GB2439809A

GB2439809A - Automated cheque deposit device

Info

Publication number: GB2439809A
Application number: GB0712164A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marc Loertscher
Original assignee: TESSI CHEQUE
Current assignee: TESSI CHEQUE
Priority date: 2006-07-03
Filing date: 2007-06-25
Publication date: 2008-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2027-06-25
Also published as: FR2903210A1; GB0712164D0; GB2439809B; ITTO20070477A1; FR2903210B1

Abstract

A device (1) for paying in cheques (2) comprises means (14a, 14b) of receiving at least one cheque, logical processing means (33) controlling access to the receiving means (14a, 14b) and means (9, 8, 7) of recognizing a deposit account. The device comprises means (9, 8, 7) of recognizing the cheque or cheques (2) inserted into the receiving means, the cheque receiving means (14a, 14b) comprising a housing (15) with an opening for inserting cheques (2) and a second opening arranged to contain a removable receiving container (18), and the device comprises data storage means (34, 35, 36) associated with a determined receiving container in which the logical processing means (33) store associations between the data identifying a deposit account and the data identifying the cheque or cheques paid in. The device preferably has two removable storage devices, one of which may be an RFID device associated with the receiving container.

Description

1 2439809 The present invention relates to a cheque paying-in

device.

For bank branches to have a self-service box in which clients place cheques to be cashed accompanied with a slip is known.

The cheques are then packaged in transportation containers to be transferred to a processing centre where the operations are carried out involving entering the amount of the cheque and sorting the cheque, and reconciling the cheque, the physical document, and the file data.

A cheque scanner can also be provided to create an image of the latter.

The use of an automatic teller machine or cheque paying-in terminal is also known.

Such a device comprises: -means of receiving at least one cheque, -logical processing means controlling access to the receiving means, and -means of recognizing a deposit account, available to a user, intended to supply data identifying a deposit account to the logical processing means.

:. In particular, the cheque receiving means consist of a * *** cheque paying-in box, in which the cheque and the * * corresponding slip are inserted, this box communicating :. with a safe. The means of recognizing a user consist of * a bank card checking device. S..

Such a system is satisfactory in as much as it effectively enables a cheque to be paid in without the involvement of an operator on paying-in.

However, the cheque collection operations in such a device require the safe to be emptied for the cheques and the slips to be packaged, with the attendant risk of losing cheques. Furthermore, it is always necessary for a cheque to be accompanied by a slip. The transaction therefore entails carrying out: a scanning step, a step for entering the amount based on the image, without eliminating the need to use a slip.

Furthermore, these devices are accessible only to bank card holders, the checking of the bank card requiring the use of a link to the bank.

The technical problem on which the invention is based is to provide a device for paying in cheques of the abovementioned type, enabling cheques to be paid in quickly, providing simultaneous packaging and easier reconciliation.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a device for paying in cheques of the abovementioned type characterized in that: the device comprises means of recognizing the cheque or cheques inserted into the receiving means, intended to supply the data identifying the cheque or cheques to the logical processing means, the means of receiving cheques comprising a housing with an opening for inserting cheques and a second opening arranged to contain a removable receiving :. container, and * *** the device comprises data storage means associated with * * a determined receiving container, in which the logical :. processing means store associations between the data * **.

* identifying a deposit account and the data identifying *** * the cheque or cheques paid in.

: ., The provisions according to the invention therefore make it possible to collect the cheques from the device, by removing the removable receiving container, and to transport said container, also transferring the association data between this data identifying the user and the cheques paid in stored in the storage means.

No change of container is required for the cheques between deposit and transportation. The cheque handling operations are eliminated. Moreover, the storing of the association data between a cheque and a deposit account is performed with no additional operations.

Advantageously, the recognition means comprise means of reading a data medium held by the user containing the data identifying a deposit account.

Advantageously, the recognition means comprise manual input means.

These provisions make identification possible when a user does not have the data medium that has been supplied to him.

According to one embodiment, the means of reading a data medium held by the user are arranged to read association data between the data identifying a deposit account and the data identifying the cheque or cheques paid in, this association data being stored on the data medium held by the user.

These arrangements allow a user to pay in one or more cheques in a single operation. All that is needed for * this, prior to the paying-in operation, is to store the information concerning a set of cheques in a file, by :. the use of an appropriate reader, and by data * *** * enrichment, for example by manually entering the *** * amounts of the cheques.

: According to this same embodiment, the recognition *S*S..

* * means are arranged to supply data identifying a container, for example an envelope, containing a set of cheques, to the logical processing means which store this identification data in the storage means.

The use of containers, in particular envelopes, comprising identification data is particularly advantageous for paying in a large number of cheques in one and the same operation.

Preferably, the cheque receiving means comprise a cell for reading the cheque identification data.

These arrangements make it possible to carry out individual cheque paying-in operations using in particular the lines comprising cheque identification data.

Advantageously, the storage means comprise at least two separate removable storage media. Preferably, the removable storage media consist of memory cards.

These arrangements make it possible to retain one of the media to serve as a backup in case of an accident.

According to a second embodiment, the storage means comprise a contactiessly-accessible storage medium, and the logical processing means are associated with means of communication with these storage means.

These provisions are particularly advantageous because they enable data to be stored contactiessly in the storage means and then, a contactless read in a processing centre. This makes it possible to speed up * *** * the processing of the transportation containers, and * avoids the operations involved in physically connecting :. 35 and disconnecting the storage means to and from the * .1* associated reading/writing means.

* ** *** * S Preferably, the contactiessly-accessible storage medium is connected to the receiving container.

These arrangements make it possible to simplify the transportation and processing operations because the association data physically accompanies the corresponding transportation container. It is thus possible to collect the transportation container and the data corresponding to the cheques contained in the container in a single step.

Advantageously, the contactiessly-accessible storage medium consists of an electronic label, particularly of RFID type.

The use of an electronic label is particularly advantageous because it makes it possible to read and write without requiring a particular orientation of the label and of the reading/writing means.

According to a third embodiment, the device comprises wired or wireless network communication means associated with the storage means, arranged to transmit the association data between the data identifying a deposit account and the data identifying the cheque or cheques paid in, this association data relating to the cheques contained in a determined receiving container, to an external receiving system.

:. These arrangements make it possible to avoid :..::: transporting the storage means physically with the S...

receiving containers. The data is transmitted by :. network communication means to an external receiving * .;: system, typically located in a processing centre.

Preferably, the reading means comprise a bar code * 35 reader.

S..... * S

Advantageously, the reading means comprise a memory card reader.

In any case, the invention will be well understood from the description that follows, with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing, representing, by way of nonhimiting example, one embodiment of a device according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a large-scale diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the receiving means of the device of Figure 1.

According to an embodiment represented in Figures 1 and 2, a device 1 for paying in cheques 2 according to the invention comprises a casing 3 having at least one side accessible to a user. On this side, the casing 3 has means of informing a user, comprising a screen 4, for

example of LCD type.

The device also comprises recognition means. These recognition means comprise a bar code reader 7 for a data medium held by the user, in particular a voucher

11 to be detached from his account statement sent

periodically. This voucher has a bar code identifying the user.

The recognition means also comprise a reader 8 of a memory card 21 supplied to the user. * *

The recognition means also comprise a manual input :. device, consisting of a keyboard 9 enabling the user to * : enter information, in particular numbers, and to *** * confirm options. *q * S

* 5 35 The device also comprises means 10 of printing a * S5.

* receipt following the cheque paying-in operations.

The front of the casing of the device also has two insertion openings 12, 13 for cheque receiving means of two different types 14a, 14b.

The first cheque receiving means 14a, as represented in cross section in Figure 2, comprise a housing 15 with an opening for inserting cheques 16 and a second opening 17 provided with means for fitting a receiving container 18. The housing 15 is delimited by top 19 and bottom 20 walls angled between the insertion opening 16 and the second opening 17 in order to facilitate the sliding of the cheques towards the receiving container.

The receiving container 18 can in particular comprise a simple flexible plastic transportation bag.

Means of guiding cheques in the housing can be provided, such as, in particular, a flexible strip 22 fixed at one end to the entry of the housing and the second end of which is free.

The first receiving means 14a comprise, between the opening on the front of the casing 13 and the opening 16 of the housing, and positioned either side of the cheque displacement direction, motorized rollers 23, 24, 25 driving the cheque.

Means of recognizing the cheque or cheques paid in to the receptacle, comprising a reading and identification device, are also arranged between the opening on the front of the casing and the housing. In particular, :. these means comprise a cell 26 arranged to read an * identification line on the cheque, for example a line *** * of CMC7 type.

: 35 A camera 27 is also provided between the opening on the front of the casing and the housing, for capturing an image of the cheque as it passes through.

The transportation containers can easily be removed from the device through a hatch that is not shown.

The second means 14b of receiving cheques are intended to receive sets of cheques bundled in an envelope 29 with identification data in the form of characters 30 or bar codes 32. These second receiving means also comprise a housing of a shape similar to the housing of the first receiving means with an opening for inserting envelopes 29 and a second opening provided with means for fitting a receiving container that can in particular comprise a simple flexible plastic transportation bag. These means are not provided with a cell for reading cheque identification lines. They do, however, comprise a passage sensor.

The device further comprises logical processing means 33 controlling access to the receiving means 14a, 14b.

In particular, the access control of the first receiving means 14a is provided by the logical processing means 33 by activating or deactivating the drive rollers 23, 24, 25. For the access control of the second receiving means 14b, the opening 13 is provided with a hatch, not shown, blocking or freeing the opening.

The logical processing means 33 make it possible to associate the data identifying the user and the cheque or cheques paid in, and store this association in data S...

storage means 34, 35, 36. * .

* .:. The storage means comprise two separate removable storage media 34, 35 consisting of memory cards, and a :. third storage 36 for storing a log of the activity of * . 35 the device. The storage media 34, 35, 36 can, for * S.. .* * example, consist of flash memory cards of known type.

The storage means 34, 35, 36 make it possible to store data 38 identifying the receiving container 18 in which a set of cheques is inserted. This identification data is also held on the receiving container 18.

Each bag used as a receiving container 18 is intended to be closed by a seal provided, for example, with a bar code which is stored on the terminal, this seal comprisiny identification data 38.

The method of paying in cheques using the first receiving means proceeds as follows.

A user has a voucher 11 with a bar code which identifies this user or his deposit account, sent, for

example, with his periodical account statement.

The user begins by identifying himself in a first step.

This identification can be done by passing the voucher over the bar code reading means of the device 2.

Alternatively, if he does not have his voucher, the user can enter an identification number, for example his account number, on the keyboard 9.

Once the user is identified, in a second step, the user is prompted by the information means 4 to enter the amount of the first cheque 2 that he wants to endorse on the keyboard 7. Once this amount is confirmed by the user, the information means 4 prompt the user to sign the cheque 2 and to insert it into the opening 13 of the front panel corresponding to the first receiving means 14. * * * ***

* The cell 26 makes it possible to check the direction of *** insertion of the cheque and to prompt the user to :. return the latter if the insertion direction is riot as * * 35 prescribed. * *

The association between: -the customer identification data consisting, for example, of his account number, on the one hand, and -10 - -the amount of the cheque, the image of the cheque, and the cheque identification data, consisting of the CMC7 line, on the other hand, is then stored in the storage means 34, 35, 36.

Once the cheque is inserted, the image is taken by the camera, and the identification data is detected by the CMC7 cell and stored, the information means 3, 4, 5 offer the user a new cheque endorsement operation 2, until the user indicates that there are no more operations to be carried out.

A receipt concerning the operations carried out is then printed by the printing means 10.

The method of paying in cheques using the second receiving means proceeds as follows.

To perform this type of pay-in, intended for users paying in a large number of cheques, the following are made available to the user: -a removable data medium 21, in particular a memory card, of flash type for example, -a cheque reader, not shown in the figures, comprising in particular a CMC7 reader cell, and -software, not shown in the figures, intended to prepare a cheque paying-in file or set of files intended for storage on the data medium, -envelopes 29 provided with identification data 30, 32. * *

* .:. The user must then carry out the following preliminary operations before using the device to pay in cheques. ** * .

* * 35 He must connect the reader to a computer, and the *...*S * memory card, and use the software to carry out the following steps: -choose the account number to be used, -read the cheques on the reader, -11 - -enter the amounts of the cheques, -confirm the operation once all the cheques to be paid in have been stored.

The software then updates the information on the card 21, by storing in particular the association between the account number, the cheque identification data read by the reader, that is the CMC7 line, and the amounts entered.

The user can then insert the cheques into the envelope 29 provided with identification data 30, 32.

In the cheque paying-in operation itself with the cheque paying-in device 1, the user simply inserts the memory card 21 into the reader 8 provided for this purpose. Thus, the information identifying the deposit account, and the association between: -the data identifying a deposit account on the one hand, and -the amount of the cheque, the image of the cheque, and the cheque identification data, consisting of the CMC7 line, on the other hand, is then stored in the storage means 34, 35, 36.

The information means 4 then prompt the user to present the envelope 29 containing the cheques in front of the bar code reader 7 for the envelope identification data I",. to be known to the device. Alternatively, the user can enter the number 30 of the envelope 29 through the keyboard 9.

S S..

Once this step is completed, the information means :. prompt the user to remove his memory card 21 from the * . 35 reader 8 and to insert the envelope 29 into the second S.....

* receiving means 15. The hatch of the receiving means is not opened until the memory card is removed, to prevent the user from forgetting this card.

-12 -The association between: the data identifying a deposit account, on the one hand, and -the amount of the cheque, and the cheque identification data, consisting of the CMC7 line, on the other hand, is then stored in the storage means 34, 35, 36.

The cheques paid into the first or second receiving means 14a, 14b are directly placed in transportation containers 18 consisting of flexible plastic bags.

Thus, to collect the cheques from the devices, all that is required is to remove the bags and to close them with a seal provided with a bar code which is stored on the terminal, in the storage means 34, 35, 36, before leaving the branch: the container 18 remains the same between deposit and transportation. One of the storage cards 34 is removed to accompany the bag, and the other will remain in the branch to serve as a backup in case of an accident. These cards are replaced with new cards corresponding to new bags.

According to a variant of the device which is not shown, the storage means comprise a contactiessly-accessible storage medium, consisting of an electronic * *** label, in particular of RFID type, connected to the receiving containers. * ***

In this case, the logical processing means are associated with means of communicating with these * 35 storage means, consisting in particular of an RFID * antenna, making it possible to read and write in the memory of the electronic label.

-13 -According to another variant which is not shown, the device comprises wired or wireless network communication means, for example of GSM type, associated with the storage means, arranged to transmit the association data between the data identifying a deposit account and the data identifying the cheque or cheques paid in, this association data relating to the cheques contained in a determined receiving container, to an external receiving system.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above, by way of nonlimiting example; on the contrary, it encompasses all the variants.

In particular, the CMC7 cheque identification standard is mentioned here only as an example of identification means. S. * . * S.. *..S * . S... S. * . * S.. * S * S..

S

S.....

S S

Claims

-14 -

CLAIMS

1. Device (1) for paying in cheques (2) comprising: -means (14a, ].4b) of receiving at least one cheque comprising a housing (15) with an opening (16) for inserting cheques (2) and a second opening arranged to contain a removable receiving container (18), -logical processing means (33) controlling access to the receiving means (14a, 14b), and -means (9, 8, 7) of recognizing a deposit account, available to a user, intended to supply data identifying a deposit account to the logical processing means (33), characterized in that the device comprises -means (26, 9, 8 7) of recognizing the cheque or cheques (2) inserted into the receiving means (14a, 14b) intended to supply the data identifying the cheque or cheques to the logical processing means (33), and -data storage means (34, 35, 36) associated with a determined receiving container (18), in which the logical processing means (33) store associations between the data identifying a deposit account and the data identifying the cheque or cheques paid in.

2. Device (1) according to Claim 1, in which the recognition means (26, 9, 8, 7) comprise means (8, 7) of reading a data medium (11, 21) held by the user containing the data identifying a deposit account. S... * . * ***

3. Device (1) according to one of Claims 1 or 2, in which the recognition means (26, 9, 8, 7) comprise manual input means (9).

4. Device (1) according to one of Claims 2 or 3, in * 35 which the means (7, 8) of reading a data medium held by I.....

* . the user are arranged to read association data between the data identifying a deposit account and the data identifying the cheque or cheques paid in, this -15 -association data being stored on the data medium held by the user (21).

5. Device (1) according to Claim 4, in which the recognition means (9, 8, 7) are arranged to supply data (30, 32) identifying a container (30), for example an envelope, containing a set of cheques, to the logical processing means (33) which store this identification data (30, 32) in the storage means (34, 35, 36) 6. Device (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 5, in which the cheque receiving means (14a) comprise a cell (26) for reading the cheque identification data.

7. Device (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the storage means (34, 35, 36) comprise at least two separate removable storage media (34, 35).

8. Device (1) according to Claim 7, in which the removable storage media consist of memory cards (34, 35) 9. Device (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, in which the storage means comprise a contactiessly-accessible storage medium and in which the logical processing means are associated with means of communication with these storage means.

10. Device (1) according to Claim 9, in which the *..

contactiessly-accessible storage medium is connected to the receiving container (18) 11. Device (1) according to one of Claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the contactiessly-acceesible * 35 storage medium consists of an electronic label, S.....

* particularly of RFID type.

12. Device (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 11, in which the device comprises wired or wireless network -16 -communication means associated with the storage means, arranged to transmit the association data between the data identifying a deposit account and the data identifying the cheque or cheques paid in, this association data relating to the cheques contained in a determined receiving container, to an external receiving system.

13. Device (1) according to one of Claims 2 to 12, in which the reading means comprise a bar code reader (8).

14. Device (1) according to one of Claims 2 to 13, in which the reading means comprise a memory card reader (8) S. * * * S.. *5* * * S... * . * S.. S..

S S. * S * ..*

S..... * .