Granted Patent B1

US 12,646,023 · App. 18/053,962 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Elizabeth K. Smith (Fredericksburg, TX); Arthur Quentin Smith (Fredericksburg, TX)

Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)

G06Q10/06315

Abstract

Claims (79)

1 . A method for installing an interactive machine at a selected location determined to be suitable for the interactive machine, the method comprising:

storing, by a processor, in a transaction memory location of a computer system, a minimum number of transactions having a value expected to be performed at the interactive machine;

identifying, by the processor, a number of potential users present in a first region based on information included in an electronic map of the first region;

identifying, by the processor, a first set of movements of the potential users present in the first region by using computer monitoring to report positions of the potential users at different points in time by tracking positions of mobile devices of the potential users using global positioning system information and positions of mobile devices of the potential users associated with electronic records of financial transactions performed by the potential users;

identifying, by the processor, a sub-region, selected from a plurality of candidate sub-regions of the first region to have a number of potential users sufficient to satisfy the minimum number of transactions;

providing, by the processor, a potential site for the interactive machine at a location within the sub-region, determined based on user density, determined from the electronic map of the first region including information about user densities associated with possible sites;

wherein the potential site is also determined based on converting information about situating the interactive machine based on usage patterns due to the potential site being within the sub-region, converting information about the user density to thereby place the interactive machine at a potential site associated with a sufficient usage, converting information about social profile information for the potential users, and converting constraints related to the social profile information to be satisfied by a potential site into a location for the potential site;

determining, by the processor, a type of interactive machine to install based on information from the electronic map associated with the potential site;

storing, by the processor, the potential site and the type of interactive machine to install for use in installing the interactive machine;

automatically generating, by the processor, a message containing information for installing the interactive machine of the stored type at the stored potential site;

transmitting, by the processor, the message to a user so that the user has access to the information for installing the interactive machine of the stored type at the stored potential site;

installing the interactive machine of the stored type at the stored potential site based on the information in the message, wherein the installation includes automatically controlling a mechanized vehicle, by the processor, to a cause the mechanized vehicle to perform the installation of the interactive machine at the stored potential site;

wherein the interactive machine is installed as a drive-thru machine or as a walk-in machine based on movement information from vehicles and movement information from pedestrians;

the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the processor, updated movements of the potential users present in the first region at a time subsequent to the first set of movements originally identified;

updating, by the processor, the electronic map of the first region based on the updated movements of the potential users present in the first region;

identifying, by the processor, changes in the updated electronic map of the first region;

based on the changes in the updated electronic map, determining, by the processor, whether at least one interactive machine at an existing location is still needed;

upon determining that the at least one interactive machine is not needed, the processor deactivates the at least one interactive machine; and

upon determining that the at least one interactive machine is needed, the processor renews the at least one interactive machine at the existing location by sending a signal, code, or instruction to the at least one interactive machine that causes the at least one interactive machine to continue to operate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the processor, the sub-region as being a selected sub-region selected from the plurality of candidate sub-regions to have a number of potential users at a time of day sufficient to at least meet the expected minimum number of transactions for the time of day.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of interactive machine is determined to be a drive-thru machine when the movements of the potential users indicate that vehicular traffic exceeds pedestrian traffic and wherein the type of interactive machine is determined to be a walk-in machine when the movements of the potential users indicate that pedestrian traffic exceeds vehicular traffic.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the electronic map, by the processor, to perform at least one of indicating a location of the potential site, providing directions to the potential site, indicating a position for the interactive machine, activating the interactive machine, and confirming installation of the interactive machine.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of interactive machine is determined to be a type of interactive machine that provides services related to the social profile information used to determine the potential site.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating, by the processor, the potential site based on changes in movement patterns of the potential users and deactivating or moving the machine based on the updating.

7 . A method for installing an interactive machine at a selected location determined to be suitable for the interactive machine, the method comprising:

storing, by a processor, in a transaction memory location of a computer system a minimum number of transactions having a value expected to be performed at the interactive machine;

identifying, by the processor, a number of potential users present in a first region based on information included in an electronic map of the first region;

identifying, by the processor, a first set of movements of the potential users present within the first region using computer monitoring of portable devices that report positions of the potential users at different points in time by tracking positions of mobile devices of the potential users using global positioning system information and positions of mobile devices of the potential users associated with electronic records of financial transactions performed by the potential users;

identifying, by the processor, from a crime storage location, a first area within the first region in which a risk of a crime event exceeds a threshold based on analyzing crime information;

storing, by the processor, in an investment memory, a minimum return on investment;

identifying, by the processor, a second area within the first region wherein a business cost exceeds a value that precludes achieving the minimum return on investment;

providing, by the processor, a potential site for the interactive machine at a location within the first region but outside of the first area and outside of the second area, determined from the electronic map of the first region, wherein the electronic map includes information about the potential sites;

wherein the potential site is also determined based on converting information about situating the interactive machine based on affinity group information for the potential users belongs and converting information related to satisfying constraints for the interactive machine based on usage patterns due to the site being within the first region, outside of the first area, outside of the second area, and determined based on the affinity group information to thereby place the interactive machine at a site associated with acceptable crime levels and acceptable return on investment into a location for the potential site;

determining, by the processor, a type of interactive machine to install based on information from the electronic map associated with the potential site;

storing, by the processor, the potential site and the type of interactive machine to install for use in installing the interactive machine;

automatically generating, by the processor, a message instructing a user to install an interactive machine at the potential site;

transmitting, by the processor, the message to the user to instruct the user to install, based on instructions contained in the message, the interactive machine of the stored type at the stored potential site;

installing the interactive machine of the stored type at the stored potential site based on the instructions contained in the message, wherein the instructions include one or more of text, video, and audio and are provided to the user using augmented reality or virtual reality technology to indicate to the user how to install the interactive machine;

wherein the interactive machine is installed as a drive-thru machine or as a walk-in machine based on movement information from vehicles and movement information from pedestrians;

the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the processor, updated movements of the potential users present in the first region at a time subsequent to the first set of movements originally identified;

updating, by the processor, the electronic map of the first region based on the updated movements of the potential users present in the first region;

identifying, by the processor, changes in the updated electronic map of the first region;

based on the changes in the updated electronic map, determining, by the processor, whether at least one interactive machine at an existing location is still needed;

upon determining that the at least one interactive machine is not needed, the processor deactivates the at least one interactive machine; and

upon determining that the at least one interactive machine is needed, the processor renews the at least one interactive machine at the existing location by sending a signal, code, or instruction to the at least one interactive machine that causes the at least one interactive machine to continue to operate.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining, by the processor, whether crime levels are acceptable by generating a crime score based on time, location, frequency, and severity of crimes and comparing the crime score to a threshold value.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining, by the processor, whether return on investment achieves the minimum return on investment by determining profitability of the potential site and comparing the profitability to a threshold value.

10 . A method for installing an interactive machine at a selected location determined to be suitable for the interactive machine, the method comprising:

storing, by a processor, in a transaction memory location of a computer system a minimum number of transactions having a value expected to be performed at the interactive machine;

identifying, by the processor, a number of potential users present in a first region based on information included in an electronic map of the first region;

identifying, by the processor, a first set of movement of the potential users present in the first region as a function of time using computer monitoring of portable devices that report positions of the potential users at different points in time by tracking positions of mobile devices of the potential users using global positioning system information and positions of mobile devices of the potential users associated with electronic records of financial transactions performed by the potential users;

identifying, by the processor, from a crime storage location in the memory a first area within the first region in which a risk of a crime event exceeds a threshold based on analyzing crime information;

establishing, by the processor, a minimum return on investment;

identifying, by the processor, a second area within the first region wherein a business cost exceeds a value that precludes achieving the minimum return on investment;

providing, by the processor, a potential site for the interactive machine at a location within the first region but outside of the first area and outside of the second area, determined from the electronic map of the first region, wherein the electronic map includes information about possible sites;

wherein the potential site is also determined based on converting information about situating the interactive machine based on social profile information of the potential users and converting information related to satisfying constraints for the interactive machine based on usage patterns due to the site being within the first region, outside of the first area, outside of the second area, and determined based on the social profiles for the potential users to thereby place the interactive machine at a site associated with acceptable crime levels and acceptable return on investment into a location for the potential site;

storing, by the processor, the potential site for use in installing the interactive machine;

automatically generating, by the processor, a message instructing a user to install an interactive machine at the potential site;

transmitting, by the processor, the message to the user to instruct the user to install, based on instructions contained in the message, the interactive machine at the stored potential site;

installing the interactive machine at the stored potential site based on the instructions contained in the message, wherein the instructions comprise at least one of: (1) guiding an automated installation by automatically controlling, by the processor, a mechanized vehicle to cause the mechanized vehicle to perform the installation of the interactive machine at the potential site, or (2) text, video, and audio provided to the user using augmented reality or virtual reality technology to indicate to the user how to install the interactive machine;

the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the processor, updated movements of the potential users present in the first region at a time subsequent to the first set of movements originally identified;

updating, by the processor, the electronic map of the first region based on the updated movements of the potential users present in the first region;

identifying, by the processor, changes in the updated electronic map of the first region;

based on the changes in the updated electronic map, determining, by the processor, whether at least one interactive machine at an existing location is still needed;

upon determining that the at least one interactive machine is not needed, the processor deactivates the at least one interactive machine; and

upon determining that the at least one interactive machine is needed, the processor renews the at least one interactive machine at the existing location by sending a signal, code, or instruction to the at least one interactive machine that causes the at least one interactive machine to continue to operate.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the potential site is associated with a score generated based on a number of potential users of the potential site and the score exceeds a threshold required for the potential site to be selected for installing the interactive machine.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising accessing, by the processor, user characteristics for the potential users and using the user characteristics when generating the score for the potential site.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating, by the processor, a score associated with a drive-thru machine for the potential location and a score associated with a walk-in machine for the potential location and installing a type of machine at the potential location associated with a higher score.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the score is generated to be associated with a number of potential users of the potential site at a particular time of day.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising considering, by the processor, a sub-region for the potential site and using a score modifier associated with the sub-region when generating the score for the potential site.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the score modifier associated with the sub-region is based on a type of building included in the sub-region.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the score modifier associated with the sub-region is different for the type of building for installing a drive-thru interactive machine and for installing a walk-in interactive machine.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the score is a weighted sum of a quantity of users during a given time period, a sub-region score modifier, and a user characteristic score modifier.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising updating, by the processor, the score to reflect changes to the movements of the potential users.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising updating, by the processor, the score to reflect changes to at least one of the risk of the crime event, the business cost, the minimum return on investment, and the social profiles for the potential users.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (27)