Patent Application
20200111097
The present disclosure is related to an automated device providing an interface enabling exchange of data.
An automated device may enable a user to perform a variety of actions related to a user account. The automated device may enable exchange of data with a backend server that manages the user account, in order to update, output information about, or otherwise perform an action related to the user account. The automated device may provide a sequence of interfaces to enable the user to perform a selected action related to the user account. For example, the automated device may be an automated teller machine (ATM), which may provide a sequence of interfaces to enable the user to perform an action related to the user's account at a service provider such as a financial institution.
User interaction with such an automated device may be time-consuming and frustrating for a number of reasons. For example, a user may find it time-consuming when there are a high number of inputs required to complete a desired action, or a user may find it frustrating when there is too much or too little information provided during the interaction. Further, interactions with the automated device can be challenging and prone to errors for certain users, particularly seniors, users with disabilities, users with language comprehension challenges, and users who are uncomfortable with technology. Accordingly, there is a need for methods, devices and systems related to user interactions with automated devices.
Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show example embodiments of the present application, and in which:
Similar reference numerals may have been used in different figures to denote similar components.
The present disclosure is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments are shown. However, many different embodiments may be used, and thus the description should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Separate boxes or illustrated separation of functional elements of illustrated systems and devices does not necessarily require physical separation of such functions, as communication between such elements may occur by way of messaging, function calls, shared memory space, and so on, without any such physical separation. As such, functions need not be implemented in physically or logically separated platforms, although they are illustrated separately for ease of explanation herein. Different devices may have different designs, such that although some devices implement some functions in fixed function hardware, other devices may implement such functions in a programmable processor with code obtained from a machine-readable medium. Elements referred to in the singular may be implemented in the plural and vice versa, except where indicated otherwise either explicitly or inherently by context.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an automated device. The automated device includes: a display screen; a communication module for communication with a server; a processor coupled to the display screen and to the communication module; and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory having machine-executable instructions stored thereon. The instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the automated device to, during a session: display, on the display screen, a home interface providing a plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to an account; directly in response to selection of an option to change an authentication code for the account, display, on the display screen, a current authentication code interface for receiving a current authentication code for the account; transmit a first signal to the server, via the communication module, the first signal including a first input received via the current authentication code interface; directly in response to receipt of a second signal from the server, via the communication module, indicating that the first input is validated for the account, display, on the display screen, a new authentication code interface for receiving a new authentication code for the account and for receiving a confirmation of the new authentication code; compare a second input and a third input received via the new authentication code interface, and when the second and third inputs match, transmit a third signal to the server, via the communication module, the third signal including the new authentication code; display, on the display screen, a change processing interface providing output indicating processing of the change of authentication code; directly in response to receipt of a fourth signal from the server, via the communication module, indicating that the new authentication code has been set for the account, display, on the display screen, an acknowledgement interface indicating completion of the change of authentication code, the acknowledgement interface further providing an option to end the session and an option to continue the session; and directly in response to selection of the option to end the session, display, on the display screen, a record preview interface, the record preview interface providing a preview of a record of the session, the record preview interface further providing an option to generate output of the record.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method at an automated device. The method includes: displaying, during a session, a home interface providing a plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to an account; directly in response to selection of an option to change an authentication code for the account, displaying a current authentication code interface for receiving a current authentication code for the account; transmit a first signal to a server, the first signal including a first input received via the current authentication code interface; directly in response to receipt of a second signal from the server indicating that the first input is validated for the account, displaying a new authentication code interface for receiving a new authentication code for the account and for receiving a confirmation of the new authentication code; compare a second input and a third input received via the new authentication code interface, and when the second and third inputs match, transmit a third signal to the server, the third signal including the new authentication code; displaying a change processing interface providing output indicating processing of the change of authentication code; directly in response to receipt of a fourth signal from the server indicating that the new authentication code has been set for the account, displaying an acknowledgement interface indicating completion of the change of authentication code, the acknowledgement interface further providing an option to end the session and an option to continue the session; and directly in response to selection of the option to end the session, displaying a record preview interface, the record preview interface providing a preview of a record of the session, the record preview interface further providing an option to generate output of the record.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory machine-readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions for execution by a processor of an automated device. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the automated device to, during a session: display, on a display screen of the automated device, a home interface providing a plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to an account; directly in response to selection of an option to change an authentication code for the account, display, on the display screen, a current authentication code interface for receiving a current authentication code for the account; transmit a first signal to the server, via a communication module of the automated device, the first signal including a first input received via the current authentication code interface; directly in response to receipt of a second signal from the server, via the communication module, indicating that the first input is validated for the account, display, on the display screen, a new authentication code interface for receiving a new authentication code for the account and for receiving a confirmation of the new authentication code; compare a second input and a third input received via the new authentication code interface, and when the second and third inputs match, transmit a third signal to the server, via the communication module, the third signal including the new authentication code; display, on the display screen, a change processing interface providing output indicating processing of the change of authentication code; directly in response to receipt of a fourth signal from the server, via the communication module, indicating that the new authentication code has been set for the account, display, on the display screen, an acknowledgement interface indicating completion of the change of authentication code, the acknowledgement interface further providing an option to end the session and an option to continue the session; and directly in response to selection of the option to end the session, display, on the display screen, a record preview interface, the record preview interface providing a preview of a record of the session, the record preview interface further providing an option to generate output of the record.
In any of the above, the acknowledgement interface may include a confirmation code for the change of authentication code.
In any of the above, the option to generate output of the record may include an option to transmit the output of the record to an email address linked to the account. A fifth signal may be received from the server, via the communication module, the fifth signal including the email address. The option to transmit the output of the record to the email address may include a preview of the email address.
Any of the above may include steps or instructions to: directly in response to selection of an option on the record preview interface, display, on the display screen, a goodbye interface, the goodbye interface providing non-sensitive customer appreciation information specific to the account.
In any of the above, the home interface, current authentication code interface and new authentication code interface may each include an option to activate accessibility options. The option to activate accessibility options may be provided at a same location in each of the home interface, current authentication code interface and new authentication code interface.
In any of the above, the option to activate accessibility options may be provided in a lower portion in each of the home interface, current authentication code interface and new authentication code interface.
In any of the above, the current authentication code interface and new authentication code interface may each include an indication that the current authentication code interface and new authentication code interface each is provided in the context of the change of authentication code.
Any of the above may further include steps or instructions to: extract information from an access card inserted into the automated device; transmit a sixth signal to the server, via the communication module, the sixth signal including the information extracted from the access card; in response to receipt of a seventh signal from the server, via the communication module, the seventh signal providing information identifying the account associated with the access card, display, on the display screen, an welcome interface, the welcome interface providing at least some of the plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to the account; directly in response to selection of one of the selectable options provided by the welcome interface, display, on the display screen, a authentication interface for inputting the current authentication code for the account; transmit an eighth signal to the server, via the communication module, the eighth signal including a fourth input received via the authentication interface; and in response to receipt of a ninth signal from the server, via the communication module, that the fourth input is validated for the account, proceed to display of the home interface.
In any of the above, the selectable options displayed on the welcome interface may be dependent on actions currently available at the automated device, and may be further dependent on actions permissible for the account.
An automated device, also referred to in some examples as a self-service machine, may enable a user to perform certain actions, such as exchange of data or completion of transactions, without direct interaction with another human. Where the automated device is associated with or managed by a service provider, such as a financial institution, the automated device may provide services to clients of the service provider, as well as users who are not currently clients of the service provider, without direct interaction with a representative of the service provider. The automated device may enable a user to perform actions that involve an exchange of data with a server of the service provider. An automated device that is associated with a financial institution may provide certain financial services, and may also be referred to as an automated teller machine (ATM). ATMs may be used to perform actions such as dispense cash or other financial instruments for withdrawal, or accept financial instruments such as cash, money orders or checks for deposit. Other actions that may be performed at an ATM include, but are not limited to, credit card advances, inquiries, and payments, balance inquiries, payments and transfers, and the like. The user may also be able to manage a user's account associated with the service provider, such as changing an authentication code or other password for the account and/or selecting a language preference. The user may also be able to access and/or modify a user profile associated with the user account.
The example automated device 100 includes a keypad 104 which may be used to provide input to the automated device 100, for example to enter an authentication code (e.g., personal identification number (PIN)) and/or to provide numerical/non-numerical inputs. The keypad 104 may include keys for confirming/cancelling a particular action, and/or navigating through the interface provided by the automated device 100. In some examples, the keypad 104 may include function keys 106 that may be used for specific input (e.g., “Accept”, “Cancel”), in addition to multi-function or alphanumeric input keys. In some embodiments, the keypad 104 may be equipped with braille (or other forms of tactile indicators) to improve accessibility for visually impaired users. The automated device 100 may include audio input/output devices, such as a microphone (not shown) for receiving audio user input and, as shown, one or more speakers 108 for providing audio output. Other examples of I/O devices may include, for example, a mouse, an optical reader, and/or a stylus (or other input device(s)) through which a user of the automated device 100 may provide input.
An access card may be received, through a card slot 110, into the automated device 100 to be read by a card reader 112. In some examples, the card reader 112 reads a magnetic strip on the back of the access card to extract information stored thereon. Information may be stored in an integrated circuit (IC) chip embedded within the access card in addition to, or instead of, the magnetic strip, which may be read by the card reader 112. The information read by the card reader 112 may be used to perform functions such as card authentication, card holder validation, and/or account information retrieval.
User interactions with the automated device 100 may include insertion of physical input (e.g., cash and/or check, or other physical representations of data) through one or more input slots 114. The automated device 100 may incorporate sensors (e.g., an optical scanner 122) and/or a digital image processor (not shown) to process the received physical input. Physical output, such as cash, may be extracted from a vault 116 inside the automated device 100 and dispensed to the user through an output slot 118. Another output slot 119 may be used to provide a physical record, such as a paper receipt, of the user's interactions with the automated device 100 during a session. A session on the automated device 100 may be defined to include the inputs, outputs provided on the automated device 100 from the start of user interaction with the automated device 100 (e.g., starting with insertion of an access card into the card slot 110) and ending when the user chooses to end interactions with the automated device 100 (e.g., user provides input to the automated device 100 indicating that all desired actions have completed and/or user logs out). The physical record may be generated by a printer 120 inside the automated device 100. Additionally or alternatively, a record of the session may be emailed to the user. The automated device 100 may include a camera 124, which may be used to record video (e.g., for security purposes) and/or to facilitate interaction between the user and a local or remote agent.
Internally, the automated device 100 includes a processing unit 126 for controlling overall operation of the automated device 100. The processing unit 126 may be operably coupled to one or more of random access memory (RAM) 128, read-only memory (ROM) 130, memory 132, and input/output (I/O) devices such as those described above. Machine-executable instructions may be stored within memory 132 and/or other storage to provide instructions to the processing unit 126 for enabling the automated device 100 to perform various functions. For example, the memory 132 may store instructions for implementing an operating system 134, and one or more application programs 136. The memory 132 may also store data 138 locally. Additionally or alternatively, some or all of the machine-executable instructions for the automated device 100 may be embodied in hardware or firmware (not shown). In this example, the automated device 100 further includes a communication module 140, for wired and/or wireless communication with other network devices (see
The communication network 304 may include any one or more suitable computer networks including, for example, the Internet, an intranet, a wide-area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a local-area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wireless network, a digital subscriber line (DSL) network, a frame relay network, an asynchronous transfer mode network, a virtual private network (VPN), a public-switched telephone network (PSTN), or a public-land mobile network (PLMN), or any combination of any of the same. Network communications may be facilitated through the use of any suitable communication such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, and the like. The communication network 304 may be, or may include, an interbank network (which may also be referred to as an ATM consortium or ATM network).
The server 306 may be a backend server associated with the same service provider as the automated devices 100a-100n. The server 306 may be referred to as a first party server. The server 306 may be operable to communicate signals and exchange data with each of the plurality of automated devices 100a-100n. The server 306 in this example network 300 is also coupled to a database 308 that may store data accessible by the server 306. The data stored by the database 308 comprises user account information and provisioning data for data transfers in corresponding records. The database 308 is located externally to and remote from the automated devices 100. The server 306 in this example network 300 is also coupled to a third party server 310, which may provide third party services, such as authentication services, or may be associated with another service provider (e.g., another financial institution). The server 306 may be coupled to the database 308 and/or the third party server 310 via one or more networks (not shown). It is to be appreciated that although one instance each of the server 306, database 308, third party server 310 and communication network 304 are shown, any of the components in
The server 306 includes a controller, including at least one processor which controls the overall operation of the server 306. The processor is coupled to a plurality of components via a communication bus which provides a communication path between the components and the processor. The processor is coupled to a communication module that communicates with corresponding communication modules of the automated devices 100 and the third party server 310 by sending and receiving corresponding signals. The server 306 may include, or may communicate with, a data transfer server (not shown) which generates data transfer instructions via an instruction generation module, sends and/or receives data transfer instructions between various endpoints (e.g., the automated devices 100, the server 306, the third party server 310, etc.) and which may process data transfer instructions via an instruction processing module.
The implementation of the methods described herein include a sequence of interfaces, also referred to as user interfaces or graphical user interfaces (GUIs), to be provided by the automated device, as discussed below. One or more interfaces in the interface sequence may provide one or more selectable options as discussed below, each selectable option being selectable, for example by interacting with a touchscreen and/or a keypad 104 of the automated device 100. The selection options are provided in onscreen buttons or other user interface elements. The selectable options, when selected via corresponding interaction, cause different interfaces to be displayed which may, in some instances, involve communications between the automated device 100 and the server 306 to obtain information to dynamically populate interfaces in the interface sequence. The methods described herein may be implemented during a session with the automated device 100, for example as a portion of the session. The methods described herein may be implemented together to provide a sequence of interfaces.
At 402, an access card is received by the automated device (e.g., via a card slot on the automated device).
At 404, the access card is processed by the automated device (e.g., using a card reader) to extract information stored on the access card. The information extracted from the access card may include information used to identify whether the access card is associated with an account that is managed by a service provider (e.g., financial institution) that owns or manages the automated device, or whether the access card is associated with a third party.
At 406, the automated device transmits the information extracted from the access card to a server, for example a first party server owned or managed by the same service provider that owns the automated device, to identify and/or retrieve information about one or more associated accounts. Where the server determines that the access card is associated with a third party, the server may further communicate with a third party server to retrieve account information.
The server transmits to the automated device a signal providing information identifying the account(s) associated with the access card. The information provided by the server may include information indicating whether the access card is associated with an account that is managed by a third party service provider, for example.
At 408, in response to receipt of the information from the server, the automated device displays, the interface 700 shown in
As shown in
In
The interface 700 in this example also includes selectable general options 710a-710c (generally referred to as general options 710). The general options 710 may include options concerning general operation of the automated device, and may not be related to any specific action or workflow performed using the automated device. As shown, the general options 710 are provided in a lower portion 712 of the user interface 700, for example, in a bar, panel or frame at or near the bottom of the welcome interface 700. The general options 710 in this example include an option 710a for returning to a previous interface in the sequence of interfaces, an option 710b for displaying accessibility options, and an option 710c to cancel the current action (in this case, the exchange of data using physical input). The option 710a is displayed on the left side of the lower portion 712, the option 710b is displayed at the middle of the lower portion 712, and the option 710c is displayed on the right side of the lower portion 712. Other locations for the general options 710 may be used. The general options 710 may each be provided at the same location over a plurality of interfaces during the session, which may help a user to more easily find each of the general options 710. In particular, the location of the option 710b may enable a user with limited mobility and/or limited reach to more easily select the option 710b for displaying accessibility options.
The user interface 700 may also include a greeting 714. In some examples, the greeting 714 may include non-sensitive customized information, such as a name associated with the user account. Such customized information may be obtained via communication between the automated device and the server. For example, such information may be provided to the automated device together with identification of the account(s) associated with the access card.
At 410, directly in response to selection of one of the options 702, 704, the automated device proceeds to display of the interface 800 of
The interface 800 provides a field 802 for entry of an authentication code (e.g., PIN) associated with the account. For example, a user may use the keypad of the automated device to provide input into the field 802. The keypad may also provide the ability to backspace or cancel input. Other input mechanisms may also be used. The interface 800 provides a confirmation button 804 to confirm entry of the authentication code. The interface 800 also provides the general options 710 as discussed above. When the confirmation button 804 is selected, the input into the field 802 is received by the automated device. In some examples, instead of selecting the confirmation button 804, the user may use a physical button (e.g., a physical confirmation button or “OK” button, which may be part of the keypad) to confirm entry of the authentication code. Input using a physical confirmation button may be interpreted to be selection of the confirmation button 804. It should be generally understood that, in the present disclosure, selection of any confirmation button may be alternatively input using a physical confirmation button, such as an “OK” button on the keypad.
At 412, the automated device transmits the received input to the server. The server performs validation, for example by comparing the received input to an authentication code associated with the account. If the validation is successful (i.e., the received input matches the authentication code associated with the account), the server transmits a signal to the automated device to indicate that validation is successful. If the validation is not successful (i.e., the received input does not match the authentication code associated with the account), the server transmits a signal to the automated device to indicate that validation failed.
If validation failed, the automated device may generate output (e.g., a visual display) to indicate that the received input does not match the current authentication code. The automated device may again present the interface 800 to re-enter the authentication code.
The automated device may display the user interface 900 of
The user interface 900 in this example includes an animation 902 to indicate processing. Other indicators, with or without animation, may be used. The user interface 900 in this example also displays information 904. The displayed information 904 may or may not be related to the current action being performed, may or may not be specific to the account, and may or may not be specific to the service provider.
The information 904 may be used to inform the user of features and options provided by the automated device and/or service provider associated with the automated device. This may enable new features/options, useful features/options or rarely used features/options to be brought to the user's attention. The information 904 may also provide general user appreciation information, marketing information, or other customized or non-customized information. In some examples, the information 904 may provide customized information, for example customer appreciation information associated with the account, or marketing information customized to the account. Such customized information may be dynamically generated, based on account information provided by the server. In some examples, the information 904 may include dynamic information (e.g., time of day, current temperature, etc.) which may be updated by the automated device, or may be provided to the automated device by the server. The interface 900 may be omitted in other embodiments in which the processing or waiting time is negligible.
At 414, in response to receipt a signal from the server that the input received at 410 is validated, the automated device may proceed to display of the interface 1000 of
At 502, the automated device displays the interface 1000 of
The selectable options 1002 involve exchanging or updating data contained in the account and managed by the service provider. One or more of the options 1002 may involve accepting physical input(s) and/or providing physical output(s), as part of the exchange of data. In this example, the selectable options 1002 include an option 1002a for providing express physical output (e.g., express withdrawal of cash), an option 1002b for providing physical output (e.g., regular withdrawal of cash), an option 1002c for performing a deposit (e.g., of cash and/or check), an option 1002d for performing a transfer (e.g., of data or funds) between accounts, an option 1002e for performing one or more bill payments, and an option 1002f for changing an authentication code (e.g., a PIN) associated with the account. The interface 1000 also includes general options 710 as discussed above.
Optionally, the interface 1000 may also include a greeting 1020. In some examples, the greeting 1020 may include non-sensitive personalized information, such as a name associated with the user account. As discussed above, such customized information may be dynamically generated using information received from the server.
The interface 1000 also displays one or more selectable account options 1020a-1020d (generally referred to as account option 1020) for selecting an account that has been identified, for example via the inserted access card. There may be a plurality of accounts associated with the access card, each of which may be associated with different data and which may be used for performing different data exchange actions. Each account option 1020 may provide some identifying information about the account associated with the respective option, but the identifying information may be at least partially protected (e.g., using * symbols) to avoid sensitive information being inadvertently exposed. In this example, the account options 1020 include options 1020a and 1020b to select a checking account, an option 1020c to select a savings account, and an option 1020d to select a credit card account.
Each account option 1020 may be selectable in order to display further information (e.g., recent data history such as recent exchanges of data on that account) about the individual account associated with the selected option 1020 and/or to initiate an action for that individual account.
The interface 1000 also provides a selectable option 1022 to display further information about all the accounts associated with the displayed account options 1020. For example, the option 1022 may be selected to cause the account options 1020 to display the current state (e.g., current balance) of each associated account. The option 1022 in this example includes the message “Show balance” and a representative icon or other visual indicator to provide a visual cue. In this example, selecting the option 1022 causes the interface 1050 of
In cases where the number of accounts that have been identified for the access card exceed the number of displayable account options 1020, the user interface 1000 also provides scroll options 1024 to scroll to display additional account options associated with additional accounts.
The information displayed for the options 1020 (e.g., identification of the associated accounts and further information about the current state of each account) may be dynamically provided by the server. For example, the automated device may query the server in real-time (e.g., in response to selection of the option 1022) to obtain the account information to be displayed. The options 1020 may thus be customized in real-time, to provide information that is relevant to the current action and current session at the automated device.
Directly in response to selection of the option 1002f to change an authentication code associated with the account, the method 500 proceeds to 504 to display the interface 1100 of
The interface 1100 includes a field 1102 for entry of the current authentication code associated with the account. For example, a user may use the keypad of the automated device to provide input into the field 1102. The keypad may also provide the ability to backspace or cancel input. Other input mechanisms may also be used. The interface 1100 includes a confirmation button 1104 to confirm entry of the authentication code. The interface 1100 also includes a context indicator 1106, which provides information about the context of the currently displayed interface 1100. In this case, the context indicator 1106 indicates that the interface 1100 is part of the interface sequence for changing an authentication code. The interface 1100 also includes the general options 710 as discussed above.
When input is received via the interface 1100 (e.g., an entry has been inputted into the field 1102 and the confirmation button 1104 has been selected), the automated device at 506 transmits a signal to a server (e.g., a server associated with the service provider that owns the automated device), for example using a communication module of the automated device. The server may be a backend server that stores and/or manages data for accounts of the service provider. The server may be the server 306 of
The server performs validation on the received input, to check whether the received input matches the current authentication code that is set for the account. If validation fails, the server sends a signal to the automated device to indicate that the validation failed, and the automated device may provide output (e.g., visual display) to indicate that the received input does not match the current authentication code. The automated device may again present the interface 1100 to re-enter the authentication code. If validation is successful, the server sends a signal to the automated device to indicate that the validation was successful.
Directly in response to receipt of the signal from the server indicating that the received is validated for the account, the method 500 proceeds to 508. At 508, the automated device displays the interface 1200 of
The interface 1200 provides a first field 1202 and a second field 1204 for inputting a new authentication code. The interface 1200 also provides a confirmation button 1210 to confirm entry into the fields 1202, 1204. The interface 1200 also includes a context indicator 1206, which provides information about the context of the currently displayed interface 1200. In this case, the context indicator 1206 indicates that the interface 1200 is part of the interface sequence for changing an authentication code. The interface 1200 may also provide information 1208 that may help to guide user selection of a new authentication code. The interface 1200 also includes the general options 710 as discussed above. When the confirmation button 1210 is selected, the inputs into the fields 1202, 1204 are received by the automated device.
At 510, the automated device compares the first input into the first field 1202 with the second input into the second field 1204. If the first input and the second input are different, the automated device may generate an output (e.g., a visual display) to indicate that the first and second inputs do not match and to request the user to input the new authentication code again into the fields 1202, 1204.
If the first input and the second input match, then the automated device at 512 transmits the inputted new authentication code to the server.
The server then updates the account to be associated with the new authentication code. After the server has completed the update, the server transmits a signal to the automated device to indicate that the authentication code was successfully changed to the new authentication code.
At 514, the automated device may display the interface 1300 of
The user interface 1300 in this example includes an animation 1302 to indicate processing. Other indicators, with or without animation, may be used. The user interface 1300 in this example also displays information 1304, which may contain information similar to the information 904 displayed at the interface 900 of
At 516, directly in response to receipt of a signal from the server indicating that the new authentication code has been set, the automated device proceeds to display of the interface 1400 of
The interface 1400 may also include information 1406, which may be the same as, similar to, or different from the information 904 provided by the interface 900 of
If the option 1402 is selected, the automated device may return to display of the interface 1000 of
At 518, directly in response to selection of the option 1404 to end the session, the automated device displays the interface 1500 of
Where a digital output is selected, the digital output may be transmitted to an email address linked to the account. The email address may be predefined and associated with the account, thus avoiding the need for a user to manually input the email address and thereby facilitating a faster and more convenience interaction. For example, the automated device may receive a signal from the server providing the email address. The option 1504b to generate a digital output of the record can thus automatically include at least a preview of the email address. In this way, a user can be sure that the digital output of the record (which may include sensitive, personal information) is being sent to the correct email address. When the digital output is an email and the option 1604b to generate the digital output is selected, a digital version of the record is sent to the email address via the communication module 140. The email may be sent directly by the automated device (e.g., via an email client) or may be sent via the first party server. Where the email is sent via the first party server, the automated device may transmit a signal to the first party server via the communication module, the signal including information for generating the record, and the first party server in turn generates and transmits the email to the email address.
At 602, the automated device receives selection of an option to proceed to end a current session on the automated device. For example, selection of any of the options 1504, 1506 provided by the interface 1500 of
At 604, directly in response to selection of any option provided by the 1500 interface, the automated device displays the interface 1600 of
At 606, the inserted access card is ejected from the automated device. The access card may be ejected while the interface 1600 is being displayed. The interface 1600 may be displayed for a preset length of time (e.g., 5 seconds), or until the automated device detects that the access card has been removed.
Optionally, one or more of the user interfaces discussed above may include display of a background image (which may be the same or may differ between different user interfaces within a session). The background image may include animation for example. The background image may be different for different users, change depending on the season, change depending on the time of day, or have other such variations.
Optionally, one or more of the interfaces discussed above may also include branding, such as the logo of a service provider associated with the automated device.
In some examples, one or more processing or waiting screens may be skipped. For example, processing or waiting time may be negligible and the corresponding processing or waiting screen may not be displayed.
In the present disclosure, the automated device communicates with a server to exchange data which is used to dynamically populate one or more of the interfaces that are displayed by the automated device in a sequence of interfaces. The interfaces are presented in a sequence that provide an improved user experience with an automated device when performing actions related to exchange of data managed by a service provider. For example, the number of interfaces a user must navigate in order to complete an action may be reduced, by ordering the interfaces in a particular sequence. The interfaces also provide more streamlined and efficient interaction, by including contextual or summary information in the interfaces (e.g., visual cues, guidance or nudge) throughout the sequence without cluttering the interfaces with unnecessary information.
It should be appreciated that designing an effective user interface is not a process which is predictable or which lends itself to trial and error given the vast number of permutations that are possible. Factors affecting whether a user interface is effective include identifying efficient interactions which are relatively easy to perform, relatively easy to remember, have discoverability which allows users to discover functions during normal use without formal training, and which can be differentiated from other interactions by users and by the device relatively easily. Arbitrary or poorly considered user interfaces tend to create awkward and unnatural user experiences which make the required interaction harder to perform, harder to remember, undiscoverable (or at least less discoverable), and harder to differentiate from other interactions. Given the complex nature of human-machine interactions, effective user interfaces cannot be reliably predicted. This is known to the person of ordinary skill in the art of user interface design.
Studies performed with regard to examples of the disclosed sequence of interfaces have found increased user satisfaction with respect to interactions with the automated device across a variety of user groups.
In some examples, the sequence of interfaces may begin with an interface that displays options that are available at the automated device. The options that are displayed may depend on the account(s) associated with an inserted access card, may depend on the capabilities of the automated device and/or may depend on a current state of the automated device. In this way, a user is provided information about actions that may be performed using the automated device at the very start of the session, prior to entry of an authentication code. This may enable the session to skip displaying another interface that shows available options, and shorten the interface sequence. The user may also be able to determine from the start whether a desired action can or cannot be completed using the automated device.
In some examples, the sequence of interfaces may include interfaces that implicitly or explicitly confirm a selection made in a prior interface. For example, an interface may display contextual information that indicates the interface is part of an interface sequence used to perform a prior-selected action. An interface may also display contextual information to indicate that the action is being performed in the context of a particular prior-selected account.
In some examples, the automated device may provide an interface displaying a preview of a record of the session (e.g., a preview of a transaction receipt). The interface may also provide options for outputting the record, for example printing a physical copy of the record (e.g., using a printer peripheral of the automated device) and/or outputting a digital copy of the record to an email address associated with the account. The interface may exchange data with the server in order to retrieve the email address associated with the account (e.g., a primary email address in the case where there are multiple email addresses associated with the user account). In some cases, the interface may also display a preview of the email address (e.g., showing the first several characters of the email address), to assure the user the copy of the record is being sent to the correct email address. The interface may also provide an option to not generate an output of the record, for example the user may be satisfied after viewing the preview of the record on the interface.
In some examples, an interface may display information that is personalized or customized based on the user account. The customized information may be non-sensitive information (e.g., not related to financial data). The non-sensitive information may be a form of customer appreciation information. Such personalized information may be displayed without interfering with the sequence of interfaces required to perform an action. For example, such personalized information may be displayed at the beginning of a session, at the end of a session, or as part of an interface within the sequence. Displaying such non-sensitive, personalized information may help to convey a sense of appreciation, and help to engender user loyalty or goodwill towards the service provider. As an example, the number of days a user has been a customer of the service provider may be displayed at the end of a session. The interface may also display information may be used to inform the user of features and options provided by the automated device and/or service provider associated with the automated device. This may enable new features/options, useful features/options or rarely used features/options to be brought to the user's attention. The information may also provide general user appreciation information, marketing information, or other customized or non-customized information.
Although the present disclosure is described, at least in part, in terms of methods, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the present disclosure is also directed to the various components for performing at least some of the aspects and features of the described methods, be it by way of hardware (digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), software or a combination thereof. Accordingly, the technical solution of the present disclosure may be embodied in a non-volatile or non-transitory machine-readable medium (e.g., optical disk, flash memory, etc.) having stored thereon executable instructions tangibly stored thereon that enable a processing device (e.g., a data manager) to execute examples of the methods disclosed herein.
The steps and/or operations in the flowcharts and drawings described herein are for purposes of example only. There may be many variations to these steps and/or operations without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified.
The coding of software for carrying out the above-described methods described is within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art having regard to the present disclosure. Machine-readable code executable by one or more processors of one or more respective devices to perform the above-described method may be stored in a machine-readable medium such as the memory of the data manager. The terms “software” and “firmware” are interchangeable within the present disclosure and comprise any computer program stored in memory for execution by a processor, comprising RAM memory, ROM memory, erasable programmable ROM (EPROM) memory, electrically EPROM (EEPROM) memory, and non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) memory. The above memory types are example only, and are thus not limiting as to the types of memory usable for storage of a computer program.
All values and sub-ranges within disclosed ranges are also disclosed. Also, although the systems, devices and processes disclosed and shown herein may comprise a specific plurality of elements/components, the systems, devices and assemblies may be modified to comprise additional or fewer of such elements/components. For example, although any of the elements/components disclosed may be referenced as being singular, the embodiments disclosed herein may be modified to comprise a plurality of such elements/components. The subject matter described herein intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology.
The term “processor” may comprise any programmable system comprising systems using micro- or nano-processors/controllers, reduced instruction set circuits (RISC), ASICs, logic circuits, and any other circuit or processor capable of executing the functions described herein. The term “database” may refer to either a body of data, a relational database management system (RDBMS), or to both. As used herein, a database may comprise any collection of data comprising hierarchical databases, relational databases, flat file databases, object-relational databases, object oriented databases, and any other structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system. The above examples are example only, and thus are not intended to limit in any way the definition and/or meaning of the terms “processor” or “database”.
The present disclosure includes figures showing designs in the form of user interfaces in which at least some of the elements are shown with boundary lines illustrated as solid lines. The use of solid or dotted (broken) lines is not intended to be limiting for the purpose of design patent protection or industrial design protection. The designs of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited to the illustrated embodiments in which some design elements are shown in solid boundary lines and other design elements may be shown in dotted lines. It is contemplated that boundary lines that are depicted in the enclosed drawings as solid lines may be disclaimed and replaced with broken boundary lines in some embodiments for the purpose of design patent protection or industrial design protection, and vice versa.
The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the subject matter of the claims. The described example embodiments are to be considered in all respects as being only illustrative and not restrictive. The present disclosure intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology. The scope of the present disclosure is, therefore, described by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.
