MXPA00004696A - Currency recycling automated banking machine media gate - Google Patents

Abstract

An automated banking machine (10) identifies and stores documents such as currency bills deposited by a user. The machine then selectively recovers such documents from storage areas and dispenses them to other users. The machine includes a central transport (70) in which documents which are deposited are oriented and identified. Such documents are then routed to storage areas in recycling canisters (92, 94, 96, 98) when a user subsequently requestsa dispense of documents. Documents are selectively picked from the storage areas and delivered to the customer. Media gates (116, 118, 120, 122) are used to selectively direct documents between remote transport segments (108, 110, 112, 114) and canister delivery transports (124, 126, 128, 130). The media gates operate by selectively directing documents through an intersection (421) in engagement with transversely offset belt flights (396, 422). A diverter member (430) selectively deforms the belt flights of the remote transport segment so as to guide documents to and from an associated canister delivery transport.

Description

DOOR MEANS FOR AN AUTOMATED BANK MACHINE FOR RECYCLING MONEY TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to automated banking machines, specifically this invention relates to an automated banking machine that allows bills, notices or other documents deposited by a customer to be identified and stored in the machine, and subsequently selectively supplied to another customer.

ANTECEDENTS OF ART Automated banking machines are known in the prior art. Automatic banking machines are used to carry out securities transactions. A popular type of automated banking machine is an ATM machine. Other types of automated banking machines are used to count and source cash. These machines are frequently used by tellers or representatives of customer service in banking transactions and other transactions. Other types of automated banking machines are used to receive or make payments, to supply or receive tickets, cash traveler's checks or other documents or items of value, or to electronically verify or transfer funds.

ATM machines commonly accept deposits from customers and process deposits using the devices which are separate from the devices which supply the bills and other items to the customers. Most commonly the depositors of an automatic teller machine require that the customers place your deposits an envelope. The envelope is accepted in the storage machine. Even when the client indicates the value of the contents of the envelope, the customer's account is often not credited by the amount of the deposit until the envelope removed from the ATM machine by a bank staff and the contents are verified.

Other ATM machines are capable of receiving checks and other negotiable instruments. Such machines may include a device such as that shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,422,467. Devices of this type can be used to cancel and produce electronic check machines which are deposited in an ATM machine. L canceled checks are stored in the machine for later removal by bank staff.

Money notes, traveler's checks, and other documents and sheet materials are commonly stocked by an ATM machine and are usually housed in removable cans. The sheets are uploaded from the cans and delivered by the machine to the customers. Periodically, these cans must be removed from the machine and the supply of the sheets must then be filled. This is the work of an intensive activity. To replace the cans, a safe part of the ATM machine must be open. The cans in the machine must be removed and in new cans which include a new supply of sheets must be placed in the machine. Alternatively, the cans in the machine must be opened, money or other sheets must be added and then replaced. After the boats are placed again the assurance part of the machine must be closed.

The replacement or resupply of the boats often requires transporting the full boats to the machine and returning the partially exhausted boats to a remote location. Even though efforts have been made in the design of the boat to minimize opportunities for looting, there is always some risk. Therefore, such activities are normally carried out by armed transporters. More than one person is often assigned to any task where they have access to cash or other securities on the machine. Because numerous individuals may be involved in the loading of replacement boats, transporting the replacement boats to the ATM machines, replacing the boats, returning the removed boats, and auditing the contents of the returned boats, It is often difficult to identify the cause of any losses.

The need to periodically replace cash cans is an inconvenience because the ATM machine must be closed. Customers are not able to use the ATM machine while the cash supply is being refilled, and opportunities to conduct transactions are missed and this may result in customer dissatisfaction. Clients will also be disappointed if the filling operations were not carried out frequently enough, and the machine is bent on cash or other documents.

Other types of automated banking machines, such as those that supply cash to customer service representatives, have the same disadvantages as ATM machines. The periodic resupply of cash or other valuable documents that are supplied by machine must be done to keep the machine in operation. Even when such machines accelerate the customer's effective assortment service, there is a significant cost associated with segregation, preparation and transportation of cash. before it is placed inside the machine. Other banking machines were developed to identify and count cash. Such machines can be used in banking and sales environments. The machines which count the money usually require that the money be preoriented in a particular way to obtain proper identification. This consumer of time for the person who operates the machine. Many cash machines also tend to reject valid notes due to the natural deterioration that occurs in bills or money of the United States of America. The speed associated with such account machines and cash acceptance is also less than desirable in many cases.

The automated banking machines which are capable of receiving the cash, of identifying the particular ticket and the denomination of the tickets, of storing money and of subsequently supplying it to a customer have been used in other countries outside the United States of America. Such recycling machines are feasible in countries such as the Jap where the money bills include a special feature, which facilitates their identification by the machines.

However, such recycling machines have not been generally feasible with United States money bills.

America which generally do not include special features that facilitate identification by the machine. The money notes of the United States of America are also subject to a wide range of conditions such as soiled and laundered, which do not make a bill suitable for use, but which make it very difficult for a machine to do so. identify properly.

Recycling type banking machines Money that has been developed also generally suffer from slow operating speeds.This is particularly true when the machines are used to process a large number of bills.Such machines often require that the bills are oriented in a particular manner and considerable time is associated. With the rejection of the billet due to inadequate orientation, the handling of the sheets to facilitate identification and storage is also a time-consuming process.After a sheet is initially identified as adequate and has been stored in the machine, it is generally not there is a verification to be sure that the original determination of the type and character of the ticket - correct. As a result of this, a customer may receive a wrongly identified note. This can reduce customer satisfaction.

Therefore, there is a need for automated bank money recycling machines that are reliable to operate more quickly and which can be used with United States and other United States and other documents, which have a range broad properties.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine for recycling bills.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated bank recycling machine that is reliable and operates more quickly.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine for recycling money that works with banknotes and other documents having a wide variety of properties.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated money recycling machine that is capable of unstacking and separating the documents that enter a stack.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine that guides documents in relation to a sheet path while moving such documents at a high rate of speed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated money recycling banking machine that can transport a plurality of documents in a sheet path concurrently and at a high speed rate.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated money recycling machine that identifies documents and which returns unidentifiable documents to a customer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine for money recycling that allows a customer to deposit the documents with a bank machine, and after the documents have been identified, the choice to either deposit the documents or return them.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated money recycling machine that can identify the deposited documents without importing their orientation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated money recycling banking machine that allows the deposited documents to be stored selectively in storage areas in the machine.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated money recycling machine that allows the selective storage of documents deposited in removable cans.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated bank money recycling machine that allows a retrieval of the documents stored in the storage areas and to deliver the documents to the clients.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine in which documents can be concurrently transported, oriented stored in storage areas and be supplied from other storage areas within the machine.

The additional objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following better modes for carrying out the invention and the appended claims.

The foregoing objects are achieved in a preferred embodiment of the present invention by means of an automated bank money recycling machine. The machine has a document handling mechanism which includes an entry / exit area in which a client can insert documents that are to be deposited and from which a client can retrieve documents and can receive them.

A customer deposits documents in a stack through an opening in the machine enclosure. L documents are moved from the entry / exit area to the central transportation. In an unstacking area, documents are removed from the stack one by one by an unstacked device and are separated into a single stream of separate documents. Documents are moved along a path in the central transport documents. The documents move the central transport and are stretched by a stretching device to appropriately angularly orient these relation to the direction of travel along the path of the document. The documents are also moved by an alignment device to align them in a proper centered relationship in the document's path. L documents are also moved through a flipping device which flips the document stream while maintaining the angular and centered orientation of them.

Each document is then moved beyond document type identifier device. The identifier device operates to classify documents as already identifiable which are acceptable to the machine, or identifiable or otherwise unacceptable. The identification device preferably operates to identify the ti and / or the denomination of each document. Acceptable identifiable documents are directed to an escrow area while non-acceptable or non-identifiable documents are directed to the area of rejection of the entrance / exit area of the machine.

A client is informed of any non-identifiable documents through the input and output devices on an interconnection of the machine. Any unidentifiable documents can then be delivered from the rejection area. Alternatively, depending on the programming of the machine and / or the client inputs such rejected documents can be stored in the machine for further analysis or be directed through the central pair again beyond the identification device.

The properly identified documents are initially maintained in the escrow area. The output devices. on interconnection of the machine indicate indications to the representative of the client of type and / or value of identifiable documents. This type and value data calculated by the machine control system. The client is preferably enabled to select either such returned documents or deposit such documents. the client chooses to have the documents returned to him, the documents are passed out of the entrance / exit area through the opening in the box and the client's account is not accredited by the value of the documents.

If the client chooses to deposit the documents said documents are again moved through the central transport in a stream of documents that move apart quickly. The documents are again identified by the identification device. However, rather than being directed to the areas of rejection and escrow, the identified documents are now preferably directed to the control system of the machine to selected storage areas. Storage areas are places where documents of particular types are stored on a machine. The storage areas in the preferred embodiment machine are areas in a plurality of removable bots. The control system of the machine operates to make the client's account accredited by the value of the documents deposited.

The same customer who deposited the documents a subsequent customer who wishes to make a withdrawal from the machine can receive the documents that have previously been stored in the storage areas. The mechanisms of assortment documents associated with the storage areas selectively remove documents from the storage areas response to the control system and direct the central transport documents of the machine. As the documents move through the central transport, they pass through the identification device. The type and denomination of each document that is being supplied is verified. This ensures that initial identification of the documents made when they were deposited in the machine is correct. This third verification reduces the risk that a customer who picks up documents from the machine will receive an inappropriate document. Documents are removed from the storage areas concurrently to facilitate rapid machine operation and are controlled in movement through the remote transport segments and the central transport to ensure that they move as a separate document stream when passing these the identification device.

The identified documents that are sent to the customer are moved by the central transport to the escrow area. From the escrow area these are presented to the customer through the opening in the box or machine enclosure. The machine control system operates to make the customer's account credited or loaded by the documents that have been removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an automated bank recycling machine for money of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the functions carried out by the machine shown in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the central transport components and of the entrance / exit area of the machine.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 schematically representing the entry of a document stack by a customer.

Figure 5 is a schematic view of the entry / exit area showing the reception of a document stack from a client.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 which shows the document stack after it has been placed inside the machine.

Figure 7 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 showing an inserted document stack q being moved from the input / output area of the machine to the document unstacking area of the machine.

Figure 8 is a schematic view showing the stack moving from the entry / exit area to the unstacked area.

Figure 9 is a schematic view of the unstacked area of the machine before the arrival of the stack.

Figure 10 is a schematic view of a de-stacking frame showing a stack of documents that are transported to the unstacking area.

Figure 11 is a view similar to that of Figure 10 showing the stack of documents moving position for unstacking.

Figure 12 is a view similar to that of Figure 11 with the documents in position for unstacking in the unstacking area.

Figure 13 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the documents that pass from the unstacked area through the central transport to the reject and escrow areas of the machine.

Figure 14 is a view similar to that of Figure 12 showing a document that is unstacking the unstacking area.

Figure 15 is a view similar to that of Figure 14 showing a document that is being removed from the stack and moving beyond the sensors to perceive double and pre-centered.

Figure 16 is a schematic view showing a double bill that is being returned in the stack.

Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of a mechanism used for unstacking bills in the unstacked area.

Figure 18 is a schematic view of a shuttle med which is part of a pulling mechanism, the shuttle med being shown in a pass-through position Figure 19 is a view similar to that of Figure 18 showing the shuttle media in a ticket stopping position.

Figure 20 is a top plane view of a shuttle used to stretch and center the documents in central transport.

Figure 21 is a schematic view of misaligned bill.

Figure 22 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 21 showing the bill being stretched by the operation of the shuttle.

Figure 23 is a view similar to that of Figure 22 showing the banknote aligned transversely to the direction of travel in the central transport but in a condition outside the center.

Figure 24 is a schematic view of the bill shown in Figure 23 that has been moved by the shuttle to a position centered on the central transport.

Figure 25 is a schematic view showing the shuttle moving a document transversely to the direction of travel in the central transport.

Figure 26 is a schematic view of the pre-centering and centering circuit used in connection with preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 27 is a schematic view of the entrance / exit area of the machine when documents are delivered from the central transport.

Figure 28 is a schematic view similar to l of Figure 1 showing the unidentifiable documents that are being delivered outside the machine to a customer.

Figure 29 is a schematic view of the entry / exit area showing the unidentifiable documents that are being moved outside the machine.

Figure 30 is a schematic view similar to Figure 29 showing the unidentifiable documents being directed to the machine for storage.

Figure 31 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the documents held in pli being directed to the central transport for storage of the machine.

Figure 32 is a schematic view of an entry / exit frame that moves documents held in the escrow.

Figure 33 is a schematic view showing a part of the drive mechanism for the drive belts in the entry / exit area.

Figure 34 is a schematic isometric view of the input / output area drive mechanism.

Figure 35 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the documents that have been previously held in the plica area that are being unstacked and that are being passed through the central conveyor and to the machine for storage in the storage areas of document storage boats.

Figure 36 is a schematic view of the carriage and band roll arrangement used to transport documents in the central transport of the machine.

Figure 37 is a side view of a gu used in relation to the carriage transport rollers.

Figure 38 is a cross-sectional side view of the carriage rollers, document strips and guides shown in a support relationship with a document.

Figure 39 is a side view of a door mechanism used to direct documents that move remote transport segments, with the mechanism shown in position allowing a document to pass directly through it.

Figure 40 is a side view of the door mechanism shown in Figure 39 in a condition that passes document from the remote transport section to a can transport.

Figure 41 is a view similar to that of Figure 39 with the gate mechanism shown passing a document from a boat transport to the remote transport segment.

Figure 42 is a view of the gate mechanism shown in Figure 39 in a condition that allows a document to pass from the can transport to the remote transport segment, with the document moving in the opposite direction from that shown in Figure 41 .

Figure 43 is a view of the door mechanism shown in Figure 39 with a document passing from the remote transport segment to the document canister moving in a direction opposite from that shown in Figure 40.

Figure 44 is a schematic view of arrangement of bands and pulleys adjacent to the puer mechanism shown in Figure 39.

Figure 45 is a schematic sheet transport view exemplifying the principles used to move documents in the remote transport segments and in the boat transports.

Figure 46 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a document moving in transport of the type shown in Figure 45.

Figure 47 is a top plan view of a lid covering a storage area inside a money recycled canister.

Figure 48 is a cross-sectional side view of a storage area in a dine can shown with a leaf moving toward the storage area.

Figure 49 is a view similar to that of Figure 48 showing the partially accepted sheet in the storage area.

Figure 50 is a front plane view of the supply wheels, the pick-up wheels and the kick wheels adjacent to the storage area, with the sheet shown moving inside the storage area as indicated in Figure 49.

Figure 51 is a view similar to that of Figure 49 with the sheet moved inside the storage area but placed on top of the stack of documents held there.

Figure 52 is a view similar to that of Figure 50 with the accepted sheet integrated into the stack.

Figure 53 is a view similar to that of Figure 52 with the recently accepted sheet held as a pair of the stack by the fingers placed on one side of the storage area.

Figure 54 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the flow of leaves from a storage area to a escrow area in response to an entry request for document sourcing by a user.

Figure 55 is a cross-sectional view of a storage area that includes a stack of sheets from which a sheet is to be removed as part of an assortment operation.

Figure 56 is a view similar to that of Figure 55 in which the fingers holding the stack of sheets in the storage area have been retracted to allow the sheets to engage the interior surface of the trunk door Figure 57 is a view similar to that of Figure 56 in which the door of the chest is raised with the supply wheels and the blow wheels shown beginning to move as to take a sheet from the stack.

Figure 58 is a view similar to that of Figure 57 showing the supply and goal wheels moving to a position in which a top sheet in the pi is being removed therefrom.

Figure 59 is a front view of the supply wheels, the caster wheels, the caster wheels and the caster wheels in contact with a blade as it is removed from the stack in the manner shown in Figure 58.

Figure 60 is a view similar to that of Figure 58 with the sheet shown having been removed from the storage area and being perceived by the doubles detector.

Figure 61 is a top plan view of a chest door that lies on a storage area showing a leaf that has been removed therefrom and that is moved to a door mechanism on one side of the remote transport.

Figure 62 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 showing a stack of sheets that have been stocked from the storage locations that are handed to a user of the machine.

Figure 63 is a schematic architectural view of the control system of a preferred embodiment of the machine.

Figures 64-68 are a simplified flow chart showing an exemplary transaction flow for a deposit transaction carried out in an automated money recycling machine of the present invention.

Figures 69 and 70 are a simplified flow chart showing the transaction flow of a withdrawal transaction carried out on the machine.

BEST MODES TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings and in particular to Figure 1 there is shown an automated banking machine recycled money representing an incorporation of the present invention generally indicated with the number 10. machine includes a box or enclosure 12. The enclosure 12 includes a client interconnection in an interconnection area generally indicated at number 14. Interconnection area 14 includes components used to communicate with a user of the machine. These components may include an erxhibitor 16, which served as part of an output device. The interconnected area may also include a keyboard 18 and / or a card reader 2 which serves as parts of the manually acceptable input devices through which a user can input information or instructions to the machine. It should be understood that these devices are exemplary and that other input and output devices such as digital display devices, audio speakers, iris scanning devices, fingerprint reading devices, microphones Voice recognition devices, user recognition devices, infrared transmitters and receivers and other devices which are capable of receiving or providing information may be used.The machine also includes other devices which are schematically indicated. Such devices may include a receipt printer 22, which provides receipts to a customer in relation to the activities related to his transactions. Other devices indicated schematically include a journal printer 24 for making a paper record of the transactions. A passbook printer 26 indicated schematically may also be included within the enclosure of the machine. A check imaging device 28 may also be included for the purposes of producing electronic images of the checks deposited in the machine as well as for the cancellation of such checks. A check imaging device may be of the type shown in United States of America Patent No. 5,422,467 or other mechanism that provided the imaging and behavioral function.

Devices 22, 24, 26 and 28 are exemplary other devices may also be included in the machine such as video cameras for connection to a remote site, an envelope acceptance mechanism, ticket printing devices, devices for printing statements and other devices. It should further be understood that even when the embodiment described herein is in the form of an automated teller machine (ATM), the present invention can be used in connection with other types of automated banking machines, which for the purpose of this description include any device or system which operates to electronically affect a transfer of a value between two or more entities.

The machine 10 includes a control system generally indicated with the number 30. The control system is in operative connection with the components of the machine controls the operation thereof in accordance with the programmed instructions. The control system 30 also provides communications with other computers in relation to transactions carried out on the machine. Such communications can be provided by any suitable means, such as telephone lines, a wireless rad link or through a connection through a proprietary transaction network.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has the ability to recycle money or other sheets or documents that represent a value received from a customer. For the purpose of this description except where indicated, the words documents, sheets, bills and money, are used interchangeably to refer to the sheet materials processed by the invention. The recycling process involves receiving the documents in a customer's volume, and identifying the type of documents deposited and storing the documents in appropriate places inside the machine. The stored documents can then be selectively retrieved and provided to customers who wish to withdraw funds from the machine.

The preferred embodiment of the invention includes devices which comprise the functional components schematically indicated in Figure 2. These functional components include an input / output function which receives the documents and delivers the documents to the users of the machine. An unstack function 34 receives the documents from the input / output function 32. The unstack function serves to separate the documents from the stack and deliver them to the sheet path in a spaced apart relationship.

The functional components of the machine include a stretching or alignment function 36. As will be discussed later in detail, the stretch function operates to orient the documents so that they are properly transversely aligned with a leaf path. An alignment function 38 also guides the documents movement by centering them in relation to the sheet trajectory. After the documents have been aligned they are passed to an identification function 40. The identification function operates to determine the type of documents that pass through the sheet path. In the preferred embodiment, the identification function includes determining the type and denomination of the money bill or other document. The identification function also preferably determines the document seems suspicious or simply is not identifiable.

The identification function is linked to the input / output function so that the clients can have any suspicious documents or identifiable documents returned, rather than being deposited in the machine. Identification function is also linked to a document storage and retrieval function 42, 44, 46 48. The storage and retrieval functions operate to store documents in selected locations, and to retrieve those documents for the purposes of supplying the documents. documents to a client. For the purposes of this discussion the documents handled by the invention will generally be rectangular sheet type documents and generally plan with a front face, a bottom face and four side sides extending between the front and bottom face. The incorporations however of this invention can handle other document configurations.

Referring again to Figure 1, the apparatus which performs the previously described functions is shown schematically. The input / output function is carried out in an input / output area generally indicated with number 50. The input / output area is on one side of or opening 52 in the machine case. The access through the opening 52 is controlled by a movable door 54 which is shown in the closed position in Figure 1.

The input / output area 50 includes a document handling mechanism with four band-type transports. These band-type transports are suitable devices for moving a stack of sheets and preferably each comprise a plurality of bands as shown in FIG. The patent of the States of America number 5,507,481. The front and opposite pallets of the first bands 56 and the second bands 58 serve as stack support members and join a delivery / rejection frame 60 which extends vertically between the bands. As explained below, the webs 56 and 58 s move vertically in relation to each other and move transversely in a coordinated relationship to transport a stack of sheets placed therebetween.

The document handling mechanism the cu includes the entry / exit area 50 also includes the third bands 62 and the fourth bands 64. The opposite frontal pallets of the third bands 62 and of the fourth bands vertically join a generally indicated escrow area. with number 66. The bands 62 and 64 are similar to the bands 56 and and are capable of moving a stack of documents transversely therebetween. The bands in the entry / exit area, as well as a gate 54, as well as other components in the machine which are moved, are driven or moved by the appropriate impellers schematically indicated with the number 68 which include the motors and mechanisms of appropriate transmission operatively connected to the various components and which are operated in response to the control system 30. The entry / exit area can be operated in several ways, the examples of which will be discussed hereafter. The figure shows the area of inlet / outlet 50 in greater detail. It should be understood that even when the document handling mechanism the shown embodiment uses opposing webs of pallets as the document support surfaces, other embodiments of the invention may use combinations of other types of moving or stationary surfaces as document support surfaces to move. selectively the documents on them.

The entrance / exit area communicates with central transport generally indicated with the number 70. central transport 70 includes an unstacking area generally indicated with the number 72. The unstacking area includes tray 74 which is suitable for moving a stack of document about it. The unstacking area 72 further includes l transport bands 76 and the collection strips 78. As will be explained later in detail, the components in the unstack are operating as a unstack device to separate documents and deliver them in a spaced relationship au trajectory of documents of the central transport.

The stretching operation also includes double sensors 80 for use in detecting double document cases which have been removed from a stack in the unstacked area. These documents can be separated in a way subsequently discussed. The pre-centering sensors are also provided in a association with the unstacking operation whose sensors operate to ensure that the stretching and alignment operations are properly carried out.

From the unstacking area the sheets are transported to a combined centering and stretching device 84. The stretching and centering device includes a stretching device which functions to angularly align the sheets transversely in a sheet path. It also includes an alignment device which works to transversely move the sheets so that they are centered in relation to the sheet path through the central transport.

From the stretching and centering device the documents change direction by being overturned a turning device which includes the carriage rollers 86 and are moved beyond an identification device 8 The identification device 88 is preferably of the one shown in FIG. US Patent Application No. 08 / 749,260 filed November 15, 19 which is owned by the assignee of the present invention whose description is incorporated herein by reference. Alternate additions, other types of identification devices can be used. The identification devices preferably identify the type and character of the ticket that passes. The identification device also preferably distinguishes genuine documents such as genuine money bills from unidentifiable or suspect documents. In this way the identification device operates to classify documents as those which are acceptable to the machine or unacceptable to the machine.

From the identification device, the documents are selectively directed in response to the position of the deflection doors shown schematically with No. 90. The deflection doors operate as part of the steering device. The deflection doors move in response to the impellers which operate under the control of the control system to direct the documents either to the delivery / reject area 60, to the land area 66 or to the document storage and retrieval areas of the machine.

The document storage and retrieval areas include recycle bins 92, 84, 96 and 98, which are described in detail below. The recycled cans are preferably removed from the machine by authorized personnel. In the embodiment shown, each recycling bin includes four storage areas there. These are represented by the storage areas 100, 102, 104 and 106 in the can 94. The storage areas provide places to store documents that have passed satisfactorily through the central transport. L documents are preferably stored in storage areas with documents of the same type. The documents stored in the storage areas can then be removed or taken from them at a time and be delivered to other clients.

The documents are moved to the boats through a remote transport which includes the remote transport segments usually indicated with the numbers 108, 110, 112 114. The remote transport segments are preferably arranged in an aligned relationship so that the documents can be be passed between the transportation segments. Ca remote transport segment has a media gate mechanism associated with it. The med gates generally indicated with the number 116, 118, 120 and 122 operate in a manner that will be explained later to selectively direct the documents from the remote transport segments to a connection with the adjacent bot delivery transports indicated with the numbers 124, 126, 128 and 130. The boat transports operate in a manner that is explained below to move the documents to and from the storage areas in the boats.

It should be appreciated that the various components which comprise the doors, the transports and the storage areas have associated motors and sensors, all of which are in an operational condition with the control system for the purposes of perceiving and controlling the movement of the documents through them. You should also note that in a preferred embodiment of the invention a dump area generally indicated with the number 132 was provided inside the machine box at the bottom of the remote transport segments. The dump or dump area 132 functioned as a receptacle for documents that are not determined to be suitable for handling or which are otherwise considered unsuitable for later recovery and supplied to a customer. In the "dumpster 132" area it comprises a tray which can be moved out of the machine box to facilitate cleaning and document removal when the inside of the machine has been accessed.

The operation of the ATM recycling machine will now be explained by example of operational steps and functions carried out in connection with a deposit transaction by a customer. It should be understood that this is only an example of a way in which the machine can be operated. Other methods of operation functions can be achieved based on the programming of the machine. The transaction flow for the deposit transaction is shown in Figures 64-68. A client approaching the machine 10 operates the components in the client interconnection area 14 to enable the operation of the machine. This may include, for example, the insertion of a credit or debit card and the entry of a personal identification number (PIN). Of course other steps may be required by the client to identify themselves by machine. This may include other modes of operation such as biometric type or fingerprint identification devices. These steps by which the client pa to identify the machine are represented in the Figure by the sequence of identification of customer which is indicated with the number 134. The sequence of identification preferably operative to have the machine solve the client's account which is either credited or charged as a result of the transactions carried out on the machine.

After the clients identify themselves to the machine, the machine is programmed to proceed through the main transaction sequence indicated generally with the number 136. This sequence of main transaction preferably provides the customer with a menu of the various options of transactions that are viable to be carried out in the machine 10. The transaction flow proceeds in Figure 64 of a step 138 in which a customer chooses to carry out a deposit transaction which involves the entry of documents, such as bills or money notes.

When the customers indicate that they intend to make a deposit the machine then executes a step 140. In step 140 an inner door indicated 142 in Figures 4 5 is moved to block additional access to the interior of the machine from the delivery area. / rejection 60. After inner door 142 is extended the program then executes step 144 in which the front door 54 of the machine is moved to discover the opening 52. These sensors are photo sensor in the illustrated embodiment, but may be other sensor types of presence in other incorporations. In this position a client is enabled to insert a document stack indicated with the number 146 in Figure 5 into the delivery / rejection area 60 between the bands 56 and 58. As shown in Figure 5, the bands 58 and 56 can also be run inside to help place stack 146 against inner door 142.

As shown in Figure 6, the delivery / receipt sensors 148 and 150 are placed inside the machine case on the side of the opening 52. In the transaction flow as shown in Figure 64, a step 152 is executed to determine whether the reservoir stack 146 has moved beyond the sensors. A determination is made in a step 154 to determine if the sensors are clear. If the sensors 14 and 150 are not clear, a step 154. is carried out. In step 154 efforts are made to clear the sensors. This is done by running the conveyor belts 56 and 58 in one step 156 and driving the customer in step 158 to put their deposit. Then the verification is done again to see if the sensors have been cleared. Provisions are made in the flow of transactions so that after a number of tests to clear the sensors the transport bands 56 58 are run in reverse to remove anything that has got into the machine, and the door 54 is closed.

If however the sensors 148 and 150 have been cleared indicating that a document stack has been properly inserted, the transaction flow is moved to a step 160 in which the front door 54 is again closed as shown in Figure 6. The flow The transaction is then moved to a pa 162 in which the inner door 142 is retracted so that the stack 146 can be reprocessed in a manner described hereinafter.

The stack is then moved as shown schematically in Figure 7 from the dery / reject area 60 to the unstacked area 72. This is accomplished as shown in Figure 65 by moving a carriage which holds quat bands 64 upwards in the entry / exit area 50 as shown in Figure 58. The carriage for the bands 64 is moved upward by an impeller which includes a drive motor mechanism for engaging the carriage support bands 62 and 58 and moving them towards up, too. The carriage moves up until the stack 146 is between the bands 58. This is represented by the step 164 in Figure 6 The bands 58 and 56 are then urged to move the pi inward toward the unstack area 72.

The unstacking area 72 which includes the components which comprise the destacker device is shown in greater detail in Figure 9. This includes the transport bands 76 and the collection bands 78 which are independently operable by the motors and / or other impulsion devices. A strip return stop 166 is movably placed in the area between the transport bands 66 and the bands 168 on the tray 74. It should be understood that the bands 76 and 78 and 168 are arranged to be in half relation when the tray 76 is moved to one side thereof in a manner as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,507,481 whose description is incorporated herein by reference.

The unstacking area 72 includes an unstacked wall 170. An unstack wall 170 includes a plurality of steps 172 thereon. The purpose of which will be explained later. The passages include the step surfaces in cross section that extend generally perpendicular to one another. The destacking wall 170 includes there a plurality of grooves that extends generally vertically (not shown). The tray 7 includes a plurality of tray projections 174 which extend from an upper surface of the tray and extend into the slots. On one side of the collection band 78 are the contact stripping wheels indicated with the number 176 and the contact stripping wheels 178 whose function will be explained later.

In the operation of the machine the stack 146 moved to the unstacking area for said unstacking. This is represented by a step 180 in Figure 65. As shown in Figure 10, in the step of moving the stack 146 to an unstacked area, the tray 74 moves sufficiently outside of the conveyor belts 66 by a transport mechanism. movement so that the stack 146 can be moved thereon. rear stop 166 is raised by a movement mechanism to allow the entry of the stack. The conveyor belts 76 the tray bands 168 move forward so that the stack 146 moves toward the destacking wall 170. In preferred form of the invention the tray 74 is pressed c spring up and once the stack 146 is moved therein, the stack is maintained between the bands 168 on the tray 74 and the conveyor belts 76 and the picking bands 78 by the pressing force acting on the tray. The movement mechanisms for the top of the return bands and trays are impellers which include suitable motors and transmission devices.

As shown in Figure 11, once stack 146 moves past stop 166, the return stop is lowered by its mechanism movement to be positioned behind the stack. As discussed later, the back to back is usually useful when they are undone double bills which can be collected during the unstacked operation. As shown in Figure 11 the bands 78 s further run in the forward direction to move the pi 146 toward the wall 170. As shown in Figure 12 when stack is fully moved against the wall 170 the angled pair and the walls and the steps 172 on the wall surface tend to extend the sheets in the stack. This extension of the sheets tends to break the surface tension between the adjacent sheets and facilitates the separation of each sheet adjacent to each other. It should be noted that the steps 172 are configured in a progression with the angle of the wall with the passage surfaces joining the generally extending steps upwards and the passing surfaces extending in a direction of the blade displacement. The steps are configured so that the contact of the leaves in the stack 146 with the steps 162 generally does not interfere with the movement of the tray 74 upwards as the sheets of the stack are removed. This allows the tray 74 to apply continuous upward pressing force so that the uppermost sheet in the stack contacts the collecting bands 78.

Referring again to the transaction flow Figure 65, once the stack has been moved to the unstacked position a check is made in step 182 to determine the presence of notes in the non-stacked area Assuming that the notes are properly in position flow then moves to an unstack routine on a pa 184. As will be explained later in detail, the control system 30 of the present invention is a novel type control system which facilitates the quick operation of the machine as represented in phantom by step 186 the control system operates to perform the tasks concurrently as a result of this, rather than unstacking a single bill in the manner hereinafter described and then waiting for it to be processed, the preferred embodiment of control system 30 unstacks a ticket and as soon as the ticket has left the unstacking area, it proceeds to unstack the ticket.

This allows to provide a stream of separate sheets which move concurrently in central transport under the control of the control system. It greatly speeds up the operation of the machine.

The operation of the machine in the unstacked operation is shown schematically in Figure 1 As shown there, the stack 146 in the unstacking area 72 is separated into a stream of single sheets which move through the central transport 70 in the direction of the flech C. The notes are then selectively addressed by reason being explained. subsequently by the steering mechanism which includes the diversion gates 90 to either the delivery / rejection area 60 or the plow area 66.

The operation of the unstacking device for unstacking the sheets in the unstacking area 72 is explained c reference to Figures 14-17. The stack 146 is pushed up against the picking bands 78 by the cutter 74. The lower paddle of the strips 78, which serves as picking members, engages with the top sheet in stack, moves to the left in Figure 14 to collect a sheet 188. As shown in Figure 17, the picking bands 78 are supported on the rollers and the faces of the picking bands which engage the sheet extending beyond the faces on the outer circumference the stripping wheels 178. The stripping wheels 176 are arranged in a generally top-to-opposite relationship to the two inner strip strips 78. As the strip strips are moved to the left as shown in Figure 14 the contact stripping wheels and the contactless stripping wheels 176 and 178 do not move, thus moving in an opposite direction relative to the mobile picking strips. This serves to hook a back face of the upper blade which moves from the stack and serves to maintain the sheets other than the upper blade in the stack.

It should be noted that the configuration of the rollers holding the strip strips 78 and the stripping rolls 176 and 178 give the sheets a corrugated or scalloped cross section as shown in the sheet 188, as the sheet of the stack is collected. This deformation of the sheet helps to facilitate the separation of the sheet from the pile. Although the bands and rollers are used in the preferred embodiment to impart a wave configuration to the sheets, in other embodiments, other combinations of rollers, carriage projections, fingers, guides and bands can be used to deform and / or move the leaves.

Referring again to Figure 14, if the leaf 188 that is moved from the stack is a single sheet, this condition is perceived by the double sensors 80. This means that the leaf is suitable for movement in the central transport. The blade then moves past the double sensors 80 in d the vicinity of the take-off rolls 190 and 192. In response the sheet that is being perceived is like a single sheet, and the roll Withdrawal 192 is moved in response to the control system of the position shown in phantom to the position shown in solid lines in which it is in contact with the sheet 188. The removal rollers 192 and 190 are driven in the indicated directions to move the sheet to the outside of the stack. The withdrawal rolls drive is chronized by the control system 30 to ensure that the ho 188 is properly spaced by a distance from the unstacked ho that moves through the central transport.

As shown in Figure 15 sheet 188 moved by withdrawal rollers 190 and 192 which served as a withdrawal device, past the pre-centering sensors 82. The pre-centering sensors operate in a manner that will be described later for perceive the position of the transversely opposite pair of the lateral edges of the leaf. These edges generally join the sheet and extend parallel to the direction of movement of the sheet. The signals of the pre-centering sensors 82 are used by control system 30 to move a shuttle which serves with a blade gripper and which is associated with the stretching and centering operations for the blade. The control system is operative to move the shuttle transverse in the transport path to a position in which it is enabled to catch the moving leaf in the manner that will allow the sheet to be aligned. Preferably, shuttle moves through the control system to catch the document in a generally centered relationship between the lateral edge surfaces of each bill. This characteristic is particularly valuable when the leaves which are removed from the pile are of different sizes.

It should be understood that even when the United States of America has tickets which are the same size for all denominations, other countries use different size documents for various types of coins. It is a fundamental sale of the present invention that the documents inserted by a user do not need to be arranged so that the documents are all of the same size, nor that the documents need to be oriented in a particular direction in order to be handled by the preferred embodiment of the invention. The unstacker device of the embodiment described is particularly well suited for unstacking the sheets and which may not necessarily be positioned as having a side edge in alignment with the wall 17 particularly for the sheets in the middle of the stack 146.

In the event that a double document ticket is received by the double sensors 80, the bills can be separated. A double bill is indicated in Figure 16 for sheets 194 which for the purpose of this example, are considered to be two overlapping sheets. To separate the sheets the collection strips 78 are stopped and the tray 7 moves downward in response to the control system that the stack 146 is no longer pushed against the lower pallets of the collection strips 78.

The collection bands 78 are then run backwards so that the lower pallet thereof moves to the right as shown. This pulls the leaves back to the pile. The contact stripping wheels 17 the non-contact stripping wheels also rotate to facilitate the pulling of the sheets back to the stack. This achieves the preferred incorporation by having caster wheels operated by a one-way clutch. Skiving wheels can rotate freely in the direction shown in Figure 16 but may not rotate in the opposite direction. The movement of the bands 78 pulls the sheets 194 back to the stack. The back strip stop operates to prevent the leaves from moving too much and falling out of the pile.

Once the sheets 194 are returned to the top of the stack in the tray 74 it is again raised the collection operation is attempted. Generally one or repeated attempts to undress the leaves will be successful so that the leaves are removed continuously from the pile one by one. It should be understood that while the bands used as the picking member and the rollers are used as the stripping members in the embodiment described, other incorporations may be used other types of member The transaction flow associated with the perception of doubles and the efforts for The top sheet is shown in Figure 65. In a step 196, a determination is made as to whether a double (or a multiple document above) was perceived during the unstacking routine, if this is the step associated with the descent of the document. Pile 198 is executed.L Collection bands are moved in reverse in a step 200 to pull the doubles back into the stack and the stack then raised in a step 202. As previously discussed the unstacking routine is then started again Then, if the doubles are not perceived when a sheet is collected, the sheet moves beyond the centering sensors 82 and the transverse position of the note in transport is perceived in step 204.

After a document passes through the pre-centering sensors, it moves to the combined stretching and alignment device 84. The stretching device is adapted to catch a moving sheet and align its leading edge generally transverse to the direction of travel of the sheet. leaf in the path of the leaf. A v that the front edge of the sheet has been aligned angularly the alignment device operates to move the sheet so that its centerline is generally in alignment with the transverse center line of the transport path. Doing this allows the document to be identified more quickly p reasons which are explained later.

As shown in Figure 20, the combined stretching and aligning device 84 includes a launcher indicated with the number 204. The shuttle is composed of a pair of shuttle halves 206 and 208. Each half of the shuttle includes a blade brake for decelerate the area of the leaf with which the leaf brake contacts. Each shuttle means is connected to a drive shaft 210. The drive shaft is rotated by a drive motor or a similar device which operates to move the pinch wheels 212 and 214 on the shuttle halves in the manner described hereinbefore. The shuttle 20 can also move transversely in a support connection with the drive shaft 210. The shuttle is moved by a transverse movement device which operates in response to a motor or similar drive which is operatively connected to the control system of the machine. The shuttle also includes a first sensor 216 on one side of the shuttle half 206 and a second sensor 218 on one side of the shuttle med. 208. The shuttle also includes an average sensor 220. In an embodiment the sensors are optical sensors, but can be used. other sensors. The pinch rollers engage a segmented loose shaft 222. The loose shaft includes the transversely adjacent segments which are independently rotatable.

Referring to Figure 18, the half-throw of 206 is shown schematically there. The half-throw includes a solenoid 224. The solenoid 224 is connected to a movable brake rod 226 which can be moved on the pins 228. The solenoid and the brake rod are part of the brake mechanism. The pinch wheel 212 serves as a movable member and rotates about a central pin 230. central pin 230 is movably mounted in a slot 2 on the body of the shuttle means 206. The drive shaft 2 is a slotted type shaft as It showed itself. The shaft 210 extends through a driving wheel 234 which is mounted to rotate about the body of the shuttle means 206. The driving member and the driving wheel serve as a part of a prime driving mechanism for moving the pinch wheel 212.

As shown in Figure 18 when the solenoid 224 is not energized the pinch wheel 212 is pressed to make contact with the driving wheel 234 by means of a schematically indicated resort 236. The pinch wheel 212 rotates in response to the rotation of the drive shaft 210. The rotation of the pinch wheel 212 also engages the independently rotatable segments of the segmented shaft 222. The documents are enabled to pass through the pressure point between the pinch wheels 212 and the segmented shaft 22 in response to the rotation of the pinch roller 212 by the driving wheel 234.

As shown in Figure 19, when solenoid 224 is energized the brake rod 226 moves. Brake rod serves as part of a contac device to engage the pinch wheel as to unload it from drive wheel. As a result of this the pinch wheel decelerates rapidly. The movement of the brake rod causes the brake rod to engage the pinch wheel 21 When the brake rod engages the pinch wheel, the pinch wheel is displaced from the driving wheel 234. Pinch wheel is then stopped by the pin. contact with brake rod and its movement is prevented until the solenoid is de-energized again and the brake rod is retracted As a result of this, the area of the document that is placed at the point of pressure between the pinch roller 2 and the segmented shaft 222 when the solenoid is energized, will stop at this position. The documents will be prevented from moving to the area of the pressure point until the solenoid is de-energized.

The operation of the shuttle is indicated schematically in Figures 21-24. As shown in Figure 21 a sheet or document 238 is shown moving in the direction of the arrow in the sheet path. The lance is moved prior to the arrival of the sheet in a transverse direction on the drive shaft 210 so that the pinch rollers 212 and 214 will both engage the sheet. This is done by control system 30 based on the signals of the pre-centering sensors 82 which are upwards of the lance of 204. The pre-centering sensors are operated to perceive the lateral edges of the transverse ends of the blade. The shuttle moves transversely in the blade path by the transverse moving device which includes a fast acting motor or other suitable device. The shuttle moves transversely to engage the blade c both pinch rollers and so that the blade is generally centered transversely between the pinch rollers.

In response to movement of the leaf 238 adent from the area adjacent to the nip rolls, the sensors 21 218 and 220 perceive the sheet. Because the sample sheet 23 is biased, the sensor adjacent the pinch roller 214 which is the sensor 218 will sense the leading edge of the first sheet. When this occurs, the solenoid associated with the shuttle means 208 is energized, stopping the movement of the pinch pin 214, while the roller 212 continues to rotate in response to the rotation of the shaft 210. As a result of this the sheet 238 starts to rotate about the area of the pinch point 240 created between the stationary roller 214 and the segmented e 222. Because the sheet 238 moves so that the front and rear faces of the sheet are held in the area of the roller 214, the Front edge 242 of the sheet begins to move angularly to a condition aligned in the direction transverse to the direction of blade movement.

As shown in Figure 23, the blade 238 rotates around the pinch point 240 until the leading edge is transversely aligned with the path of the blade. When an aligned condition is reached, the solenoid 224 preferably energized to stop the movement of the rod. pinch pin 212. This produces a second pinch point 2 between the bill 238 and the loose pin 222.

In the stopped condition of the banknote shown in Figure 23, the leading edge of the sheet extends in trajectory beyond the centering sensors generally indicated by the numeral 246. The centering sensors operate to perceive the lateral edges of the sheet indicated with l numbers 248 and 250 in Figure 23, in a manner hereinafter described. Upon perceiving the lateral edges the control system 30 determines the position of the central line the cu extends through a central part of the sheet 238. This central line is indicated schematically in Figure 23 with the number 252. The shuttle then the blade is moved transversely in the manner shown in Figure 25. The blade is moved in a contact relationship between pinch rollers 212 and 214 and segmented loose shaft 222. As shown in Figure 24, blade 238 is moved. to the right so that the center line of the sheet 252 is generally in alignment with a center line of the transport path of leaf 254.

Once the sheet has been stretched in this way and moved to a relationship centered on the transport path, the solenoids operating the pinch rollers 212 and 214 are released simultaneously to discharge the leaf 238 from the shuttle. This is done in response to the control system in a manner which ensures that the sheet 238 is adequately spaced out by at least a selected minimum amount of a preceding sheet. Optimally the blade retracts in any way from what is absolutely necessary to ensure that the blade is properly oriented.

The schematic view of the centering circuit components which is part of the machine control system and which is used in relation to the centering sensors 246 and the centering sensors 82 is schematically indicated in Figure 26. In FIG. preferred embodiment of the invention the sensors 246 include the coupled and charged devices (CCDs) which are used to sense the edges of the sheet. A sensor is included on each transverse side of the leaf path. An emission on an opposite sheet side is provided. The emitter provides a source of radiation to perceive the edges of the sheet. In other embodiments, other types of sensors may be used. The signals of the sensors 246 are transmitted to a modified 256. The signals of the amplifier are sent to a digitized comparator 258. The digitized comparator is provided with a threshold input from an interconnection 260.

A trip point from interconnection 260 is determined by a computer program routine that adjusts the threshold input for the presence of a bill based on the radiation perceived by the sensors when a ticket is not present. This allows adjustment of the sensors with respect to changes during operation of the device, such as changes in the intensity of the emitters or the accumulation of dirt on the emitters or on the sensors.

The output of the digitized comparator is transmitted to a programmable logic device 262. The programmable logic device determines the position of the edge of the note transmits the output signals along with the timing signals to a processor 264. The processor generates signals according to its programming to move the transverse movement device which moves the shuttle transversely to the desired position. In the case of pre-centering sensors, the shuttle moves to a position to ensure that it finds the note preferably so that the bill is generally centered between the pinch wheels. In the case of centering and stretching sensors, the shuttle is moved to make sure that the note moves to align it with the center of the transport. The timing signals also follow when the front and rear edges of the bill find the sensors to allow control system to maintain adequate separation of the bills within the central part. The signals of the sensors 246 as well as those of the shuttle sensors 216, 218 and 220 are used to ensure that a note which has been released from the shuttle moves outward in the proper coordinated manner.

The logical flow associated with the stretching and alignment operations of the described embodiment is shown with reference to the steps indicated in Figure 65. As indicated by step 266, signals from the previous center sensors 82 are used by the control system to move shuttle to make sure it hooks the bill. A stretching leg 268 operates in the manner already described to align a leading edge of the bill so that it extends transversely to the direction of movement of the transporting sheet. In a step 279 the center line of the sheet is moved in alignment with the center line of the sheet transport. leaf having been stretched and aligned, this is released on pa 272 in a chronized manner and continues on its way in leaf path.

It should be understood that even when in the described embodiment of the invention a pair of leaf brake mechanisms placed transversely on the blade path for engaging and stopping the blade, and other embodiments of the invention, the blade brake mechanisms may have different blade mechanisms, are used. Relative speeds but stop the blade. The alternate additions can actually accelerate the rate of movement of an area of the leaf to orient it. However, it should be understood that for the purposes of this description the deceleration of one area of a leaf is relative to another area of the sheet., and will include and increase at the speed of displacement of another leaf area. It should be further understood that even in the described embodiment the leaf brakes include a movable member which imparts both movement and decelerates the leaves, in other embodiments the leaf movement may be imparted by mechanisms other than those which decelerate relatively one area of the sheet compared to another area of the sheet so as to change its alignment.

As shown in Figure 13, after a document leaves the alignment and stretching device said document moves through the transport area centers where it is perceived by several sensors associated with identification device 88. In a preferred form of invention the identification device includes the device described in the patent application of the United States of America series number 08 / 749,260 filed on November 15, 1996 which is incorporated herein by reference as if it had been written here completely. This identification device is suitable for identifying the type and denomination of the document that passes. It is also suitable for distinguishing genuine documents from suspicious documents. A device vent used in the described embodiment is the ability to identify a document despite the document failure to be aligned with the path of the device. It should be understood that due to the various conditions, despite the efforts made to orient each sheet, the sheets may still be somewhat out of alignment at the time of analysis by identification device. Of course in other additions, other devices can be used to classify and identify the leaves.

The ticket analysis by the identification device 88 produces signals. These signals may be indicative of the type of ticket and the denomination. Alternatively, the signals may be indicative of which note can not be satisfactorily identified or that are invalid. These signals are transmitted to the contour system 30 which operates the diversion gates 90 to a side of central transport. As shown in Figure 27, in u V * preferred embodiment of the invention, documents which can not be identified with a high degree of confidence or which are otherwise classified as unacceptable by the machine are directed by the doors 90 to the delivery / rejection area 60 and are submitted to the second bands 58 d document handling mechanism. Such rejected bills are represented in Figure 27 by a stack 274. The documents identified as suitable for the deposit are directed by the divert gate 90 to the port 66 where such bills are held on the bands 64. Such identified documents They are represented Figure 27 through the stack 276. It should be understood that the direction of the sheets identified to the escrow position 266 is optional depending on the programming of the control systems 30 the machine or the customer inputs to the machine interconnection. Banknotes classified as acceptable identifiable can be directed directly to the appropriate storage areas for recovery.

The transaction flow associated with the analysis of the documents and the address to the areas of rejection / between and escrow of the document handling mechanism is represented in Figure 66. The analysis of the movement documents is represented by a step 278. If the bill and suitably identified as a type that is acceptable in step 280, a check is made. in the next step 282 to determine if the machine is in a deposit mode, If this is so the properly identified bills are directed to the storage areas in the recycling cans. If the machine is not currently in a storage mode, which is the case with the described example, the appropriately identified bills are directed to the escrow position in a step 284.

If in a step 280 a bill is not identifiable or is identified as unacceptable the bill is directed to the rejection position in a step 286. Of course it should be understood that the steps of unstacking, pre-centering stretch, alignment and identifying bills everything is being carried out concurrently as each document passes in the document stream through the central transport. The notes are continuously being directed to the escrow or reject positions until the stack of banknotes has been completely unstacked.

In the operation of the invention of the preferred embodiments, the sheets that are not acceptable to the machine, such as the non-identifiable sheets, and the sheets which seem suspicious are returned to the customer from the entrance / exit area 50. This is represented schematically in Figure 28 which shows the rejected pi 274 that is being delivered to the customer through opening 52. This is normally done by the machine after displaying the clients through the interconnection 14, information about a number of documents the which were identifiable or not acceptable in the deposit pile that had been submitted. The control system can also calculate a value of the acceptable documents and the client will be notified through the interconnection of the value of the documents that have been properly identified.

In alternate additions to the client, you can give the option to enter a re-treat input to the client interconnection input device, which causes the machine to rework the rejected sheets to determine if they can be identified. If this occurs, the machine can be programmed to run the reject stack 27 back through the central transport in the manner previously made with the deposited stack. In the reassessment of unacceptable documents only the documents in the rejection pile will be re-isolated or alternatively all the input documents can be checked again depending on the client inputs to the interconnection and / or programming of the machine. If only the documents initially rejected are going to be verified again and any are determined as acceptable, the control system will re-calculate the number and / or the value of the acceptable documents. The client will be given several outputs and options for tickets depending on the situations that arise. There may be many options for programming the machine encompassed by the invention and the particular approach selected depends on the preference of the operator of the machine.

Assuming that the reject stack 274 is to be returned to the customer, the reject stack is delivered to the client in a manner indicated in Figure 29. The inner door 14 is extended while the carriage support strips 6 are raised in a manner that the stack 276 engages with the carriage support strips 62 and 58. The bands 58 are so raised that the reject stack engages the strips 56. When the reject stack 274 is sandwiched between the webs 56 and 58, the strips 58 open the door 54. The reject stack 274 e moved by the strips 56 and 58 out through the opening 5 in the machine case. The delivery and receiving sensors 148 and 150 on one side of the opening 52 operate to sense the movement of the stack.

The transaction flow associated with the delivery of the reject stack to the customers is represented in Fig. 66. In step 288 a determination is made as to whether the banknotes are present in a reject stack after all the sheets have been unstacked and have been passed through the central transport. If this is the case, the reject stack is moved to the delivery position in step 290. The inner door closed in a step 292 as shown in Figure 29. The front door is then opened in step 294 and the bands are driven to deliver the reject stack to the client in step 296.

As shown in Figure 67, the client can then be urged to take the reject stack in a step 29 This is done through the output devices over client interconnection. The sensors 148 and 150 are then monitored in a step 300 and a decision is made in step 302 if the reject sheets have been taken. If the sheets have been taken, the front door 54 of the machine is closed at a pass 304 and the inner door is retracted at a step 306.

As previously discussed, in the described incorporation of the invention the client is required to take the rejected sheets. Therefore if in a step 302 the customer has not taken the sheets, the transport is operated to push the sheets out of the opening 52 in a step 308. After the transport has run in a sufficient manner to push the sheets outwardly the Front door is closed.

In alternate embodiments of the invention, the customer may have the option of having the reject stack retested to determine whether the documents can be identified. This is done in response to customer entries through an interconnection input device. In other alternate additions the machine can be programmed so as not to return the rejected or unidentified sheet to the clients. This can be done for purposes such as to prevent counterfeit bills from being placed back in circulation. If the machine is programmed in this manner, the reject stack 274 can be moved in the manner shown in Figure 30 back to the unstacked machine area for an additional pass through central transport. In this second pass the leaves can be either returned to the rejection area if they can not be identified; they can be placed in the escrow area they can be identified; or alternatively, recycle cans 132 can be passed to a storage location in the garbage area for further analysis. Because the preferred embodiment of the present invention is capable of tracking individual sheets which pass through the machine, it is possible for the machine to continue to determine where the particular sheets were originally based on their storage location and position within the machine. a storage place. This is done by storing information in a memory associated with the control system.

Returning to the described incorporation operation, the stack 276 maintained in the escrow position is now moved upward and the entry / exit area as indicated in FIG. 31. At this point, the customer may have the option to receive the identifiable sheets that have been deposited again This can be done for example if the clients are not in agreement with the account of the sheets of the machine. This can be achieved by programming the machine so that the customer can obtain the return of the documents in escrow by an appropriate input to an input device of the interconnection.

If the machine is programmed to deposit the identified documents held in escrow, the machine moves the document stack 276 in the manner shown in Figure 31 Alternatively, the escrow stack will be moved in a manner shown in Figure 31 if the machine requires that the customer entry deposits the escrow documents and that entry is given through the customer interconnection.

When the stack stack 276 is to be deposited at the storage places in the machine, the web 64 is raised to the position shown in Figure 32 and the stack stack 276 is placed in sandwich form between the webs 62 and 64. The webs are then urged to move the stack stack 276 to non-stacked area of the machine in the manner previously described. The operation of the document handling device which includes the driving rollers and the moving web carriages of the entry / exit area. they are described in greater detail in Figures 33 and 34. The carriage associated with the bands 64 is moved up and down by a drive or elevator. The carriage held by bands 62 and 58 is free floating but is restricted to a degree to which it can move downward. The carriage holding the bands 56 can be rotatably conformed to the position of an adjacent stack but it is generally avoided that s move downwards from the position shown. This configuration minimizes the complexity of the document handling device.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the carriage support strips 64, 62 and 68 are guided to move vertically by a first guide / pusher shaft 310 and a second guide / pusher shaft 312. The guide / drive shafts serve as guides and the carriages move an operational support connection therewith. The guide shafts / impellers n only extend generally vertically, but also what are slotted axes that can be rotated by suitable drive and transmission mechanisms in the directions shown. For example the impeller may include one or more electric motors, which are operatively connected to the guide shafts / impellers by the gears, the bands or other motion transmission devices. The movable journal guide blocks 314 and 316 may movers vertically on shaft 310. Each diagonal guide block represented by guide block 314 in FIG. 33 includes oscillating gears 318. Oscillating gears operate to transmit rotational movement from guide shaft / pusher 310 to shafts 320 and 322. The axes 320 and 32 include the rollers on which the webs 56 and 58 are respectively supported.

The guide blocks 324 and 326 can be moved on the shaft 312. As indicated in Figure 33 by the guide block 324, the journal guide block includes the oscillating gears 328 which operate to transmit the rotational movement of the shaft. guide / impeller 312 to the axes 330 and 332 The bands 62 and 64 are supported on the rollers which are driven by the axes 330 and 332 respectively.

As it should be appreciated, this arrangement for driving the bands in the entry / exit area reduces the complexity and comparison to other arrangements. This structure also increases the flexibility to selectively place stacks of documents. The bands of the embodiment shown are preferably arranged so that the opposite web paddles that join the areas where the stacks are accepted are transversely offset. This facilitates the movement of the batteries without biasing them. This also allows the document handling device to move the webs facing each other in an opposite manner to one side and beyond the point where the facing pallets joining an area are coplanar. This allows the adjacent carriages of the mechanism to retract to a relatively small size in the vertical direction. This feature may be desirable when the carriages move to one side without documents in an area between the opposite strips. This also facilitates the movement of the ply area sufficiently upward to be in alignment with the unstack device or the opening in the box. This allows a single box opening of a relatively small size to be used to receive and deliver the documents. Of course in other additions, multiple openings can be used In the embodiment shown, the stack support members include the band vanes and all the band vanes can be moved in a transverse direction to move the stack of documents. In other embodiments, other stack support members may be used. For example, arrangements of rollers, bands or other movable support members can be used to move stacks of documents. Arrangements of alternate or opposing movable and non-movable support members may be used. Alternatively, support members that move non-transversely can be used with devices and support members which push or pull the stack.

Returning to the sample transaction flow with the stack stack 276 in the position shown in Figure 31, the transaction flow continues in the manner indicated in Fig. 67. As indicated in step 334, the escrow stack is movable. upwards so that it is generally aligned with the opening in the box and in a position to either be delivered to the customer or to be moved back to the unstacked position. The customers operating the machine are then urged to step 336 to indicate if they wish to have the escrow battery returned to them or the quantity deposited in the plic pile in the machine. As indicated by step 338, if the client chooses to have the stack returned rather than deposited, the machine continues to return the stack to the customer through the opening.

The process of returning the stack is indicated through the transaction flow shown in Figure 68. E this point in the transaction flow the stack stack 266 is on one side of the opening 52, and can be easily delivered to the customer. The inner gate is closed in step 340 and the main door is opened in step 342. The bands 62 and 6 are then urged to move the stack stack toward the afuer to present it to the customer in step 344. A determination is made in step 346 of whether the client has taken the escrow This is based on signals from the sensors 148 and 158. If the escrow is perceived as taken, the machine returns to the main ATM machine transaction sequence in step 348.

If the customer does not take the stack, step is executed to encourage the customer to take the stack, or to retract it to the machine. If the stack is not perceived as taken in step 346, the customer is encouraged through the interconnection of the machine at step 358 to take the stack. If the stack is now perceived as having been taken, a step 352 returns the machine to the main sequence. In the event that however the battery has not yet been taken, the transaction flow continues through the steps 354 and 356 in which the stack is retrieved stored, and an irregular transaction is noted. This can occur for example by retracting the stack inside the machine by closing the door and then passing the stack through the central transport to one of the storage areas.

The alternate forms of the invention may be provided to credit the customer's account by quantity which they have indicated they wish to be returned but not taken. If the machine is programmed to operate in this manner, the documents in the escrow stack will be stored according to their type and denomination in the various storage areas in the recycling cans. In this case the control system operates to credit the amount to the client for a deposit. This can be done through the control system that updates the account data stored in the memory on the machine and / or by exchanging transaction messages with a remote computer system which tracks debit card transactions. credit.

Alternatively, the documents retracted in the escrow stack can be stored separately in one of the storage areas. The machine can be programmed to allow the customer to return at a later time and obtain the documents in the escrow stack. This can be valuable as an example if the client forgets to take the escrow or if he is distracted while carrying out his transaction. The machine's memory or other connected transaction systems can store an incomplete transaction record. The next time the customer accesses the machine this can be notified of the fact that there was an incomplete transaction. The interconnection can be used to notify the client of the incomplete transaction and to encourage it to complete it, it would reverse other options in relation to the transaction. The user can then enter transactions to complete or otherwise close the transaction. This feature may limit the client's options to complete the transaction to the particular machine where the incomplete transaction occurred. Alternatively, when the incomplete transaction record is stored in the transaction system memory, which can be connected to many machines, the client You may be allowed to complete the transaction on a different machine.

In most cases when a customer has deposited documents in the machine, these clients will choose to have the funds credited to their account. As a result of this, in the transaction flow in step 338 the clients will indicate through the customer interconnection that they wish to make a deposit. The transaction flow is moved through a step 358 in which the machine is put into the deposit mode. Then the stack stack 276 is moved to the unstacked area d in step 360. This is done in the previously described manner for the deposited stack.

As shown schematically in Figure 35, the escrow stack will now be unstacked in the previously discussed manner. However, now instead of the unstacked bills which are directed by the deviation gate 90 to the escrow area and the delivery / rejection area, the bills are selectively directed to the other area in the machine as shown, to the various Storage areas in recycling bins. During this operation each of the unstacked bills is again classified and identified by the bill identification apparatus 88. The identification of the banknote type is used to selectively direct each document to a storage area where the documents of that type are stored. It should be understood that the memory connected to the machine control system is preferably programmed to record the type of document held in the plic pile and to compare the determination of type of document made in the initial pass with the type determination made in the last second In the event of an error or inconsistency, the deviation gate 90 can be used to direct any irregular documents to the delivery / reject area 60 instead of moving them down to a place in the storage on the machine, or moving them. to another selected storage location.

As can be seen with the transaction flow beginning at step 358 in Figure 67, the plic pile undergoes the unstacked process previously described in relation to steps 184, 196 and 204. Each note is also stretched centered relative to the transport path and then release.

The ticket goes through the analysis discussed in connection with step 278, and if the ticket is not properly identified in step 280, the transaction flow moves to step 262 when the machine is in deposit mode. In step 262 each note is dispatched to an appropriate storage location. The notes are moved through this central part in the direction of the arrows "D shown in Figure 35. Each note is then directed to an appropriate storage location in a step 264. It should be noted that the notes are moving concurrently to different places. of storage under the control of control system Figure 35 shows an example of a bill being deposited in a storage area 102. It should be understood, however, that bills can be moved in numerous storage areas during the storage process .

The notes in the stack 276 continue to be unstacked until the stack is determined to have run out in step 266. Assuming no notes have been rejected during the deposit process, the transaction flow can then be returned to the transaction sequence. Main AT in a step 268. The control system operates to modify the information in the memory and / or to communicate messages with a remote debit credit card processing system to credit the customer's account for the deposit. The customer can be provided with a deposit receipt and can continue with other transactions.

In the operation of the central transport 70 there are places in which the bills in movement must suffer generally 180 degrees turns. An example of this is indicated by the transport section 370 which is shown in Figure 35 which includes a tumbling device. In the transport section 370, the documents that must be aligned in the transport path have had their inverted address so that they can pass to one side of the identification device 88. The transport section 370 requires that the tickets be transported in a transported manner. exact and keep the relationship aligned and spaced. The documents are also preferably not wrinkled or otherwise distorted, and this may adversely impact their ability to be identified in the next section. More details regarding the transportation section 370 are shown in Figures 36-38.

The tumbling device in the transport section 370 includes a plurality of strips 372. These strips in the preferred embodiment are V-type strips which engage the impeller and slack rollers 374, 376 and 378. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the section transverse "V" of the bands 372 is pointed radially inwardly as the band passes the rolls 374, 376 and 378.

As the belts 372 move between the rollers 37 and 376 they are supported on the carriage rollers 380. The carriage rollers 380 hold the belt in a manner so that the "V" section is pointed outwardly from the carriage rollers. An upper planar surface of each band is positioned on one side of an annular dimple 382 on the outer circumference of each carriage. The carriage rollers 380 are also spaced from one another. The guides 38 which generally have a somewhat smaller diameter than the carriage rollers are placed between them. An example of a guide 364 is shown in greater detail in Figure 37.

When a ticket 386 passes through the transport section 370 these are retained from the flat surfaces of the band 372 and the dimples 382 of the carriage rollers com are shown in Figure 38. The bills move around the rollers of Carriage without being biased or distorted When the bills are passed to the area adjacent the roller 37 the projections 388 on the guides push the bill out of contact with the carriage rollers and in the desired direction.

This configuration is used in a preferred embodiment of the invention since it has been found that tickets can be generally transported through the transport section 370 without adversely impacting their aligned and separate relationship. The ability to flip the banknote trajectory 180 degrees also greatly reduces the overall size of the automated banking machine.

As shown in Figure 35, the tickets which are passed through the central transport 70, and which are moved to the storage areas within the magna, pass down through the central transport through the remote transport segments. 108, 110, 112 and 114 These remote transport segments operate as part of a remote transport. The remote transport segments are vertically aligned in the preferred embodiments to allow documents to be selectively transported between transport segments. The transport segment also allows the documents to be selectively addressed either through the transport segments in or out of the adjacent bot transports, one of which is placed on the side of each transport segment. The selective direction of the documents is achieved through the use of a middle door associated with each transport segment which is operated under the control of control system 30.

An example of a transport segment used in a preferred embodiment of the invention is indicated by the transport segment 110 shown in Figure 39. The transport segment 110 includes a plurality of spaced web support rolls 390 and 392. The rolls they are driven by an impeller in operative connection with the control system. Each of the rollers supports a band 394 on the top (see Figure 44). An inner vane 396 of each band 39 generally extends in a first plane and is positioned beside a first sheet support surface 398 and a second sheet support surface 400. The sheet support surfaces each include a plurality of raised and spaced projections or dimples on them. This high projection serves to break the surface tension and minimize the risk of documents sticking there.

The operating principles of the transport segment 110 as well as the can transport used in the preferred embodiment can be seen with reference to the Figures 45 and 46. The transports operate to hold the documents in a hooked relationship between an outer surface of a band vane and the elongated projections which extend towards the band vane from an adjacent opposing support surface. In the example shown in l Figure 45, the band vanes 402 extend to one side of an opposite support surface 404. The projections 406 s extend transversely between the band vanes from the support surface. A document 408 which is engaged between the band vanes and the supporting surface and pressed and deformed by the projections 406 to remain engaged with the band vanes. As a result of this the documents move with the band palettes. This allows the movement of the band vanes to move exactly document 408 in a relationship therewith.

Returning to Figure 39, the projections 410 s extend from the first sheet support surface 398. The projections 410 are generally segmented projections include the tapered front and tail edges to minimize the risk of documents being caught therein. The slack rollers 412 and 416 are also screwed onto and a support connection with the member including a blade support surface 398. The slack rolls 412 and 416 serve as movable members and are generally placed in an aligned relationship with the inner pallets. 396 and carry out a function which will be explained later.

Each remote transport segment has a boat transport adjacent to it which finds the transport segment at an intersection. In the case of transport segment 110, can transport 126 extends adjacent to it as shown in Figure 1. Can transport 126 includes pairs of spaced band support rollers 418, only one of which is shown in Figur 39. The rollers 418 are driven by an impeller in operative connection with the control system. The rollers 418 hold the bands 420 which include the lower vanes 422 The lower vanes 422 extend generally in a plan and further extend to one side of a supporting surface 42 which includes the dimpled projections thereon of the type previously discussed. The projections 426s extend from the support surface 424 between the bands are generally parallel thereto. This structure allows the documents to be transported in a hooked relationship between the projections 426 and the band vanes 422 previously described. A transition surface 42 provides a smooth transition between the support surface 398 and the support surface 424 through the intersection 1 which is generally indicated with the number 421.

As shown in Figure 44, the rollers 41 of the can bearings and the rollers 390 of the remote transport segments are arranged in a transversely intermediate relationship, similar to the manner in which the projections on the supporting surface are placed transversely in the middle of the band vanes. This ensures that the documents can be passed between the transportation segments in a controlled relationship in the manner described here. The rollers 418 extend through the plane of the first transport segment so as to impart a wave configuration to the documents moved between the rollers 390 and the rollers 418.

Each of the remote transport segments includes a fourth half which is selectively operable to direct the documents in the desired directions. A medium port is placed at an intersection facing the boat transport with the remote transport. In the case of the transport segment 110 the middle door associated with it is the gate 118. The door 118 includes a plurality of movable arms 428. The arms are engaged to move together by or impeller in an operative connection with the control system they are selectively movable about an axis of the rollers 390. Each arm 428 has a roller 430 movably mounted thereon. Each roller 430 which serves as a diverter member is placed in alignment with a corresponding inner band vane 396.

The operation of the remote segment and the middle door will now be explained with reference to Figures 39-43. As shown in Figure 39, when the diverter roller 430 of the door 118 is positioned from the band vanes 396, a document 432 is enabled to pass along a first direction directly through the remote transport segment. Even though document 432 is shown as looking up in Figure 39, it should be understood that the documents can be moved downwards as well as in response to the control system and to the impeller which moves the rollers 390 392 in a selected rotational direction. Documents in a similar way can be moved down and then pass up in the remote transport segment.

Figure 40 shows a document 434 that moved in a downward direction while the deviated roller 430 of the door 118 is extended. In this condition the diverter roller extends both the plane of the daughter trajectory and the segment of the remote transport and the plane of the leaf movement of the canister transport. The document 434 is directed towards the pressure point created by the band vanes 422 and the projections 426 of the can transport 126. As a result of this, the movement of the band vanes 420 in the direction shown with the associated impeller when the middle door is actuated transfers the document into a boat transport path along which it is carried by the boat transport. As can be seen from Figure 40, when the door 118 is driven and moved to the position to direct the documents to and from the can transport the web pallet 396 is deformed. Loose roll 416 holds the web pallet in the deformed position to avoid excessive wear as a result of friction.

Figure 41 shows the document 436 being moved from the can transport to the remote transport segment 110. In the position shown the med gate 118 operates to direct the document 436 towards the remote transport segment 108 placed above the remote transport section 110 (see Figure 35) and towards the central transport.

Figure 42 shows the gate 118 in a condition that directs a document 438 from the transport of bo 126 downward in the remote transport segment 110. As you will appreciate from the discussion above, the preferred embodiment of the invention allows the movement of the documents of one storage area to another. This function is enabled by the machine's control system that moves the documents from the storage areas in boats where they have been stored to the storage areas in boats either up or down the storage canister in the machine.

Figure 43 shows a document 440 which is moved upward in the remote transport segment 110 and which is being directed by the door 118 inside the bot transport 126. The ability to move documents in the manner shown in Figures 39-43 in response to the control system greatly facilitates the ability of the preferred embodiment of the present invention to store and retrieve documents. As will be appreciated from the preceding Figures, the mechanisms The door can also be used to selectively orient documents. This may be desirable, particularly when you want to provide customers with documents oriented evenly in a stack. This can be achieved by reorienting the documents prior to storage based on the orientation of each document as determined by the identification device 88. However, as discussed previously the incorporation of the present invention shown requires that the documents be oriented to No particular way for a satisfactory operation.

The storage of the documents in a storage location will now be described with reference to Figures 47-53. For the purposes of this illustration, storage of a document in the storage area 102 as shown in Figure 35 will be discussed. However, it should be understood that the following description is generally applicable to the storage of documents in any of the storage areas available in the preferred embodiment machine.

Referring to Figure 47, the storage area 102 is shown from the top. The band vanes 422 of the can transport 26 extend in a transport path above a coffer door 442. The coffer door 442 is movably mounted in a support connection with the can above the storage area 102. The coffer door 442 includes a bearing surface 444 which supports bills or other documents that move over it and from the adjacent storage areas. The support surface 444 included projections with holes which serve to reduce the surface tension and the sticking of the documents that move on it.

The hood door 442 includes the outwardly extending projections 446 which are transversely adjacent and generally parallel to the band vanes. The projections engage the passing documents keep the documents in engagement with the bands 422. A pair of openings or perforations 448 are in a relationship generally aligned with the projections 446. The openings 448 provide access for the hitting wheels which will be discussed. subsequently and which serve as members of the sheet hook. As can be seen in Figure 47 the projections 446 are tapered to one side of the openings 44 to minimize the risk of the documents sticking thereto. The coffer door 442 also includes a plurality of loose rollers 450. The rollers 450 are placed in an aligned relationship with the strips 422. The rollers 450 engage the strips and facilitate the movement of the strips when the hood door 442 is opened to accept a document in a manner that is described later.

The hood door 442 also includes a central opening 452. The opening 452 is sized to accept a pair of closely spaced striker wheels there. The central hitting wheels 454 are similar in construction to the outer hitting wheels 456 which extend through the openings 448. The center opening 452 is also sized to accept the supply wheels 458 and 460 which serve as the engaging members of the blade and which are placed on the side of the front of the hood door 442 covering the storage area 102. The supply wheels 458 and 460 are connected to the striker wheel 454 by a supply band 462 which served as a member of supply.

It should be understood that the kicker wheels 454 456 as well as the supply wheels 458 and 460 are supported on a surface positioned on one side of and vertically upward from the hood door 442. The supply wheels and the hitting wheels are preferably supported on the machine box, while the storage area 102 and the box door 442 are supported on the recycling can 94. The recycling can can be removed from the machine when the supply wheels and the hitting wheels are positioned that these do not extend through the boat 452.

The coffer door 442 also includes a sensor 464 which serves as a sheet thickness detector. The sensor 464 in the form of the invention is an optical receiver type sensor that receives signals from an opto-transmitting device which is placed in the machine on one side of and above the sensor 45 when the can 94 is in an operative position. The sensor 46 is in connection with the control circuit of the machine. Other types of detectors, such as contact or non-contact detectors, may be used in other embodiments.

The steps involved in storing a ticket in a storage area 102 will now be described with reference to Figures 48-53. The storage area 10 retains a stack 466 that includes a plurality of banknotes or other documents. The stack 466 is preferably a plurality of horizontally oriented documents which are supported on a thrust plate 468. The thrust plate 468 is pressed up towards the coffer door by a spring shown schematically at number 467, or other pressing mechanism. . The stack is held at its upper end by a plurality of transversely spaced front fingers 470 and rear fingers 472 which engage the top sheet joining the stack to one side of the chest door. The front fingers and the hind fingers are movable by a mechanism in the manner that will be discussed hereafter. The mechanism includes an impeller that includes a rotational or linear motor tip device and a suitable transmission mechanism in operative connection with the control system.

The hood door 442 includes an interior surface 474 which includes a plurality of projections extending downwardly with the recesses therebetween. In the position of the fingers 470 and 472, the side projections 476 and 468 on one side of the upper ends of the fingers 470 and 472 respectively, extend above the pil and move in the recesses of the inner surface of the coffer door. These inwardly extending projections 47 and 478 of fingers 470 and 472 hold the top of the stack in a ratio captured at the positions shown in Figure 48.

In Figure 48 a document 480 is shown to move it towards the storage area 402. In this position before the arrival of the document, the supply wheels and the hitting wheels are placed above the support surface 444 of the coffer door . The withdrawal wheels 482 which are movably mounted on the edge 94, which includes the storage area 102, are moved by a driver or other movement mechanism in an operative connection with the control system to a position placed outside the supply wheels 458 and 460.

With the arrival of the document 480 to the storage area 102 the coffer door 442 which is rotationally mounted on the canister at the rear thereof elevates upwards and a front area adjacent to the front surface thereof. The withdrawal rollers 482 move up the mechanism while the supply wheels 458 460 which are rotated by an impeller engage and move the document in the storage area 102. The fingers 470 and 47 also support and move the surface top of the pil down in relation to the door against the presser foot which is applied upwards by the push plate 478. This allows the document 480 to move inside the storage area above the projections to the inside of the fingers Figure 50 shows the configuration of the supply wheels and withdrawal wheels as the document 480 is moved within the storage area. In this condition the rotating supply wheels 458 and 460 engage the document 480 as the withdrawal wheels 482 do, so that the document can be driven to the storage area. As shown in Figure 50, a stripping rod 484, the operation of which is discussed below in detail, remains positioned away from the supply web 462 upon entry of the document 480 into the storage area.

As shown in Figure 51, the document 48 enters the storage area 102 above the stack 466. The fingers 470 and 472 are then moved outward as shown in Figure 51. This is done by a mechanism which interconnects operatively. the fingers and move these together in a coordinated relationship in response to the signals of the control system.

As shown in Figure 52, eventually the fingers 470 and 472 are moved outward by a sufficient distance to release the stack 466 so that it moves upward in response to the pressing force on the push plate 468. As a As a result of this, the document 480 is integrated into the stack when the coffer door 442 is moved down to its original position by the associated movement mechanism. When the chest door is moved downwards the inwardly extending projections on the fingers 47 and 470 are in an aligned relationship with the recesses on the inner surface of the chest door and the fingers extend there.

From the positions shown in Figure 52, the fingers 470 and 472 are moved inward by the finger movement mechanism to again capture the top surface of the stack which now includes the document 480. The recall wheels 482 again they are retracted downwards by the operation of a mechanism associated therewith and the storage area 1 is again ready to receive additional documents for storage there.

As will be appreciated from the above discussion, mechanisms such as those shown and discussed are used to move the door fingers of the chest, the wheels and other devices that respond to the control system. These mechanisms may include linear or rotational motors other mechanisms, transmissions and articulations suitable for use in the movement of the components in the manner described. Such components are mentioned in the drawings as l impellers 68 to promote clarity and facilitate and understand the operation. of the invention. Any suitable device or mechanism for achieving the type movement shown or described for the components can be used in the embodiments of the invention.

It should be understood that when one or more documents are directed to a storage place in the machine, the storage place where the particular document or document is to be stored undergoes the series of steps described. Even though the series of operations for the storage place has been described as receiving the documents after integrating them into the stack in the storage place or document at the same time, it should be understood that the mechanisms in the storage areas can be optimally configured so that a plurality of documents can be collected in the storage area above the fingers and then the fingers and the chest door moved to integrate the plurality of documents. in the pile. Such configuration can be used to optimize the speed of operation of the automated banking machine. It should be further understood that while the mechanisms for storing documents in the storage areas are exemplary, other mechanisms which store such documents may be used in alternate embodiments of the invention. Such mechanisms may specifically include devices which include only one or other numbers of mobile member configurations to hold and release the stack of documents at the storage location.

The operation of the machine 10 is described herein in relation to a transaction in which the documents are recovered from the storage areas in the machine and are supplied to a customer or operator of the banking machine. This is shown schematically in Figure 54. In the assortment operation, the documents will generally be removed from a plurality of storage locations and moved concurrently under the control of the control system 30 to the top area 66. As shown schematically in FIG. Fig. 54, each of the documents removed from the storage area is moved from the respective boat transport to the adjacent remote transport segment and is directed up the door to the central transport. In the central transport the documents each pass through the identification device 88. The type and character of the document is determined before being supplied to the customer. The flow of documents during this assortment operation (document recovery) is represented by the arrows "E" in Figure 54. Of course, as can be seen from the discussion above, at any time in the document processing which will be provided to the document. client, there is an improper or unidentifiable document, this has been addressed to the delivery / rejection area 60 for reprocessing or to return inside the machine.

The recovery of the documents of a storage area is represented by the sequence of operation shown in Figures 55-61 in relation to the storage area 102. For purposes of clarity and simplicity of the document 480, which was previously deposited in the par. top of stack 466, will be supplied in this example sequence of events.

As shown in Figure 55 in the initial position of the storage area 102, the chest door 44 is positioned downwardly by its associated mechanism. The inward projections of the fingers 470 and 472 extend the recesses in the inner surface 474 of the coffer door. The fingers together with the inner surface of the cofr door retain the upper part of the stack which is attached by the lid. 480. The stack 466 is pressed upward by the spring action of the thrust plate 468.

In the next step in the assortment of the document the fingers 470 and 472 are moved outwards in relation to the stack by its mechanism that responds to the signals of the control system. This allows the document 480 on the upper surface of the stack 466 to be engaged with the projections which join the inner surface 474 of the coffer door 442.

As shown immediately in Figure 57 e front of the coffer door 442 is moved upwards by its mechanism. The withdrawal wheels 482 are moved up to engage the supply wheels 458 and 460 (see Figure 59). Similarly, the stripping roll 484 is moved by its associated movement mechanism in an upward direction as shown in the drawing to engage the supply band 462.

It should be noted with reference to Figure 59 that the supply wheel 460 includes an inner part which has a can segment 486 thereon. The high friction segment 486 comprises a band of elastic material extending radially outwardly beyond other portions of the outer circumference of the supply wheel and in part circumferentially around the inside of the wheel. The supply wheel 458 has a similar high friction segment 488 thereon. The high friction segments extend through the openings in the chest door to provide a grip contact with the upper document of the stack when the supply wheels are positioned to place the high friction segments in contact with the upper document. .

It should also be understood that the stripping rod 484 includes a one-way clutch type mechanism. This mechanism One-way clutch allows the disengaging roller to rotate in a manner which allows a document to move easily inside the storage area 102. The clutch associated with a stripping roller 484 is oriented to receive movement of the documents outside the area. d storage. In this manner, the stripping roll 484 served as a stripping device which generally engages only the single document in the very top portion of the stack undresses or prevents other documents from moving out of the storage area. This is achieved because the high friction segment provides a greater force that moves the single document in a first direction out of the storage area than the resistance applied to the document by the stripping roll. However other documents that tend to move with the first document are separated.

As also shown in Figures 57 and 59, the kicking wheels 454 and 456 include a part extending outwardly. These portions extending outwardly are preferably and generally aligned at an angle are moved by a drive mechanism so that all the extending parts extend through the respective opening in the chest door simultaneously. As shown in Figure 59, these extending portions are generally in angular alignment with the high friction segments arched over the supply wheels and similarly serve as engagement members to engage and move the top document in the stack.

As shown in Figure 58 for picking up the document, the supply wheels and the swivel wheels are rotated so that the radially extending portions of the striker wheels and the friction segments extending radially outwardly from the supply wheels engage the document 480 at the top of the stack 466. The action of the hitting wheels, the supply wheels, the take-up wheels and the stripping roll, operate to separate a document 480 from the stack and move it in a first direction from the storage area as shown in Figure 58. The preferred embodiment of the apparatus is generally designed so that a single rotation of the supply wheels and the sprockets is sufficient to move a document from the storage area. Once the document is moved from the storage area, it engages the bands and projections on the adjacent coffer door or transport part and moves them in contact therewith. The hood door 442 is moved again and the removal wheels and the stripping roller are moved by their associated mechanisms so that they retract from the can. The fingers 470 and 472 are moved upwards and inwards to reattach the top of the stack.

When the document 480 is moved from the storage area 102, the transmission of the light through the document is perceived. The transmission of light through the document is sensed by a sensor 490. The sensor 490 is preferably a receiver similar to the sensor 464 and is placed on a chest door or other structure that covers the storage area or otherwise in the first address from the storage area 102. The emitter 492 mounted on the machine emits enough light so that it can be determined whether a note or double note has been removed from the stack.

The emitter 492 and the sensor 490 are connected to the control system which is programmed to recognize when a double document has been collected from the storage area. This is preferably done by determining whether the thickness of a collected sheet is above a predetermined thickness . The machine can operate in a number of ways depending on the programming of the control system to deal with this occurrence. If the document has been completely removed from the stack, the document can be returned to the address and placed back on the stack. Then an attempt is made to again remove it. Alternatively, in a second attempted collection operation the supply wheels can be swung back and forth as the bill is being collected to provide the possibility of two bills being removed together. This can be done automatically by the control system in some conditions where the documents are known because they have a particularly high affinity or a high tension surface that makes them difficult to separate.

Finally, in the event that repeated attempts to collect a single bill from the storage area are a failure, the machine can operate to direct the collected document (s) to another storage area or to the refuse area 132. The machine can then proceed to collect the next bill 'from the stack. The programming of the machine 1 is preferably established to minimize the associated delay when a collection problem is encountered.

After the document 480 has been successfully removed from the storage area 102 it is transported to the remote transport segment 110 and is directed by gate 118 to the central transport. The document 4 together with other documents passes the identification device 88 which confirms the identity of each document. The documents are deposited in the land area 66 where a stack of land 494 is accumulated. Then as shown schematically in Figure 62, the landslide area 494 is moved upward in the input / output area 50 of the machine. Door 54 is opened and the stack is delivered to the customer through opening 52.

The transaction flow executed by the control system to carry out the operations of the machine a withdrawal transaction is presented in Figures 69 and 70 As is the case with the deposit transaction, the machine first goes through a customer identification sequence represented by a step 134 in which the customer operating the machine is identified to resolve his account data. This sequence of customer identification is not usually executed again when the client has operated the machine to carry out an immediate transaction earlier than the customer account data has already been resolved and is available in the machine's memory After the clients have identified themselves, the machine goes through the transaction sequence of the main automatic box 136 as previously discussed.

Clients immediately indicate in a step 496 through the interconnection of clients that they wish to carry out a withdrawal transaction. The withdrawal amount then received by the machine based on the customer entries in a step 498. In a step 500 the machine operates to determine whether the withdrawal amount that the customer has requested is authorized by the programming of the machine and / or programming of a computer of a credit transaction or remote debit processing system which is communicating with the machine through a telephone link, radio link, a sighted line or other suitable communication means. If the withdrawal is not authorized, the machine returns to the main sequence and provides instructions to the clients.

If the withdrawal amount is authorized, the machine control system sees the storage locations of the various denominations of banknotes in step 502 and calculates that a mixture of banknotes can be provided to the customer in country 504. It should be noted that in Some incorporations of the invention which are intended to be used primarily by commercial customers, may be allowed to such customers to select the mixture of denominations of tickets that the customer will receive. This is done by the control system using programmed drives displayed on the client's interconnection. The customer is provided with tickets through the customer's interconnection which indicate the quantity of the type of tickets that they want. However, if the machine provides that option or the customer does not want a specific denomination selection, the machine will operate to determine the number of the various types of tickets that are available to provide the tickets to the customer in the denominations that will minimize the probability of the machine keep your notes of a particular type.

The machine then continues at a step 506 in which the control system operates to collect the bills from the various storage areas. As indicated by the phantom page 508, collection operations are concurrently executed in the preferred embodiment of the invention. Multiple banknotes can be collected from the various storage locations and can be moved as a separate stream of billet through the segments of storage. remote transport and you have the central transport of the machine.

For each collection operationafter the ticket is collected a step 510 is carried out to perceive the double tickets that have been collected from a storage place. If a double is perceived in step 512 the billet is retracted to step 514 and an effort is made again to collect a single bill. However, if in step 512 he receives a single ticket the ticket is released in step 51. In said step 516 the ticket is released in a coordinated relationship with the other tickets by the control system to ensure that each ticket reaches the central transport of machine in a relationship spaced by the other bills. However, the spacing is such that the bills move concurrently and are delivered at the escrow site at speed.

An analysis of each passing bill is made by the identification device 88 which is indicated in step 518. If the bill is recognized as adequate in a pa 520, the bill is directed to the escrow area 66 in a step 522 if the Ticket is not recognized in step 520 or is improper, it is directed to the reject / delivery area 60 in a step 524, or another area designated in the programming of the machine. Failure to identify a ticket which comes from a storage location is an unusual event. This is due to the fact that each stored ticket has been usually identified twice before. Problems may arise when the ticket was loaded into the boat outside the machine. If a ticket is rejected, the transaction flow of the described incorporation continues to error recovery step 526. This error recovery program may include directing the ticket back through the central transport to a designated storage location for a subsequent analysis.

The tickets are delivered to the escrow area so that all tickets which respond to the customer's withdrawal request have been delivered. Upon completion of the check in, it is verified in step 528. A check was then made in step 530 to determine if all the bills q have been delivered have been properly identified. If they have been and there are bills in the rejection area, error recovery step 526 is executed.

However, if the bills have been properly identified the stack stack corresponding to the stack 494, Figure 62 moves to the delivery position in a step 532 which aligns the escrow area with the opening in the box. The inner door is then closed in a passage 534. The front door is opened in a passage 536 and the transport bands are moved to deliver the bills to the customer in a step 538.

In a step 540 a determination is made based on the reading of the sensors 148 and 150 to determine whether the bank of notes has been taken by the customer. If this is the case, s close the front door in step 542. The control system then operates to have the withdrawal loaded to the customer account in the memory of the machine and / or in a memory of a transaction processing system. remote. The transaction flow then returns to the main automatic cash machine sequence in step 544.

However if the tickets are not taken by the customers the routines can be executed to encourage the customer through the customer interconnection to remove the tickets. However if the client does not collect the tickets, then step 546 is executed to retract the tickets inside. of the machine. The front door is closed in a step 548 and the machine then continues to the error recovery routine. This may include, for example, storing the tickets in a particular storage location. Alternatively, this may involve reversing the withdrawal transaction requested by the customer and placing the tickets back in the various storage areas by running them through central transportation. As previously discussed, a record of the incomplete transaction by the customer can be stored on the machine or elsewhere in a computer system operatively connected so that the customer can complete the transaction when the latter subsequently has access to the machine or to another machine. connected to the system.

One advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is the ability to operate at high speeds. This is achieved through the control system architecture 30 which is shown schematically in Figure 63. The preferred embodiment of the system uses control system which includes a terminal processor 54. The terminal processor contains the general machine programming as well. as the programs necessary for the operation the functions of communication with other systems and other functions that the machine carries out. As indicated in Figure 63, the terminal processor 548 is in operative connection with the stored data including the programmed instructions and dat. The terminal processor 548 is in communication through appropriate interconnections with the various devices of the computer machines 550.

The terminal processor 548 is also in operative communication with a processor module 552. The module processor 552 orchestrates the operations carried out by the module driver mode 554, 556, 558, 560 562 and 564. As indicated, the module processor 552 is also in operative connection with its own respective data, which retains its instructions and programmed data. In a similar way, each of the module controllers preferably includes data storage to retain various instructions and programmed data. The module processor 55 is operatively connected to each of the module controllers via a data bus 566. The module controllers, each communicate via the data bus, only with the module processor 552, and The module processor communicates directly with each module controller. Ca module controller has associated with it the devices of computer equipment indicated with the number 567. Each module controller has associated with the same s own respective types of devices of computer machines, which are responsible for the operation and control .

In the operation of the system, each controller of the module operates programs to execute particular tasks associated with each device of the computer apparatus that is connected to it. This can be, for example, a particular function associated with moving a mechanism or a document. These tasks are coordinated in the areas executed through the module controller in relation to the computer devices. The movement of the document concurrently, however, coordinated by the module processor 552 operating to send the control signals to the various module controllers, so that the document handling functions carried out in a chronized and coordinated relationship. The termination processor 548 controls the operation of the module processor to carry out the particular transactions, which are indicated by the terminal programming. As a result of this configuration, the documents are allowed to be handled concurrently, but independently through the machine which greatly accelerates the document recovery storage operation.

Therefore, the preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves the claimed objectives, eliminates the difficulties encountered in the use of the devices, system and prior methods, and achieves the results described herein.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity and understanding, however unnecessary limitations should not be implied because such terms are used for description purposes and are intended to be widely considered. In addition the above descriptions and illustrations are by way of examples and the invention is not limited to the details shown described.

In the following claims, any characteristic described to perform a function s will be considered as encompassing any means capable of carrying out the recited function and should not be limited to the means shown described in the preceding description as performing the function recited or the equivalents of it.

Having described the characteristics, discoveries or principles of the invention, the way in which it is constructed and operates and the new and useful results obtained, the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts, combinations, systems, operations, methods and relationships are set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (20)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. An apparatus for selectively directing the sheets in an automated banking machine between a prime transport path and a second transport path, the transport paths are at or intersection comprising: a first support surface extending generally in a first plane, whereby the sheets in the first transport path generally move along a first direction in the first plane, the support surface includes at least one first projection and support connection therewith and extending generally outward therefrom, the projection being elongated along the length of the first direction, the support surface extends in the first direction generally adjacent to the intersection; a plurality of first leaf moving members, wherein the first leaf moving members extend generally parallel and adjacent to the first supporting surface, wherein the moving members of the first sheet are positioned on the opposite transverse sides of the first leaf. the first projection, wherein the members of the first leaf movement are configured in relation to the first projection so that a leaf extending between the projections and the first movement members ho! the first leaf movement members engage so that the leaf moves in contact therewith; at least one second movement member I blade adjacent to the second transport path, wherein the second transport path extends in a generally transverse plane-to the first plane, and wherein second blade movement member extends in generally both first and second planes and extends in the first plane transversely in the middle of the first leaf movement members; a deviator member that can move between u! first position wherein the diverting member extends both the first plane and the second plane, and a second positioned where the diverting member does not extend in the second plane where the diverting member is configured in the first position to deflect the leaves which moves in the first transport path to engage the second movable member; Y a diverter member impeller, wherein the diverter member driver is selectively operated to move the diverter member between the first second positions.

2. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the first leaf movement members each include a first band vane and wherein the first band vanes extend across the intersection.

3. The apparatus as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that when the diverter member moves between the first and second positions, said diverter member is operated to change the configuration of at least one of the first pallets of the band adjacent to the intersection. .

4. The apparatus as claimed in clause 3, characterized in that in the first position of diverter member, said diverter member deforms at least one of the band vanes to extend in the second plane.

5. The apparatus as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that each of the band vanes is screwed onto a plurality of first pulleys, and wherein the second blade movement member is positioned along the first direction in a ratio intermediate of the first pulleys and the diverting member.

6. The apparatus as claimed in clause 5, characterized in that the first pulleys rotate around a first axis, and wherein the diverter member rotates about the first axis as the diverter member moves into the first and second positions.

7. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the second leaf moving member extends through the first plane, wherein the first and second leaf moving members are configured so that the moving leaves at Through intersection, they are given an on-line configuration in cross-section.

8. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the second blade moving member includes a second blade blade, and wherein the second blade blade is supported on a second pole adjacent to the intersection, and wherein the second blade The pulley holds the second band vane as the second band vane extends in the first and second planes.

9. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, further characterized in that it comprises a plurality of second sheet movement members, wherein each second sheet moving member extends transversely and midway between a pair of first leaf movement members. transversely adjacent.

10. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the second leaf moving member is generally aligned along the first direction with the first projection.

11. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, further characterized in that it comprises a plurality of second leaf movement members, and wherein each of the second leaf movement members is spaced transversely in the second plane of each of The first members of sheet movement.

12. The apparatus as claimed in clause 11, further characterized in that it comprises a second support surface, wherein the second support surface extends generally in the second plane and wherein the second support surface includes a second projection which is extends generally down therefrom, wherein the second projection is generally elongated along a second direction wherein the leaves moving in the second transport path generally move along the second direction, and where the second projection is placed transversely in the middle of a pair of second leaf movement members, and the second projection is configured so that the sheet extends transversely between the second projection and the second leaf movement members engage the second movement members of maner sheet that the sheet moves in contact with it.

13. The apparatus as claimed in clause 4, further characterized in that it comprises a first movable member in support connection with the first support surface, wherein the deviating member deforms the first band vane and said first band blade deforms engages the first mobile member.

14. The apparatus as claimed in clause 12, further characterized in that it comprises an arcuate transition surface extending between the first and second blade support surfaces.

15. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, further characterized in that it comprises an impeller and operative connection with the first leaf movement members, wherein the impeller is selectively operated to move the first leaf movement members so that the The leaves are moved selectively along the first direction in either a first shape or a second shape in relation to the intersection.

16. The apparatus as claimed in clause 1, further characterized in that it comprises an impeller and operable connection with the second blade movement member wherein the impeller is selectively operated to move the second blade movement member so that the blades or moved in contact with the second leaf movement member either inwardly or outwardly of the intersection.

17. An apparatus for selectively directing the sheets in an automated banking machine between a first transport path and a second transport path comprising: a plurality of first band vanes, e wherein the first band vanes move along a first direction in a first transport path; a deflecting member wherein the deflected member is selectively movable to a first position where the diverting member moves at least one of the first band vanes to extend on the second transport path, and a second position where the diverting member does not move move * L 'first pallet of band to extend in the second transport trajectory; Y 5 an impeller, wherein the impeller is operated to selectively move the deviating member between the first and second positions.

18. The apparatus as claimed in clause 17, characterized in that the second transport path comprises a plurality of second band vanes wherein the second band vanes extend along a second direction in the second transport path, where each second band vane is transversally placed 15 of a first band vane.

19. The apparatus as claimed in clause 18, characterized in that the first transport path is delimited by a first support surface 20 wherein the first support surface includes a plurality of first projections wherein the first projections extend along the first direction and transversely in the middle of the first band vanes.

20. The apparatus as claimed in clause 19, characterized in that the second transport path is limited by a second support surface wherein the second support surface includes a plurality of second projections wherein the second projections extend. generally along the second direction transversely in the middle of the second band vanes. SUMMARY An automated banking machine identifies documents such as banknotes deposited by a user: The machine then selectively retrieves the documents from the storage areas and delivers them to other users. The machine includes a central transport in which the documents which are deposited are oriented identified. Such documents are then directed to the storage areas in the recycling cans when a user subsequently requests an assortment of documents. The documents are selectively taken from the storage areas and delivered to the client. The door means are used to selectively direct documents between the remote transport segments and the delivery haulage carriers. The doors operate to selectively direct the documents through an intersection in contact with the web pads transversally offset. A diverter member selectively deforms the transport segment band vanes as to guide the documents to and from an associated boat delivery transport.