Granted Patent B2

US 8,052,044 · App. 12/288,579 · Granted Nov 8, 2011

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A method carried out using at least one component of a cash dispensing automated banking machine that operates responsive to data bearing records, comprising:

(a) removing a plurality of first rails removably attached at inner attachment locations on an underside of a lid of a currency cassette, wherein the cassette is reloadable with currency notes for storage in and dispensing from the cash dispensing automated banking machine, wherein the first rails when attached to the lid each extend from the underside a first rail height which enables the cassette to hold a stack of currency notes having a first maximum stack height, and wherein the cassette includes at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including data representative of cassette serial number and the currency denomination;

(b) subsequent to step (a), respectively removably attaching to the underside of the lid at the inner attachment locations, a plurality of second rails which each extend from the underside a second rail height which enables the cassette to hold a stack of currency notes having a second maximum stack height, wherein the second rail height differs from the first rail height, and wherein the second maximum stack height differs from the first maximum stack height;

(c) subsequent to step (b), inserting the cassette into the cash dispensing automated banking machine, wherein the machine includes at least one of a card reader and a biometric reader;

(d) operating at least one of the card reader and the biometric reader to receive identifying data from a customer of the machine;

(e) operating at least one computer in the machine to cause data corresponding to data received in step (d), to be compared with data store information in determining whether the customer is an authorized user of the machine; and

(f) responsive to step (e), operating the machine to enable the customer to request a transfer of money from at least one financial account in a banking system;

(g) operating the machine to receive a cash withdrawal request from the customer; and

(h) operating a cash dispenser device in the machine to dispense an amount of cash associated with the cash withdrawal request received in step (g).

2. A method carried out using at least one component of a cash dispensing automated banking machine that operates responsive to data bearing records, comprising:

(a) removing a first rail removably attached at an inner attachment location on an underside of a lid of an automated banking machine currency cassette which is reloadable with currency notes for storage in and dispense from the cash dispensing automated banking machine, wherein the first rail when attached to the lid extends from the underside a first rail height which enables the cassette to hold a stack of currency notes having a first maximum stack height; and

(b) subsequent to step (a), removably attaching to the underside of the lid at the inner attachment location, a second rail that extends from the underside a second rail height which enables the cassette to hold a stack of currency notes having a second maximum stack height, wherein the second rail height differs from the first rail height, and wherein the second maximum stack height differs from the first maximum stack height.

3. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:

(c) subsequent to step (b), inserting the cassette into the cash dispensing automated banking machine, wherein the machine includes at least one of a card reader and a biometric reader;

(d) operating the at least one of a card reader and a biometric reader to obtain identifying data from a customer of the machine;

(e) operating the machine to cause data corresponding to data obtained in step (d) to be compared with data store information in determining whether the customer is an authorized user of the machine; and

(f) responsive to step (e), operating the machine to enable the customer to request a withdrawal of money from at least one financial account in a banking system.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the machine includes both a card reader and a biometric reader,

wherein step (d) includes both

operating the card reader to obtain card data from the customer, and

operating the biometric reader to obtain biometric data from the customer,

wherein step (e) includes operating the machine to cause data corresponding to both the card data and the biometric data obtained in step (d) to be compared with data store information in determining whether the customer is an authorized user of the machine.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein in both step (a) and step (b) the cassette includes at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including data representative of cassette serial number and the currency denomination.

6. The method according to claim 2

wherein in step (a) the first rail enabled the cassette to be reloaded with a currency stack in which each individual note had a same first size,

wherein in step (b) the second rail enables the cassette to be reloaded with a currency stack in which each individual note has a same second size, wherein the second size differs from the first size.

7. The method according to claim 2 wherein the underside of the lid includes a plurality of spaced attachment tabs, wherein the first rail includes a plurality of first rail slots, and wherein the second rail includes a plurality of second rail slots,

wherein step (a) includes respectively removing at least one of the attachment tabs from at least one of the first rail slots,

wherein step (b) includes respectively inserting at least one of the attachment tabs into at least one of the second rail slots.

8. The method according to claim 7

wherein step (a) includes respectively removing attachment tabs from a plurality of the first rail slots,

wherein step (b) includes respectively inserting attachment tabs into a plurality of the second rail slots.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein step (b) includes respectively inserting at least one attachment tab removed in step (a) into at least one second rail slot.

10. The method according to claim 2 wherein the second rail includes two horizontal flanges, wherein each flange is connected to a respective vertical wall, wherein each wall is connected to a same horizontal planar base, wherein in step (b) the base is located a further distance from the underside than the flanges.

11. The method according to claim 2

wherein step (a) includes manually removing the first rail from the lid,

wherein step (b) includes manually attaching the second rail to the lid.

12. The method according to claim 2

wherein step (a) includes removing a plurality of first rails from the lid,

wherein step (b) includes attaching a plurality of second rails to the lid.

13. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:

(c) prior to step (b), removably fastening a spacer to the second rail, wherein the spacer is located a further distance from the underside than the second rail.

14. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:

(c) subsequent to step (b), removably fastening a spacer to the second rail, wherein the spacer is located a further distance from the underside than the second rail.

15. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:

(c) removably fastening a spacer and a cap to the second rail, wherein the spacer is located intermediate the second rail and the cap.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein each of the second rail, spacer, and cap include at least one aperture, and further comprising:

(d) respectively aligning together at least one aperture in the second rail, at least one aperture in the spacer, and at least one aperture in the cap;

wherein step (c) includes respectively inserting a flexible fastener through apertures respectively aligned in step (d).

Assignments (25)