Cash processing device

Abstract

The present invention provides a money processing device that can streamline the payment process by reducing the need for re-processing of payment transactions. [Solution] This money processing device 100 includes a money storage container 6 which includes a plurality of storage compartments 61 (62, 63, 64, 65, 66) provided for each denomination of money Co, and a control unit 11 which, during the deposit processing, when the deposited money Co is stored in each of the plurality of storage compartments 61 (62, 63, 64, 65, 66), if the number of coins in each of the plurality of storage compartments 61 (62, 63, 64, 65, 66) is greater than a first threshold Cr1 and less than a second threshold Cr2 which is less than the number of coins that can be stored Cr3, the device continues to accept deposits of money Co up to the second threshold Cr2, and if it exceeds the second threshold Cr2, the device controls the device to stop accepting deposits of money Co.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0005] , , , ,

[0001] This invention relates to a money processing device including a money storage.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a money processing device including a money storage has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a coin processing device (money processing device) including a coin storage (money storage). This coin processing device includes a coin inspection unit and a control unit. The coin inspection unit is configured to determine the authenticity of coins, determine the denomination, and count the number of coins for each denomination. The control unit performs control to discharge coins exceeding the predetermined storage number when the number obtained by adding the number of coins for each denomination counted by the coin inspection unit to the current stored number of coins in the coin storage for each denomination reaches the predetermined storage number during the coin deposit process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] [[ID=3८]] Here, in the money processing device of Patent Document 1, when the predetermined storage number is reached, in order to enable coins to be stored, it is necessary to interrupt the deposit process and collect the coins from the coin storage. And, after collecting the coins to make the coin storage capable of storing coins, it is necessary to restart the deposit process again, so there are cases where the deposit process cannot proceed smoothly. Therefore, when the deposit process is in progress, it is desired to suppress the occurrence of redoing the deposit process and smoothly proceed with the deposit process by not performing the process of collecting coins from the coin storage.

[0006] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a money processing device that can suppress the occurrence of re-processing of deposit transactions and facilitate deposit processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A money processing device according to one aspect of this invention includes a deposit slot for depositing money, a money storage unit including a plurality of storage compartments provided for different denominations of money, and a control unit that, during the money deposit process, when the deposited money is stored in each of the plurality of storage compartments, if the number of bills in each of the plurality of storage compartments is greater than a first threshold set for each of the plurality of storage compartments and less than a second threshold for each of the plurality of storage compartments which is less than the number of bills that each of the plurality of storage compartments can hold, the control unit continues to accept money deposits up to the second threshold, and if it exceeds the second threshold, it performs control to stop accepting money deposits.

[0008] In one aspect of this invention, a money processing device is provided, as described above, during the money deposit process, if the number of bills in each of the multiple storage compartments, when the deposited money has been stored in each of the multiple storage compartments, is greater than a first threshold set for each of the multiple storage compartments, and less than or equal to a second threshold for each of the multiple storage compartments, which is smaller than the number of bills that each of the multiple storage compartments can hold, the device continues to accept the money deposit up to the second threshold. If the number of bills exceeds the second threshold, the device is provided with a control unit that controls the device to stop accepting the money deposit. As a result, even if a denomination exceeds the first threshold during the deposit process, the device can continue to accept the money deposit up to the second threshold, thereby preventing the interruption of the deposit process and the need to retrieve money from the money storage compartment to allow for storage. Consequently, since money can not be retrieved from the money storage compartment during the deposit process, the need to redo the deposit process is suppressed, and the deposit process can proceed smoothly. Furthermore, by implementing a control mechanism that prevents the acceptance of cash deposits when the second threshold is exceeded, it is possible to prevent the deposit of more cash than the storage capacity of each of the multiple storage units can hold, thereby suppressing cash jams in each of the multiple storage units.

[0009] In the money processing device according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the device further includes an outlet from which money is discharged, and the control unit is configured to, during the money deposit process, to prevent the acceptance of money deposits by discharging the deposited money when the number of money in each of the multiple storage units exceeds a second threshold when the deposited money is stored in each of the multiple storage units. With this configuration, by discharging the number of money exceeding the second threshold, the amount of money exceeding the second threshold can be moved to a position where it cannot be put into the multiple storage units, thereby further suppressing money jams in each of the multiple storage units.

[0010] In the money processing device according to the first phase described above, preferably, the second threshold value is at least 20 or more units greater than the first threshold value. Here, it is rare for a situation to occur where 20 or more units of money are deposited while deposit processing is in progress. Therefore, by ensuring that the number of depositable units that exceeds the first threshold is 20 or more, it is possible to suppress the situation in which the device does not accept money deposits while deposit processing is in progress. As a result, money deposits can be continued.

[0011] In the money processing device according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the device further includes a temporary holding unit for temporarily holding money before transporting it to the money storage unit. The control unit is configured to calculate the number of money to be stored in each of the multiple storage units by adding the number of coins of each denomination stored in the money storage unit and the number of coins of each denomination held in the temporary holding unit during the money deposit process, and to perform control by comparing the calculated number of coins with a second threshold for each denomination. With this configuration, by comparing with the second threshold for each denomination, it is possible to determine whether to continue accepting money deposits for each denomination or not. If there are denominations for which it is possible to continue accepting money deposits, the deposit process can be continued.

[0012] In this case, preferably, the system further includes a storage counting unit provided in each of the multiple storage compartments for counting the number of coins stored in each of the multiple storage compartments, a dispensing counting unit provided in each of the multiple storage compartments for counting the number of coins dispensed from each of the multiple storage compartments, and a deposit identification unit that identifies the money deposited from the deposit slot and measures the number of coins. The control unit is configured to use the storage counting unit and the dispensing counting unit to obtain the number of coins of each denomination stored in the money storage compartment, which has been counted in advance, and to use the deposit identification unit to obtain the number of coins of each denomination identified in the temporary holding unit during the money deposit process. With this configuration, the number of coins stored in the storage compartments can be obtained by using the storage counting unit and the dispensing counting unit. In addition, the number of coins held in the temporary holding unit can be obtained by using the deposit identification unit. These methods allow us to obtain the number of coins in each of the multiple storage compartments when the deposited money is stored in each of them, and to obtain the result of comparing the number of coins in each of the multiple storage compartments with a second threshold. As a result, based on the comparison result, we can implement control to decide whether to continue accepting deposits or to implement control to stop accepting deposits.

[0013] In the money processing device according to the first aspect described above, preferably, an overflow storage unit for collecting the discharged money is further provided, and the control unit is configured to, after the money deposit processing is completed, perform control to discharge and collect money from each of the plurality of storage units that have a number of money stored that is equal to or greater than the first threshold, into the overflow storage unit, based on whether the number of money stored in each of the plurality of storage units is equal to or greater than the first threshold. With this configuration, if the control is performed to continue deposits and the number of money stored in a storage unit exceeds the first threshold but is equal to or greater than the second threshold, since the amount of money stored in the storage unit is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the money in the storage unit that is equal to or greater than the first threshold can be discharged into the overflow storage unit to an extent that does not exceed the first threshold and collected before the start of the next deposit processing.

[0014] In the money processing device according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the first threshold is set in increments of 5 or 10 bills, and the second threshold is set in increments of 1 bill. With this configuration, by setting the first threshold in increments of 5 or 10 bills, the first threshold can be set to a round number, making it easy for the user to determine the first threshold. Furthermore, since the second threshold can be set to a more precise value than the first threshold, the second threshold can be set to a value close to the number of bills that can be stored. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, as described above, the occurrence of re-processing of payment transactions can be suppressed, and payment processing can be carried out smoothly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a money processing device. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a money processing device and a POS register device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the state of a cash processing device in the process of processing a deposit according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where the sum of the number of coins held in the temporary holding section of a money processing device according to one embodiment and the number of coins stored in the 1-yen storage compartment falls between a first threshold and a second threshold. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the state of a money processing device during overflow processing according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the number of coins remaining in the 1-yen coin storage compartment of a money processing device according to one embodiment, after the coins have been dispensed from the compartment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating the deposit process of a cash processing device according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, the configuration of the money processing device 100 with the POS (Point Of Sales) register device 200 installed according to the embodiment will be described. The money processing device 100 with the POS register device 200 installed is installed in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the POS register device 200 is configured to transmit various signals to the money processing device 100 in order to operate the money processing device 100. The POS register device 200 is configured to transmit a signal to the money processing device 100 to start deposit processing, withdrawal processing, overflow processing, etc. to the money processing device 100. Further, the POS register device 200 is configured to receive a signal from the money processing device 100 indicating that deposit processing, withdrawal processing, overflow processing, etc. have ended.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the money processing device 100 includes a deposit slot 1, a deposit discrimination unit 2, a deposit conveyance unit 3, a temporary storage unit 4, a sorting conveyance unit 5, a money storage 6, a withdrawal conveyance unit 7, a withdrawal slot 8, a return slot 9, an overflow storage 10, a control unit 11, and a storage unit 12. Note that each of the withdrawal slot 8 and the return slot 9 is an example of the "discharge port" in the claims.

[0021] The deposit slot 1 is an opening for a customer or the like to deposit (insert) coins Co. A deposit detection unit 1a for detecting the coins Co inserted into the deposit slot 1 is arranged at the deposit slot 1. Note that the coins Co are an example of the "money" in the claims.

[0022] The deposit identification unit 2 is configured to identify the deposited coins Co and count their number. The deposit identification unit 2 is located in the deposit transport unit 3. The deposit identification unit 2 is configured to determine the denomination of the coins Co deposited into the deposit slot 1 (1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen coins) and whether they are genuine or not. The deposit identification unit 2 is also configured to count the number of coins Co by denomination.

[0023] The deposit and transport unit 3 is configured to transport the coins Co deposited from the deposit slot 1 to the temporary holding unit 4 or the dispensing slot 8. The deposit and transport unit 3 has, for example, a conveyor mechanism as a mechanism for transporting the coins Co.

[0024] A deposit switching gate 3a is located in the deposit transport section 3. The deposit switching gate 3a is configured to switch the destination of coins Co inserted from the deposit slot 1 to either the temporary holding section 4 or the dispensing slot 8. The deposit switching gate 3a is configured to switch the destination so that coins Co are transported to the temporary holding section 4 when the deposit authentication section 2 determines that the coins Co are genuine. The deposit switching gate 3a is also configured to switch the destination so that coins Co are transported to the dispensing slot 8 when the deposit authentication section 2 determines that the coins Co are not genuine.

[0025] The temporary holding section 4 is configured to temporarily hold coins Co before transporting them to the money storage unit 6. That is, the temporary holding section 4 is configured to temporarily hold and store coins Co that have been deposited from the deposit slot 1 and authenticated by the deposit authentication section 2. The temporary holding section 4 is also configured to transport the temporarily held coins Co to the sorting and transport section 5 or the return slot 9. The temporary holding section 4 has, for example, a conveyor mechanism as a mechanism for transporting coins Co.

[0026] A storage switching gate 4a is located in the temporary holding section 4. The storage switching gate 4a is configured to switch the destination of the coins Co temporarily held in the temporary holding section 4 to either the sorting and transport section 5 side or the return slot 9 side.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the sorting and conveying unit 5 is configured to sort the coins Co transported from the temporary holding unit 4 by denomination and transport (store) them in the money storage unit 6. The sorting and conveying unit 5 has, for example, a conveyor mechanism as a mechanism for transporting the coins Co.

[0028] Specifically, the sorting and transporting unit 5 is configured to transport the coins Co and sort them by denomination into the 1-yen storage unit 61, the 50-yen storage unit 62, the 5-yen storage unit 63, the 100-yen storage unit 64, the 10-yen storage unit 65, and the 500-yen storage unit 66. The sorting and transporting unit 5 is configured to sort the coins Co by denomination, for example, by separating the coins Co along the transport path using the difference in size of the coins Co for each denomination.

[0029] The money storage compartment 6 includes a 1-yen storage compartment 61, a 50-yen storage compartment 62, a 5-yen storage compartment 63, a 100-yen storage compartment 64, a 10-yen storage compartment 65, and a 500-yen storage compartment 66. The 1-yen storage compartment 61, 50-yen storage compartment 62, 5-yen storage compartment 63, 100-yen storage compartment 64, 10-yen storage compartment 65, and 500-yen storage compartment 66 are examples of the "multiple storage compartments" in the claims.

[0030] The 1-yen storage compartment 61 is configured to store a 1-yen coin Co. The 50-yen storage compartment 62 is configured to store a 50-yen coin Co. The 5-yen storage compartment 63 is configured to store a 5-yen coin Co. The 100-yen storage compartment 64 is configured to store a 100-yen coin Co. The 10-yen storage compartment 65 is configured to store a 10-yen coin Co. The 500-yen storage compartment 66 is configured to store a 500-yen coin Co.

[0031] Thus, the money storage compartment 6 includes multiple storage compartments, each dedicated to a different denomination of coins Co (money).

[0032] The number of coins Co stored in the 1-yen storage section 61, the 50-yen storage section 62, the 5-yen storage section 63, the 100-yen storage section 64, the 10-yen storage section 65, and the 500-yen storage section 66 is managed by the control unit 11 by denomination using the storage counting section 67 and the dispensing counting section 68.

[0033] The storage counting unit 67 is positioned at the entrance of each coin Co in the 1-yen storage unit 61, the 50-yen storage unit 62, the 5-yen storage unit 63, the 100-yen storage unit 64, the 10-yen storage unit 65, and the 500-yen storage unit 66. The storage counting unit 67 is configured to count the number of coins Co stored in each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, the 50-yen storage unit 62, the 5-yen storage unit 63, the 100-yen storage unit 64, the 10-yen storage unit 65, and the 500-yen storage unit 66. The storage counting unit 67 is configured to count the number of coins Co that have passed through. The storage counting unit 67 is a sensor such as a transmissive photosensor, a reflective photosensor, or a coil-type sensor.

[0034] The dispensing and counting unit 68 is located at the exit of each of the coin storage sections Co: 1 yen storage section 61, 50 yen storage section 62, 5 yen storage section 63, 100 yen storage section 64, 10 yen storage section 65, and 500 yen storage section 66. The dispensing and counting unit 68 is configured to count the number of coins Co dispensed from each of the 1 yen storage section 61, 50 yen storage section 62, 5 yen storage section 63, 100 yen storage section 64, 10 yen storage section 65, and 500 yen storage section 66. The dispensing and counting unit 68 is configured to count the number of coins Co that have passed through. The dispensing and counting unit 68 is a sensor such as a transmissive photosensor, a reflective photosensor, or a coil type sensor.

[0035] The money storage unit 6 is configured to dispense (transport) coins Co by denomination to the dispensing and transporting unit 7 when dispensing money. The money storage unit 6 has, for example, a conveyor mechanism as a mechanism for dispensing coins Co.

[0036] The dispensing and transporting unit 7 is configured to transport coins Co dispensed from the money storage unit 6 to the dispensing slot 8 or the temporary holding unit 4. The dispensing and transporting unit 7 has, for example, a conveyor mechanism as a mechanism for transporting coins Co.

[0037] A withdrawal switching gate 7a is located in the cash transfer unit 7. The withdrawal switching gate 7a is configured to switch the destination of the coins Co dispensed from the cash storage unit 6 to either the temporary holding unit 4 side or the cash dispenser 8 side.

[0038] The dispensing slot 8 is an opening from which coins Co transported by the dispensing transport unit 7 are dispensed. In other words, the dispensing slot 8 is an opening from which change coins Co are dispensed. Change is the amount of coins Co (money) equivalent to the amount deposited minus the price of the goods. The change coins Co are dispensed from the money storage compartment 6. The dispensing slot 8 is also an opening from which coins Co determined to be counterfeit by the deposit authentication unit 2 are discharged.

[0039] The return slot 9 is an opening through which coins Co are dispensed (discharged) via the dispensing transport unit 7 and the temporary holding unit 4. The return slot 9 is an opening for discharging the coins Co for return to the outside of the money processing device 100. The coins Co for return are the coins Co that are returned to the customer if the deposit is canceled before settlement, and are the deposit coins Co themselves.

[0040] The overflow compartment 10 is configured to collect the coins Co dispensed (discharged) from the money storage compartment 6. The overflow compartment 10 is configured to store the coins Co. The coins Co dispensed from the money storage compartment 6 are moved from the dispensing transport unit 7 into the overflow compartment 10 by falling.

[0041] Such an overflow compartment 10 is detachably attached to the money processing device 100. That is, the overflow compartment 10 is configured to be detachable from the money processing device 100 so that the collected coins Co can be removed.

[0042] The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 12 includes an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The control unit 11 controls the money processing device 100 using various programs and settings stored in the storage unit 12.

[0043] The control unit 11 performs deposit processing, withdrawal processing, and overflow processing based on signals transmitted from the POS register device 200.

[0044] The control unit 11 controls the deposit transport unit 3, the temporary holding unit 4, and the distribution transport unit 5 to transport the coins Co deposited from the deposit slot 1 to the money storage unit 6 and store them in the money storage unit 6. This control is the deposit process. The control unit 11 also controls the dispensing of the coins Co stored in the money storage unit 6 and the dispensing transport unit 7 to discharge them to the dispensing slot 8. This control is the dispensing process.

[0045] When the number of coins Co stored in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66 reaches a first threshold Cr1 or higher, the control unit 11 controls the dispensing of coins Co of the denominations that have reached a first threshold Cr1 or higher from the money storage section 6 so that the number of coins remains below the first threshold Cr1 (for example, 40 coins), and the dispensing and transporting unit 7 discharges and collects them in the overflow storage section 10. This control is called overflow processing.

[0046] (Transactions with customers) Here, using the cash processing device 100 and the POS register device 200, transactions with customers are carried out through the deposit processing, withdrawal processing, and overflow processing described above.

[0047] In other words, customer transactions are conducted via the POS register device 200 and the cash processing device 100. First, the POS register device 200 reads the barcode of the product the customer wishes to purchase, and registers product information such as the type of product, the price of the product, and the quantity of the product (product registration). Then, based on the POS register device 200 receiving the operation that product registration for all products has been completed, it sends a signal to the cash processing device 100 to start the deposit process. As a result, the control unit 11 starts the deposit process, that is, it starts accepting coins Co (money) from the customer.

[0048] Then, based on receiving the operation that the payment of coins Co (money) has been completed, the POS register device 200 sends a signal to the money processing device 100 to terminate the deposit process. As a result, the control unit 11 starts the dispensing process if there is change. The POS register device 200 receives a signal from the money processing device 100 that the customer has taken all of the change from the dispensing slot 8. As a result, the POS register device 200 sends a signal to the money processing device 100 that the dispensing process has been completed. As a result, it determines that the transaction with the customer has been completed. Furthermore, if overflow processing is required after the dispensing process is completed, the control unit 11 performs control to start the overflow processing. Based on receiving a signal from the money processing device 100 that the overflow processing has been completed, the POS register device 200 makes it possible to start the next transaction.

[0049] The above-described transactions are repeated. During a transaction with a customer, if there is no change available, the withdrawal process may not be performed, and if the amount of coins Co equal to or greater than the first threshold Cr1 is not deposited, the overflow process may not be performed. Here, "no change available" means that the total amount of coins Co deposited matches the price of the goods.

[0050] (Payment control) In such customer transactions, the control unit 11 of this embodiment performs deposit control during the deposit processing described above. Deposit control will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Note that the same control is performed for each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, 50-yen storage unit 62, 5-yen storage unit 63, 100-yen storage unit 64, 10-yen storage unit 65, and 500-yen storage unit 66, so only the case of the 1-yen storage unit 61 will be explained.

[0051] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, during the coin deposit process, the control unit 11 controls the system to continue accepting coin deposits until the second threshold is reached, provided that the number of 1-yen coins Co stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61 is greater than the first threshold Cr1 and less than or equal to the second threshold Cr2. Here, the second threshold Cr2 is a number smaller than the maximum number of coins that the 1-yen storage unit 61 can hold, Cr3. The maximum number of coins that can be held, Cr3, is the number obtained by dividing the capacity of the 1-yen storage unit 61 by the volume of a 1-yen coin.

[0052] In this embodiment of deposit control, the acceptance of coin deposits Co continues until the amount exceeds both the first threshold Cr1 and the second threshold Cr2. This makes it possible to continue transactions with customers without interrupting them.

[0053] The second threshold Cr2, as described above, is at least 20 units larger than the first threshold Cr1. The first threshold Cr1 is set in increments of 5 or 10 units, while the second threshold Cr2 is set in increments of 1 unit.

[0054] The deposit control will be explained using an example shown in Figure 3. In the example in Figure 3, the first threshold Cr1 is 140 coins. The second threshold Cr2 is 162 coins. The maximum number of coins that can be stored Cr3 is 165 coins. The number of coins Co stored in the 1-yen storage section 61 is 136 coins. The number of coins Co stored in the temporary holding section 4 is 6 coins.

[0055] During the coin deposit process, the control unit 11 calculates the number of coins Co to be stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61 by adding the number of 1-yen coins stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61 and the number of 1-yen coins held in the temporary holding unit 4, and performs control to compare the calculated number of 1-yen coins Co with the second threshold value Cr2.

[0056] Specifically, the control unit 11 performs control to acquire the number of 1-yen coins Co stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61, which has been counted in advance using the storage counting unit 67 and the dispensing counting unit 68. In addition, during the deposit process, the control unit 11 performs control to acquire the number of 1-yen coins Co that have been authenticated using the deposit authentication unit 2.

[0057] In the example shown in Figure 3, the number of 1-yen coins Co stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61 is 136. The number of 1-yen coins Co in the temporary holding unit 4 is 6. Therefore, the total number of coins Co to be stored is 142. In this case, although the number exceeds the first threshold Cr1, it is below the second threshold, so the acceptance of 1-yen coins Co can continue.

[0058] Here, the control unit 11 controls the system to stop accepting money deposits if the number of coins Co to be stored exceeds the second threshold Cr2. Specifically, during the deposit process, the control unit 11 controls the system to stop accepting money deposits by ejecting the deposited money based on the fact that the number of 1-yen coins Co to be stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61 exceeds the second threshold Cr2. More precisely, the control unit 11 controls the system to return the coins Co exceeding the second threshold Cr2 to the dispensing slot 8. The control unit 11 also controls the system to send a notification to the POS register device 200 prompting it to restart the deposit process.

[0059] (Overflow control) Furthermore, overflow control will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Similarly, the overflow control will only be explained for the case of the 1-yen storage unit 61.

[0060] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the control unit 11 performs overflow control after the deposit process is completed, or after the withdrawal process, which is performed after the deposit process is completed. In the example of overflow control shown in Figures 5 and 6, when overflow control is performed, the number of coins Co in the 1-yen storage unit 61 is reduced to 40.

[0061] In other words, if no change is to be dispensed, the control unit 11, after the deposit process is completed, controls the 1-yen storage unit 61 to discharge and recover the 1-yen coins Co from the 1-yen storage unit 61 into the overflow storage unit 10, based on the fact that the number of 1-yen coins Co stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Cr1 (indicated by the dotted circle in Figure 6). Also, if change is to be dispensed, the control unit 11, after the deposit process is completed, controls the 1-yen storage unit 61 to discharge and recover the 1-yen coins Co from the 1-yen storage unit 61 into the overflow storage unit 10, based on the fact that the number of 1-yen coins Co stored in the 1-yen storage unit 61 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Cr1.

[0062] In the example shown in Figure 6, 102 one-yen coins Co will be discharged into the overflow storage unit 10.

[0063] (Payment processing) Referring to Figure 7, the deposit processing performed in the control unit 11 of the money processing device 100 will be described.

[0064] As shown in Figure 7, in step S1, it is determined whether or not a signal to start deposit processing has been received from the POS register device 200. If a signal to start deposit processing has been received from the POS register device 200, the process proceeds to step S2; if a signal to start deposit processing has not been received from the POS register device 200, step S1 is repeated.

[0065] In step S2, the number of coins Co stored in the money storage compartment 6 (each of the 1-yen storage compartment 61, 50-yen storage compartment 62, 5-yen storage compartment 63, 100-yen storage compartment 64, 10-yen storage compartment 65, and 500-yen storage compartment 66) and the number of coins Co of each denomination held in the temporary holding compartment 4 are obtained. Then, the number of coins Co stored in each of the 1-yen storage compartment 61, 50-yen storage compartment 62, 5-yen storage compartment 63, 100-yen storage compartment 64, 10-yen storage compartment 65, and 500-yen storage compartment 66 and the number of coins Co of each denomination held in the temporary holding compartment 4 are added together.

[0066] In step S3, it is determined whether the number of each denomination added exceeds the second threshold Cr2. If the number of each denomination added exceeds the second threshold Cr2, the process proceeds to step S4; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0067] In step S4, the deposit of coins Co is not accepted. That is, the deposited coins Co are discharged into the dispensing slot 8, and then the process proceeds to step S6. In this case, in step S6, the control unit 11 notifies the POS register device 200 that the deposited coins Co are not accepted, or that the number of coins of each denomination has exceeded the second threshold Cr2 (i.e., the machine is full). The POS register device 200 then informs the operator of the contents of the notification. Based on the operator's confirmation that the deposit process is complete, the POS register device 200 sends a notification of completion of the deposit process to the control unit 11. Based on the notification of completion of the deposit process from the POS register device 200, the control unit 11 terminates the deposit process.

[0068] Furthermore, in step S5, the acceptance of coin deposits Co continues. In step S6, it is determined whether the deposit process is complete or not. If the deposit process is complete, the process ends; otherwise, the process returns to step S2.

[0069] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0070] In this embodiment, as described above, during the coin deposit process, the money processing device 100 determines the number of coins Co in each of the 1 yen storage section 61, 50 yen storage section 62, 5 yen storage section 63, 100 yen storage section 64, 10 yen storage section 65, and 500 yen storage section 66 when the deposited coins Co are stored in each of the 1 yen storage section 61, 50 yen storage section 62, 5 yen storage section 63, 100 yen storage section 64, 10 yen storage section 65, and 500 yen storage section 66. The system includes a control unit 11 that, if the amount of coins Co is greater than the set first threshold Cr1 and less than or equal to the second threshold Cr2 for each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, 50-yen storage unit 62, 5-yen storage unit 63, 100-yen storage unit 64, 10-yen storage unit 65, and 500-yen storage unit 66, and less than the number of coins Cr3 that each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, 50-yen storage unit 62, 5-yen storage unit 63, 100-yen storage unit 64, 10-yen storage unit 65, and 500-yen storage unit 66 can hold, the system continues to accept coin deposits up to the second threshold Cr2, and if the amount exceeds the second threshold Cr2, the system controls the system to stop accepting coin deposits. As a result, even if a denomination exceeds the first threshold Cr1 while deposit processing is in progress, the system can continue to accept coin deposits up to the second threshold Cr2, thereby preventing the interruption of deposit processing and suppressing the retrieval of coins Co from the money storage unit 6 to allow for storage of coins Co. As a result, when a deposit is being processed, the coins Co are not retrieved from the money storage unit 6, thereby reducing the need to redo the deposit process and allowing the deposit process to proceed smoothly. Furthermore, by implementing a control that prevents the deposit of coins Co when the second threshold Cr2 is exceeded, it is possible to prevent the deposit of more coins Co than the maximum storage capacity Cr3 of each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, 50-yen storage unit 62, 5-yen storage unit 63, 100-yen storage unit 64, 10-yen storage unit 65, and 500-yen storage unit 66, thereby reducing money jams in each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, 50-yen storage unit 62, 5-yen storage unit 63, 100-yen storage unit 64, 10-yen storage unit 65, and 500-yen storage unit 66.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the money processing device 100 is equipped with a dispensing slot 8 (return slot 9) from which coins Co are discharged. During the coin deposit process, the control unit 11, based on the fact that the number of coins Co in each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, 50-yen storage unit 62, 5-yen storage unit 63, 100-yen storage unit 64, 10-yen storage unit 65, and 500-yen storage unit 66 exceeds a second threshold Cr2, performs control to not accept coin deposits by discharging the deposited coins Co. As a result, by discharging the number of coins Co that exceed the second threshold Cr2, the number of coins Co that exceed the second threshold Cr2 can be moved to a position where they will not be inserted into the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66, thereby further suppressing coin jams in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the second threshold Cr2 is at least 20 coins larger than the first threshold Cr1. However, it is rare for more than 20 coins to be deposited during the deposit process. Therefore, by ensuring that more than 20 coins can be deposited beyond the first threshold Cr1, it is possible to suppress situations where the system does not accept deposits of coins Co during the deposit process. As a result, the deposit of coins Co can be continued.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the money processing device 100 is equipped with a temporary holding unit 4 that temporarily holds coins Co before transporting them to the money storage unit 6. During the coin deposit process, the control unit 11 calculates the number of coins Co to be stored in each of the 1-yen storage unit 61, 50-yen storage unit 62, 5-yen storage unit 63, 100-yen storage unit 64, 10-yen storage unit 65, and 500-yen storage unit 66 by adding the number of coins Co for each denomination stored in the money storage unit 6 and the number of coins Co for each denomination held in the temporary holding unit 4. It also performs control to compare the calculated number of coins Co with a second threshold value Cr2 for each denomination. By comparing with the second threshold value Cr2 for each denomination, it is possible to determine whether to continue accepting coin deposits for each denomination or not. If there are denominations for which coin deposits can be continued, the deposit process can be continued.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the money processing device 100 is provided in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66, as described above, and includes a storage counting unit 67 that counts the number of coins Co stored in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66. The money processing device 100 is provided in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66, and includes a dispensing counting unit 68 that counts the number of coins Co dispensed from each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66. The money processing device 100 also includes a deposit identification unit 2 that identifies the coins Co deposited from the deposit slot 1 and measures the number of coins Co. The control unit 11 controls the acquisition of the number of coins Co of each denomination stored in the money storage compartment 6, which has been counted in advance using the storage counting unit 67 and the dispensing counting unit 68, and also controls the acquisition of the number of coins of each denomination identified in the temporary holding unit 4 using the deposit identification unit 2 during the coin deposit process. This allows the number of coins Co stored in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66 to be obtained by using the storage counting section 67 and the dispensing counting section 68. In addition, the number of coins Co held in the temporary holding section 4 can be obtained by using the deposit authentication section 2.Therefore, when the deposited coins Co are stored in the 1 yen storage section 61, 50 yen storage section 62, 5 yen storage section 63, 100 yen storage section 64, 10 yen storage section 65, and 500 yen storage section 66, the number of coins Co in each of these sections can be obtained. When the deposited coins Co are stored in the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66, the number of coins Co in each section and the second threshold value Cr2 can be compared. Based on this comparison result, control can be performed to decide whether to continue accepting deposits of coins Co or to implement control to stop accepting deposits of coins Co.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the money processing device 100 is equipped with an overflow storage unit 10 for collecting the discharged coins Co. After the coin deposit processing is completed, the control unit 11 controls the discharge of coins Co into the overflow storage unit 10 from each of the 1 yen storage unit 61, 50 yen storage unit 62, 5 yen storage unit 63, 100 yen storage unit 64, 10 yen storage unit 65, and 500 yen storage unit 66, based on whether the number of stored coins Co is equal to or greater than the first threshold Cr1. As a result, when the system controls the continuation of deposits and stores a number of coins Co exceeding the first threshold Cr1 but less than or equal to the second threshold Cr2 in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66, it is determined that the number of coins Co equal to or greater than the first threshold Cr1 is stored in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66, so before the start of the next deposit process, the coins Co in each of the 1-yen storage section 61, 50-yen storage section 62, 5-yen storage section 63, 100-yen storage section 64, 10-yen storage section 65, and 500-yen storage section 66 that are equal to or greater than the first threshold Cr1 can be discharged into the overflow storage section 10 and recovered.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the first threshold value Cr1 is set in increments of 5 or 10 sheets. The second threshold value Cr2 is set in increments of 1 sheet. By setting the first threshold value Cr1 in increments of 5 or 10 sheets, the first threshold value Cr1 can be set to a convenient value, making it easy for the user to determine the first threshold value Cr1. In addition, since the second threshold value Cr2 can be set to a more precise value than the first threshold value Cr1, the second threshold value Cr2 can be set to a value close to the number of sheets that can be accommodated Cr3.

[0077] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (exceptions) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0078] For example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 11 is shown to control the collection of coins Co from the money storage bin 6 to the overflow bin 10 based on a first threshold value Cr1 when the coin deposit process is not underway, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, if the money processing device does not have an overflow bin, the control unit may discharge the required number of coins from the return slot based on the operator's input.

[0079] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example where the second threshold value Cr2 is at least 20 units larger than the first threshold value Cr1, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the second threshold value may be at least 1 to 19 units larger than the first threshold value.

[0080] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where the first threshold value Cr1 is set in increments of 5 or 10 sheets, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the first threshold value may be set in increments of numbers other than 5 or 10 sheets.

[0081] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where the second threshold is set in increments of one sheet, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the second threshold may be set in increments of two or more sheets.

[0082] Furthermore, although coins Co were shown as an example of "money" in the claims in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, banknotes may also be used as an example of "money" in the claims.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 11 is configured to perform control to acquire the number of coins Co of each denomination stored in the money storage compartment 6, which has been counted in advance using the storage counting unit 67 and the dispensing counting unit 68, and to perform control to acquire the number of coins of each denomination identified in the temporary holding unit 4 using the deposit identification unit 2 during the coin deposit process. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control unit may also perform control to acquire the number of coins of each denomination identified in the temporary holding unit using the deposit detection unit.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, for the sake of explanation, an example was shown in which the control processing of the control unit 11 was explained using a flow-driven flowchart that processes sequentially according to the processing flow, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control processing of the control unit may be performed by event-driven processing that executes processing on an event-by-event basis. In this case, it may be performed as a completely event-driven system, or a combination of event-driven and flow-driven systems may be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1 Deposit port 2. Deposit Verification Department 4 Temporary holding section 6. Money storage 8 Withdrawal port (discharge port) 9 Return port (discharge port) 10 Overflow storage 11 Control Unit 61. 1-yen storage compartment (multiple storage compartments) 62. 50 yen storage compartment (multiple storage compartments) 63. 5 yen storage compartment (multiple storage compartments) 64. 100 Yen Storage Compartment (Multiple Storage Compartments) 65 10-yen storage compartment (multiple storage compartments) 66. 500 yen storage compartment (multiple storage compartments) 67 Storage and Counting Section 68 Dispensing Counting Unit 100 Cash Processing Devices Co: Coin (money) Cr1 First threshold Cr2 Second threshold Cr3 capacity

Claims

1. A deposit slot for depositing money, A money storage cabinet including multiple storage compartments arranged according to the denomination of money, A money processing device comprising: during the money deposit processing, when the deposited money is stored in each of the plurality of storage units, if the number of coins in each of the plurality of storage units is greater than a first threshold set for each of the plurality of storage units and less than or equal to a second threshold for each of the plurality of storage units which is less than the number of coins that each of the plurality of storage units can hold, the device continues to accept the money deposit up to the second threshold, and if it exceeds the second threshold, the device controls the device to not accept the money deposit.

2. The system further comprises an outlet from which the aforementioned money is discharged, The money processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to not accept the deposit of money by ejecting the deposited money when the number of money bills in each of the plurality of storage units exceeds the second threshold value when the deposited money is stored in each of the plurality of storage units during the money deposit processing.

3. The money processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second threshold value is at least 20 or more greater than the first threshold value.

4. The money storage unit further includes a temporary holding section for temporarily holding the money before transporting it, The money processing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the number of coins to be stored in each of the plurality of storage units by adding the number of coins of each denomination stored in the money storage unit and the number of coins of each denomination held in the temporary holding unit during the money deposit processing, and to perform control to compare the calculated number of coins with the second threshold for each denomination.

5. A storage counting unit is provided in each of the plurality of storage compartments for counting the number of coins stored in each of the plurality of storage compartments, Each of the plurality of storage compartments is provided with a dispensing counting unit that counts the number of coins dispensed from each of the plurality of storage compartments, The system further includes a deposit identification unit that identifies the money deposited from the deposit slot and measures the number of the money, The money processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the number of coins of each denomination stored in the money storage compartment, which has been counted in advance using the storage counting unit and the dispensing counting unit, and to perform control to acquire the number of coins of each denomination identified in the temporary holding unit using the deposit identification unit during the money deposit processing.

6. The system further includes an overflow storage unit for collecting the discharged money, The money processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to, after the money deposit process is completed, perform control in each of the plurality of storage units to discharge and recover the money from the storage unit that is equal to or greater than the first threshold value among the plurality of storage units to the overflow storage unit, based on whether the number of money stored in each of the plurality of storage units is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

7. The first threshold is set in increments of 5 or 10 sheets. The money processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second threshold is set in increments of one sheet.

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