WO2008125722A1

WO2008125722A1 - Method and arrangement for cash management and cashing up

Info

Publication number: WO2008125722A1
Application number: PCT/FI2008/000051
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martti Pelkonen
Original assignee: Ponsec Finland Oy
Priority date: 2007-04-13
Filing date: 2008-05-10
Publication date: 2008-10-23
Also published as: FI20070285A0

Abstract

The invention concerns a point-of-sale system comprising at least one server computer (208) and at least one identifiable point-of-sale terminal (201) communicatively coupled to means (202) for identifying a user of the terminal. The invention is characterized in that the point-of-sale system is communicatively coupled to means for identifying a user associable with a point-of-sale terminal and to means for identifying a transportation container and the point-of-sale system further comprises means for creating or updating a cash transportation transaction related to the user and the transportation container. Also a method for secure and efficient cashing up (206) is disclosed.

Description

METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR CASH MANAGEMENT AND CASHING UP

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention concerns a method and arrangement for logistically efficient cash management and cashing up a till of a point-of-sale terminal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology is widely used for identifying persons or goods. A typical RFID system comprises a RFID tag that may be read using a RFID reader device that emits electromagnetic radiation at a radio frequency. A visual connection is not necessarily needed between the RFID tag and reader device. For reading the RFID tag with the reading device, the tag must be brought to the proximity of the reading device and there must not be any material preventing electromagnetic radiation between the tag and the reading device.

A cashing up method of prior art is a process that contains multiple phases, including manual work. Some of the manual work may require participation of multiple persons or at least presence of multiple persons. For example, an employee operating a point-of-sale (POS) terminal in a retail store may bring the content of the till of the POS-terminal to the back office of the store for cashing up, i.e. for determination and/or confirmation of the amount of money in the till. The cashing up is typically performed by a person different from the person operating the POS terminal. Some cash counting device may be used to speed up the process. In addition to cashing up, cash management often includes processing of the physical cash money. For example, torn or otherwise worn bills need to be exchanged to good ones. For the processing, cash may need to be transported between a retail store and a cash processing center. When cash has been counted in the retail store, the batch of cash may be enclosed into a transportation bag that may be made identifiable by including a RFID tag in the transportation bag. The transportation is typically performed by a company specialized for value transportation services. The batch of cash that has already been cashed up once in the retail store, is cashed up again in the cash processing center using methods and systems that are capable of handling (e.g. counting) large volumes of cash in an efficient and reliable manner.

It is also known in prior art to use such transportation bags that cannot be opened without destroying the bag. Such sealing maybe used for ensuring that the content of the bag cannot be changed in an undetectable manner during transportation.

Patent application WO03046845 discloses a method for receiving a transportation package that cannot be opened in an undetected manner and that contains an identifier related to the content of the package. The method further discloses a step of ensuring that the package has been received in an acceptable manner and a step of crediting an account related to the package by the known value of the package. If the account has already been credited by the known value of the package before, the account balance remains intact.

Patent publications US2005/0108164, US2006/0146839 and EP1770633 disclose various methods and systems for cash management. No method related to handling of batches of cash at the point-of-sale terminal is disclosed in these publications.

The solutions known in the art don't disclose a method or arrangement for integrating a point-of-sale system, a secure transportation system and a cash management service into an efficient and reliable cash management solution where the efficiency and safety of logistics related to cash management has been optimized and the amount of manual and/or machine assisted work work required to transfer cash from a point-of-sale terminal to a cash processing center has been minimized.

OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and arrangement for improving the logistical efficiency and safety of a cashing up process by making the manual in-store cashing up step of a cash management process obsolete.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a point-of-sale system that comprises at least one computer server and at least one identifiable point-of-sale terminal. The point-of- sale terminal comprises, e.g. is communicatively coupled to, means for identifying a user of the terminal. The system is characterized in that the point-of- sale system is communicatively coupled to means for identifying a user associable with a point-of-sale terminal and to means for identifying a transportation container and the point-of-sale system further comprises means for creating or updating a cash transportation transaction comprising information about the user and about the transportation container.

The transportation container may be e.g. a cash transportation bag. The transportation container may contain a batch of cash withdrawn from or to be deposited to a point-of-sale terminal. The means for identifying a batch of cash and/or means for identifying a user of the terminal may be communicatively coupled, e.g. via suitable data communication means, e.g. via data communication network, e.g. Ethernet, with the point-of-sale system and/or the point-of-sale terminal. Same or different means may be used for identifying users and transportation containers.

The identifier element may comprise a RFID tag or a bar code, for example.

The system may comprise at least one second computer server for tracking the responsible holder and/or location of the transportation container from the point- of-sale terminal to at least one safekeeping device, e.g. a deposit safe or a safety deposit box. The second computer server may thus be associated with a transportation management system that comprises means for monitoring and/or managing the transportation process.

The system may comprise at least one third computer server for managing information related to the value of at least one transportation container. The third computer server may be arranged to receive information related to the identifier of the transportation container from the second computer server.

The third computer server may be arranged to transmit information related to the value of the transportation container to the server of the point-of-sale system.

Information related to the identifier associated with the transportation container and/or cash transportation transaction may be transferred between the server of the point-of-sale system and at least one second and/or third computer server. The information related to the cash transportation transaction may be e.g. the counted or otherwise determined or verified value of the cash transported. The cash transportation transaction may comprise for example withdrawal of cash (check-out) of till for transportation or deposit of cash (check-in) of till transported to the point-of-sale terminal.

The system may further comprise means for creating a timestamp for the cash transportation transaction. The timestamp may for example comprise a sequential transaction number and/or a date and time.

The point-of-sale system may further comprise means for accounting the (expected) cash balance of a point-of-sale terminal. The result of the accounting operation may be compared with information, e.g. counted value of the transported batch of cash, obtained from the third or second computer server.

The invention also concerns a method for managing cash of a point-of-sale terminal using an arrangement of any embodiment of the present invention. For example, the method may be characterized in that the method comprises steps of identifying user of the point-of-sale terminal of the point-of-sale system and creating or updating a cash transportation transaction comprising an identifier of the user of the point-of-sale terminal and an identifier of a batch of cash.

The method may be further characterized in that the cash transportation transaction information comprising identification code related to the batch of cash is stored in the server of the point-of-sale system. The transaction information may be further exchanged with (transmitted to or received from) at least one second server computer and/or at least one third server computer via some suitable data communication means.

The method of the invention may also comprise step of associating an identified batch of cash with an identifier of a person responsible of the batch of cash and/or with an identifier of a storage location, e.g. a deposit safe, of the batch of cash. The person responsible of the batch of cash may be e.g. a logged-on user of the point-of-sale terminal or a person responsible of transporting the batch of cash to/from at least one deposit safe of safety deposit box.

The method of the invention may also comprise step of receiving information related e.g. to the value of batch of cash from the second and/or third computer system. The information received may be compared with information maintained in the server of the point-of-sale system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

Figure 1 depicts elements of an optimized arrangement for cashing up,

Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of an embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 3 provides a flow chart of an exemplary process of cashing up a point-of- sale terminal,

Figure 4 depicts an exemplary process of providing a POS terminal with a batch of cash having a known value and Figure 5 illustrates two exemplary deposit safes usable by an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 depicts elements of an optimized cash up arrangement 100 enabled by the method and arrangement of various embodiments of the present invention. The arrangement comprises a point-of-sale system 101 , from which identifiable batches of cash 102 may be withdrawn for transportation. The transportation is performed using a secure item transportation and tracking system 103 where the item is reliably trackable during the entire transportation chain, preferably starting from the point-of-sale terminal. The batch of cash eventually arrives at a cash processing arrangement 104 implemented e.g. in a cash processing center where the value of the batch of cash is counted using some automated and highly efficient, safe and secure cash counting means. Finally, some accounting data of the point-of-sale system 101 from which the identified batch of cash 102 originated is updated using information obtained from the cash processing system. The arrangement 100 also comprises data interfaces 105 between the individual systems participating in the arrangement. These interfaces may comprise e.g. an interface between point-of-sale system 101 and transportation system 103, transportation system 103 and cash processing system 104 and cash processing system 104 and point-of-sale system 101.

Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of an embodiment of the present invention in more detail. The arrangement comprises at least one point-of-sale terminal 201 that comprises or is communicatively coupled to means 202 for identifying an user of a point-of-sale terminal and/or a batch of cash withdrawn from (or deposited to) the point-of-sale terminal for (or from) transportation. Such withdrawal or deposit event of a batch of cash is called here a cash (or item) transportation transaction. The means 202 may be for example a RFID reader or a barcode reader. The batch of cash is enclosed along with an identifying tag in a transportation bag that cannot be opened in an undetectable manner. The point- of-sale terminal is communicatively coupled 214 with a server computer 208 of a point-of-sale system. When a transportation transaction occurs at a point-of-sale terminal, data about the transaction is stored in the point-of-sale server 208. The data may comprise e.g. data identifying the batch of cash withdrawn from (or deposited to) the point-of-sale terminal and/or data identifying the person withdrawing (or depositing) the batch of cash from (to) the point-of-sale terminal. It is noteworthy to observe that in the transportation process the person or device holding the batch of cash may be always, i.e. starting from the point-of-sale terminal, known to the point-of-sale system and/or transportation monitoring system. This includes at least in some embodiments also the step when the identifiable batch of cash is withdrawn from the point-of-sale terminal or deposited to the point-of-sale terminal 201.

Once the transportation transaction has occurred, e.g. a batch of cash has been withdrawn from the point-of-sale terminal 201 and optionally identified using the identifying means 202, the batch of cash is transported 209 to the transportation system participating the arrangement. The transportation system may comprise a plurality of deposit safes 203, 205 and some transportation vehicles 204. Arrows 209, 210, 211 and 212 depict the movements of the batch of cash in the transportation arrangement. The transportation arrangement is advantageously arranged to maintain tracking information of the batch of cash being transported. The tracking information may comprise e.g. the (approximate) location of the batch of cash in the transportation process and/or a person or storage location currently holding the batch of cash. The tracking information of the batch of cash is maintained in the server computer 207 of the transportation monitoring system. The deposit safes 203, 205 of the system are communicatively coupled 218, 219 with the server 207 of the transportation monitoring system. The communicative coupling may be e.g. any suitable data communication network, e.g. a wireless or wireline TCP/IP network. The server 207 may also be communicatively coupled 217 with the point-of-sale server 208. The deposit safes are capable of identifying the item being deposited as well as the person depositing (or withdrawing) the item. Some exemplary deposit safes usable in the embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and explained in figure 5.

When the batch of cash arrives 212 in the cash processing facility 206, it is identified there and the value of the batch is determined using an automated cash counting process. Information comprising the identifier and the value of the batch of cash is stored in the server computer 220 of the cash processing facility. The information is then transmitted to the server of the point-of-sale system 208 via a data communication network 216. The exemplary arrangement of figure 2 may be also used for producing batches of cash having a known value in the cash processing system 206. Such batches are convenient e.g. as petty cash of a point-of-sale terminal. An identifiable batch of cash of a known value may be prepared in the cash processing system 206, enclosed into a cash transportation bag and transported e.g. to a retail store using the transportation arrangement. The information about the value of the batch of cash is transmitted separately from the server 220 of the cash processing system to the server 208 of the point-of-sale system of a retail store. When the user of a point-of-sale terminal 201 logs on to the terminal, he/she may deposit the batch of cash in the terminal. In some embodiments, the deposit step may comprise step of identifying the batch using the identifying means 202. The batch of cash may have been fetched by the user from a deposit safe of the retail store. After the deposit of the batch, the cash information of the point-of-sale terminal is updated in the point-of-sale server using the value information related to the identified batch of cash. The batch of cash may be identified e.g. by scanning at the point-of-sale terminal the identifier tag associated with the batch of cash or identifying the user who picked up the batch of cash from a safety deposit box (e.g. 510 in figure 5) and is now depositing the batch of cash at the point-of-sale terminal. It is noteworthy that the exemplary arrangement shown in the figure 2 makes the back-office routines related to cash management obsolete in a retail store. Thus, surprisingly, the logistical efficiency and safety of valuable assets of a retail store is significantly enhanced by the combined use of identifying means 202 together with reliable transportation arrangement (203, 207, 205, 204) and cash processing arrangement 206 and relatively simple data communication interfaces.

Figure 3 provides a flow chart of an exemplary process of securely transporting cash and cashing up a point-of-sale terminal 300. In order to use the terminal, user logs on to the POS system 301 as the user of the terminal (201 in figure 2).

Identifying means (202 in figure 2) may be used as part of the log-on process. When the user withdraws cash from the till for transportation, he/she puts 302 the withdrawn batch of cash into a transportation bag along with an identifying tag. The tag may be e.g. a RFID tag. Then the user saves the transportation (withdrawal) transaction in the Point-of-sale computer system 303. As part of this step, the identifier enclosed in the transportation bag may be scanned using the identifying means (202 in figure 2) and the read identifier along with the identifier of the user performing the withdrawal transaction is stored in the point-of-sale system. The user may now log out from the point-of-sale system. In some embodiments, the scanning of the identifier of the withdrawn transportation bag is postponed to the step 304 where the user of the terminal deposits the item in a deposit safe that identifies both the user and the transportation bag. The ID of the deposited transportation bag may be associated with the correct point-of-sale terminal based on the identification information of the depositing user. The batch of cash is also entered in the server of the transportation monitoring system (207 in figure 2) as a item deposit transaction 304. The item (i.e. a batch of cash) whose exact origin (a point-of-sale terminal of a retail store) is known is now in the responsibility of the transportation arrangement where its progress may be monitored 305. Once the transportation arrangement has delivered the item to the cash processing center, it is received there 306. Upon receipt, the identifier of the item is recorded in the server (220 in figure 2), possibly along with other information, e.g. identifier of storage device and/or person receiving the item. The cash processing arrangement (206 in figure 2) may now count the cash (i.e. cash up) and store the value of the item 307 in the server (220 in figure 2). The server of the point-of-sale system may now be updated with the value of the batch of cash withdrawn from the terminal in the step 302 of the process.

Figure 4 depicts an exemplary process 400 of providing a POS terminal with a batch of cash having a known value. Such batch of cash is useful e.g. as the petty cash of the POS terminal. The batch of cash is packaged 401 and enclosed in a transportation bag along with an identifier in the cash processing arrangement (206 in figure 2). The value of the item along with the item identifier information is stored 402 in the server of the cash processing system (220 in figure 2). Then the item is deposited in the transportation monitoring system e.g. by placing it into a deposit safe (205 in figure 2). This event produces a deposit transaction 403 in the server of the transportation monitoring system (207 in figure 2) and the responsibility about the item is with the transportation system. While in transit, the progress of the transportation of the item may be monitored 404. For example, the person or safekeeping device (e.g. a deposit safe) currently responsible of the item may be tracked. The transportation phase is finalized when the item arrives at the recipient site (e.g. a retail store) and is deposited e.g. in a safety deposit box 405. A user of a point-of-sale terminal may pick up the item from the safety deposit box 406 after identifying him/herself to the safety deposit box, log on to the point-of-sale system as a user of a POS terminal and deposit the item at the terminal 407. As part of the deposit operation, the item (batch of cash) may be identified using the identifying means (202 in figure 2). In some other embodiments, the identifying of the batch of cash may be done by querying the ID of the batch of cash from the transportation monitoring system which holds the information about the user who picked up the item from the deposit safe (step 406) and who is also the logged-on user of the point-of-sale terminal. Based on the batch identification data, the point-of-sale system may retrieve the value information related to the item from the server of the cash processing system (220 in figure 2) and update its own database with the information 408.

Figure 5 illustrates two exemplary deposit safes usable in embodiments of the present invention. Both types of safekeeping devices are capable of identifying items being stored in the device as well as of identifying persons depositing or withdrawing items to/from the safe. The devices are communicatively connected to a server computer (207 in figure 2) e.g. via a communication network. The server computer controls and monitors the operation of the devices. The safekeeping device (deposit safe) 500 comprises a deposit door 501, withdrawal door 503 and RFID reader 502. When a user wants to deposit an item in the safe, he/she identifies him/herself by showing an RFID tag to the reader 502. It the user has a "depositor" role in the transportation monitoring system, the door 501 is opened. The user may now deposit the item (e.g. a container bag containing a batch of cash and a RFID tag) in the deposit box. When the door 501 is closed, the item falls to the lower part of the deposit safe. The item is now identified by reading the RFID tag of the item. Also information about the person who performed the deposit, is recorded. Later, a person who has "withdrawal access" to the lower part 503 of the device may pick up the item(s) of the deposit safe by identifying himself/herself e.g. using a RFID tag (scanned by identifying means 502) and/or passcode. When the door 503 is opened, the transportation monitoring system records information about the user withdrawing items from the safe as well as about items withdrawn from the safe.

The safekeeping device 510 comprises a plurality of deposit boxes 512 and a user identifying means 511. The means 511 may be e.g. a RFID reader and/or a keypad and/or any other means suitable for reliable identification of persons accessing the deposit boxes. When a user wants to deposit (an) item(s) in the device, he/she identifies himself/herself e.g. by presenting a RFID tag to the reader 511. The system now opens one or multiple doors of the deposit boxes (512) depending on the information available in the server of the transportation monitoring system (207 in figure 2). For example, if the user (e.g. a delivery person) has picked up three items (batches of cash) from the cash processing center 206 for delivery to the retail store, then the system opens doors of three deposit boxes in the device of retail store when the user arrives and wants to deposit the items. To continue example further, when a user of a point-of-sale terminal needs e.g. a petty cash package from the deposit box, he/she may open one door of one deposit box (that contains the petty cash for the user / POS terminal) by identifying himself/herself to the safekeeping device 510 by representing a RFID tag and/or providing a passcode. It is noteworthy to observe that a point-of-sale system of an embodiment of the present invention may provide functionality that is similar to that of a deposit safe. More precisely, the point-of-sale system can identify a user of a point-of-sale terminal and an item being deposited or withdrawn to/from the terminal. Same user may also be a user of the transportation monitoring system. Thus, the point- of-sale system may be integrated in the secure, monitored transportation system comprising one or multiple deposit safes or safety deposit boxes. This capability may for example obsolete the back-office function of manual (or machine- assisted) cashing up and improve thus the logistical efficiency of cash transportation process while maintaining high degree of safety and security in the transportation process.

As shown in the exemplary embodiments, the method and arrangement of the present invention may allow surprisingly significant efficiency and safety improvements e.g. in the logistics process that is dealing with valuable items, e.g. cash in point-of-sale terminals of e.g. a retail store. This is achieved e.g. by identifying a withdrawn batch of cash at the point-of-sale terminal or at a deposit safe of a retail store and combining information related to the batch of cash from various computer systems, e.g. point-of-sale, transportation monitoring and cash processing systems.

To a person skilled in the art, the foregoing exemplary embodiments illustrate the model presented in this application whereby it is possible to design different methods and arrangements, which in obvious ways to the expert, utilize the inventive idea presented in this application.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale system comprising at least one server computer and at least one identifiable point-of-sale terminal comprising means for identifying a user of the terminal, characterized in that the point-of-sale system is communicatively coupled to means for identifying a user associable with a point-of-sale terminal and to means for identifying a transportation container and the point-of-sale system further comprises means for creating or updating a cash transportation transaction comprising information about the user and about the transportation container.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said transportation container comprises an identifier.

3. A system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the system further comprises at least one second server computer for tracking the responsible holder and/or location of said transportation container.

4. A system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said server computer of said point-of-sale system is arranged to exchange information related to said transportation container.

5. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the system further comprises at least one third server computer for managing information related to the value of at least one said transportation container.

6. A system according to claim 5, characterized in that said third computer server is arranged to transmit information related to the value of said transportation container to said server of said point-of-sale system.

7. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that said point-of-sale system further comprises means for accounting the cash balance of said point-of-sale terminal and comparing the result with information originated from said third server computer.

8. A method for managing cash of a point-of-sale terminal of a point-of-sale system comprising at least one server computer, characterized in that the method comprises steps of identifying a user of the point-of-sale terminal of the point-of-sale system and creating or updating a cash transportation transaction comprising an identifier of the user of the point-of-sale terminal and an identifier of a batch of cash.

9. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the method further comprises step of exchanging said transaction information with at least one second server computer and/or at least one third server computer via some suitable data communication means.

10. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the method further comprises the step of associating an identified batch of cash with an identifier of a person responsible of the batch of cash and/or with an identifier of a storage location.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that said person responsible of said batch of cash is a user of said point-of-sale terminal.

12. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the method further comprises step of receiving information related to the value of said batch of cash from said second and/or said third server computer to said point- of-sale system.

13. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the method further comprises step of comparing said value of said batch of cash with information maintained in said point-of-sale system.