Patent ID: 8523664

Claim:
A method of operating a machine including a data card acceptor configured to receive a plurality of data cards, a first card holder configured to store one or more of a first plurality of the data cards each having a used card condition, a second card holder configured to store one or more of a second plurality of the data cards each having a new card condition, and a card transporter configured to receive the data cards from the data card acceptor and transport the received data cards, said method comprising: (a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with the data card acceptor, the first card holder, and the card transporter, after receiving one of the first plurality of the data cards having the used card condition through the data card acceptor, to: (i) control the movement of said received data card having the used card condition from the data card acceptor to the first card holder, (ii) store said received data card having the used card condition in the first card holder, and (iii) control the movement of said received data card having the used card condition from the first card holder back to the data card acceptor for distribution; and (b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the data card acceptor, the second card holder, and the card transporter, when a first card holder empty and cash out condition is satisfied, to control the movement of one of the second plurality of the data cards having the new card condition stored in the second card holder from the second card holder to the data card acceptor for distribution, the first card holder empty and cash out condition being satisfied when: (i) the machine receives an input from a user to cash out of the machine, and (ii) none of the first plurality of the data cards having the used card condition are stored in the first card holder.