Patent ID: 7971780

Claim:
A method of operating a cash dispensing automated banking machine including a card reader operative to read data from user cards corresponding to users, and that enables operation of the machine to carry out at least one transaction by a user responsive to data read from the user's card, comprising: (a) outputting radiation through operation of a radiation output device adjacent a user transaction location on the cash dispensing automated banking machine, wherein at the user transaction location at least one of user inputs are provided to the machine and items are input to the machine or received from the machine, by users operating the automated banking machine, wherein radiation is output by the radiation output device responsive to control circuitry in the automated banking machine, wherein the control circuitry includes at least one processor; (b) sensing through operation of at least one radiation sensing device on the machine, radiation adjacent the user transaction location, wherein the at least one radiation sensing device is in operative connection with the control circuitry; (c) determining through operation of the control circuitry, first data corresponding to at least one radiation level sensed by the at least one radiation sensing device when the radiation output device is not operating to output radiation, and second data corresponding to at least one radiation level sensed by the radiation sensing device when the radiation output device is operating to output radiation; (d) comparing through operation of the control circuitry the first data and the second data; (e) causing responsive to operation of the control circuitry, the automated banking machine to take at least one action responsive to the comparison in (d).