Teller machines and methods of operation thereof

Abstract

 A teller machine which includes a dispenser (8) for dispensing banknotes or other items for delivery to a customer in accordance with a customer-requested transaction, is switchable (19) between a first, teller-assist mode in which the dispenser (8) dispenses under human control exercised from a teller's station (2), and a second, automated mode in which dispensing is under programmed control in accordance with customer requests entered into the machine from a customer's station (3). The two stations (2,3) are located close to one another, in particular opposite across a counter-top (6), and the dispenser (8) dispenses to a position within reach from both stations (2,3), in particular into a pan (5) sunk into the counter-top (6), whereby delivery to the customer of dispensed items when the machine is operating in its first mode is within the personal influence of the human teller in the provision of personal service to customers while the teller's station (2) is manned.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to teller machines, and methods of operation thereof, of the kind in which a dispenser is operable to dispense items for delivery to a customer in accordance with a customer-requested transaction.

[0002] Automated teller machines of this above-specified kind have been used extensively by banks and other institutions for dispensing cash (normally in the form of banknotes) or other items (for example travellers cheques) in response to requests made to the machines by customers. Each request in this context usually involves keyed-entry into the machine of a secret number, and comparison of this number within the machine for correspondence with another number entered by the customer. The other number entered may be derived from data encoded on a card that is presented to the machine by the customer as part of the request, and in this respect may be (as in the case, for example, of the machine disclosed in UK Patent Specification No. 1,494,736) the customer's account number read by the machine from the presented card, or may be (as in the case, for example, of the machine disclosed in UK Patent Specification No. 1,223,556) computed within the machine from a plurality of numbers read from the card. Alternatively, the other number may be (as in the case, for example, of the machine disclosed in UK Patent Specification No. 1,429,467) a number keyed into the machine by the customer separately from the secret number.

[0003] Automated teller machines of the above general kind have been installed to be accessible externally of the bank branch or officeso as to enable banknotes or other items to be dispensed to customers and other transactions to be performed at all times and in particular when the bank is not open for business. However, such machines have also been installed within the branch or office so as to be available for operation by customers only when within the banking hall or lobby. In this latter respect the machine is capable of providing automatically a service which is equivalent in many respects, or which is at least supplementary, to that provided by the human teller or cashier. With such within-bank installations it is readily possible for the workload on the human tellers or cashiers in the bank to be reduced and for the service provided to customers to be maintained at a desired minimum level irrespective of absence of any one or more of them from customer-service. Although such teller machines could be utilized to replace human tellers altogether for all straightforward cash-dispensing and basic teller-operations, this is not regarded as commercially desirable since most customers prefer to receive personal service. The services of a human teller are in any case required in order to deal with enquiries, difficulties and the more complicated transactions.

[0004] It is one object of the present invention to provide a teller machine of the said.above-specified kind that is adapted for assisting a human teller in the provision of personal service to customers, and it is another object of the invention to provide a method of operation of a teller machine to the same end. For the fulfilment of these objects the present invention recognizes that an automated teller machine provided to enable customer-service to be maintained or supplemented, includes a dispensing facility that can be utilized with advantage to assist in the provision of personal service to customers from a human-teller's station. It is already known to instal dispensing equipment at a teller's station for use by the teller in counting out and assembling cash in coin and or alternatively, banknote form for delivery to the customer by hand, but such equipment, being exclusively for operation under control of the teller, cannot be utilized to maintain customer-service in the absence of the human teller from the teller's station.

[0005] A banking system is described in UK Patent Specification No. 1,486,299 in which an automated teller machine that is installed remotely from bank premises can be used by a customer to perform requested transactions under automatic programmed control in the conventional way, but may be switched to a mode of operation in which the customer is assisted in completing the transaction by bank staff. In this latter respect the customer can operate a key-switch of the teller machine to establish a communications link with a human teller located at the distant bank premises. Through this link the transaction can be completed by the customer under instruction from the distant, human teller, or directly by the human teller operating a keyboard at the distant location. When the requested transaction involves the dispensing of cash to the customer, the human teller accordingly exercises a limited degree of control over the dispensing equipment of the remote machine, but the involvement of the human teller is essentially confined to that of acting at a distance to assist the customer at the remote location in operating the automated machine there; the human-teller involvement simply supplements the service avalableto customers at the remotely-located machine. This earlier-proposed system is furthermore not concerned with, nor is applicable to, utilization of the dispenser equipment of the automated teller machine for assisting with the provision of personal service to customers at the human-teller's location.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a teller machine of the kind in which a dispenser is operable to dispense items for delivery to a customer in accordance with a customer-requested transaction, the machine being switchable to operate selectively in either of two modes in the first of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under human control exercised from a teller's station, and in the second of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under automatic programmed control'in accordance with customer requests made from a customer's station, characterised in that the two stations are located close to one another, and the dispenser dispenses the said items to a position that is within reach from both stations whereby delivery to the customer of items dispensed to said position when the machine is operating in its said first mode is within the personal influence of a human teller acting from the said teller's station.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a teller machine of the kind that includes a dispenser for dispensing items for delivery to a customer in accordance with a customer-requested transaction, the machine being switchable to operate selectively in either of two modes in the first of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under control of a human teller occupying an allotted teller's station, and in the second of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under automatic programmed control in accordance with customer operation of the machine, characterised in that the machine is switched to operate in the first or second mode by the' human teller in dependence, respectively, upon whether or not the teller's station is to be occupied to provide personal service to the customer, and that the position to which the dispenser dispenses the said items is'within reach of the human teller when occupying the said teller's station so that delivery to the customer of the items dispensed when the machine is operating in its said first mode is within the personal influence of the human teller.

[0008] The present invention in both of the above aspects accordingly provides for the utilization of the dispenser of the teller machine under control of the human teller to assist in affording customers the generally-preferred personal service while the teller's station is occupied. The dispenser on the other hand is utilized under automatic control in machine service to the customer while the teller's station is unoccupied and personal service is accordingly not available from the relevant transaction location. Thus the present invention enables the most effective utilization to be made of the equipment provided, in meeting customer's transaction needs.

[0009] The customer's and teller's stations may be located on opposite sides from one another of a counter, and in these circumstances the dispenser may be arranged to dispense items into a receptacle mounted with the counter intermediate the two stations. The receptacle may have a lid that can be actuated by the human teller from the said teller's station to obstruct or enable, selectively, access by the customer to the contents of the receptacle.

[0010] Switching of the machine from one mode to the other may be effected by the setting of a switch at the teller's station. The switch may in particular be set in accordance with operation of a lock device whereby the human teller can secure operation of the machine in the first or second mode as appropriate, by use of a removable key.

[0011] Although the method and machine according to the present invention are especially applicable for use in banks, the invention is not limited to such use and may be utilized in other applications in other institutions and offices. Furthermore, although the method and machine are especially applicable where cash is to be dispensed, they may be used alternatively, or in addition, for dispensing other items such as, for example, travellers cheques and tickets.

[0012] A bank teller machine and a method of its operation in accordance with the present invention will now be. described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bank installation including the teller machine;

Figures 2 are a plan and a sectional side-and 3 elevation, respectively, of a cash receptacle utilized in the installation, the section of Figure 3 being taken on the line III-III of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of the teller machine.

[0013] The bank teller machine to be described is for use in providing service to customers in a bank branch or office. More particularly the teller machine is associated with the normal bank counter that separates customers from bank staff in the banking hall or lobby of the branch or office. The machine includes a banknote dispenser that is installed at a transaction location of the counter for dispensing banknotes into a position intermediate the teller's and customer's stations opposite one another across the counter-top, at that location.

[0014] There are two principal modes of operation of the machine and operation is in accordance with one or the other of these in dependence upon whether or not the teller's station is manned. While the teller's station is manned the machine operates in a first mode to assist the human teller or cashier in execution of transactions requested by customers, whereas in the second mode the machine is operative in the manner of an automated teller, to dispense cash or perform certain other requested tasks in accordance with automatic machine-programmed procedures. With this machine therefore, it is possible to ensure that service is always available from the transaction location whether or not the teller's station is manned, and moreover that while the station is manned the machine is operative to assist the human teller in the tasks to be performed.

[0015] Referring especially to Figure 1 of the drawings, the counter 1, which separates the teller's and customer's stations 2 and 3, respectively, from one another at the transaction location, is provided with conventional anti- bandit screening 4 and incorporates a stainless-steel pan 5 sunk into the counter-top 6 to enable passage of banknotes and other items between the teller and customer, beneath the screening 4. The pan 5 has a horizontally-sliding lid 7 that can be slid forwardly or backwardly by the teller to obstruct or enable, selectively, access by the customer to the contents of the pan 5.

[0016] The banknote dispenser 8 of the machine is installed under the counter-top 6 to dispense banknotes through a slot 9 (Figures 2 and 3) side-ways into the receptacle constituted by the pan 5. Dispensing of banknotes by the dispenser 8 is regulated by a data-processing unit 10 which is coupled to a unit 11 mounted on the counter-top 6. The unit 11 has two keyboards 12 and 13 for use in signalling data to the data-processing unit 10, the keyboard 12 (which provides a wider range of function key-inputs than the keyboard 13) being located to be readily accessible for operation from the teller's station 2. The keyboard 13, on the other hand, is located together with a card-reader 14 (Figure 4) of the unit 11, on the other side of the counter 1 to be accessible to customers from the customer's station 3. Information and instructions signalled from the unit 10 during the first mode of operation are displayed to the teller in alpha-numeric characters on a cathode-ray-tube screen 15 of the unit 11 above the keyboard 12. On the other hand, instructions and confirmatory information applicable to the second mode of operation are signalled from the unit 10 for display in alpha-numeric form on a screen 16 (of a cathode-ray tube, or some other, simpler, display-device: Figure 4) located above the keyboard 13 to be visible from the customer's station 3. The data-processing unit 11 is coupled via a communications line 17 (Figure 4) into the banking-terminal system of the bank branch or office so that identification information, instructions and other details of a customer's request or enquiry entered by the teller via the keyboard 12, are transmitted on-line to the bank's central data-processing system. The central data-processing system in response to the request or enquiry transmits data, instructions and other information, including,for example, approval or otherwise of a requested withdrawal of cash, back to the data-processing unit 10 via a communications line 18. j The functioning of the data-processing unit 10 in accordance with the signalled response from the central system is dependent on whether the machine is operating in the first, manned or second, unmanned mode.

[0017] The machine operates in the first or second mode according to the setting of a two-position switch 19 (Figure 4) of the unit 11. The setting of the switch 19 is controlled from a lock 20 mounted with the keyboard 12, and selection of the particular switch-setting (illustrated in Figure 4) appropriate to operation of the equipment in the first mode, is effected by insertion and turning of the appropriate key in the lock 20. The key is personal to the teller allotted to station 2 and is withdrawn, re-locking the lock 20, whenever the teller leaves the station unmanned. Such withdrawal and consequent re-locking of the lock 20 sets the switch 19 to the position in which the second mode of operation of the machine is selected.

[0018] When the teller's station 2 is manned and the teller has unlocked the lock 20 so as to set the switch 19 to select the first mode of operation of the machine, the unit 11 is operative to assist the cashier in transactions carried out across the counter-top 6 via the pan 5. More particularly, the cashier may utilize the keyboard 12 to make enquiries via the unit 10 as to the status of the customer's account and to seek instructions in the handling of a requested transaction; replies to the enquiries and the instructions requested are displayed on the screen 15. No information will in general be displayed on the screen 16 in this mode, signalling from the unit 10 for such display, and also from the keyboard 13 to the unit 10, being normally inhibited by the setting of the switch 19 at this time. However the equipment when operating in the first mode offers especial advantage for transactions involving the dispensing of cash to the customer.

[0019] In the latter respect the banknote dispenser 8 has the facility for dispensing banknotes of any of a multiplicity.of different denominations - four in the case illustrated - in any selected number of each, under control of the data-processing unit 10. Release of the dispenser 8 to dispense the appropriate number and denomination-mix of banknotes, is made by the unit 10 only after certain prescribed procedures appropriate to the relevant transaction have been followed through by the teller and approval of the transaction has been received from the central data-processing system. The procedures involved include entry by the teller into the unit 10 using the keyboard 12, of the total amount to be dispensed to the customer together with information as to any mix of denominations requested by the customer for the make up of this amount. This, provided approval of the transaction is received, conditions the unit 10 to drive a note- transport mechanism 21 (Figure 4) of the dispenser 8 to withdraw from four cassettes 22 that store supplies of the different denominations, the numbers of notes appropriate to the relevant denomination-mix; the unit 10 is programmed to impose a prescribed optimum mix where no specific mix-request is entered by the teller. The withdrawn notes are collected together and dispensed in ¹ one bundle through the slot 9 into the pan 5 by a mechanism 23 of the dispenser 8. The machine is accordingly of especial assistance to the teller in facilitating rapid counting out and assembly of the appropriate notes required to meet the customer's request. Delivery to the customer of the dispensed cash remains within the influence of the teller since the bundle of notes in the pan 5 is within easy reach from the teller's position 2. Moreover the teller may position the sliding lid 7 failing such selection, is determined by the programming of the unit 10. The dispensing of banknotes to the customer is preferably preceded by release of the customer's card from the card reader 14 and removal of_' this by the customer.

[0020] The card reader 14 may also be utilized when the equipment is operating in the first, manned mode, in the event that the dispensing of cash to a customer is to be secured against the customer's credit- or bank-card. To this end, the unit 10 may respond to entry by the teller of an appropriate code via the keyboard 12 to energize the card reader 14. The customer is then requested to insert his card in the reader 14 to enable the appropriate information to be read out into the unit 10 for checking. As an alternative, as illustrated, the unit 11 may be provided with a wipe-through card reader 24 for use by the teller to read out into the unit 10 information encoded on the customer's card presented in these circumstances via the pan 5. However where the transaction is to be further checked by entry of the customer's secret number for comparison with the account number read from the card, the customer is invited to make such entry using the keyboard 13; the teller first enters an appropriate code via the keyboard 12 to bring about energization of the keyboard 13 for this purpose.

[0021] A cheque-endorsing printer may be incorporated into the unit 11 so that as the teller enters information through the keyboard 12 in relation to a cheque-based transaction, that information is at the same time printed out onto the cheque so as to assist clearance of the cheque subsequently. Furthermore, the dispenser 8 (which may be constructed as described in UK Patent Specification No. 1,543,393) may include a facility for dispensing coin into the pan 5 as well as banknotes. forwardly so that customer access to the contents of the pan 5 is obstructed until the lid 7 is withdrawn by the teller to allow the customer to take delivery of the notes from the pan 5.

[0022] The teller removes the key from the lock 20 whenever the teller's station 2 is left unmanned, and this automatically actuates switch 19 to the setting appropriate to the second mode. In this mode instructions to the customer are transmitted from the unit 10 for display on the screen 16; no display in general takes place on the screen 15. More particularly the customer is instructed to insert his or her card in the card reader 14. Once this has been done and information, including the customer's account number, has been read from the card and received in the unit 10, the unit 10 instructs the customer through display on the screen 16 to enter his or her individual, secret number. The customer follows this instruction by manipulation of the keyboard 13 and is then invited to use the same keyboard 13 to identify the teller- service required. The secret number entered is compared for correspondence in the unit 10 with the account number read from the card, and it is only in the event that such correspondence exists, that operation can proceed. Assuming correspondence does exist, the unit 10 proceeds through the program-sequence appropriate to the service identified by the customer. When the customer requires to withdraw cash, the transaction proceeds after entry by the customer, using the keyboard 13 again, of the amount required, and receipt via the unit 10 of approval of the transaction from the central data-processing system. Assuming approval is received, the unit 10 actuates the banknote dispenser 8 to withdraw the appropriate banknotes from the cassettes 22 and to deliver them through the slot 9 into the pan 5 for removal by the customer. As before, the denomination-mix involved may be selected - by manipulation of the keyboard 13 in this case - or ! 1

Claims

1. A teller machine in which a dispenser is operable to dispense items for delivery to a customer in accordance with a customer-requested transaction, the machine being switchable to operate selectively in either of two modes in the first of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under human control exercised from a teller's. station, and in the second of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under automatic programmed control in accordance with customer requests made from a customer's station, characterised in that the two stations are located close to one another, and the dispenser dispenses the said items to a position that is within reach from both stations whereby delivery to the customer of items dispensed to said position when the machine is operating in its said first mode is within the personal influence of a human teller acting from the said teller's station.

2. A teller machine according to Claim 1 further characterised in that the teller's and customer's stations are located on opposite sides from one another of a counter, and that a receptacle is mounted with the counter intermediate the two stations for receiving the said items dispensed by the dispenser.

3. A teller machine according to Claim 2 further characterised in that the receptacle has a lid that is actuable by the human teller from the said teller's station to obstruct or enable, selectively, access by the customer to the contents of the receptacle.

4. A teller machine according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 further characterised in that the receptacle is a pan sunk into the counter.

\ 5. A teller machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 further characterised in that the machine is switched between its said first and second modes of operation by actuation of a switch located at the said' teller's station, and that a lock is provided for locking the switch in the setting appropriate to selection of the said second mode of operation of the machine.

6. A method of operating a teller machine that includes a dispenser for dispensing items for delivery to a customer in accordance with a customer-requested transaction, the machine being switchable to operate selectively in either of two modes in the first of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under control of a human teller occupying an allotted teller's station, and in the second of which the dispenser operates to dispense items under automatic programmed control in accordance with customer operation of the machine, characterised in that the machine is switched to operate in the first or second mode by the human teller in dependence, respectively, upon whether or not the teller's station is to be occupied to provide personal service to the customer, and that the position to which the dispenser dispenses the said items is within reach of the human teller when occupying the said teller's station so that delivery to the customer of the items dispensed when the machine is operating in its said first mode is within the personal influence of the human teller.

7. A method according to Claim 6 further characterised in that the method includes keyboard operation by the human teller while the machine is operative in its said first mode, for entering into the machine information relating to a customer-requested transaction to condition the dispenser to dispense items in accordance therewith, and keyboard operation by the customer while the machine is operative in its said second mode, for entering information into the machine to condition the dispenser to dispense items under said automatic programmed control in accordance with the customer-entered information.

8. A method according to Claim 6 or Claim 7 further characterised in that the method includes the step of displaying to the teller information related to the customer-requested transaction during operation of the machine in its said first mode.

Drawing