Patent ID: 8413888

Claim:
A combination desktop currency denominating machine and currency dispenser comprising: a currency denominating module comprising: an input receptacle adapted to receive a stack of a plurality of currency bills to be processed; one or more output receptacles adapted to receive the currency bills after being processed, the one or more output receptacles being separate from the input receptacle; a denominating sensor adapted to acquire evaluation data from bills transported past the sensor; and a main transport mechanism adapted to transport the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle, past the denominating sensor, and to the one or more output receptacles at a rate of at least 400 bills per minute; a processor coupled to the denominating sensor and adapted to receive the evaluation data; the processor being programmed to determine the denomination of a currency bill if evaluation data associated with the currency bill satisfactorily compares with master denominating information, the processor further being programmed to calculate the total value of the stack of currency bills received into the input receptacle when the evaluation data of each bill in the stack satisfactorily compares with the master denominating information at a rate of at least 400 bills per minute; and a currency dispensing module comprising: a single set of a plurality of dispensing receptacles, each dispensing receptacle adapted to hold a plurality of currency bills having the same denomination, and each dispensing receptacle being vertically arranged with respect to each of the other dispensing receptacles; a dispenser transport mechanism adapted to transport bills, one at a time, from the dispensing receptacles to the main transport mechanism upstream of the denominating sensor; the main transport mechanism being adapted to transport the bills, one at a time, past the denominating sensor and to the one or more output receptacles at a rate of at least 400 bills per minute; an interface adapted to receive information specifying the total value of currency to be dispensed; wherein the processor is also coupled to the interface and adapted to control the dispenser transport mechanism so as to selectively transport the appropriate number of currency bills from the dispensing receptacles to the main transport mechanism and to the one or more output receptacles based on the specified total value of currency to be dispensed and wherein using the evaluation data received from the denominating sensor the processor verifies that the total value of currency bills dispensed from the dispensing module to the one or more output receptacles equals the specified total value.