METHOD AND SYSTEM OF OBTAINING DIAGNOSTIC DATA FROM A DEVICE AT A REMOTE LOCATION

• US 20100161343A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Atleos Corp.
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Barton, James D., Kennedy, Allan R., Davison, Jeffrey J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A system and method of obtaining diagnostic data from a device at a remote location in one embodiment includes establishing a communications link between a service location and a customer location remote from the service location, transmitting first diagnostic data from a device at the customer location over the communications link, receiving the first diagnostic data at the service location, generating an action request at the service location in response to the received first diagnostic data, transmitting the action request to the customer location, receiving the action request at the customer location, authorizing the received action request, obtaining second diagnostic data associated with the action request from the device, and transmitting the second diagnostic data to the service location.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining diagnostic data from a device at a remote location comprising:

establishing a communications link between a service location and a customer location remote from the service location;

transmitting first diagnostic data from a device at the customer location over the communications link;

receiving the first diagnostic data at the service location;

generating an action request at the service location in response to the received first diagnostic data;

transmitting the action request to the customer location;

receiving the action request at the customer location;

authorizing the received action request;

obtaining second diagnostic data associated with the action request from the device; and

transmitting the second diagnostic data to the service location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the received action request comprises:

identifying at least one restriction; and

determining that the at least one restriction does not preclude the action request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one restriction comprises:

a prescribed type of data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one restriction comprises a security level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining second diagnostic data comprises;

controlling an agent within an automatic teller machine (ATM) to obtain the second diagnostic data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining second diagnostic data comprises;

obtaining the second diagnostic data through a switch device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of events of a first type occurring within a first predetermined period of time;

comparing the determined number of events of the first type to a first predetermined threshold; and

transmitting the first diagnostic data when the determined number of events of the first type exceeds the first predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the first data comprises:

determining a number of events of a second type occurring within a second predetermined period of time;

comparing the determined number of events of the second type to a second predetermined threshold; and

transmitting the first data when the determined number of events of the first type exceeds the first predetermined threshold and the determined number of events of the second type exceeds the second predetermined threshold.

9. A system for obtaining diagnostic data from a device at a remote location comprising:

an automated teller machine (ATM), the ATM configured to transmit first data associated with an event of the ATM over a communications link;

a service server at a location remote from the ATM, the service server operably connected to the communications link, the service server configured to (i) receive the first data, (ii) format a first action request, and (iii) transmit the first action request over the communications link; and

a customer server operably connected to the communications link, the customer server configured to (i) determine that the first action request does not violate a predetermined set of restrictions, (ii) generate a signal resulting in performance of the first action request, and (iii) transmit second data associated with performance of the first action request to the service server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the service server is further configured to:

analyze the received first data;

determine, based upon the analyses, that further action is required in response to the received first data; and

issue an alert to a user interface based upon the determination.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a switch operably connected to the customer server and the ATM;

an agent within the ATM and responsive to the switch for performing the first action request.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first action request comprises one or more of:

a device log action request;

a software sequence action request;

a system log action request;

a security log action request;

an application log action request;

a summary data action request; and

a detailed device and module data action request.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the service server is further configured to (i) format a second action request, and (ii) transmit the second action request over the communications link; and

the second action request is an ATM reset action request or a device reset action request.

14. A method of obtaining diagnostic data from a device at a remote location comprising:

establishing a communications link between a customer server and a service server at location remote from the customer server;

generating an action request with the service server;

transmitting the action request to the customer server;

receiving the transmitted action request;

determining that the received action request does not violate a predetermined set of restrictions;

generating a control signal based upon the received action request;

controlling an ATM to perform the action request;

obtaining diagnostic data associated with performance of the action request; and

transmitting the diagnostic data to the service server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the received action request does not violate the predetermined set of restrictions comprises:

determining that the received action request is a request to obtain files authorized to be transmitted to the service server.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the received action request does not violate the predetermined set of restrictions comprises:

determining that a user identification associated with the received action request is authorized to initiate the received action request.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating event data with the ATM;

transmitting the event data to the service server;

receiving the transmitted event data;

analyzing the received event data with the service server;

determining based upon the analyses, that further action is required in response to the received first data; and

issuing an alert to a user interface based upon the further action determination.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

performing the action request with an agent within the ATM.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein generating an action request with the service server comprises one or more of;

generating a device log action request;

generating a software sequence action request;

generating a system log action request;

generating a security log action request;

generating an application log action request;

generating a summary data action request; and

generating a detailed device and module data action request.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein generating an action request with the service server comprises one or more of;

generating an ATM reset action request; and

generating a device reset action request.