Abstract:
A cassette ( 10 ) for storing media in sheet form is described. The cassette ( 10 ) has urging means ( 26 ) for urging a stack of media items ( 34 ) to one end ( 24 ) of the cassette ( 10 ), such as a media pick area ( 22 ). The cassette ( 10 ) also has sensing means ( 52 ) for determining the size of the stack of media items ( 34 ) remaining in the cassette ( 10 ). The cassette ( 10 ) includes display means ( 50 ) for displaying to an external viewer, such as a replenisher, an indication of the size of the stack of media items ( 34 ) remaining within the cassette ( 10 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a media cassette for storing valuable media in sheet form. In particular, the invention relates to a media cassette for use in a self-service terminal (SST), such as a currency cassette for use in an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).  
           [0002]    Currency cassettes provide ATMs with a source of banknotes, and are strong metal or plastics boxes comprising a lid releasably coupled to a body. One end of the body includes a covered aperture that is automatically opened when the cassette is inserted into a currency dispenser, and automatically closed when the cassette is removed from the currency dispenser. The opposite end of the body includes a handle for carrying the cassette, and to aid insertion and removal of the cassette. When a cassette is inserted into a currency dispenser, only the handle end of the cassette is visible.  
           [0003]    Periodically, currency cassettes require replenishment to ensure that the ATM in which the cassettes are located has sufficient banknotes to fulfil cash withdrawal transactions.  
           [0004]    A replenishment operation typically involves a secure carrier (such as a cash-in-transit company) visiting the ATM, removing a partially filled currency cassette, and replacing it with a full currency cassette. The secure carrier then transports the partially filled currency cassette to a bullion center to reconcile the number of banknotes remaining in the cassette and the number of banknotes dispensed from the ATM with the total number of banknotes originally loaded into the cassette.  
           [0005]    As some ATMs are used more frequently than other ATMs, not every ATM requires replenishment at the same time. However, it is difficult for a replenisher to determine how full an ATM cassette is without opening the cassette, which involves a significant risk of theft because:  
           [0006]    (1) the time taken to perform a replenishment operation is increased, and  
           [0007]    (2) the notes within a cassette are exposed while the cassette is open.  
           [0008]    To minimize the risk of theft, a replenisher typically replaces every currency cassette in an ATM regardless of how full or empty each cassette is.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is among the objects of an embodiment of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantage or other disadvantages associated with media cassettes.  
           [0010]    According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a media cassette comprising: urging means for urging a stack of media items to one end of the cassette, sensing means for determining the size of the stack of media items; and display means for displaying to an external viewer an indication of the size of the stack.  
           [0011]    Preferably, the sensing means determines the size of the stack from the position of the urging means.  
           [0012]    Preferably, the sensing means includes a variable resistor circuit, where movement of the urging means changes the resistance of the circuit.  
           [0013]    Preferably, the variable resistor circuit includes a resistive rod having a uniform resistivity value and in electrical contact with the urging means, so that the position of the urging means along the resistive rod determines the resistance sensed.  
           [0014]    Preferably, the urging means comprises a pusher plate slidably mounted on a ratchet for urging media items towards a media pick end opposite a handle end.  
           [0015]    Preferably, the display means is located on the handle end.  
           [0016]    Preferably, the display means includes a plurality of elements, each element corresponding to a region occupied by media items when the cassette is full, where adjacent elements correspond to adjacent regions, such that when a region is occupied the corresponding element is in one state, and when the region is unoccupied the corresponding element is in a different state.  
           [0017]    In one embodiment, the display means comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), whereby when the cassette is full of banknotes all diodes are illuminated, when the cassette is at a critically low level (fewer than a predetermined number of banknotes) no diodes are illuminated, and between these two limits there is a linear relationship between the number of LEDs illuminated and the how many media items remain in the cassette. Alternatively, the LEDs may be bi-state, such that if all of the LEDs are a first color (for example, green) then the cassette is full; whereas if all of the LEDs are a second color (for example, red) then the number of notes in the cassette has fallen below a critical level.  
           [0018]    Alternatively, the display means may be implemented by a display such as an LCD or a seven segment display.  
           [0019]    By virtue of this aspect of the present invention, a replenisher is able to determine how full a cassette is without removing the cassette from a dispenser.  
           [0020]    According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of indicating the quantity of media items in a cassette, the method comprising the steps of: sensing the position of an urging mechanism for urging media items to a pick area, and displaying a representation of the quantity of media items remaining in the cassette based on the sensed position.  
           [0021]    The word “media” is used herein in a generic sense to denote one or more items, documents, or such like having a generally laminar sheet form; in particular, the word “media” when used herein does not necessarily relate exclusively to multiple items or documents. Thus, the word “media” may be used to refer to a single item (rather than using the word “medium”) and/or to multiple items. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]    These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specific description, given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a media cassette according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a body portion of the cassette of FIG. 1;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective underside view of a lid portion of the cassette of FIG. 1; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the body portion of the cassette of FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]    Referring to FIGS.  1  to  4 , a media cassette  10 , in the form of a polycarbonate currency cassette for storing banknotes, has a lid  12  secured to a body  14  by a latch  16 . The body  14  has a handle  18  pivotably mounted at a handle end  20 , and a pick area  22  at a pick end  24  opposite the handle end  20 .  
         [0028]    A pusher plate  26  is mounted on a linear ratchet  28  extending from the handle end  20  to the pick end  24 , and is urged towards the pick end  24  by a resilient member (not shown). The pusher plate  26  is made of metal and is mounted above two lateral guides  30 , 32  for guiding opposite short edges of banknotes  34  as the banknotes are urged towards the pick end  24 .  
         [0029]    The body  14  has a roller shutter  36  covering the pick area  22 , so that when the cassette  10  is inserted into an ATM (not shown), tines in the ATM engage with recesses (not shown) in the body  14 , and the roller shutter  36  is automatically lowered by the tines to allow banknotes  34  to be picked from the pick area  22  by a cash dispenser pick unit (not shown) in the ATM (not shown). When the cassette  10  is removed from the ATM (not shown), the tines in the ATM disengage from the recesses (not shown) in the body  14 , and the roller shutter  36  is urged upwards to cover the pick area  22  and prevent access to the banknotes  34  in the cassette  10 .  
         [0030]    The underside of the lid  12  includes two banknote long-edge aligners  38  mounted on adjustable spacers  40 . The aligners  38  prevent banknotes  34  stored within the cassette  10  from moving towards the lid  12  during transportation.  
         [0031]    The handle end  20  includes display means  50  in the form of five LEDs ( 50   a  to  50   e ) individually controlled by a simple logic circuit  52 . When the cassette  10  is filled with notes, all of the LEDs  50  are illuminated by the LED circuit  52 .  
         [0032]    The body  14  includes sensing means comprising a potentiometer circuit coupled to the LED circuit  52 . The potentiometer circuit comprises a power supply  56  (in the form of a battery), two electrically conducting rails  60 , 62 , and the pusher plate  26 . The two rails  60 , 62  extend from near the handle end  20  to near the pick end  24 , and opposite sides of the pusher plate  26  are in electrical contact with the rails  60 , 62 . One rail  60  is made of metal and has a low resistance, the other rail  62  is a resistive rod having a uniform cross section and a high resistivity. In this embodiment, the resistive rod  62  is approximately 300 mm long.  
         [0033]    The LED circuit  52  is calibrated to change state at each of five points, spaced approximately 50 mm apart. When the pusher plate  26  is near the handle end  20  (point  70  in FIG. 4), the resistance of the rod portion between the pusher plate  26  and the LED circuit  52  is approximately one thousand ohms (1 kΩ). When the pusher plate  26  is at point  72 , the resistance of the rod portion between the pusher plate  26  and the LED circuit  52  is approximately two thousand ohms (2 kΩ). Similarly, at point  74 , the rod portion has a resistance of three thousand ohms (3 kΩ), at point  76  four thousand ohms (4 kΩ), and at point  78  five thousand ohms (5 kΩ).  
         [0034]    As notes  34  are picked from the cassette  10 , the pusher plate  26  moves from the handle end  20  towards the pick end  24  and the resistance of the potentiometer circuit increases by a small amount each time the pusher plate  26  moves. This increased resistance is detected by the LED circuit  52 .  
         [0035]    Initially, when the cassette  10  is full of banknotes  34 , the pusher plate is at the handle end  20 , the resistance of the rod portion (the portion of rod  62  between the pusher plate  26  and the LED circuit  52 ) is less than one thousand ohms, and the LED circuit  52  illuminates all five LEDs  50   a  to  50   e.    
         [0036]    As notes  34  are removed from the cassette  10 , the pusher plate  26  moves towards the pick end  24  and the resistance of the rod portion increases beyond one thousand ohms. When this occurs (point  70 ), the LED circuit  52  extinguishes the LED  50   a  nearest the lid  12 . When the resistance increases beyond two thousand ohms, the LED circuit  50   b  extinguishes the next LED  50   b . When the resistance increases beyond three thousand ohms, the LED circuit  52  extinguishes the third LED  50   c , and so on until the resistance increases beyond five thousand ohms, indicating that the number of notes remaining in the cassette  10  has fallen below a critical level, and the final LED  50   e  is extinguished.  
         [0037]    When a replenisher opens the ATM (not shown) to access the currency cassette  10 , the replenisher can immediately determine how full the cassette  10  is by counting the number of LEDs illuminated. In this embodiment, the replenisher has been instructed to replace the cassette if three or fewer LEDs are illuminated.  
         [0038]    Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment within the scope of the invention, for example, instead of LEDs a single display, such as an LCD, may be used.