ATM customer marketing system
View Patent ↗A marketing system includes a plurality of automated transaction machines 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86 ). The automated transaction machines operate to carry out financial transactions with associated host computers ( 90, 94, 100, 104 ). Marketing presentations are stored on and output from the transaction machines responsive to messages exchanged with a market message server ( 110 ) which is connected to the automated transaction machines through a network ( 108 ). The connection to the automated transaction machines which provides delivery of the market presentation materials and which causes the output of presentations, is generally independent of the messages associated with authorizing financial transactions. Some described embodiments of the invention enable presenting marketing campaigns to users of the transaction machines. The marketing campaigns may include sequences of presentations that are output on a targeted basis to particular users.
1. In an ATM that operates to carry out financial transactions for users including dispensing of cash responsive to communication with at least one financial transaction computer remote from the ATM, at least one computer readable medium including computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one computer in the ATM to communicate with a remote marketing computer during a first financial transaction conducted by a first user of the ATM, the remote marketing computer comprising a remote computer other than the at least one financial transaction computer, and to output from the ATM at least one first marketing presentation during the first transaction responsive to such communication with the marketing computer.
2. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 1 wherein in the first transaction the user provides an identifying input to the ATM, and wherein the computer executable instructions are operative to cause data corresponding to the identifying input to be communicated to the remote marketing computer.
3. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 2 wherein during the first transaction the computer receives data identifying the at least one first marketing presentation.
4. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 3 wherein the at least one first marketing presentation includes a query, and wherein the computer executable instructions are operative to cause data corresponding to a response to the query input to the ATM by a user to be communicated to the marketing computer.
5. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 4 wherein the computer executable instructions are operative to cause the at least one computer in the ATM to cause the output of a default marketing presentation by the ATM if the data identifying the at least one first marketing presentation is not received at the ATM by a time after the after corresponding to the identifying input is sent to the remote marketing computer.
6. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 3 wherein the computer executable instructions are operative prior to the first transaction to cause to be stored in the data store, output data corresponding to a plurality of marketing presentations, and wherein the computer executable instructions are operative to cause the output of the at least one first marketing presentation responsive to the data identifying the at least one first marketing presentation and the output data.
7. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 3 wherein the at least one computer readable medium includes computer executable agent instructions.
8. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 7 wherein the computer executable agent instructions include instructions downloadable to the ATM from a remote computer.
9. A data store apparatus within an ATM including computer executable instructions, wherein the ATM operates to carry out financial transactions for users including dispensing of cash responsive to communication with at least one remote financial transaction computer, the ATM including at least one ATM computer therein, the ATM computer operative responsive to the instructions to communicate with a remote marketing computer other than the at least one transaction computer during a first transaction, and to cause at least one first marketing presentation to be output by the ATM during the first transaction responsive to such communication with the marketing computer.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the data store includes agent software, wherein the agent software includes the executable instructions, and wherein the instructions are operative to cause the ATM computer to send user identifying data to the marketing computer, and to cause the at least one first marketing presentation to be output responsive to presentation identifying data received from the marketing computer during the first transaction.
11. A method comprising:
a) installing agent software in at least one data store of an ATM;
b) carrying out financial transactions at the ATM for users thereof, including the ATM communicating with at least one financial transaction computer remotely located from the ATM, wherein the ATM is operative to dispense cash responsive to at least one communication with the at least one financial transaction computer;
providing marketing presentations to users of the ATM during the financial transactions through operation of the agent software, including causing the ATM to communicate with a marketing computer during the financial transactions, wherein the marketing computer is remotely located from the ATM, wherein the marketing computer is other than the at least one financial transaction computer, and wherein the marketing presentations are provided responsive to ATM communication with the marketing computer.
12. The method according to claim 11 wherein step (a) comprises downloading the agent software to the ATM from a remote computer.
13. The method according to claim 11 wherein step (c) includes sending user identifying data from the ATM to the marketing computer and receiving presentation identifying data with the ATM from the marketing computer.
14. The method according to claim 11 wherein step (c) comprises communicating first identifying data received from a first ATM user to the marketing computer, receiving from the marketing computer first presentation identifying data responsive to the first identifying data, and outputting a first marketing presentation from the ATM responsive to receipt of the first identifying data.
15. The method according to claim 14 wherein step (b) includes sending the first identifying data to the financial transaction computer, wherein the identifying data is sent in step (c) prior to being sent in step (b).
16. The method according to claim 14 wherein step (c) comprises outputting the first marketing presentation responsive to output data stored in a data store in the ATM, wherein the output data corresponds to a plurality of marketing presentations, and the first presentation identifying data corresponding to the first marketing presentation among the plurality of marketing presentations.
17. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising receiving at least one first user input responsive to the ATM outputting the first marketing presentation, and communicating data corresponding to the at least one first user input to the marketing computer.
18. The method according to claim 17 and further comprising determining with the marketing computer responsive to the at least one user input, a next marketing presentation to present to the first ATM user during a next succeeding ATM transaction session.
19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the next marketing presentation is determined through operation of the marketing computer in advance of the user commencing the next succeeding ATM transaction session.
20. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising communicating data from the ATM to the marketing computer indicating that the first marketing presentation has been shown to the first ATM user.
21. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising determining a next marketing presentation to present to the first ATM user in a next succeeding ATM transaction session through operation of the marketing computer, prior to commencement of the next succeeding ATM transaction session.
22. The method according to claim 21 and further comprising presenting the next marketing presentation to the first ATM user responsive to operation of the marketing computer during the next succeeding ATM transaction session conducted by the first ATM user.
23. Computer software including computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions operative to cause at least one computer in an ATM to carry out the method steps recited in claim 11 .