Remote unmanned banking center

• US 5,600,114 A
• Filed: 09/21/1995
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Facilities Engineering and Design Consultants Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Facilities Engineering and Design Consultants Incorporated
• Inventors: Dunlap, Scott R., Montante, Annette B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US08/531,746
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 362/26, 362/27, 362/29, 362/31, 362/32, 902/35, 902/30, 902/9, 902/10, 340/149
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs

Abstract

A unmanned banking center for location within a building. The banking center is remote from a central banking facility, but is electronically coupled thereto to convey data therebetween. The unmanned center is arranged to have patrons come to it to conduct various transactions typically done at a conventional bank branch and includes a master computer, flooring, plural pivotable seats, and first, second, and third transaction stations. The first station is a kiosk-like enclosure containing a automated teller machine. The second station comprises plural baffled wall sections, each mounting a respective telephone. The third station houses a video monitor and an interactive video terminal. The telephones are connected to master computer, which in turn is connected by modem to the main computer system of the financial institution operating the remote banking center. Respective swingable stools are permanently mounted immediately adjacent respective ones of the baffled wall sections and the interactive video terminal, to enable the patrons to use the telephones and/or the terminal to acquire financial information therefrom. The flooring is of a distinctive appearance to establish a directional line toward the first station and generally along the second and third stations so that patrons may queue up along that line for access to the automated teller machine, to the telephones, or to the interactive video terminal. The video monitor of the third station continuously displays an informational video which is viewable by the patrons in the queue.

Claims

1. A remote unmanned banking center for location within a building having a floor, said banking center comprising a master computer, floor covering means, plural seats, a first transaction station, a second transaction station, and a third transaction station, said first station comprising a kiosk containing a automated teller machine, said second station comprising a wall with plural telephones mounted thereon, said third station comprising a housing in which a video monitor is located, said wall comprising plural, angularly oriented wall sections disposed sequentially immediately between said kiosk and said third station, with each of said wall sections having an associated telephone mounted thereon, said telephones being connected to said main computer for providing financial information, respective ones of said plural seats being permanently mounted immediately adjacent respective ones of said wall sections, said video monitor being arranged to continuously display an informational video, said floor covering means being fixedly mounted on the floor of the building for establishing a directional line toward said first transaction station and along said wall so that plural patrons of the remote banking center may queue up along that line to said first station, and wherein the patrons in the queue can readily view said video monitor while waiting for access to said automated teller machine and/or said telephones, each of said seats being arranged to have a person seated thereon so that said person can use the telephone to access said master computer to receive information therefrom.

2. The remote banking center of claim 1 wherein said third transaction station houses an interactive computer terminal, keyboard, and an associated video display, and wherein one of said seats is permanently mounted immediately adjacent said computer terminal to enable one of the patrons to sit down and use the computer terminal to acquire information therefrom.

3. The remote banking center of claim 1 wherein said floor covering comprises carpeting of a contrasting appearance to the remaining flooring of the building.

4. The remote banking center of claim 1 wherein each of said seats is pivotally mounted with respect to its associated baffled wall section so that each seat can swing with respect thereto, to facilitate a patron sitting thereon.

5. The remote banking center of claim 2 wherein each of said seats is pivotally mounted with respect to its associated wall section so that each seat can be swing with respect thereto so that the patron sitting thereon can adjust his/her distance from said wall section, and wherein said seat immediately adjacent said computer terminal is pivotally mounted with respect to said housing so that said seat can swing with respect thereto so that the patron sitting thereon can adjust his/her distance from said terminal.

6. The remote banking center of claim 1 wherein each of said wall sections is constructed and arranged to prevent the sound of the patron using the telephone thereat from disturbing a patron seated at an adjacent wall section.

7. The remote banking center of claim 1 wherein said informational video provides promotional information about the institution operating the center.

8. The remote banking center of claim 1 additionally comprising a closet located behind said kiosk, said closet being accessible only to authorized personnel to provide access to the interior of said ATM machine, said master computer being located within said closet.

9. The remote banking center of claim 1 wherein said master computer is connected to a central computer system of the institution operating the remote banking center.

10. The remote banking center of claim 8 wherein said master computer is connected to a central computer system of the institution operating the remote banking center by a modem, and wherein said modem is located within said closet.