Media escrow with dynamic drum positioning
View Patent ↗An escrow module of a valuable media depository is configured to self-adjust the position of an escrow drum relative to an escrow pinch. The media is maintained within the pinch as the escrow module takes in media items and returns media items by the self-adjusting positions of the escrow drum. As the drum fills up with media items, the drum is moved away from the escrow pinch while maintaining a consistent media path and providing consistent performance regardless of the number of media items being processed in a transaction to and from the drum.
1. A method, comprising:
dynamically positioning, by executable instructions that execute on a processor of an escrow module from a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a drum of the escrow module as media items are added to the drum and as the media items are removed from the drum based on a total number of the media items that are associated with a transaction being processed and by controlling components of the escrow module to position the drum during the transaction, wherein dynamically positioning further includes driving the drum in a vertical direction upward and downward direction along a drum lift rack to which the drum is attached; and
maintaining, by the executable instructions, a constant distance from an outer peripheral surface of the drum adjacent to a pinch of the escrow module as the drum is dynamically positioned.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein dynamically positioning further includes urging the drum upward towards the pinch as the media items are removed from the drum.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein dynamically positioning further includes urging the drum downward away from the pinch as the media items are added to the drum.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein driving further includes driving the drum by a drum lift stepper motor.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein dynamically positioning further includes urging the drum away from the pinch of the escrow module as added ones of the media items cause an increase in a size of a diameter of the drum.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein dynamically positioning further includes urging the drum towards the pinch of the escrow module as removed ones of the media items cause a decrease in a size of a diameter of the drum.
7. A method, comprising:
dynamically positioning, by executable instructions that execute on a processor of an escrow module from a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a drum of the escrow module as media items are added to the drum and as the media items are removed from the drum based on a total number of the media items that are associated with a transaction being processed and by controlling components of the escrow module to position the drum during the transaction, wherein maintaining further includes adjusting a drum rotational velocity of the drum as a constant linear velocity as the media items are added and removed from the drum, and wherein adjusting further includes maintaining the drum rotation velocity in a range from 540 rotations per minute (rpm) when the drum is empty having none of the media items to 303 rpm when the drum is full and at capacity with the media items; and
maintaining, by the executable instructions, a constant distance from an outer peripheral surface of the drum adjacent to a pinch of the escrow module as the drum is dynamically positioned.
8. A method, comprising:
(i) receiving media items on a drum of an escrow module;
(ii) responsive to the receiving adjusting, by executable instructions that execute on a processor of the escrow module from a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the drum downward and away from a pinch of the escrow module based on a total number of the media items associated with a transaction that is being processed and by controlling components of the escrow module that position the drum;
(iii) ejecting, by the executable instructions, the media items off the drum and through the pinch;
(iv) responsive to the ejecting moving, by the executable instructions, the drum upward toward the pinch; and
(v) urging, by the executable instructions, the drum downward along a drum lift rack within the escrow module when the media items are added to the drum and urging the drum upward along the drum lift rack within the escrow module when the media items are ejected and removed from the drum.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein (i) further includes adding the media items to an outer peripheral surface of the drum with the media items held by tape to the outer peripheral surface.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein (ii) further includes moving the drum a distance from an original position that maintains a constant distance between the outer peripheral surface and the pinch before and after the media items are added and as a diameter of the drum increases with the media items.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein (iii) further includes ejecting the media items off an outer peripheral surface of the drum.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein (iv) further includes moving the drum a distance from a previous position that maintains a constant distance between the outer peripheral surface and the pinch before and after the media items are ejected and as a diameter of the drum decreases from removal of the media items.
13. The method of claim 8 further comprising: (vi) adjusting, by the executable instructions, a rotational velocity of the drum when the media items are added to and ejected from the drum while maintaining a constant linear velocity for the drum.
14. The method of claim 8 further comprising, (vi) adjusting, by the executable instructions, an upward position and a downward position of the drum when the media items are added to and ejected from the drum while maintaining a constant distance between an outer peripheral surface of the drum to the pinch.