Device for handling notes of value and method for operating a device for handling notes of value

Abstract

Shown is a device for handling notes of value, with an input/output compartment, a pull-off and separating device, an intermediate storage unit comprising a drum storage, at least one cash box, a transport device for the transport of notes of value between the afore-mentioned units, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the transport device such that notes of value that are to be stored in the cash box are fed to the drum storage and are intermediately stored thereat, and these notes of value are again taken from the intermediate storage unit after receipt of a confirmation information, are fed to the cash box and are stored therein.

Claims

1. A device for handling notes of value, with an input/output compartment, a pull-off and separating device, an intermediate storage unit comprising a drum storage, at least one cash box, a transport device for the transport of notes of value between the afore-mentioned units, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control the transport device such that notes of value which are to be stored in the at least one cash box are fed to the drum storage and are intermediately stored thereat, and these notes of value are again removed from the intermediate storage unit after receipt of a confirmation information, are fed to the at least one cash box and are stored therein, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device such that notes of value which are to be stored separately from notes of value in the at least one cash box are fed to the drum storage and are permanently stored thereat, and wherein, after storage of the notes of value to be permanently stored, the control unit is further configured to advance the drum storage by turning the drum storage such that a safe physical separation between the notes of value to be permanently stored and subsequently intermediately stored notes of value exists.

2. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a checking device, and wherein the control unit is further configured to control the pull-off and separating device such that notes of value provided to the device via the input/output compartment are separated, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the checking device such that the separated notes of value are identified and checked for at least one safety feature, and wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device such that all checked notes of value are fed to the drum storage of the intermediate storage unit and are intermediately stored thereat, and that notes of value that have been checked positive for the safety feature are taken from the drum storage and are transported to the at least one cash box and are stored therein.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the transport device such that notes of value that have been checked negative for the safety feature are transported from the drum storage to the input/output compartment and are intermediately stored therein, and wherein the control unit is further configured, after storage of the notes of value that have been checked positive for the safety feature in the at least one cash box, to control the transport device to transport the notes of value that have been checked negative for the safety feature from the input/output compartment to the drum storage and are permanently stored thereat.

4. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a checking device wherein the control unit is further configured to control the pull-off and separating device such that notes of value provided to the device via the input/output compartment are separated, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the checking device such that the separated notes of value are identified and their respective denomination is determined, and wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device such that all checked notes of value are fed to the drum storage of the intermediate storage unit and are intermediately stored thereat, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device to transport notes of value of at least one predetermined denomination from the drum storage to the input/output compartment wherein these notes of value are intermediately stored therein, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device to transport the remaining notes of value from the drum storage to the at least one cash box and wherein the remaining notes of value are stored therein, and wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device to transport, after storage of the remaining notes of value in the at least one cash box, the notes of value of the at least one predetermined denomination from the input/output compartment to the drum storage.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device such that notes of value to be dispensed from the device are taken from the at least one cash box of the device and transported to the input/output compartment, and wherein the control unit is further configured to control the transport device to transport notes of value remaining in the input/output compartment after a preset provision time from the input/output compartment to the intermediate storage unit.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to advance the drum storage after storage of the notes of value to be permanently stored such that a minimum distance between a last note of value of the notes of value to be permanently stored and a first note of value of subsequently intermediately stored notes of value is three to twenty times a preset minimum distance between two successively stored intermediately stored notes of value.

7. A method for operating a device for handling notes of value comprising: receiving, with the device, a first plurality of notes of value from a user via an input/output compartment of the device; separating, with a pull-off and separating device of the device, the received first plurality of notes of value; checking, with a checking device of the device, after said separating, each of the first plurality of notes of value for at least one safety feature, wherein a note of value of said first plurality of notes of value is checked negative for the at least one safety feature when the note of value is counterfeit or suspected to be counterfeit and is checked positive otherwise; feeding, with a transport device of the device, after said checking, all of the first plurality of notes of value to a drum storage of an intermediate storage unit of the device to be intermediately stored thereat; feeding, with the transport device, all of the first plurality of notes of value that are intermediately stored on the drum storage and that have been checked positive for the at least one safety feature from the drum storage to a cash box of the device; transporting, with the transport device, all of the first plurality of notes of value that are intermediately stored on the drum storage and have been checked negative for the at least one safety feature from the drum storage to the input/output compartment; transporting, with the transport device, after said feeding all of the first plurality of notes of value that have been checked positive for the at least one safety feature to the cash box, all of the first plurality of notes of value that have been checked negative for the at least one safety feature from the input/output compartment back to the drum storage to be permanently stored thereat; positioning each of the respective first plurality of notes of value that have been checked negative for the at least one safety feature on the drum storage a first distance apart from one another; storing at least one note of value of a second plurality of notes of value on the drum storage adjacent to and spaced a second distance apart from a last note of value of the first plurality of notes of value that have been checked negative for the at least one safety feature and positioned on said drum storage during said positioning; and after said transporting all of the first plurality of notes of value that have been checked negative back to the drum storage, advancing the drum storage by turning the drum storage such that a safe physical separation is defined between the last of the first plurality of notes of value that have been checked negative and stored on the drum storage and the at least one note of value of the second plurality of notes of value such that the second distance is greater that the first distance.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first plurality of notes of value that have been checked positive for the at least one safety feature are removed from the drum storage only after receipt of a confirmation information and are then transported to the cash box and are stored therein.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the second distance is three to twenty times the first distance.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the second distance corresponds to half a turn or a full turn of the drum storage.

11. The method according to claim 7 further comprising: transporting, with the transport device, a third plurality of notes of value to be dispensed to a user of the device from the cash box and to the input/output compartment; transporting, with the transport device, after said transporting the third plurality of notes of value to the input/output compartment, any notes of value of the third plurality of notes of value remaining in the input/output compartment after a preset provision time from the input/output compartment to the drum storage of the intermediate storage unit to be permanently stored thereat; and storing at least one note of value of a fourth plurality of notes of value on the drum storage adjacent to and spaced the second distance apart from a last note of value of the remaining notes of value of the third plurality of notes of value.

12. A method for operating a note-handling device: receiving a plurality of first notes of value via an input/output compartment of the note-handling device; checking, with a checking device of the note-handling device, each of the plurality of first notes of value for at least one safety feature, wherein a note of value of said plurality of first notes of value is checked negative for the at least one safety feature when the note of value is counterfeit or suspected to be counterfeit and is checked positive otherwise; positioning each of the respective plurality of first notes of value that have been checked negative for the at least one safety feature on a drum storage of the note-handling device a first distance apart from one another; receiving at least one second note of value via the input/output compartment; and storing the at least one second note of value on the drum storage adjacent to and spaced a second distance apart from a last note of value of the plurality of first notes of value that have been checked negative for the at least one safety feature, wherein the second distance is greater that the first distance.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second distance is three to twenty times the first distance.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the second distance is five to ten times the first distance.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said storing further comprises: rotating the drum storage half of a full turn to create the second distance.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said storing further comprises: rotating the drum storage a full turn to create the second distance.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising: identifying, with the checking device, a denomination of at least one of the plurality of first notes of value that is checked positive; positioning the at least one of the plurality of first notes of value that is identified during said identifying on the drum storage; receiving at least one third note of value via the input/output compartment; and storing the at least one third note of value on the drum storage adjacent to and spaced the second distance apart from the at least one of the plurality of first notes of value that is identified during said identifying.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the second distance is three to twenty times the first distance.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the second distance is five to ten times the first distance.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising: transporting, with a transport device, at least one third note of value to be dispensed to a user of the device from a cash box of the note-handling device to the input/output compartment; transporting, with the transport device, after said transporting the at least one third note of value to the input/output compartment, the third note of value remaining in the input/output compartment after a preset provision time from the input/output compartment to the drum storage to be permanently stored thereat; and storing the third note of value adjacent to and spaced the second distance apart from a last note of value stored on the drum storage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the figures,

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a device for handling notes of value.

(3) FIG. 2-1 shows a first portion of a flow chart of a sequence for operating the device according to FIG. 1, in which notes of value are fed to the device;

(4) FIG. 2-2 shows a second portion of the flow chart of FIG. 2-1; and

(5) FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a further sequence for operating the device according to FIG. 1, in which notes of value for withdrawal are provided to the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a device 10 for handling notes of value. The device 10 comprises a housing 12. Within the housing 12, an input/output compartment 14, a pull-off and separating device 16, an intermediate storage unit 18 comprising a drum storage 20, a cash box 22, a transport device 24 for the transport of notes of value between the afore-mentioned units, and a control unit 26 are arranged. Further, a control panel 28 for the input of a confirmation information is arranged above the input/output compartment 14.

(7) The input/output compartment 14 is connected to the transport device 24 via the pull-off and separating device 16. As a result, notes of value provided to the device 10 via the input/output compartment 14 can be pulled off, separated and transported to the various units of the device 10.

(8) The device 10 comprises a feed and removal unit 30 for the pull-off of notes of value from the cash box 22 and for feeding individual notes of value into the cash box 22.

(9) The transport device 24 comprises a switch 32. The switch 32 is configured to deflect notes of value coming from the input/output compartment 14 either in the direction of the cash box 22 or the intermediate storage 18 as well as notes of value coming from the intermediate storage unit 18 either in the direction of the cash box 22 or the input/output compartment 14. The switch 32 is further configured to deflect notes of value coming from the cash box 22 in the direction of the input/output compartment 14. The transport device further comprises a checking device 34 which is connected to the control unit 26 and configured to identify the separated notes of value, i.e. in particular to determine their denomination, and preferably to check them for at least one safety feature.

(10) The control unit 26 is connected to the intermediate storage unit 18, the cash box 22, the transport device 24 and the control panel 28. The control unit 26 is configured to control the transport device 24 such that notes of value which are to be stored in the cash box 22 are fed to the drum storage 20 of the intermediate storage unit 18 and are intermediately stored thereat, and these notes of value, after receipt of the confirmation information input via the control panel 28, are again removed from the intermediate storage unit 18, are fed to the cash box 22 and are permanently stored therein. The control unit 26 is further configured to control the transport device 24 such that notes of value which are to be stored separately from notes of value in the cash box 22 are fed to the drum storage 20 and are permanently stored thereat, and to advance the drum storage 20 has shown by turning in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1), after storage of the notes of value to be permanently stored, such that a safe physical separation between the notes of value to be permanently stored and subsequently intermediately stored notes of value exists. The notes of value to be permanently stored may in particular be counterfeit notes of value or notes of value suspected to be counterfeit or notes of value that have not been taken from the input/output compartment 14.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of a sequence for operating the device 10 according to FIG. 1, in which notes of value are fed to the device 10 via the input/output compartment 14. Thus, the sequence of FIG. 2 relates to a deposit operation.

(12) The sequence is started in step S10. In a following step S12, it is checked whether a bundle of notes of value to be deposited is present in the input/output compartment 14. If a bundle of notes of value is present, this is separated in step S14. The separated notes of value are individually fed to the checking device 34. The checking device 34 performs a value note identification in step S16 and checks each note of value for at least one safety feature. In step S18, the checked notes of value are individually successively stored in the intermediate storage unit 18.

(13) In step S20, this confirmation information is queried via the control panel 28. This means, for example, that a user is prompted via the control panel 28 to confirm the total amount of the deposited notes of value determined in step S16.

(14) When a positive confirmation information is detected, i.e. the user for example confirms the total amount of the deposited notes of value, then it is checked in step S22 whether in step S16 counterfeit notes of value or notes of value suspected to be counterfeit had been determined among the deposited notes of value. If no counterfeit notes of value or notes of value suspected to be counterfeit had been determined, all deposited notes of value intermediately stored in the drum storage 20 are transported to the cash box 22 by means of the transport device 24 and stored thereat in step S24. Subsequently, the sequence is terminated in step S26.

(15) When among the deposited notes of value counterfeit notes of value or notes of value suspected to be counterfeit had been determined, these are at first, in step S28, intermediately stored in the input/output compartment 14 closed at this point in time. Subsequently, the remaining notes of value are fed to the cash box 22 in step S30 and stored therein. In step S32, the counterfeit notes of value or the notes of value suspected to be counterfeit are transported from the input/output compartment 14 back to the intermediate storage unit 18 and are permanently stored thereat. In step S34, the drum storage 20 is advanced such that a safe physical separation between the notes of value to be permanently stored and subsequently intermediately stored notes of value exists. Subsequently, the sequence is terminated in step S26.

(16) If no confirmation information is detected or if a negative confirmation information is detected, i.e. the user for example does not confirm the value of the deposited notes of value or the user cancels the operation, then it is checked in step S36 whether in step S16 counterfeit notes of value or notes of value suspected to be counterfeit had been determined among the deposited notes of value. If no counterfeit notes of value or notes of value suspected to be counterfeit had been determined, then in step S38 all deposited notes of value intermediately stored in the drum storage 20 are transported to the input/output compartment 14 by means of the transport device 24 and provided thereat for withdrawal. If among the deposited notes of value counterfeit notes of value or notes of value suspected to be counterfeit have been determined, these are permanently stored in the drum storage 20 in step S40. Thereafter, in step S42 the remaining notes of value are taken from the drum storage 20, are transported to the input/output compartment 14 and provided thereat for withdrawal. In step S44, the drum storage 20 is advanced such that a safe physical separation between the notes of value to be permanently stored and subsequently intermediately stored notes of value exists. Subsequently, the sequence is terminated in step S26.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a further sequence for operating the device 10 according to FIG. 1, in which the device 10 provides notes of value for withdrawal. Thus, the sequence of FIG. 3 relates to a withdrawal operation.

(18) The sequence is started in step S100. In a following step S102, notes of value to be dispensed are taken from the cash box 22. These are separated by means of the feed and removal unit 30 and fed to the transport device 24. In step S104, the notes of value to be dispensed are transported to the input/output compartment 14 by means of the transport device 24 and provided thereat for withdrawal from the device 10 in step S106.

(19) After a preset provision time, it is checked in step S108 whether notes of value have remained in the input/output compartment 14. If no notes of value have remained in the input/output compartment 14, the sequence is terminated in step S110. When notes of value have remained in the input/output compartment 14, these are taken from the input/output compartment 14 in step S112, are transported to the intermediate storage unit 18 by the transport device 24 and permanently stored thereat. In step S114, the drum storage 20 is advanced such that a safe physical separation between the notes of value to be permanently stored and subsequently intermediately stored notes of value exists. Subsequently, the sequence is terminated in step S110.