EP2284807A1 - Device for dispensing bank notes and method for determining the bank note inventory of a bank note container of this device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has bill containers (12a,12b,12c,12d) has storage elements (14a,14b,14c,14d), where bill individual characteristics of each bill and the sequence of the bills are stored within the bill container. The control unit (26) compares the detected bill individual characteristics with the bills individual characteristics stored in the storage element. An independent claim is also included for a method for the payment of bills.

Description

The invention relates to a device for the disbursement of banknotes. The device comprises at least one banknote container and a withdrawal unit for removing banknotes from the banknote container. Furthermore, the device has a multiple-trigger sensor for the detection of multiple prints and a control unit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for determining the banknote stock of at least one banknote container.

When paying out banknotes from automated teller machines, automated teller systems or automatic cash teller machines, the banknotes are removed individually from cash cassettes by means of deduction and dicing modules associated with the cash cassettes and fed via a transport path to an output compartment via which the banknotes are presented as a stack to an operator. When removing the banknotes from the cash boxes, it may happen, for example because of acting between the banknotes adhesive forces, that two or more banknotes are withdrawn simultaneously from a cassette. Such a multiple print is detected by means of a multiple print sensor and the bills of the multiple print are stored in a reject cassette. In this way it is prevented that due to the multiple deduction to the operator a different from the requested money amount money is paid. With the help of the multiple trigger sensor can be detected only if there is a multiple trigger or not. On the other hand, it is not possible to use this multiple trigger sensor to determine how many banknotes the multiple deduction exists. This has the consequence that after a multiple withdrawal has taken place from a cashbox, the exact inventory of banknotes of this cashbox is no longer known. In order to determine the inventory, the cashbox must first be removed from the ATM, the automatic cash register system or the automatic cash deposit and a revision must be carried out. This creates a considerable effort and associated costs. Without revision, however, only the total inventory of the ATM, the automatic cash deposit or the automatic cash register system can be determined as the difference between the total opening balance and all banknotes disbursed.

From the document DE 691 08 641 T2 a sheet handling apparatus is known which comprises reading means for reading characteristics of a sheet and storage means for storing the characteristics of the sheets read by the reading means in the order in which the sheets have been picked up in a collecting portion of the apparatus. The storage means are part of a control unit of the sheet handling device and are thus no longer available after removal of the collecting section from the sheet handling device for further handling of the sheets stored in the collecting section. Furthermore, the characteristics can only be detected by sheets which are fed to the sheet handling device and thus can be detected by the reading means. When feeding from a collection section with leaves, no characteristics are known for these leaves already present in the collection section.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for paying out banknotes and a method for determining the stock of at least one banknote container of a banknote disbursing apparatus in which the stock of a banknote container can be easily automatically determined from banknotes after the occurrence of a multiple deduction.

This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1 and by a method having the features of the independent method claim. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the banknote container comprises a storage element in which a banknote-specific feature of each banknote accommodated in the banknote container and the sequence of banknotes within the banknote container are stored. After the detection of a multiple withdrawal comprising a first banknote and at least one second banknote, the withdrawal unit extracts a third banknote from the banknote container. With the aid of a feature sensor for determining the banknote-specific feature of a banknote, the banknote-specific feature of the third banknote is determined. The control unit compares the ascertained banknote-individual characteristic with the banknote-specific features stored in the storage element and determines, depending on the result of this comparison, with the aid of the sequence of banknotes stored in the storage element in the current inventory of the banknote container on banknotes. As a result, the stock of the banknote container can be determined after the multiple deduction in a simple manner. By storing the banknote-specific features and the sequence of the banknotes on a storage element of a banknote container, this information also remains after removal of the banknote container from the device, so that this information is used in a further device for paying out banknotes into which the withdrawn banknote container is inserted. can be used.

The knowledge about the current stock of banknotes of a banknote container is particularly important in automatic cash cycles and / or the mixed storage of banknotes in banknote containers. In automatic cash cycles, the banknote containers are exchanged between a plurality of automatic teller machines, automatic cash teller units and / or automatic teller systems without the banknote containers being temporarily emptied and refilled. In particular, bank note containers from deposit-heavy ATMs are used in pay-out ATMs and vice versa. By knowing the current stock of banknotes, it is not necessary to carry out a revision of the banknote container to determine the stock after removal of the banknote container, whereby the banknote container without additional effort to another ATM, automatic POS system or automatic cash deposits can be supplied. This saves time, effort and costs.

In mixed storage of banknotes, banknotes of at least two different denominations are stored in a banknote container. In order to be able to pay off a desired amount of money, it is necessary to know the current order of the banknotes in the individual banknote containers. Without knowing the current stock, it is also not known that a note of which nominal value is placed first in the order of deduction, so that a targeted amount of money can not be paid.

A multiple deduction is understood to mean the simultaneous unintentional withdrawal of two or more banknotes from the banknote container. Such multiple prints occur, for example, due to adhesion and / or adhesion forces acting between the banknotes.

In particular, the order of the banknotes is stored in such a way that each banknote in the storage order is represented by its banknotespecific feature. Preferably, the inventory is determined in which is determined by comparing the detected using the feature sensor banknote individual feature of the third banknotes with the stored banknotes individual features, which banknote follows in the order of the third banknote.

The device preferably comprises a plurality, in particular four, banknote containers. Each banknote container each comprises at least one storage element. In a memory area of the memory element information is at least stored on the banknotesindividual characteristics of all banknotes held in the respective banknote container and on the order in which the banknotes are received in the respective banknote container. The memory element is preferably a non-volatile memory, in particular a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM.

The third banknote is taken from that banknote container from which the multiple deduction was taken. The control unit compares the banknote-specific feature of the third banknote with the banknote-specific features stored in the storage element of the banknote container from which the multiple withdrawal was taken and determines the knowledge of the order in which the banknotes are stored in the banknote container depending on the result of this comparison , the stock of this banknote container. In this way, the stock of the banknote container from which the multiple deduction was made, can be determined in a simple manner immediately after the occurrence of multiple deduction, so that at any time the current stock of banknotes is known. Banknotes of different denominations are preferably arranged in the various banknote containers.

The banknote containers are in particular money cassettes, with the aid of which the banknotes received in the cashboxes can be transported in a simple manner between different ATMs, automatic POS systems, automatic cashboxes and / or cash centers and in which the banknotes are securely received.

The banknote-specific feature is preferably the serial number of the respective banknote. In this way, since each serial number occurs only once, each banknote is uniquely identifiable and the occurrence of the same banknote-specific feature of a plurality of banknotes taken into the banknote container can be closed off. In addition to or as an alternative to the serial number, other banknote-specific features of the respective banknote can also be stored in the memory element, such as the image of the banknote in the visible, infrared or UV range, a picture of fluorescent elements in the paper of the banknote and / or other, in particular physical, features which can serve to clearly distinguish the banknotes in the banknote container.

Furthermore, it can be checked whether the notes present in the banknote container have a banknote-specific feature in at least two banknotes, i. occurs several times. Then, a disbursement of these banknotes can be prevented. For example, these notes can be transported in a reject cassette.

For storing the order in which the banknotes are received in a banknote container, each banknote is preferably assigned a banknote-specific number which indicates the storage order of the banknotes in the banknote container or is representative of an issuing location within the banknote container. In addition to the individual banknote characteristics and the order of the banknotes, in a preferred embodiment According to the invention, the denomination and / or the currency associated with each bill received in the banknote container are stored in the storage element of the bill container of the bill. In this case, the banknote-specific characteristics, the nominal value, the currency and the location of a banknote are stored uniquely assigned to one another within the sequence. In particular, the banknote-specific features, denomination, currency and location of the bill are stored in the order as a record. By storing the denomination of the banknotes, a mixed storage of the banknotes within the banknote container is made possible. By storing the currency banknotes of different currency can be stored mixed in a banknote container. For example, euro banknotes and Swiss francs can be added to the same banknote container at the same time.

It is advantageous if the feature sensor is a banknote reader for checking the authenticity of deposited banknotes. Banknote readers from BEB, in particular types BPI200, BPV202, BPV212 and Line-X, are suitable as banknote readers. In devices where payment and deposit of banknotes are possible, such a banknote reader is necessary to check the denomination, currency and authenticity of a deposited bill. By using such a banknote reader to determine the banknote-specific feature, no further feature sensor has to be provided for this, so that costs and installation space are saved. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a feature sensor may additionally or alternatively be provided for determining the banknote-specific feature only for the determination of banknotespecific characteristics.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide a banknote storage container for storing undeliverable banknotes, wherein at least the banknotes of the multiple copies are deposited in this banknote depositing container. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the third banknote, after the banknote-specific feature of the third banknote has been determined, is stored in this banknote depositing container. Thus, no further banknote container for receiving the withdrawn after a multiple deduction to determine the current stock notes must be provided, whereby space is saved. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, an additional banknote storage container can also be provided for receiving the banknotes withdrawn to determine the current stock. In particular, it is also possible to provide a banknote storage container which is subdivided into a plurality of compartments, the banknotes of the multiple copies and the banknotes which were deducted for determining the current stock being stored in different compartments. In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, in particular in devices which serve for the deposit and disbursement of banknotes, the third banknote can also be returned to a banknote container, preferably that banknote container from which it was previously removed. In this way, the third banknote is available for a later disbursement process, so that the intervals at which the device has to be filled with new banknotes are extended.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control unit determines the number of banknotes of a multiple deduction by subtracting from the stock of the banknote container from which the multiple deduction was deducted before the multiple deduction the stock of that banknote container after the multiple deduction. In this way, the number of banknotes of the multiple print can be determined easily. Furthermore, this allows the stock of the banknote storage container to be determined on banknotes. This can be determined, on the one hand, as the sum of the number of banknotes of the individual multiple deductions or, alternatively, by subtracting from the initial stocks of all banknote containers the current stocks of the banknote containers and the number of banknotes paid out. In this way, the banknote storage container can be emptied in time before no more banknotes are more receivable.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for determining the stock of at least one banknote container of a device for paying out banknotes. In a storage element of the banknote container, information about a banknote-specific feature of each banknote taken into the banknote container and the order of the banknotes within the banknote container are stored. After a multiple withdrawal comprising a first banknote and at least one second banknote has been detected, a third banknote is withdrawn from the banknote container and the banknote-specific feature of these banknotes is determined. Depending on the comparison of the banknote-specific feature of the third banknote with the banknote-specific features stored in the storage element and with the aid of the knowledge of the order in which the banknotes were received in the banknote container are, the current stock of the banknote container is determined on banknotes.

When loading the banknote container with the banknotes, banknote-specific features are preferably determined with the aid of a sensor for determining the banknote-specific features and stored together with a serial number which characterizes the order of the banknotes within the banknote container in the storage area of the storage element. Preferably, with the aid of the sensor, in addition to the banknote-specific feature, the denomination and the currency of all banknotes received in the banknote container are also determined and stored together with the serial number and the banknotespecific feature in the storage area. By means of this determination of the banknote-specific features, the nominal values and / or the currency with the aid of a sensor when filling the banknotes, a reliable complete acquisition of this data is ensured with little effort.

The method specified by the independent method claim can be developed in the same way as given for the device according to claim 1. In particular, the method can be developed with the features specified in the dependent claims referring back to the device or corresponding method features. Also, the apparatus specified by the independent apparatus claim can be developed in the same manner as the method according to the independent method claim. In particular, the device with the in the independent method claim be referred back dependent dependent claims specified characteristics or corresponding device features.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, the invention with reference to exemplary embodiments explained in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying figure.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Geldau- tomaten.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a Geldau- tomatoes.

In Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an ATM 10 is shown. The cash machine 10 comprises four cash boxes 12a to 12d for receiving banknotes. Each cash box 12a to 12d each includes a storage element 14a to 14d. In a storage area of the storage element 14a to 14d, information about the serial number, the denomination, the currency, and the location of the bill in the order in which the bills in the respective cash box 12a to 12b are provided, respectively, of each bill received in the respective cashbox 12a to 12d 12d are arranged and in which they are removed again from the cash box 12a to 12d stored. The location of the respective banknote in the order is, in particular, via a cash-box-specific serial number which indicates the position of the banknote with respect to the other banknotes within the cash box 12a to 12d stored in the storage element 14a to 14d.

Each cash box 12a to 12d is associated with a separating and withdrawing module 16a to 16d, with the aid of which bank notes received in the respective cash box 12a to 12d can be removed individually from the cash box 12a to 12d for payment to an operator. The removed banknotes are transported along a transport path 17 to an input and output tray 18 for output to an operator. Here, the banknotes are issued to the operator in bundled form.

When depositing banknotes via the input and output compartment 18, the authenticity of each deposited banknote as well as the denomination and the currency of the deposited banknote are first determined with the aid of a banknote reader 20. The deposited and considered genuine banknotes are stored by means of the separation and withdrawal modules 16a to 16d in the cash boxes 12a to 12d according to their nominal values.

When withdrawing banknotes from the cash boxes 12a to 12d, it may happen that inadvertently two or more bank notes are taken out of the cash box 12a to 12d together. Since such a multiple deduction would result in the operator being paid out a monetary amount different from the desired amount of money, such multiple deductions are determined using a multiple deduction sensor 22. The multi-sampling sensor 22 is preferable a thickness sensor, in particular a Hall sensor. Alternatively, a sensor in which both the thickness and the length of overlapping banknotes is determined, as described in the German patent application with the official file number, can also be used as the multiple withdrawal sensor 22 10 2009 003 989.9 is disclosed. The content of this patent application is hereby incorporated by reference into the present specification. The banknotes of the determined multiple deductions are stored in a reject cassette 24.

Since only the existence of a multiple deduction is determined with the aid of the multiple deduction sensor 22 but not how many banknotes this multiple deduction is taken to determine the banknote inventory of those cashbox 12a to 12d, from which the multiple deduction was taken, taken from another banknote and fed them to the banknote reader 20 , The banknote reader 20 is, for example, a banknote reader of the company BEB, which records and processes at least one image of the banknote. With the aid of the EBanknotenlesers 20, the serial number of this additional banknote is determined and transmitted to a control unit 26. The control unit 26 reads out the data stored on the memory element 14a to 14d of the cash box 12a to 12d from which the further banknote was taken, in particular the stored serial numbers, and compares these with the determined serial number of the further banknote. Depending on the result of this comparison and the storage order of the banknotes within the cash box 12a to 12d stored in the storage element 14a to 14d, the control unit 26 determines the current inventory of the cash box 12a to 12d after the multiple withdrawal. In particular, it is determined which banknote in the cashbox 12a to 12d follows the further banknote and thus, next, the cash box 12a to 12d can be seen. Further, by comparing the stock of the cash box 12a to 12d before the multiple print and the stock after the multiple print, the control unit 26 determines how many bills the multiple print comprises. In this way, the current inventory of all cash boxes 12a to 12d can be determined even after a multiple deduction at any time in a simple manner. Furthermore, it is possible in this way to quantify the multiple prints more accurately. Furthermore, the stock of the reject cassette 24 on banknotes can also be determined in this way, in which the number of banknotes of all multiple copies recorded in the reject cassette 24 is summed.

The additional banknote supplied to the banknote reader 20 is transported into the reject cassette 24 after the determination of its serial number. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a further cash box may be provided in which the banknotes, which were removed from the cash boxes 12a to 12d to determine the stock after a multiple deduction, are stored separately from the multiple deductions. In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, the additional banknote can also be returned to the cash boxes 12a to 12d after the determination of their serial number, so that it is available for subsequent payment operations. In particular, the further banknote is fed to the cashbox 12a to 12d, from which it was taken.

The banknotes can be stored in the cash boxes 12a to 12d both sorted and in the form of a mixed storage become. In the case of a sorted storage, only bank notes of a nominal value are respectively received in each cash box 12a to 12d. By contrast, in the case of mixed storage, bank notes having at least two different denominations are received in at least one cash box 12a to 12d. In particular, in the case of mixed storage, it is important to know the current stock of cash cassettes 12a to 12d of banknotes, since it is only known by the knowledge of the current stock which denomination the banknote which has to be deducted next in the withdrawal order of the banknotes, has, and thus only by knowing the current stocks of the desired amount of money is payable.

The serial numbers, the denominations, the currencies and the order of the banknotes in a cash box 12a to 12d are automatically determined when filling a cash box 12a to 12d in a cash center, preferably by means of a sensor, and information about it is stored in the storage area of the storage element 14a stored to 14d of the cashbox 12a to 12d. After inserting the cash box 12a to 12d into the ATM 10, these information stored on the storage element 14a to 14d can be read out and provided to the control unit 26 of the ATM 10.

Banknotes are paid by an operator via the input and output tray 18 in the ATM 10, so with the help of the banknote reader 20 also the serial number, the denomination and the currency of the deposited banknote determined and after depositing the banknotes in one of the cash cassettes 12a to 12d together with the position of this bill in the storage order of the bills in the cash box 12a to 12d are stored as information in the storage area of the storage element 14a to 14d of the cash box 12a to 12d.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the determination of the serial number can not be determined by the banknote reader 20, but with the help of a separate serial number sensor. This serial number sensor is in particular designed such that the serial numbers of banknotes can be determined quickly in a simple manner.

In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, the ATM 10 can also serve only for the payment of banknotes. In this case, instead of a banknote reader 20, the ATM 10 also comprises a serial number sensor which determines the serial number of a banknote withdrawn after a multiple deduction in order to determine the stock of the cashbox 12a to 12d from which the multiple deduction took place.

The above-described method for inventory management of the cash boxes 12a to 12d can be used in addition to ATMs 10 in other devices, in particular in automatic cash systems and / or automatic cash deposits, in which banknotes are singled out and paid. Instead of cash cassettes 12a to 12d, other banknote containers may also be used. Instead of a Reject cassette 24 can also be used in particular bags for receiving banknotes no longer payable.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, in the storage elements 14a to 14d of the cash cassettes 12a to 12d, only the serial numbers and the storage order of the bank notes received in the cash cassettes 12a to 12d may be stored. The registration and storage of the denominations and the currencies of the recorded banknotes can be dispensed with, in particular, if a pure sorting storage takes place in the cashboxes 12a to 12d and only banknotes of a currency are stored and / or the denominations of the individual banknotes with the aid of the serial numbers other data source can be determined. Additionally or alternatively, it is possible that in addition to the serial number or instead of the serial number another banknote-specific feature is used to identify the banknotes.

The serial number sensor may also capture only an image of a portion of the bill in which a serial number is expected and process the image using a known OCR method.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

ATM

12a to 12d

cashbox

14a to 14d

storage element

16a to 16d

Separation and withdrawal module

17

transport path

18

Input and output compartment

20

Banknote reader

22

Multiple withdrawal sensor

24

Reject cassette

26

control unit

Claims (16)

Apparatus for paying out banknotes,
with at least one banknote container (12a to 12d) comprising at least one storage element (14a to 14d), wherein in the storage element (14a to 14d) a banknotespecific feature of each banknote received in the banknote container (12a to 12d) and the order of the banknotes within the banknote Banknote container (12a to 12d) are stored,
a withdrawal unit (16a to 16d) for withdrawing at least one banknote from the banknote container (12a to 12d),
a multiple-proof sensor (22) for detecting multiple copies of banknotes,
a control unit (26) for controlling the device (10), and
with a feature sensor (20) for determining the banknote-specific characteristic of a banknote,
the withdrawal unit (16a to 16d), after the detection of a multiple withdrawal comprising a first banknote and at least one second banknote, withdrawing a further third banknote from the banknote container (12a to 12d),
the feature sensor (22) determines the banknote-individual characteristic of this third banknote, and
wherein the control unit (26) compares the determined banknote-individual characteristic with the banknote-specific features stored in the storage element (14a to 14d) and, depending on the result, this comparison with the aid of the sequence of the banknotes stored in the storage element (14a to 14d) the current stock of the banknote container (12a to 12d) determined on banknotes. Device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the banknote container (12a to 12d) is a first banknote container (12a to 12d) that at least one second banknote container (12a to 12d) comprising a storage element (14a to 14d), preferably one second, a third and at least a fourth banknote container (12a to 12d) each comprising at least one storage element (14a to 14d) is provided, and that the third banknote is taken from the banknote container (12a to 12d) from which the first and the second one Banknote have been taken. Device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that in a memory element (14a to 14d) of a banknote container (12a to 12d) respectively the banknote individual features of all banknotes taken in the respective banknote container (12a to 12d) and the order in which the Banknotes are stored in the respective banknote container (12a to 12d) are stored. Device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the control unit (26) has the banknote-specific feature with those in the storage element (14a to 14d) of the banknote container (12a to 12d), from which the first and the second banknote have been taken, stored banknote-specific characteristics compares. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the banknote containers (12a to 12d) are cash cassettes. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the banknote-specific feature is the serial number of the respective banknote. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for storing the order in which the banknotes are received in a banknote container (12a to 12d), each banknote is associated with a banknote container-specific serial number. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in addition to the banknote-specific features and the order of the banknotes, the denomination and / or the currency of each note received in the banknote container (12a to 12d) in the storage element (14a to 14d ) of the banknote container (12a to 12d) are stored. Device (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the banknote-individual characteristic, the denomination, the currency and the location of a banknotes within the order in which the banknotes are accommodated in the banknote container (12a to 12d) are stored uniquely associated with each other , Device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in at least one banknote container (12a to 12d) notes are received with at least two different denominations. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feature sensor (20) is a banknote reader for checking the authenticity of deposited banknotes. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a banknote depositing container (24) is provided for storing undeliverable banknotes, wherein at least the first and the second banknotes are deposited in this banknote depositing container (24). Apparatus (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that the control unit (26) determines the number of banknotes of a multiple deduction by the control unit (26) the stock of the banknote container (12a to 12d), from which the multiple deduction has been taken from Banknotes before the multiple deduction compared with the stock of this banknote container (12a to 12d) after the multiple deduction. Method for determining the stock of at least one banknote container of a device for paying out banknotes,
wherein in the storage element (14a to 14d) of the banknote container (12a to 12d) a banknote-specific feature of each banknote received in the banknote container (12a to 12d) and the order of the banknotes within the banknote container (12a to 12d) is stored,
a multiple withdrawal comprising a first banknote and at least one second banknote is detected,
after the detection of the multiple deduction, a further third banknote is taken from the banknote container (12a to 12d),
the banknote-individual characteristic of this third banknote is determined,
the determined banknote-individual characteristic is compared with the banknote-specific features stored in the storage element (14a to 14d),
and in which, depending on the result, this comparison is determined with the aid of the sequence of banknotes stored in the storage element (14a to 14d) of the current stock of the banknote container (12a to 12d) on banknotes. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the third banknote after determining the banknote-specific feature a banknote storage container (24) for storing undeliverable banknotes, the banknote container (12a to 12d) from which the third Banknote has been removed, or another banknote container (12a to 12d) is supplied. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when loading the banknote container (12a to 12d) with banknotes at least the banknotes individual characteristics of all the banknote container (12a to 12d) supplied banknotes and the order of the banknotes in which they in the banknote container (12a 12d), preferably the banknote-specific features, the order, the denominations and the currencies of all fed banknotes, are determined with the aid of a sensor and stored in the storage element (14a to 14d) of the banknote container (12a to 12d).

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