Method of operating banking system responsive to data bearing records
View Patent ↗An automated banking machine operates responsive to data included on user cards. The machine includes a deposit accepting device. The deposit accepting device is operative to receive a stack of sheets and to separate each sheet from the stack through operation of a picker. Each sheet is aligned with the sheet path and analyzed by analysis devices including at least one magnetic read head, an imager, and/or a validation device. Sheets determined not to have at least one property of a genuine sheet are returned to the user of the machine. Sheets determined to have the at least one property of a genuine sheet are processed and stored in the machine for reuse.
1. A method comprising:
(a) operating an automated banking machine to cause at least one sheet evaluation device of the machine to evaluate deposit acceptability for each of a plurality of sheets individually received from a stack of sheets provided to a sheet access area of the machine by an authorized user of the machine,
wherein the machine is associated with at least one computer that is operable responsive at least in part to the at least one sheet evaluation device, to determine whether an evaluated sheet is one of
acceptable for deposit,
unacceptable for deposit but returnable to the user, and
unacceptable for deposit but nonreturnable to the user;
(b) operating the machine to individually store the sheets evaluated in (a) in a first sheet storage device in the machine, causing all of the plurality of sheets to be stored together in the first sheet storage device regardless of their deposit acceptability;
(c) operating the machine to individually remove from the first sheet storage device, all of the sheets stored therein in (b); and
(d) operating the machine to selectively divert sheets removed in (c), wherein the diverting causes
all removed sheets determined to be acceptable for deposit, to be directed to a second sheet storage device in the machine,
all removed sheets determined to be unacceptable for deposit but returnable to the user, to be returned to the sheet access area, and
all removed sheets determined to be unacceptable for deposit but nonreturnable to the user, to be directed to a third sheet storage device in the machine,
wherein each of the first sheet storage device, the second sheet storage device, and the third sheet storage device differ from each other.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of sheets include currency notes,
wherein (a) includes evaluating deposit acceptability for the notes,
wherein (d) includes
(di) causing the acceptable notes to be directed to the second sheet storage device,
(dii) causing the notes unacceptable for deposit but returnable to the user, to be returned to the sheet access area, and
(diii) causing the notes unacceptable for deposit but nonreturnable to the user, to be directed to the third sheet storage device.
3. The method according to claim 2
wherein the third sheet storage device comprises a counterfeit note storage device,
wherein (diii) includes causing all notes determined to be counterfeit to be directed to the counterfeit note storage device.
4. The method according to claim 2
wherein (dii) includes making the notes unacceptable for deposit but returnable to the user, accessible to the user in the sheet access area.
5. The method according to claim 2
wherein the second sheet storage device comprises at least one currency note recycling device operable to hold acceptable notes,
wherein the machine is operable to dispense from the at least one currency note recycling device to a machine user, acceptable notes which were previously received by the machine from a different machine user,
wherein (di) includes causing all acceptable notes to be stored at the at least one currency note recycling device.
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the at least one currency note recycling device includes a belt recycler, wherein (di) includes storing the acceptable sheets on the belt recycler.
7. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising
(e) operating the machine to dispense from the at least one currency note recycling device to a different machine user, acceptable notes stored in (di).
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first sheet storage device comprises a belt recycler, wherein (b) includes storing the sheets on the belt recycler.
9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the second sheet storage device comprises a further belt recycler, wherein (d) includes storing the acceptable sheets on the further belt recycler.
10. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:
(e) prior to (a), individually picking the plurality of sheets from the stack received through operation of a picker in the machine.
11. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:
(e) providing the authorized user with a monetary value that corresponds to a value of the sheets diverted to the second sheet storage device in (d).
12. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:
(e) prior to (d), moving the sheets removed in (c) in a path in a direction toward the sheet access area;
wherein (d) includes diverting the acceptable sheets moving in (e) from the path into the second sheet storage device.
13. The method according to claim 1 wherein (b) causes the first sheet storage device to simultaneously contain acceptable and unacceptable sheets.
14. A method comprising:
(a) operating an automated banking machine to individually evaluate each of a plurality of currency notes received in a note access area of the machine from a user of the machine,
wherein the machine is associated with at least one computer
wherein the at least one computer is operable to determine whether an evaluated note is one of
an acceptable note, which is reusable by the machine in a future currency note dispensing operation,
a suspect note, which is unacceptable for deposit in the machine, and
a counterfeit note;
(b) operating the machine to cause all notes evaluated in (a) to be stored together in an evaluated note holding device;
(c) operating the machine to cause all notes stored in (b) to be removed from the evaluated note holding device; and
(d) operating the machine to
(di) cause all of the acceptable notes removed in (c) to be stored in at least one currency note recycling device in the machine,
wherein the at least one currency note recycling device is spaced from the evaluated note holding area,
wherein the machine is operable to cause acceptable notes to be removed from the at least one currency note recycling device and dispensed to a subsequent user of the machine;
(dii) cause all of the suspect notes removed in (c) to be returned to the note access area; and
(diii) cause all of the counterfeit notes removed in (c) to be stored in a counterfeit note storage area in the machine.
15. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising
(e) operating the machine to dispense to the subsequent user, at least one acceptable note that was caused in (di) to be stored in the at least one currency note recycling device.
16. The method according to claim 14 wherein (dii) includes causing all of the suspect notes to be manually accessible to the user.
17. A method comprising:
(a) operating a currency note recycling automated banking machine to cause at least one currency note analysis device to individually analyze each of a plurality of currency notes received from a user of the machine;
(b) operating the machine to cause all of the notes analyzed in (a) to be stored together in a note holding area in the machine regardless of their acceptability;
(c) operating the machine to remove from the note holding area, all of the notes stored therein in (b); and
(d) operating the machine to selectively divert respective notes removed in (c) based at least in part on the analysis in (a) of the respective note, wherein the diverting causes all acceptable notes to be separated from all unacceptable notes,
wherein the machine is operable to store all of the acceptable notes in at least one currency note recycling device in the machine,
wherein the machine is operable to cause stored acceptable notes to be dispensed to a subsequent user of the machine,
wherein the at least one currency note recycling device is spaced from the note holding area,
wherein the machine is operable to cause at least some unacceptable notes to be returned to the user.
18. The method according to claim 17 and further comprising
(e) operating the machine to cause at least one acceptable note diverted in (d) to be removed from storage and then dispensed to the subsequent user of the machine.
19. The method according to claim 17 wherein in (d) the diverting
causes all unacceptable notes which are counterfeit notes to be separated from all other unacceptable notes, and
causes all acceptable notes, all counterfeit notes, and all other unacceptable notes to be moved to respectively different locations in the machine,
wherein all of the counterfeit notes are moved to a counterfeit note holding area in the machine.
20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the separating causes all other unacceptable notes to be returned to the user, wherein notes returned do not include a counterfeit note.
21. At least one article including computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one computer associated with an automated banking machine to carry out a method comprising:
(a) operating the automated banking machine to cause at least one sheet evaluation device of the machine to evaluate deposit acceptability for each of a plurality of sheets individually received from a stack of sheets provided to a sheet access area of the machine by an authorized user of the machine,
wherein the machine is operable responsive at least in part to the at least one sheet evaluation device, to determine whether an evaluated sheet is one of
acceptable for deposit,
unacceptable for deposit but returnable to the user, and
unacceptable for deposit but nonreturnable to the user;
(b) operating the machine to individually store the sheets evaluated in (a) in a first sheet storage device of the machine, causing all of the plurality of sheets to be stored together in the first sheet storage device regardless of their deposit acceptability;
(c) operating the machine to individually remove from the first sheet storage device, all of the sheets stored therein in (b); and
(d) operating the machine to selectively divert sheets removed in (c), wherein the diverting at least causes
all removed sheets determined to be acceptable for deposit, to be directed to at least one second sheet storage device of the machine, and
all removed sheets determined to be unacceptable for deposit but nonreturnable to the user, to be directed to at least one third sheet storage device of the machine,
wherein each of the first sheet storage device, the at least one second sheet storage device, and the at least one third sheet storage device differ from each other.
22. The at least one article according to claim 21 wherein the at least one third sheet storage device comprises a counterfeit note holding area,
wherein the diverting causes all sheets determined to be counterfeit, to be directed to the counterfeit note holding area.
23. A method comprising:
(a) operating an automated banking machine to cause at least one currency note analysis device to individually analyze each of a plurality of currency notes received from a user of the machine;
(b) operating the machine to cause all of the notes analyzed in (a) to be stored together in a note holding area of the machine regardless of their acceptability;
(c) operating the machine to remove from the note holding area, all of the notes stored therein in (b); and
(d) operating the machine to selectively divert respective notes removed in (c) based at least in part on the analysis in (a) of the respective note,
wherein the diverting causes all acceptable notes to be separated from all unacceptable notes,
wherein the machine is operable to store separated acceptable notes in at least one acceptable note holding area of the machine,
wherein the diverting causes all counterfeit notes to be separated from all other notes,
wherein the machine is operable to store separated counterfeit notes in at least one counterfeit note holding area of the machine,
wherein each of the note holding area, the at least one acceptable note holding area, and the at least one counterfeit note holding area differ from each other.