Granted Patent B1

US 8,573,481 · App. 13/419,504 · Granted Nov 5, 2013

Abstract

Claims (97)

1. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine that includes a plurality of hardware devices including:

a card reader operable to read from user cards, card data that corresponds to financial accounts;

at least one device operative to at least one of accept or dispense cash;

at least one computer processor in operative communication with the card reader and the at least one device operative to at least one of accept or dispense cash, wherein the at least one computer processor is operative to cause:

a computer determination to be made that card data read from a user card corresponds to a financial account concerning which financial transfers are authorized to be conducted through machine operation; and

a financial transfer at least one of to or from the financial account responsive at least in part to the determination;

wherein at least one of the hardware devices includes at least one device processor, at least one data store, and at least one diagnostic interface,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to store information in the at least one data store representative of at least one of a plurality of different device conditions determinable by the at least one device processor for the at least one hardware device,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to communicate to the at least one computer processor, data representative of a least some of the device conditions corresponding to the information stored in the at least one data store,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to cause the at least one diagnostic interface to wirelessly communicate to an external portable device, data representative of at least some of the device conditions corresponding to the information stored in the at least one data store,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to cause wireless communication of data corresponding to at least one device condition through the at least one diagnostic interface toward the external portable device, wherein the at least one device processor is not operatively configured to communicate data corresponding to the at least one device condition to the at least one computer processor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one diagnostic interface includes at least one radiation emitter, wherein the at least one device processor of the at least one hardware device is operatively configured to cause the at least one radiation emitter to provide outputs that communicate data corresponding to the at least one device condition to the external portable device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the at least one radiation emitter includes at least one visual indicator,

wherein the at least one visual indicator includes at least one LED,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to cause the at least one LED to emit visible light signals in a plurality of different sequential patterns corresponding respectively to different device conditions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the at least one radiation emitter includes a visual indicator,

wherein the visual indicator includes a display screen,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to cause the display screen to display indicia in a plurality of different patterns corresponding respectively to different device conditions.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one diagnostic interface includes a near field communication (NFC) device that is operative to wirelessly communicate with the external portable device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a portable component,

wherein the portable component includes at least one of;

the external portable device,

wherein the external portable device includes a portable device processor, a wireless communication receiver, and a display; or

a software component operative to execute in a processor of the external portable device,

wherein the portable component is operative responsive at least in part to wireless received communication from the at least one diagnostic interface of the at least one hardware device, to cause the at least one device condition to be determined,

wherein the portable component is operatively configured to cause the display of the external portable device to output service indicia that identifies the at least one device condition.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the portable component is operatively configured to cause the display of the external portable device to output service indicia that corresponds to a plurality of service instructions that describe service actions usable to correct the at least one device condition.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the external portable device includes a mobile phone, wherein the wireless communication receiver includes a camera included on the mobile phone, wherein the at least one diagnostic interface of the at least one hardware device includes at least one of an LED or a display screen.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the portable component includes at least one communication software component that is operatively programmed to cause the mobile phone to send data representative of the at least one device condition to a remote server, wherein the at least one communication software component is operatively programmed to cause the mobile phone to receive service data usable by the mobile phone to produce at least some of the service indicia.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one communication software component is operatively programmed to cause the mobile phone to send service user data to the remote server, which service user data is usable to enable the remote server to cause a financial amount associated with access to the service data to be assessed to a service user account associated with the service user data.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6 ,

wherein the portable component includes the external portable device,

wherein the external portable device includes a portable device data store including service data associated with a plurality of different device conditions,

wherein the external portable device is operatively configured to cause the display of the external portable device to output the service indicia responsive at least in part to the service data stored in the portable device data store, which service data corresponds to the at least one device condition.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

the external portable device,

a remote server,

wherein the remote server is operative to receive from the external portable device, condition data representative of the at least one device condition that was wirelessly communicated to the external portable device through the at least one diagnostic interface,

wherein the remote server is operative responsive to the received condition data to send to the external portable device, service data that corresponds to the at least one device condition.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the remote server is operative responsive at least in part to the received condition data to send to the external portable device, service data that corresponds to a plurality of service instructions that describe service actions usable to correct the at least one device condition.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the remote server is operative to receive service user data sent from the external portable device, wherein the remote server is operative responsive to the service user data to cause a financial amount associated with access to the service data to be assessed to an account associated with the service user data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one computer processor is in operative communication with the at least one hardware device that includes the at least one diagnostic interface, through at least one cable,

wherein the at least one computer processor includes at least one device driver software component that is operative to cause the at least one computer processor to communicate messages through the at least one cable, which messages are operative to cause the at least one hardware device to carry out at least one device function,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to wirelessly communicate data corresponding to the at least one device condition through the at least one diagnostic interface to the external portable device, and the at least one device processor is not operatively configured to communicate data corresponding to the at least one device condition to the at least one device driver software component through the at least one cable.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of device conditions determinable by the at least one device processor include data indicative of fault conditions associated with the at least one hardware device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one diagnostic interface is operative to receive data through at least one of a wireless connection or a wired connection with the external portable device,

wherein the at least one device processor is operative to cause at least one of:

the received data to be stored in the at least one data store; or

firmware in the at least one hardware device to be updated, responsive to the received data.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one computer processor and the at least one device processor are operatively configured to communicate transaction identification information from the at least one computer processor to the at least one hardware device,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to store in the at least one data store, the transaction identification information in association with data that is associated with at least one device function carried out by the at least one hardware device in connection with a financial transaction corresponding to the transaction identification information.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one hardware device is operative to at least one of receive or dispense sheet media from at least one cassette,

wherein the at least one computer processor and the at least one hardware device are operatively configured to communicate messages therebetween,

and further comprising:

at least one software component operative in the at least one computer processor,

wherein the at least one software component is operative to monitor the messages communicated between the at least one computer processor and the at least one hardware device,

wherein the at least one software component is operative responsive to the monitored messages to store in the at least one data store, data representative of at least one of a number or a type of sheet media at least one of received by or dispensed from the at least one cassette.

20. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine that includes a plurality of hardware devices including:

a card reader operable to read from user cards, card data that corresponds to financial accounts;

at least one device operative to at least one of receive or dispense sheet media from at least one cassette;

at least one computer processor in operative communication with the card reader and the at least one device,

wherein the at least one computer processor is operative to cause:

a computer determination to be made that card data read from a user card corresponds to a financial account concerning which financial transfers are authorized to be conducted through machine operation; and

a financial transfer at least one of to or from the financial account responsive at least in part to the determination;

wherein at least one of the hardware devices includes at least one device processor and at least one data store,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to determine data corresponding to at least one device condition associated with the at least one hardware device,

a display,

wherein the display is operative to output indicia including at least one machine readable bar code in a manner that allows the at least one machine readable bar code to be captured in an image by using a camera of a mobile phone,

wherein the image is usable to determine data corresponding to the at least one device condition.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 ,

wherein the at least one device processor is operatively configured to determine a plurality of device conditions associated with the at least one hardware device,

wherein the at least one device processor is operative to communicate data corresponding to some of the plurality of device conditions to the computer processor, but not data corresponding to the at least one device condition.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the at least one machine readable bar code includes to a two-dimensional bar code.

23. Apparatus comprising:

an automated transaction machine,

wherein the machine is associated with at least one computer processor that is operable to cause a computer determination to be made on whether user data obtained by operation of the at least one data reader corresponds to a financial account on which financial transactions can be carried out with the machine,

wherein the machine includes a plurality of hardware devices,

wherein the hardware devices include at least one data reader,

wherein the at least one data reader is operable to obtain user data usable to identify financial accounts,

wherein the hardware devices include at least one of:

a sheet dispenser, or

a sheet acceptor;

wherein at least one of the hardware devices includes at least one device processor,

wherein the at least one device processor is configured to operate to determine data corresponding to at least one device condition associated with the at least one hardware device,

wherein the machine includes a display,

wherein the display is operable to output indicia in a manner that allows an imaging device of a mobile communication device to capture the indicia,

wherein the indicia includes at least one bar code,

wherein the at least one bar code is usable to determine the data corresponding to the at least one device condition.

Assignments (24)