Automated Remote Transaction Assistance

• US 20150317639A1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Ward, Joseph, Christensen, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 10,706,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A customer uses a customer device to interact with an expert using a remote device in a real-time communication session. The expert drives the interactions and can activate peripherals on the customer device to capture information, which is automatically sent from the customer device to the remote device for consumption by the expert.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

connecting a local device to a remote device;

engaging a customer operating the local device in a communication session with an expert operating the remote device;

capturing information on the local device at the direction of the expert; and

automatically sending the information from the local device to the remote device once captured during the communication session.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, receiving expert-provided information on the local device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, sending an image of a signature of the customer from the local device to the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, automatically activating a peripheral device of the local device on instruction from the expert.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, activating a peripheral device of the local device on instruction from the expert after a control presented in a screen of a display for the local device is activated by the customer authorizing the peripheral device activation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting further includes establishing the connection through a third party not associated with the remote device and local device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting further includes establishing the connection on a request activated by the customer on the local device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting further includes establishing the connection at the direction of the expert on the remote device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein engaging further includes establishing the communication session as a real-time and live two-way video call between the expert operating the remote device and the customer operating the local device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing further includes activating one or more peripheral devices of the local device to obtain images of one or more of:

a customer identification card, a customer document, a picture of the customer, a customer fingerprint, and a picture of a customer article.

11. A method, comprising:

connecting a local device operated by an expert with a remote device operated by a customer;

establishing a video conference call between the expert and the customer;

directing at least one peripheral of the remote device to activate; and

receiving information captured from the at least one peripheral of the remote device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising, sending other information from the local device to the remote device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein directing further includes instructing the remote device to obtain consent from the customer before activating the at least one peripheral.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein directing further includes sending a document from the local device to the remote device and instructing a printer interfaced to the remote device to automatically print the document on behalf of the customer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein directing further includes instructing the remote device to activate a camera as the at least one peripheral.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein directing further includes instructing the remote device to present a signature block on a screen of a display for the remote device to obtain an image of signature for the customer.

17. A portable terminal, comprising:

a display;

a peripheral device; and

an customer-assistance application configured and adapted to;

i) execute on the portable terminal, ii) establish a communication session with a remote expert on at least one screen of the display, iii) capture images representing information for a customer using the peripheral device on the direction of the remote expert, and iv) automatically send the information to the remote expert during the communication session.

18. The portable terminal of claim 17, wherein the customer-assistance application is further configured and adapted to v) establish a live and real-time video feed between the remote expert and the customer, and vi) only capture images representing information for a customer using the peripheral device in response to receiving permission from the customer.

19. The portable terminal of claim 17, wherein the portable terminal further comprises a touch-sensitive panel overlying the display, and the customer-assistance application is further configured and adapted to vii) receive other information from the expert for presentation to the customer during the communication session, and viii) receive a signature from the customer via the touch-sensitive panel.

20. The portable terminal of claim 17, wherein the portable terminal is one of:

a mobile phone, a tablet, and a wearable processing device.