Abstract:
A media transport comprises: a media entrance for receiving a length of media (such as a receipt); an arcuate media store for storing the length of media in a coiled configuration; a media exit (such as a receipt aperture) through which the length of media can be presented (for example, to a customer); and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is operable in a first direction to drive the length of media from the entrance into the arcuate media store. The drive mechanism is also operable in a second direction to drive the length of media from the entrance through the media exit for presentation to a customer.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to media transport. In particular, though not exclusively, the invention has application to printer transport mechanisms. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    Printers are commonly used in self-service terminals (SSTs), such as automated teller machines (ATMs), to provide a customer with a receipt, a statement, or some other customer printed document. 
         [0003]    One problem associated with printers in a self-service environment is that a customer may attempt to remove a receipt prior to the receipt being completely printed. With short length receipts this is rare because a trailing edge of the receipt paper has cleared the print head prior to the leading edge of the receipt paper protruding through a receipt paper aperture in the SST fascia. However, where the receipt length exceeds the length of the transport mechanism, customers can pull the receipt prior to completion of printing. This can result in the receipt jamming or the receipt being removed with only part of the receipt data printed thereon. 
         [0004]    It is among the objects of an embodiment of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantage or other disadvantages associated with prior art media transports. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0005]    Accordingly, the invention generally provides methods, systems, and apparatus for an improved media transport. 
         [0006]    In addition to the Summary of Invention provided above and the subject matter disclosed below in the Detailed Description, the following paragraphs of this section are intended to provide further basis for alternative claim language for possible use during prosecution of this application, if required. If this application is granted, some aspects of the invention may relate to claims added during prosecution of this application, other aspects may relate to claims deleted during prosecution, other aspects may relate to subject matter never claimed. Furthermore, the various aspects detailed hereinafter are independent of each other, except where stated otherwise. Any claim corresponding to one aspect should not be construed as incorporating any element or feature of the other aspects unless explicitly stated in that claim. 
         [0007]    According to a first aspect there is provided a media transport comprising a media entrance for receiving a length of media; an arcuate media store for storing the length of media in a coiled configuration; a media exit through which the length of media can be presented; and a drive mechanism operable in a first direction to drive the length of media from the entrance into the arcuate media store, and in a second direction to drive the length of media from the entrance through the media exit for presentation to a user. 
         [0008]    The media transport may be a printer transport. 
         [0009]    The media entrance may receive a length of paper from a print engine. 
         [0010]    The arcuate media store may be a drum-shaped store. 
         [0011]    The media transport may include an arcuate guide extending from the media exit to near the media entrance. 
         [0012]    The arcuate guide may include a resilient diverter that is biased upwards, so that, during use, the diverter is urged downwards by media as it passes over the diverter to the drive mechanism, but deflects the media into the arcuate guide when the drive mechanism is reversed. 
         [0013]    The arcuate guide may include an opening portion for facilitating insertion of the length of media from the media entrance. 
         [0014]    The arcuate guide may include a funnel opening portion for facilitating insertion of the length of media from the media entrance. 
         [0015]    The arcuate guide may define a tapered channel for guiding the length of media to the media exit. The tapered channel may be wider at the entrance than at the media exit. 
         [0016]    The drive mechanism may comprise a roller co-operating with a skid plate, a pair of rollers, a pair of endless belts, a belt co-operating with a roller, a gear train, or the like. 
         [0017]    The roller may comprise a wheel, a drum, a polygon, or the like. The roller may have a circumference that is discontinuous (stepped) or continuous. 
         [0018]    According to a second aspect there is provided a method of presenting media to a user, the method comprising: receiving a length of media from an engine; driving the received length of media into a store to form an arcuate length of stored media; and driving the arcuate length of stored media out from the media store and into an arcuate guide to present the length of media to a user once the length of media has been discharged from the engine. 
         [0019]    According to a third aspect there is provided a printer transport comprising a media entrance for receiving a length of media; an arcuate media store for storing the length of media in a coiled configuration; a media exit through which the length of media can be presented; and a drive mechanism operable in a first direction to drive the length of media from the entrance into the arcuate media store, and in a second direction to drive the length of media from the entrance through the media exit for presentation to a user. 
         [0020]    According to a fourth aspect there is provided a printer including the transport of the third or first aspects. 
         [0021]    According to a fifth aspect there is provided a self-service terminal including the transport of the third or first aspects. 
         [0022]    The self-service terminal may be an automated teller machine (ATM), an information kiosk, a financial services center, a bill payment kiosk, a lottery kiosk, a postal services machine, a check-in and/or check-out terminal such as those used in the retail, hotel, car rental, gaming, healthcare, and airline industries, or the like. 
         [0023]    According to a sixth aspect there is provided a method of presenting media to a user, the method comprising: receiving a length of media from an engine; driving the received length of media into a store to form an arcuate length of stored media; discharging the length of media from the engine; and driving the arcuate length of stored media out from the media store and into an arcuate guide to present the length of media to a user. 
         [0024]    According to a seventh aspect there is provided a method of retrofitting a printer, the method comprising providing the printer with a media transport according to the first or third aspects of the invention. 
         [0025]    These and other aspects will be apparent from the following specific description, given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a simplified schematic diagram of a printer according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  is a simplified schematic diagram of the printer of  FIG. 1 , showing a part thereof (the paper transport) in more detail; 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  is a simplified schematic diagram of the printer of  FIG. 1 , showing receipt paper entering a part (the arcuate store) of the paper transport; 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  is a simplified schematic diagram of the printer of  FIG. 1 , showing receipt paper exiting the arcuate store; 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  is a simplified schematic diagram of the printer of  FIG. 1 , showing receipt paper exiting the paper transport and being presented to a customer; 
           [0031]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating the steps involved in presenting the receipt paper to the customer; and 
           [0032]      FIG. 7  is a pictorial diagram of a receipt printed by the printer of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0033]    Reference is first made to  FIG. 1 , which is a simplified schematic diagram of a printer  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The printer  10  comprises a paper hopper  12  storing a roll  14  of paper  16 ; a print engine  18  supplied with paper  16  from the roll  14 ; a paper transport  20 ; and a printer controller  22 . 
         [0034]    The printer controller  22  includes a processor  24  and a communications facility  26  (such as a USB port or an RS 232 port) for communicating with an ATM controller (not shown). The printer controller  22  receives commands and print data and from the ATM controller (not shown) and sends messages to the ATM controller (not shown) to indicate: that a print task was completed successfully, the status of components within the printer  10  (for example, if the paper roll  14  is nearly finished), and the like. 
         [0035]    Reference is also made to  FIG. 2 , which is a simplified schematic diagram showing the paper transport  20  in more detail. The paper transport  20  comprises: an arcuate store  30  (in the form of a generally drum-shaped receptacle); a drive mechanism  34  at the entrance  36  of the arcuate store  30 ; and an arcuate guide  38 . The arcuate guide  38  comprises (i) a diverter portion  39  near the entrance  36  and (ii) sidewalls  40   a,b  leading from the vicinity of the entrance  36  to a receipt aperture  42  defined by a fascia  44  in a self-service terminal (not shown). The sidewalls  40  define a channel  45  that tapers from the vicinity of the entrance  36  to the receipt aperture  42 . One sidewall  40   b  is provided by an external wall of the arcuate store  30 . 
         [0036]    The drive mechanism  34  comprises a retractable upper roller  46  and a fixed lower roller  48 , spaced apart to co-operate in driving a length of receipt paper  16  into and out of the arcuate store  30 . The upper roller  46  is driven by the printer controller  22 , but the lower roller  48  is free to rotate as receipt paper  16  passes over it. 
         [0037]    The distance between the front end of the print engine  18  and the receipt aperture  42  is “d”, illustrated by double headed arrow  50 . In this embodiment, “d” is approximately 8 cm. A typical ATM receipt is approximately 11 cm long, but printer  10  is capable of printing and delivering receipts substantially longer than 11 cm (for example, 25 cm). 
         [0038]    The operation of the printer  10  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , which are schematic diagrams illustrating the printer  10  with a printed receipt at different locations within the printer  10 , and also with reference to  FIG. 6 , which is a flowchart  100  illustrating the operation of the printer  10 . 
         [0039]    Initially, the printer controller  22  receives print data from the ATM controller (not shown) (step  110 ), which it uses to control the print engine  18  to advance paper (step  112 ) through a print head (not shown) in the print engine  18 , while printing the received data onto the advancing paper  16  (step  114 ). 
         [0040]    The printer controller  22  starts the paper transport  20  (step  116 ) by driving the upper roller  46  anti-clockwise. As the printed paper  16  continues to advance, a leading edge  60  of the printed paper  16  pushes down the diverter portion  39  and is then nipped between the upper and lower rollers  46 , 48  and driven into the arcuate store  30  at the same speed as the paper is advanced. As the printed paper  16  enters the arcuate store  30 , the printed paper  16  bends inwards, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , due to the shape of the arcuate store  30  and the influence of gravity. 
         [0041]    When the print engine  18  has completely printed the paper  16 , then the print engine  18  cuts the paper (step  118 ) to produce a printed receipt. 
         [0042]    The printer controller  22  continues to drive the upper roller  46  anti-clockwise (step  120 ) until a predetermined distance is reached (step  122 ), which is less than the distance between the cutting blade (not shown) in the print engine  18  and the drive mechanism  34  of the paper transport  20 , but greater than the distance between the cutting blade (not shown) and the paper transport entrance  36 . This is to ensure that when the upper roller  46  stops driving, a trailing edge  70  of the printed paper  16  protrudes from the drive mechanism  34  but is located within the paper transport  20 . When this occurs, the bulk of the printed paper  16  is coiled (or spiraled) within the arcuate store  30 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0043]    The printer controller  22  then reverses the upper roller  46  (step  124 ) so that the upper and lower rollers  46 , 48  co-operate to drive the printed paper  16  (the receipt) out of the arcuate store  30 , with the trailing edge  70  first (that is, the trailing edge  70  is now leading, and the leading edge  60  is now trailing). 
         [0044]    As the upper roller  46  rotates clockwise (step  126 ) the trailing edge  70  (now leading) is driven downwards by the diverter portion  39  and is directed by the sidewalls  40  from the vicinity of the entrance  36  to the receipt aperture  42  defined by the fascia  44 , as illustrated by  FIG. 5 . Thus, the arcuate guide  38  guides the trailing edge  70  towards the receipt aperture  42 . 
         [0045]    The upper roller  46  is rotated until the receipt  16  is presented to a customer by protruding through the receipt aperture  42  by a predetermined distance (for example, the upper roller  46  may be driven until the trailing edge  70  protrudes by approximately 2 cm to allow the customer to grasp the receipt  16  with his/her finger and thumb) (step  128 ). 
         [0046]    Once the receipt  16  has been presented to the customer then the controller  22  stops the upper roller  46  (step  130 ) to allow the customer to remove the receipt when he/she is ready to take it. 
         [0047]    The action of the customer pulling the receipt uncoils the receipt from the arcuate store  30  and causes the receipt to slide through the arcuate guide  38 . 
         [0048]    By virtue of this embodiment of the present invention, a comparatively long receipt  200 , such as that illustrated in  FIG. 7 , which has a length “L” of 25 cm (illustrated by arrow  210 ) can be printed and presented to a customer in a controlled manner. The long receipt  200  includes three images of checks  212 , 214 , 216  deposited at the ATM in a single transaction, in addition to transaction details  218 . Because the receipt  200  is coiled within the arcuate store  30 , it is possible to print variable length receipts, including comparatively long receipts, without risking jamming the printer  10  or a customer removing the receipt  16 , 200  before it has been printed. 
         [0049]    Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment within the scope of the invention. For example, in other embodiments, the drive mechanism may comprise a roller and a skid plate; endless belts and a skid plate; or any other convenient drive mechanism. 
         [0050]    In other embodiments the arcuate guide  38  may not be tapered. 
         [0051]    In other embodiments, the arcuate store  30  may be rotatable to facilitate the trailing edge  70  entering the arcuate guide  38 . 
         [0052]    In other embodiments, the paper transport  20  may be used for transporting other types of media in a media handler other than a printer. 
         [0053]    In other embodiments, the paper transport  20  may be retrofitted to a conventional printer. 
         [0054]    In other embodiments, an SST other than an ATM may be used to house the printer  10 , for example, an information kiosk. 
         [0055]    The steps of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. The methods described herein may be performed by software in machine readable form on a tangible storage medium or as a propagating signal. 
         [0056]    The terms “comprising”, “including”, “incorporating”, and “having” are used herein to recite an open-ended list of one or more elements or steps, not a closed list. When such terms are used, those elements or steps recited in the list are not exclusive of other elements or steps that may be added to the list.