Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-23
2002-08-27
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
C235S379000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06439454
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to a printing apparatus and method and, more particularly, to a transaction printer of the type used in printing certain documents, such as negotiable instruments, tickets, coupons and the like.
BACKGROUND ART
Printing mechanisms are used in various applications. One such application is the printing of money orders at a retail establishment. A known money order generating system includes a terminal with a keyboard for entering data and a printer mechanism for printing the money order. Such a system has been sold as the AMOD 2000 system by integrated Payment Systems, Inc. of Englewood, Colorado. The terminal of this system may be located near a point of sale location and in some instances may be connected to a cash register. A host system may provide accounting functions and verification functions and may even control operation of the printer.
Known money order generating systems such as the Amod 2000 include a supply of blank money order forms loaded into the terminal by an authorized individual. The terminal is then, typically, locked to prevent access to the blank money order forms by unauthorized persons. Generally, the individual loading the blank forms, enters a pre-printed starting sequence number for the forms that have been loaded. As the money orders are printed and dispensed from the terminal, the terminal maintains a record of the money orders as they are printed. However, the terminal assumes that the money order number is the starting number entered plus the number of money orders printed since loading. The terminal has no way of confirming the number that is preprinted on the money order. In instances where a paper jam occurs in the printer mechanism or some other occurrence necessitates the removal and destruction of one of the blank money order forms from the printer, the information maintained by the host computer is erroneous. Thus, the amounts assigned to a particular money order number will not match when the money orders are returned for reconciliation with a ledger maintained by the system.
Because blank money order forms are negotiable instruments for large amounts of money, provision must also be made to maintain security of the money order generating system both electronically and mechanically. As used herein, the forms held in storage are negotiable instruments in that they comprise completed signature blocks. Access to a compartment containing the blank money order forms must be restricted only to authorized individuals and provision must be made to restrict the ability to pull the blank money order forms from the printing mechanism and any associated feed mechanism.
One problem associated with prior systems is security in the event of a power loss. If power is lost during printing and the chain of blank forms is still intact, an unauthorized party may be able to extract blank forms from the device by pulling the form being printed. Prior systems have used complex mechanisms to trigger pins that are forced into the paper chain when tension is sensed on the chain. Such systems are susceptible to failure and false activation due to their complexity.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a new and improved transaction printer which is capable of printing and dispensing negotiable instruments, such as money orders, official checks, other retail items such as gift certificates, coupons and tickets and other printed documents having value. For purposes of explanation, the invention will be described as it would be used in a money order dispensing application. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this application.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the printer includes an interconnected printing module and feeder module. The printing module includes a printing member, preferably a printhead assembly which is mounted for transverse movement with respect to a path of movement for a print medium, which may comprise, for example, money order forms. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the printhead assembly carries a sensor which is used to detect the leading edge of the money order form. According to one embodiment, the sensor reads a “top of form” mark preprinted on the money order form. The “top of form” mark serves as a reference by which printing positions and other functions, i.e. bursting, are determined. The sensor may be used to detect other alignment marks printed on the form. According to an alternate embodiment of the invention, the sensor directly detects the leading edge of the money order form, and/or a second “top of form” mark to assure correct form position.
The sensor is also operative to read preprinted indicia or symbology on the money order forms. This symbology may comprise, for example, bar codes, binary codes, characters to be ready by optical character recognition systems, magnetic characters to be read magnetically or any other form of encoded material. When the printer is used in the illustrated money order dispensing application, each individual money order form includes a preprinted bar code which among other information includes the money order number. When the printer is coupled to a host computer, the bar code information is read by the sensor on the printhead assembly and is sent to the host computer which uses this information to verify operation of the printer and to track accounting information associated with the generation of each money order. Should a bar code not be sensed or an inappropriate code read after multiple attempts, further operation of the printer would be inhibited by a local system until the problem is attended to and corrected. The local system serves to direct operation of the printer and may comprise, for example, a terminal, a personal computer, a point of sale device, a network server or other suitable processing system. The present invention also contemplates a printer in which operation of the printer is inhibited using a mechanism and/or software contained within the printer itself.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the feeder modulel includes a receptacle compartment for containing a plurality of blank forms which may comprise a chain of interconnected negotiable instruments such as money orders. A first feed mechanism is used to advance the lead money order from the receptacle. A bursting mechanism forming part of the printer is used to sever the lead money order from the supply of blank money order forms when the lead money order has advanced to a predetermined position. According to one embodiment of the invention, the burster is located in the feeder module and the money order form is not severed until the sensor carried on the printhead is used to verify that the correct document is present and is positioned correctly.
In a more preferred embodiment, a burst sensor is also provided for detecting failure of the burster mechanism to severe the lead money order. In the illustrated embodiment, an optical sensor is located downstream of the bursting mechanism and detects failure of the document to separate from the document supply.
The printer includes a second feed mechanism which is used to feed the severed money order form through a printing station, forming part of the printing module, where the money order information including a receipt is printed on the money order form. According to one embodiment, the system is arranged such that a blank money order form includes two transverse portions, the leading portion in the path of movement of the money order through the printer being a receipt portion and the lagging portion being the negotiable money order itself. The bar code is preferably preprinted on the receipt portion of the money order form at a predetermined location near the leading edge of the form.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a single drive motor is used to drive both the first and second feed mechanisms. A coupling mechanism, which may be solenoid operated, is used to couple the first feed mechanism asso
Brice Robert J.
Carrington Dan R.
Fell Michael V.
Marvin Russel H.
Masson Bernard V.
Axiohm Transaction Solutions, Inc.
Frech Karl D.
Nowlin April A.
Watts, Hoffman, Fisher & Heinke Co.
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