Cash Inventory Grouping for Multi-Terminal Replenishment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional money handling systems struggle with inefficient management of money in multiple apparatuses, leading to situations where one apparatus is short of a specific denomination while another is surplus, necessitating unnecessary replenishment and collection trips.
Innovation Solution
A money handling system that groups money handling apparatuses based on attributes, manages inventory by group, and adjusts replenishment and collection thresholds dynamically, allowing for intra-group transfers to balance money distribution efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If money management is performed based on individual apparatus inventory, then each apparatus can maintain its money levels, but unnecessary replenishment and collection trips occur when one apparatus is short while another is surplus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple money handling apparatuses into a single management unit, allowing the management apparatus to view and allocate money across all apparatuses collectively. This merging enables surplus money from one apparatus to directly cover shortages in another, eliminating unnecessary external replenishment and collection trips while maintaining individual apparatus operational levels.
2Reliability
If replenishment and collection are performed individually for each apparatus, then each apparatus maintains appropriate money levels, but operational costs increase due to multiple separate trips
Solution Approach 1:
The management apparatus serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors inventory levels across all apparatuses, determines optimal allocation strategies, executes money distribution, and tracks operational status. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single universal management platform, reducing operational complexity while maintaining reliable money levels.
3Productivity
If money is transported externally to replenish apparatuses, then apparatuses receive needed money, but transportation costs and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service money distribution where the management apparatus automatically identifies surplus and shortage situations, allocates money internally between apparatuses, and executes transfers without external intervention. This self-service mechanism redistributes existing money resources within the network, eliminating the need for external transportation while ensuring money availability where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A money handling system includes: a plurality of money handling apparatuses configured to perform money handling; and a management apparatus communicably connected to the plurality of money handling apparatuses and configured to acquire, from each money handling apparatus, information on an inventory quantity for each kind of money in the apparatus. The plurality of money handling apparatuses are separated into a plurality of groups, and the management apparatus manages an inventory quantity for each kind of money by group, and requests replenishment or collection of money for each money handling apparatus, based on a threshold for each kind of money set for each group in addition to an inventory quantity for each kind of money in each money handling apparatus.