GB2497368A - Cash holding devices with mass determining means - Google Patents

Abstract

A cash holding device, such as a cash register, EPOS terminal or cash safe has a weighing device that allows the change in the total mass of cash contained in the device between two time points to be determined. The time points may relate to the start and end of a transaction such as when the cash device is opened and closed. The total mass differential between the two measurements is used to determine possible cash item combinations for the transaction. Expected behaviours or expected cash combinations based upon the transaction details may be used to reduce the number of cash combinations. The value represented by the added or removed total mass can be determined from the determined cash combination. The cash device has a weighing device allowing a cash container and the cash within it to have their total mass determined. A sensor detecting the opening and closing of a drawer, lid or door may also be used to trigger weight measurements. A warning can be given if a detected change in mass does not correlate with the transaction details. The invention allows monitoring of transactions to help prevent losses due to employee theft and other fraudulent acts.

Description

Description

The present invention is a system for recording the amount of cash that has been added and/or removed from a device between two points in time. The main implementation for this system would be in an [PUS cash register; however it can also be implemented easily in other cash holding devices, such as cash safes, cash drop boxes etc. In a simple implementation of the invention, this is done by measuring the total mass of cash items before and after an event, such as a cash transaction; finding the difference of those masses and then calculating the combinations of cash items that could have been added and/or removed to produce that mass differential. These combinations are then compared against additional information in order to isolate the correct combination. The additional information could be behavior patterns of users or transaction data. Behavior pattern analysis would involve checking the combinations of coins to see whether it follows standard practice of giving change; giving cash items back of maximum value to reduce the amount of items needed to equate to a sum. Transaction data would involve checking whether the total value of any of the coin combinations is the same as the amount specified for that transaction. Additional information can also be provided to reduce the amount of processing needed to calculate the combinations; for example using transaction data to retrieve the amount of cash that was meant to be added and removed for a transaction would reduce the number of combinations that would need to be checked to find a possible matching one or a possible suspect one.

In order to accomplish this method, the generic system has four main components; the cash storage device, a weighing device, a processing unit and a software driver.

The cash storage device is fashioned such that it will operate like its unmodified counterpart, without any additional operational effort needed by the normal user, to utilize its cash monitoring features. The device also has a modification that allows it to detect different events, such as when it is opened or closed. This enables the system to monitor cash changes against set events, in this example at the end of a transaction when a cash register is closed.

The weighing device is set up inside of the cash storage device in such a way that, when the device is closed or not in use, the cash items and cash receptacle rests on the weighing device. The weighing device is set to measure the total mass of the cash items and cash receptacle on request from the processing unit.

The processing unit is also embedded into the cash storage device; it implements the system flow diagram shown in Figure 2.1. (Note this is a rough version of the devices operation). It is in charge of detecting when the device is opened, closed or other triggered events occur and acquiring the total mass of cash items and cash receptacle from the weighing device. It is also in charge of sending status updates and the total mass to the software driver for further processing and analysis.

The software driver is how the system actually calculates the cash items that were added and removed to the cash storage device between each transaction; it implements the operation flow diagram shown in figure 2.2. The driver is located on a computer system; for the cash register it would be installed on the [P05 till machine. It is designed as a state machine and receives regular messages from the cash register in order to keep itself current. Upon receiving a total mass from the hardware system the driver will then derive the combination of cash items for the transaction, or in a worst-case scenario list possible combinations; these values are then stored in a log file ready to be integrated with other systems.

These components fit together to describe the inventions operation; as shown in figure 2.4.

During normal operation of the cash register and when the cash drawer closes, the cash tray and cash items are mounted on a weighing device. When a signal is sent to the processing unit to indicate a transaction has finished, the processing unit will wait until the weighing device has an accurate measurement and retrieve the mass; the mass is sent to the computer element in the [P05 system and the installed driver will then make the conversion from mass to combinations of cash items. The generated combination(s) is then stored in a log file ready to be integrated with other systems.

When this system is adopted into a retail environment there are 3 different scenarios during a typical day that the invention must be able to handle; as described in Figure 1.1. These are the morning cash reconciliation and setup stage; the normal working day usage stage; and the end of day cash reconciliation and overnight storage stage. The invention has been designed to fit into these different store operations seamlessly and automatically, without any need for regular users to operate differently.

During the morning setup period, as described in Figure 1.2, the cash register starts off the day without a cash tray or cash items inside. The previously recorded mass when the cash register was closed will be around 0. The staff members will remove the cash trays and items from the cash safe and load them into the cash registers 1 by 1. When the cash drawer is opened a message is sent to the computer component in the [POS readying itself for an incoming mass. The tray is loaded and the drawer is closed and the recorded mass of the freshly setup cash tray is recorded. The software driver is able to detect that this is the start of day transaction due to their being such a low mass from the last transaction, the time of the activity, the lack of transaction data and the large increase in mass from the previous measurement. As you can see no additional effort was needed on the hardware or operator.

During the retail working day, the standard activity of the cash register implementation follows figure 1.3. The previously recorded mass will either be the unadulterated cash tray from the morning setup or the mass from the previous transaction. A customer places an order with the till operator, the cash transaction occurs and the cash drawer is opened in response to the print receipt request. When this happens a message is sent to the computer component in the [P05, in order to ready itself for in incoming mass measurement. When the money transaction finishes the cash drawer is closed and the measured mass is sent to the computer. The difference is taken from the previous mass measurement and the cash combinations are calculated as described earlier. Again no additional effort is required from the till operators.

During the End of the working day the cash registers are emptied, the cash is reconciled and stored in the cash safe over night; this operation is described in figure 1.4. The previously measured mass will be from the last transaction of the day. The cash registers are opened, either manually via a key or from a zero cash transaction; and the cash trays are removed.

Upon opening the device, a message is sent to the computer component in the EPOS, readying it to receive a measured mass. Once the cash tray and cash items are removed, the cash drawer is closed and the measured mass will be sent to the computer component. The measured mass will be close to if not zero. The device will remain like this until the next operational morning when the cash trays are reloaded. The driver software can detect the end of day operation due to the time of day, the big loss in measured mass, the close to zero mass, the zero cash transaction or that the drawer was opened with no transaction. Again these scenarios were handled with no alteration to the in-store procedures.

The invention has been designed to operate intrinsically with the current in-store procedures without the need for alterations. This is done by coupling the invention to the cash drawer opening and closing.

While the invention does not alter the in-store procedures for it to operate normally; it can be modified to enhance them to prevent cash loss through mis-operation of the cash till. An example of this would be an alert that goes off when the cash added and removed from the register does not correlate with the amount that was meant to be added and removed, the majority of these incidents are accidental so an alert would be an effective method to prevent them; some however would be caused be intentional theft, the alert would help in this instance as a deterrent, warning the operator that the cash register is being monitored.

A walk through of this implementation is below and is illustrated in Figure 4.3.

When a customer approaches an EPOS for service, a member of staff (system user) will logon to the till machine and enter the customer's order. From there the user will request money from the customer to cover the order and the customer will hand over money to the user. The user will then enter the amount of money handed over into the till machine and press the cash button. The till will then show the amount of change that needs to be given to the customer and a print receipt message will be sent to the printer; the cash register detects this print request and opens the cash drawer. The money is then added to the cash tray and the appropriate amount of change taken out; the drawer is then closed. At this point depending on whether the correct amount of money was entered into and removed from the cash register, either an alert (a beep or screen flash) is sent to the user to warn of the mistake or the change is given to the customer along with the printed receipt as normal.

Another implementation with this invention would be a more traditional method in terms of loss prevention; it would essentially be used as a tool to further enhance a retail chain's fraud detection team. This could be done in 2 ways; it could be used directly to isolate suspicious transactions for investigation; or as an additional data gathering tool and analyzed on a much higher scale.

The implementation where it is used as a tool to highlight suspect transactions is described in Figure 4.4 and the physical topology of such a system is described in figure 4.2. In this example the implementation operates such that whenever a customer transaction occurs the data generated from the EPOS software and the present invention is gathered and sent to a loss-prevention server; there the data is analyzed for suspicious transactions, if one is found then the transaction data is linked with camera footage of the transaction. After this is done the gathered data is sent on to a master loss prevention server for centralized storage and analysis. The overall benefit of using the invention in this manor is the additional methods for identifying potentially suspect transactions that the loss prevention system can use.

Additionally a system can be implemented that simply gathers and forwards data to a centralized location, for storage and analysis. This is shown in figure XX. The system works much in the same way as the previous implementation, however it is used on a much more high level scale; where general behavior trends from employees can be analyzed; if an employee is found to be miss-operating an EPOS on a regular basis this will be high-lighted and a disciplinary or education action can be taken.

Both these implementations can be used in unison, using much of the same features and equipment, without too much additional effort.

Technical Descrintion The previous section gave a brief overview of the invention, its operation and some possible implementations. This section will be focused on a more detailed and technical description of the inventions operation.

As discussed previously the invention is a system of tracking the amount of money being added and / or removed from a device between two specified points in time; whether the point in time is scheduled or whether it is triggered automatically from an event. The main implementation for this system would be in a cash register in an [P05 system. The cash register would function externally as its unmodified counterpart, however additional processes are happening automatically in the background triggered from each transaction; specifically when the cash drawer is opened and closed.

The cash register comprises of several different components: the casing; the base; the cash drawer; the weighing device; the cash tray; the processing unit; the communication cable block; the sliders & guide mechanism; the catch, lock and release mechanism; the printer cable & solenoid firing mechanism and the software driver. Each of these components has a specific purpose and is designed to allow the cash register to function with reliability and functionality without need for additional operational activity from standard users.

The casing is mostly unmodified from the standard cash register; it is used to protect the inner-workings of the register, hide and protect the cash contents of the register from unauthorized access to the cash inside. The casing is to be made from steel or some other material that is hard, tough and strong. The casing is shaped into a hollow cuboid, with an

S

opening on the front and bottom. The frontal opening is to allow for the cash drawer to slide out unfettered. The opening on the bottom is large almost taking up the entire side; it is there to allow the internal contraptions to be placed inside easily during construction.

There are several holes on the rim of the bottom side to allow the base of the cash register to be attached securely.

The Base is a sheet of metal that has been modified for many of the internal mechanisms of the cash register to attach on to it securely; there is a rectangular hole at the rear of the base to allow for communication cables into the cash register. The base is made of a rigid, strong and hard material, most likely steel; as it needs to protect from unauthorized access to the content, protect the internal mechanisms, and also provide a solid structure for the internal mechanisms to attach to. The base attaches to the casing via four screws, the screws each connect through a rubber foot before going through the base and case; in order to give some shock resistance, hide the entry points into the cash register and to prop the cash register up to allow room for communication cables to connect to the register underneath. The weighing device, the guides for the cash drawer, the communication cable block the processing unit and the printer cable & solenoid firing mechanism all connect to the base.

The cash drawer is designed to slide in and out of the cash register through the opening on the front of the case and its purpose is to present the cash tray to the operator only at appropriate times. The drawer rests on the guides attached to the base which angle the tray 205 on a downward slope into the register; the effect of this is that gravity will pull the drawer closed when the register is rested on a level surface. The cash drawer has an open bottom allowing for guides from the weighing device to lift up and take the mass of the cash tray as the drawer is closed. The cash drawer is made from a rigid and strong material with most likely a steel front to help keep the cash contents secure. The cash drawer has a locking 210 mechanism on the front, which is linked to the rear of the cash register either locking the drawer closed, releasing the opening mechanism, locking the drawer open or leaving it in retail mode. There is a compartment that is isolated from the cash tray yet easily accessible on the front of the tray, which can be used to store receipts. This removes the potential of receipts or other non-cash items from being added to the device and giving false readings to 215 the software driver.

The weighing device is an essential part of the inventions operation. It is attached to the base in a central position and linked electronically to the cash registers processing unit. The weighing device's primary purpose is to measure and send the total mass of the cash tray 220 and the cash item contents when requested from the processing unit. The weighing device can be implemented in several different forms, in order to accomplish this; either a single weighing scale can be used or several in unison in order to distribute the total mass between them; the advantages of using multiple scales is the price jump from a single high accuracy and mass range weighing scales and the relatively cheap low mass range models.

225 In either case the single or combined weighing device has a set of guides that are designed to take the load of the cash tray and its contents when the cash drawer is closed, attached to the weighing platform. Due to the masses of standard cash items, the measurement accuracy needed for the invention to work is to 0.Olg, this limitation can be bypassed by using a slightly altered software driver with the drawback of more cash item combinations 230 being produced; depending on the implemented system this may be viable. Due to the mass of the load bearing guides, the cash tray and the cash item contents the weighing device needs to be able to measure masses from Og to around 25kg, this may be able to be lowered to below 2kg depending on the mass of the cash tray, current designs do not focus on keeping the trays light, they are more durability oriented. Due to extended and repeated 235 use throughout the retail day, the weighing scales accuracy will become skewed over time; in order to recalibrate them, the device will automatically calibrate itself to Og at the end of day, when there is effectively no load bar the guides; and at set time intervals throughout the day when the cash drawer is open. By doing this it removes the need for a lot of maintenance on the invention. The functions that the weighing device needs to perform 240 are: turn on and off on request; recalibrate to Og on request; measure and return a mass on request, to the previously described accuracy and range. The weighing device is powered either from the processing units power supply, i.e. the USB interface; or through a power cable that feeds through the communication block at the rear bottom of the cash register.

The cash tray is designed to hold the cash items, be ergonomic for till operators and be 245 removable from the cash register to easily store the cash items and tray in a safe overnight.

The cash tray rests in the cash drawer when it is open and as the drawer closes the guides from the weighing device lift up the tray and the entire mass of the tray and cash contents are transferred to the weighing device. The cash tray needs to be durable, as there is a lot of potential for wear and tear on this component; this occurs from cash being added and 250 removed from it during every transaction, it being added and removed from the cash register and generally being bashed when transported to and from the over-night safe. In addition to the tray needing to be durable, it must also be light. The lighter the cash tray is the less the weighing device needs to measure; hence the cost for that component is reduced. The cash tray has multiple coin compartments, S for the GBP versions and 4 note 255 compartments. There is a spring loaded lever that keeps the notes collated and a smooth curve to allow operators to remove coins easily. Beneath the cash tray there is a docking system with the weighing device guides, this is mainly just tracks for the guides to slide along. There is a ridge along the underneath of side edges to allow the tray to rest in the cash drawer.

260 The processing unit is a printed circuit board that sits in the rear compartment of the cash register. Its primary function is to handle communications with other devices and the general intelligent operations needed in an EPOS system. It has 2 inputs; one from a DSL cable, which allows it to intercept a message when a receipt is printed and to power the solenoid to release the catch on the cash drawer; one from a USB cable, which allows 265 communication with the software driver on the computer component of the [P05. The processing unit receives different messages from the software driver and replies with status updates or measurements depending on the message contents. The processing unit also keeps track of whether it is still connected to the computer, if the connection has been disrupted it attempts to function in an offline mode; this is described roughly in figure 2.1.

270 Depending on the implementation, there are different possible operation modes that the processing unit follows. Should the [P05 data not be used to generate a short list of cash item combinations then the software driver will not request the mass; in this situation the cash register will be initiating the communication with the software driver, sending status updates and messages; much as described in figure 2.1. There is an additional connection to 275 the weighing device, this is used to send requests for it to: turn on; turn off; recalibrate or to measure and send back a mass. There is also an input connected to the processing unit that is linked to a push button, this button is used to monitor the position of the cash drawer i.e. whether it is open or not.

The communication cable block is shaped into a hollow triangular prism with the base open 280 and is made from piece of metal that attaches on to the base plate at the rear of the cash register. It allows for communication cables to connect into the device on the underneath without risk of breaking the copper wire inside, due to an extreme bend. There is a DSL cable port to connect the receipt printer cable to; a USB cable to allow communication with the computer component of the [P05 and allow power into the device. In some 285 implementations a power cable will also come through the communication block.

The slider & guide mechanism is attached to the side edges base, its primary purpose is to allow the cash drawer to slide in and out of the cash register with ease. The guides are not level from front to rear i.e. the front of the attachment to the base is higher than the rear; 290 this allows the cash drawer to slide out on a slight arcing motion. The benefit of this that the drawer will automatically close if left unattended and the drawer rests lower when it is closed; this is needed to let the cash tray rest on the weighing scales when the drawer is closed. The mechanism for the sliders and guides is simply a wheel and guide on both the cash drawer and the attachment to the base (on each side).

The catch, lock and release mechanism for the cash drawer is a system for ensuring the cash register is automatically locked when it is closed, to allow the till operator to open the register with a key or alternatively to set the till into a fully locked position, preventing the cash register from being able to be opened. The lock is located on the front of the cash 300 drawer, this is connected to a catch release system at the rear of the cash drawer, depending on the position of the lock either the solenoid is prevented from releasing the latch and the drawer will be fully locked; the latch is releasable by the solenoid and the cash drawer is locked until this happens, which is the setting for normal operation; or the release is set to always on, opening the cash drawer and leaving it unlocked. As the drawer is closed 305 there is a spring that is compressed, the catch fixes the drawer position leaving the potential energy stored in the spring ready for opening the drawer when the catch is released.

The printer cable & solenoid firing mechanism is a function of the processing unit. When a signal is sent from the receipt printer the signal is received and the power from the DSL 310 cable is channeled into the solenoid, firing it. When it fires it attempts to release the catch on the cash drawer, this will open the cash drawer and a spring will push the cash drawer open.

The software driver is the final component in the cash register invention; it is responsible for 315 communicating with the physical hardware and converting the received masses into cash item combinations. The communication with the processing unit is dependent on the method of implementation; effectively the processing unit and driver act as a state machine.

In the standard configuration the software driver will be initiating and controlling most of the interactions; the driver will store a log of all events that have happened to the cash 320 register, i.e. the drawer being opened both manually and from a solenoid trigger, cash being added and/or removed from the tray, the tray being added and/or removed from the register, the cash register being unplugged from the computer / communication with computer was lost. In the standard configuration the driver will monitor the [P05 till software for any transaction; when one occurs, the information is parsed from the [P05 till 325 log file into the driver; the driver will use the information to calculate a shortlist of possible cash item combinations that could produce the value stated in the transaction. The combinations are limited to a maximum number of cash items based on the statistical tally of number of cash items in a transaction, I have taken 20 as this value as it is highly unlikely that that number of cash items will trade hands in a single transaction. The processing unit 330 will send the updated mass of the cash tray to the driver and from there the mass differential between the current mass and the preceding mass is found. The mass differential is then compared against the short list and the correct combination is isolated. If a combination does not match then either there has been an incorrect amount of money added and/or removed from the cash tray for the transaction; the operator has added a 335 foreign item to the tray, i.e. a receipt; or the currency that has been added are forgeries and have an incorrect mass. This comparison and isolation can be done extremely quickly, especially when compared with calculating the coin combinations from just a mass. Because the calculation is so fast the cash hand over has still not finished; an alert is sent out via a screen flash or beep to notify the till operator that there has been a mistake; this speed is 340 crucial, because when the cash has been handed over to the customer it is too late to undo any mistakes. The till operator will review the change to find out the mistake, open the register using either a key or a zero cost transaction; this is detected by the driver and it acts appropriately, i.e. treating this as an error correction rather than a fresh transaction. The operator will adjust the change and close the drawer; the same calculation is made using 345 the previous transactions measurement rather than the original attempt; if an error is made again this process is repeated. All this information is logged and forwarded to a central server on the stores network.

Alternative implementations of the system would not make use of the [P05 till data and the process would be driven by the hardware. In this system the software driver receives status 350 updates from the processing unit as described previously in its explanation. Messages sent to the driver from the cash register would be: it has been opened, closed, lost connection to the computer component and mass updates. The operation is described roughly in figure 2.2. The mass is taken much like in the standard setup, and the mass differential is calculated. The mass differential is then compared to a database of pre-calculated coin 355 combinations and due to the database being indexed the possible combinations can be generated extremely quickly. If the combinations were to be generated on the till it would take around a day due to the calculation being non-linear in polynomial time, resulting in an exponential growth in the processing time based on the mass being dealt with or the max number of coin items that could be considered for the transaction. The generated list of 360 possible coin combination can then be analyzed, stored and/or integrated with other software systems. The data is forwarded to a central server on the network much like before. There it can be analyzed in more detail. The option for alerting users for incorrect combinations is still there, it would be done by assuming that the till operator would always give the most efficient combination of coins to a customer, i.e. for a transaction of price 365 being £14.99, a £20 note being given and £5.01 being returned, a £5 note and lp is given to the customer rather than a large number of coins; and should a number of combinations be produced from this, a probability being generated for the values of each of the combinations, i.e. it is unlikely transactions of £50-i-occur in a corner shop rather than a £6-transaction.

In order to make the system simple to integrate with, the software driver stores the generated information into a simple log file, which other software can parse from.

The invention deals with the issue of dirty, damaged or defaced money by associating a mass range for each unique cash item, i.e. the mass of a 10 pence coin is specified to be 6.5 375 grams with a percentage above and below that. This process is handled by the software driver.

Alternative designs for the cash register hardware can be found in different retail environments. This leads to different esthetic designs being needed to be made. An example alternative design of the cash register would be the pop lid version rather than the 380 sliding drawer; these are more suited to cramped spaces such as supermarket work checkout stations. The design is much the same in terms of the communication procedure, the main difference is the tray mechanism; as the lid opens the tray will raise up slightly taking the load off the weighing device as the lid closes the tray is lowered on to it again for the measurement. A simple measuring system that would work for any style of cash drawer 385 would be to weigh the entire cash register device. This would be done by connecting the feet of the register to the weighing scale directly and then having the rest of the register attach to the weighing scale, thus weighing the entire device.

Diagram Key for 3.1 & 3.2 1) Drawer slider guide wheel 42) Front Protective Panel 2) Drawer slider guide 43) Lock Mechanism 3) Push Button 44) Drawer Base Floor 4) Pressure Switch 45) Receipt/Storage compartment 5) Spine Prop 46) Coin Storage 6) Casing 47) Coin Storage 7) Processing Unit, PCB with PlC 48) Tray Side 8) USB Cable 49) Tray Overhanging Rim 9) DSL Cable 50) RubberGrip 10) Power Cable 51) Cash Note Storage 11) Catch & Lock mechanism 52) Coin Storage 12) Solenoid 53) Spring 13) Base Plate 54) Cash Clamp 14) Entry point for cabling 55) Underside Weight Prop Guide 15) USB Port 56) Cash Note Storage 16) DSL Port 57) Cash Note Storage 17) Spine for internal attachments 58) Underside Weight Prop Guide 18) Spine Prop 59) Cash Note Storage 19) Spring Attachment 60) Ergonomic corner grip 20) Compression Spring 21) Spring Push surface 22) Drawer Slider Guide 23) Weighing Device 24) Drawer Slider Guide Wheel 25) Front Opening for Cash Drawer 26) Opening for Weighing Device Prop 27) Drawer Side 28) Drawer Slider Guide 29) Drawer Slider Guide Wheel 30) Push-Button Cushion 31) Back panel of drawer 32) Lever connecting Lock & Catch 33) Catch Mechanism 34) Lever Pivot 35) Spring Cushion 36) Drawer Slider Guide Wheel 37) Opening for Weighing Device Prop 38) Drawer Side 39) Drawer Slider Guide 40) Ergonomic Corner for Removing Tray 41) Protective Casing

Description of Drawings

1) Store Process Integration 1.1) Typical Retail Store Day Breakdown Typically retail stores have a set procedure for their staff to follow each working day.

Although there are unique systems and procedures for each company the vast majority will follow an abstracted version of this diagram in one form or another. This diagram shows the breakdown of a typical retail working day, for each section the cash register is operated differently, requiring it to be compatible with each of the unique operations.

1.2) Typical retail store start of day activities The Diagram describes how the invention fits into the start of day process for a typical retail store, as previously described in figure 1.1. Initially the cash trays from the registers will be stored in a cash safe along with the cash. They will be removed and an optional stage of cash reconciliation occurs, here the cash will be counted, the trays will be topped up and the amounts will be recorded by the manager. Once this has finished the cash drawers will be opened via a zero cash transaction on the till or by manually unlocking the cash register.

When the drawer opens the invention will trigger a signal to the computer element of the [P05 till notifying the register. The cash tray is loaded into the cash drawer and the cash drawer is shut, ready to continue for the rest of the operational day. When the drawer is shut the closed process occurs, which weighs the tray and the cash contents, then stores them on the computer element of the EROS system ready for calculating the mass differential for the next transaction.

1.3) Typical retail store working hours operation This diagram shows how the invention interacts with the standard cash register operations throughout a standard retail day. In order to act seamlessly without any additional operation needed from the till operator, the inventions triggered off 2 key events: the cash drawer opening and the cash drawer closing. Much like the start of day activities the actions the register takes are the same, the only notable difference lies with the software driver on the computer component of the [P05 system; where because the previous measured weight is not zero and the transaction was not a zero cash transaction the mass differential is calculated as described later on.

1.4) Typical retail store end of day operation This diagram shows the end of day operations for a typical retail store and how the invention operates with them. Once the operational activities of the EROS system has finished, the store staff needs to remove the cash trays and items from the registers, perform the cash reconciliation process and then store the money in the cash safe overnight. The invention adds benefit to this transaction by providing validating information to check against the cash reconciliation stage. This information is gathered, again like the previous stages in the retail day, on the opening and closing of the cash drawer.

2) System Diagrams 2.1) Apparatus Flow Diagram (Apparatus Driven) This diagram shows the internal operations of the cash register invention throughout the retail day; the diagram gives a rough guide to this; it only follows the inventions behavior during the apparatus driven mode, which is discussed later, rather than the software driven mode. The diagram shows the stages that the processing unit inside the device follows and how it accounts for potential issues that arise; such as being disconnected from the computer component at the start or mid-way through a process.

The invention starts off in a wait mode checking whether the cash register is connected to the software driver (located on the computer component) at regular intervals. If it is disconnected then the invention will keep a log of any activity of the register until it is reconnected, where it sends the list of flags to the software driver. The flags are single Boolean values that each indicate whether a different event has occurred; these can record the cash drawer being opened, closed, if the mass measurement has changed or a few other possible values. When the flags are sent and received they reset, ready for the next time the cash register is disconnected. This provides the system with a way to prevent tampering and track whether money is stolen while it is disconnected. Should the system be constantly connected to the software driver, as designed; the invention will send out messages to the software driver for each of the different events that can occur to the cash register. When the cash drawer is closed the device will measure the mass of the cash tray and cash items and continue to measure it until the mass has settled; this is then sent off to the software driver for storage and further processing.

2.2) Apparatus hardware driver (Apparatus Driven) This diagram shows the software drivers processes and internal operation as the counterpart for the previous diagram; this is how the software driver roughly works when the invention (cash register) is driving the process. The software driver sits on the computer component in the [P05 system; it is responsible for integrating the invention into useful software systems. The driver starts in a wait mode, where it checks that the cash register is connected at regular intervals; if it isn't connected then the driver sends an alert notifying the till operator that the cash register has been disconnected, then it prepares to receive the activity flags when the cash register is reconnected, these flags are stored in a log file for reference and later use. When the software driver receives an activity message from the cash register the information is parsed into a log file much the same way. When a close message is received the cash and tray mass is processed into a list of possible cash item combinations arid then stored in a log file. At this point the software driver returns to its wait mode until another message comes from the cash register.

2.3) Apparatus Flow Diagram (Software Driver Driven) This diagram shows the internal operations of the cash register invention throughout the retail day; it shows a rough example of how it operates and so does not fully include systems for sanity checking or possibly other mechanisms. The diagram only follows the inventions operation during the software driven mode, which is discussed later; rather than the cash register driven implementation. The main difference between this and the previous apparatus flow diagram (Figure 2.1) is that the cash register receives requests from the software driver; these requests can be to open the cash drawer, record the mass of the tray and contents, to recalibrate the scales or a number of other activities. The flow diagram shows the invention starting in a wait mode checking whether the cash register is connected to the software driver (located on the computer component) at regular intervals. If it is disconnected then the invention will keep a log of any activity of the register until it is reconnected, where it sends corresponding flags to the software driver. The flags are single Boolean values that each indicate whether a different event has occurred; these can record the cash drawer being opened, closed, the mass measurement has changed or a few other possible values. When the flags are sent and received they reset, ready for the next time the cash register is disconnected. This provides the system a way to prevent tampering or theft while it is disconnected. If the cash register is connected messages will be sent to the software driver for the open and close drawer events. When the device drawer is closed the software driver will send a mass request, the invention will receive the request and send the mass of the tray and cash items back.

2.4) Apparatus hardware driver (Software Driver Driven) This diagram shows the software driver's processes and internal operation as the counterpart for the previous diagram; this is roughly how the software driver works when the software is driving the process. The software driver sits on the computer component in the EPOS system; it is responsible for integrating the invention into useful software systems.

This diagram only shows a rough model of the driver's internal process and should not be seen as exact, it has been included to give a feel for the concept of how it works and how it is intended to work; it lacks proper sanity checking and may overgeneralize! ignore certain processes. The key difference between this diagram and the cash register driven counter-part (Figure 2.2), is the checking of the transaction data log-file for updates, when this file is updated the software driver will parse the new transaction data and calculate the cash item combinations that could result from the value of money given to and received from the customer; these combinations are effectively a shortlist. At the same time the software drives the cash register to retrieve the mass of the cash items and tray when the drawer is closed. Once the mass is received a mass differential is calculated from the received mass and the mass associated with the immediately preceding transaction; this mass differential represents the mass of coinage and notes that were collectively added and! or removed from the register in that transaction. From here the software driver compares the shortlist of cash item combinations with the mass differential, any combination, which could not produce the mass differential are eliminated. Should one or multiple remain then these are stored in the database, ready for uses by 3rd party software in order to either centrally store it for review, alternatively if there are no remaining coin combinations then it would imply there has been a user related error with the cash transaction; being it either a miss-entry of the transaction, miss handling of the money involved or alternatively fake coinage/notes used. For these a 3rd party software would be used to alert till operators of incorrect money or other potential issues.

3) Physical Apparatus 3.1) Cash Register Component Layout This figure shows several diagrams of a rough blueprint / layout for the drawer style cash register with the cash tracking enhancements. There are three main components of this style cash register, which can be seen here; the Cash Register, the cash Drawer and the cash tray.

The cash register has 2 main compartments: the rear compartment, which contains the Processing unit (7), the input cables (8 & 9), micro sensor (3 & 4) to detect drawer position, solenoid (12) to release the catch mechanism (11) and a spring (19, 20 & 21) to force out the cash drawer. The frontal main compartment is designed to house the cash drawer, allowing it to slide in and out of the register dependent on the catch and release mechanism (11, 12 & 33); there is also the weighing device (23) and a mechanism to transfer the mass load of the cash tray away from the cash drawer onto the weighing device; there is also two wheels and guides (1, 2, 22 & 24), which when coupled with the cash drawers sliding mechanism it allows the drawerto slide in and out in an arcing motion.

The Cash Drawer has a frontal storage section (45) to allow operators to store till receipts or other items away from the weighable cash tray. There is a locking mechanism (43) on the front panel (42), which attaches to a level (32) on the underside of the drawer that connects to a catch mechanism (33) at the rear of the drawer; this is pivoted (34) on the center. There are 2 large spaces (26 & 37) on the base of the drawer to allow for the props to come through and transfer the mass load away from the side ledges (28 & 39) of the drawer.

There are guides (38 & 27) on the outer edges of the drawer with a wheel (29 & 36) at the rear corners to allow low friction sliding in and out of the register. There is an ergonomic corner (40) to allow till operators to remove the cash tray easily and there are cushions (30 &35) to remove the wear and tear aspect of the drawer from the spring and push button mechanisms.

The cash tray is designed to rest in the drawer with its rim (48) on the inner ledges of the drawer. There are two slider guides (55 & 58) on the underside of the tray to allow the weight transfer props to connect easily with the tray. There are coin compartments (46, 47 & 62) at the front of the tray for easier access and cash note storage (51, 56, 57 & 59) at the rear. The coin compartments are at the front to allow easier access and for the center of mass to be closer to the front, assisting the load transfer mechanism. There are grippers (53, 54 & 50) on each note compartment to help keep them orderly.

3.2) Assembled Cash Register This figure shows the assembled cash register using the 3 components from the previous diagram; the cash register is shown with the cash drawer closed and opened with the layout of all the internal components for each state. You can see the overlaps quite clearly compared to the previous diagram.

4) System Implementations 4.1) EPOS System This diagram shows a basic layout and the components of an [P05 system. This setup has 3 main devices: The Computerized Till, which consists of a computer, a touch screen and a swipe card system enclosed in a case; the Cash Register (invention), which contains a removable cash tray and the cash items (coinage and notes); and the Receipt Printer. EP0S till software is running on the encased computer (4) and is displayed on the display (2). The touchscreen (1) is the primary input device and overlays the display (2), allowing the till operator to enter transaction information. Multiple operators can use a single [P05 till so the need for Employee ID card system (3) arises. When a transaction has finished being entered into the [POS till software, a print receipt message is sent down the DSL cable (10) to the receipt printer (8). The signal is also forwarded down the DSL cable (9), which triggers a solenoid in the cash register (5), opening the spring loaded cash drawer (6); this is assuming the locking mechanism (7) is not fully locked. The USB cable (11) connects the encased computer (4) to the cash register (5) allowing power and data transfer.

4.2) EPOS & Loss Prevention System Diagram This diagram shows the different components in a typical in-store loss prevention solution, where the invention is implemented. In a typical retail store there are one or more [P05 till systems with a camera monitoring system overlooking them; the cash register invention is integrated into these [P05 systems. The store cameras are connected either to a Camera server or a DVR server to store all footage in a digital format. The till computers are connected via Ethernet to a store LAN and communicate with a Till Server in order to store all the transaction data; also on the LAN is a Loss Prevention Server, which records all transactions and attempts to link suspicious transactions with camera footage of that [P05 system at that time, these are stored on a local database; this server can be on the same machine as the Till Server. The concept is that many stores in a chain will have this system implemented and the data from the loss prevention server will be forwarded over the Internet to a HO server for centralized analysis and action.

4.3) Loss Prevention System in EPOS Real Time This diagram shows a flow diagram for a loss prevention system that can be implemented with the invention, similar to the previous diagram. The loss prevention system shown revolves around real-time prevention of miss counted change; meaning during a cash transaction if a till operator is about to give incorrect money back to the customer then an alarm/alert will notify the operator to double check the money. This system is mainly focused inside the [POS system itself and only forwards information to the Loss Prevention Server for centralized storage. The system works by parsing the transaction data from the [PUS software as soon as the till operator presses the cash button; this will trigger the receipt printer to print, the cash drawer to open and the information to be stored in a log file. The amount of money for the transaction and the value of change to be given is extracted; the possible combinations of coins and notes that could equate to those values.

These combinations are short listed along with the mass needed for each of them and when the measured mass is received from the cash register; the possible combinations are isolated from the shortlist; if there is none that fit the received mass then an alert is sounded ready for the user to recheck the transaction. In any case the information is stored in a log file and forwarded to the Loss Prevention Server for further storage and analysis.

4.4) Loss Prevention System in EPOS Data Gathering This diagram shows a flow diagram for the data collection for a long term loss prevention system. The main aim for this system is to gather data from all transactions; detect suspicious transactions and link them with video footage; and store them at a centralized location for advanced review and analysis. A generic reporting tool will be used for the later stages of review and analysis from the centralized database. Like the previous system when a transaction is entered into the EPOS till software arid the cash button is pressed, the receipt is printed, the cash drawer is opened and the transaction data is stored in a log file.

When the cash drawer is closed the mass is sent to the software driver and the mass is stored locally. The end of the transaction has effectively happened; however the computer system proceeds to gather all the relevant data and forwards it to the loss prevention server, it is then checked to see if it is suspicious; i.e. if there was a mass change in the cash register when no transaction occurred, this would indicate that an employee may have opened the cash register and removed some money. If so it is linked with video footage of the transaction. This is then stored on a centralized database for review by the loss prevention team. They can find patterns of behavior and review whether employees are making too many mistakes or purposefully stealing from tills; so relevant action can be taken.

Patent Search Related Patents ID Title 1 (At REGISTER HA1NG DRAWER COMPREHENDIF' NIBPE_PfNOMINATIONS AND

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2 EP0124976 (M)_n_WgjgFjpparatus and method: 3 ftQ4P79 4 EP0724242 L)_2_JgflQyfmgpts in or relating to cash registers

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6 G32232261 LELEtI1HiAPPARATUS 8 GB2404765 and expected c_hpjclijg GB24O7194 L_Qgtgcilngfjjd at a P05 rerminal bjcompadnm2cuaI and expected cash dota 12 032411035 (A) -Monotoring cash handling in a retail E?n'Jironrnerlt 13 ?JAi 14 GB2417093 _cfr werJncioding electronic scales 16 U54522275 LSir_cdF_P14Ug]flR aDparatus and method 17 Y572JkS)_rcah±egJSteX5 18 WO2ooso3sz1_(Jj_1±&ffigpyEMENTS IN CASH CCUNIING 19 WWQQ1) U1QENJ1E'LE&QVNJ]NS W09850895 (Al) -DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF COINS IN A P05 CASH DRAWER Terms of Reference 3rd Party Software -Complimentary computer software, which can Integrate with or use the invention Alert -A beep or screen flash to get the attention of a system user Activity Message -Information sent from the cash register to the computer till describing the cash registers activities while it was disconnected from the computer Boolean Value -A value with only 2 possibilities, usually True or False Cash Drawer -The component of the complete cash register, which slides in and out of the box; it's designed to hold the cash tray Cash Drop Box -A cash storage device where the cash items are dropped into a box for collection at the end of the day. These are commonly used on buses Cash Holding Device -A device for storing cash, such as a safe, drop-box or register Cash Item -A denomination of currency, usually either a coin or cash note. In the context of this invention any item that represents cash and has a calculable mass Cash Item Combination -A combination of cash items that has been generated Cash Loss -Loss of cash from the register from either mishandling of money, theft or otherwise Cash Note Compartment -A section of the cash tray for storing cash notes Cash Reconciliation -A process in a retail store where the cash it collected and counted for record keeping, at the start and end of the day Cash Register -A device in the [P05 system for storing the cash items between transactions Cash Safe -Large storage unit for keeping cash and precious items safe overnight Cash Storage Device -See Cash Holding Device Cash Transaction -A retail transaction, where a customer purchases something at the [P05 system using cash items Cash Tray -A tray with containers for storing all the cash items in the cash register; it sits in the cash drawer and is removable Catch Mechanism -A mechanism inside the cash register which prevents the cash drawer from opening CCTV -Camera system linked with monitors and video storage Close Message -An activity message Coin Compartment -A section in the cash tray for storing coin items Communication Cable -An electrical cable that sends data in a standard format between the EPOS system components.

Common standards are LJSB, RS232 and DSL Communication Cable Block -A block that provides an entry point for all the needed communications cables into the Computer Component -See Computerized Till Computer Element of the [P05 -See Computerized Till Computerized Till -The component in the EPOS system, which coordinates, processes, stores and communicates transaction activity between devices.

Counterfeit Cash -Fake cash items, most have a different weight from their official counterparts Data Gathering Tool -A software and hardware system, which is setup to collect potentially useful data and distribute it to a centralized place Data Transfer -The process of information being sent from one computer to another Display -A graphical display device, a screen or touch-screen Docking System -A mechanical system to transfer the mass load from the cash drawer to the weighing device DSL Cable -A communication cable that is used to transfer data to and from the printer [POS -Electronic Point of Sale, consists of a computerized till machine, a cash register, a receipt printer and other possible devices [P05 Till Software -A computer program that runs on the computer till; it allows the user to manage transactions easily.

[P05 System -See [PUS Ethernet Cable -A communication cable that is used to connect computers in a LAN False Reading -An inaccurate reading based Flag -Stored data, which is forwarded on as an activity message Forgeries -See Counterfeit Cash Fraudulent Cash -See Counterfeit Cash HO. Server -A computer system located at the headquarters of a retail chain, it is used to control all the loss prevention servers in the retail stores Input Cables -See Communication Cables LAN -Local Area Network. A network of computers Log File -A file containing records of all transactions from a single [PUS system Locking Mechanism -See Catch Mechanism Loss Prevention Server -The computer system that collects and processes data in a store and forwards it on to the HO server Loss Prevention System -Hardware and software that's used to prevent loss of money through accidental or illegal activity Loss Prevention Team -The team in a retail chain who are responsible for detecting and preventing fraud and shrinkage Mass Differential -The difference in mass measured from two adjacent transactions Miss-Operation -An activity where the till operator accidentally enters the wrong transaction information or miss handles the amounts of money Offline Mode -An operational mode where the cash register has become unconnected from the computer component Online Mode -An operational mode where the cash register is connected to the computer component Operational Mode -A set of internal processes in the cash register Operators -An employee or otherwise who uses the EPOS system PCB -See Printed Circuit Board PlC Chip -Printed Integrated Circuit POS -See EPOS Power Transfer -The electrical power sent down a power cable Printer Cable -See DSL Cable Printed Circuit Board -An electronic circuit board Processing Unit -A component inside the cash register. It is a PCB Pressure Sensor -See Push Button Push Button -An electrical component that detects whether the cash drawer is open or closed Real-Time -A process that happens almost instantly Register -See Cash Register Regular Users -See Till Operator Recalibration -The process of correcting any measurement mistakes with the weighing device.

Receipt Printer -An EPOS component that produces receipts Release Mechanism -See Solenoid and Catch Mechanism Reporting Tool -A piece of software used to extract and analyze data from a database Retail Store -A shop that performs retail transactions that are either services or selling products Sanity Checking -A process that validates that data is correct in a computer program Screen Flash -A type of alert Shortlist -A generated list of Cash Item Combinations Shrinkage -The amount of money that is lost from profits through accidents and illegal activity Software Driver -A computer program that communicates with the cash register hardware Software Process -A computer program running on a computer Solenoid -An electrical component, which opens the catch on the cash drawer Slider & Guide Mechanism -See Wheels and Guide Sliding Mechanism -See Wheels and Guide Spring-Loaded -A mechanism in the cash register where a spring is compressed and kept under tension; when released it pushes the cash drawer out of the register Suspect Transaction -See Suspicious Transaction Suspicious Transaction -A transaction that is likely to be devious Sweetheart -The person gaining profit from a sweet-hearting Sweet-hearting -An illegal activity where a till operator undercharges or falsifies the transaction data to give free products to friends Tampering -Placing weights or other items to mess with the readings of a cash register Till Miss-Operation -An activity where a transaction has not happened correctly Till Operator -An employee who enters transaction data into the EPOS system Till Receipt -A printed note summary of a transaction, that is handed to the customer Touch Screen -A display and input device that the till operator uses to interact with the EPOS software Transaction -The process of a customer requesting goods / service and a till operator dealing with the request using the EPOS system Transaction Data -The transaction information stored in a log file by the EPOS software USB Cable -A communication cable used for communication between the cash register and the computer component Useful Software Systems -See 3 Party Software Weighing Device -The component of the cash register, which measures the mass of the cash tray and contents Wheels and Guide -The mechanism, which allows the cash drawer to slide in and out of the register easily Zero Cash Transaction -A transaction on the EPOS system, which is effectively blank; it's used to open the cash register from the EPOS software Brief In the retail industry, fraud costs billions of dollars each year; it has been estimated that total retail losses in 2009 were in the order of $33.5 billion and $36.5 billion in 2008. It is estimated that of this direct loss in profits (Also known as shrinkage) employee theft accounted for nearly 46.8% of it, administrative error accounted for 14.4% and unknown errors accounted for 2.86%. (These figures are from the National Retail Federation and 2006 National Retail Security Survey from the University of Florida). Each category contains quite a broad scope of activities, but the main shrinkage issues that are relevant to the present invention are: * Till miss operation * Employee theft from cash registers * Employee theft during cash reconciliation * Counterfeit cash items being used Currently it has proven difficult to reduce the shrinkage from these areas due to the lack of accurate cash flow monitoring during cash transactions. The current solutions that attempt to do this have mainly used patterns of behavior and intense investigation, linking ENDS data with CCTV camera footage to highlight suspect transactions; i.e. low cost transactions, refunds etc. The invention aims to provide these systems with the ability to determine the amount of money at the end of retail transactions, at the start and end of the day and at specified times throughout the day. The benefits of having this function in loss prevention systems are: * Wider scope of suspect transactions * Validation for cash-reconciliation procedures in stores * Real-time alerts for users to prevent accidental losses * Detection of counterfeit cash * More advanced data analysis for sweetheart and other visual fraud detection The additional benefits for the invention beyond loss prevention systems are mainly oriented around data collection and analysis. The invention can also be implemented into several different cash holding devices to similar effect. A cash-safe is a good example of this, as during its operation it is very similar to a cash register.

Claims (3)

1. <claim-text>Claims I) A method of calculating the combination of cash items added to and/or removed from a device between two points in time; which uses the difference in the total mass of the cash items summed with the total mass of a plurality of apparatus with static mass, measured at those two points in time; to query against a database of previously calculated cash item combinations each with the resultant mass of that combination (total mass of cash items added minus the total mass of cash items removed); in order to generate a list of potential cash item combinations, for the purpose of reducing the list further to a single potential combination using analytical methods.</claim-text> <claim-text>2) Claim 1 where the generated list of potential cash item combinations is then further reduced using a method based on the expected behavior from an operator or an expected pattern in the cash items being added and/or removed.</claim-text> <claim-text>3) Claim 1 where the generated list of potential cash item combinations is then further reduced using a method based on the prior knowledge of the cash item combination or an expected cash item combination.</claim-text> <claim-text>4) A method of validating an expected combination of cash items being added to and/or removed from a device, between two points in time; that uses the difference in the total mass of the cash items summed with the total mass of a plurality of apparatus with static mass, measured at those two points in time.</claim-text> <claim-text>5) A method of generating a list of cash item combinations from a provided value of currency to be added and a value to be removed from a cash holding device; done by iteratively generating the combinations to a predefined finite maximum number of cash items, using an algorithm.</claim-text> <claim-text>6) Claim 4 where the generated difference in mass is compared against a list of previously calculated cash item combinations in Claim 5 (that could have been added and/or removed from the device) in order to remove incorrect combinations to isolate a small number of possible cash item combinations; for the purpose of identifying the likelihood that the removed cash items from the device match the provided total value of currency to be added and / or removed from the device.</claim-text> <claim-text>7) Claims 1 to 6 where the mass of the cash item combinations are matched against the calculated difference in mass, based on an upper and lower limit defined as the given mass plus or minus a percentage of each cash item dependent on which unique type it is; for the purpose of correctly identifying damaged and / or dirty cash items (i.e. a torn cash note, scratched coin or cash items with a small amount of dirt on them).</claim-text> <claim-text>8) A cash storage apparatus, characterized by comprising: a weighing component for weighing the total mass of the cash container and cash item contents; a processing unit for the purpose of communicating the measured mass on request to a computer.</claim-text> <claim-text>9) Claim 8 where the cash storage apparatus is a cash register device, with enhancements comprising: A sensor detecting when the cash drawer or lid has opened and closed; the weighing device being embedded into the cash register beneath the sliding cash drawer or cash tray housing; an enhancement to the processing unit where communication is made to a computer element in an electronic point of sale system, describing the activities of the cash register and managing the mass measurement when the cash drawer or lid is closed, for the purpose of synchronizing the mass recordings with retail transactions and/or the use of the cash register.</claim-text> <claim-text>10) Claim S where the cash storage apparatus is a cash safe, with enhancements comprising: A sensor to detect when the cash safe is opened and closed; an enhancement to the processing unit where communication is made from the cash safe to a computer system whenever the cash safe door is opened and closed, and for managing and communicating the mass measurement on the closure of the cash safe door, for the purpose for synchronizing its use.</claim-text> <claim-text>11) A system that implements the method of Claims 1, 2, 3 & 7 comprising the cash register invention in claim 9 and a software component running on the computer element of the EPOS system, that manages the computer components side of communication between the cash register and the computer component, and also processes the retrieved information; during use of the cash register in a retail transaction, when the drawer or lid is closed the mass of the cash items, tray and plurality of other apparatus with a static mass is measured and the total is sent to the software component on the computer element; the software calculates the mass difference between the received mass value and the previous mass value, the differential mass represents the combination of cash items added and/or removed from the cash register from the latest retail transaction; the mass differential is further processed by the software by generating all the possible cash item combinations that could account for that mass differential to a finite maximum number of cash items; the produced list of combinations is processed in order to be reduced to a single cash item combination; this is done by the techniques in claims 2&3.</claim-text> <claim-text>12)A system that implements the method of Claims 4, 5, 6 & 7 comprising the cash register invention in claim 9 and a software component running on the computer element of the EPOS system, that manages the computer components side of communication between the cash register and the computer component, and also processes the retrieved information; during a retail transaction the software monitors transaction data produced by retail transaction management software and parses the data into several values, those being the value of cash received and the value of cash to be returned; the software then generates all the possible coin combinations, up to a predefined maximum number of cash items, that could equate to those values; meanwhile when the cash registerTs drawer or lid is closed the mass of the cash items, tray and plurality of other apparatus with a static mass is measured and the total is sent to the software component on the computer element; the software calculates the mass difference between the received mass value and the previous mass value, the differential represents the combination of cash items added and/or removed from the cash register from the latest retail transaction; the mass differential is then checked against the produced list of cash item, combinations, all possible cash item combinations that match are listed and stored; if there is at least one cash item combination in the list then the system validates that the transaction was likely to be correctly handled.</claim-text> <claim-text>]3)A method of preventing the accidental or purposeful misconduct in the operation of the cash register invention in Claim 8, where an incorrect number of cash items are added and/or removed from the cash register during the cash hand-over stage of retail cash transactions; by further extending the system in claim 11 or 12 by linking a form of alert to the operator, using the results of the system; the alert would either be a sound or some form of display and be triggered if there is zero cash item combinations in the produced list, which indicates that it is highly unlikely the operation occurred correctly or that there was some form of measurement or input error into the system.</claim-text> <claim-text>14)A method for analyzing behavior trends of retail employees and for gathering information that further facilitates the prevention of loss in profits through illegal and/or accidental activity; by further extending the system in claim 11 or 12 by forwarding all produced and stored data to a centralized computer system along with the transaction information and video footage from the relevant transactions.</claim-text> <claim-text>]5)A system that comprises the cash safe in claim 10 and software running on a computer system in a centralized location; whereby after use of the cash safe when the safe door is closed the cash safe will measure the mass of its contents and send the measured mass to the software running on the computer via a communication cable; the mass is then stored along with mass differential from the current and previous mass measurement, for the purpose of tracking and monitoring activity of the cash safe.</claim-text> <claim-text>16)A system that comprises the cash safe system in claim 15 and the cash register system in claims 11 or 12; where during the start and end of the retail day when the cash trays and cash item contents are moved from the cash safe to the cash registers or vice versa; the centralized computer system determines whether the measured mass from the cash safe roughly equates to the total of all the cash register(s) mass measurement; for the purpose of determining whether any cash items disappear during this process and to validate the records kept by the store employees.</claim-text> <claim-text>17)A system that further extends the cash safe system in claim 15; for the tracking of non-cash items added to and/or removed from the cash safe; by further processing the received masses on the centralized computer system; by using the total recorded masses of the safes contents and the mass differentials from each usage of the cash safe; in order to uniquely identify items by extrapolating their unique masses via an algorithm and storing this information along with usage times, mass changes and mass recordings for later use.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1) An enhanced cash register device that contains a combination of the following features: an internal weighing mechanism to measure the total weight of the cash token contents; and electronics to manage the internal mechanisms and communicate the results to an external computer.
2. 2) A further enhancement to the cash register device in claim 1, where it also contains an internal mechanism to detect the opening and closing of the cash register drawer and is able to determine whether that operation is triggered manually or electronically.
3. 3) A method of determining whether an amount of cash that has being added and/or removed from the cash register device in claim 1, is correct for a relevant retail transaction; that uses an internal weighing mechanism housed inside the cash register to measure the total weight of all the cash contents before and after the cash has been added and/or removed, and subsequently measure the change in weight.4) claim 3 where the weight change is sent to a processor element, that has access to the transaction information for the payment and refund values, in order to generate a list of possible cash token combinations; each element of the list is compared against the change in weight and discarded if it could not produce it.LU0 5) Claim 4 where the reduced list of cash token combinations is reduced further by removing combinations that do not correlate with expected user behaviors (such as odd cash tokens combinations) or by using additional transaction information to eliminate elements from the list.6) Claims 4&5 where the reduced list of cash token combinations is further processed to produce a probability value that is used to determine the level of suspiciousness of that specific transaction; and used to integrate the system into other fraud detection systems.7) A method of generating the combination of cash tokens that has been added and/or removed from the cash register device in claim 1, which uses the internal weighing system housed inside the cash register to measure the total weight of all the cash contents at two points in time, in order to calculate the change in weight between those two point.8) Claim 7 where the change in weight is used by a processor element, to cross reference a database containing a preprocessed data, containing cash combinations for each weight change value; the list of values is retrieved and then cross-referenced against transaction data in order to find the most likely cash combination.9) Claim S where the reduced list of cash token combinations is reduced further by removing combinations that do not correlate with expected user behaviors (such as odd cash tokens combinations) or by using additional transaction information to eliminate elements from the list.10) Claims S&9 where the reduced list of cash token combinations is further processed to produce a probability value that is used to determine the level of suspiciousness of that specific transaction; and used to integrate the system into other fraud detection systems.11) Any previous claim where the weight of each cash token is seen asa probability distribution, and processed as such; where the distribution is caused by production defects, damage, dirt, and/or marks.12) A method of preventing accidental or purposeful misconduct in the operation of the cash register in claim 1, where when the generated suspicion value in claim 6&10, is above a certain level an alert is generated to cause the operator to recheck the cash tokens about to be given to the customer and to re-gather the change amount if needed.C_ 13) A method of preventing accidental or purposeful misconduct in the operation of the cash register in claim 1, where the transaction information, relevant cash token combination information generated in previous claims are forwarded to a centralized database system, for the purpose of detecting potential erroneous user o activity, abnormally high mistakes from a single operator or store, and to reconcile any discrepancies with store cash logs.</claim-text>