ATM deposit verification system

Abstract

An automated banking machine ( 10 ) includes a mechanism for accepting deposited items. Items deposited into the machine through a deposit inlet ( 44 ) pass through a deposit transport ( 48 ) in which properties of the deposited item such as thickness are measured and indicia corresponding to the sensed properties are recorded on the deposited item. The deposited item is stored in a storage area ( 50 ) in the machine. Each deposited item is subsequently removed from the machine and the content thereof compared to the indicated value for the item input to the machine by the person making the deposit. The data corresponding to the indicia recorded on the deposited item is usable to determine if the deposited item had content which may correspond to the value indicated at the time of deposit, and the user's account may be credited accordingly.

We claim:  
     
         1 . Apparatus comprising: 
 an automated banking machine including: 
 at least one sensor operative to sense thickness of each of a plurality of items deposited in the machine;  
 a recording device, wherein the recording device is operative to record on each deposited item, indicia corresponding to the thickness of the respective item.  
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the machine further comprises: 
 a deposit inlet, a storage area and a transport between the inlet and the storage area, and wherein the at least one sensor is operative to sense thickness at a plurality of locations on the deposited item, and wherein the indicia recorded on each deposited item corresponds to the thickness sensed at the plurality of locations.  
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the recording device comprises a printer, and wherein indicia corresponding to thickness of the item at the plurality of locations is printed on the item.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the machine further comprises a computer memory, wherein data corresponding to sensed thickness of each deposited item is stored in the memory, and wherein the indicia recorded on each deposited item is correlated in the memory with the corresponding thickness data.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the machine includes at least one input device adapted to receive user identifying data, and wherein the recording device is operative to record on each deposited item, indicia corresponding to the user identifying data.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the machine includes at least one input device adapted to receive deposit value data associated with each deposited item, and wherein the indicia recorded by the recording device is further indicative of the deposit value data input through the at least one input device for the corresponding deposit item.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the sensor comprises a contact sensor.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the sensor comprises a non-contact sensor.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the banking machine further comprises a cash dispensing device.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the automated banking machine further comprises a magnetic sensing device adapted to sense magnetic properties of each deposited item.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the indicia recorded on each item corresponds to the sensed magnetic properties of the respective item.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the items deposited in the machine comprise deposit envelopes.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the banking machine further comprises a device providing empty deposit envelopes from the machine.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the banking machine further comprises a deposit inlet, a deposit holding container and a deposit transport operative to move deposited envelopes between the deposit inlet and deposit holding container.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the sensor is positioned to sense thickness of each deposited envelope as the envelope moves in the deposit transport.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the recording device comprises a printer operative to print the indicia on each deposited envelope as the envelope moves in the transport.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the banking machine comprises a lockable chest portion, and wherein the deposit holding container is positioned in the lockable chest portion.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein the deposit holding container is removable from the banking machine when the lockable chest portion is unlocked.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 13  and further comprising a controller in the banking machine wherein the controller is operative responsive to the at least one sensor to cause the banking machine to not accept for deposit in the machine an empty deposit envelope.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the controller is operative to compare sensed thickness of deposited envelopes to a thickness corresponding to an empty deposit envelope.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 20  wherein the banking machine further comprises a deposit transport moving deposit envelopes in the machine, and wherein the at least one sensor senses thickness of envelopes in the deposit transport.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein the controller is operative to cause the transport to move deposit envelopes in a first direction to move the deposit envelopes into the machine, and wherein the controller is operative to cause the transport to move a sensed deposit envelope in a second direction opposed of the first direction responsive to the thickness of the sensed deposit envelope being not greater than an empty deposit envelope.  
     
     
         23 . Apparatus comprising: 
 an automated banking machine including: 
 a card reader;  
 a cash dispenser;  
 a deposit envelope accepting mechanism;  
 at least one thickness sensor operative to sense thickness of envelopes received by the deposit envelope accepting mechanism;  
 a recording device operative to place in connection with each deposit envelope passed through the deposit envelope accepting mechanism, indicia corresponding to thickness of the respective deposit envelope.  
   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 23  wherein the recording device is operative to apply a plurality of indicia at a plurality of locations on each deposit envelope, the indicia in each location corresponding to a thickness in a sensed location sensed by the at least one thickness sensor.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 23  wherein the automated banking machine further comprises a controller in operative connection with a memory, wherein the controller is operative to cause to be stored in the memory thickness data corresponding to the indicia.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein the automated banking machine further comprises a communications device in operative connection with the controller, wherein the communications device responsive to the controller is adapted to communicate the thickness data to a remote computer.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein the at least one thickness sensor is operative to sense thickness at a plurality of locations on each envelope and wherein the thickness data stored in the memory corresponds to thickness in the plurality of locations.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein the banking machine further comprises at least one magnetic sensing device operative to sense magnetic properties of envelopes received by the deposit envelope accepting mechanism.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to  claim 28  wherein the controller is operative to cause to be stored in the memory, in correlated relation with the thickness data and the indicia for each respective envelope, data corresponding to the magnetic properties of the respective envelope.