Automated banking machine that operates responsive to data read from data bearing records
View Patent ↗Automated banking machines ( 10 ) operate to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records. Each of the automated banking machines includes a card reader that is operative to read data from user cards corresponding to financial accounts. Transactions are authorized responsive at least in part to correspondence between card data and stored data corresponding to authorized users. Entities responsible for operating the automated banking machines may receive messages that include information or update code items for software or firmware usable in the banking machines for which they have operational responsibility.
1. A method carried out in connection with automated banking machines that operate responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records to cause financial transfers, wherein each machine includes a card reader, wherein the card reader is operative to read card data from user cards, wherein the card data corresponds to at least one financial account, and wherein each machine operates to cause a comparison to be made of card data and stored data and is operative to cause financial transfers at least in part to determined correspondence between card data and stored data, and wherein each machine is operative to print a record associated with each financial transfer, comprising:
(a) storing in at least one data store through operation of at least one computer, data corresponding to:
(a)(i) a plurality of entities which each have operational responsibility for at least one of the automated banking machines;
(a)(ii) for each entity, at least one identifier associated with at least one computer program operated in association with at least one automated banking machine for which the respective entity has operational responsibility;
(a)(iii) a plurality of update code items, wherein each update code item is operative to provide update changes to at least one computer program;
(a)(iv) for each update code item, at least one identifier associated with the at least one computer program in (a)(iii) to which the respective update code item is operative to provide update changes;
(b) receiving through operation of the at least one computer, data corresponding to a first entity;
(c) determining through operation of the at least one computer at least one update code item that can be used to make update changes to at least one computer program operated in association with at least one automated banking machine for which the first entity has operational responsibility.
2. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:
(d) communicating to the first entity, data corresponding to the at least one update code item determined in (c).
3. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:
(d) communicating an electronic message to the first entity indicating the availability of at least one update code item usable by the first entity.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein (a)(iii) includes storing in the at least one data store, data representative of a previously unavailable update code item, and wherein (a)(iv) includes storing in the at least one data store, data corresponding to an identifier associated with at least one first computer program to which the previously unavailable update code item can be used to provide update changes, and further comprising:
(e) determining through operation of the at least one computer that the at least one first computer program operates in association with at least one automated banking machine for which the first entity has operational responsibility.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the communication in (d) indicates the availability of the previously unavailable update code item and is communicated to the first entity responsive to determination in (e).
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein (b) includes receiving a message from the first entity through operation of the at least one computer.
7. The method according to claim 6 wherein (b) includes the at least one computer communicating an e-mail message to the first entity including a link, and wherein in (b) the message from the first entity is received by the at least one computer as a result of selection of the link by the first entity.
8. The method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
(e) responsive to data corresponding to the first entity received in (b), delivering electronically to the first entity through operation of the at least one computer, data corresponding to the at least one update code item determined in (c).
9. The method according to claim 8 wherein (a) further includes storing in at least one data store:
(a)(v) at least one system address from which the at least one update code item can be downloaded, and
wherein in (e) the data corresponding to the at least one update code item includes at least one electronic message including a link to the at least one system address from which the at least one update code item can be downloaded.
10. The method according to claim 9 wherein in (a) and (e) the at least one system address from which the at least one update code item can be downloaded comprises an Internet accessible address not associated with the at least one computer.
11. The method according to claim 9 and further comprising:
(f) downloading the at least one update code item to the first entity responsive to selection of the link presented in (e).
12. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:
(f) downloading the at least one update code item to the first entity through operation of the at least one computer.
13. The method according to claim 12 and further comprising:
(g) storing in the at least one data store through operation of the at least one computer, data indicating that the at least one update code item has been downloaded by the first entity.
14. The method according to claim 12 and further comprising:
(g) prior to (f) presenting at least one first message to the first entity through operation of the at least one computer including legal terms applicable to the use of the at least one update code item.
15. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising:
(h) receiving through operation of the at least one computer, at least one message from the first entity indicating agreement to the terms presented in (g).
16. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:
(f) storing in the at least one data store through operation of the at least one computer, data indicating that data concerning the at least one update code item has been delivered to the first entity.
17. The method according to claim 8 wherein (a) includes receiving through operation of the at least one computer at least one e-mail address associated with the first entity, and wherein in (d) the data is delivered to the at least one e-mail address.
18. The method according to claim 8 wherein (a) includes receiving through operation of the at least one computer, at least one message from the first entity including data representative of at least one computer program operated in at least one automated banking machine for which the first entity has operational responsibility.
19. The method according to claim 3 wherein (a) includes receiving through operation of the at least one computer, at least one e-mail address associated with the first entity, and wherein in (d) the electronic message is communicated to the at least one e-mail address.
20. The method according to claim 2 wherein (a) includes determining through operation of the at least one computer, entities that have license agreements with a provider authorizing use of the at least one computer program in automated banking machines.
21. The method according to claim 20 wherein (a) further includes receiving through operation of the at least one computer, at least one message on behalf of the provider including at least one e-mail address associated with the first entity, and wherein in (d) the data is communicated to the at least one e-mail address.
22. The method according to claim 2 wherein (a) includes receiving through operation of the at least one computer, at least one e-mail address associated with the first entity, and wherein in (d) the data is communicated to the at least one e-mail address.
23. The method according to claim 1 wherein (a) includes receiving at least one message on behalf of a provider identifying the first entity as authorized to use at least one computer program owned by the provider in at least one automated banking machine.
24. A method comprising:
(a) operating at least one computer to cause data to be stored in at least one data store,
wherein the data includes entity/address data,
wherein the entity/address data links addresses to entities responsible for overseeing updating of machine programs used by automated banking machines operable to carry out transactions involving financial accounts identifiable at least in part by user data read by at least one machine reader,
wherein the data includes entity/machine data,
wherein the entity/machine data links each respective machine to a respective entity;
wherein the data includes machine/program data,
wherein the machine/program data links each respective machine program to each respective machine which uses the respective machine program;
(b) operating the at least one computer to determine that an update is available for a first machine program of the machine programs;
(c) operating the at least one computer to determine from the at least one data store, that the first machine program is used by a first machine of the machines;
(d) operating the at least one computer to determine from the at least one data store, that the first machine is overseen by a first entity of the entities;
(e) operating the at least one computer to determine from the at least one data store, an address associated with the first entity; and
(f) operating the at least one computer to cause at least one message to be communicated to the address associated with the first entity,
wherein the at least one message indicates that an update is available for the first machine.
25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the entity/address data links a first e-mail address to the first entity, wherein (f) includes causing at least one e-mail to be sent to the first e-mail address, and wherein the at least one e-mail indicates that the update is available.
26. A method comprising:
(a) operating at least one computer to cause data to be stored in at least one data store,
wherein the data:
associates communication addresses with entities responsible for overseeing updating of machine programs used by automated banking machines operable to carry out transactions involving financial accounts identifiable at least in part by user data read by at least one machine reader, associates each respective machine with a respective entity, and
associates each respective machine program with each respective machine which uses the respective machine program;
(b) operating the at least one computer to determine that an update is available for a machine program used by at least one machine overseen by a first entity of the entities; and
(c) operating the at least one computer to cause at least one electronic message to be sent to a communication address associated in the at least one data store with the first entity,
wherein the at least one electronic message indicates that the update is available.
27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the data associates a first e-mail address with the first entity, wherein (c) includes causing at least one e-mail to be sent to the first e-mail address, and wherein the at least one e-mail indicates that the update is available.