequentially transfers the bills to the storage units where the goods are placed, then picks up the necessary items and issues a check to the client. With non-cash payment, the customer is given items and a printed receipt.

In addition, the control unit includes programs for paying bank bills and currency exchange. In the latter case, the cells of the device for issuing banknotes are used, which store banknotes of various denominations and different currencies.

Non-cash payment of bank accounts is made without the inclusion of a robot manipulator 3.

The invention has the following advantages:

the device is a structurally complete automatic point providing a variety of banking and vending services,

the device provides service to several customers at the same time,

the device provides a quick change in the number of workplaces and docked cells as a whole, both in the direction of increase and decrease, by installing or removing the protective panels,

the device provides a quick replacement of inoperative means for performing customer service operations due to the dismantling and installation of internal panels together with the corresponding protective panels,

at each client location, any available operations can be performed,

all operations are carried out without the participation of personnel in the self-service mode,

the device provides local cash circulation,

the device is highly secure,

has low cash handling costs,

helps to reduce transportation costs,

reduces negative environmental impacts,

minimizes the occupied space.

Industrial applicability

A robotic customer service device may be implemented using means known to those skilled in the art. Parts of the device can be made of materials widely used in industry and on well-known technological equipment. In this regard, the invention is industrially applicable.

Claims (1)

A robotic device for servicing customers, comprising a case with workstations equipped with means for carrying out customer service operations and gateways for receiving and transmitting material objects through them, a robot arm with a control unit and a grip, which protects its internal space from unauthorized access having the ability to repeatedly move between workstations for customer service operations and gateways, characterized it that the body is made as a prefabricated connected to each other via connecting nodes protective panels having inner panels with a grid forming holes in them for fixing means for the implementation of customer service operations.

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