Banknote processing device, and banknote processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9842324-B2
Application number	US-201314417136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2013
Priority date	Aug 9, 2012
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A banknote processing device includes a first pay-out port and a second pay-out port in which banknotes for pay-out are stacked, a conveyance section that conveys banknotes to the first pay-out port or to the second pay-out port, a first opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the first pay-out port by moving, a second opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the second pay-out port by moving, and a controller that controls conveyance of the banknotes by the conveyance section, and that controls opening and closing operations of the first and second opening-closing members. When the number of banknotes stacked in the first pay-out port has reached a maximum stacking number in pay-out processing, the controller performs a switching operation to switch a conveyance destination of the banknotes from the first pay-out port to the second pay-out port, and performs an opening operation to open the first opening-closing member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A banknote processing device comprising:
a first pay-out port and a second pay-out port in which banknotes for pay-out are stacked;
a conveyance section that conveys banknotes to the first pay-out port or to the second pay-out port;
a first opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the first pay-out port by moving;
a second opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the second pay-out port by moving; and
a controller that controls conveyance of the banknotes by the conveyance section, and that controls opening and closing operations of the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member, wherein
the controller controls the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member to maintain a first shutter state in which both the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member are closed while the conveyance section conveys banknotes to the first pay-out port,
the controller performs a switching operation to switch a conveyance destination of the banknotes from the first pay-out port to the second pay-out port based on detecting that the number of banknotes stacked in the first pay-out port has reached a maximum stacking number, and
after performing the switching operation, the controller controls the first and second opening-closing members to maintain a second shutter state in which the first opening-closing member is open and the second opening-closing member is closed while the conveyance section conveys banknotes to the second pay-out port.

2. The banknote processing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller opens the first opening-closing member after switching the conveyance destination from the first pay-out port to the second pay-out port.

3. The banknote processing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection section that detects removal of stacked banknotes from the first pay-out port or the second pay-out port, wherein
the controller performs a closing operation to close the first opening-closing member to maintain the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member in a third shutter state, in which the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member are closed, based on the detection section detecting the banknotes stacked in the first pay-out port have been removed while the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member are in the second shutter state.

4. The banknote processing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller stops conveyance of the banknotes to the first pay-out port and the second pay-out port based on detecting the banknotes stacked in the first pay-out port have not been removed and the second pay-out port is full while the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member are in the second shutter state.

5. The banknote processing device of claim 3 , wherein the
the controller performs a switching operation to switch the conveyance destination from the second pay-out port to the first pay-out port, and performs an opening operation to open the second opening-closing member to maintain the first pay-out port and the second pay-out port in a fourth shutter state in which the second opening-closing member is open and the first opening-closing member is closed based on detecting that the number of banknotes stacked in the second pay-out port has reached a maximum stacking number while the first pay-out port and the second pay-out port are in the third shutter state.

6. A banknote processing device comprising:
a first pay-out port and a second pay-out port in which banknotes for pay-out are stacked;
a conveyance section that conveys banknotes to the first pay-out port or to the second pay-out port;
a first opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the first pay-out port by moving;
a second opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the second pay-out port by moving; and
a controller that controls conveyance of the banknotes by the conveyance section, and that controls opening and closing operations of the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member, wherein
the controller controls the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member to maintain a first shutter state in which both the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member are closed while the conveyance section conveys banknotes to the first pay-out port,
the controller performs a switching operation to switch a conveyance destination of the banknotes from the first pay-out port to the second pay-out port based on detecting that the number of banknotes stacked in the first pay-out port has reached a maximum stacking number,
after performing the switching operation, the controller compares a number of banknotes to be conveyed against a maximum stacking number of the second pay-out port,
the controller varies a timing of an opening operation of the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member according to whether or not the number of banknotes is greater than the maximum stacking number,
wherein the controller is configured to control the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member to maintain a second shutter state in which the first opening-closing member is open and the second opening-closing member is closed while the conveyance section conveys banknotes to the second pay-out port, based on determining that the number of banknotes to be conveyed after performing the switching operation is greater than the maximum stacking number of the second pay-out port.

7. The banknote processing device of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to open the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member at the same time after conveyance of the banknotes to the second pay-out port has been completed based on determining that the number of banknotes is the maximum stacking number of the second pay-out port or fewer.

8. A banknote processing method for controlling conveyance of banknotes for pay-out to a first pay-out port and a second pay-out port, and controlling opening and closing operations of a first opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the first pay-out port and a second opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the second pay-out port, the banknote processing method comprising:
controlling the first and second opening-closing members to maintain a first shutter state in which the first and second opening-closing members are closed;
conveying the banknotes to the first pay-out port while the first and second opening-closing members are in the first shutter state;
performing a switching operation to switch a conveyance destination of the banknotes from the first pay-out port to the second pay-out port based on determining that the number of stacked banknotes conveyed to the first pay-out port has reached a maximum stacking number in pay-out processing;
after performing the switching operation, controlling the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member to maintain a second shutter state in which the first opening-closing member is open and the second opening-closing member is closed by performing an opening operation to open the first opening-closing member after switching the conveyance destination from the first pay-out port to the second pay-out port; and
conveying the banknotes to the second pay-out port after switching and while the first opening-closing member and the second opening-closing member are in the second shutter state.

Assignees

• Oki Electric Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chugo Akihiro

Classifications

• G06Q20/027

  involving a payment switch or gateway · CPC title

• G06Q20/042 Primary

  characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque · CPC title

• G06Q20/18

  involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals · CPC title

• G07D11/14 Primary

  Inlet or outlet ports · CPC title

• G07D1/00

  Coin dispensers (devices delivering paper currency G07D11/00) · CPC title