Abstract:
A self-service deposit terminal ( 10 ) for bank notes, in the deposited notes are subjected to an acceptance procedure in which the deposited notes are passed through a note validator and a decision is made regarding the validity of the notes. Invalid notes are then separated from accepted notes and diverted to a purge bin. On route to the purge bin, at least, counterfeit notes are marked, so as to render them unusable.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a self-service deposit method and apparatus for receiving media including bank notes.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A deposit apparatus for receiving bank notes may be included in an automated teller machine (ATM). It is known for an ATM of this type to dispense bank notes that have earlier been deposited at the ATM, such ATMs being known as a recycling ATMs.  
           [0003]    Known self-service deposit terminals for receiving loose bank notes (in contrast with notes contained in envelopes) subject the notes to a validation procedure. One or more of the deposited notes may be rejected on the grounds that they are damaged, dirty or forged, and the rejected notes are returned to the user.  
           [0004]    This known type of deposit terminal has the disadvantage that the user must wait at the terminal for possible return of rejected notes, and may spend additional time in retrying to deposit the rejected notes. Also, there is an associated problem for ATM service providers, in that if a forged or counterfeit note is received the notes must be retained and not reissued. To ensure that they are not reissued these notes have to date been stored in a separate purge bin to other retained not or notes which have not been issued successfully.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved self-service deposit method and apparatus.  
           [0006]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a deposit apparatus that addresses the problem of identifying counterfeit bank notes or other media with an intrinsic value.  
           [0007]    According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a media deposit apparatus, comprising means for receiving deposited notes, transport means for transporting the notes throughout the apparatus, note validation means arranged to determine if a deposited note is counterfeit or not, a purge bin to receive counterfeit notes and means for marking counterfeit notes to identify them as such.  
           [0008]    According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an ATM having a media deposit apparatus comprising, means for receiving deposited notes, transport means for transporting the notes throughout the apparatus, note validation means arranged to determine if a deposited note is counterfeit or not, a purge bin to receive counterfeit notes and means for marking counterfeit notes to identify them as such.  
           [0009]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of handling notes, the method comprising the steps of: subjecting notes to an acceptance procedure; separating rejected notes from accepted notes; diverting rejected notes to a rejection bin; and marking the rejected notes so as to render them unusable.  
           [0010]    According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a sheet deposit apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving at least one sheet deposited by a user during a deposit transaction; acceptance means for subjecting deposited sheets to an acceptance procedure and making a decision as to whether to accept or reject deposited sheets; separating means for separating rejected sheets from accepted sheets; retaining means for receiving rejected sheets; identifying means for identifying the particular transaction to which a rejected sheet belongs; and marking means for marking the rejected sheets so as to render them unusable.  
           [0011]    According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of processing notes deposited in a self-service deposit terminal, in which deposited notes are subjected to an acceptance procedure in which the deposited notes are passed through a note validator and a decision is made regarding the validity of the notes, invalid notes are then separated from accepted notes and diverted to a purge bin and, at least, counterfeit notes are marked, so as to render them unusable.  
           [0012]    The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-service deposit terminal;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the deposit terminal of FIG. 1; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a deposit apparatus in accordance with the invention as described in the terminal of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the self-service deposit terminal  10  shown therein includes a display  12  for displaying user information, a key pad  14  for inputting data, a card reader  16  for receiving a user identity card, a door  18  behind which is a slot in which bank notes can be deposited, a receipt printer  20  for printing a receipt acknowledging a deposit made by a user and for issuing the receipt to the user via a slot  22 , and data processing means  24  to which the display  12 , the key pad  14 , the card reader  16  and the receipt printer  20  are connected. A conventional note validator  26  and note transport means  28  are also connected to the data processing means  24 , the transport means  28  serving to transport deposited notes along paths indicated by arrows  30  in FIGS. 3 and 4 under the control of the data processor means  24 .  
         [0017]    To make a deposit, a user inserts his identification card in the card slot  32  of the terminal  10 . Data contained in a magnetic strip on the card is read by the card reader  16  and transmitted by the data processing means  24  to a host computer  34 . If the host computer  34  authorizes the card, then the data processing means  24  causes the door  18  to be opened by means of a door actuator  36  so as to allow the user to insert into the deposit slot the note or notes which are to be deposited. Also, the user enters details e.g. amount of the deposit by means of the keypad  14 . Once the deposit has been made the door  18  closes.  
         [0018]    Referring now to FIG. 3, the deposited notes are separated from each other by conventional separating means (not shown) and individually fed by the transport means  28  (see FIG. 2) to the note validator  26 . The note validator  26  makes a determination as to whether each note fed to it, e.g. the note  38  shown in FIG. 3, is valid or invalid.  
         [0019]    The note validator  26  also recognizes the value of accepted notes of different denominations and the data processing means  24  uses this information to calculate a total value of the accepted notes deposited.  
         [0020]    If a note is accepted as valid by the validator  26  then a divert gate  40  remains in its home position shown in solid outline in FIG. 3 and the note is fed to collection means  42 .  
         [0021]    If a note is rejected as counterfeit by the note validator  26 , then the data processing means  24  rotates the divert gate  40  into the position shown in chain outline in FIG. 3 by means of an actuator  44  (see FIG. 2), and the note is fed by transport means to a purge bin  46 .  
         [0022]    On route to the purge bin  46  invalid notes pass through a marking means  48 , which is arranged to mark, at least, a portion of the notes.  
         [0023]    In one embodiment only counterfeit notes are marked, other rejected notes such as torn or damaged notes, are sent to the purge bin  46  without being marked. In another embodiment, all diverted notes are marked.  
         [0024]    The marking means may be an ink staining means, such as an inked roller or rollers. Alternatively, the marking means may be a printer arranged to print information on the notes regarding the details of the deposit of the note and/or the reason for the rejection of the note. The printing may be in a human readable form or in a machine-readable form, such as a bar code. The data may include information on the user who deposited the note and/or information on the circumstances of the deposit (time, date, location etc.). In this embodiment pertinent information may also be printed on other (non-counterfeit) diverted notes, including the reason for diverting the notes.  
         [0025]    Once all the notes deposited by the customer have either been fed to the collection means  42  or purge bin  46 , the data processor means  24  causes the total value of accepted notes deposited to be credited to the user&#39;s account identified by the information read off the identification card that had earlier been inserted into the card reader slot  32  (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The receipt printed by the receipt printer  20  includes the total value of the accepted notes deposited. This information may also be passed to the host computer  34  (FIG. 2).  
         [0026]    It should be understood that a self-service deposit apparatus in accordance with the invention may be included in a recycling ATM. In this case, collection means in the ATM to which accepted deposited notes are fed includes a plurality of stores where each store holds notes of one particular denomination. The notes are sorted in response to the output from a note validator. If a subsequent user wishes to make a withdrawal from the ATM then notes which have been deposited earlier in the collection means may be retrieved from one or more of the relevant stores and passed to the user in fulfillment of his withdrawal request.  
         [0027]    While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such an illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. For example, such apparatus could be used for the reception, validation and marking of cheques or vouchers having a designated value.  
         [0028]    In the specification and claims the term “ink” is intended to cover any ink pigment or other coloring suitable for the staining of permanent staining of notes in accordance with the present invention.