Patent ID: 8261901

Claim:
A note acceptor-dispenser for a vending machine comprising: a note validator having an opening configured to receive notes and a validator head configured to sense data relating to authenticity, denomination, and type of each note inserted into said opening and to generate signals corresponding to sensed data for each received note; a validator processor configured to receive and compare said sensed data signals with stored data to validate authenticity of said received notes and to generate a credit signal signifying receipt and denomination of each received note determined to be authentic to a controller for the vending machine; a note hopper/dispenser configured to receive and store at least some pre-selected characteristic notes received by said note validator and determined to be authentic by said validator processor; a note box configured to receive and hold all remaining notes received by said note validator and determined to be authentic by said validator processor; a transportation unit configured to direct received, authenticated notes to one of said note box and said note hopper/dispenser based upon (a) pre-selected characteristics, including at least denomination of the received, authenticated notes and (b) minimum and maximum numbers of notes having a first denomination, directing notes having said first denomination to be stored in said note hopper/dispenser until said note hopper/dispenser contains said maximum number of notes of said first denomination, directing notes having said first denomination to be stored in said note box if said note hopper/dispenser contains said maximum number of notes of said first denomination, and directing all notes having a denomination other than said first denomination to be stored in said note box, and to dispense notes from said note hopper/dispenser out of said opening in response to a signal received by said note acceptor-dispenser from said controller for the vending machine; a controller configured to control operation of the note acceptor-dispenser, said note acceptor-dispenser controller being capable of changing the pre-selected characteristics used for directing notes to said note hopper/dispenser and maintaining a running accounting of a number and denominations of the notes contained in each of said note hopper/dispenser and said note box, wherein said note acceptor-dispenser controller is configured to receive instructions from a remote controller external to the note acceptor-dispenser to reprogram the minimum and maximum numbers of said first denomination notes to be stored in said note hopper/dispenser.