Patent Application
20180285842
Self-service kiosks today, while technically more advanced than when they first introduced, provide much the same user experience as when they were first introduced. The user experience begins with a user tendering a bankcard, entering a Personal Identification Number (PIN), entering the transaction details, receiving currency or tendering a deposit, and then receiving a receipt and return of the card, if it was held during the transaction. Recent advancements have added touchscreens and quick transaction options, but the user experience is much the same. Banking customers often desire to conduct their transactions more quickly and in ways that are more personal to them.
Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, devices, methods, and software for self-service kiosk devices and systems and for the operation therewith.
One such embodiment is a device including a controller thereof that is able to communicate over a network, receive commands with regard to its services, and provide those services, such as dispense cash, receive a deposit, and print a receipt. Some such embodiments operate by providing an interface that banks communicate with to issue commands to and receive feedback from such kiosk devices. The kiosk devices, in some such embodiments, do not include operating systems, but rather just firmware and software for their simple operation when compared to traditional automated teller machines (ATMs). In some such embodiments, a banking customer interacts with the bank to stage a transaction to be performed at such as kiosk device via a smartphone app, such as a mobile banking app. The app is used to define what will be performed in the transaction, such as a cash withdrawal, and when the customer arrives at a particular kiosk device, the customer's presence is communicated either director or indirectly to the kiosk device and the transaction is performed.
Another embodiment, in the form of a method, includes receiving input defining a transaction with regard to an account to be conducted at a self-service kiosk device and staging the transaction defined by the received input. This method further includes receiving a notification that an authentication with regard to the account has been received from a particular self-service kiosk device and transmitting a set of commands to the particular self-service kiosk device to perform the staged transaction.
Another method embodiment includes receiving input on a mobile device within an app defining a transaction to be completed at a self-service kiosk device and transmitting data of the received input over a network to stage the transaction. The data may be transmitted to a self-service kiosk for staging or to a server that stages the data until a self-service kiosk on which the transaction is to be conducted is identified. The method of this embodiment may then receive, within the app, an identifier of a self-service kiosk device of where the staged transaction is to be completed and transmitting the identifier of the self-service kiosk device over the network to initiate fulfillment of the transaction.
A further embodiment is in the form of a system. The system in this embodiment includes a network interface device, a processor, and a memory device storing instructions executable by the processor to perform data processing activities. The data processing activities may include receiving, via the network interface device, input defining a transaction with regard to an account to be conducted at a self-service kiosk device and staging, on the memory device, the transaction defined by the received input. The data processing activities may further include receiving an instruction to complete the transaction and an identifier of a particular self-service kiosk device on which the transaction is to be completed. The data processing activities also include transmitting a set of commands to the particular self-service kiosk device to perform the staged transaction.
Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, devices, methods, and software for self-service kiosk devices and systems and for the operation therewith.
One such embodiment s a device including a controller thereof that is able to communicate over a network, receive commands with regard to its services, and provide those services, such as dispense cash, receive a deposit, and print a receipt. Some such embodiments operate by providing an interface that banks communicate with to issue commands to and receive feedback from such kiosk devices. The kiosk devices, in some such embodiments, do not include operating systems, but rather just firmware and software for their simple operation when compared to traditional automated teller machines (ATMs). In some such embodiments, a banking customer interacts with the bank to stage a transaction to be performed at such as kiosk device via a smartphone app, such as a mobile banking app. The app is used to define what will be performed in the transaction, such as a cash withdrawal, and when the customer arrives at a particular kiosk device, the customer's presence is communicated either director or indirectly to the kiosk device and the transaction is performed. Deposits, withdrawals, and other possible transactions can be performed in such a manner.
The customer's presence at a kiosk device may be determined in several ways. In a simple embodiment, a user may simply input on their mobile device that they are ready to conduct the transaction. Some such embodiments may add a security layer on top of that to confirm the customer is located at or proximate to the kiosk device. This may include use of a BLUETOOTH™ beacon device, a broadcast radio signal from a radio device of or located proximate the kiosk device, use of global positioning system (GPS) data from a mobile device, WI-FI® locating services, and other locating services.
Transactions may be staged for performance at such a kiosk device through a mobile device app in communication with a banking system. The banking system may communicate directly with a kiosk device where the transaction is to be conducted or via a service provider. The service provider, in some embodiments, may provide an application programming interface (API) that enables the banking system to communicate as if the service is an automated teller machine. The service then handles communication with the kiosk device. When the transaction has been completed on the kiosk device, the service receives confirmation thereof, or of failure if that is the case, and relays the success or failure message to the banking system.
These and other embodiments are described herein with reference to the figures.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the inventive subject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice them, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive subject matter. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to, individually and/or collectively, herein by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed.
The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the inventive subject matter is defined by the appended claims.
The functions or algorithms described herein are implemented in hardware, software or a combination of software and hardware in one embodiment. The software comprises computer executable instructions stored on computer readable media such as memory or other type of storage devices. Further, described functions may correspond to modules, which may be software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. Multiple functions are performed in one or more modules as desired, and the embodiments described are merely examples. The software is executed on a digital signal processor, ASIC, microprocessor, or other type of processor operating on a system, such as a personal computer, server, a router, or other device capable of processing data including network interconnection devices.
Some embodiments implement the functions in two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, the exemplary process flow is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
In operation, a banking customer may desire to make a cash withdrawal from a bank account at the ATM 124 or a kiosk device 102, 106, 108. The customer may use their mobile device, such as smartphone 118, to access a mobile banking app thereon, authenticate, select the account, and chose an option to define a withdrawal transaction, such as a withdrawal amount and a location where the withdrawal is to be made. However, not all transactions need to have a location defined as that can be input later or sensed in some embodiments when the smartphone 118 or other mobile device is in proximity to a kiosk device 102, 106, 108 or the ATM 124. The mobile banking app may provide an option for the customer to search for a location where the transaction can be completed. Also note that the mobile device app may actually be a website that may also be accessed from a personal computer.
Once the transaction is defined, data defining the transaction may be transmitted from the smartphone 118 over the network to the bank servers 120. The bank server 120 may then stage the transaction, which may include transmitting the data to the API server 112 over the network 110 (as illustrated) or over the secure network 122 when the API server is instead or also connected to the secure network 122. The transaction is staged such that when notification is received that the smartphone 118 is located at a kiosk device 102, 106, 108 or the ATM 124 the staged transaction can be completed by issuing currency in amount of the staged transaction. The kiosk deice 102, 106, 108 or ATM may dispense the currency in response to a command received from the API server 112 or the banking servers 120. The command may be received following a message from the smartphone 118 app to the API server 112 or bank servers 120 in response to the customer providing input requesting dispensing of the currency. The command to dispense currency may also include a data item identifying the location or machine to dispense the currency or to confirm the customer is proximate to the appropriate machine that will dispense the currency. That data item may be a code decode from an a barcode (e.g., QR code) captured by the smartphone 118 from the kiosk device 102, 106, 108 or ATM 124, a GPS or other locating coordinate set or data element, a unique BLUETOOTH® beacon 104 identifier or other radio device identifier that may be broadcast by a kiosk device 102, 106, 108 or the ATM 124 or device co-located therewith or other location or machine specific dataset.
Once the kiosk device 102, 106, 108 or ATM 124 has dispensed the currency or the dispensing failed, a return is provided to the API server 112 or the bank servers 120 from which the dispense command was received. The API server 112 relays this message back to the bank servers 120. A message may also be transmitted by to the smartphone 118.
When the transaction is instead a deposit, the kiosk device 102, 104, 108 or ATM 124 where the transaction is conducted instead receives currency and checks from the customer rather than dispensing currency.
The method 400 includes receiving 402 input defining a transaction with regard to an account to be conducted at a self-service kiosk device and staging 404 the transaction defined by the received input. The method 400 also includes receiving 406 a notification that an authentication with regard to the account has been received from a particular self-service kiosk device and then transmitting 408 a set of commands to the particular self-service kiosk device to perform the staged transaction.
In some embodiments, the self-service kiosk device does not include any devices to receive direct human input. However, in other embodiments, the particular self-service kiosk device is an ATM.
In some embodiments of the method 300, the received 402 input defining the staged 404 transaction includes a cash withdrawal from a bank account. In some instances, the self-service terminal is a standalone cash dispensing device. In one such embodiment, receiving 406 the notification the authentication with regard to the account has been received includes receiving a token from a mobile device app on which an account has been authenticated. This token may have been received by the mobile device app from the standalone cash dispensing device in some embodiments. The method 400 in some such embodiments may then transmit an instruction to be presented within the mobile device app instructing the user to perform an action to take the cash when dispensed. In some of these embodiments, the token is a unique identifier transmitted by a radio device of the standalone cash dispensing device, such as the BLUETOOTH® beacon device 104 associated with the kiosk device 102 of
In some additional embodiments of the method 400, the received 4-2 input defining the transaction is received over a network from a computer system of a bank that maintains the account. The method 400 in some such embodiments also includes receiving a confirmation from the self-service kiosk device that the transaction was completed successfully and transmitting a confirmation to a system of the bank that the transaction was completed successfully.
The method 500 includes receiving 502 input on a mobile device within an app defining a transaction to be completed at a self-service kiosk device. The method 500 may then transmit 504 data of the received input over a network to stage the transaction. The method 500 may then receive 506, within the app, an identifier of a self-service kiosk device of where the staged transaction is to be completed. Fulfillment of the transaction may then be initiated in some embodiments by transmitting 508 the identifier of the self-service kiosk device over the network.
In some embodiments of the method 500, the identifier of the self-service kiosk device is transmitted over the network along with location-confirming data to confirm the mobile device is in proximity to the self-service kiosk device.
In some embodiments, the computer 610 may be a controller of a self-service kiosk device and be rather simple in nature, including fewer than all the elements illustrated in
Computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium are executable by the processing unit 602 of the computer 610. A hard drive, CD-ROM, and RAM are some examples of articles including a non-transitory computer-readable medium. For example, a computer program 625 capable of providing a generic technique to perform access control check for data access and/or for doing an operation on one of the servers in a component object model (COM) based system according to the teachings of the present invention may be included on a CD-ROM and loaded from the CD-ROM to a hard drive. The computer-readable instructions allow computer 610 to provide generic access controls in a COM based computer network system having multiple users and servers.
It will be readily understood to those skilled in the art that various other changes in the details, material, and arrangements of the parts and method stages which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the inventive subject matter may be made without departing from the principles and scope of the inventive subject matter as expressed in the subjoined claims.
