MXPA04003838A

MXPA04003838A - Automated banking machine currency tracking system and method.

Info

Publication number: MXPA04003838A
Application number: MXPA04003838A
Authority: MX
Inventors: J Phelps Richard
Original assignee: Diebold Inc Inc
Priority date: 2001-11-05
Filing date: 2002-11-04
Publication date: 2005-02-17
Also published as: CN1636222A; BRPI0213901B1; AU2002354003A1; WO2003040881A3; WO2003040881A2; PL375097A1; EP1573433A4; BRPI0213901A2; BRPI0213901A8; CN1636222B; CA2465116C; EP1573433A2; CA2465116A1; AU2002354003A8

Abstract

An automated banking machine (10) includes a user interface (12) including an opening (20). Users of the machine deliver and receive individual sheets and stacks of sheets to and from the machine through the opening. Stacks of sheets may include sheets such as notes, checks or other documents. Stacks input to the machine may include mixtures of various types of sheets. The machine operates to receive notes, process checks and perform other operations. Notes received in the machine and assessed as valid may be recycled and dispensed to other users. Notes assessed by the machine as being of questionable validity may be marked with a removable mark and subjected to further analysis. Checks processed by the machine may be imaged by an imaging device, cancelled and stored in the machine or alternatively returned to a user. Documents produced by the machine such as receipts, checks or money orders as well as notes dispensed from the machine may be assembled into a stack within the machine and delivered from the machine through the opening.

Description

Enrasian patent (AM, AZ, B, KQ, KZ, M, RU, TJ, TM). For two-letter codes and ot sr abbreviat Ons, refer to the "Guid-Europsan patent (AT, BE, BG, CH, C, CZ, DE, DK, EB, anee Moles on Codes artddbbreviations" appearing ai ihe begin- EN , H. PR, GB, GR, IB, IT, LU, C, NL, PT, SE, SK, ning ofe ch regular isiue ofths FCT GtizMe. TR). OAPI patent (BF, BJ, CP, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TO, TG). rublished:. - Wlíhout internatianal search repori andto be rep blis ed upon reoeipí of tfiat rsporl 1 METHOD AND SYSTEM. FOLLOWING MONEY IN AN AUTOMATED BANKING MACHINE Technical Field This invention relates to automated banking machines. Specifically, this invention relates to an automated banking machine and which enters and receives documents such as money bills and identifies suspicious bills for analysis and handling.

Art Background Automated banking machines are known in the prior art. A common type of automated banking machine is an ATM machine. ATM machines can be used by individuals to receive money from their accounts, to pay bills, to transfer cash between accounts and to make deposits. Certain ATM machines also allow customers to deposit checks, money orders, traveler's checks or other instruments. Such ATM machines sometimes have the capability of an electronic image of a deposited instrument.

ATM machines can also provide various types of sheets to customers. Such sheets 2 include money bills that customers remove from the machine. Customers can also receive sheet materials such as money orders, bank checks, writings, stamps or other sheet materials stored or produced by the machine. Customers can also receive a printed sheet from an ATM machine which is a receipt that indicates the details of the transactions that have been carried out on the machine. In addition, customers can request and receive from some of the ATM machines a more detailed statement of the transactions carried out in their account.

Some ATM machines have different locations on the machine where the sheets are received or delivered to a customer. For example, most machines include an area to deliver cash to a customer and another area to receive deposits. More than one deposit receiving area can be provided for different types of deposit. For example, an ATM machine may have an opening for receiving deposits in envelopes, and a separate opening for receiving negotiable instruments, such as checks. The ATM machine can also have a particular area to deliver receipts to customers. If the machine has the ability to print a complete account statement on a large piece of paper, an additional area may be provided where the declaration sheets are delivered. 3 Having different areas on the customer interconnection of an ATM machine to receive and provide different types of sheets is required because each type of sheet is processed by a different mechanism within the machine. Each of these mechanisms has its own separate access for the client. This means that machines with different characteristics are essentially different from other machines and increase the complexity of their operation. Providing several different conduits and transports to receive and provide sheet materials to customers also increases the complexity and cost of a machine.

Even when the disadvantages associated with the multiple receiving and sheet delivery openings are easily appreciated with respect to ATM machinesOther automated banking machines also have similar disadvantages. For example, the machines used by bank tellers to count money received from customers are generally machines totally different from those used to supply bills that are provided by the cashier to a customer. Separate machines are also frequently provided to receive and form images of checks and other types of negotiable instruments and valuable documents. Frequently, a separate terminal is provided to print a declaration or record of a transaction for a client. Automated banking machines which accept documents such as money bills have also become very common. In some automated banking machines, a document such as a money bill may be received from a customer and be evaluated for validity by devices within the machine. If the ticket presented is determined to be valid, it can be stored in the machine and then it can be supplied to the same or to another customer who asks to receive tickets from the machine.

Such automated banking machines can occasionally receive invalid or suspicious documents. When this occurs the document is usually rejected by the machine. In some circumstances, it may be desirable in the case of a forged document to remove the document from circulation and / or to identify the person filing it for purposes of investigating the source of the forged documents. Also in some cases the document presented can generally appear as valid but does not meet the requirements for acceptance by the machine. However, even when such documents presented may very well be valid, the machine may reject them because they do not meet all the criteria established for an unequivocally valid document which is suitable to be accepted, stored and then supplied by the machine.

Therefore there is a need for a machine and an automated banking system that has the ability to receive and supply documents such as banknotes, which have the ability to accept and identify invalid and suspicious banknotes, which are capable of providing information that can be used to identify and preserve such tickets and which provide the ability to make contact with the entity responsible for presenting the tickets to the machine.

Description of the invention It is an object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which has a simpler client interconnection.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which has a single opening for receiving and providing various types of sheets and documents.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which performs a plurality of banking transaction functions and which has a compact physical size.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine that can be more easily configured to provide different banking functions.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine that is economical to manufacture and operate.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine that accepts and delivers various types of bank documents in a stack of clients and customers respectively.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which is capable of evaluating the validity of the deposited documents.

It is a further object of an example embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which is capable of marking suspicious and / or invalid documents in the machine.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which allows the tracking of a suspicious or invalid document with respect to the source of the document.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which is capable of marking a suspicious document with a removable marker which can be removed from the document if the document is later determined to be valid.

It is a further object of an example embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which marks a suspicious document accepted on the machine with an indicator which corresponds to a particular transaction, account and / or user associated with document placement Suspect in the machine.

It is a further object of an example embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine that marks a suspect document with an indicator that can be readable by the machine and removable.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine which can be used in connection with the evaluation of the operation which is capable of evaluating the suspect documents to determine the validity and remove the trademarks. of the documents that are determined to be valid.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a method for the operation of an automated banking machine system.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a method of operating an automated banking machine system in which invalid and / or suspicious documents deposited in an automated banking machine are identified.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a method in which suspicious documents deposited in an automated banking machine are identified with a removable mark and the marking is removed after the validity of the deposited document is verified. .

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a method by means of which persons responsible for the deposit of invalid documents in an automated banking machine can be contacted.

It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a method by which documents deposited in an automated banking machine which are determined to be invalid are pursued to the particular identity responsible for the deposit of such documents in the machine.

The additional objects of the example embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following better modes for carrying out an invention and the annexed clauses.

The above objects are achieved in an example embodiment by an automated banking machine having a transport which moves the sheets or stacks of sheets along a first transport path. The first transport path extends from an accessible user opening over an interconnection of the machine. The machine also includes a second internal transport path to transport the sheets. The second transport path finds the first transport path at an intersection. A leaf handler is placed on one side of the intersection. The machine further includes at least one sheet dispensing device and at least one sheet acceptance device for dispensing and receiving the sheets respectively. The dispensing and sheet receiving devices are in an operative connection with any of the first or second transport paths.

In operation of the exemplary machine a stack of sheets which can include various types of documents is received from a user and moves from the opening along the first transport path. Upon passing the stack through the intersection the sheet guiding apparatus is selectively operated to separate a sheet from the stack and direct the sheet to a second transport path. Once it is in the second transport path the separate sheet can be handled individually for the processing stored in the machine. The passage of the stack through the intersection allows the selective removal of sheets from the stack in response to the operation of the sheet director apparatus. 11 Assorted or otherwise maintained sheets in the machine are allowed to be assembled into the stack by moving a sheet in the first transport path. A sheet in the second transport path is moved to the intersection in a coordinated relationship with the first sheet. The first and second sheets engage in an aligned relationship and form a stack on the first transport path as the sheets move through the intersection. The additional sheets are selectively added to the pile as the stack is then again through the intersection while successive sheets are placed and brought to the intersection through the second transport path. Several types of sheets are selectively assembled in the stack in the operation of the machine. The control circuit operates the components of the machine to assemble the stack. Once the stack is assembled, it is delivered to the user by passing it along the first transport path to the user's opening.

In some example additions the data can be acquired and stored which can be used to determine who are the individual users who have provided and / or received particular sheets of the machine. This may allow the machine to determine the source or deposit of suspicious bills for example.

Alternatively or additionally, example additions may limit the assortment of documents such as banknotes, money orders or cash from the machine to particular individuals to reduce the risk of money laundering or other illegal or fraudulent activity. Other example embodiments may include other features or additional features.

In some example additions, documents placed on the machine are evaluated for validity through the operation of the machine. The documents evaluated as valid are stored in the machine in appropriate storage locations. In some additions, such documents can be subsequently supplied to the users of the machine during transactions that include the assortment of such documents. The deposited documents that are evaluated as invalid in some incorporations can be marked by a marking device in the machine with a permanent mark. The permanent mark may correspond to at least a part of an indicator associated with the particular transaction in which the invalid document was deposited. Such indicators may include, for example, a transaction number, an account number, a user number, indicia corresponding to a biometric characteristic of the person depositing the document or other indications that may be used or combinations thereof. Such indicators can be read by humans in some incorporations, 13 read by the machines or both. In some example embodiments, such invalid documents which are permanently marked can be stored inside the machine for later retrieval and delivery to the appropriate authorities. Such delivery may be accompanied by information relating to the transaction or the responsible user to present each invalid document.

In some sample additions, the documents that are evaluated as being of questionable validity, but which are more likely to be valid-can also be accepted in the machine. In such additions documents that are determined to be of questionable validity may be marked by a marking device which provides a removable mark on the document. The removable mark may include at least a portion of an indicator associated with the transaction or the transaction data. The removable mark can similarly be readable by the machine, readable by a human or both. In some sample additions such a marked document because it is determined to be feasibly valid, it can be accepted and stored in the machine and the identity responsible for depositing the document can be granted a provisional credit with respect to the deposit.

In some example embodiments, such questionable documents may be stored for later removal of the machine. With such removal, the documents can be submitted to an evaluation operation to determine is in fact valid. Such evaluating operation can be carried out manually, through the operation of the machine or both. In an example embodiment, the removable mark does not interfere with the evaluation of the document for validity and remains on the document during the evaluation operation. If through the evaluation operation the document is determined to be valid, the removable mark can be removed from the document and the document either be returned to the circulation or otherwise deal appropriately with it. In example incorporation if the document is determined to be invalid, the indicator is used to determine the identity responsible for the document's deposit. If a credit has been previously granted for the deposit of the document, the user who has been given the credit is notified and the credit is revoked. In some example additions the marked document may be maintained and delivered to the appropriate authorities together with the information relating to the transaction of the research purposes.

It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are exemplary and that many other embodiments are encompassed within the scope of the claimed invention. 15 Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a front plane view of an exemplary automated banking machine that includes some features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a left side view of an automated banking machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the automated banking machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a first transport path and a second transport path in the automated banking machine.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a transport used in the automated banking machine.

Figure 6 is a schematic side view of a sheet moving from the second transport path to the first transport path through the intersection.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 with the blade moved to the first transport path from the intersection.

Figure 8 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 7 with the blade moving in an opposite direction through the intersection.

Figure 9 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 8 with the sheet held in a support device.

Figure 10 is a view similar to that of Figure 9 with the second sheet moving at the intersection and engaging a second sheet that is delivered through the second transport path, the second sheet engages in aligned relation with the first sheet for form a pile.

Figure 11 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 10 in which the stacked pair of sheets has passed through the intersection.

Figure 12 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 11 in which the stacked sheets are held in the support device.

Figure 13 is a schematic view of the first and second transport paths with the sheet steering apparatus operating to separate a first sheet from a stack as the stack passes through the intersection.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view similar to that of Fig. 13 showing the sheet separating from the stack as the stack passes through the intersection.

Fig. 15 is a schematic view of the first and second transport paths showing a sheet reoriented by a leaf flipping device.

Figure 16 is a schematic view showing a sheet passing through a second intersection between the first transport path and a third transport path.

Fig. 17 is a schematic view of the first and second transport paths with a reservoir envelope passing therethrough.

Figure 18 is a schematic view showing the first, second and third transport paths, with a sheet moving from the support device to the third transport path.

Figure 19 is a schematic view of an alternate incorporation of the first, second and third transport paths with the additional support devices in the first transport path.

Fig. 20 is a schematic view showing the first and second transport paths with a sheet moving from the second transport path to the first transport path, and schematically demonstrating how the sheet director apparatus is used as part of a sheet turning device.

Figure 21 is a schematic view of an alternate incorporation of the first, second and third transport paths used in an alternating automated banking machine in which two user interconnections and user accessible openings are provided.

Figure 22 is a side view of an automated banking machine housing the transport apparatus schematically shown in Figure 21.

Figure 23 is a schematic view showing a sheet separating or being added to a stack as the stack passes through an intersection.

Figure 24 is a schematic view showing an example system in which suspect and / or invalid documents deposited in an automated banking machine are processed.

Best Ways to Carry Out the Invention We will now refer to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1, where an automated banking machine is shown, generally indicated with the number 10. The machine 10 is an ATM machine. However, other embodiments of the invention may be of other types of automated banking machines. The ATM machine 10 includes a user or customer interconnection generally indicated by the number 12. The client interconnect 12 includes a touch screen 14. The digital display 14 is of the type known in the prior art which serves as both an input device and an output device. The digital display allows exits through displays on the screen and allows customers to provide entries by placing a finger to one side of the screen areas.

The client interconnect 12 further includes a keypad 16. The keypad 16 includes a plurality of buttons which can be operated by a client to provide inputs to the machine. The client interconnect 12 in addition 20 includes a card reader slot 18. The card slot 18 is used to put a card with encoded data thereon which can be used to identify the customer and / or customer account information. The card slot 18 is connected to a card reader of a conventional type for reading the data encoded on the card. Other example embodiments may include input device types other than a card reader and / or a keyboard. Some incorporations may include input devices such as biometric readers that can be operated to define customer identifier entries, such as fingerprints, iris scans, retinal scans, face topographic data, voice data or other inputs that provide data that is used to identify a user. An example of an ATM machine using biometric input devices and other types of input devices is shown in U.S. Patent No. 6,023,688, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The customer interconnect 12 further includes an opening 20. The opening 20 as explained below is used to receive stacks of sheets or documents of a machine operated by the customer 10. The opening 20 is also used to deliver stacks of documents to customers that operate the machine. Even when the opening 20 is shown exposed in Figure 1It should be understood that in other embodiments it can be selectively covered by a mobile gate or other similar closing structure. It should be understood that these features of the ATM machine interconnection described are exemplary and in other embodiments the user interconnection may include different components and / or features.

As shown in Figure 2, the machine 10 has a generally divided body structure which includes a chest part 22. The chest part 22 in the example embodiment is preferably a safe chest and is used to contain articles of value such as bank notes or deposits. The chest part 22 has a door 24 which can be selectively opened to gain access to the interior of the chest part. The door 24 preferably includes a combination of a closure or other closure mechanism (not shown) which prevents the chest part from being opened by unauthorized persons.

The machine 10 further includes an upper cover portion 26. The upper cover portion has the components of the customer interconnect 12 thereon. The customer interconnect portion 12 includes a fascia 28. Fascia 28 is preferably movably mounted on the upper closure portion 26 and can selectively be opened to gain access to the components housed in the upper closure portion. The closing mechanism (not shown) is preferably included in the upper closing portion of the example embodiment to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to the inner part thereof.

As shown in Figure 3, the machine 10 includes a plurality of devices for carrying out banking transactions. It should be understood that the devices discussed herein are exemplary and that additional or different devices may be included in other embodiments of the invention.

The interior of the ATM machine 10 is shown schematically in Figure 3. The exemplary ATM machine includes devices for handling sheets such as bills and other documents. The ATM machine 10 includes the sheet assortment devices, the document production devices and the sheet receiving devices. Among the leaf dispensing devices are the money dispensers 30 and 32. The money dispensers 30 and 31 may be of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 4,494,747, the description of which is incorporated herein, which selectively furnish sheets one at a time in response to control signals. The money dispensers 30 and 32 may include removable container holding containers or cans which include indicia or markings thereon. The cans may be interchangeable and of the type shown in the U.S. Patent of America No. 4,871,085 whose description of which is incorporated herein. The indications on the sheet support containers may be indicative of the type and / or properties of the sheet held there (for example type of money and denomination) and the signs are read by a reading device when the can or container is installed in the machine.

The exemplary ATM machine may operate in response to indications on the cans to adjust the operation of the dispensers to conform to the contents and position of the container. In the exemplary embodiment, sheet retention containers and other devices may include indicia of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 4,871,085. The information represented by the indicia is read by the reading apparatus and the resulting signals are transmitted to the control circuit of the machine. The control circuit adjusts the operation of the dispensing devices and leaf receptors in response to the signals to conform to the type and character of the sheets held in the various containers.

In the example embodiment of the machine 10 shown in Figure 3, the machine preferably includes a bill handling mechanism including receiving and sheet delivery devices 34, 36 and 38. The receiving and delivery devices of example sheets they may be of the type shown in the United States of America patent number 24 6, 331,000 whose description is incorporated herein by reference. The delivery devices and leaf receptors can allow receiving and storing sheets in selected compartments as well as selectively delivering sheets from the various compartments. As can be appreciated from the incorporated description, some of the bill handling mechanisms can only receive and store tickets, others can supply tickets only and some can both receive and supply tickets. Other mechanisms can process sheets of types other than banknotes. The machine 10 also includes an envelope container schematically indicated with the number 40. The container 40 is a device configured to accept and retain deposit envelopes of the sheet type deposited by the customers in the machine.

The reservoir 40, the money dispensers 30 and 32 and the sheet receiving and delivery devices 34, 36 and 38 are all located within the coffer part 22 of the machine 10. In the example embodiment, the dispensing devices and of receiving sheets, except for the deposit in the example embodiment can be placed interchangeably in the machine. The control circuit adjusts the operation of the machine accordingly based on the positions of the device and the indications on the cans or devices.

Each of the cash dispensers 30 and 32, the sheet receiving and delivery devices 34, 36 and 38, and the reservoir 40 are in communication with a sheet transport path generally indicated with the number 42. Sheet transport path 42 comprises a plurality of sheet transports which are aligned and operatively connected through a rear area of the box part. The sheet transport path 42 may include one or more sheet transports of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,240,638, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. Each of the reservoir 40, the money dispensers 30 and 32 and the receiving and delivery devices 34, 36 and 38 are in operative connection with the sheet transport path and are enabled to deliver the sheets and / or receive the leaves of the transport path of leaves 42.

The sheet transport path 42 extends through an opening (not shown) in the chest part 22 of the ATM machine chest. The wiring connecting the components located in the hood part with the components in the upper hood part 26 also extend through an opening in the hood part and are connected to a control circuit, indicated schematically with the number 44 The control circuit 44 preferably includes at least one processor in operational connection with at least one memory or data store, and is operated to carry out programmed instructions based on the data stored in the memory. The control circuit in the example embodiment operates the machine to carry out the operations hereinafter described.

The upper cover part 26 includes the fascia 28 and the customer access opening 20. A first transport path generally indicated with the number 36 extends into the machine from the opening 20. The first transport path 36 preferably includes a interwoven web type transport of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,797,599, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. A transport of this type is shown schematically in Figure 5 and is indicated generally with the number 48.

The transport 48 includes a plurality of first spaced rollers 50 and a plurality of second intermediate spaced rollers 52. The rollers 50 and 52, which are preferably crowned rollers, hold the elastomeric bands thereon. The first rollers 50 support the first strips 54 and the second rollers 52 support the second strips 56. The strips 54 and 56 extend longitudinally in the transport 48.

A stack of sheets schematically represented by the sheet 58 in Figure 5 moves in a relationship engaged with the webs 54 and 56 in transport as described in the incorporated patent description. The transport configuration 48 allows transport stacks having various members and types of sheets, as well as the transport of banknotes and other forms of stacked sheets. The transport of example incorporation is useful because of its ability to transport sheets of various types, having varying thicknesses and frictional properties that minimizes skewing.

Referring again to figure 3, the first transport path 46 intersects the transport path 42 at a first intersection, generally indicated with the number 60. As explained hereinafter the example embodiment comprises a separation mechanism that separates the sheets individually from a stack and of a stack assembly mechanism that produces a stack of documents. In the example embodiment, the sheets are selectively stacked and unstacked as they move through the first intersection 60 to allow processing of the sheets within the machine 10.

The upper cover part 26 also includes several devices for production, assortment and / or reception of sheets. These assortment and receiving devices may include dispensers or devices for receiving or dispensing sheets similar to those shown in United States of America patents 4,494,747 or 6,331,000, and may include removable containers for holding the sheets there. Such removable containers may also include indicia of the type described in U.S. Patent No. 4,871,085 which are read by the apparatus within the machine. The control circuits can be operated to control the operation of the machine in response to the clues.

The devices 62 and 64 can serve as part of a document producing device and can contain sheets such as blank stickers or forms of declarations. Alternatively, one such boat may contain blank instruments which can be completed, such as voucher forms, money orders or traveler's checks. An additional sheet spout device 66 can supply documents that need to be completed before filling out documents that need to be completed before stocking such as bank checks or documents that are stocked without additional processing such as stamp plates.

A sheet receiving device 68 is also preferably included in the upper uncovered part. The sheet eceptor device 68 may be used to hold sheets such as checks or other instruments, which may have been entered by a customer into the machine and which have been imagined and / or canceled through processing on the machine.

The example top cover portion further includes at least one printing device indicated schematically 70. The printing device 70 may be used to selectively print on the sheets under control of the control circuit. In the example embodiment, the automated banking machine includes marking devices. Such marking devices may comprise one or more printing devices such as a device 70. Such a marking device may be used to provide a removable marking on a document. Such removable markings may comprise removable ink. Such a removable ink may be visible or non-visible ink. In some embodiments, the marking device may provide a mark that is visible only when exposed to radiation within a certain frequency range. This can be, for example, a marking that becomes visible only when exposed to ultraviolet light. The removable markings on some additions may include numbers, symbols, patterns or designs or other indications that may be read by humans or machines that correspond to data or some other characteristic.

In some alternate embodiments the marking device to provide a removable mark to the documents inside the machine may include a device which applies a removable self-adhesive label. Such a label may be printed or otherwise produced by an appropriate device within the machine and then applied to the documents. Of course in some embodiments, combinations of marking devices can operate to apply different types of markings to documents on a machine. In addition to or in the alternative the example additions may include a device to apply permanent marking to the documents. Such permanent marking may include marking with a permanent ink, label or other permanent indicia. Such permanent marking may also include permanently modifying or damaging a document such as by drilling trades, shredding or other process which provides a generally permanent indications on the document. It should be appreciated that multiple types of marking devices can be provided in several embodiments depending on the operations to be carried out by the machine. In addition, other additions may include devices to apply permanent or temporary markings different from those discussed here.

An image-forming device indicated schematically 72 is also included in the example machine. The imaging device 72 is preferably of the type which allows the reading and generation of an electronic image of a document, such as those shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,534,682 or in the U.S. patent. United States of America number 5,923,413 whose descriptions of which are incorporated as if they had been completely rewritten. In some embodiments, an image forming device may operate in conjunction with the control circuit to produce signals which comprise an electronic representation of an image of a check or other instrument. The electronic representation may include all or selected parts of one or both sides of the sheet. For example, in some embodiments it may be appropriate to obtain an electronic image of the alphabetic, numerical and / or other symbols on the check. For example such data may be analyzed using character recognition software such as software commercially available from Chek Solutions Inc., A2ia or other companies to determine the marker, the amount and / or other data pertinent to the check for the purposes of receiving and / or pay the check.

In some embodiments, printing devices, tagging devices or other devices may also serve as part of a cancellation device. Such a cancellation device may serve to print or otherwise mark the checks or other documents received by the machine. For example, the machine can dial 32 as canceled the checks which are received and processed by the ATM machine. In some additions such checks or documents can be marked through the operation of the cancellation device and then stored in a check storage location in the machine. In other additions the cancellation device after the document has been formed into images, can mark the document to indicate that it has been canceled and returned to the canceled documents to the user of the machine. In some embodiments, one or more of such canceled documents may be assembled in a stack in a manner discussed hereinafter when returning to a user. Canceled documents can also be returned in a stack assembled with other documents such as a receipt for the transaction and / or bills issued by the ATM machine as a result of cashing a check. In some additions canceled checks can be crushed, compacted or otherwise marked to avoid any fraudulent use. The control circuit may also operate to store data corresponding to the check and the identity of the user of the ATM machine by providing the check to the machine in one or more data warehouses for the purposes of maintaining a record. For example, the data store can store data corresponding to the check with the data corresponding to a user account number, biometric data, photographs and other data that can be used to identify a user. Of course, these approaches are examples and other approaches can also be used.

In some additions the control circuit can operate to verify the identity data of the user before redeeming one or more checks. The control circuit can also be programmed to limit the risk of the payment of checks by unauthorized persons and / or reduce the risk of money laundering. For example before paying a check the control circuit can operate to compare data corresponding to the characters that identify the beneficiary indicated on the check for other input data corresponding to the user of the machine and / or to the character on the check that includes the endorsement. If the beneficiary, user and / or endorsement data do not correspond, the control circuit can operate so that the check is not accepted or exchanged. In addition, the control circuit may operate to determine the amount and / or nature of the checks that the particular user has presented at the ATM machine and / or within a prior period of time. The ATM machine can also operate to communicate with other computers in a network to determine the amount or nature of checks presented by the user in other ATM machines. If the user's check presentation activities fall outside of certain established scheduled parameters, so that the user's activities may indicate check theft or money laundering, for example, the ATM machine may refuse the transaction.

In the alternative and / or in addition a user presenting a check may be required by the control circuit to provide at least one biometric input. This can be done even in circumstances where the user can be identified by data on a card or otherwise. The biometric identification data can be compared with the data stored and used to evaluate the check redemption activities of this particular user. A determination can be made by the control circuit or by a remote computer to determine if the activities fall outside the established parameters so that the current transaction is suspicious and not allowed. In this way it can be avoided that a user with multiple cards and / or multiple identities carry out transactions that may be suspicious in terms of theft or money laundering. Of course some incorporations can also operate to cross biometric check data with data on a debit or credit card or other item or other device presented by the user to the ATM machine to provide greater assurance as to the identity of the customer. user. Of course, in other embodiments other approaches may be used. 35 The example handling devices 62, 64 and 66, as well as the sheet receiving device 68, of the ATM machine are all in communication with one or more transports. These transports may be of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,342,165, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein, or other suitable sheet transport devices. The sheet transport devices form a sheet transport path 74. The sheet transport path 74 extends to the transport path 46 and finds the transport path 46 at a second intersection 76.

The upper cover part may also include additional or other devices. Such devices may include a printer as indicated schematically by the rollers 78. The journal print is used to make a paper record of the transactions carried out on the machine 10. The electronic journals can also be made by the control circuit and stored in a memory. Other devices which may be included in the machine are other types of devices that produce documents, audio output devices, customer sensors, cameras and recorders, biometric sensing devices and other devices to be used in the operation of the particular type of a machine. automated banking. 36 The transport paths 42, 46 and 74 of the example machine are shown in greater detail in the figure. Even though the transports and the operation thereof are described in detail, it should be understood that these are merely exemplary of the devices which may be used and the claimed invention is not limited thereto. The transport path 46, which includes one or more transports of the interwoven web type shown in Figure 5. The transport path there has a plurality of first strips 80 which extend between the first rollers 82 and 84. The first rollers 82 and 84 are selectively driven by a reversible drive indicated schematically with the number 86.

The second bands 88 extend between a second roller 90 and the rollers 92 and 94 and 96. The second bands 88 are driven by a second reversible driver schematically indicated with the number 98. As shown in Fig. 4, the roller 96 is selectively movable for the purposes that will be explained later. Of course it should be understood that the bands and rollers shown in the first transport path 46 are presently a plurality of spaced apart rollers and bands of the type shown in Figure 5.

The first transport path 46 further includes an additional transport section 100. The transport section 100 is similar to the transport shown in Figure 5 and includes a plurality of third bands 102 screwed onto the spaced rollers 104 and 106.

The rollers 106 have placed on one side thereof a plurality of retention rollers 108. The rollers 108 are placed in an axially spaced intermediate relationship of the third strips 102. This configuration imparts a wave configuration to the sheets and the stacks of sheets in a manner comparable to that imparted on the sheets held by the transport 48 as shown in Figure 5. The support rollers 108 and the transport section 100 are independently driven by the reversible impellers (not shown) under the control of the control circuit 44.

Still side of the first intersection 60, where the blade path 42 meets the path 46, there is a blade director apparatus generally indicated with the number 110. The blade director apparatus 110 includes the sheet engaging rollers 112 and the rollers 114. Rollers 112 and 114 have elastic bands 116 mounted thereon. It should be understood that the rollers 112 and 114 are driven by one or more independent reversible actuators (not shown) under control of the control circuit 44. It should be understood that the rollers 112 and 114 and the strips 116 in FIG. 4, represent a plurality of such bands and rolls which are preferably placed in an intermediate relationship between the lower blades of the first bands 80.

The transport path 42 further includes a transport 118 which is on one side of the reservoir 40. The transport 118 includes a plurality of rollers which drive the belts 120 in response to a reverse drive (not shown). The rollers 122 which are engaged with the bands 120, as well as the rollers 124 which are independently driven by one or more reversible actuators (not shown) are placed in the blade path 42 on one side of the rollers 114 and 96. The purpose of this configuration is discussed later in detail.

As shown schematically in FIG. 4, the transport path 46 includes the sensor devices. These sensor devices are in operative connection with the control circuit 44, and operate to perceive characteristics of sheets and stacks of sheets in the sheet transport path. A thickness sensor schematically indicated with the number 126 is preferably provided to sense the thickness of the sheets, of the stacks of sheets or of the sheet type deposit envelopes that move along the transport path 46. Indicator reading devices 128 and 130 are preferably operated to sense the clues on the sheets and envelopes that move in the transport path. The devices in envelopes may include photoreflective devices, magnetic sensing devices or other suitable devices for distinguishing the characteristics of the notes, the various types of negotiable instruments and / or the deposit envelopes. For example, in some embodiments, the sensor devices in combination with the control circuit or other circuits in the machine may comprise a validation device or an evaluation device for evaluating the validity of the bills or other documents. An example of such a device is shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,923,413, the description of which is incorporated herein.

In some embodiments, the validation or assessment device may additionally or alternatively operated to identify individual bills. For example, the validation device may produce through algorithms one or more distinctive values which are generally uniquely associated with a particular bill. In addition, or in the alternative the validation device may include character recognition capabilities which allow the determination of the serial numbers or other unique characters associated with the particular tickets. This may allow some incorporations of the storing machine in correlated relation in at least one data store, the data that uniquely identifies a ticket entry to the ATM machine and the particular user who provided the ticket to the machine. This can allow the ATM machine to identify a particular suspicious ticket and capture the information of the user who provided it to the machine. The particular type, position and capabilities of the sensing devices and / or validation devices used in the particular machine will depend on the characteristics and types of document which are intended to be processed by the machine.

In some exemplary embodiments the evaluating device may operate in the manner of the incorporated description to evaluate the validity of documents such as money bills deposited in the machine. In response to a ticket that is being evaluated as valid, the machine can operate in accordance with the programming of the control circuit to store the valid ticket at an appropriate place within the machine. In some exemplary embodiments, this location may be in a storage location in which the bill may be stored and from which the bill may subsequently be supplied to a user of the machine in the course of a transaction in which such a bill it is required. This can for example dispense cash to a subsequent user of the machine who has requested the withdrawal of cash as part of the transaction. This occurs after the user's transaction that resulted in the ticket that was deposited in the machine. 41 In some example additions a document can be identified as invalid. This may be based on the fact that the document has known false billing properties. The control circuit of the machine can be programmed to identify such bills. In such circumstances the example embodiments can be programmed to make the ticket invalid or marked by one or more marking devices. In some example embodiments the marking provided by the marking device may be a permanent mark or a removable mark. In some example additions the mark may include at least a part of an indicator which is associated with the transaction. This indicator can include a transaction number which is unique to the particular transaction in which the invalid document was deposited. Alternatively or in addition, the indicator may be indicia associated with an amount of a user of the machine on behalf of whom the invalid document was presented. Alternatively or in addition, the ticket may be marked with indicia corresponding to a biometric identifier associated with the particular user who deposited the document. Of course the combinations of such markings can be applied. In addition, such markings can be totally or partially readable on the machine from a barcode. In addition or alternatively, such markings may include fifth visible and / or not visible, the application of a label or other markings such as to identify the invalid document and to associate it with the information that allows the source and / or circumstances related to the deposit. the document on the machine being followed or determined.

In an example embodiment the invalid documents are stored in a first storage location in the machine for further study and removal. Also in the example embodiment the information relative to the indicator or other documents can be stored in the data store in the machine and / or can be transmitted to one or more remote computers in a network. Such information may be used for purposes of notifying the entity responsible for the operation of the machine such as a bank, an entity responsible for the customer and / or account in which the invalid document was attempted to be deposited and / or the appropriate authorities which they are responsible for matters relating to the falsification of banknotes or other invalid documents. In alternate additions a document that is determined to be invalid may be permanently marked as to make it totally unsuitable to be further passed and then returned to the user.

In some example additions the documents that are evaluated by the machine can be evaluated as being feasibly valid, but of such questionable validity that the evaluating device can not provide assurance of the validity of the document. In an example incorporation when a document determines that 43 is of questionable validity, the control circuit operates the automated banking machine to make the document with a removable mark. This removable mark may include an indicator associated with the transaction, the user or other circumstances as previously discussed. The removable mark may comprise visible or non-visible markings including markings on inks or other materials that are only visible when exposed to radiation within a certain frequency range. Such marking can also alternatively include readable indicia with the machine, information corresponding to a biometric characteristic of the user or other data which may be correlated with the transaction, the account or a user. In some exemplary embodiments, the removable label may include ink soluble in water or other material that can be removed relatively easily by appropriate washing agents in the event that the note is eventually determined to be invalid. In addition or alternatively, the removable marking device may employ a removable label or other indicator that may be applied in a semi-permanent manner but may be removed as necessary if the deposited document is subsequently determined to be valid.

In some example additions the automated banking machine upon receipt of a document of questionable validity, may operate in conjunction with remote computers to provide the user's account or from whom the document is presented with a credit for the deposited document. In such exemplary embodiments the credit may be submitted to confirmation or revocation with an additional evaluation of the document regarding validity during a subsequent evaluation operation which is described below.

The first several sheet handling and handling operations carried out by the exemplary automated banking machine of the described embodiment are now described in detail with reference to Figures 6-21.

Figure 6 shows a sheet 132 moving through the intersection 60 of the first sheet path 46 and the sheet path 42. The sheet 132, before reaching the position shown in Figure 6 may have been supplied by one of the sheet assortment devices placed on one side of the transport path 42 and moved to one side of the intersection by one or more transports which constitute the transport path. As the sheet 132 approaches the intersection it is engaged by the bands 116 of the sheet steering apparatus 110, as well as the bands 88. The control circuit operates the actuators which move the bands to work in cooperative relation to move the sheet towards the intersection. Once the blade is passed through the intersection it is engaged between the lower blades of the band 80 and the upper blades of the bands 88, and the blade 132 is carried in the first direction indicated by the arrow A in the Figure 6. As will be appreciated from Figure 4, the arrow A is in the direction of the customer opening 20 of the automated banking machine.

As shown in Figure 7 in the mode of operation currently being described, the structures act as a stack assembly mechanism. Once the sheet 132 is completely moved through the intersection in the first transport path 146, the movement of the sheet in the first direction is stopped. This is achieved by the control circuit 44 which operates the transport actuators according to the program logic stored in the memory and in response to the client inputs in the client interconnect. A schematically indicated sensor 134 placed on the first sheet path senses the position of the sheet. The sensor 134 is in operative connection with the control circuit. The sensor 134 may be one of several types of sensors suitable for sensing the position of the sheets, such as a photoreflective type sensor. Once the sheet 132 is in the position shown in Figure 7, the bands 80 and 88 are stopped.

As shown in Figure 8, the control circuit now operates the components of the machine to move the blade 132 in a second opposite direction as indicated by the arrow B. To move the blade 132 through the intersection in the opposite direction, the engaging rollers 112 and the bands 116 rotate to prevent the sheet 132 from passing into the second sheet transport path 42. The transport section 100 is also operated by the control circuit for engaging the sheet 132 and move it in the opposite direction. A sheet turning member 136 then described in detail, is moved to allow the sheet 132 to pass the roller 82 in a first sheet path.

As shown in Figure 9, the blade 132 is moved in the second direction until it is engaged between the support rollers 108 and the transport section 100. A sensor which is systematically indicated 138 is positioned to sense the leaf 132. as it is placed in the holding device provided by the combination of the support rollers 108 and the transport section 100. The sensor 138 is operatively connected to the control circuit which operates to stop further movement of the leaf 132 in the second one. address when it has reached the position shown. It should be noted that the blade 132 in this position is held to one side of the second intersection 76, which is the intersection of the blade path 174 and the blade path 46. 47 The next step in the operation of the example stack assembly mechanism is shown in Figure 10. An additional sheet 140 is moved in the transport path 42 to the intersection 60. The sheet 140 can be dispensed by one of the devices of sheet assortment, sheet production devices or is otherwise in the path, and moves towards the intersection. As the sheet 140 moves to one side of the intersection it is engaged by the webs 116 of the sheet steering apparatus 110 as well as the webs 88. The sheet 140 is also sensed by a sensor 142 in a transport path 42. sensor 142 is in operative connection with the control circuit. The control circuit operates to exactly coordinate the movement of the blade 140 in contact with the blade directing apparatus 110 and the bands 88.

As the sheet 140 moves to the intersection 60 the control circuit operates to begin moving the sheet 132 in the first direction along the path 46 toward the intersection. The control circuit coordinates the operation of the impellers for the various components so that the blade 140 and the blade 132 pass through the intersection 60 in a coordinated relationship. As a result of this, the blades 132 and 140 engage in an abutting relationship aligned to form a stack as they move through the intersection 60. 48 As shown in Figure 11 once the sheets 140 and 132 have passed through the intersection 60 in the first direction, they are in a stack generally indicated with the number 144. As indicated generally in Figure 11, in this operation sensor mode 144 is operated to sense the passage of the cell through the intersection and the control circuit is operated to stop the movement of the cell in the first direction in response to sensor signals. After the sheets 132 and 140 have been combined to form the stack 144, the additional sheets can be added to the stack. This is achieved by moving the stack 144 in the second direction similar to that which is done with the sheet 132 previously, as shown in Fig. 8. The stack 144 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 12 in which this is maintained by the support device formed by the support rollers 108 and the transport section 100. Then, the additional sheets can be added to the stack by passing the sheets in the transport path 42 and engaging such sheets in a relationship aligned with the stack in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 10.

It will be appreciated that a stack comprising a significant number of generally butt-aligned sheets can be formed in the manner described. Because the sheets are selectively stocked from the dispensing devices and / or the adjacent product devices of the transport path 42, the sheets can be stacked in a desired order 49 as determined by the control circuit. For example, the sheets which are money bills can be stacked in order from the highest denomination to the lowest denomination or vise versa. The particular sheets can be placed in a desired location inside the stack. Once the stack has been assembled in the desired manner by the control circuit of the machine, it can be moved on a first transport path 46 to the opening 20 so that it can be taken by the customer.

It should be noted that in the position of the stack 144 shown in FIG. 12, the stack is placed in the retainer formed by the support rollers 108 and the transport section 100 on one side of the intersection 76. The intersection 76 is the intersection of the transport path 46 and the transport path 74. The transport path 74 extends to the devices housed in the upper enclosure portion 126 of the machine 10.

As depicted schematically in figure 16, a blade 146 can be moved from one of the devices adjacent to the blade path 74 to engage the stack 144 at the intersection 76 as the stack moves in the first direction. This allows adding sheets to the stack which are housed in the sheet dispensing devices and / or document production devices on one side of the sheet path 74. The stack formed by the addition of the sheets from the path of the sheet. sheet 74 can be moved through the sheet path 46 to the customer.

It will be understood that the sheets of the sheet path 74 can be delivered individually through the intersection 76 within the sheet path 46 and can then be added to a stack formed at an intersection 60 in a manner similar to that previously described. It should be understood that the blade path 74 includes appropriate sensors that are operatively connected to the control circuit. The control circuit operates so that the sheets of the sheet path 74 can be added to the stack in an aligned and engaged relationship with the other sheets in the stack as the sheets pass through the intersection 76. As a result the structures associated operate as an additional stack assembly mechanism.

As shown in Figure 15, the example machine 10 further includes the ability to take leaves in the first sheet path and to flip them using a tumbling device. This can be done as shown in Figure 15, through the use of the sheet turning member 136. The example sheet turning member 136 comprises a member that includes arcuate guides that conform to the contour of the rollers 82. When the tumbling member is placed on one side of the rollers 82, as in Fig. 51 15, a moving blade 148 is caused to be flipped from the position of the blade in the first blade path 46. This is accomplished by moving sheet 148 in the direction of arrow C in figure 15. In the example embodiment of the upper band blades of band 80 are part of a sheet path generally indicated by the number 150. The blade path 150 extends to one side of the printing device 70 and the imaging device 72 shown in Figure 3. As a result, the sheet can be selectively moved within the path 150 for the purposes of carrying the printing or marking of the same, such as by a marking or cancellation device, to produce an electronic image of the sheet by means of an image forming device or both. Of course other different functions can be carried out including devices for making a permanent mark or a removable mark on the documents.

Once the marking, printing or imaging activity has been carried out on the sheet in the sheet path 150, the sheet can be returned to the first sheet path 46. Once the sheet 148 is returned to the first sheet path this can be selectively removed to one of the other sheet paths 42 and 74. From these sheet paths this can be directed and stored in an appropriate sheet storage device or at a location in the machine. Alternatively, the sheet 148 may be selectively moved to be combined in a stack with other sheets at the intersections 60 or 76. This may in some embodiments provide the delivery of canceled checks to a user. Such canceled checks can be delivered in a stack with other checks, receipts, tickets or other documents.

In some embodiments the sheet turning members 136 can be configured so that the sheets in the transport path 150 can be added directly to a stack of sheets at the intersection of the sheet path 46 and the tumbling device. This is achieved by configuring or moving the tumbling member so that the tips in the lower position do not interfere with the passage of a stack of sheets in the first direction beyond the tumbling member. This feature provides yet another stack assembly mechanism and can be particularly advantageous when a customer receipt is printed on a sheet by the printer in path 150 and it is desired to have the receipt on top of the stack. This can be achieved by placing the stack in the support device formed by the support rollers 108 and the transport section 100 and moving the stack in the first direction to the right in figure 15 when the receipt sheet is engaged. printed in an aligned relationship with the top of the stack as the stack moves toward the opening 20.

It should be understood that in other embodiments, the leaves of the paths 74 and 42, as well as of the path 150, can be added to a stack as the stack moves from the support device provided by the transport section and by the conveyors. 108 support, in the first direction towards the client. This can be easily provided from the schematic point of view shown in Figure 16 with the stack 144 moving to the right as shown, and the sheets being added to the stack as the stack passes the roller 82 and again as the stack moves through intersection 60. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, numerous configurations and system operations may be provided depending on the functions carried out by the machine as well as the programming and configuration of the control circuit.

It should be understood that the other leaf turning devices, other than or in addition to the tumbling member 136 may be provided in other embodiments. For example, in Figure 18, a steering member 152 is shown in cooperation with the roller 108. The steering member 152 is selectively moved between the position shown, where it is adjacent the roller 108 and the position shown in phantom. As shown in FIG. 18, when the steering member 152 is in the position shown, it is operated to direct a blade 154 which is held in the support device formed by the transport section 110 and the support rollers 544. FIG. inside the transport path 74. The sheet 154 can be moved in the transport path 74 to a sheet handling device for storing there in the manner previously described.

Alternatively, the turning of the sheet 154 can be achieved by moving it in the transport path 174 and then supplying the guide member 152 out of the roller 108. Once this is done, the sheet 154 can again be directed into the the path 146 and move to the right as shown in Fig. 18 so that the sheet 154 will move in a manner comparable to that of the sheet 146 shown in Fig. 16. This will result in an orientation of the sheet 154 which is inverted in the blade path 46 of its original orientation.

The components adjacent to the intersection 60 can also be operated as a leaf turning device. This is schematically represented in Figure 20. This is achieved by having a sheet 156 initially placed in the first path similar to the sheet 132 in Figure 7. The sheet is then moved in the second sheet path at the intersection 60 by operating the blade steering apparatus 110 in a manner that is discussed in detail later. Once the blade 156 is in the second blade path, the direction of the bands 88 and 116 is reversed while the lower blades of the band 55 82 are moved to move the blade in the second direction indicated by the arrow B. This results in the blade being flipped from its original orientation in transport.

It should be further understood that the sheets which originate in the transport path 42 can also be directed in the manner shown in Figure 20. This feature allows the sheets to be selectively placed and flipped through a number of different mechanisms. This improves the capabilities of the automated bank machine of example.

A further useful aspect of the example embodiment is that it includes a separating mechanism for separating sheets from a stack as depicted schematically in Figures 13 and 14. The example embodiment shown includes the ability to selectively separate a sheet from a stack of sheets as the stack passes through the intersection 60 of the transport path 46 and the transport path 42. As schematically depicted in FIG. 13, a stack of sheets 158 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow B in the transport path 46. Although the stack 158 is shown as a stack of four sheets, it should be understood that the stack may comprise a greater or lesser number of leaves. The stack 158 may be a stack of sheets received from a user of the machine through the opening 20 and may consist of different types of sheets. For example, in some 56 additions the batteries accepted in the machine may include stacks of bills, checks and / or other types of mixed sheets.

As the stack 158 moves to the intersection 60 the machine control circuit operates the sheet steering apparatus 110 so that the rollers 112 and 114, and the bands 116 screwed thereon, move relative to the stack in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the stack. As a result of this movement by the sheet guiding apparatus, a first sheet 160 which joins a first side of the stack, is frictionally engaged by the bands 116 and is stripped and separated from the stack. The first sheet 160 is directed to the sheet path 42 by continuing the stack comprising the remaining sheets in the sheet path 46. This allows the sheet 160 to be handled separately by the device adjacent to the path 42, or the individually carried back to back path 46 for individual transport to devices adjacent to other sheets.

It should be noted that the sheet handling stacking and unstacking mechanisms described in the example embodiment are but examples of devices for handling documents such as banknotes, checks or other sheets within an automated banking machine. In other embodiments 57, other leaf handling and transport mechanisms may be used.

It should be noted that in the example embodiment a sensor 162 is placed on one side of the path 42. The sensor 162 may be a photoelectric sensor connected to the control circuit to sense the position of the sheet. Alternatively, the sensor 162 may comprise a plurality of similar or different sensors adapted to perceive the characteristics of a sheet. The sensor 162 may be part of a validation or access device such as that previously discussed which is suitable for determining the type of ticket and the denomination. This allows the control circuit to properly identify a money sheet and place it in a designated bill handling mechanism, in a storage position or other sheet receiving device. The sensors 162 may alternatively operate in connection with the control circuit or other circuit to provide a validation mechanism or valuation device for determining or establishing the authenticity of a bill. In other embodiments other features such as magnetic ink indicia, bar codes and other features may additionally or alternatively be detected by one or more sensors for the purpose of identifying the type, nature and / or properties of a sheet at Move this one to the side of the sensors. 58 As mentioned previously, in some embodiments, the validation device can be operated to identify particular sheets, such as by serial number or other characteristics. In some additions such information may be stored for suspicious notes, and in others for all or certain selected categories of notes. Such data relating to individual tickets can be stored in a data warehouse in a correlated relationship with the information that can be used to determine the identity of the user who provided the ticket to the machine. Other data may also be stored, such as, for example, the location of the storage the position where the bill is stored in the machine or other information that may be used to recover the particular bill and / or to document the transaction.

In some embodiments, the machine can be maintained in a data warehouse, identifying the information related to the tickets for comparison purposes with bills provided to the machine. This may include in some additions information that corresponds to the properties, characteristics or numbers associated with known false or invalid notes. Such information used for comparison may also include identification data for individual tickets already deposited in the machine. Therefore, for example, if a ticket provided to the machine is identified individually by determining the serial number, the serial number can be compared through the operation of the control circuit to store the data for serial numbers of known fakes. Alternatively or in addition, the serial numbers of the ticket provided to the ATM machine can be compared with the serial numbers for bills previously deposited or inserted into the machine. In the event of a match in any example the control circuit will act in response to the apparent suspicious ticket according to its programming. This may include capturing and storing the suspicious ticket, marking the ticket, capturing additional information about the user who presents the suspicious ticket, notifying the authorities or taking other action.

In additions where identification data on all notes are captured and used for comparison, the control circuit can operate to indicate when the ticket is stocked out of the machine. This may include, for example, deleting the information about the ticket such as its serial number from the data stored with the assortment. Alternatively such indication may include storing information indicative that the particular ticket has been stocked. The information about the assorted ticket can in some additions be stored in correlated relation with the information unable to identify the user who received the ticket of the machine. Of course other approaches can be used in another 60 additions and the approaches discussed with respect to the tickets can also be applied to other types of documents.

Returning to the discussion of the operation of the separating mechanism, after the sheet 160 is separated from the stack 158 as shown in Figure 14, the control circuit can operate the transports on the first path 46 to move the remaining stack to a position to the right of intersection 60. If it is desired to separate an additional sheet from the stack, the remaining sheets can be moved through the intersection again in the direction of arrow D to achieve separation of the sheet that is recently joined to the side of the pile. Alternatively, if the control circuit determines that it is not necessary to separate an additional sheet from the stack, the sheet directing apparatus can be operated so that the webs 116 and the rollers 112 and 114, move in the same direction as the rollers. 92 and at a similar speed. This will result in the stack passing through the intersection without a sheet being separated from the stack.

It should be understood that even when the embodiment shown the sheet handling apparatus comprises a plurality of rollers having elastic surfaces thereon that move at a relative speed that is less than the speed of the moving pile, in other embodiments they may be used other types of stripping and separation devices. These may include, for example, rollers or elastic pads. Such devices may also include elastic suction cup type mechanisms or vacuum generating devices. The additional alternate forms of the sheet guiding devices may include other physical members that selectively engage one or more sheets to direct them from the path 46 to another path 42.

It should also be noted that in the example embodiment shown in Figures 13, 14 and 23, the sheets can be separated from a stack by moving the stack from right to left. However, in other embodiments it may be desirable to arrange the sheet guiding apparatus so that the sheets can be separated from a stack when the stack moves in any direction. This can be easily accomplished through arrangements of elastic rollers or other devices or stripping members which can be selectively added to engage and separate a sheet with the passage of a stack through an intersection. This configuration can have advantages in other embodiments where a greater speed in sheet separation is desired.

As will be appreciated from the above discussion, in some banking machines it may be desirable to process certain sheets individually. For example, if it is determined that a separate sheet of a stack is a check or other negotiable instrument 62 that must be transferred to the imaging device, or an invalid ticket or a questionable validity ticket that must be transported to a device of marked, it may be desirable to clear a path that allows the sheet that requires such handling to be transported individually. This can be achieved by placing the stack of sheets that are not currently being processed individually out of the single sheet on the first path 46. In this way the sheet requiring individual handling can be transferred to path 150 or such other location as necessary without causing the remaining battery to suffer transport to an undesirable location.

An additional alternative to facilitate the individual handling of the particular sheets is presented by the alternate embodiment shown in Figure 19. In this embodiment of the embodiment 46 there are included three separately controlled transportation sections 164, 166 and 168. The transport section 164 is similar to the previously discussed transport, except that its bands terminate on rollers 170 and 172. Transport section 166 may include interwoven web transport or similar to that shown in Figure 5 with the exception that its webs are offset from those in the transport section 164. The transport section 166 may be driven by one or more independent reversible actuators of the transport section 164. The actuator for the transport section 166 63 is in an operative relationship with and operates under the control circuit control.

The transport section 166 terminates in the rollers 174 and 176. The rollers 174 and 176 are coaxial with other rollers that are spaced in the middle thereof that are part of a transport section 168. The transport section 168 ends in the rollers 178 and 180 which are adjacent to an opening accessible by the customer indicated by the numeral 182. The transport section 168 is operated by at least one independent reversible action in response to the control circuit.

The transport sections 166 and 168 along the path 46 provide locations in which the documents or stacks of documents can be stored temporarily as other documents are routed through the intersections 60 and 76. After the necessary processing that is On the individual documents, the documents that are temporarily stored in the transport sections 166 and 168 can be moved to other transport sections for further processing. It should be understood that the transport sections 166 and 168 include appropriate sensors to sense the positions of the documents being temporarily stored there which allow the control circuit to coordinate the movement thereof. 64 A further advantage of the example embodiment described here is that not only can the automated banking machine 10 accept individual documents and stacks of documents from a customer, but it can also accept conventional deposit envelopes. As shown in Fig. 17, a thick-sheet type deposit envelope 184 can be moved along the path 46 from a customer. The identification of the item deposited as a deposit envelope can be done based on readings from the sensors 126, 128, 130 as shown in figure 4 or alternatively or in addition based on the customer entries through one or more devices of entry into the client 12 interconnection of the machine.

The reservoir envelope 184 moves in the transport path 46 in the direction of the arrow E as shown in Fig. 17. With the determination that the article moving in the transport path is a reservoir envelope, the The control circuit operates the sheet steering apparatus 110 to direct the envelope to the transport path 42. The control circuit also allows the roller 96 and the bands 88 to move in the direction indicated by the arrow F. This causes the blade of the band 88 moves to the position shown in phantom in figure 4. This allows the envelope to move inside the device 40 (see figure 3) in which it can be stacked in an aligned relationship with other envelopes. In addition, the control circuit can also operate the transport 118 and the rollers 124 shown in Figure 4 to ensure that the envelope 184 does not pass further along the transport path 42 than the reservoir 40.

The capacity of the incorporation of automated banking machine to handle deposit envelopes, the stacks of sheets and individual sheets, provides an improved function for the machine. The ability of the example embodiment to accept thick articles in the area of the path 42 adjacent to the intersection also allows the control circuit to use the area adjacent to the intersection as a temporary storage location for the stacks of sheets. This may be desirable in some embodiments where a receipt form is delivered over the transport path 74 and must be directed to the transport path 150 for printing before being combined with a stack to be delivered to a client .

The example embodiment of the ATM machine has the ability to store the assembled stack of sheets on one side of the intersection 60 on the transport path 42 until the time at which the printed receipt is moved into the intersection at along the first path 46. When the receipt form is produced by a document production device and when moving within the intersection 60 through the transport section 100, the stack is moved to the intersection in a coordinated relationship with the same so that the printed receipt is assembled in the stack and placed on the upper side of the stack. The assembled stack can be moved along the transport path 46 to the opening where it can be taken by the customer.

In some embodiments, the ATM machine may also operate to provide certain types of documents in exchange for other documents. As discussed previously, some incorporations can receive checks or other instruments, validate checks and provide the user with money tickets. In some additions, a user can provide bills to the ATM machine and receive other types of documents such as money orders, vouchers, brochures, gift certificates or bank checks. In some embodiments, the control circuit may operate in the previously discussed manner to store information relating to the individual tickets in a data store in a correlated relationship with the information that may be used to identify the user who deposited the tickets in the machine. Some incorporations may store in correlated relation with all or a part of such data, the information which identifies the check, money order or other document provided by the machine to the user.

In some additions the ability of a single user to provide cash to the ATM machine can be controlled or limited to avoid money laundering or other suspicious activities. For example, a user who places banknotes in the ATM machine to purchase money orders or other documents may be required to provide at least one identification entry. This may include a biometric entry such as the thumbprint for example. Such at least one identifying entry may include data on a card or other device of a user that provides to operate the machine, or may be in place of or in addition thereto. Alternatively, some additions may allow the use of the ATM machine to purchase documents such as money orders, gift certificates or other documents without the use of a card or similar device to gain access to the machine. In some cases a user may exchange notes of certain denominations for notes of other denominations. In such cases the control circuit may require at least one user identification entry requesting the exchange of cash for other documents. 68 The control circuit can operate in accordance with the instructions and parameters programmed to limit the instructions and parameters programmed to limit the number or value of the documents that a user can buy or otherwise receive. This may include comparing the user identification data with the input data in connection with the previous transactions. This can be done by comparing the user's input data stored in the data store in the particular ATM machine and / or the data stored in the computers connected to the ATM machine. By limiting the number or value of documents that a user can buy with cash, in general, for a particular document or within a given period of time, the risk of illegal activities such as money laundering can be minimized. In addition, such systems can more easily allow funds to be pursued.

An alternate embodiment of an automated banking machine is indicated with the number 186 in Figure 22. The machine 186 is similar to the machine 10 except that it includes two belts and the interconnections of designated customers 188 and 190. The machine 186 is capable of operate by two users generally simultaneously.

The sheet handling mechanism for the machine 186 is indicated at number 192 in Figure 21. The sheet handling mechanism 192 is similar to that described in the first embodiment, except that it is noted otherwise. The mechanism 192 includes a first client access opening 194 in a client interconnect 190, and a second access opening of the client 196 in a client interconnect 188. The client opening 196 receives and delivers sheets through a client section. transport 197. Transport section 197 is preferably an interwoven web type transport of the type shown in Figure 5 and is capable of moving leaves, envelopes and stacks of sheets in contact therewith. The transport section 197 is operated by a reversible impeller similar to the reversible impellers used for the other belt transport sections and is operated in connection with the control circuit of the machine.

The operation of the alternate sheet handling mechanism 192 is similar to that previously described except that the sheets, envelopes or stacks of sheets that are processed can be received from or delivered to any customer opening 194 or a customer opening 196. Due to the high speed capability of the example embodiment, it is possible that the sheet handling mechanism 192 adequately serves two users simultaneously without undue delay.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing description, the modifications necessary for the sheet handling mechanism 70 of the first embodiment to accommodate two simultaneous users is relatively modest. In example incorporation it is possible to increase the number of customer interconnections of the machine from one to two at a relatively small cost. This is particularly advantageous for an ATM machine placed in a high customer traffic area. It is also useful for automated banking machines, such as those used by tellers to count and supply money tickets. This is due to the configuration of the blade management mechanism that allows two tellers or other personnel to be served by a single machine.

The example embodiments may operate to ensure operation in accordance with the principles of United States of America patent number 6,315,194 whose description is incorporated herein by reference and is duly written herein.

Figure 24 schematically shows an exemplary system 200 and steps in an associated method for handling documents such as questionable valid tickets or invalid documents or invalid tickets that have been received by an automated banking machine 202. The banking machine 202 can be similar to the ATM machines 10 or 186 previously described or may have a different construction. In the example embodiment, the automated banking machine includes an evaluation device to establish the validity of documents such as banknotes that are deposited by a user in the machine in the course of one or more transactions. The evaluation device operates as previously described in relation to the controller, the control circuit or other devices in the machine to identify documents of questionable validity and / or invalid documents.

As can be seen from the description given herein and from the incorporated description, some bills that are deposited in the machine can be determined as invalid such as clearly falsified or another document that is not a ticket. Other documents that are deposited in the machine can be determined through the operation of the evaluation device that are more feasible than not being valid tickets, but notwithstanding which they do not qualify as documents which the machine accepts as unquestionably valid. Of course it should be appreciated that the determination as to which parameters qualify a particular ticket or other type of document in the machine as unquestionably valid, of questionable or invalid validity can in some incorporations be established by the operator of the machine and / or by the authorities appropriate within the jurisdiction in which the machine is operated.

In an example embodiment the automated banking machine 202 operates to accept documents of questionable validity, but marks such documents with at least one removable mark so that each document can be pursued and then evaluated as valid or invalid. In the example embodiment of the system 200 shown in Figure 24, the machine 202 communicates through the network 204 with one or more computers which are remotely located. Such remote computers may include computers located in a bank, financial institution or other source of monetary value indicated schematically with the number 206. A user operating the exemplary ATM machine 202 is generally also identified or an account in the manner previously described. and carries out transactions which may include presenting or receiving documents such as tickets. When a user carries out a transaction on an account, the ATM machine 202 communicates the messages through the network 204 to one or more bank computers 206 to authorize and record the transaction. Such transactions generally have associated indicia which are stored in the ATM machine, the band computer or other computers in the network, for the purposes of documenting the transaction and establishing the accounts among the users, the operators of the machines, Banks and other entities that may be involved in the transactions that are carried out. One or more indicators which may be associated with a transaction may include a unique transaction number associated with a particular transaction in which a document is presented. 73 The transaction number may correspond to a transaction on a particular date, time and particular ATM machine. Alternatively or in addition an indicator associated with the transaction may include information from the account of the user or other entity in whose name the transactions are carried out. Alternatively or in addition, an indicator associated with the transaction may include biometric or other data that refer to carrying out individual or particular transactions or having the account. Of course the indicators can include combinations of such information as well as data from other sources.

In an exemplary embodiment when the ATM machine 202 receives a document which is evaluated as being of questionable validity, the control circuit which is alternatively referred to herein as a controller or processor operating in the ATM machine, is operated to associate 'one or more indicators with the transaction. In addition to the example embodiment of a system 200, the control circuit is operated to cause the ATM machine to communicate through the network with the appropriate bank 206 to grant a credit to the user for providing a valid document to the user. machine. In some embodiments one or more computers in the bank or otherwise connected to the network may further receive from the controller in the ATM machine an indication that the machine has received the questionable document of the particular user which requires a subsequent evaluation. Alternatively or in addition, the ATM machine can provide additional information about the questionable document for which credit has been given. Such information may include, for example, a serial number of the document, an image of the document or other identification information relating to the particular document that allows the document to be uniquely identified. Other information may include transaction information that corresponds to a particular account, date, time and ATM machine. In some incorporations the credit that a user or an account receives with respect to document of questionable validity can be specifically indicated by the controller in the ATM machine., in the bank or both, as being a provisional credit which can be revoked if the document is not subsequently verified as valid. Alternatively, in some incorporations the credit granted for a document of questionable validity may be the same as that granted for documents evaluated, as being of unquestionable validity.

In the example embodiment, the documents evaluated as questionable validity in the ATM machine are moved in said ATM machine to a marking device such as a printing device 70. The printing device is operated to place a mark about the document that is questionable validity. In the example embodiment the marking device is operated in response to the control circuit of the ATM machine to mark the document with a removable mark. The removable mark in some example embodiments may comprise removable ink which may be subsequently removed from a document without damaging the inks or other features that are normally required to be in the document. Alternatively, the marking device may apply a removable label, adhesive label or other article subsequently removable to the document which identifies the particular document as of questionable validity. The marking of a document may also comprise generating a unique identification information which corresponds to a particular unacceptable document, such as corresponding to a serial number on a banknote. The particular document can be kept separate. The information of the document can be of a suitable format, for example, digital images, which allow the storage thereof in a computer memory. The stored document information may be comparable to the information in a database to check for faults. For example, a serial number on a money bill can equal a serial number in a database watch list. Other comparisons may show that the serial number matches a document that has already been destroyed. Other comparisons involve real-time computers that can show that the serial number equals a document ticket 76 on another ATM machine. The comparison may involve a global computer network capable of accurately pursuing money in the domain of banks, governments, etc.

In some example additions the removable mark may include at least part of the indicator associated with the transaction. As previously discussed such indicators may include all or parts of the unique transaction number, account number, user identification data, biometric data and other data which are suitable for use by the system. In the sample incorporation, the indicator provides specific information so that the particular document can be subsequently identified and the particular user or entity in whose name the document has been placed in the machine can then be ratified and any credit granted for the document. document revoked if the document is subsequently determined to be invalid.

In some example embodiments the marking device is operated to mark documents evaluated as having a questionable validity with a mark comprising visible inks which are visible to the users under ambient light conditions. Alternatively or in addition the marks applied to the documents may comprise non-visible inks or similar materials. In some exemplary embodiments the removable mark may comprise a removable ink which is visible or detectable only when exposed to radiation within a certain frequency range. This may include, for example, exposure to a concentrated ultraviolet light, infrared light or other frequencies. Alternatively or in addition, the markings can be composed of indicia that can be read by the machine such as a bar code or other indications corresponding to biometric data or other data. Of course it should be understood that these approaches are examples and in other embodiments other types of removable indicator brands may be used.

In the operation of the exemplary ATM machine 202 documents of questionable validity after being marked with the removable mark are stored in a first storage location in the machine. The first place of storage in the example incorporation is a place to store documents which have been marked and is a different place from the storage places which are used to store documents that are evaluated as valid. Therefore, for example, in an example incorporation the documents that have been received by the machine from a user in the course of a first transaction which are evaluated as being of questionable validity are marked with the removable mark are placed in a first place of storage. Other documents which are evaluated as valid are stored in one or more appropriate second storage locations. As a result, a document stored in a second place can be subsequently supplied from the machine to another user in the course of a second transaction in which the subsequent user requests the assortment of such document.

In some incorporations the removable mark applied to the documents of questionable validity is such that the documents can be subsequently evaluated or discussed later without the removal of the mark. This may include, for example, marking documents in places that do not change or obscuring security features or other aspects of documents that must be evaluated to determine validity. Alternatively the marking can be applied in ink or color of a particular type that does not interfere with the subsequent evaluation operation with the removable mark still in place. Of course in other incorporations other approaches can be used.

In the exemplary ATM machine 202 the documents that are evaluated as invalid by the evaluation device are captured by the machine. For such documents the control circuit and other connected computers do not operate to give the user or owner of the account any credit for such documents. further, the ATM machine 202 includes a device for applying a permanent mark to the documents evaluated as being invalid. As previously discussed, such marking devices for applying a permanent mark may include printing devices which apply a permanent ink or other material to the invalid document. Alternatively invalid documents may be totally or partially broken, punctured or otherwise mutilated such as ensuring that these are not easily placed in circulation. In some additions the information corresponding to the invalid documents can be passed through the machine to the network 204 and to the bank 206. The bank can then communicate through one or more communication systems 208 to the appropriate authorities 210 for research purposes. the circumstances and the source of the invalid documents. Such information may include images of the documents, information about the particular user or the account associated with the deposit of the document, or other information that will facilitate the investigation of the source and / or circumstances surrounding the particular document. Of course such an invalid document can also be stored in an appropriate storage location in the machine for purposes of prosecution and then transmit to the authorities investigating the circumstances relating to the presentation of the invalid document. Of course this approach is an example and in other incorporations other approaches can be used.

As indicated schematically in Figure 24 in the example system 200 the questionable validity documents indicated with the number 212 are removed from the ATM machine and transported to an evaluation operation indicated schematically 214. In some embodiments the Documents evaluated as being invalid as well as documents evaluated as having a questionable validity can be transported to the evaluation operation.

It should be appreciated that although the evaluation operation 214 of the example embodiment is shown as remotely indicated from the ATM machine, in some embodiments the evaluation operation can be carried out on one side of or even inside the automated banking machine. .

In the example evaluation operation, the questionable validity tickets are subjected to an evaluation activity schematically indicated with the number 216. It should be noted that the evaluation activity 216 may involve the perception of the machine as well as the perception of the human of the particular document. . As schematically represented by document 218, in the evaluation activity the document is preferably evaluated for validity with a removable mark 220 that remains in place thereon. As previously discussed, this is facilitated in some embodiments by locating the removable mark in an area which does not include significant safety features or by providing the removable mark in an ink or other material that does not interfere with the validity evaluation. of the document. Of course, these approaches are examples and in other incorporations other approaches can be used.

During the evaluation activity, the note or other document of questionable validity is reviewed again to determine if the document is valid or invalid. In an example embodiment where the document is determined to be valid, the evaluation activity through the operation of one or more computers, processors or other devices, communicates messages to side 206 and confirms that the particular document is valid. This is schematically represented by a function 222. In response to confirmation that the particular document is valid, bank 206 or another of the appropriate entities can take action to remove the provisional nature of the previously associated credit for deposit of the document. Of course, as previously discussed in the alternate additions, such confirmation may not be necessary since no provision was made to make the provisional credit.

In the sample incorporation, the evaluation operation is operated to remove the removable marks of the tickets evaluated as valid. This is represented by a function 224. The removal of the mark may include the washing and drying of bills with appropriate materials such as to remove the removable mark while not damaging the particular document. This may include, for example, washing the bill with a water-based material and drying the bill to remove the mark. Alternatively in situations where removable labels or other items have been applied such items are removed in the course of function 224. Of course in some embodiments, particularly in cases where the mark is not visible to the naked eye, it may not be necessary Removing the removable mark from the particular document. Whether the brand is removable will depend on the particular system, the nature of the brand and the requirement of the particular entity that operates the system or the authorities responsible for the document.

The example evaluation operation also includes an aptitude assessment function indicated schematically with the number 226. The function of evaluation of aptitude in the incorporation of example is operated to review the document to determine if its character is such that it must be returned to the general circulation or transferred to the appropriate authorities to be removed from circulation. For example in the case of money bills that are worn or marked permanent or disfigured, it may be appropriate to deliver such bills for destruction to a central bank or other authority. This will generally prevent additional circulation of the ticket and the need to carry out subsequent analysis in the event that the ticket is again presented and evaluated as being of questionable validity. Alternatively as shown schematically in Figure 24, if the document is determined through the aptitude assessment function 226 as being suitable for return to circulation, the document is directed to the operations of the bank or other entity responsible for the transaction. evaluation operation and can be returned to circulation. This can include, for example, placing the document in a cassette or other container that can be returned to an automated banking machine in which the document can be stocked in the course of subsequent transactions.

In the example evaluation operation 214 if the document is determined to be invalid during evaluation activity 216, a notification must be given to the bank or other entity to revoke the provisional or regular credit. This is represented by function 228. In the example embodiment the evaluation operation is operated to communicate through one or more computers or processors with bank 206 that the particular document is evaluated as invalid. In response to receiving such news, the bank operates to revoke the credit that has been given to the particular user or the owner of the account responsible for presenting the document. Because the particular user may face problems with his account if they do not become aware that the credit for the document is revoked, in example 84 the bank 206 notifies the user or owner of the account that is revoked the provisional credit. This step is represented schematically in the number 230.

When a document has been determined to be invalid, it may also be appropriate for the bank or other entity to notify the appropriate authorities 210 of the nature of the transaction and / or the invalid document. As depicted schematically in Figure 24, there are situations where the document is evaluated as invalid, the document is maintained with the marking on it as represented schematically by a function 232. The document can be maintained with the removable mark on the document. and properly segregated to avoid any violation or subsequent distribution of the particular document except to the appropriate authorities. This can make it easier to maintain an exact chain of custody for purposes of conducting an investigation of the user or the particular circumstances under which the invalid document was presented to the machine. For example, the authorities responsible for investigating instances of counterfeit currency may need to obtain the marked document and information related to the transaction and the user for purposes of investigating the illegal activity. 85 Even though the example system 200 has been described in relation to documents of questionable validity, such a system can also be used with documents evaluated as being invalid. For example, documents evaluated as invalid by the ATM machine 202 can nevertheless be re-evaluated in the evaluation operation for purposes of determining whether the document is in fact valid. Alternatively, in some incorporations the documents evaluated as invalid can also be marked with a removable marker rather than a permanent mark. Similarly, in some incorporations, all documents of questionable or invalid validity can be marked with permanent marks. Such marks may be desirable in some circumstances so that documents that can not be evaluated as valid can be marked appropriately so as to remove them from circulation. If a document originally assessed as clearly invalid is determined through an evaluation operation as being in fact invalid, the appropriate messages may be sent to the bank or other entities to indicate to the user the owner of the account or other authorities that the document was determined to be invalid.

It should be understood that the system 200 is an example and in other embodiments other approaches, devices and method steps may be used.

Therefore, the example embodiment of an automated banking machine and the associated methods of the present invention achieve at least some of the objectives stated above, eliminate the difficulties encountered in the use of previous devices and systems, solve problems and achieve results. desirable described here.

In the above description certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity and understanding. However, no unnecessary limitations should be implicated because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be widely constructed. In addition, the descriptions and illustrations given are by way of example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

In the claims that follow any feature described as a means for performing a function should be considered as encompassing any means known to those skilled in the art to be able to perform recited function, and no less equivalent of the particular media described in the previous description. The inclusion of a summary should not be considered as limiting the claimed invention to all the features described in such summary.

Having described the characteristics of discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which it is constructed and operated, and the advantages useful results achieved; The new and useful structures the devices, elements, arrangements, parts, combinations of systems, equipment, operations, methods and relationships are established in the appended claims.

Claims

88 R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. An automated banking machine that includes: a box including an opening adapted to accept inside the machine a stack of sheets, the stack including both checks and money bills; a separating mechanism in the machine where the separating mechanism separates the sheets individually from the stack; an image forming device that operates to produce an electronic representation of at least a portion of the checks that have been separated from the stack; a validation device that operates to evaluate the validity of bills that have been separated from the stack; a bill handling mechanism that operates to store the tickets evaluated as valid through the operation of the validation device.

2. The machine as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that it comprises: 89 a cancellation device in which the cancellation device is operated to mark the bills that have been placed in the machine.

3. The machine as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that the machine also comprises a place for storing checks, and where the machine is operated to store in the check storing place in the machine, the checks that have been made. marked by the cancellation device.

4. The machine as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the machine also comprises a. delivery device and where the delivery device is operated to deliver checks that have been marked by the cancellation device outside the machine through the opening.

5. The machine as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the bill handling mechanism includes a bill storage location, and wherein the bill handling mechanism is operated to selectively store and supply bills from the storage location of tickets.

6. The machine as claimed in clause 5, characterized in that the machine includes a plurality of bill handling mechanism, wherein each bill handling mechanism is operated to store and supply a different banknote denomination.

7. The machine as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the machine includes a plurality of bill handling mechanisms, wherein at least one of the bill handling mechanisms is operated to supply bills.

8. The machine as claimed in clause 7, characterized in that at least one bill handling mechanism is operated for both storing and dispensing bills.

9. The machine as claimed in clause 8, characterized in that the at least one bill mechanism is operated to store but not to supply bills.

10. The machine as claimed in clause 8, characterized in that it also comprises at least one ticket-sorting mechanism that is not operated to receive bills.

11. The machine as claimed in clause 1, further characterized in that it comprises a stack assembly mechanism, wherein the stack assembly mechanism is operated to produce an assembled stack of individual documents housed in the machine.

12. The machine as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the assembled stack is delivered to the outside of the machine through the opening.

13. The machine as claimed in clause 12, characterized in that it further comprises a cancellation device that operates to mark the checks with respect to which electronic images have been produced through the operation of the image forming device, wherein the Stack assembly mechanism is operated to include checks in the assembled stack.

14. The machine as claimed in clause 13, characterized in that it also comprises at least one bill dispensing mechanism, and wherein the machine is operated to supply at least one bill in response to receipt of a check, and in where the bills are stocked in response to receipt of the check and the check marked are included in the assembled stack in response to the operation of the stack assembly mechanism.

The machine as claimed in clause 14, characterized in that it also comprises a receipt producing device, wherein the receipts produced by the receipt producing device are included in the assembled stack in response to the operation of the mechanism of receipt. stack assembly.

16. The machine as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that it also comprises at least one input device, wherein at least one input device is operated to receive at least one input that can be used to identify a user of the machine.

17. The machine as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the machine includes at least one bill dispenser device, wherein the machine is operated to deliver bills through the opening.

18. The machine as claimed in clause 17, characterized in that it further comprises a stack assembly mechanism, wherein the stack assembly mechanism is operated to place the bills to be dispensed from the machine into a stack assembled before of the delivery of tickets through the opening.

19. The machine as claimed in clause 18, further characterized in that it comprises a document producing device, wherein the document producing device produces documents, and wherein the stack assembly mechanism is operated to include documents produced by the document. device that produces documents in the assembled stack.

20. The machine as claimed in clause 19, characterized in that the document producing device is operated to produce receipts for transactions carried out in the machine.

21. The machine as claimed in clause 19, characterized in that the document producing device is operated to produce checks.

22. The machine as claimed in clause 19, characterized in that the document producing device is operated to produce money orders.

23. The machine as claimed in clause 22, characterized in that the machine comprises at least one input device, wherein the at least one input device is operated to receive at least one input that can be used to identify a user of the machine, and where the machine to limit the value of the money orders provided to a particular user of the machine. 94

24. The machine as claimed in clause 16, characterized in that the validation device is operated to identify at least one individual note separated from the stack, and where the machine is operated to store in a data warehouse the corresponding ones at least one individual ticket and the data that can be used to identify the user by providing at least one individual ticket to the machine.

25. The machine as claimed in clause 24, characterized in that at least one individual ticket comprises a suspicious ticket.

26. The machine as claimed in clause 25, characterized in that the machine also comprises a place for storing suspicious bills, and wherein the machine is operated to cause the suspect bill to be stored in the storage place of suspicious bills.

27. The machine as claimed in clause 24, characterized in that the validation device is operated to identify at least one individual bill by determining a serial number on the bill.

28. The machine as claimed in clause 27, characterized in that the machine includes a data warehouse that includes the serial numbers of notes, and where the machine is operated to compare a serial number of at least an individual ticket with the data representative of the ticket serial number stored in the data warehouse.

29. The machine as claimed in clause 28, characterized in that the machine is operated to include in the data warehouse the data representative of the serial numbers of the accepted banknotes in the machine.

30. The machine as claimed in clause 29, characterized in that the machine is operated to compare the serial numbers of the bills in the assembled stack, the serial number of the bills previously accepted by the machine.

31. The machine as claimed in clause 30, characterized in that the bill handling device is also operated to supply bills for the machine, and where the machine is operated to indicate in the data warehouse the serial numbers of the machines. tickets that correspond to the assorted tickets of the machine.

96. The machine as claimed in clause 16, further characterized in that it comprises a document producing device, wherein the document producing device is operated to produce documents in exchange for ticket entry to the machine, and where The machine is operated to deliver the documents outside the box.

33. The machine as claimed in clause 32, characterized in that the documents comprise money orders.

34. The machine as claimed as claimed in clause 32, characterized in that it also comprises a data store, where the data store is operated to store data that can be used to identify a user that receives documents in exchange for ticket entry to the machine.

35. The machine as claimed in clause 34, characterized in that the machine is operated to limit the documents that can be received by an individual user in exchange for ticket entry to the machine.

36. The machine as claimed in clause 35, characterized in that the machine is operated to limit the value of documents that can be received by an individual in exchange for ticket entry to the machine.

37. The machine as claimed in clause 34, characterized in that the at least one input device comprises a device for receiving a biometric input.

38. The machine as claimed in clause 33, characterized in that it further comprises a receipt producing device, and wherein the machine is operated to deliver a receipt produced by the receipt producing device for money orders and to deliver such receipts outside the machine.

39. The machine as claimed in clause 38, characterized in that it further comprises a stack assembly mechanism, wherein the stack assembly mechanism is operated to include a money order produced by the document production device and a receipt produced by the receipt producing device in a stack assembled in the machine.

40. The machine as claimed in clause 39, characterized in that the assembled stack is delivered outside the machine through the opening. 98

41. A method comprising: (a) receiving a stack of sheets including notes and checks in an automated banking machine through an opening in the machine case; (b) separating each of the sheets of the stack with a separating mechanism in the machine; . (c) producing with an imaging device data corresponding to an image of at least a part of a separate check of the stack; (d) evaluating with a validation device the validity of at least one bill separated from the stack; (e) accept in the machine notes evaluated as valid by the validation device.

42. The method as claimed in clause 41, characterized in that it comprises: (f) mark the at least one check with a cancellation device after step (e).

43. The method as claimed in clause 42, further characterized by comprising: deliver the at least one check marked out of the box.

44. The method as claimed in clause 41, further characterized in that it comprises the actual dispensing of the machine in response to receipt of at least one check by the machine.

45. The method as claimed in 1 clause 43, characterized in that before step (g) it also comprises: assemble bills and at least one check marked on a pile assembled inside the machine; wherein in step (g) the check is delivered from the machine in the assembled stack.

46. The method as claimed in clause 41, further characterized in that in step (e) the at least one bill is stored in a bill handling device that is selectively operated to store and supply bills and further comprises: supply at least one ticket from the ticket handling device. 100

47. The method as claimed in clause 46, further characterized in that it comprises: (f) assembling a plurality of bills assorted by the bill handling device in a stack assembled in the machine; Y (g) deliver the assembled stack from the machine to the opening.

48. The method as claimed in clause 47, characterized in that the machine includes a document producing device and further comprises before step (g): produce the document with the document producing device; place the document in the assembled stack; wherein in step (g) the produced document is delivered from the machine in the assembled stack.

49. The method as claimed in clause 48, characterized in that the document produced by the document producing device comprises a receipt. 101

50. The method as claimed in clause 48, characterized in that the document produced by the document producing device comprises a money order.

51. The method as claimed in clause 48, characterized in that the document produced by the document producing device comprises a check.

52. The method as claimed in clause 41, characterized in that it further comprises receiving at least one input through at least one input device in the machine that can be used to identify a user of the machine.

53. The method as claimed in clause 52, further characterized in that it comprises determining through the operation of the machine a serial number of a bill received in the machine.

54. The method as claimed in clause 53, further characterized by comprising: storing in at least one data store the data that can be used to identify the user of the machine and the number of. series of at least one ticket received in the machine from the user.

55. The method as claimed in clause 52, characterized in that in step (d) a note is evaluated as suspicious and also comprises storing in a data warehouse the data that can be used to determine the identity of a user that provided the suspicious ticket in the machine.

56. The method as claimed in clause 55, further characterized in that it comprises determining a serial number of the suspect ticket and storing in the data warehouse the data corresponding to the serial number.

57. The method as claimed in clause 52, further characterized in that it comprises: (f) determining a serial number of at least one ticket received by the machine; (g) storing representative data of at least one serial number in a data warehouse.

58. The method as claimed in clause 57, further characterized by comprising: 103 (h) comparing through the operation of the machine at least one serial number received by the machine with the data corresponding to the serial numbers of bills stored in the data warehouse.

59. The method as claimed in clause 58, further characterized by comprising: provide an indication that the serial number of a ticket received by the machine matches a serial number stored in the data warehouse.

60. The method as claimed in clause 57, further characterized by comprising: (h) dispensing a ticket from the machine; (i) include an indication in the data warehouse of a serial number of the ticket that has been supplied from the machine.

61. The method as claimed in clause 60, further characterized in that it comprises: 104 including in the data warehouse the data used to determine the user of the machine to whom the ticket was supplied in step (h).

62. The method as claimed in clause 57, further characterized by comprising: (h) stocking a ticket from the machine; (i) delete the data corresponding to the serial number of the ticket stocked from the data warehouse.

63. The method as claimed in clause 57, further characterized by comprising: (h) producing at least one of a check or a money order in the machine through the operation of a document production device in response to at least one bill received in the machine; Y (i) deliver at least one of a check or money order to a user of the machine through the opening.

64. The method as claimed in clause 63, further characterized in that it comprises: 105 storing in a correlated relation in a data store, identification data indicating the at least one check or money order delivered with data that is used to identify a particular user of the machine to whom the at least one check was given or the money order in step (i)

65. The method as claimed in clause 63, further characterized in that it comprises: limiting the value of at least one check or a money order delivered from the machine to a particular user in exchange for tickets received by the machine from the user.

66. The method as claimed in clause 64, further characterized in that it comprises: (j) determining at least one serial number of at least one ticket received by the machine in exchange for the check or the money order; (k) storing data corresponding to a serial number in a data store in a correlated relationship with the data used to determine the identity of a user receiving the check or money order.

106. The method as claimed in clause 63, characterized in that before step (i) it also comprises: produce a receipt with a receipt production device in the machine; assemble the receipt and at least one check or money order in an assembled stack through the operation of an assembly mechanism in the machine; wherein in step (i) the at least one money order or check is delivered from the machine in the stack.

68. A method comprising: (a) receive at least one ticket in an automated banking machine; (b) evaluate the at least one ticket with a validation device in the machine; (c) storing in the data store in the machine, the data that can be used to identify the at least one ticket and the user from whom the at least one ticket was received. 107

69. The method as claimed in clause 68, characterized in that step (b) includes determining a serial number on at least one note and where step (c) includes storing corresponding data. to the serial number.

70. The method as claimed in clause 69, further characterized in that it comprises before step (c): (d) comparing the serial number of at least one ticket with the data corresponding to at least one serial number previously stored in the data warehouse.

71. The method as claimed in clause 70, characterized in that the at least one previously stored serial number comprises serial numbers of counterfeit notes.

72. The method as claimed in clause 70, characterized in that the at least one serial number previously stored in the machine comprises serial numbers of bills already stored in the machine.

73. The method as claimed in clause 72, further characterized by comprising taking at least one action if the serial number of at least one ticket received by the machine matches the serial number of another ticket and stored in the machine.

74. The method as claimed in clause 68, further characterized by in step (b) at least one bill is evaluated with respect to validity, and wherein step (c) the data used to identify the user is stored in response to determining in step (b) that at least one ticket is of suspicious validity.

75. The method as claimed in clause 68, further characterized by comprising: (d) receiving at least one user input to at least one input device in the machine; wherein in step (c) the data that can be used to identify the user corresponds to at least one entry.

76. The method as claimed in clause 75, characterized in that in step (d) the at least one input comprises reading data from a card.

77. The method as claimed in clause 75, characterized in that in step (d) at least one entry comprises a biometric entry. 109

78. The method as claimed in clause 75, further characterized because it comprises: (e) receiving a request from the user to cause the machine to provide the user with at least one non-cash document that can be exchanged for exchange value with at least one ticket; Y (f) providing the at least one document from the machine.

79. The method as claimed in clause 78, characterized in that before step (f); (g) determine through the operation of the machine whether the request of the user received in step (e) was satisfied and this will result in the user receiving documents that are not effective that can be exchanged for value in excess of one number or value; and execute (f) only in step (g) if it is determined that the satisfaction of the request by the user will not result in the user receiving non-cash documents in excess of number or value. 110

80. The method as claimed in clause 79, characterized in that in step (g) the determination of whether the satisfaction of the request will result in the user receiving documents in excess of a value number includes the evaluation of at least one previous transaction that results in the user receiving non-cash documents in exchange for tickets in a previous transaction.

81. The method as claimed in clause 80, characterized in that in step (g) it is determined whether the user will receive as a result of satisfying the request in step (e), documents in excess of a particular value in exchange for banknotes within a given period of time.

82. The method as claimed in step 78, further characterized by comprising: store in the data warehouse the data that can be used to identify at least one document that is not exchangeable cash for a value, in correlated relation with the data used to identify the user.

83. The method as claimed in clause 79, characterized in that in step (f) the document comprises a money order. 111

84. The method as claimed in clause 79, characterized in that in step (f) the document comprises a gift certificate.

85. The method as claimed in clause 79, characterized in that in step (f) the document comprises a check.

86. A computer software that operates on at least one computer in an automated banking machine, wherein the computer software is operated to cause the machine to carry out the step of the method recited in clause 68.

87. A method comprising: (a) evaluate the validity of a document through an operation of an automated banking machine; (b) in response to the document being evaluated as being of questionable validity in step (a) marking the document with at least one removable mark through the operation of the machine.

88. The method as claimed in clause 87, characterized in that it comprises: 112 carrying out the transaction with the automated banking machine, wherein in the transaction the document is placed in the machine.

89. The method as claimed in clause 88, further characterized in that it comprises: associating an indicator with the transaction through the operation of the machine, wherein in step (b) the at least one removable mark includes at least a portion of the indicator.

90. The method as claimed in clause 89, characterized in that the indicator comprises a transaction number.

91. The method as claimed in clause 89, characterized in that the transaction is carried out on an account, and where the indicator is associated with the account.

92. The method as claimed in clause 89, characterized in that the transaction is carried out by a user, and wherein the indicator is associated with the user.

113. The method as claimed in clause 89, characterized in that the indicator comprises readable signals with the machine.

94. The method as claimed in clause 93, characterized in that the indicator comprises a bar code.

95. The method as claimed in clause 87, characterized in that in step (b) at least one removable mark comprises removable ink.

96. The method as claimed in clause 95, characterized in that the removable ink comprises visible ink.

97. The method as claimed in clause 95, characterized in that the removable ink comprises non-visible ink.

98. The method as claimed in clause 95, characterized in that the removable ink comprises ink only visible when exposed to radiation within a particular frequency range.

99. The method as claimed in clause 98, characterized in that the removable ink comprises ink that is only visible when exposed to radiation in the ultraviolet range.

100. The method as claimed in clause 87, characterized in that in step (b) the at least one removable mark comprises at least one removable tag.

101. The method as claimed in clause 87, characterized in that it also comprises: after step (b) store the document in at least one first location in the machine.

102. The method as claimed in clause 87, further characterized by comprising: (c) evaluate the validity of at least one additional document for validity through the operation of the machine; (d) storing the at least one additional document in the machine without marking the at least one additional document in response to at least one additional document being evaluated as valid in step (c)

103. The method as claimed in clause 102, characterized in that in step (d) the at least one additional document is stored in at least a second place different from the first place.

104. The method as claimed in clause 103, characterized in that a first transaction carried out by a first user with the machine comprises steps (a) to (d) and further comprises: carrying out a second transaction for a second user through the operation of the machine, wherein the second transaction comprises supplying the at least one additional document of the machine to the second user.

105. The method as claimed in clause 101, characterized in that it also comprises the subsequent step a (b): (c) evaluate the document for validity; (d) remove the at least one removable mark from the document in response to the document being evaluated as valid (c).

106. The method as claimed in clause 105, characterized in that before step (c) remove 116 the document from the machine, wherein step (c) is carried out outside the machine.

107. The method as claimed in clause 105, characterized in that at least one removable mark comprises removable ink, and wherein in step (d) comprises removing the ink.

108. The method as claimed in clause 107, characterized in that the at least one removable mark comprises an ink that can be washed, and wherein in step (d) comprises the washing and drying of the document.

109. The method as claimed in clause 91, characterized in that after step (b) further comprises: (c) evaluate the document for validity; (d) read the indicator; (e) notify an owner of the account of the invalidity of the document that responds to the determination in step (c) that the document is invalid.

110. The method as claimed in clause 92, characterized in that after step (b) further comprises: (c) evaluate the document regarding validity; (d) read the indicator; (e) notify the user of the invalidity of the document in response to the determination in step (c) that the document is invalid.

111. The method as claimed in clause 90, further characterized in that it comprises: (c) remove the document from the machine; (d) and after step (c) evaluate the validity of the document outside the machine; (e) read the transaction number; (f) notify a person responsible for the transaction of the invalidity of the document in response determined in step (d) that the document is invalid.

112. The method as claimed in clause 101, further characterized by comprising: (c) remove the document from the machine; (d) evaluate the document regarding the validity outside the machine; (e) maintaining the at least one removable mark in the document in response to the determination in step (d) that the document is invalid.

113. The method as claimed in clause 87, characterized in that the document comprises a money bill.

114. The method as claimed in clause 113, characterized in that in step (b) the document is marked in response to the machine that is unable to determine that the money bill is genuine.

115. The method as claimed in clause 114, further characterized in that it comprises: grant a user presenting the document to the machine a credit for the document. 119 Store the document in the machine.

116. The method as claimed in clause 115, further characterized in that it comprises: (c) remove the document from the machine; (d) after step (c) evaluate the document regarding the validity; (e) revoke the credit in response determined in step (d) that the document is not valid.

117. The method as claimed in clause 87, further characterized in that it comprises: (c) evaluate the validity of another document through the operation of the machine; (d) in response to another document that is being evaluated as being invalid in step (c) marking the other document with at least one permanent mark through the operation of the machine.

118. The method as claimed in clause 117, further characterized by comprising: 120 (e) storing another document in a storage location in the machine.

119. The method as claimed in clause 117, characterized in that before step (c) receive the other document from a user of the machine and after step (d) deliver the document from the machine to the user.

120. The method as claimed in clause 114, characterized in that the automated banking machine comprises an ATM machine adapted to receive a deposit of money bills.

121. A method comprising: (a) determine with an automated banking machine a document to have unacceptable validity to the machine; (b) generate unique identification information with respect to the document a machine, wherein the information corresponds to a readable indicator mark on the document.

122. The method as claimed in clause 121, characterized in that it comprises: 121 (c) marking the document thereon with a mark that is readable with the machine.

123. The method as claimed in clause 122, characterized in that (c) includes marking a document with at least one removable mark.

124. The method as claimed in clause 122, characterized in that (c) includes marking the document with at least one permanent mark.

125. The method as claimed in clause 121, characterized in that the document comprises a money bill.

126. The method as claimed in clause 125, characterized in that in (b) the mark corresponds to a serial number on the money bill.

127. The method as claimed in clause 123, characterized in that the document comprises a money bill, and wherein (c) the money bill is marked in response to the machine being unable to determine that the money bill is genuine.

128. The method as claimed in clause 127, characterized in that the automated banking machine 122 comprises an ATM machine adapted to receive a deposit of money bills.

129. A method comprising: (a) identify an unacceptable money bill inside an ATM machine; (b) mark the money bill inside the machine and ATM for a unique identification.

130. The method as claimed in clause 131, characterized in that before step (a) includes receiving the money bill in the ATM machine as a deposit.

131. The method as claimed in clause 130, characterized in that step (b) includes marking the document thereon with at least one mark that can be read and removed.

132. An apparatus comprising: an automated banking machine that includes at least one evaluation device adapted to assess the validity of a document in the machine, and at least one marking device, wherein the marking device is adapted to mark a document with less a mark removed in response to the document being evaluated as having a questionable validity.

133. The apparatus as claimed in clause 132, characterized in that the automated banking machine includes at least one receiving device adapted to receive a user's document, and at least one transport operating to move the document in the machine from the receiving device to the evaluation device.

134. The apparatus as claimed in clause 133, further characterized in that it comprises at least one storage location in the machine, wherein the marked document is stored in at least one storage location in the machine.

135. The apparatus as claimed in clause 132, further characterized in that it comprises the control circuit, wherein the control circuit is operated to associate at least one indicator with a transaction in which the document is evaluated where the mark removable includes at least a part of the indicator.

136. The apparatus as claimed in clause 134, characterized in that the indicator comprises by at least one of a transaction number, an account number, a bar code and indicia corresponding to a biometric characteristic.

137. The apparatus as claimed in clause 132, characterized in that the removable mark comprises removable ink.

138. The apparatus as claimed in clause 132, characterized in that the removable mark comprises visible ink.

139. The apparatus as claimed in clause 137, characterized in that the removable ink comprises visible ink only when it is exposed to light in a certain frequency range.

140. The apparatus as claimed in clause 132, characterized in that the removable mark comprises a removable label.

141. The apparatus as claimed in clause 132, characterized in that at least one marking device is adapted to mark another document with at least one permanent mark in response to another document being evaluated as invalid in response to the operation of the device of evaluation. 125

142. An apparatus comprising: an automated banking machine that includes: at least one evaluation device, wherein the at least one evaluation device is adapted to determine an unacceptable document validity to the machine, an information generating device wherein the information generating device is adapted to generate unique identification information relating to a document in response to the document that is not acceptable to the machine where the information corresponds to a readable flag of the document.

143. The apparatus as claimed in clause 142, characterized in that the information generating device is adapted to mark the document as unacceptable on it with the readable mark.

144. The apparatus as claimed in clause 143, characterized in that the information generating device is adapted to mark the unacceptable document on it with at least one removable mark.

126. The apparatus as claimed in clause 143, characterized in that the information generating device is adapted to mark the document as unacceptable on it with at least one permanent mark.

146. The apparatus as claimed in clause 142, characterized in that the at least one evaluation device is adapted to determine the validity of the money bill acceptable to the machine.

147. The apparatus as claimed in clause 146, characterized in that the information corresponds to serial number on the money bill.

148. The apparatus as claimed in clause 144, characterized in that at least one evaluation device is adapted to determine an unacceptable currency bill validity to the machine, and wherein the information generation device is adapted to mark the document in response to at least one evaluation device that is unable to determine that the money bill is genuine.

149. The apparatus as claimed in clause 148, characterized in that the automated banking machine 127 comprises an ATM machine adapted to receive a deposit of money bills.

0. An apparatus comprising: to ATM machine that includes at least one identification device, wherein the at least one identification device is adapted to identify an unacceptable money bill within the ATM machine, a marking device, wherein the marking device is adapted to mark an unacceptable money bill inside the ATM machine for unique identification.

151. The apparatus as claimed in clause 150, characterized in that the ATM machine is adapted to receive a deposit of money bills, and wherein the marking device is adapted to mark an unacceptable money bill thereon with At least one brand that is readable and removable. i 128} SUMMARY A banking machine automates includes a user interconnection that includes an opening. The users 5 of the machine deliver and receive individual sheets and stacks of sheets to and from the machine through the opening. The stacks of sheets may include sheets such as banknotes, checks or other documents. Batteries inserted into the machine may include mixtures of various types of sheets. The machine operates to receive 10 bills, process checks and carry out other operations. The bills received in the machine and evaluated as valid can be recycled and supplied to other users. The tickets evaluated by the machine as being of questionable or doubtful validity can be marked with a removable mark and be 15 subjected to additional analysis. The checks processed by the machine can be formed with images by an image forming device, they can be canceled and stored in the machine or alternatively returned to a user. The documents produced by the machine such as receipts, 20 checks or money orders as well as the assorted banknotes of the machine can be assembled in a stack inside the machine and delivered from the machine through the opening.