Granted Patent B1

US 7,494,050 · App. 11/169,295 · Granted Feb 24, 2009

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A method comprising:

a) receiving at least one screen message from a host banking system with an automated banking machine that includes a cash dispenser, wherein the at least one screen message includes data indicating the presence of text-to-speech data in the at least one screen message;

b) through operation of at least one computer in the automated banking machine, determining that the at least one screen message includes the data indicating the presence of text-to-speech data in the screen message;

c) through operation of the at least one computer, retrieving the text-to-speech data from the at least one screen message; and

d) through operation of the at least one computer, outputting verbal information responsive to the text-to-speech data through at least one speaker device of the automated banking machine.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising

e) through operation of at least one computer, outputting visual information responsive to at least one further screen message through at least one display device of the automated banking machine.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein in (e) the visible information includes visible instructions for operating the automated banking machine, wherein in (d) the verbal information includes verbal instructions for operating the automated banking machine.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the visible instructions and the verbal instructions prompt a user to provide at least one input through at least one input device of the machine, further comprising:

f) through operation of the at least one computer, causing the automated banking machine to perform a transaction function responsive to the at least one input.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein in (f) the at least one input corresponds to an amount of value.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein (f) comprises:

dispensing, through operation of the cash dispenser, an amount of cash that corresponds to the amount of value.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein (f) comprises:

receiving a deposit, through operation of a depository mechanism of the automated banking machine, of at least one item which is associated with the amount of value.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein in (f), the at least one item includes at least one check.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein in (e) the visible information includes an amount of value, wherein in (d) the verbal information includes the amount of value.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein in (e) the amount of value includes an account balance.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in step (d) the at least one speaker device includes a headphone.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: prior to (a):

e) accessing a portable medium with a portable medium reader of the automated banking machine;

f) through operation of the at least one computer, executing a sound configuration software component from the portable medium;

g) through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the sound configuration software, prompting a user to provide at least one input through at least one input device of the automated banking machine, which at least one input indicates a location of at least one device in the machine, which at least one device is used by a user of the machine to enable the machine to carry out a transaction function;

h) receiving the at least one input through the at least one input device of the automated banking machine; and

i) through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the sound configuration software, configuring the machine to provide verbal information through the at least one speaker device, which verbal information conveys the location of the at least one device to the user using the machine to carry out the transaction function.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein (i) includes: installing from the portable medium to the machine, monitoring software, wherein the monitoring software is operative to cause the at least one computer to carry out (b) and (c).

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one device corresponds to the cash dispenser.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data indicating the presence of text-to-speech data in (a) corresponds to a bank number that is greater than or equal to 900.

16. Computer readable media bearing computer executable instructions which are operative to cause at least one computer in an automated banking machine to cause the automated banking machine to carry out a method comprising:

a) receiving at least one screen message from a host banking system with the automated banking machine, wherein the automated banking machine includes a cash dispenser, where the at least one screen message includes data indicating the presence of text-to-speech data in the at least one screen message;

b) through operation of the at least one computer in the automated banking machine, determining that the at least one screen message includes the data indicating the presence of text-to-speech data in the screen message;

c) through operation of the at least one computer, retrieving the text-to-speech data from the at least one screen message; and

d) through operation of the at least one computer, outputting verbal information responsive to the text-to-speech data through at least one speaker device of the automated banking machine.

17. A method comprising:

a) accessing a portable medium with a portable medium reader of an automated banking machine, wherein the automated banking machine comprises a cash dispenser;

b) through operation of at least one computer in the machine, executing a sound configuration software component from the portable medium;

c) through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the sound configuration software, causing an output device of the computer to prompt a user to provide at least one input through at least one input device of the automated banking machine, which at least one input indicates a location of at least one device in the machine, which at least one device is used by a user of the machine to enable the machine to carry out a transaction function;

d) receiving the at least one input through at least one input device of the machine; and

e) through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the sound configuration software, configuring the machine to output verbal information through at least one speaker device of the machine, which verbal information conveys the location of the at least one device to the user using the machine to carry out the transaction function.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein in (c) the at least one device includes a cash dispenser.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein (e) includes: installing from the portable medium to the machine, monitoring software, wherein the monitoring software is operative to cause the at least one computer to determine that a screen message received from a host banking system by the machine includes data indicating the presence of text-to-speech data in the screen message, wherein the monitoring software is operative responsive to the screen message to retrieve the text-to-speech data from the screen message, wherein the at least one computer is operative to cause the verbal information to be outputted through the at least one speaker device responsive to the text-to-speech data.

20. The method according to claim 17 , wherein in step (e) the at least one speaker device includes a headphone.

21. The method according to claim 17 , wherein (c) includes causing the output device of the computer to prompt a user to provide at least one further input through the at least one input device, which at least one further input indicates the type of the at least one device in the machine, wherein in (e) the verbal information conveys how to use the type of the at least one device.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein in (c) the at least one device includes a card reader.

23. Computer readable media bearing computer executable instructions which are operative to cause at least one computer in an automated banking machine to cause the automated banking machine to carry out a method comprising:

a) accessing a portable medium with a portable medium reader of the automated banking machine, wherein the automated banking machine comprises a cash dispenser;

b) through operation of the at least one computer in the automated banking machine, executing a sound configuration software component from the portable medium;

c) through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the sound configuration software, causing an output device of the computer to prompt a user to provide at least one input through at least one input device of the automated banking machine, which at least one input indicates a location of at least one device in the automated banking machine, which at least one device is used by a user of the automated banking machine to enable the automated banking machine to carry out a transaction function;

d) receiving the at least one input through at least one input device of the automated banking machine; and

e) through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the sound configuration software, configuring the automated banking machine to output verbal information through at least one speaker device of the automated banking machine, which verbal information conveys the location of the at least one device to the user using the automated banking machine to carry out the transaction function.

Assignments (26)