WO2016166693A1

WO2016166693A1 - Electronic system to make cash transfers

Info

Publication number: WO2016166693A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/052123
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlo Enrico Speroni
Original assignee: R & D And Service Consulting Sa
Priority date: 2015-04-14
Filing date: 2016-04-14
Publication date: 2016-10-20
Also published as: ITUB20150015A1

Abstract

Electronic system to make cash transfers comprising a plurality of electronic devices (2) for receiving cash that communicate wirelessly with at least one electronic central processing unit (3) that is connected with bank data processing centres (CED) of reference banks (4). Such receiving devices are suitable for receiving cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) and for verifying the authenticity of the same. Such receiving devices comprise a local electronic processing unit including electronic means for the recognition of cash inside it that certifies the amount paid, and electronic means for the real-time wireless transmission of information related to such an amount paid to such a central unit (3).

Description

ELECTRONIC SYSTEM TO MAKE CASH TRANSFERS

The present invention concerns a system and an electronic method for making cash transfers.

In particular, the present invention refers to a system and an electronic method for making cash transfers from one or more deposit points provided with at least one currency receiving device according to the teachings of the present invention, of one or more communication systems and of a data processing centre, which at the end of the process connects with the financial subject certifying values and qualities of the cash cashed in. It is known that currency transfers (cash, cheques) are made with a standardised procedure that takes place in predetermined times not shorter than three-four work days. The problems inherent to cash management have their main core in the ability and the possibility of providing incoming and outgoing flows: the need to control a large amount of information and to quickly calculate the effects of movements that had not been foreseen make this activity very difficult without the help of an automated system, in both large and small businesses, and in the same way in credit institutions. For this reason, on the market integrated systems are developing, understood to be the «rib» of the management systems: the availability of data in a single database allows the information to be exploited without the need to import it from outside or to interface it with other sources.

The main reason that pushes a firm to have a cash system, therefore, is to have the information to be able to deal with cash shortfalls or surpluses. This makes it possible to solve potentially dangerous situations to the life of the company in advance, such as the lack of liquidity or the lack of credit. The interventions as a consequence of the availability of information also allow a positive economic result, deriving from the activation and from the priority use of less expensive financial sources, from the verification of the absence of unused deposits, from the greater contractual strength with regard to financiers: all activities that are carried out as soon as the information is collected and managed to lead to a decision process. The economic benefit is increased by the greater control that the application allows for the company to have towards the contractual conditions made by financiers.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and an electronic method for making currency transfers capable of transforming the conventional approach, and to propose an evolved system to the credit firm, capable of bypassing the typical problems of the area in question.

The electronic system of the present invention is a technology that harmonises the financial flows with the mobility of cash payments so that the time currently taken to collect, verify and validate the cash is immediate, secure and controlled.

The purpose of the process is therefore to immediately provide liquidity in a certified manner for all possible uses. The cash involved is in fact in the form of a flow that generates an entry as occurs in management processes of credit cards.

The integration of the electronic system according to the present invention in the management systems of a bank allows the collection and analysis times of information linked to cash flows to be zeroed: moreover, the immediacy of knowing the amounts cashed also means immediate availability of the same to the credit institution.

This process innovation thus brings with it a series of very substantial economic advantages for the beneficiary institution: from the positive impact on the management costs of the cash (transportation and connected insurance costs) to the market conditions applicable to the customers that benefit from the system.

For this reason, the security and certainty of the data represent the most evident advantage of the process, capable of following up with a corollary of further advantages.

The current status of the payment and validation process comprises a minimum of four days linked to the different steps: from the moment of payment some physical steps are necessary linked to the cash in order to be able to obtain the validation and subsequent availability at the bank (and thereafter of the current account of the customer) .

The process innovation and the receiving device according to the present invention (thanks to the communication of the data in terms of M2M) definitively abbreviates the process, to the point of making the information available in real time. In this way, the collateral issues (physical movements, insurances, count) assume a relative importance, and do not have a substantial impact like in the state of the art.

The characteristics and advantages of the system and of the method according to the present invention will become clearer from the following description, given as an example and not for limiting purposes, of an embodiment with reference to the attached figures, in which :

• figure 1 is an example block diagram of the various steps of the process according to the present invention;

• figure 2 is an example block diagram of the electronic communication system according to the present invention;

· figure 3a and 3b illustrate respective side and front views of the receiving device according to the present invention.

With reference to the quoted figures the system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of electronic devices 2 for receiving cash that communicate wirelessly with at least one electronic central processing unit 3 that is connected with bank data processing centres (CED) of reference banks 4.

Such a receiving device is adapted for receiving the cash in the form of coinage, banknotes or cheques (personal cheques, certified cheques and banker's drafts) and for verifying the authenticity of the same. By verify we mean that if the cash for whatever reason is irregular, it is refused. Therefore, the device allows the acceptance of out-of-circulation, dubious as well as counterfeit paper cash to be reduced to the minimum if not actually prevented; that is to say, exactly what would occur at the bank cashier' s window at the time of deposit.

The receiving device is an innovative cash deposit and security system; it is positioned at the customer sales point, and it is connected on line to such a central processing unit and thus to the reference banks.

The receiving device comprises electronic means for the recognition of the currency inserted and in particular it includes a first area 21 of communication with the user, consisting of at least one interactive screen and/or a data entry pad 211. Such an area also comprises a printer 212 for issuing receipts, etc....

The receiving device comprises a second insertion area 22 of at least one mouth for the insertion of cash per banknotes, coinage and cheques. Such a mouth comprises counter devices for reading the banknotes and the coinage and for verifying the serial numbers and the authenticity of the banknotes and cheques.

The receiving device comprises a third area 23 for depositing and securely holding cash (safe) .

Such counter devices in a first embodiment also comprise wavelength sensors and optical sensors with advanced algorithms for the recognition and validation of banknotes, sensors capable of detecting and diverting liquids to prevent tampering attempts

Such counter devices in a further embodiment also comprise, in addition to the aforementioned elements for the first embodiment, at least one scanner with an OCR recogniser for obtaining a scan of the banknotes and of the cheques (with attached serial number) .

The receiving device comprises a local electronic processing unit that coordinates the operation of the electronic devices of the three areas and through a suitable recognition programme inside it that certifies the amount paid, issues a receipt.

In particular, such a local electronic processing unit includes electronic means for the recognition of cash inside it that certifies the amount paid, and electronic means for the real-time wireless transmission of information relating to such an amount paid to such a central unit 3.

The architecture of the system allows the passage of the date relating to the currency in real time, and also the transmission of the same data from the central unit to the CED of the bank according to the flow of data relating to the cash indicated in the diagram of figure 1.

In particular, the recognition and certification of the currency already carried out locally in the single receiving device allows the real-time transfer of the same cash to the reference bank and consequently its crediting to the current account of the customer.

The system allows the cash, banknotes and/or metal coinage or cheques to be managed electronically by generating a certified data flow that is equivalent to the currency, replacing (even only temporarily) the physical cash.

Claims

1. Electronic system to make cash transfers comprising

a plurality of electronic devices for receiving (2) cash that communicate wirelessly with at least one electronic central processing unit (3), which is connected with bank data processing centres (CED) of reference banks (4),

characterised in that such receiving devices are suitable for receiving cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques or equivalent payment models and for verifying the authenticity of the same, such receiving devices comprising a local electronic processing unit including electronic means for the recognition of cash inside it that certifies the amount paid, and electronic means for the real-time wireless transmission of information related to such an amount paid to such a central unit (3) .

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said central unit (2) comprises means for the real-time transmission of the data related to the amount paid in such a receiving device to the central unit at the CED of the bank .

3. System according to claim 1, wherein such a receiving device comprises electronic means for the recognition of inserted cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models), which includes a first area (21) of communication with the user, consisting of at least one interactive screen and/or one data entry pad, a second insertion area (22) provided with at least one mouth for the insertion of cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models), which comprises counter devices for reading banknotes and coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) and verifying serial numbers and the authenticity of paper currency and cheques (or equivalent payment models) .

4. System according to claim 1, wherein in such a first communication area (21) there is a printer for issuing receipts.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device comprises a third area (23) of deposit and safekeeping of cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) .

6. System according to claim 3, wherein such counter devices comprise wavelength sensors and optical sensors for the recognition and validation of banknotes, cheques (or equivalent payment models), sensors capable of detecting and diverting liquids to prevent tampering attempts .

7. System according to claim 3, wherein such an insertion mouth comprises a scanner with an OCR recogniser to get a scan of cash in the form of inserted banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) .

8. Device for receiving and recognising cash, banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) and verifying the authenticity of the same, comprising a local electronic processing unit including electronic means for the recognition of cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) inside it that certifies the amount paid, characterised in that it comprises wireless electronic means for the real-time transmission of information related to such an amount paid to such a central unit (3), such electronic means for the recognition of inserted cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) comprising a first area (21) of communication with the user, consisting of at least one interactive screen and/or one data entry pad, a second insertion area (22) provided with at least one mouth for the insertion of banknotes, coinage and cheques, which comprises counter devices for reading banknotes and coinage and verifying serial numbers and the authenticity of cash in the form of banknotes or coinage, cheques or equivalent payment models.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein in such a first communication area (21) there is a printer for issuing receipts.

10. Device according to claim 8, wherein the receiving device comprises a third area (23) of deposit and safekeeping of cash in the form of inserted banknotes or coinage, cheques (or equivalent payment models) .

11. Device according to claim 8, wherein such counter devices comprise wavelength sensors and optical sensors for the recognition and validation of banknotes and cheques, sensors capable of detecting and diverting liquids to prevent tampering attempts.

12. Device according to claim 8, wherein such an insertion mouth comprises a scanner with an OCR recogniser to get a scan of cash in the form of banknotes, coinage, cheques or equivalent payment models .