Modular transaction terminal with microprocessor control

• US 3,937,925 A
• Filed: 06/25/1974
• Issued: 02/10/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interbold A NY General Partnership
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boothroyd, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US05/482,860
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.7 B, 340/61.6 R, 340/149 A, 340/152 R, 340/172.5
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 10/02 Plasma welding
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/3027 by the nip between moving belts or rollers pile being formed between belts or rollers B65H29/145
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/21 Retaining of the payment card by ATMs

Abstract

A versatile readily serviced transaction terminal includes a credit card control mechanism, a user keyboard, a user display, a document handling system for cash and printed transaction statements, and a system for controlling terminal operation. The terminal receives a user credit card having a magnetic stripe with prerecorded account information, reads the account information, and then receives a user personal ID number through the keyboard. As an available option, the terminal may require a predetermined correspondence between the personal ID number and the account information. After any required correspondence is satisfied, the user is permitted to operate the keyboard to indicate a selected one of an unlimited range of possible transaction requests. The control system, which includes a programmable microprocessor and a plurality of passive terminal elements interconnected by a terminal information bus, operates to assemble user supplied information, terminal status information, communicate transaction requests to a host, and provide central information to terminal modules for the execution of requested transactions in a manner consistent with host generated transaction reply messages. Each terminal element handles one or more terminal functions such as the control of hardware or the control of user communications in direct response to microprocessor control information. All decision making is handled by the microprocessor with only specific, well defined commands being executed by the bus connected modules.

Claims

1. A flexible, modular transaction execution terminal comprising:

an information bus for carrying data signals and bus access control signals which control the transfer of bus data signals between the bus and an adapter unit connected to the bus;

a programmable processor unit connected to the bus, the processor unit including program storage and electrically alterable random access storage operable under control of program information to generate data signals on the bus for commanding an adapter unit to perform a specific operation, to receive data information from the bus, and to generate bus control signals;

a document handling system connected to the information bus, the document handling system including storage for a plurality of issuable articles, an issue port, a transport mechanism for selectively conveying issuable documents from storage to the issue port, and control circuitry connected to control a plurality of issue system operations with pertain to the issuance of a document in response to data signals received from the bus, the control circuitry further generating document issue subsystem status information for communication as a bus data signal upon command; and

a user communication sybsystem including means for receiving information from a user, and means for conveying information messages to a user, the user communication subsystem including control circuitry connected to control a plurality of communication subsystem operations which pertain to the conveyance of an information message to a user in response to bus data signals and connected to generate user communication subsystem status information indicative of information received from a user for communication as a bus data signal upon command.

2. A modular system for executing a user requested financial transaction in a transaction cycle comprising:

an information bus;

a programmable processor including processor program storage and random access electrically alterable storage, the processor operating under program control to respond to information received over the bus by sequentially generating a plurality of subsystem commands for each transaction cycle, each commanding a selected subsystem module to unconditionally perform a specific basic function pertaining to the execution of a transaction cycle, the sequential commands being communicated over the bus to selected subsystem modules;

a plurality of subsystem modules connected for communication over the information bus, each subsystem module collecting and providing to the bus, system status information on a plurality of system conditions, and each subsystem module unconditionally performing specific base functions pertaining to the execution of a transaction cycle in response to commands received over the bus, the execution of a plurality of different basic functions being required for the execution of a transaction cycle.

3. A transaction execution terminal for financial transactions comprising:

a terminal information bus carrying subsystem identifying address signals, data transfer signals, subsystem control data signals and terminal data signals;

a programmable data processor connected to control the operation of the terminal by means of the transfer of terminal information along the terminal information bus; and

at least one subsystem connected for communication via the terminal information bus, said subsystem being incapable of making any decision with respect to a terminal function and including interface circuitry connected to receive and generate data transfer signals to control the transfer to terminal data signals and subsystem control data signals between the terminal information bus and subsystem only in response to a terminal information bus address signal identifying the subsystem, terminal control circuitry connected to execute a plurality of terminal functions in response to subsystem control data received thereby, each terminal function being executed in response to different system control data and execution of a plurality of terminal functions being required for execution of a transaction; and

terminal status circuitry connected to generate terminal data signals indicative of terminal status conditions.

4. A transaction execution terminal for financial transactions comprising:

a terminal information bus carrying data signals and data transfer control signals between elements which are connected to the bus;

a programmable data processor connected to the bus, the data processor being operable under program control to selectively transfer data over the terminal information bus to and from selected subsystems connected thereto to respectively provide detailed control over the starting and stopping of elementary terminal functions and receive information indicative of terminal status conditions; and

at least one subsystem connected to the terminal information bus, said subsystem including a subsystem bus, interface circuitry connected to receive and generate data transfer control signals to transfer data signals from the terminal information bus to the subsystem bus and from the subsystem bus to the terminal bus, at least one data storage element, an operative device which is connected to operate in response to the data content of the data storage element to perform a plurality of different elemental system functions, a plurality of which are required for execution of a financial transaction, circuitry responsive to the status of the operative device connected to generate at least one status signal indicative thereof, and control circuitry responsive to a portion of the data signals appearing on the subsystem bus to selectively control the writing of other subsystem bus data signals into said at least one storage element and to selectively control the transfer of said at least one status signal into the subsystem bus.

5. The transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 4 above, wherein at least one subsystem is a mechanical control subsystem having a plurality of data storage elements which is operable to issue documents and transport a user card past a read head in response to information contained in the data storage elements.

6. The transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 5 above, further comprising a second subsystem having a plurality of data storage elements which includes user display and which is operable to control the information displayed by said display in response to information contained in the data storage registers.

7. A transaction execution terminal which is operable to receive and execute user requested transactions, the terminal comprising:

a terminal data bus;

a programmable data processing subsystem connected for bidirectional communication over the data bus;

a mechanical control subsystem connected to communicate bidirectionally over the data bus and including a first plurality of data storage elements, a plurality of current drivers, each driver being connected to be turned on and off in response to a data storage state of a different data storage element, and each driver having an output which is connected through a relatively high impedance to a voltage source and connectable to a relatively low impedance load, means responsive to the driver outputs for detecting when all drivers are in a predetermined driving status and generating an output signal indicative of the detected status, a second plurality of data storage elements, one of which is responsive to the status indicative output signal, and means responsive to control information appearing on the terminal data bus for selectively loading data appearing on the data bus into the first plurality of data storage elements and selectively driving data bus data lines in accordance with information stored by the second plurality of data storage elements; and

a document issue mechanism coupled to selectively issue documents to terminal users in response to at least one of the drivers.

8. The transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 7 above, further comprising a second document issue mechanism coupled to selectively issue documents to terminal users in response to at least one of the drivers.

9. The transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 8 above, further comprising a third document issue mechanism coupled to selectively issue documents to terminal users in response to at least one of the drivers.

10. The transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 9 above, wherein the first document issue mechanism is a cash issue mechanism and wherein the second document issue mechanism is a transaction statement mechanism and includes a printer for selectively printing information on transaction statement forms.

11. The transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein each driver includes a transistor having a common emitter and a collector which is connectable to a low impedance load.

12. The transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 7, above, wherein the data processing system is arranged to access a predetermined instruction location in response to a terminal reset command and further comprising means for sensing a substantial power loss and generating a terminal reset signal for a predetermined period of time after restoration of powder following a power loss.

13. In a transaction terminal which is operable to dispense cash and execute other transactions in response to user requests, a driver wrap test circuit comprising a plurality of current drivres which are connectable to control the energization of electromechanical transducers in response to the data states of data storage elements corresponding thereto;

a detection circuit connected to detect and indicate the simultaneous turn-on of all drivers; and

means for testing the operability of the drivers to turn on and turn off by first loading information into said storage elements to turn on all drivers and sampling the detection circuit indication to test the ability of all drivers to turn on and then loading information into said storage elements to selectively turn off said drivers with only one driver off at a time and sampling the detection circuit indication to test for the failure of said one driver to turn off, said drivers being turned on and off sufficiently fast that the electromechanical transducers connected thereto are unable to respond to the turning on and turning off of drivers during the driver wrap test.

14. The driver wrap test circuit as set forth in claim 13 above wherein the drivers include common emitter connected driver transistors, each having the collector thereof connectable to an electromechanical transducer and a plurality of common cathode connected diodes, each having the anode thereof coupled to the collector of a different driver transistor.

15. The driver wrap test circuit as set forth in claim 14 above further comprising a plurality of impedances, each having a resistance of at least 500 ohms and each being connected between the collector of a different driver transistor and a voltage source.

16. A cash issue transaction execution terminal comprising:

a terminal data bus;

a plurality of terminal subsystems, each being connected to communicate with a programmable control subsystem via the data bus and being operable to execute terminal functions in response to information from the control subsystem and to accumulate information on the status of controlled functions for communication to the control subsystem;

a programmable control subsystem which is operable to communicate with other terminal subsystems via the terminal data bus to control terminal operations, the control subsystem being operable to access a predetermined instruction location in response to a terminal reset command; and

circuitry connected to detect irregular terminal conditions which indicate the inability of the control subsystem to properly execute instructions and generate a terminal reset signal in response to the detection of at least one of said irregular terminal conditions.

17. The cash issue transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 16 above, wherein the detection circuitry includes a circuit for detecting an absence of control subsystem activity for a predetermined period of time.

18. The cash issue transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 17 above, wherein the detection circuitry includes a power sense circuit connected to sense a utility power interruption of at least a predetermined duration and generate a terminal reset signal after a predetermined delay following said power interruption detection.

19. The cash issue transaction execution terminal as set forth in claim 18 above, further comprising a power out protected memory connected for communication with the control subsystem, and wherein the power sense circuit further comprises circuitry for communicating a power out warning signal to the control subsystem upon detection of a predetermined duration power interruption and circuitry for disabling changes in the information content of the protected memory after a period of time following the generation of the power out warning signal sufficient to permit the storage of critical terminal operating parameters in the protected memory by the control subsystem.

20. A terminal for executing transactions requested by a terminal user comprising:

a terminal information bus connected to provide communicating between terminal subsystems;

a data processing subsystem coupled to the terminal information bus which is operable to receive terminal status information from other subsystems connected to the bus, generate terminal control information signals for specifically and unconditionally controlling the energization of electromechanical transducers, and to communicate the terminal control informatiaon signals to selected terminal subsystems;

a mechanical control subsystem coupled to the terminal bus including (1) a mechanical control write register having a plurality of bit positions which are coupled to receive terminal control information signals when selected by the data processing subsystem, (2) a document handling subsystem including (2a) a document feed mechanism connected to feed a single document to a stacking position along an escrow path each time a predetermined information state is written into a document feed bit position within the mechanical control write register, and (2b) an escrow transport mechanism disposed to transport documents along an escrow path which extends to a document issue port, the transport mechanism being coupled to transport documents in accordance with the energization of an escrow transport motor which is energized and deenergized in response to the information state of an escrow transport motor on/off bit position in the mechanical control write register with the direction of rotation determined in response to the information state of an escrow transport motor direction bit position in the mechanical control write register, (3) a card transport mechanism disposed to receive a user card and transport the user card along a card path which passes adjacent a read head for reading information from the card, the transport mechanism including a drive motor which is started and stopped in response to an information state of a card transport motor on/off bit position in the mechanical control write register with the direction of motor operation being controlled in response to an information state of a card motor direction bit position in the mechanical control write register, and (4) mechanical control status sensing circuitry connected to collect mechanical control status information on the position of a document within said document feed mechanism and escrow transport mechanism and on the position of a card within said card transport mechanism and communicate the collected mechanical control status information to the data processing subsystem; and

a user communication subsystem coupled to the terminal information bus including means for interactive communication with a terminal user.