Patent Publication Number: US-2005138405-A1

Title: Media transport cassette

Description:
The present application relates to a transport and storage cassette for valuable media and particularly, but not exclusively, to a cassette for the transport and storage of bank notes.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Various organizations have a need to transport valuable items of one kind or another between physically separated locations in a secure manner. Possibly the most common example of this requirement is the transfer of bank notes from a central or local storage point to one or more automated teller machines (ATM). The bank notes dispensed by an ATM are held in individual cassettes, each cassette containing bank notes of one particular value. Due to the popularity of ATMs they require frequent restocking of bank notes and therefore a relatively large amount of money is generally in transport between one or more banks and the number of ATMs. The secure transport of this money is naturally of great concern to banking organizations.  
      Typically, bank notes are transported in cassettes that themselves are to be fitted within the ATMs. Whilst the cassettes may include security features to prevent the cassettes themselves being forcibly opened to gain access to the bank notes, for example ink spoiling systems, there is still a possibility of unauthorized removal of notes from some cassettes during transit. Furthermore, the security systems generally known in the art still provide the opportunity for an incorrect cassette to be placed in an ATM. By “incorrect”, it is meant that, for example, a cassette containing bank notes of a first value or denomination are placed in a region of the ATM intended for bank notes of a second value or denomination. Additionally, it is common practice when loading the cassettes into an ATM for the total value of the bank notes held within a particular cassette to be entered by an operator into the ATM system, generally by keying in the value on a keypad. As well as providing a record of the value of bank notes deposited into an ATM, this allows the ATM system to deduce when notes to a predetermined value have been dispensed, for example to issue an alarm that notes of that value will soon be exhausted from the cassette. The opportunity therefore also exists for incorrect cassette content values to be keyed in.  
      In addition cassettes can be removed from an ATM, for replenishment, before they are completely emptied of notes. It is a further cash management problem to provide information on the quantity and denomination of notes within these cassettes, which will be sealed for security reasons.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate one or more of the aforementioned problems.  
      According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a transport cassette for valuable media, comprising a sealable security housing for storing the media, a control processor and at least one display for displaying active information representative of the media within the cassette housing.  
      Preferably, the displayed information includes a unique cassette identification number.  
      Additionally, the displayed information includes the present quantity and/or denomination of notes within the cassette housing.  
      Most preferably, the display is updated when a note is removed from the cassette.  
      Preferably, the display is a human-readable display, and most preferably a bistatic display. Alternatively, the human-readable display is an LCD display.  
      Alternatively, the display is a machine-readable display, most preferably an RFID tag.  
      Preferably, each tag is arranged to transmit information to an ATM to which the cassette is coupled.  
      Additionally, each tag is arranged to transmit information to a control center.  
      Preferably, the control processor is a SMART card chip.  
      An advantage of the invention is the provision of low cost encryption security. A secure system is commercially critical to maintain the integrity of the system, and insure that the display accurately reflects the number of bank notes contained in the cassette.  
      According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a currency cassette transportation system, incorporating a control center, a plurality of automated teller machines (ATMs) and a plurality of transport cassettes for bank notes, each cassette comprising a sealable security housing for storing the bank notes, a control processor and at least one display for displaying active information representative of the media within the cassette housing, and means for transporting said cassettes, each cassette being arranged to communicate with the control center during transportation if a bank note is removed from the cassette prior to it docking with an ATM within the system.  
      According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of transporting bank notes between a cassette loading center and one of a plurality of automated teller machines (ATMs), utilizing a transport cassette for valuable media comprising a sealable security housing for storing the media, a control processor and at least one display for displaying active information representative of the media within the cassette housing, the method comprising updating the cassette display each time a bank note is removed from the cassette housing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a standard prior art ATM;  
       FIG. 2  schematically illustrates the internal components of the ATM;  
       FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a currency cassette in accordance with the present invention; and  
       FIG. 4  schematically illustrates a currency cassette transportation system in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Prior to discussing the cassette and system in accordance with the present invention, we will briefly review the operation of an ATM, with which the cassettes are adapted to be used. Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which show a self-service terminal  10  in the form of an automated teller machine (ATM). The ATM  10  has a chassis  14  to which is pivotably coupled a plastic fascia  16  covering an upper portion of the chassis  14 . A door  18  is hingably coupled to a lower portion of the chassis  14 . When the fascia  16  is hinged open and the door  18  is swung open, an operator can gain access to modules located within the ATM  10 .  
      The fascia  16  provides a user interface to allow a user to interact with the ATM  10 . In particular, the fascia  16  has apertures aligning with modules mounted in the chassis  14  when the fascia  16  is pivoted to the closed position. The fascia  16  defines the card reader slot  20  aligning with a card reader module  22  mounted within the chassis  14 ; a receipt printer slot  24  aligning with a receipt printer module  26  mounted within the chassis  14 ; a display aperture  28  aligning with a combined display  30  and associated function display keys (FDKs)  34  mounted as a module within the chassis  14 ; a dispenser slot  36  aligning with a dispenser module  38  mounted within the chassis  14 ; and a deposit aperture  40  aligning with a deposit module  42  mounted within the chassis  14 .  
      The fascia  16  also includes an encrypting keypad  50  mounted on a shelf portion  52  extending outwardly from beneath the display aperture  28 . The encrypting keypad  50  also receives input from the FDKs  34 .  
      A biometric module  12  is mounted in the shelf portion  52  and includes (i.) a sensor  56  for receiving a human finger and for capturing fingerprint details, and (ii.) an interface  58  for encrypting and relaying a captured fingerprint image. The sensor  56  protrudes through an aperture in the shelf portion  52 , and the interface  58  is mounted behind the shelf portion  52 . The biometric sensor  56  is a Fingerloc (trade mark) AF-S2 fingerprint sensor, available from Authentec, Inc., P.O. Box 2719, Melbourne, Fla. 32902-2719, U.S.A.  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , internally, the ATM  10  also includes a journal printer module  60  for creating a record of every transaction executed by the ATM  10 , a network connection module  64  for accessing a remote authorization system (not shown), and a controller module  66  (in the form of a PC core) for controlling the operation of the ATM  10 , including the operation of the modules.  
      The controller  66  comprises a BIOS  70  stored in non-volatile memory, a microprocessor  72 , associated main memory  74 , storage space  76  in the form of a magnetic disk drive, and a display controller  78  in the form of a graphics card.  
      The display module  30  is connected to the controller module  66  via the graphics card  78  installed in the controller module  66 . The other ATM modules ( 12 ,  22 ,  26 ,  34 ,  38 ,  42 , and  50 ) are connected to the ATM controller  66  via a device bus  86  and one or more internal controller buses  88 .  
      The dispenser module  38  contains means (not shown) for receiving currency cassettes, each of which contain a specific denomination of bank note. A pick unit is also provided to pick notes from each of the cassettes and transport them to a dispenser slot  36 , for collection by a user.  
      In use, the main memory  74  is loaded with an ATM operating system kernel  92 , an ATM application  94 , and a biometric capture object  96 . As is well known in the art, the operating system kernel  92  is responsible for memory, process, task, and disk management. The ATM application  94  is responsible for controlling the operation of the ATM  10 . In particular, the ATM application  94  provides the sequence of screens used in each transaction (referred to as the transaction flow); monitors the condition of each module within the ATM (state of health monitoring); and obtains authorization for transactions from a remote transaction authorization server (not shown).  
      The term “screen” is used herein to denote the graphics, text, controls (such as menu options), and such like, that are presented on an self service terminal (SST) display; the term “screen” as used herein does not refer to the hardware (that is, the display) that presents the graphics, text, controls, and such like. Typically, when a transaction is being entered at an SST, a series of screens are presented in succession on the SST display, the next screen displayed being dependent on a user entry or activity relating to the current screen. For example, a first screen may request a user to insert a card; once a card has been inserted a second screen may invite the user to enter his/her PIN; once the final digit of the PIN has been entered, a third screen may invite the user to select a transaction; and so on.  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a transport cassette  100  in accordance with the present invention. The transport cassette  100  comprises a sealable security housing  102  for storing the media to be transported. The cassette also contains a control processor  104 , in the form of a SMART card chip and, at least, one display  106 ,  108  for displaying active information representative of the media within the cassette housing. The display can be either a human-readable display  106 , such as a bistatic display or an LCD display, or a machine-readable display  108  or both. If an LCD display is utilized a battery (not shown) may also be included so that the display can operate when the cassette  100  is not coupled to an ATM  10 .  
      The information includes a unique cassette identification number, so that a plurality of such cassettes  100  can be utilized within a transport system  120  ( FIG. 4 ), as described below. Additionally, the information includes the present quantity and denomination of bank notes within the cassette housing  102 . The control processor  104  updates the display  106 ,  108  when a note is removed from the cassette  100 .  
      The machine-readable display  108  is an RFID tag, which is arranged to transmit information to an ATM  10  when coupled thereto. Also tag  108  is arranged to transmit information to a control center  110 , via a communications network  112 .  
      The currency cassette transportation system  120  incorporates a control center  110 , a plurality of automated teller machines (ATMs)  10  and a plurality of transport cassettes  100  as described above, each cassette being arranged to communicate with the control center  110  during transportation if a bank note is removed from a the cassette  100  prior to it docking with an ATM  10  within the system.  
      When in use, bank notes are transported between a cassette loading center, which may be co-located with the control center  110 , and one of a plurality of automated teller machines (ATMs)  10 . A transport cassette  100 , as described above is utilized. The cassette is collected and transported in a secure vehicle (not shown) as normal. Unauthorized removal of notes from the cassette  10  is discouraged because the visible display  106  is altered in real time to indicate to the security staff transporting the cassette  10  that a note has been removed. (If the cassette in not in the ATM, then the display could show a tamper or error symbol if the cassette is opened, but the processor would not know how many bank notes were removed.) In addition if the cassette is in transit the control center  110  is informed, either directly or alternatively via a nearby ATM  10 . Once the cassette is coupled to an ATM the information from the display  106 ,  108  is transmitted via the ATM communications system.  
      In addition, the visible display  106  make it easier for staff to ensure that a cassette  10  is located at the correct place for cassettes containing the denomination of bank notes in question, when replenishing the ATM  10 .  
      The term display is intended to mean a human-readable display or a machine-readable display such as an RFID tag. Such a tag although it does not display information visibly can transmit information.  
      The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.