Cash handling

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/673,796, filed Feb. 12, 2007; which application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/SE2006/000195, filed Feb. 10, 2006 and designating the United States, which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/773,123, filed on Feb. 13, 2006.

The entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/673,796, the entire disclosure of International Application No. PCT/SE2006/000195, and the entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/773,123 are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference.

The present application relates to handling of cash in a cash handling system comprising a plurality of interacting entities. Specifically, the handling of cash involves transporting cash between system entities as well as transmitting information signals between cash handling system entities.

Cash, not least in the form of bank notes, will continue to fulfill a large and vital role or function in payment systems all around the world for a long time to come. Although electronic payment systems in which cash in the form of bank notes have been eliminated are becoming more and more widespread, there is still a large need to cater for transactions that are simple and have no need for complex electronic equipment.

The simplicity of using cash for performing transactions is, however, closely and inevitably coupled to problems of how to prevent unauthorized access to the cash. Such problems are relevant with respect to all stages involved when preparing for and making any transaction involving cash. For example, when preparing for and when performing transport of cash from a shop, retail location or automatic teller machine (ATM) to a cash depository, such as a cash center, or financial institute, such as a bank, there are typically a large number of procedures and protection systems involved in order to prevent unauthorized access to the cash. Needless to say, these procedures are typically very complicated and involve the use of expensive equipment and staff.

Further related to these, more direct, problems of preventing unauthorized physical access to the cash, are problems of how to simplify and facilitate for interacting entities in a cash handling system in terms of handling ownership and responsibility with respect to cash during different stages of controlling flow of cash in a cash handling system.

Such problems and related problems have been discussed in the prior art. Examples of such disclosures include US patent application publication 2004/0030622 in which a currency management method and system is described. A currency transportation plan is established that includes a currency delivery schedule for transport of currency between nodes in a system. The schedule is established using information pertaining to a currency inventory, a forecast for currency demand and costs of handling currency.

Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,584 discloses a system for handling banknotes within a geographically limited area. An information center communicates with ATMs to exchange data relating to banknotes. Transport vehicles transport the banknotes to and from the machines in response to orders from the information center issued on the basis of information sent from the machines to the information center.

Although relating to cash handling in general, the cited prior art disclosures are more directed to solving problems of how to minimize manual handling of bank notes, and provides solutions that involve creating schedules and plans for transporting currency in currency management systems.

An object of the present invention is hence to overcome drawbacks related to cash handling disclosed in the prior art.

In addition to providing a solution to a general problem of how to minimize manual handling of currency, the present invention addresses a more specific problem of how to improve security in cash handling while at the same time providing flexible and cost effective cash handling in a cash handling system.

Hence, in one aspect, the present invention provides a cash transport apparatus and a method of controlling operation of such a cash transport apparatus.

That is, a method of controlling operation of a cash transport apparatus in a cash handling system is provided. The cash transport apparatus is configured to store cash, receive and dispense cash and exchange information with a plurality of cash handling entities in the cash handling system. The method comprises establishing a first signaling connection with a first cash handling entity, communicating first information signals between the cash transport apparatus and the first cash handling entity, and controlling flow of cash between the cash transport apparatus and the first cash handling entity. This is followed by establishing a second signaling connection with a second cash handling entity, communicating second information signals between the cash transport apparatus and the second cash handling entity, and controlling flow of cash between the cash transport apparatus and the second cash handling entity.

By not being an integrated part or sub-unit of any entity in the cash handling system and thereby not dedicated for use in connection with only one entity, which is typically the situation with respect to prior art transport systems, a transport unit and control of a transport unit according to the invention is very advantageous in terms of versatility of use. As a result of such versatility other advantages become apparent, such as efficiency in terms of cost and speed. Prior to the control of the flow of cash with the first cash handling entity, control of engagers may be performed to establish a mechanical engagement between a cash input and output unit in the transport apparatus and the first cash handling entity. Moreover, after the control of the flow of cash with the first cash handling entity, control of engagers may be performed to release the mechanical engagement between a cash input and output unit in the transport apparatus and the first cash handling entity, and prior to the control of the flow of cash with the second cash handling entity, control of engagers may be performed to establish a mechanical engagement between a cash input and output unit in the transport apparatus and the second cash handling entity, and after the control of the flow of cash with the second cash handling entity, control of engagers may be performed to release the mechanical engagement between a cash input and output unit in the transport apparatus and the second cash handling entity.

The establishing of any of the first and the second signaling connection may comprise communication of an identifier of any of the cash transport apparatus, the first cash handling entity and the second cash handling entity.

Any of the first information signals and the second information signals may comprise information pertaining to a cash flow amount and the control of flow of cash between the cash transport apparatus and any of the first and second cash handling entities may comprise flow control in dependence on the information pertaining to cash flow amount. Moreover, the control of flow of cash between the cash transport apparatus and any of the first and second cash handling entities may comprise controlling recycling of cash. That is, cash dispensed from one entity into the transport apparatus may be dispensed into another entity. The information pertaining to cash flow amounts that is exchanged between the transport apparatus and entities in the system facilitates this recycling operation and by this provides a further advantage of efficient cash storage use.