Automated device assistance

• US 10,121,125 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Mande, Christian, Williamson, Mark, Watkins, Brendan, Furey, Ryan, Price, Anne, Pearce, Alison, Bentubo, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Repsher, III, John T
• Application Number:
  US14/755,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 715708
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management

Abstract

A user may perform activities at an automated device having various technical features, such as a display, a printer, a camera, a microphone, a speaker, and other features used to perform activities at the automated device. During performance of an activity, the user may run into an issue and request assistance from an agent having a computing device (e.g., a portable computing device). Additionally or alternatively, the automated device may detect the issue and send a request for assistance to a computing device managing a transaction assistance portal or directly to the agent'"'"'s computing device. The request may identify the user, the activity, and/or the issue, and the agent and his or her computing device may be used to resolve the issue. The agent'"'"'s computing device may also be used to facilitate customer relationship management with the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing, by a computing device, an activity assistance portal comprising status information for a plurality of automated devices;

generating, by the computing device, for concurrent display on a display of the computing device first status information for a first automated device at a location, and second status information for a second automated device at the location, wherein the first status information comprises a first user identifier for a first user interacting with the first automated device and a first activity identifier identifying a first activity being performed by the first user, and wherein the second status information comprises a second user identifier for a second user interacting with the second automated device and a second activity identifier identifying a second activity being performed by the second user;

determining whether there is an alert for the first automated device at the location and whether there is an alert for the second automated device at the location;

responsive to a determination that there is the alert for the first automated device at the location and that there is the alert for the second automated device at the location, generating, by the computing device, for concurrent display on the display of the computing device an option to assist the first user interacting with the first automated device and an option to assist the second user interacting with the second automated device;

responsive to a selection of the option to assist the first user, generating a network connection between the computing device and the first automated device, wherein the network connection is configured to facilitate exchanging data between the computing device and the first automated device for assisting the first user;

determining a plurality of alerts for the first automated device, wherein the plurality of alerts includes the alert for the first automated device; and

generating, by the computing device, for display on the display of the computing device an indication of each alert of the plurality of alerts for the first automated device, wherein the indication of each alert comprises one or more instructions for handling the alert and one or more controls for handling the alert, and wherein the display of the indication of each alert of the plurality of alerts for the first automated device is displayed in order of priority.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the computing device, a request to access the activity assistance portal to a central computing device configured to manage the activity assistance portal; and

receiving, by the computing device and from the central computing device, permission to access the activity assistance portal,

wherein accessing the activity assistance portal is performed responsive to receiving the permission from the central computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the computing device, for display on the display of the computing device an indicator indicating that the computing device is assisting the first user; and

sending, by the computing device and to a central computing device configured to manage the activity assistance portal, a message indicating that the computing device is assisting the first user, wherein the central computing device is configured to update the activity assistance portal to indicate that the computing device is assisting the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a selection of an option to complete assisting the first user, disconnecting the network connection between the computing device and the first automated device, wherein the activity assistance portal is updated to indicate that the computing device is no longer assisting the first user after the network connection is disconnected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first activity comprises an authentication of the first user, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a scanned image of an ID for the first user;

responsive to receiving the scanned image of the ID, generating, by the computing device, for display on the display of the computing device the scanned image of the ID for the first user; and

generating, by the computing device, for display on the display of the computing device a selectable option to authenticate the first user.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert for the first automated device comprises one or more of:

a deception alert, a check handling alert, or an automated device malfunction alert.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device and for an alert of the plurality of alerts, a command for the one or more controls for handling the alert; and

storing, by the computing device, a state for handling the alert, wherein the state comprises the command for the one or more controls for handling the alert.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

access an activity assistance portal comprising status information for a plurality of automated devices;

generate for concurrent display on a display of the apparatus first status information for a first automated device at a location, and second status information for a second automated device at the location, wherein the first status information comprises a first user identifier for a first user interacting with the first automated device and a first activity identifier identifying a first activity being performed by the first user, and wherein the second status information comprises a second user identifier for a second user interacting with the second automated device and a second activity identifier identifying a second activity being performed by the second user;

determine whether there is an alert for the first automated device at the location and whether there is an alert for the second automated device at the location;

responsive to a determination that there is the alert for the first automated device at the location and that there is the alert for the second automated device at the location, generate for concurrent display on the display of the apparatus an option to assist the first user interacting with the first automated device and an option to assist the second user interacting with the second automated device;

responsive to a selection of the option to assist the first user, generate a network connection between the apparatus and the first automated device, wherein the network connection is configured to facilitate exchanging data between the apparatus and the first automated device for assisting the first user;

determine a plurality of alerts for the first automated device, wherein the plurality of alerts includes the alert for the first automated device; and

generate for display on the display of the apparatus an indication of each alert of the plurality of alerts for the first automated device, wherein the indication of each alert comprises one or more instructions for handling the alert and one or more controls for handling the alert, and wherein the display of the indication of each alert of the plurality of alerts for the first automated device is displayed in order of priority.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

send a request to access the activity assistance portal to a central computing device configured to manage the activity assistance portal; and

receive, from the central computing device, permission to access the activity assistance portal,

wherein accessing the activity assistance portal is performed responsive to receiving the permission from the central computing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate for display on the display of the apparatus an indicator indicating that the apparatus is assisting the first user; and

send, to a central computing device configured to manage the activity assistance portal, a message indicating that the apparatus is assisting the first user, wherein the central computing device is configured to update the activity assistance portal to indicate that the apparatus is assisting the first user.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

responsive to a selection of an option to complete assisting the first user, disconnect the network connection between the apparatus and the first automated device, wherein the activity assistance portal is updated to indicate that the apparatus is no longer assisting the first user after the network connection is disconnected.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first activity comprises an authentication of the first user, and wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a scanned image of an ID for the first user;

responsive to receiving the scanned image of the ID, generate for display on the display of the apparatus the scanned image of the ID for the first user; and

generate for display on the display of the apparatus a selectable option to authenticate the first user.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first activity comprises a check deposit transaction or a cash check transaction, and wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a scanned image of a check scanned by a scanner of the automated device;

responsive to receiving the scanned image of the check, generate for display on the display of the apparatus the scanned image of the check; and

generate for display on the display of the apparatus a selectable option to verify the check.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein generating for display on the display of the apparatus the option to assist the first user is performed responsive to an alert at the first automated device or responsive to a request by the first user for assistance.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

access an activity assistance portal comprising status information for a plurality of automated devices;

generate for concurrent display on a display of the computing device first status information for a first automated device at a location, and second status information for a second automated device at the location, wherein the first status information comprises a first user identifier for a first user interacting with the first automated device and a first activity identifier identifying a first activity being performed by the first user, and wherein the second status information comprises a second user identifier for a second user interacting with the second automated device and a second activity identifier identifying a second activity being performed by the second user;

determine whether there is an alert for the first automated device at the location and whether there is an alert for the second automated device at the location;

responsive to a determination that there is the alert for the first automated device at the location and that there is the alert for the second automated device at the location, generate for concurrent display on the display of the computing device an option to assist the first user interacting with the first automated device and an option to assist the second user interacting with the second automated device;

responsive to a selection of the option to assist the first user, generate a network connection between the computing device and the first automated device, wherein the network connection is configured to facilitate exchanging data between the computing device and the first automated device for assisting the first user;

determine a plurality of alerts for the first automated device, wherein the plurality of alerts includes the alert for the first automated device; and

generate for display on the display of the computing device an indication of each alert of the plurality of alerts for the first automated device, wherein the indication of each alert comprises one or more instructions for handling the alert and one or more controls for handling the alert, and wherein the display of the indication of each alert of the plurality of alerts for the first automated device is displayed in order of priority.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 having additional computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

send a request to access the activity assistance portal to a central computing device configured to manage the activity assistance portal; and

receive, from the central computing device, permission to access the activity assistance portal,

wherein accessing the activity assistance portal is performed responsive to receiving the permission from the central computing device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 having additional computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

generate for display on the display of the computing device an indicator indicating that the computing device is assisting the first user; and

send, to a central computing device configured to manage the activity assistance portal, a message indicating that the computing device is assisting the first user, wherein the central computing device is configured to update the activity assistance portal to indicate that the computing device is assisting the first user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 having additional computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

responsive to a selection of an option to complete assisting the first user, disconnect the network connection between the computing device and the first automated device, wherein the activity assistance portal is updated to indicate that the computing device is no longer assisting the first user after the network connection is disconnected.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first activity comprises an authentication of the first user, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium has additional computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

receive a scanned image of an ID for the first user;

responsive to receiving the scanned image of the ID, generate for display on the display of the computing device the scanned image of the ID for the first user; and

generate for display on the display of the computing device a selectable option to authenticate the first user.