Arrangement for dispensing bank notes and goods

An arrangement for dispensing bank notes includes card reader (15), first keyboard (11) and second keyboard (12). The card reader, the two keyboards and the requisite electronics are incorporated in a control panel (10) which is common to a cash dispenser (1) and to a goods vending machine (19) and which is intended for the initiation of a process for dispensing bank notes from the cash dispenser and/or a process for the purchase of goods from the vending machine. A third keyboard (13) having at least two buttons (131,-132) is provided for the initiation of the bank-note dispensing process or the goods vending process, wherein depression of a first button (131) of the two buttons will cause the first keyboard (11) to show different numbers of bank notes or bank-note values on the buttons of the keyboard, whereas depression of a second button (132) will cause the keyboard (11) to show on the buttons thereof different qualities of goods.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to an arrangement for dispensing bank notes 
and goods. More specically, but not exclusively, the invention relates to 
an arrangement for dispensing bank notes from a store of bank notes to a 
receipt opening which is accessible to a customer, said an arrangement 
including a card reader, a first keyboard by means of which the number of 
bank notes desired or the value of said bank notes can be inserted into 
the arrangement and a second keyboard for the insertion of an individual 
code. 
BACKGROUND PRIOR ART 
The use of an arrangement which includes a first keyboard through which a 
desired number of bank notes or the value of said bank notes are inserted 
and a second keyboard by means of which an individual code is inserted, 
for the purpose of dispensing bank notes from a store thereof to a receipt 
opening which is available to a customer, is previously known U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,430,562. 
It is also known to the art to utilize vending machines for the purchase of 
goods, e.g. petrol or gasoline from pumps which are programmed to dispense 
gasoline subsequent to payment of the price stipulated by insertion of 
cash, in bank note form, or for the purchase of such goods as chocolate 
bars, milk, soft drinks, and the like, by inserting coins to the value 
stipulated in respect of each item purchased into coin slots intended 
herefor. 
The object of the present invention is one of rationalizing activities in 
conjunction with drawing money from cash points and the purchase of goods 
from vending machines, in a conventional and time-saving fashion, all to 
the benefit of both customer and proprietor. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention, in the case of an an arrangement of the 
aforesaid kind, comprising a first and a second keyboard, the card reader, 
the first and the second keyboards and the requisite electronics are 
housed in a customer-operated control panel which is common to both 
facilities, i.e. cash dispensing facility and a goods vending facility. 
This control panel is effective in initiating a cash dispensing process 
and/or a process for the purchase goods in response to the manner in which 
the customer uses the control panel. 
These and other characteristics of the inventive arrangement are set forth 
in the following claims.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a cash dispenser 1 and a 
goods vending machine 19, in this instance a gasoline pump. 
The dispenser is equipped with a control panel 10 which includes a first 
keyboard 11, a second keyboard 12, a third keyboard 13 which has two 
buttons 131, 132, a card reader 15, a bank note delivery opening 14, and 
the requisite electronics for controlling the various units. Bank notes 
are stored in cassettes 16, 17-18, from where they are fed to the opening, 
subsequent to manipulation of the keyboards in a manner commensurate with 
the programming thereof. 
The vending machine 19 is connected to the control panel 10 of the cash 
dispenser by means of an operating line and has a second keyboard 12' and 
card reader 15' respectively of the same kind as the keyboard 12 and card 
reader 15 in the cash dispenser. 
The schematically illustrated arrangement decribed above has the following 
intended modus operandi. 
When a customer, e.g. a motorist, approaches the cash dispenser, the 
keyboard 11 lacks information or, if equipped with a visual display 
screen, displays the words "select CASH or GASOLINE" and optionally also 
an arrow which points to the keyboard 13. If the customer wishes to draw 
out cash, he/she presses the button 131, wherewith the first keyboard will 
reveal the numerals 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 on the six large buttons of the 
keyboard 11 and on the six pictures of buttons shown on the screen, see 
FIG. 2a. These buttons denote the value of the bank notes desired, or the 
sum to be withdrawn. For instance, if the customer wishes to withdraw SEK 
500, he will press the button (the picture) which bears the number 5. 
Alternatively, he may press buttons (the pictures) bearing the numerals, 
e.g., 100, 200, 1000, 2000, and 4000, corresponding to similar sums in 
Swedish crowns. 
When the customer has selected the number of bank notes required, the sum 
in cash, and has pressed the buttons concerned, he inserts his 
identification card, or cash card, into the card reader 15 and enters his 
individual code number on the second keyboard 12. Such text as "INSERT 
CARD" and "INSERT CODE" is automatically displayed on the screen, together 
with pictures of arrows which point to the card reader 15 and the second 
keyboard 12 respectively. A bundle of bank notes corresponding to the sum 
entered will normally be delivered to the customer receipt opening 14 some 
few seconds after having inserted the last digit of the code, assuming, of 
course, that the customer is entitled to the sum requested. This 
terminates the cash dispensing process. 
When the customer wishes to fill up his gasoline tank, instead of, or in 
addition, to withdrawing a cash sum, he presses the lower button 132, 
whereupon the first keyboard will show , for instance, the numerical 
sequence 93, 96, 98, 100 on its buttons and on the screen, see FIG. 2b. 
For instance, if the customer requires 98-octane gasoline, he presses the 
corresponding button (picture) bearing the number 98. As previously 
mentioned, the customer then inserts his card into the card reader 15 and 
punches his personal code into the second keyboard 12. If the customer is 
entitled to purchase gasoline in this way, he will be given "the go 
ahead", for instance in the form of a green flashing light, whereafter he 
moves his vehicle to the gasoline pump 19, inserts his card into the card 
reader 15' and also his code into the keyboard 12'. The customer can then 
fill his gasoline tank with the desired quantity of 98-octane gasoline, 
the monetary withdrawal being recorded and debited in a conventional 
manner. The gasoline purchasing procedure is therewith terminated. 
FIG. 3 illustrates schematically an arrangement which includes a 
free-standing transaction unit 3 which incorporates a control panel, 
energy source, etc., and a vending machine 39, in this case a gasoline 
pump, which is located some considerable distance from the unit 3, but is 
in signal contact with said unit. The unit 3 may include a cash dispenser 
and optionally also a goods vending facility, e.g. may offer for sale such 
goods as fruit, bread, beer, water, in which case the third keyboard 13 
will include more buttons, e.g. a first button 131 for cash withdrawal 
purposes, a second button 132 for the purchase of gasoline and a third 
button for the purchase of foodstuffs. Customers who Wish to purchase 
foodstuffs are required to press the third button, whereupon the first 
keyboard 11 will show pictures of various foodstuffs and/or corresponding 
text, e.g. the aforementioned six items of foodstuff. The customer is then 
expected to press the button(s), (pictures) for the goods he or she wishes 
to purchase--the same button is pressed several times, if the customer 
wishes to obtain a multiple of one and the same item-- , whereafter the 
customer will insert his or her card and the requisite code, as before 
described. The purchase is recorded (debited) in a conventional manner and 
the items concerned are dispensed or are made available for removal from 
an adjacent compartment(s). 
FIG. 4 illustrates schematically an arrangement which includes a 
free-standing transaction unit 4 with cash dispenser, and four vending 
machines (gasoline pumps) 491-494 which are spaced some considerable 
distance from the unit 4, but in signal contact therewith. 
In principle, this arrangement may be constructed similarly to the 
arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3, wherewith the pumps 491-494 may 
dispense 93, 96, 98 and 100 octane gasoline respectively. 
Also conceivable is the variant where the customer wishes to purchase 
through the control panel a short-term purchasing card which will enable 
him/her to purchase gasoline from a given pump over a limited period of 
time. This transaction is accordingly programmed into the corresponding 
electonics, such as to accept the card for gasoline-purchasing purposes 
for the given time period requested. 
FIG. 5 illustrates schematically an arrangement which comprises a combined 
transaction unit/cash dispenser 1 and foodstuff vending machine 59. The 
choice of machine is made through the third keyboard 13, in the 
aforedescribed manner. 
FIG. 6 illustrates schematically an arrangement which comprises three 
transaction units 1, 1' 1'' each having an individual control panel and an 
individual cash dispenser. Each unit operates in conjunction with a 
respective row of vending machines, namely vendors 691, 692, 693, in 
respect of the unit 1, vendors 691', 692', 693', in respect of the unit 
1'', and vendors 691'', 692'', 693'', in respect of the unit 1'', Each row 
of vending machines, which may consist of gasoline pumps or foodstuff 
vendors, is connected signal-wise to respective transaction units. 
This arrangement enables expensive electronic equipment to the incorporated 
in the units 1, 1', 1'', while allowing the vending machines 691-693'' to 
be given a much simpler construction and to be made more robust. 
FIG. 7 illustrates schematically an arrangement which comprises three 
transaction units/ cash dispensers 1, 1', 1'', and two rows of vending 
machines 791-793 and 791'-793' respectively. All of the units 1-1' are 
connected signal-wise to the vending machines 791-793' and may be 
constructed so that a customer can use any one of the machines whatsoever 
or solely one given machine, which will then be programmed in the manner 
described with reference to FIG. 4. 
FIG. 8 illustrates schematically an arrangement which comprises a 
free-standing transaction unit 1 with cash dispenser. The unit is 
connected to a bank location 81, by means of a tube system 80 and is 
connected signalwise to a free-standing vending machine 89. The bank 
location will thus have personnel for manually effecting transactions, and 
said location may also include a facility for supplying goods to the unit 
1. In principle, the handling of bank notes and goods in the location 81 
may also be automated, so that cash and goods can be obtained 
automatically from the location 81 twenty four hours a day, by appropriate 
manipulation of the panel on the unit 1. Combined dispensers for both cash 
and goods and incorporating a multiple of receipt openings are previously 
known to the art; see in this respect U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,582. One such 
dispenser may be provided with a receipt opening for the bank official, in 
the case of manually effected transactions in a bank location, and a 
receipt opening which is coupled to the tube system 80 for automatic 
dispensing of cash to the unit 1, subsequent to appropriate manipulation 
of the control panel belonging to this unit. Goods can be delivered 
automatically from the location 81 in a corresponding manner. 
It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the described 
and illustrated embodiments thereof and that modifications can be made 
without departing from the concept of the invention. For instance, the 
arrangement described with reference to FIG. 4 in addition to allowing a 
conventional identity card or a short-term card to be used, may be 
modified, by excluding the signal connection (shown in broken lines) and 
instead either the conventional card, subsequent to manipulation of the 
control panel by the customer concerned, has written thereinto certain 
information thereinto which permits withdrawal of gasoline from one of the 
pumps 491-494, or the customer's card will consist of a so-called "smart 
card", (i.e. a card which includes its own processor) on which the value 
of the transactions made are automatically deducted from a given allowable 
sum programmed on the card. The gasoline pump 491 in the FIG. 4 embodiment 
may be equipped with a card reader 4911, so that when a customer presents 
his/her card, which has previously been processed in the control panel 10 
and the goods dispensing process therewith initiated (gasoline purchase), 
the customer is able to obtain the goods required (gasoline) even should 
the signal connection to the unit 4 be interrupted or perhaps has not been 
established.