Off-line, one-level/on-line, two-level timeshared automated banking system
First Claim
1. In an automated banking system which is alternatively operative in an on-line mode and an off-line mode and which is available to a plurality of customers, a method for processing banking transactions, including the steps of:
- reading a card with customer identification and customer information, including customer credit information and customer available-transaction information, encoded thereon at one of a plurality of customer stations,sending said customer identification and customer information to a local processor which is associated with the plurality of customer stations over a first communication link, the plurality of customer stations being in a timesharing relationship with respect to data processing means at the local processor,assembling a request message containing at least said customer identification by means of the data processing means, when the local processor is in an on-line mode,sending the request message to a central processor over a second communication link, when the local processor is in the on-line mode,assembling a reply message containing account data associated with the identified customer, including a) account descriptions and b) account balances for the accounts of the identified customer, in response to a request message sent to the central processor,sending the reply message to the local processor over the second communication link, after the reply message has been assembled in response to a request message,determining a transaction selection by means of the data processing means at the local processor in response to the account descriptions in the reply message when the local processor is in the on-line mode and in response to the customer available-transaction information when the local processor is in the off-line mode,sending the transaction selection from the local processor to the customer station over the first communication link,permitting the identified customer to a) choose a transaction in accordance with the transaction selection and b) enter a transaction amount at the customer station,sending the transaction choice and amount from the customer station to the local processor over the first communication link,processing the transaction by means of the data processing means at the local processor in response to the transaction choice and amount a) in accordance with the account balances in the on-line mode and b) in accordance with the customer credit information in the off-line mode so as to determine the allowability of the transaction,sending execution commands from the local processor to the customer station over the first communication link, andcompleting the transaction at the customer station in accordance with the execution commands,whereby data processing functions associated with transactions are executed by the local processor and input/output functions associated with transactions are relegated to the customer stations.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated banking system is responsive to data on a customer'"'"'s card and customer responses to messages which the system displays. The system includes a central processor which is interconnected with at least one local processor via a communication network. Each locl processor is interconnected via another communication network or a data link with a plurality of customer stations which timeshare the local processor. The central processor preferably determines the mode of operation of each local processor, and each local processor is operable in either an off-line mode or an on-line mode.
Each local processor in the off-line mode does not communicate with the central processor. The local processor determines which transactions customers may perform and processes customer-selected transactions by means of data on customers'"'"' cards and customers'"'"' responses that are sent to the local processor by customer stations which timeshare the local processor.
Each local processor in the on-line mode timeshares the central processor. The central processor communicates data to the local processor in response to request messages from the local processor. From communicated data, which includes customers'"'"' account descriptions, the local processor determines which transactions customers may perform. The local processor processes customer-selected transactions by means of data communicated by the central processor as well as customers'"'"' responses that are sent to the local processor by the customer stations which timeshare the local processor.
106 Citations
10 Claims
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1. In an automated banking system which is alternatively operative in an on-line mode and an off-line mode and which is available to a plurality of customers, a method for processing banking transactions, including the steps of:
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reading a card with customer identification and customer information, including customer credit information and customer available-transaction information, encoded thereon at one of a plurality of customer stations, sending said customer identification and customer information to a local processor which is associated with the plurality of customer stations over a first communication link, the plurality of customer stations being in a timesharing relationship with respect to data processing means at the local processor, assembling a request message containing at least said customer identification by means of the data processing means, when the local processor is in an on-line mode, sending the request message to a central processor over a second communication link, when the local processor is in the on-line mode, assembling a reply message containing account data associated with the identified customer, including a) account descriptions and b) account balances for the accounts of the identified customer, in response to a request message sent to the central processor, sending the reply message to the local processor over the second communication link, after the reply message has been assembled in response to a request message, determining a transaction selection by means of the data processing means at the local processor in response to the account descriptions in the reply message when the local processor is in the on-line mode and in response to the customer available-transaction information when the local processor is in the off-line mode, sending the transaction selection from the local processor to the customer station over the first communication link, permitting the identified customer to a) choose a transaction in accordance with the transaction selection and b) enter a transaction amount at the customer station, sending the transaction choice and amount from the customer station to the local processor over the first communication link, processing the transaction by means of the data processing means at the local processor in response to the transaction choice and amount a) in accordance with the account balances in the on-line mode and b) in accordance with the customer credit information in the off-line mode so as to determine the allowability of the transaction, sending execution commands from the local processor to the customer station over the first communication link, and completing the transaction at the customer station in accordance with the execution commands, whereby data processing functions associated with transactions are executed by the local processor and input/output functions associated with transactions are relegated to the customer stations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An automated banking system, alternatively operative in an on-line mode and an off-line mode, available to a plurality of customers for processing banking transactions, comprising:
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a card with customer identification and customer information, including customer credit information and customer available-transaction information, encoded thereon, a central processor, at least one local processor, each said local processor including data processing means, each said local processor having associated therewith a plurality of customer stations which timeshare said data processing means, communication links for interconnecting said central processor and said at least one local processor and for interconnecting said at least one local processor and said plurality of customer stations, a card reader associated with each said customer station and responsive to said card for reading said customer identification and customer information and sending said customer identification and customer information to said local processor, request message assembly means associated with said timeshared data processing means and responsive in an on-line mode to at least said customer identification for preparing and sending a request message containing at least said customer identification to said central processor, reply message assembly means associated with said central processor and responsive to said request message for preparing and sending to said local processor a reply message including a) account descriptions and b) account balances for the accounts of said identified customer, a transaction controller associated with said timeshared data processing means and responsive in said on-line mode to said account descriptions in said reply message and responsive in an off-line mode to said customer available-transaction information read from said card for preparing and sending a transaction selection to said each customer station, transaction selector and amount means associated with said each customer station for permitting said identified customer to a) choose a transaction in accordance with said transaction selection and b) enter a transaction amount and for sending said transaction choice and amount to said local processor, transaction processing means associated with said timeshared data processing means and responsive to said transaction choice and amount for processing said transaction independently of said central processor in accordance with said account balances in said on-line mode and in accordance with said customer credit information in said off-line mode so as to determine the allowability of said transaction, command means associated with said local processor and responsive to said transaction processing means for preparing and sending execution commands to said each customer station, and execution means associated with said each customer station and responsive to said execution commands for completing said transaction in accordance with said execution commands, whereby said local processor executes data processing functions associated with said transactions and relegates input/output functions associated with said transactions to said customer stations. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification