Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Banking systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-16
2001-03-27
Le, Thien M. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Banking systems
C902S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206284
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic bank teller machines (ATMs).
2. Description of Related Art
Automatic bank teller machines (ATMs) are becoming increasingly popular because they make banking functions available to customers virtually around the clock, and at a variety of locations, in addition to bank branches.
One function of an ATM is to serve as a cash dispenser and/or as a cash depository. This enables a bank customer to draw cash from a bank account, and also to deposit money into the account. In general, an ATM dispenses cash from and takes in cash and checks into a secure chest, through apertures provided in the chest and/or a door through which the chest is accessed.
Historically, ATM suppliers have provided two basic configurations of the ATM. The first is called “replenish-from-the-front”, or RFTF. In this configuration, the ATM is serviced (i.e., cash replenished, deposits removed, and blank transaction records refilled) by a service person standing at the front of the ATM. The “front” of the ATM is also where a customer stands while using the ATM. A door is provided on the front of the ATM to permit access to the secure chest.
The second common ATM configuration is “replenish-from-the-rear”, or RFTR. In this configuration, the ATM is serviced from the rear, on the side opposite to where a customer stands to use the ATM. In this case, a door is provided on the rear of the ATM to provide access to the secure chest.
However, with two ATM configurations available, ATM suppliers have had to exert great planning effort to determine which configuration is to be provided at a site, and how many of each configuration is to be provided. The need to know this information well in advance of assembly, and for the need for commensurate manufacturing build/buy schedules has undesirably added to the cost of deploying significant numbers of ATMs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide an ATM that is characteristically easy to configure in either an RFTF or an RFTR configuration. It is another objective of the present invention to provide an ATM that can be used by more than one customer, simultaneously.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, the ATM consists of several standardized equipment modules. Because the modules can be configured in either an RFTF or RFTR configuration, they can be pre-assembled and warehoused, without inconvenient preplanning of configurations, as with the above-described conventional ATM. Commonality of the components, particularly the secure chest, reduces the cost of manufacturing in both the RFTF and RFTR configurations.
In particular, the present invention permits the access door of the secure chest to be easily configured so as to hinge on either the right or the left side, in accordance with the replenish configuration chosen.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, an ATM that can be used by multiple users is provided. In this embodiment, two customers can access the machine from, for example, opposite sides thereof. The features of the present invention that permit switching between RFTF and RFTR ATM configurations in the first embodiment are used, in the second embodiment, to permit such multi-user simultaneous access.
These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Bairamian Avery
Bui Xuan S.
Butryn Joe
Do Cuong
Dudasik Edward M. R.
Citicorp Development Center Inc.
Le Thien M.
Marcou George T.
Stockton LLP Kilpatrick
Taylor Larry
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