Cash dispensing automated banking machine deposit printing system and method
View Patent ↗An automated banking machine which dispenses cash and includes a mechanism for accepting deposited items. Deposited items may be provided to the machine in envelopes which are first passed to a user from an envelope storage area ( 132 ) in the machine through a transport ( 124 ) and which are presented to the user through an opening ( 244 ). A user may thereafter include deposit items in the dispensed envelope. The deposited items are passed through the opening ( 244 ) and are deposited in a deposit-holding container ( 128 ). The deposited items may be marked by an inkjet printer with indicia corresponding to the transaction or properties of the deposited item. The operation of the printer is caused by a controller ( 56 ) which controls the operation responsive to one or more environmental parameters.
1. A method comprising:
(a) sensing humidity with a humidity sensor at an automated banking machine, wherein the machine includes a cash dispenser, an inkjet printer and at least one controller in operative connection with the inkjet printer and humidity sensor, wherein the machine is enabled to carry out transactions and the printer operates during at least some of the transactions to print indicia on items;
(b) responsive to humidity sensed in (a), operating the at least one controller to control operation of the inkjet printer.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein in (b) the controller is operative responsive to humidity sensed in (a) being below a level to cause the printer to operate at times other than when printing indicia on items during transactions carried out with the machine.
3. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:
(c) dispensing cash through operation of the cash dispenser of the machine.
4. The method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
(d) receiving a deposit item through operation of the machine during a transaction;
(e) operating the at least one controller to cause the inkjet printer to print indicia on the item received in (d).
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein in (d) the deposit item comprises an envelope.
6. The method according to claim 4 wherein in (d) the deposit item comprises a check.
7. The method according to claim 4 wherein in (d) the deposit item comprises a currency bill.
8. The method according to claim 3 wherein ink expelled by the inkjet printer in printing indicia has an associated boiling point, and further comprising:
(d) sensing temperature with a temperature sensor at the machine, wherein the temperature sensor is in operative connection with the at least one controller;
(e) receiving at least one altitude value with the at least one controller, wherein the at least one altitude value corresponds to an altitude at which the machine or crates to conduct transactions;
and wherein in (b) the at least one controller causes each of the nozzles to fire at times other than when printing indicia during transactions responsive to temperature sensed in (d) and the at least one altitude value received in (e) and as a function of the boiling point.
9. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:
(f) reading card indicia from a card input to the machine by a user;
(g) carrying out at least one transaction with the machine responsive to card indicia read in (f).
10. The method according to claim 2 wherein the printer comprises a plurality of nozzles, and wherein (b) includes firing each of the plurality of nozzles at times other than when printing indicia during transactions carried out with the machine.
11. The method according to claim 10 wherein in (b) firing the plurality of nozzles at times other than when printing indicia during transactions, includes firing each of the nozzles at a lower energy level than al energy level at which the nozzles are fired when printing indicia.
12. The method according to claim 10 wherein in (b) the nozzles are fired to print indicia during transactions, aid wherein the amount of ink expelled from each nozzle is varied responsive to humidity sensed in (a).
13. The method according to claim 10 wherein in (b) firing a nozzle comprises constricting a space associated with the nozzle.
14. The method according to claim 10 wherein in (b) firing a nozzle comprises heating ink adjacent the nozzle.
15. The method according to claim 10 wherein in (b) firing the plurality of nozzles at times other than when printing indicia during transactions is operative to expel ink from each of the nozzles.
16. The method according to claim 10 wherein in (b) firing the nozzles at times other than when printing indicia during transactions is operative to prevent ink from drying in blocking relation of the nozzles.
17. The method according to claim 16 wherein in (b) the at least one controller is operative to cause each of the plurality of nozzles to fire repeatedly at times other than when printing indicia during transactions.
18. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:
repeating (a) and,
(c) responsive to sensing decreased humidity in repeated (a), operating the at least one controller to cause the nozzles to fire more frequently in (b) at times other than when printing indicia during transactions.
19. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:
repeating (a) and,
(c) responsive to sensing decreased humidity in repeated (a), operating the at least one controller to cause the nozzles to fire with greater energy in (b) at times other than when printing indicia during transactions.
20. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:
repeating (a) and,
(c) responsive to sensing increased humidity in repeated (a), operating the at least one controller to cause the nozzles to fire less frequently in (b) at times other than when printing indicia during transactions.
21. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:
repeating (a) and,
(c) responsive to sensing increased humidity in repeated (a), operating the at least one controller to cause the nozzles to fire with less energy in (b) at times other than when printing indicia during transactions.
22. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:
(c) sensing temperature with a temperature sensor at the machine, wherein the temperature sensor is in operative connection with the at least one controller;
wherein in (b) the at least one controller operates to cause the nozzles to fire at times other than when printing indicia during transactions responsive to temperature sensed in (c).
23. The method according to claim 22 wherein in (b) the at least one controller operates to cause the nozzles to fire more frequently at times other than, when printing indicia during transactions, responsive to decreased temperature.
24. The method according to claim 23 wherein in (b) the at least one controller operates to cause the nozzles to fire at times other than when printing indicia during transactions as a function of a boiling point of ink expelled by the inkjet printer when printing indicia.
25. The method according to claim 22 and further comprising:
(d) providing at least one altitude value to the at least one controller, wherein the at least one altitude value corresponds to an altitude at which the machine carries out transactions;
wherein in (b) the at least one controller operates to cause the nozzles to fire at times other than when printing indicia during transactions responsive to the at least one altitude value.
26. The method according to claim 25 wherein in (b) the at least one controller operates to cause the nozzles to fire more frequently at times other than when printing indicia during transactions, responsive to the at least one altitude value being representative of a higher altitude.
27. The method according to claim 26 wherein in (b) the at least one controller operates to cause the nozzles to fire at times other than when printing indicia during transactions, as a function of a boiling point of ink expelled by the inkjet printer.
28. The method according to claim 22 wherein the inkjet printer comprises an ink holding reservoir, and wherein in (c) temperature is sensed in the ink holding reservoir.
29. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:
(c) carrying out a transaction through operation of the machine, wherein the transaction includes at least one of dispensing cash through operation of the cash dispenser and printing indicia through operation of the printer on at least one deposit item;
and wherein the printer comprises a plurality of nozzles and wherein (b) includes firing each of the plurality of nozzles at times other than when printing indicia during transactions to prevent ink from drying in blocking relation of the nozzles.
30. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:
(c) reading card indicia from a card input to the machine by a user;
(d) carrying out at least one transaction with the machine responsive to card indicia read in (c).
31. The method according to claim 30 wherein in (c) the transaction includes printing indicia on at least one item through operation of the inkjet printer.
32. The method according to claim 31 and further comprising:
(e) sensing temperature with a temperature sensor at the machine, wherein the temperature sensor is in operative connection with the at least one controller;
wherein in (b) the controller operates the inkjet printer responsive to temperature sensed in (a).
33. The method according to claim 32 wherein in (b) the at least one controller operates responsive to humidity sensed in (a) and temperature sensed in (e) to cause the inkjet printer to vary an amount of ink expelled when printing indicia and to operate the inkjet printer at times other than when printing indicia during transactions, wherein ink is kept from drying in blocking relation of nozzles of the printer.
34. At least one article including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions are executable by at least one computer in an automated banking machine which includes a humidity sensor, cash dispenser, and inkjet printer, and which is enabled to carry out transactions in which the inkjet printer operates to print indicia on items, wherein the instructions are operative to cause the at least one computer to:
determine a level of humidity through operation of the humidity sensor; and
control operation of the inkjet printer responsive to the level of humidity determined.
35. A method comprising:
(a) sensing a humidity level with a humidity sensor at an automated banking machine, wherein the machine includes a cash dispenser, an inkjet printer, and at least one controller in operative connection with the inkjet printer and humidity sensor, wherein the machine is enabled to carry out transactions and the inkjet printer is operative during at least some of the transactions to print indicia on items;
(b) receiving at least one altitude value with the at least one controller, wherein the at least one altitude value corresponds to an altitude at which the machine operates to carry out transactions; and
(c) responsive to the humidity level sensed in step (a) and the at least one altitude value received in (b), operating the at least one controller to operate the inkjet printer.
36. The method according to claim 35 wherein in (c) the at least one controller causes the inkjet printer to vary an amount of ink expelled when printing indicia and to operate at times other than when printing indicia during transactions to keep ink from drying in blocking relation of nozzles of the printer.