More particularly but not exclusively the invention relates to the transfer of money and valuables between secure sites.

It is known to transfer valuables, particularly banknotes in containers equipped with a dye injector which is trigger by a sensor in response to an attempted theft. The dye contaminates the notes yet, if of an approved type, enables the legitimate owner of the notes to recover their value from a bank.

However, it is difficult to secure such containers against theft or tampering by employees or others who may gain access to a vehicle carrying such containers and as a result, the containers used for this purpose either tend to be very simple, e. g. bags (and correspondingly vulnerable) or tend to be very sophisticated, e. g. with elaborate conductor networks in their walls for detection of tampering (and correspondingly expensive). In one aspect the invention provides apparatus for the secure carriage of items, the apparatus comprising : a) an outer container having electronic arming means, and b) a lockable inner container for carrying said items, the inner container being removably receivable within the outer container, one of said containers having contaminant means for applying a contaminant to the interior of the inner container, the contaminant means being coupled to the electronic arming means and responsive to a sensor signal indicative of an attempted theft of said items whereby the contaminant means applies the contaminant in response to said sensor signal only when armed by the electronic arming means, the combination of inner and outer container having an integral electric power source for energising its electronic components and being portable or transportable.

The contaminant can for example be an approved dye or it could be invisible, e. g. a solution of rare earth salts in a known specific, analysable ratio. The lockable inner container need not be particularly sophisticated or expensive and the outer container can be used for transferring successive inner containers from e. g. a cash centre to a delivery vehicle or from the delivery vehicle to the required destination. Thus fewer outer containers than inner containers are required, with resulting economy as well as increased security.

Preferably the contaminant-injecting means is disposed in the outer container and the inner container has at least one opening for conveying contaminant to its interior when the inner container is received in the outer container. This feature enhances the above advantages. GB 2, 280, 056A discloses a rack for holding security containers, the security containers each having an inbuilt power supply which is inductively charged by coils in the rack and which powers a dye injector which is responsive to an attempted theft.

In a related aspect the present invention provides apparatus for the secure carriage of items, the apparatus comprising : a) at least one lockable inner container for carrying said items, and b) a rack having compartments for receiving respective lockable inner containers, the rack components and lockable inner container having respective electric coupling means which are mutually engaged when the inner container is received within a compartment, the electric coupling means of the inner container being coupled in turn to electronic data storage means within the inner container and the electric coupling means of the rack being coupled to a computer which is arranged to read data from the electronic data storage means via the electric coupling means.

In this aspect the facility for the computer to read data stored in the data storage means of the inner containers enables the inner containers to be selectively released (for example) on reaching a destination corresponding to stored destination data in the data storage means. Accordingly the rack is preferably provided with locking means arranged to retain or release the lockable inner containers under the control of the computer. Preferably the apparatus further comprises a vehicle arranged to carry the rack and the computer, the computer being coupled to a vehicle-tracking system. Preferably the rack is provided with contaminant-injecting means arranged to inject contaminant into the interior of the inner container in response to a sensor signal indication of an attempted theft, the inner container having at least one opening for conveying the contaminant to its interior.

In another aspect this invention provides a method of transferring a valuable item from a first site to a second site, comprising the steps : a) loading the item into a lockable container and locking the container, the container having a memory containing stored data ; b) transferring the locked container to a vehicle which has locking means for the secure retention of the container and reading means arranged to read said data ; c) driving said vehicle to or near to said second site, reading said data with said reading means and releasing said container ; d) transferring said container to an outer container within the vehicle and securing the outer container, and e) transferring the combination of inner and outer containers from the vehicle to an unloading location at said second site.

In another aspect the invention provides a portable container assembly for the secure carriage of items, the apparatus comprising : a) an outer container having electronic arming means, and b) an inner container for carrying said items, the inner container being removably receivable within the outer container, the outer container having contaminant means for applying a contaminant to the interior of the inner container, the contaminant means being coupled to the electronic arming means and responsive to a sensor signal indicative of an attempted theft of said items, the inner container having at least one opening for conveying contaminant to its interior.

The injection of the contaminant (e. g. dye or smoke) from the outer container to the inner container through one or more openings in the latter results in a lower cost of the inner container. The outer container can be used to transfer successive inner containers from the delivery vehicles and have only a relatively small number of outer containers are required. Hence the arrangement is both economical and secure.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, with reference to Figures 1 to 13 of the accompanying drawings, wherein : Figure 1 shows, somewhat diagrammatically, a computer and wand for writing data into an inner container and securing an outer container as used in the method and apparatus of the invention ; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an inner container used in one embodiment ; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of one portable container assembly in accordance with the last mentioned aspect of the invention ; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a rack for receiving the containers of Figure 2 to form an apparatus in accordance with the second mentioned aspect of the invention ; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a destination site arranged to receive the container assembly of Figure 3 ; Figure 6 shows a first step in a method of transfer of valuables in accordance with one embodiment of the invention ; Figure 7 shows a second step in the above method ; Figure 8 shows a third step ; Figure 9 shows a fourth step ; Figure 10 shows a fifth step ; Figure 11 shows a sixth step ; Figure 12 shows a seventh step ; and Figure 13 shows an eighth step.

Referring to Figure 1, the computer PC1 is a conventional PC provided with a keyboard K for data entry, a microprocessor 1 (e. g. a Pentium) having ROM 2 and RAM 3 and a hard disk 4 storing suitable software (e. g. database software and wand driver software) as well as a conventional operating system (e. g. Windows 95@).

The wand W1 is suitably arranged to transmit data inductively (or alternatively, optically) to a wand port such as port R1 (Figure 2) of an internal container (or"child box ") CB or wand port R2 (Figure 3) of an external container (or"mother box ") MB.

These data writing operations are described in more detail with reference to Figure 8. PC1 is also provided with a conventional floppy drive (not shown) for writing data to a floppy disk, as described below with reference to Figure 6.

Turning now to Figure 2, the inner container CB is provided with a conventional electro-mechanical locking arrangement comprising locking members 5,6 on the hinged lid LD and front wall respectively. The lid LD locks automatically on being shut and can be released by a signal from a microprocessor 7 (via a connection, not shown) in response to a signal written to port Rl from an inserted wand. Microprocessor 7 is provided with a memory Ml (preferably non-volatile) which can receive and store destination data read in to port R1 from an inserted wand. This data can be read from one or more ports or sets of contacts (Pl, P2) which are provided on the exterior of the container and are coupled to the microprocessor. The above electronic components are located at one end of the container (at the right in Figure 2) leaving a cash compartment C in the remainder of the box. Several apertures A are provided in the walls of the container to allow dye to be injected onto the contents (e. g. banknotes) from an outer container in the event of an attempted theft, as described below.

Figure 3 shows the inner container CB loaded into the outer container (or"mother box ") MB. The latter is provided with a dye injector 11 which communicates with a conduit network 12 which in turn terminates in nozzles aligned with the apertures A of the "child box"CB. The dy injector is responsive to a signal from a sensor 10 (e. g. a vibration sensor or a breakage sensor) to inject the dye into compartment C, but only when the arrangement has been armed by a signal from a microprocessor 9 which reads the necessary arming signal from wand port R2.

Microprocessor 9 is provided with a memory M2 and is energised (with the sensor 10) by a battery B. Battery B also energises microprocessor 7 of inner container CB via contacts Q1 and Q2 on the interior of container MB which connect with corresponding power supply contacts on the exterior of container CB. An electro-mechanical lock L is also coupled to microprocessor 9 and locks or unlocks container MB in response to coded signals from a wand (not shown) inserted into wand port R2.

Figure 4 shows a rack R for carrying several (e. g. 12) inner containers CB in respective compartments C'. Only two of these are shown for the sake of clarity ; each compartment C'is provided with apertures Al which align with apertures A of a loaded inner container CB to allow dye to be injecte into the interior of the container from a conduit network 112 supplied from a dye injector 111, the latter being controlled by a theft-detection sensor 110 (which is energised by a battery B). In this respect the rack R is similar to outer container MB.

Each container compartment C 1 is also provided with sets of contacts Q1l, Q21 for contacting corresponding power supply and data contents on the exterior of each inner container CB. Contacts 01', 02'are energised by leads from a vehicle computer (not shown) and keep the microprocessor 7 of each loaded inner container energised and enable data stored in each memory M1 to be read by the vehicle computer.

Unauthorised removal of the inner containers CB from the compartment C'is prevented by electro-mechanical locks LT, energised and controlled from the vehicle computer.

The rack R can be moved on wheels W within and onto the vehicle.

Figure 5 shows the arrangement at the destination site, comprising a docking station DS (e. g. formed in the exterior wall of a building). Within the building is a relatively insecure reception area and behind this is a secure area. A chute carries the inner-outer container assembly CB, MB to a location L at which a wand W2 can open the outer container MB by insertion into wand port R2 and transmission of appropriate signals from a computer PC2. This step enables the inner container CB to be forwarded to the secure area and the outer container to be returned from the docking station as indicated by arrows A1 and A2 respectively.

At the secure area the inner container CB is opened by application of wand W3 to wand port Rl and transmission of appropriate signals from a computer PC3. The banknotes or other valuables can then be recovered and stored.

The steps involved in the use of the arrangement will now be described with reference to Figures 6 to 13.

Firstly (Figure 6) a vehicle run route is programmed from a stored vehicle database in computer PC1 and written to a floppy disk (fol). Additional data written to this floppy disk can include the amount of money, time, date, etc. This floppy disk is loaded into the vehicle computer to program it with the route.

Secondly (Figure 7) the money 200 is counted and loaded into the inner container CB and the latter is closed and locked (by simple mechanical latching).

Thirdly (Figure 8) computer PC1 and its wand W1 are used to program the inner container CB with the customer name, address, postcode, telephone number, date, time and box number. This data is stored in the container's memory M1 (Figure 2).

Fourthly (Figure 9) the inner containers CB are loaded into a rack R.

Fifthly (Figure 10) the rack R is loaded into a secure delivery vehicle V and the rack is connected to a vehicle computer VC. The vehicle is immobilised until the operation is completed. The operational schedule on the disk FD is also loaded into the computer VC.

Sixthly (Figure 11) the vehicle V follows its allotted route and is tracked by e. g. a GPS system VT with conventional radio links to the vehicle and to the computer PC1.

Monitoring is performed at the cash centre.

When (Figure 12) the vehicle V reaches a destination of a particular inner container CB (this destination being read from the container's memory by the vehicle computer VC) the inner container CB is released from the rack R. This release can be automatic, e. g. on the basis of position information from the GPS system. The inner container is then loaded into an outer container MB within the vehicle.

Finally (Figure 13) the outer container with its inner container is loaded into a docking location DS and the assembly is disassembled and opened as described above with reference to Figure 5.

The vehicle computer VC records an audit trail for both vehicle and inner container operations and may be required to correlate with the command route generated at the cash centre before allowing a particular inner container to be released from the rack R.

The child box is designed to be at its most basic level in order for its cost to be as low as possible. The use of an inner box CB has the following advantages over tamper-evident plastic bags : * Re-usable and hence environmentally better than throw away plastic bags.

* Solid construction, favouring better stacking and acceptance to vehicle rack.

* Better conditions for holding re-programmable data.

The wet dye staining system in the preferred embodiment is advantageous for the following reasons : * Dye system self contained, without danger of local damage to vehicles, premises or personnel associated with pyrotechnic smoke devices.

* Delivery system may be remote, as in the case of the rack minimising cost, as one system will serve many child boxes.

A basic principle of the described embodiment is that the system is fundamentally passive. The system must be activated by attack criteria, i. e. physical attack on mother box or remote detonation by alarm push button.

This means that operators may use the box without fear of false detonations by exceeding time delays.

Also, operators need not be concerned by carrying the mother box in enclosed areas.