FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cost effective and reliable Automated Teller Machine and the like adapted to perform multiple functions such as: Presenting a bunch of uniform media (e.g., currency bills) to a customer, retracting the media in the event of the customer failing to collect them and accepting deposits of cash or other media in sealed envelopes from a customer. In particular, this invention relates to the said Automated Teller Machine and the like involving a single presenter cum deposit-acceptor module to perform the said functions thereby housing minimum number of slots without any proportional increase in cost, size and footprint for performing such multiple functions. The present invention also relates to a method of operating the said system from a user interface operatively connected to the said plurality of means adapted to perform the said functions integrated into the said system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

ATMs are used to dispense valuable media such as currencies/ banknotes. Conventionally, currencies/ banknotes of different denominations are stored within an ATM in respective currency cassettes, from which required number of pieces are drawn out one-by-one by a dispenser. Usually, these are then bunched together at one place within the machine before presenting it to the customer. A presenter mechanism is then used to (a) present the bunch to the customer for them to pick up (b) Retract the bunch and deposit the pieces in a retract-bin or retract-cassette within the machine, if the customer fails to pick up the bunch.

hi addition, some ATMs have a separate deposit acceptor module to accept cash or other media - in sealed envelopes from the customer. Such a module comprises a mechanism to accept an envelope inserted into a separate slot and deliver the said envelope into a deposit-bin or deposit- cassette.

Both the presenter mechanism and the deposit-acceptor mechanism require that the secure container housing the machine should each have a slot big enough for transmitting the media across it. Since every opening in the secure container is a point of vulnerability, this increases the complexity and cost of the container that is adequate to resist attacks.

The addition of the deposit-acceptor module in an ATM typically increases the width of the facing side of the security container, leading to a proportional increase in its cost, size and footprint.

Several prior arts related to automatic teller machine hereinafter referred to as ATM are discussed hereunder:

EPl 140677 disclosed a means of sealing dispensed cash in an envelope before presenting it to the customer.

EP 1542182 is directed to a cheque acceptor integrated in an ATM (with separate cheque-entry slot) in combination with a facility to print biometric feature of depositor on the cheque.

GB2369914 teaches an envelope acceptor with facility to print/ read barcodes in ATM wherein each barcode is related to the account information that is entered by the user of the ATM, the said information includes information on the account to which the contents of the deposited envelope is to be credited.

US4838480 illustrates an envelope acceptor with a movable stack plate — which ensures that each successive envelope arranges neatly in a stack.

US7490757 further illustrates a means of printing transaction details on the envelope that is being accepted for deposit.

US Patent Application 20040083175 teaches a deposit acceptor with means to validate a note and mark forged notes to render them unusable. US Patent Application 20050086168 relates to a system to transfer cash into an account, entitling two or more cardholders to withdraw it from a remote ATM.

US Patent Application 20060191996 is directed to using portable wireless devices (like personal digital assistant, mobiles) to access ATMs.

WO9808174 teaches the ability to configure ATM machine as front or rear loading, by on-site customization of presenter wherein the same feature can be extended to make ATM usable by two users simultaneously - one at front and one at back - with a shared dispenser.

WO2004081885 is directed to yet another envelope dispensing and filled-envelope accepting mechanism.

WO2005032676 relates to a gaming machine clubbed with an ATM to disburse winnings — in cash or by account transfer.

WO2006099004 is directed to a check validation means coupled with ATM, in communication with remote banking host, which dispenses cash when cheque is presented.

JP 5057974 (A) is related to enveloped cash handling device and means of printing on envelopes of varied thicknesses which is best suited for the maintenance of printing quality on the surfaces of envelopes having different thicknesses due to the numbers or the sizes of enclosed bank notes or steps.

KR 790000802 (Bl) relates to an envelope-deposit acceptor that dispenses envelopes with preprinted numbers. US 6520408 describes a system to accept and dispense loose pieces of currency, especially from / to cash-registers and currency counters including means to identify them, sort them and direct them to / from different bins.

US 719 5153 relates to a robotic arm that picks up a bunch from a dispenser for presentation to the customer, as well as picks up deposits from the customer, where the customer interacts with the machine from any of a plurality of user interfaces, each of which has a separate slot to accept envelopes.

As apparent from the cited prior art, some ATMs have, in addition to a presenter module, a separate deposit acceptor module to accept cash or other media in sealed envelopes from the customer. Some systems involve more elaborate mechanisms that dispense media as well as accept deposited media in loose form, with means to identify such deposited pieces of media individually, sort them and deliver them to different destinations within the machine. It is thus a need of the day to be equipped with a reliable system capable of performing the functions of both (i) a bunch presenter capable of retracting media not picked by the customer as well as that of ii) a deposit-acceptor accepting sealed envelopes (of cash or other media) from the customer and wherein there is no risk of losing track of actual amounts deposited in individual transactions in sealed envelopes, although they are stored in the same container where loose retracted bills (the bills that a customer fails to pick up or forgets) are stored.

Also, the said reliable system capable of performing both the said functions should be compact with regard to the incorporation of minimum number of slots, be secure and cost-effective compared to conventional ATMs where deposit acceptance entails a separate slot for insertion of envelope, separate container to hold the envelopes and a separate mechanism dedicated to this function.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the invention to provide for a cost-effective and reliable system for bunch presenter in combination with deposit-acceptor means in an ATM machine. It is thus another object of the present invention to provide for the said means without the concomitant increase in cost, size and footprint on account of including an additional module for deposit acceptance into the security container of the ATM.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide for the said reliable means capable of performing both the said functions without compromising the security of the security container by providing for an additional slotted opening on its body for accepting deposits in sealed envelopes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus according to the basic aspect of the invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like adapted to function both as a presenter mechanism to present media on a presentation tray (1) and deposit-accepting from said presentation tray (1) comprising: i) said presentation tray (1) adapted for the media which are sequentially drawn out by a dispenser to be assembled into a bunch; ii) a presentation-roller (2) positioned to be in contact with the bottom of the bunch; iii) a spring loaded pinch roller (4) adapted to cooperate with said presentation roller (2) and capable of rotating with the presentation roller (2) for desired forward presentation of media bunch through a releasable shutter (6) based slot accessible by the customer or retraction in the reverse direction such as to deliver the media back to a bin or cassette

(8) when the presented media bunch is not accepted by the customer; iv) said presentation tray (1) further adapted to accept deposits from customers as well and convey to the said bin or cassette (8) by activation of said pinch roller (4) and its cooperative presentation roller (2) similar to that while retracting the unaccepted media into said bin or cassette (8); and v) means (7) adapted for moving the shutter (6) for desired opening of said slot, to permit the movement of media including envelopes containing such media across the slot.

hi another aspect of the invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like comprising mechanism (5) adapted for clamping the pinch roller (4) on the presentation roller (2) and conversely also moving the pinch roller (4) away from the presentation roller (2). In another aspect of the invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like wherein during the period the media bunch is built on the presentation tray (1) through sequential deposition of successive pieces drawn by the dispenser, the said slot is closed by the shutter (6) and the pinch roller (4) is kept away from the presentation-roller (2), when the bunch is fully built, it is clamped by means of the pinch roller (4) and the shutter (6) is adapted to move to open the slot, said presentation-roller (2) is then moved so as to convey the bunch partially through the slot, whereby the bunch is visible and accessible to the customer, while the rear of the bunch is still gripped by the pinch roller (4) said grip adapted to be overcome by pulling of the bunch by the customer and when said bunch is drawn out by the customer, sensor signal mechanism (9) is adapted to close the slot by moving the shutter (6) and the pinch roller (4) is then moved away from the presentation-roller (2), to ready the mechanism for the next transaction.

In yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like wherein in the event of the customer not taking the bunch presented, a timer is adapted to signal the mechanism (3) to retract the bunch whereby the presentation-roller (2) moves in the reverse direction to deliver the media to the bin or cassette (8) within, after which the shutter (6) is moved to close the slot, said pinch roller (4) is then moved away from the presentation-roller (2), to ready the mechanism for the next transaction.

In another preferred aspect of the invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like adapted for depositor mechanism to accept deposits from customers in an ATM wherein the pinch roller (4) is kept away from the presentation roller (2) and shutter (6) is opened to accept insertion of deposits.

In yet another preferred aspect of the invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like wherein the deposit either by way of envelop or through any other media is clamped involving the spring-loaded pinch-roller (4) to press against the presentation roller (2) to convey the deposit away from the shutter (6) to the bin or cassette (8). In another aspect of the invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like wherein to function as an envelope acceptor, the pinch roller (4) is adapted to be kept away from the presentation roller (2) and the shutter (6) adapted to be opened to allow access for insertion of the envelope with sensors (9) signaling the insertion of the envelope whereby the envelope is clamped involving said spring-loaded pinch-roller (4) to press against the presentation roller (2), the presentation roller (2) being then adapted to be moved in the same direction as retraction, to convey the envelope away from the shutter (6) to the bin or cassette (8) within, with sensors (9) indicating that the envelope has been fully drawn in for said shutter (6) to close to cover the slot and the pinch roller (4) is then moved away from the presentation-roller (2), to ready the mechanism for the next transaction.

In yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the like wherein the sequence activation of the different mechanisms including pinch roller (4) movement, presentation roller (2) movement and the like are selectively adapted to activate based on end user requirements.

hi another aspect of the invention, it is essential to correlate the sealed envelopes deposited with the specific transaction identity, which in turn is linked to transaction details that include identity of the depositor, contents of the deposit declared by the depositor and other details. This enables verification of the transaction details by comparison with the physical contents of the envelopes at the back-end of the bank. This is accomplished in the prior art by a variety of means that involve either pre-printing of indicia (like bar-code) on the envelope printing indicia on the envelope after it is drawn into the security container (10). As is apparent to one well-versed in the prior-art, the present invention is amenable to incorporation of such means of identifying envelopes with little or no modifications.

BRIEF DESCIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

Figure 1 : is a schematic illustration of the presenter and deposit acceptor mechanism according to the present invention. Figure 2: illustrates an exemplary method by which the same set of mechanisms may be adapted to carry out the functions of bunch-presentation, retraction and envelope-acceptance, through different sequences of operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

The present invention as discussed hereinbefore relates to a cost effective and reliable system capable of performing both the functions — that of a presenter as well as that of a deposit- acceptor involving a single deposit-acceptor cum presenter module.

According to Figure 1, the presenter and deposit acceptor mechanism comprises of parts numbered as below:

(i) A presentation tray (1) where the media which are sequentially drawn out by the dispenser are assembled into a bunch. (ii) A presentation-roller (2) that is positioned to be in contact with the bottom of the bunch through slots provided for this purpose in the presentation-tray (1). (iii)A mechanism (3) capable of rotating the presentation roller (2) in either of the two directions indicated, (iv) A spring-loaded pinch roller (4). (v) A mechanism (5) capable of clamping the pinch roller (4) on the presentation roller (2)

^• (and conversely, moving the pinch roller (4) away from the presentation roller (2)). (vi)A shutter (6) covering the slot in the security container (10). (vii) A mechanism (7) capable of moving the shutter (6) away from the slot, to permit the movement of media across the slot (and conversely, move the shutter (6) back in position to secure the slot).

(viii) A bin or cassette (8) that is capable of storing loose pieces of media as well as sealed envelopes containing such media, (ix) Sensors (9).

(x) Customer-facing wall of the secure container inside which the entire mechanism is housed (10). The said presenter comprising of a presenter mechanism that presents the media in an ATM, wherein the media bunch is built on the presentation tray (1); after which the presenter mechanism comprising of the presentation roller (2) conveys the media bunch through the slot while the rear of the bunch is still gripped by the pinch roller (4) and wherein the user pulls out the bunch by overcoming the grip of the said pinch roller (4).

Upon completion of the transaction the pinch roller (4) is then moved away from the presentation-roller (2) and the shutter (6) is moved back in position to cover the slot securely; and if the user fails to pick up the bunch so presented, the presentation-roller (2) moves in the reverse direction to deliver the media to the bin or cassette (8).

The presentation mechanism is qualified with the under mentioned aspects:

To function as a presenter, the media bunch is built on the presentation tray (1) through sequential deposition of successive pieces drawn by the dispenser. During this period, the slot is kept in closed position by the shutter (6) and the pinch roller (4) is kept away from the presentation-roller (2) to allow unimpeded assembly of successive pieces of media on the bunch.

When the bunch is fully built, it is clamped by means of the pinch roller (4) and then the shutter

(6) is moved to open the slot. The presentation-roller (2) is then moved so as to convey the bunch partially through the slot. This renders the bunch visible and accessible to the customer, while the rear of the bunch is still gripped by the pinch roller (4). The customer may now pull out the bunch by overcoming the grip of the spring-loaded pinch roller (4). When the bunch is drawn out by the customer, sensors (9) signal the mechanism (7) to close the slot by moving the shutter (6). The pinch roller (4) is then moved away from the presentation-roller (2), to ready the mechanism for the next transaction.

hi the event of the customer not taking the bunch presented, a timer signals the mechanism (3) to retract the bunch. The presentation-roller (2) now moves in the reverse direction to deliver the media to the bin or cassette (8) within, after which the shutter (6) is moved to close the slot. The pinch roller (4) is then moved away from the presentation-roller (2), to ready the mechanism for the next transaction. The depositor mechanism is adapted to accept deposits from customers in an ATM wherein the pinch roller (4) is kept away from the presentation roller (2) and shutter (6) is opened to accept insertion of deposits; and whereby the deposit comprising currency, bank checks or any other media in a sealed envelope is clamped by bringing the spring-loaded pinch-roller (4) to press against the presentation roller (2) to convey the deposit away from the shutter (6) towards the bin or cassette (8). When sensors (9) indicate that the envelope has been fully drawn into the security container (10), the shutter (6) is closed to cover the slot. The pinch roller (4) is then moved away from the presentation-roller (2), to ready the mechanism for the next transaction.

Thus, the sequence activation of the same set of mechanisms like pinch roller (4) movement, presentation roller (2) movement etc are ordered differently to accomplish the different functionalities required, viz., bunch presentation, retraction and deposit acceptance.

The specific transactions involving deposit of sealed envelopes involve the capture, by the ATM, of user-provided details about the customer's identity and the contents of the envelope. The bank collects the deposited envelopes to compare their physical contents with the information so captured. For this, the specific envelopes need to be marked with indicia that enable them to be mapped against the relevant transaction captured by the ATM.

If the envelopes are pre-printed with such indicia like bar-codes or identification numbers, these are either read by appropriate readers provided on the ATM or entered along with the transaction information by the user. Alternatively, a printer may be provided within the ATM to print the indicia after the envelope is accepted, before it is delivered to the bin or cassette (8).

The present invention is readily amenable to the integration of such means, without substantially altering the specific novel claims.

Thus the said deposit-acceptor-cum-presenter is integrated into an ATM as a single module without the concomitant increase in cost and size and without the need for an additional slot to accept deposits and also without any need for an additional bin or cassette (8) to hold the said deposited sealed envelopes with unique identifying indicators containing the said media bunch separately and wherein the said sealed envelope is securely held in the same bin or cassette (8) along with the retracted bills.