Note verify

Abstract

A validator having multiple modes of operation is contemplated. The validator may be operable in a standard mode where notes are escrowed and subsequently directed to a secure storage area depending on validity and a note-verify mode where notes are escrowed and subsequently returned to a user regardless of validity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A safe comprising:
 a secure storage area for storing notes; and   a validator having a first interface for exchanging notes with a user and a second interface for directing notes to the secure storage area, the validator being operable in a standard mode where valid notes are directed through the second interface for safekeeping in the secure storage area and in a note-verify mode where valid notes are directed back through the first interface to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The safe of  claim 1  wherein the note-verify mode includes the validator generating a verification message indicating whether a note is at least one of valid and invalid. 
     
     
         3 . The safe of  claim 2  wherein the note-verify mode includes the validator indicating a value of the note within the verification message. 
     
     
         4 . The safe of  claim 2  further comprising a display operable with the validator to facilitate display of the verification message to the user. 
     
     
         5 . The safe of  claim 2  further comprising a network interface operable with the validator to facilitate transmission of the verification message over a network to a control device. 
     
     
         6 . The safe of  claim 1  wherein the validator escrows a note in both of the standard mode and the note-verify mode such that an entirety of the note is at least temporarily out-of-sight within the validator prior to being subsequently directed to one of the first and second interfaces. 
     
     
         7 . The safe of  claim 1  further comprising a touch-screen display operable to interface a note-verify button with the user, the note-verify button operable for controlling the validator between the standard mode and the note-verify mode. 
     
     
         8 . The safe of  claim 1  wherein the validator performs a verification process when operating according to either one of the standard and note-verify modes to determine whether a note is at least one of valid and invalid, the verification process requiring the note to be at least temporarily escrowed within the validator and thereafter directed towards one of the first and second interfaces depending on whether the validator is operating in the standard or the note-verify mode and whether the note is valid or invalid. 
     
     
         9 . The safe of  claim 8  wherein the validator:
 escrows and then directs the note to the second interface if valid when operating according to the standard mode; 
 escrows and then directs the note to the first interface if invalid when operating according to the standard mode; and 
 escrows and then directs the note to the first interface if valid when operating according to the note-verify mode; and 
 escrows and then directs the note to the first interface if invalid when operating according to the note-verify mode. 
 
     
     
         10 . The safe of  claim 8  wherein the validator includes a first mechanism and a second mechanism configured to independently and simultaneously perform the verification process on notes interfaced therewith at least when the validator is operating according to the standard mode, including escrowing and then directing the notes to one of the first and second interfaces depending on whether the notes are valid or invalid. 
     
     
         11 . The safe of  claim 10  wherein the validator shuts down one of the first and second mechanisms when operating according to the note-verify mode such that only one of the first and second mechanisms is operable to perform the verification process. 
     
     
         12 . The safe of  claim 11  wherein the validator shuts down the first mechanism when operating according to the note-verify mode if the second mechanism is fed a note before the first mechanism is fed a note and wherein the validator shuts down the second mechanism when operating according to the note-verify mode if the first mechanism is fed a note before the second mechanism is fed a note. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a non-transitory instructions operable with one or more validators to facilitate electronically validating notes fed from a user, the non-transitory instructions being sufficient for:
 performing a standard verification where the validator escrows and assesses notes to be at least one of valid and invalid and thereafter directs valid notes for storage and returns invalid notes to the user; and   performing a note-verify verification where the validator escrows and assesses notes to be at least one of valid and invalid and thereafter returns both valid and invalid notes to the user.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13  wherein the non-transitory instructions are sufficient for facilitating display of a verification message when operating according to the note-verify mode, the verification message indicating whether a note is valid or invalid. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14  wherein the non-transitory instructions are sufficient for displaying value of the note as part of the verification message if the note is valid. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13  wherein the non-transitory instructions are sufficient for transmitting a shutdown message to a first validator of the one or more validators to prevent the first validator from operating according to the note-verify mode when a second validator of the one or more validators switches from the standard mode to the note-verify mode. 
     
     
         17 . A safe comprising:
 a secure storage area for storing paper bills; and   a bill validator configured to mechanically feed the paper bills from a user to the secure storage area, the bill validator being operable in a note-verify mode where the bill validator:   i) escrows a first one or more of the paper bills;   ii) determines each of the first paper bills to be at least on of valid and invalid; and   iii) returns the each of first paper bills to the user.   
     
     
         18 . The safe of  claim 17  wherein the bill validator is further operable in a standard mode where the bill validator:
 escrows a second one or more of the paper bills; 
 determines each of the second paper bills to be at least on of valid and invalid; 
 feeds each of the second paper bills determined to be valid to the secure storage area; and 
 returns each of the second paper bills determined to be invalid to the user. 
 
     
     
         19 . The safe of  claim 18  wherein the further comprising a display operable to display a verification message as a function of information received from the bill validator while operating according to the note-verify mode, the verification message individually indicating whether each of the first bills returned to the user is the at least one of valid and invalid and a value for each of the first bills determined to be valid. 
     
     
         20 . The safe of  claim 19  wherein the display is a touchscreen and the bill validator is operable between the note-verify mode and the standard mode as a function of a single actuation of a note-verify button shown within the touchscreen, the bill validator being unable to simultaneously operate in both of the standard and note-verify modes.