ATM Banknote Storage with Selective Cassette Replenishment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional automated teller machine (ATM) medium storage systems face challenges in managing and replenishing specific types of banknotes in real-time, especially when the replenishment company is far away, leading to inefficiencies in maintaining adequate cash levels and difficulties in selectively removing or adding required banknotes from transit cassettes.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus with a safe, reception unit, identification unit, deposit cassette, recycle cassette, conveyance path, and control unit that selectively conveys banknotes between these components, allowing for the identification and separation of normal and rejection banknotes, enabling the replenishment of required banknotes from a transit cassette and the recovery of banknotes to the cassette, while storing rejection banknotes separately.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional medium storage systems are used, then the structure is simple, but the ability to selectively take specific types and amounts of banknotes is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveselective replenishment capabilityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage system is divided into multiple independent cassettes (first cassette, second cassette, third cassette) each storing different types of banknotes. The identification unit segments the banknotes by type, and the conveyance path selectively transports specific types between cassettes. This segmentation enables selective replenishment of specific banknote types without affecting others, resolving the contradiction between operational selectivity and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The identification unit serves as an intermediary that receives banknotes from the conveyance path, identifies their types, and directs them to appropriate cassettes. This intermediary component enables the system to selectively manage different banknote types based on their identification characteristics, achieving selective replenishment capability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If real-time management of medium amounts is implemented, then the reliability of medium supply is improved, but the difficulty of managing distant replenishment increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedium supply reliabilityVSAvoidmanagement system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The identification unit provides feedback information about the types and amounts of banknotes in each cassette to the control unit. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring of medium levels, allowing the system to automatically trigger replenishment operations when specific banknote types are depleted, thereby improving supply reliability without requiring complex manual management systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-monitoring and self-replenishment operations. The identification unit automatically identifies banknote types, the conveyance path automatically transports them between cassettes, and the control unit automatically manages replenishment based on feedback from the identification unit. This self-service capability improves reliability by eliminating manual intervention while keeping the management system relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If banknotes are stored in transit cassette, then the replenishment speed is improved, but the loss of time for managing and separating banknote types increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereplenishment speedVSAvoidseparation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Banknotes are pre-sorted by type in the identification unit before being stored in the transit cassette. This preliminary separation action ensures that when replenishment is needed, the banknotes are already organized by type, eliminating the need for time-consuming separation operations during the replenishment process itself, thus improving both productivity and reducing time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The identification unit continuously identifies and separates banknotes by type as they are stored in the transit cassette, rather than performing separation only when needed. This continuous useful action maintains the banknotes in an organized state throughout storage, enabling rapid replenishment without time loss for separation operations, as the sorting is already complete.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS11636739B2Apparatus for storing mediums and method of controlling the same

Publication Date: 2023.04.25 HYOSUNG TNS INC

AI summary

An apparatus for storing a medium includes a safe having an entrance for replenishment and recovery to which a transit cassette is selectively connected, a reception unit configured to deposit and withdraw a medium by a customer, an identification unit serving to identify whether the medium is a normal banknote or a rejection banknote, a deposit cassette configured to store the medium deposited through the reception unit, a recycle cassette configured to store the medium recognized as the normal banknote, a conveyance path configured to convey the medium, and a control unit configured to control the conveyance path.