Self-service terminal
View Patent ↗A self-service terminal for reading wireless tags incorporated into media items is described. The terminal comprises a media acceptor for receiving media items, such as banknotes incorporating an RFID tag, and a wireless tag reader for reading received media items incorporating wireless tags. The terminal may also include a wireless tag reader for reading wireless tags in media items that are being transported to determine if multiple superimposed media items are present. The terminal may include a wireless tag reader for reading wireless tags in media items presented as a bunch, and subsequently retracted, to determine if any of the presented media items had been removed.
1. An automated teller machine (ATM) comprising:
a banknote cassette arranged to store banknotes;
a banknote presenter arranged to present banknotes to an ATM customer;
a banknote transport path coupling the banknote cassette and the banknote presenter;
a banknote pick mechanism associated with the banknote cassette and arranged to pick banknotes from the banknote cassette;
a transport mechanism arranged to transport picked banknotes along the banknote transport path from the banknote cassette to the banknote presenter;
a first banknote sensor in the form of a first wireless tag reader disposed along the banknote transport path and arranged to wirelessly detect banknotes being transported along the banknote transport path from the banknote cassette to the banknote presenter; and
a controller arranged to (i) control the banknote pick mechanism to pick banknotes a required number of times from the banknote cassette to fulfill a banknote dispense request made by the ATM customer, and (ii) control the banknote pick mechanism to change the required number of times banknotes are to be picked from the banknote cassette based upon an actual number of banknotes which have been detected by the first wireless tag reader as banknotes are being transported along the banknote transport path from the banknote cassette to the banknote presenter to fulfill the banknote dispense request which has been made by the ATM customer.
2. An ATM according to claim 1 , wherein the banknote presenter is further arranged to retract presented banknotes which have not been removed by the ATM customer, and further comprising a second banknote sensor in the form of a second wireless tag reader disposed in the vicinity of the banknote presenter and arranged to (i) wirelessly detect banknotes being presented by the banknote presenter to the ATM customer so as to record the number of banknotes which have been presented to the ATM customer, and (ii) wirelessly detect banknotes being retracted by the banknote presenter so as to record the number of banknotes which have been retracted by the banknote presenter.
3. An ATM according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further arranged to (i) compare the recorded number of banknotes which have been presented to the ATM customer and the recorded number of banknotes which have been retracted by the banknote presenter, and (ii) provide a third signal which alerts a human operator to investigate the banknote dispense request made by the ATM customer when the recorded number of banknotes which have been presented to the ATM customer and the recorded number of banknotes which have been retracted by the banknote presenter fail to match based upon the comparison.
4. A method of operating an automated teller machine (ATM), the method comprising:
wirelessly detecting banknotes being transported along a banknote transport path from a banknote cassette to a banknote presenter which is arranged to present banknotes to an ATM customer;
providing a first control signal at a first time to a banknote pick mechanism to pick banknotes a required number of times from the banknote cassette to fulfill a banknote dispense request made by the ATM customer; and
providing a second control signal at a second time which is after the first time to the banknote pick mechanism to change the required number of times banknotes are to be picked from the banknote cassette based upon an actual number of banknotes which have been wirelessly detected as banknotes are being transported from the banknote cassette to the banknote presenter to fulfill the banknote dispense request which has been made by the ATM customer.
5. A method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
wirelessly detecting banknotes being presented by the banknote presenter to the ATM customer so as to record the number of banknotes which have been presented to the ATM customer; and
wirelessly detecting banknotes being retracted by the banknote presenter so as to record the number of banknotes which have been retracted by the banknote presenter.
6. A method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
comparing the recorded number of banknotes which have been presented to the ATM customer and the recorded number of banknotes which have been retracted by the banknote presenter; and
providing a third signal which alerts a human operator to investigate the banknote dispense request made by the ATM customer when the recorded number of banknotes which have been presented to the ATM customer and the recorded number of banknotes which have been retracted by the banknote presenter fail to match based upon the comparison.