System for handling cash-based logistical processes

Technical area

p0001The present invention relates to a system for handling cash logistics processes in the supply and disposal of cash machines, such as cash-in and money-out terminals, kiosks systems and cash desks.

State of the art

p0002The cash supply of ATMs is carried out by cash service companies, such as value transport companies, which exchange the empty or at least partly emptied cartridges in a cash machine for filled cartridges. The time of the cassette change is routinely selected after a fixed time interval, or is made on demand, even if the cassettes are still partially filled. The cassettes are filled in a cash service center or a filling station, the filling level of the cassettes usually being recorded on a filling protocol, such as a paper label. The assignment of the cassette to the filling protocol is made with a sticker, which usually contains a bar code or a number, and is noted on the filling protocol. When replacing the cassettes, the new money stock is entered manually at the cash machine and the old stock is read off from the logging device and recorded manually on the filling record.

p0003However, in this process of supplying ATMs, errors may occur due to manual operations during the supply process. This allows the filling protocols to be interchanged or the labeling of the cassettes is lost. The inputs of the new stock data of the cassettes at the ATM can be erroneous, as can the reading and transmission of the old stock data. Furthermore, the cassette sequence can be exchanged when the cassettes are inserted into the vault of the vending machine, resulting in a faulty output of money, since the monetary device does not check again the monetary value of the issued money notes, but rather the bills according to the assumed order of the cassettes With the respective different monetary values ​​(denominations). In addition, there may be interchanges of two ATMs, since the inventories of another ATM are incorrectly entered. Also, the manual input of inventory values ​​themselves can be erroneous due to the number of counter-clocks, etc.

p0004It also happens that the filling of ATMs is forgotten, whether due to overloading or the assumption that the filling machine has already been filled.

p0005In some cases, these mistakes in the logistics process mean that a renewed start-up of the ATM is required by the service company, which is both time-consuming and cost-intensive. In addition, due to a faulty knowledge of the degree of filling of the ATMs, the possibility of manipulating the money stock is given. Furthermore, these errors lead to a cost-intensive follow-up and clarification of the faulty inventory data at the machine, the bank branch and the cash center.

p0006Furthermore, due to multiple draws from a cassette, jams or service technology inserts, the count of the money notes in the cassettes can not be exact so that the stock of a cassette removed from the cash machine by the service company from a cash machine is again checked in the cash service center for the exact meter reading to determine. The information on the causes which are the basis of the non-exact inventory management must be compiled. However, this is a very cost and time-intensive process.

p0007In order to simplify the handling of the cassettes for the ATMs, nowadays double cassettes are used for a cash machine with one cassette set being used in the cash machine and the other cassette being located in the cash service center or on the transport. However, this is logistically very complex and cost-intensive.

p0008In addition, the traceability with the entered counterfeit money notes into a money acceptance cassette is very expensive, if these have not already been recognized by the real gel sensor. If it is found in the cash center that one of the banknotes entered is a false note, it is necessary to check the transaction log on the cash machine from which the cassette was taken in order to note the counterfeiting characteristics of the banknote and the serial number Transaction. This, however, is also a very complex and time-consuming process.

p0009Overall, the present system for handling cash logistics processes is therefore very complex and also error-prone.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

p0010SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a system with which a simplified cash logistics process and thus a transparent money supply and disposal of ATMs is made possible and which is less costly and time-intensive.

p0011This object is achieved by a system for handling cash logistics processes for the money supply and disposal of a network of money machines, such as money entry and money dispensing machines, kiosk systems and cash desks, cassettes for receiving and withdrawing money notes, a cash service center, Filling station, as well as transport means for transporting cassettes to and from the automatic cash dispensers with the features of claim 1.

p0012The cassettes are provided with a memory device, wherein the identification number of the cassette, all data associated with the stock of money notes in the cassette, the log management of the executed transactions as well as the occurrence of multiple copies, jams and service technology inserts, the data for the tracing (Eg the serial number of the note) of counterfeit and counterfeit notes in the case of a cash collection card, the type of denomination, the identification number of the source or target money machine.

p0013The cash machines, the transport means and the cash service center or the filling stations are each provided with a reading and writing device for the storage device of the cassettes so that the information stored in the storage device is read out or rewritten at all stations of a cassette station can.

p0014A transparent cash logistics process is made possible through the use of cassettes with a storage device which can be read out and / or written at all stations of the monetary logistics process. It is known at each station how much money is present in the cassette located at the respective station, since this information can be read by the reading devices. In particular, the standard counting of returned cartridges is no longer necessary since the counter reading of the storage device can be removed. Moreover, errors due to manual operations can be avoided because the data is stored in an electronic storage device on the cassette, thus eliminating, for example, the manual attachment of labels to the cassettes. Also, manual input and reading of the stock-specific data of the cassettes at the ATM is no longer required because the data is stored in the storage device and can be read out and written to the cash machine from the storage device of the cassette.

p0015The identification number in the storage device of the cassette means that the cassette is one-to-one in the entire logistics process. This eliminates the need for expensive handling with two cash sets per cash dispenser. A cassette plug and play when inserted at the cash dispenser is thus given. This means that cassettes can be used at any cassette positions and any kind of confusion can be detected.

p0016Overall, the possibility of a simplified and therefore cost-effective cash logistics process is thus made possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG

p0017Further advantages and features of the system according to the invention will become apparent from the following description which, in conjunction with the appended drawing, illustrates the invention with reference to an exemplary embodiment. It shows:

p0018<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> A schematic representation of a system for handling cash logistics processes;

p0019<figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref> The representation of a storage device for a cassette for receiving and / or withdrawing money notes.

p0020In <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> Is a network of ATMs (g₁,G₂, ... g_n), A cash center (or filling station) 1 as well as transport vehicles 2 for the supply and disposal of the ATMs (g₁,G₂, ... g_n) With cassettes 3. The ATMs can be cash-in-money and cash dispensers, kiosk systems or cash desks, which in turn are assigned to various banks, retail houses or postal services. The cassette 3 is provided with a storage device 4 for storing all the relevant and logistical data such as, for example, the identification number of the cassette, the money stock in the cassette, the denomination of the notes, the time of the cassette change,

p0021In <figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref> An exemplary storage device 4 is shown. The storage device 4 may, for example, be a memory chip or an RFID chip 6, in which data can be written-in and read-out. The data can be read or written into the memory device 4 by means of a read and write device 5, whereby the data transmission can take place either contactless or by means of a plug-in contact or also in the combination contactless with plug-in contact, as a function of the memory device 4 used. Thus the data transmission type can either be configured without contact within the entire logistics process, for example via RFID technology or by means of plug-in contacts, or else a combination of contactless data transmission and plug-in contacts is also conceivable, depending on the respective stations of the logistics process A contactless data transmission takes place and a plug-in contact is used at other stations. A prerequisite in the latter case is the combination of an RFID tag 6 with the plug-in connection of the storage device 4, as described, for example, in FIG<figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref> Is shown.

p0022To increase the security, an encryption unit, which is not shown in detail here, can be provided with which the stored and exchanged data can be encrypted between the storage device 4 of the cassette 3 and the respective reading and writing device.

p0023The cassette 3 can be unambiguously identifiable by the storage device 4 because the data identifying it are contained in the memory. The data are all relevant and logistical data, which enable the process of unloading and supplying cash cassettes at the ATM in the cash center and in the transport equipment to be automated and significantly improved. Preferably, this is an identification number of the cassette, the cash on hand in the cassette, the type of denomination of the notes, the time of the cassette change, the stock of notes in the cassette, the record management of the transactions carried out, and the multiple copies, jams and service technician inserts , The data for tracking counterfeit and counterfeit notes of the entered money notes in the case of a cash box, the identification number of the source or target money machine. If, for example, a cassette 3 is inserted into a cassette turret of a cash machine, the data can be read out from the cassette 3 and conveniently via a data line from the cash machine to an information and control unit, not shown here, which is connected to the cash center 1 Is forwarded. Thus, it is known to the information unit which cassette has now been inserted in the cash machine. For example, the cash stock of the cassette can either be taken directly from the storage device 4 and / or it can be stored in the information unit under the identification number of the cassette.

p0024If coins are now taken out of the cassette 3, the number of coins removed is written directly into the storage device 4 of the cassette 3, and / or the data is stored in the information unit under the identification number of the cassette 3.

p0025This also applies in the same way to the input of banknotes into a cassette 3 during a money acceptance process. In this case, the banknotes inserted into the cassette 3 are stored in the storage device 4 of the cassette 3 and / or of the information unit so that the fill level of the respective cassette 3 is known at all times.

p0026Furthermore, it is provided that, when the cassette 3 is inserted into a cash machine, a fault message is issued if a cassette which is unsuitable in nature has been incorrectly inserted into the cash machine, for example a cassette with an incorrect denomination. This prevents the issue of false denominations.

p0027By using intelligent cassettes, which are provided with a storage device 4, which can be read out at all stations of a cash logistics process, a transparent cash handling process is thus made possible. The information on the counter reading in the cassettes can be read out from the memory device so that the automatic counting of the cash balance in cassettes in the cash center is no longer required, since in the case of a multiple withdrawal of notes or a jam, the counter reading of the cassette in the Storage device. Thus, in the rare cases, the counting of the cassette stock is necessary in the case of uncertainties about the fill level, as in the case of multiple draws or jam. The occurrence of these events is logged in the storage device of the input and output cassettes, respectively. In addition, the events in the memory device of the Reject / -Retract cassette are noted, with the link from which of the input and output cassettes the notes originate. The retractetem customer money information is also stored.

p0028This results in a significantly better transparency for the post-processing of the counting centers in the cash center, which contributes to a simpler clarification / correction and shorter processing time. Only the cassettes with multiple draws are counted, while the remaining cassettes no longer have to be counted. The cassettes are equipped with a display on which this information about multiple copies, traffic jams etc. as well as on the error-free course of the money input or money output is indicated. Then the reading of the data by means of a reading device can be dispensed with. Overall, the cash logistics process is substantially simplified since the automatic recounting is omitted.

p0029Furthermore, the security is increased since the stock of each cassette is known. If during the transport irregularities result from unauthorized withdrawal of money, this is known at the latest when the money is released from the cartridges since the number of the issued notes can be registered and compared with the stored number of the notes.

p0030Furthermore, the traceability in the case of false money notes is substantially simplified since the data are stored in the storage device of the cassette and can be read out in the cash center. This makes it no longer necessary to view the transaction data directly at the ATM.

p0031Furthermore, a double cassette set can be dispensed with. It is possible to select a pool for one type of cassette, from which the respective cassette can be selected for a particular cash machine. As a result, the number of cassettes required can be reduced since a double cassette set for all cash machines can be dispensed with.

p0032The cassettes are equipped with a display so that it is possible to further simplify the logistics processes since, for example, the target money machines can be displayed on the display, so that the employees of the service company can store the required cassettes, for example, directly on a shelf system or comparable device in the Transport vehicle and then insert the appropriate cassettes in the respective ATMs.

p0033Furthermore, it is conceivable to equip the cassettes with a GPS receiver so that the position of the cassettes can be determined.

p0034The invention thus provides a closed information circuit with regard to the monetary holdings in the cassettes, which allows a transparent and cost-effective cash logistics process.