Automated banking machine processing system and method

• US 20020133461A1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Natarajan
• Application Number:
  US10/101,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133461A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network

Abstract

An ATM processing system (50) is comprised of a server computing system (56) and a coordination server application (54) operative in the server computing system. The coordination server application is operative to receive processing jobs (64) from job submitting entities (60). The coordination server is further operative to divide each processing jobs into a plurality of tasks which are distributed among a plurality of ATMs (56). Each ATM is operative to perform transaction functions such as the dispensing of cash from a cash dispenser (20). Each ATM includes at least one computer processor (100) and at least one processing client application (102) operative in the at least one computer processor. Each processing client application is operative to receive the tasks from the coordination server application and cause the at least one computer processor of each ATM to process the tasks during periods when the ATM is idle.

Claims

1. A method of searching for a person comprising:

a) receiving a processing job, wherein the processing job includes search image data related to a person, wherein the processing job corresponds to searching for at least one user of an ATM which corresponds to the person;

b) capturing first ATM image data of a first user operating at least one first ATM with a camera, wherein the first ATM image data is associated with first transaction data corresponding to the operation of the at least one first ATM by the first user;

c) authorizing at least one transaction by the first user at the at least one first ATM without reference to the search image data, wherein the first transaction data corresponds to the at least one transaction;

d) comparing the first ATM image data to the search image data;

e) determining that the user depicted in the first ATM image data is visually similar to the person depicted in the search image data; and

f) generating search results data responsive to the determination in step (e), wherein the search results data includes at least a portion of the first transaction data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (f) the search results data further includes at least a portion of the first ATM image data.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein in step (f) the search results data are generated by at least one server, wherein further comprising:

g) enabling at least one computer located remotely from the at least one server to access the search results data from the at least one server.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein in step (g) the at least one server includes an HTTP server that is operative to transfer the search results data to the at least one computer.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein in step (f) the search results data are generated by a server, wherein further comprising:

g) retrieving the search results data from the server through operation of at least one second ATM.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein further comprising:

h) outputting the search results data through an output device of the at least one second ATM.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein further comprising:

h) transferring the search results data to a portable storage medium in operative connection with a portable storage medium drive of the at least one second ATM.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein further comprising:

i) transferring the search results data to a portable computing device in operative connection with the at least one second ATM.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein in step (a) the processing job is received from at least one second ATM.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein prior to step (f) further comprising:

h) capturing second ATM image data of a second user operating at least one second ATM, wherein the second ATM image data is associated with second transaction data corresponding to the operation of the at least one second ATM by the second user;

i) comparing the second ATM image data to the search image data;

j) determining that the user depicted in the second ATM image data is visually similar to the person depicted in the search image data; and

wherein in step (h) the search results data further include at least a portion of the second transaction data.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein in step (f) the search results data further includes at least a portion of the second ATM image data.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein prior to step (f) further comprising

k) assigning a first ranking to the first ATM image data and a second ranking to the second ATM image data responsive to the relative similarities between the search image data and the first and second ATM image data.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in step (f) the search results data include the first and second rankings.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein in step (f) the search results data include the first ATM image data and the second ATM image data listed in an order that corresponds to the first and second rankings.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (f) the portion of the first transaction data includes information representative of a date and a time of the operation of the at least one first ATM by the first user.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (f) the portion of the first transaction data includes information representative of at least one financial account associated with the operation of the at least one first ATM by the first user.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein in step (f) the portion of the first transaction data includes information corresponding to at least one account holder name associated with the at least one financial account.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (f) the portion of the first transaction data includes information representative of a location of the at least one first ATM.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to step (d) further comprising:

g) processing the first ATM image data to determine first ATM identity data associated with the first user;

h) processing the search image data to determine search identity data associated with the person; and

wherein step (d) includes comparing the first ATM identity data to the search identity data.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein step (d) includes searching through a data store of ATM image data received from a plurality of ATMs.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (a) the processing job includes an address, wherein in step (f) the search results data are generated by a server, wherein further comprising:

g) transferring the search results data to at least one computer associated with the address, wherein the at least one computer is located remotely from the server.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (c) the at least one transaction includes dispensing cash through operation of a cash dispenser of the at least one first ATM.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (d) is performed through operation of at least one ATM, wherein the at least one ATM includes a cash dispenser.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein further comprising:

e) transferring the search results data to a computer system associated with a governmental entity.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (e) the governmental agency is associated with law enforcement.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein in step (d) the search results data includes both ATM image data and at least a portion of the transaction data associated with at least two different users identified in step (c).

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein in step (d) the portion of the transaction data includes information representative of a location of the ATM where the ATM image data of the identified user was captured.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein in step (d) the portion of the transaction data includes information representative of a date when the ATM image data of the identified user was captured.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein in step (d) the portion of the transaction data includes information representative of an account holder name associated with a financial account accessed by the identified user with one of the ATMs.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein prior to step (c) further comprising:

e) processing the ATM image data to determine ATM identity data associated with each of the users;

f) storing the ATM image data, the ATM identity data, and the transaction data in at least one data store;

g) processing the search image data to determine search identity data associated with the person being searched for; and

wherein step (c) includes searching the data store for at least one user in which at least a portion of the ATM identity data associated with the at least one user corresponds to the search identity data.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein prior to step (f) further comprising:

h) transferring the ATM image data from the plurality of ATMs to at least one server, wherein in step (f) the at least one server is operative to store the ATM image data, the ATM identity data, and the transaction data in the at least one data store.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein in step (e) the ATM image data is processed by the plurality of ATMs to determine at least a portion of the ATM identity data associated with each user prior to step (h).

34. The method according to claim 32, and further comprising:

i) sending the search results data to a computer across a network.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the at least one server includes an HTTP server, wherein in step (i) the search results data are transferred from the HTTP server to the computer.

36. The method according to claim 24, and further comprising:

e) receiving a request message from an ATM representative of a request to review the search results data;

f) sending the search results data to the ATM from which the request message was received; and

g) outputting the search results data through an output device of the ATM.

37. The method according to claim 24, wherein in step (b) the search image data is received from an ATM.

24. A method of searching for a person comprising:

a) acquiring from a plurality of ATMs, ATM image data depicting users using the plurality of ATMs, wherein the ATM image data for each user depicted in the ATM image data is associated with transaction data corresponding to the use of the ATM by each user, wherein at least one of the ATMs includes a cash dispenser;

b) receiving search image data depicting a person being searched for, wherein the search image data did not originate from a camera associated with an ATM;

c) identifying at least one user depicted in the ATM image data that is visually similar to the person depicted in the search image data; and

d) generating search results data which includes both the ATM image data and at least a portion of the transaction data associated with at least one user identified in step (c).