Self-service terminal management
View Patent ↗A self-service terminal comprises at least one customer transaction module, a terminal controller, a management component, and a network connection coupled to the terminal controller. The customer transaction module is operable to (i) implement a function associated with a customer transaction, and (ii) provide status information relating to the module. The terminal controller is coupled to the customer transaction module and includes (i) a management component for retrieving status information from the customer transaction module and (ii) a Web services interface for providing access to the retrieved status information to a remote device. The network connection is coupled to the controller and provides the remote device with access to the Web services interface.
1. An automated teller machine (ATM) for enabling an ATM service operator remote from the ATM to perform an ATM management function on the ATM while an ATM customer at the ATM is conducting an ATM customer transaction unrelated to the ATM management function being performed on the ATM by the remote ATM service operator, the ATM comprising:
an ATM customer transaction module operable to (i) implement a function associated with the ATM customer transaction, (ii) provide status information relating to the ATM customer transaction module, and (iii) interact with a cash dispense module of the ATM; and
an ATM controller coupled to the ATM customer transaction module and including (i) a management component for retrieving status information from the ATM customer transaction module and for querying devices associated with the ATM through those devices' interfaces to retrieve device status, and (ii) a Web services interface for enabling the remote ATM service operator at a remote device having a Web browser to access the retrieved status information and device status while the ATM customer at the ATM is conducting the ATM customer transaction unrelated to the ATM management function being performed on the ATM by the remote ATM service operator.
2. An ATM according to claim 1 , wherein the ATM customer transaction modules comprises one of a card reader module, and a check deposit module.
3. An ATM according to claim 2 , further comprising an ATM service function module different from the ATM customer transaction module and operable to implement an ATM management function, wherein the ATM service function module comprises one of a journal printer module and a service operator panel module.
4. An automated teller machine (ATM) comprising:
a cash dispense module operable to implement a cash dispense function in response to a cash dispense request from an ATM customer, and including (i) a processor executing (a) a management component operable to obtain status information relating to the cash dispense module, and (b) a first Web services interface for providing access to the obtained status information to a remote device, and (ii) a network connection for communicating directly with a remote transaction controller; and
a check deposit module operable to implement a check deposit function in response to a check deposit request from an ATM customer, and including (i) a processor executing (a) a management component operable to obtain status information relating to the check deposit module, and (b) a second Web services interface for providing access to the obtained status information to a remote device, and (ii) a network connection for communicating directly with a remote transaction controller;
wherein (i) the first and second Web services interfaces are separate and different from each other, (ii) the first Web services interface is dedicated to the cash dispense module operable to implement a cash dispense function, and (iii) the second Web services interface is dedicated to the check deposit module operable to implement a check deposit function, and wherein a remote network connection issued by a server operator accesses at least one of the check deposit module and the cash dispense module for information simultaneous to a particular ATM customer performing a particular ATM operation and to query the cash dispense module and check deposit module using each module's interface to check on module statuses while the ATM customer is performing the particular ATM operation.
5. An ATM according to claim 4 , wherein the network connections comprise dedicated network cards for each module.
6. An ATM according to claim 4 , wherein the network connections comprise dedicated communication stacks, each communication stack being associated with a serial port to provide a transport layer; and a single network card used by all serial ports.
7. A distributed automated teller machine (ATM) system comprising ATM customer transaction modules at a first location and an ATM transaction controller at a second location remote from the first location, the ATM customer transaction modules including:
a cash dispense module operable to implement a cash dispense function in response to a cash dispense request from an ATM customer, and including (i) a processor executing (a) a management component operable to obtain status information relating to the cash dispense module, and (b) a first Web services interface dedicated to the cash dispense module and for enabling an ATM service operator with a remote device having a Web browser to request and directly access the obtained status information from the first Web services interface without having to go through a remote management system, and (ii) a network connection for communicating directly with the remote ATM transaction controller; and
a check deposit module operable to implement a check deposit function in response to a check deposit request from an ATM customer, and including (i) a processor executing (a) a management component operable to obtain status information relating to the check deposit module, and (b) a second Web services interface dedicated to the check deposit module and for enabling an ATM service operator with a remote device having a Web browser to request and directly access the obtained status information from the second Web services interface without having to go through a remote management system, and (ii) a network connection for communicating directly with the remote ATM transaction controller, and wherein a remote network connection issued by the ATM server operator accesses at least one of the check deposit module and the cash dispense module for information simultaneous to a particular ATM customer performing a particular ATM operation and to query the cash dispense module and check deposit module using each module's interface to check on module statuses while the ATM customer is performing the particular ATM operation.
8. A distributed ATM system according to claim 7 , wherein (i) the remote ATM transaction controller controls a plurality of cash dispense modules, (ii) each cash dispense module of the plurality of cash dispense modules is located in a different geographical location, and (iii) each cash dispense module of the plurality of cash dispense modules having its own associated Web services interface which can receive a request from a remote device of an ATM service operator for status information to at the same time the respective cash dispense module is implementing a cash dispense function for an ATM customer who is other than an ATM service operator during an ATM customer cash dispense transaction involving the respective cash dispense module.
9. A distributed ATM system according to claim 7 , wherein (i) the remote ATM transaction controller controls a plurality of check deposit modules, (ii) each check deposit module of the plurality of check deposit modules is located in a different geographical location, and (iii) each check deposit module of the plurality of check deposit modules having its own associated Web services interface which can receive a request from a remote device of an ATM service operator for status information at the same time the respective check deposit module is implementing a check deposit function for an ATM customer who is other than an ATM service operator during an ATM customer check deposit transaction involving the respective check deposit module.
10. A method of operating an automated teller machine (ATM) to assist a remote ATM service operator in performing an ATM management function on the ATM while an ATM customer at the ATM is conducting an ATM customer transaction unrelated to the ATM management function being performed on the ATM by the remote ATM service operator, the ATM having (i) an ATM application, (ii) a number of ATM modules, and (iii) an eXtensions for Financial Services (XFS) manager that receives XFS commands from the ATM application and routes the XFS commands to appropriate ATM modules for operating on the received XFS command, the method comprising:
receiving from the remote device of the ATM service operator a request for ATM management information in a format compatible with a Web services interface which operates as a software layer above the XFS manager;
ascertaining if the received request fulfils a security criterion;
transforming the received request into a different format in the event that the request does fulfill the security criterion;
communicating the transformed request to a device manager in a format recognized by a device of the ATM using that device's interface;
receiving a response from the device manager;
transforming the response into a format compatible with the Web services interface; and
relaying the transformed response to the remote device of the ATM service operator and thereby to assist the ATM service operator in performing the ATM management function on the ATM while the ATM customer at the ATM is conducting the ATM customer transaction unrelated to the ATM management function being performed on the ATM by the remote ATM service operator, the ATM transaction performing one of: cash dispensing and check depositing.