Automated banking machine processing system and method

• US 20020133536A1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Natarajan
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• 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. An ATM system comprising:

a server computer processor;

a coordination server application operative in the server computer processor, wherein the coordination server application is operative to receive at least one processing job from at least one job submitting entity, wherein the coordination server application is operative to divide the processing job into a plurality of tasks; and

a plurality of ATMs in operative connection with the server computer processor, wherein each ATM includes at least one ATM computer processor and at least one processing client application operative in the at least one ATM computer processor, wherein each processing client application is operative to receive at least one of the tasks from the coordination server application, wherein each processing client application is further operative to cause the at least one ATM computer processor of each ATM to process the at least one task received from the coordination server application.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each processing client application is operative to reduce an amount of processing resources devoted to processing the at least one task by the at least one ATM computer processor when the ATM that includes the processing client application is being used by a user to perform at least one transaction function.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each processing client application is operative to increase the amount of processing resources devoted to processing the at least one task by the at least one ATM computer processor when the ATM that includes the processing client application is no longer being used by a user to perform the at least one transaction function.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the ATMs includes a cash dispenser, wherein the at least one transaction function includes the dispense of cash by the cash dispenser.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each processing client application is operative to pause an amount of processing resources devoted to processing the at least one task by the at least one ATM computer processor when the ATM that includes the processing client application is being used to perform at least one consumer transaction function.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein each processing client application is operative to un-pause the amount of processing resources devoted to processing the at least one task by the at least one ATM computer processor when the ATM that includes the processing client application is no longer being used to perform the at least one consumer transaction function.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the ATMs includes a cash dispenser, wherein the at least one consumer transaction function includes the dispense of cash by the cash dispenser.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein each processing client application is operative to return at least one result of the processing of each task to the coordination server application.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the coordination server application is operative to send the results of the tasks returned by each of the processing clients of each ATM to the at least one job submitting entity corresponding to the tasks.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein each processing client application is operative to determine an amount of processing time that the at least one ATM computer processor has devoted to processing the at least one task, wherein each processing client application is operative to communicate the determined amount of processing time associated with each task to the coordination server application.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate a total amount of processing time associated with the tasks associated with the at least one processing job responsive to the determined amount of processing times associated with each task received from each of the processing client applications.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate a total fee associated with processing the at least one processing job responsive to the total amount of processing time.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the coordination server application is operative to send at least one test task to at least one of the ATMs, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate an estimate for the total amount of processing time from a determined amount of processing time associated with processing the at least one test task by the at least one ATM.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate an estimate for a total fee associated with processing the at least one processing job responsive to the estimate of the total amount of processing time.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the coordination server application is operative to send at least one test task to at least two of the ATMs, wherein the at least two of the ATMs include different types of ATMs, wherein the coordination server application is operative to determine normalizing data associated with each type of ATM from at least two determined amounts of processing time associated with processing the at least one test task by the at least two ATMs.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the different types of ATMs correspond to different ATM models, where the computer processors of the at least two ATMs have different processing capabilities.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate the total amount of processing time responsive to the normalizing data associated with each type of ATM.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate a total fee associated with processing the at least one processing job responsive to the total amount of processing time.

19. The system according to claim 10, wherein the ATMs correspond to a plurality of different types of ATMs, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate a total amount of processing time for each type of ATM from the determined amount of processing times received from each of the processing client applications of the ATMs of each type.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein each type of ATM is associated with a different processing fee rate, wherein the coordination server application is operative to calculate a total processing fee associated with processing the at least one processing job responsive to the total amount of processing times associated with each type of ATM and the corresponding processing fee rate associated with each type of ATM.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein each processing client application is operative to cause the at least one ATM computer processor to process the at least one task with at least one processing component.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein each processing client application is operative to receive the processing component from the coordination server application.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein each task includes the at least one processing component.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the ATMs further includes a cash dispenser, wherein the at least one ATM is operative to prevent the at least one processing component from accessing the cash dispenser.

26. The method according to claim 25, and further comprising:

e) determining an amount of processing time devoted by each ATM to processing the tasks.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein in step (c) the processing of tasks are individually paused at each ATM responsive to consumer use of the ATM, wherein in step (e) the determined amount of time devoted by each ATM to processing the tasks does not include an amount of time while the tasks are paused.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein in step (c) the processing of tasks are individually un-paused at each ATM responsive to the absence of consumer use of the ATM.

29. The method according to claim 26, and further comprising:

f) determining a total of the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job; and

g) determining a processing fee amount responsive to the total of the amounts of processing time.

30. The method according to claim 26, and further comprising:

f) determining a processing fee amount responsive to the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein prior to step (c) further comprising:

f) allocating at least one test task to at least one of the ATMs, wherein the test task is selected from the plurality of tasks;

g) determining at least one test amount of time devoted by the at least one ATM to processing the at least one test task; and

h) determining responsive to the at least one test amount of time an estimate for the total of the amounts of processing time to be devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

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

i) determining an estimate for a processing fee responsive to the estimate for the total of the amounts of processing time to be devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

33. The method according to claim 26, wherein prior to step (c) further comprising:

f) allocating at least one test task to at least two of the ATMs, wherein the at least two ATMs correspond to different types of ATMs;

g) determining a test amount of time for each of the at least two ATMs to process the at least one test task; and

h) determining normalizing data associated with each type of ATM responsive to the test amount of times for the at least two ATMs.

34. The method according to claim 33, and further comprising:

i) determining responsive to the normalizing data a normalized total of the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATM to processing the tasks associated with the processing job; and

j) determining a processing fee amount responsive to the normalized total of the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

35. The method according to claim 33, and further comprising:

i) determining a processing fee amount responsive to the normalizing data and the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein in step (f) the at least two ATMs correspond to different models of ATMs, where the ATMs include computer processors with different processing capabilities.

37. The method according to claim 26, wherein in step (b) the plurality of ATMs correspond to a plurality of different types of ATMs, and further comprising:

e) determining a total of the amounts of processing time for each type of ATM that is devoted to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein each type of ATM is associated with a different processing fee rate, and further comprising:

f) determining a total processing fee associated with processing the processing job responsive to the total of the amounts of processing time for each type of ATM and the corresponding processing fee rate for each type of ATM.

39. The method according to claim 26, wherein in step (b) the plurality of ATMs correspond to a plurality of different types of ATMs, wherein each type of ATM is associated with normalizing data, and further comprising:

f) determining responsive to the normalizing data for each type of ATM a normalized total of the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

40. The method according to claim 39, and further comprising:

g) determining a processing fee amount responsive to the normalized total of the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

41. The method according to claim 26, wherein in step (b) the plurality of ATMs correspond to a plurality of different types of ATMs, wherein each type of ATM is associated with normalizing data, and further comprising:

f) determining a processing fee amount responsive to the normalizing data for each type of ATM and responsive to the amounts of processing time devoted by the plurality of ATMs to processing the tasks associated with the processing job.

42. The method according to claim 25, and further comprising:

e) sending the results of the processing of the tasks by the ATMs to a job submitting entity.

43. The method according to claim 25, and further comprising:

e) sending each ATM a processing component that is operative in the ATM to process the tasks.

44. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (a) the tasks include the rendering of images.

45. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (a) the tasks include digital signal processing.

46. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (a) the tasks include finite element analysis.

47. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (a) the tasks include chemical analysis.

48. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (a) the processing job is received from one of the ATMs, wherein the processing job is received from a user through operation of one of the ATMs.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein in step (a) the processing job is retrieved from a portable storage medium placed in operative communication with a portable storage medium drive of the one ATM.

50. The method according to claim 48, further comprising:

e) sending at least a portion of the results of the processing of the tasks by the ATMs to one of the ATMs, wherein a user is enabled to retrieve the portion of the results through operation of one of the ATMs.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein in step (e) the results of the processing job are stored on a portable storage medium placed in operative communication with a portable storage medium drive of the ATM.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein in steps (a) and (e) the portable storage medium includes a smart card and the portable storage medium drive includes a smart card reader.

53. The method according to claim 48, further comprising:

e) reading account indicia from a card through operation of a card reader of the one ATM; and

f) assessing a processing fee to a financial account associated with account indica read from the card through communication with a financial transaction processing system.

54. The method according to claim 25, and further comprising:

e) determining that a user is accessing at least one of the ATMs;

f) pausing the processing of at least one of the tasks being processed by the at least one ATM;

g) performing a transaction function with the at least one ATM;

h) determining that the user is no longer accessing the least one ATM; and

i) unpausing the processing of the at least one task.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein in step (g) the transaction function includes dispensing cash from a cash dispenser.

56. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (b) the plurality of ATMs have a plurality of different network connection bandwidths, wherein in step (b) the tasks are allocated to the ATMs responsive to the network connection bandwidths associated with the ATMs.

57. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (b) the plurality of ATMs have a plurality of different network connection bandwidths, further comprising:

e) determining a total processing fee associated with processing the processing job responsive to the network connection bandwidths associated with the ATMs.

58. The method according to claim 25, wherein in step (a) the tasks include analysis of biometric data.

59. The method according to claim 58, wherein step (a) includes analysis of facial image data.

60. The method according to claim 25, wherein step (a) includes analysis of data from monetary instruments.

61. The method according to claim 60, wherein step (a) includes analysis of image data from checks.

62. The method according to claim 60, wherein step (a) includes analysis of data corresponding to cursive signatures.

63. The method according to claim 60, wherein step (a) includes analysis of image data from currency.

64. The method according to claim 60, wherein step (a) includes analysis of items deposited with an ATM.

65. The method according to claim 25, wherein step (a) includes unencrypting data.

25. A method comprising:

a) receiving a processing job, wherein the processing job is capable of being divided into a plurality of tasks;

b) distributing the tasks among a plurality of ATMs;

c) processing the tasks with the ATMs to derive task results; and

d) collecting the task result from the ATMs.

66. TV An ATM system comprising:

an ATM adapted to carry out financial transactions including at least one ATM processor therein and a cash dispenser in operative connection with the at least one ATM processor, the ATM further including at least one client processing software application operative in the at least one ATM processor, wherein the ATM is adapted to receive tasks unrelated to the financial transactions from a remote server and to process such tasks through operation of the at least one client processing software application.

67. The system according to claim 66, wherein the at least one ATM processor is further adapted to cause the ATM to report at least one result of processing the tasks to the remote server.

68. The system according to claim 66 and further comprising:

the remote server, wherein the remote server is remote from the ATM;

a communication system operatively connecting the server and the ATM; and

coordination application software operating in the server, wherein the coordination application software is operative to cause the tasks to be delivered to the ATM.