Device enclosure temperature control

Current temperatures for an enclosure of a media handling device are monitored and managed using threshold temperature values. When a current temperature deviates below a threshold temperature value, commands are sent to modules of the device to start and idle their motors causing heat to be generated from current flowing to the motors. The heat radiates within the enclosure raising the current temperature. When the current temperature reaches a second threshold temperature value for the enclosure, second commands are sent to the modules of the device to stop idling their motors causing heat within the enclosure to dissipate and lowering the current temperature for the enclosure.

BACKGROUND

Most components and modules within a transaction terminal require a minimum operating temperature for safe and proper functioning. This is particularly true of automated teller machines (ATM) which often are available to consumers in remote outdoor locations for walk-up or drive-up access. These outdoor ATMs can be located in inhospitable geographic locations that can be subject to extreme temperatures during winter. This is problematic for many electromechanical components of the ATM, such as dispensers and recyclers where the minimum operating temperature is typically 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

When ambient conditions fall below the threshold values for the components of the ATM, the modules can lose functionality. For example, currency suction cups harden, mechanisms become stiff, etc. Currently, ATMs attempt to manage internal enclosure temperatures using a single source of external heat which typically encounters trouble in maintaining a uniform temperature across the internal modules.

To alleviate temperature control issues, some ATMs also incorporate resistive heating elements within their enclosures to maintain a safe operating temperature for the ATMs. This adds additional cost beyond the single source of heat and takes up space within the enclosure’; space within the enclosure is already almost 100% occupied such that adding these resistive heating elements is challenging to say the least.

The single source of external heat is often simply a ceramic heater, which kicks on at a predefined temperature and runs until a desired temperature is detected. Power consumption to run these heaters and wide hysteresis due to lack of targeting of the heat from the heaters can cost a significant amount of money for an organization with thousands of ATMs.

Therefore, there is a need for more power efficient and internal enclosure temperature control mechanisms for terminals and their modules subjected to ambient outdoor temperatures.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, a system, a media handling device peripheral, and a method for device enclosure temperature control are presented. Firmware of a media handling device associated with a transaction terminal monitors current temperatures being experienced within an enclosure of the media handling device. When the current temperature deviates below a first threshold temperature, the firmware sends commands to modules of the media handling device causing the modules to idle their motors or to lock their shafts. As current flows to the motors, heat radiates within the enclosure of the media handling device which raises the current temperature for the enclosure. When the current temperature rises above a second threshold temperature, the firmware sends commands to the modules causing the modules to stop idling their motors causing the heat within the disclosure to dissipate and lowering the current temperature for the enclosure. The firmware optimally manages the internal temperatures within the enclosure of the media handling device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As stated above, the approach in the industry is to maintain internal enclosure temperatures of a media handling device using an external heat source and resistive heating elements inserted into the device's enclosure. This is power inefficient, lacks fine grain temperature control, and presents challenges for enclosures that have little to no available space for locating resistive heating elements.

The teachings provided herein provide power efficient and fine-grain control of internal temperatures within an enclosure of a media handling device to ensure that modules within the enclosure continue to operate properly even when ambient temperatures outside the media handling device fall below recommended operating temperatures for the modules. This is achieved without adding any additional hardware to the media handling device, without adding any heaters, and without adding any resistive heating elements. Each module within a media handling device includes it own motor to drive its electromechanical components during operation of a transaction terminal. During operation of the modules their motors generate heat from current running the coils to the motors and kinetic or magnetic motion generated by the motors. When the terminal is idle and the temperature within the media handing device's enclosure deviates below a minimum threshold temperature, a command is sent to the motors of the modules to idle by lock motor shafts in place while running current through to the motors. This generates thermal heat caused by the current and heats the enclosure of the media handling device, once the enclosure is above a threshold temperature a command is sent to the motors of the modules to stop idling. In this way, fine-grain temperature control is achieved within the enclosure without any additional hardware by using the existing hardware of the media handling device itself. Moreover, the power consumption needed for the current to the motors is substantially less than what is needed for a standalone heater and resistive heating elements. Therefore, this approach is energy efficient by consuming less power that does heaters and resistive heating elements; cost efficient by lowering unit cost with removal of heater and resistive heating elements; simplifies assembly of the enclosure of the media handling device, which now does not require the heater nor resistive heating elements; and decreases the physical footprint of the media handling device with smaller enclosures without the heater and without the resistive heating elements.

FIG.1is a diagram of a media handling device100and corresponding modules with motors, according to an example embodiment. It is to be noted that the components are shown schematically in greatly simplified form, with only those components relevant to understanding of the embodiments being illustrated.

Media handing device100includes a variety of modules that include motors of various types, such as direct current (DC) motors, stepper motors, magnetic motors, etc. The modules that include the motors are illustrated inFIG.1and labeled as a reject box module, an escrow module, an upper transport module, a bill validator (BV) module, a pocket separator module an upper base module, an intermedia transport module, a lower transport module, a cassette holder module, a deposit cassette module, a recycle cassette module, a lower module and an upper module. It is note that other modules may be present as well such as an infeed module that comprises a shutter, a media deskew module, etc. The modules are electromechanical devices that include mechanical components and electrical components that control the mechanical components.

Each module may also include its own printed circuit board (PCB) which includes one or more processors that execute firmware instructions to cause or to urge the corresponding electromechanical components to perform operations. The media handling device100includes its own main PCB with its own processors that execute firmware instructions to send commands to and receive messages back from the modules for purposes of controlling the operation of the media handling device100. Each module includes firmware instructions that permit that module to report its internal temperature in messages to the main PCB or in logs that can be monitored by the main PCB. Each module also includes firmware instructions to cause its motor to operate normally, idle, or shut down.

As used herein usage of the term “terminal” or the phrase “transaction terminal” is intended to include a media handling device100peripheral. The terminal may include other peripherals such as and by way of example only, a card reader, a contactless card reader, a touch display, a printer, a scanner, a coin deposit/dispense module, a shutter module, a check reader module, a bag weigh scale, a produce weigh scale, a personal identification number (PIN) pad, an encrypted PIN pad, a keypad, etc.

In an embodiment, the terminal can include an automated teller machine (ATM), a self-service terminal (SST) with the media handling device peripheral, a point-of-sale (POS) terminal with the media handling device peripheral, or a kiosk with the media handling device peripheral. In an embodiment, the media handling device peripheral can include a valuable media depository, a valuable media dispenser, and a valuable media recycler.

FIG.2is a diagram of a system200, a terminal210, and a media handling device peripheral220for controlling internal enclosure temperatures for a media handling device peripheral, according to an example embodiment. It is to be noted that the components are shown schematically in greatly simplified form, with only those components relevant to understanding of the embodiments being illustrated.

System200includes a transaction terminal210, a media handling device peripheral220(hereinafter referred to as “media handing device220”), a touch display device peripheral230, and additional device peripherals240. Terminal210includes one or more processors211and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium212(hereinafter referred to as “medium”), which includes firmware and/or software executable instructions213. The firmware/instructions213when provided to processor211from medium212cause the processor to perform operations associated with performing transactions, performing support functions, managing peripherals220-240, and controlling peripherals220-240.

Media handling device220includes one or more processors221, modules222, sensors225, and medium223, which includes firmware224. The firmware224when provided to processor221from medium223causes processor221to perform operations associated with performing valuable media-based actions during a transaction on terminal210, managing modules222, controlling modules222, monitoring internal temperatures associated with an enclosure that includes modules222, monitoring internal temperatures of each modules' motor222-2, and controlling modules222for idling, stopping, and/or engaging their motors222-2.

Each module222includes one or more processors222-1, a motor222-2, one or more sensors222-3, mechanical components222-4, and medium222-5, which includes firmware222-6. The firmware222-6when provided to processor222-2causes processor222-2to perform operations associated with stopping motor222-2, idling motor222-2, engaging motor222-2, and/or logging/reporting sensor values from sensor222-3.

Firmware224uses a temperature gauge sensor225to monitor the internal temperature of the enclosure or housing associated with media handling device220and obtains temperature values directly from firmware222-6associated with the modules222or obtains the temperature values for modules222from log(s) written to by firmware222-6.

Firmware224uses one or more preset and/or configurable threshold temperature values for the enclosure of media handling device220and each of the modules222to determine when to cause the motors222-2of modules222to idle and when to shut the motors222-2off. During idling of motors222-2, current is flowing through coils associated with motors222-2, this generates thermal heat within enclosures of modules222and radiates heat outside the enclosures of modules222into the overall enclosure of media handling device220. This raises the ambient temperature inside of the enclosure for media handling device220.

Firmware224also continuously monitors the temperate gauge sensor225using the threshold temperature values to determine when to issue or raise an event that causes a command to be provided to the modules' firmware222-6to stop their motors222-2from idling. Firmware224monitors temperature values reported or logged by each of the modules222from their corresponding sensors222-3and stops the idling of their motors222-2when the temperature values are approach maximum operating temperatures for the corresponding motors222-2; the maximum operating temperatures defined for each motor222-2in the threshold temperature values.

The threshold temperature values can be defined within a file used by firmware224and can be changed as needed by editing the file. In an embodiment, one or more of the threshold temperature values are passed as processing parameters to firmware224.

In an embodiment, the operations discussed above with respect to firmware224are processed instead by firmware213of terminal210. That is, either firmware224or firmware213can manage and control the internal temperatures for the enclosure of the media handling device220by instructing firmware222-6of modules222to idle their motors222-2and to stop idling their motors222-2.

In an embodiment, components of the media handling device220, which are not associated with modules having motors, can be supplied current an/or instructed to perform non-destructive functions/operations by firmware213to cause operations/functions to be processed/performed that radiate additional thermal heat when heat is needed based on a current temperature of the enclosure of media handling device220. For example, a nested loop set of instructions that perform no operations can be processed or a recursive loop of no operations can be processed for purposes of clocking or over clocking processors211. When firmware213detects a transaction was initiated or detects that internal temperatures of processors211are running too hot, firmware213can kill the nested loop or recursive loop instructions. As another example, any insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) within media handling device220that are used to invert power between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) can be driven current for inversion by firmware213to generate additional thermal heat within the enclosure. So, non-motor-based components and/or solid-state components can be controlled by firmware213to essentially idle and/or perform functions or non-destructive operations that generate thermal heat within the enclosure

System200, terminal210, and media handling device220can perform temperature management for an enclosure of the media handling device220without any additional hardware modules. Firmware212and/or224can be upgraded or updated to include the enclosure temperature management utilizing the existing hardware for modules222and their corresponding motors222-2to increase heat through thermal heat that radiates within the enclosure when the motors222-2are idling and to decrease heat when the idling is stopped, and the heat dissipates within the disclosure.

FIG.3is a flow diagram of a method300for controlling internal enclosure temperatures of a media handling device, according to an example embodiment. The software module(s) that implements the method300is referred to as “firmware.” The firmware is implemented as executable instructions programmed and residing within memory and/or a non-transitory computer-readable (processor-readable) storage medium and executed by one or more processors of one or more devices. The processor(s) of the device(s) that executes the firmware are specifically configured and programmed to process the firmware. The firmware may have access to one or more network connections during its processing or the firmware does not have access nor need any network connection during its processing. Any network connection when available to the firmware can be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless.

In an embodiment, the device that executes the firmware is media handling device220. In an embodiment, the device that executes the firmware is terminal210. In an embodiment, the firmware presents another and, in some ways, an enhanced processing perspective from that which was described above for firmware220of system200.

At310, the firmware monitors a current reported temperature of an enclosure for a media handling device220using a temperature gauge or temperature sensor225. The enclosure of the media handling device includes media handing modules222. Each module222includes a motor222-2for performing media handling actions. The modules222can include any of the modules listed above with the discussion ofFIG.1.

At320, the firmware instructs the media handling modules222to idle their corresponding motors222-2by locking the motor drive shafts and running/passing current to the motors222-2. This creates thermal heat that radiates when the enclosure and causes the current temperature to rise. The firmware instructs the motors222-2to idle when the current temperature is detected as being below a first threshold temperature.

At330, the firmware instructs the media handling modules222to stop idling, unlock the corresponding drive shafts, and stop running current to the corresponding motors222-2. This causes heat to dissipate within the enclosure and the current temperature to fall. The firmware instructs the motors222-2to stop idling when the current temperature is detected as being above a second threshold temperature.

In an embodiment, at340, the firmware monitors internal temperatures for each of the media handling modules222and instructs a given media handling module222to stop idling the corresponding motor222-2when a given internal temperature for the given media handling module222exceeds a third threshold temperature. This is an indication that the given module's motor222-2is operating at too high of a temperature and needs to be shut down to avoid damage to the motor222-2.

It should be appreciated that where firmware/software is described in a particular form (such as a component or module) this is merely to aid understanding and is not intended to limit how firmware/software that implements those functions may be architected or structured. For example, modules are illustrated as separate modules, but may be implemented as homogenous code, as individual components, some, but not all of these modules may be combined, or the functions may be implemented in firmware/software structured in any other convenient manner.

Furthermore, although the firmware/software modules are illustrated as executing on one piece of hardware, the firmware/software may be distributed over multiple processors or in any other convenient manner.