Bank note cartridge identification system for cash dispenser

Claim 1

A bank note cartridge identification system, for at least one bank note dispensing machine and a plurality of bank note cartridges which can be fitted to said dispensing machine, said system comprising: (a) a code setting means comprising an attendant-operable code generating switch, incorporated in each one of said cartridges, for setting an identification code by an attendant, said identification code comprising data indicating a denomination of bank notes loaded in said cartridges; (b) a signal generating means, incorporated in each one of said cartridges, for generating a signal representative of said identification code set by said setting means and for transmitting it to said dispensing machine, when one of said cartridges is fitted to said dispensing machine; and (c) a checking means, incorporated in said dispensing machine, for checking said signal, outputted by said generating means, representative of said identification code set by said setting means, by comparing said signal with a signal supplied to said checking means by an operations center, said operations center further supplying information to said dispensing machine with respect to (i) identification codes of particular ones of said cartridges which are fitted therein and which contain bank note denominations to be dispensed and (ii) a number of bank notes to be dispensed from each of said particular cartridges in order to control the sum of money to be dispensed to a customer.