Media count replenishment management
A method of managing media counts at a media terminal is described. The method comprises: receiving an expected media count from a remote management application; detecting a media replenisher at the media terminal; providing the expected media count to the media replenisher; and receiving confirmation from the media replenisher that the expected media count corresponds to the actual media present.
1. A method of managing media counts at a media terminal, the method comprising:
receiving an expected media count from a remote management application, where the expected media count is the amount of cash needed by the media terminal for operation;
detecting a media replenisher at the media terminal;
providing the expected media count to the media replenisher at the media terminal by presenting the expected media count as a cash amount on a service display of the media terminal for confirmation by a user;
in response to receiving an entry from the media replenisher that indicates that the actual media present does not correspond to the expected media count, receiving information from the media replenisher at the media terminal indicating the actual amount of media present and updating a media count using the information, wherein the actual media is actual cash.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving an expected media count from a remote management application is implemented by a management agent receiving the expected media count.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein providing the expected media count to the media replenisher is implemented by (i) the management agent communicating the expected media count to a local application, and (ii) the local application populating a screen with the expected media count when the media replenisher selects a media replenishment function using the local application.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting a media replenisher at the media terminal is implemented by sensing a menu selection relating to media replenishment.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
(i) updating a media count using the expected media count if the expected media count is confirmed by the media replenisher.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the remote management application implements a media optimization function to advise how much media should be located at the media terminal.
7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the remote management application implements a media terminal management function so that the remote management application receives event and fault information from the media terminal, and may dispatch a service engineer to service the media terminal.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the further step of transmitting the actual amount of media present to a remote transaction host.
9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises updating a local application with the actual amount of media present.
10. A media terminal comprising:
(i) a media dispenser,
(ii) a service application operable to provide service functions to an authorized user of the terminal and operable to:
(a) receive an expected media count from a remote management application, where the expected media count is the amount of cash needed by the media terminal for operation;
(b) detect a media replenisher at the terminal;
(c) provide the expected media count to the media replenisher at the media terminal by presenting the expected media count as a cash amount on a service display of the media terminal for confirmation by the authorized user;
(d) in response to receiving an entry from the media replenisher that indicates that an actual media present does not correspond to the expected media count, receiving information from the media replenisher at the media terminal indicating the actual amount of media present, wherein the actual media is actual cash.
11. A media terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the service application includes a management agent executing on the terminal and operable to communicate with software associated with the media dispenser.
12. A media terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the management agent comprises: an agent core, and a transfer service.
13. A media terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the media terminal comprises a self-service terminal.
14. A media terminal according to claim 13 , wherein the self-service terminal comprises an automated teller machine.
15. A media terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the service application includes a supervisor application operable to enable an authorized user to configure and maintain the media terminal.
16. A media terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the service application is further operable to:
update a media count using the expected media count if the expected media count was confirmed by the media replenisher, or
update a media count using the information from the media replenisher indicating the actual amount of media present, if the expected media count was annulled by the media replenisher.
17. A media terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the remote management application implements a media optimization function to advise how much media should be located at the media terminal.
18. A management agent for executing on a media terminal comprising a media dispenser device, wherein the management agent is programmed to:
(i) receive an expected media count from a remote management application, where the expected media count is the amount of cash needed by the media terminal for operation;
(ii) provide the expected media count to a media replenisher at the media terminal by presenting the expected media count as a cash amount on a service display of the media terminal for confirmation by a user;
(iii) receive an entry from the media replenisher that indicates that an actual media present does not correspond to the expected media count, wherein the actual media is actual cash, and
(iv) receive information from the media replenisher indicating the actual amount of media present.