Interactive I/O terminal

• US 5,880,444 A
• Filed: 03/28/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takaku, Kazuo, Kanamoto, Kouichi, Akutsu, Kazuhiro, Tsukui, Setsuo, Hinata, Yoshiharu, Ohtani, Takahiro, Awatsu, Kiyotaka, Shibata, Yasuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellman Gross, Anita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US08/826,040
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 364/408, 341/23, 434/118, 434/307, 434/323, 345/173, 345/146, 345/902, 902/8, 902/20
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs

Abstract

An interactive I/O terminal supplies information to a user and inputs information based on operations of the user in accordance with the information supplied to the user. The interactive I/O terminal includes an I/O display panel for displaying a predetermined screen having a display area on which messages are to be displayed and operation keys for outputting signals corresponding to the operation keys operated by the user; a first controller for controlling the I/O display panel so that messages are displayed on the display area in the screen formed on the I/O display panel, a second controller for controlling the I/O display panel so that the screen is maintained on the I/O display panel until operations corresponding to a plurality of messages displayed on the display area are completed, and a processing unit for performing processes corresponding to the signals supplied from the I/O display panel based on operations of the user.

Claims

1. An interactive I/O terminal for supplying information to a user and for receiving information input by the user to prepare a transaction, requiring a plurality of operations, for approval and processing by a remote host system which requires the results of the operations to so approve and process, said interactive I/O terminal comprising

a plurality of processing units, each processing unit adapted to perform one of the operations required by the transaction based on information input by the user;

an I/O display panel for displaying a predetermined screen having a display area on which messages are to be displayed and a plurality of operation keys which are operated by the user to input information used by said plurality of processing units, said I/O display panel outputting signals corresponding to the operation keys operated by the user to the plurality of processing units;

first control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that a plurality of messages corresponding to the plurality of operations are concurrently displayed on the display area in said screen formed on said I/O display panel;

second control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that said screen is maintained on said I/O display panel until the user has input information using said operation keys in accordance with said plurality of messages displayed on the display area, said plurality of processing units operating independently and outputting results in accordance with information corresponding to signals output from said I/O display panel in response to the operations of said operation keys by the user;

communication means, coupled to said plurality of processing units, for transmitting at one time all of the results outputted by said plurality of processing units to the host system and for receiving a response from the host system; and

processing means, for completing the operation in accordance with the response received by said communication means.

2. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first control means controls said I/O display panel so that a plurality of messages are simultaneously displayed.

3. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of processing units permit the user to perform operations in an arbitrary order.

4. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said plurality of processing units concurrently operate in accordance with the operations performed by the user in an arbitrary order.

5. The interactive I/O terminal claimed in claim 2, wherein said first control means has means for displaying the messages so that a message corresponding to an operation which needs to be performed is distinguished from a message corresponding to an operation which has been performed.

6. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said Plurality of processing units operates every time a corresponding operation is performed by the user.

7. The interactive I/O terminal claimed in claim 6, wherein said first control means has means for displaying the messages so that a message corresponding to an operation which needs to be performed is distinguished from a message corresponding to an operation which has been performed.

8. An ATM having interactive I/O terminal for supplying a user with information regarding operations required for a banking transaction and for receiving information from the user to prepare one or more banking transactions in conjunction with a remote host system which approves and processes the transaction based on the results of the operations, said ATM comprising:

a plurality of processing units operating in accordance with input information, said plurality of processing units including a card processing unit for obtaining information from a card for the banking transaction;

a card input unit for receiving the card supplied by the user;

an I/O display panel for displaying a predetermined screen having a first display area on which messages are to be displayed and operation keys and for outputting signals corresponding to operation keys operated by the user;

first control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that a plurality of messages regarding operations required for the banking transaction are all displayed at the same time on the first display area in said screen formed on said I/O display panel;

second control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that said screen is maintained on said I/O display panel until the user has operated said operation keys and inputted the card into said card input unit in accordance with said each of plurality of messages, said plurality of processing units operating independently and outputting results in accordance with information corresponding to signals output from said I/O display panel in response to the operations of said operation keys and said card processing unit obtaining the information from the card received by said card input unit;

communication means, coupled to said plurality of processing units, for transmitting all at one time all of the results outputted by said plurality of processing units and the information obtained from the card to the host system and for receiving a response from the host system; and

processing means for performing a banking transaction process in accordance with the response received from the host system by said communication means.

9. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first control means controls said I/O display panel so that all the messages corresponding to the operations required for the banking transaction are simultaneously displayed.

10. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein said plurality of processing units permit the user to supply the card to said card input unit and to perform operations of the input keys in the screen in an arbitrary order.

11. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plurality of processing units concurrently operates in accordance with the operation performed by the user in an arbitrary order.

12. The interactive I/O terminal claimed in claim 9, wherein said first control means has means for displaying the messages so that a message corresponding to an operation which needs to be performed is distinguished from a message corresponding to an operation which has been performed.

13. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of processing units operates every time a corresponding operation is performed by the user.

14. The interactive I/O terminal claimed in claim 13, wherein said first control means has means for displaying the messages so that a message corresponding to an operation which needs to be performed is distinguished from a message corresponding to an operation which has been performed.

15. The interactive I/O terminal claimed in claim 8, wherein said input keys formed in the screen include one set of numeral keys, said one set of numeral keys being used for a plurality of kinds of operations, and wherein said processing means has recognizing means for recognizing that said one set of numeral keys is to be used for an operation from among said plurality of kinds of operations.

16. The interactive I/O terminal claimed in claim 15, wherein an order in which operations are to be performed by the user is fixed to complete the banking transaction, and wherein said recognizing means recognizes, based on the order, that said one set of numeral keys is to be used for an operation from among said plurality of kinds of operations.

17. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 15, wherein said input keys in the screen further include operation identifying keys each of which is used for identifying an operation in which said one set of numeral keys is to be used, and wherein said recognizing means recognizes, based on an operation identifying key operated by the user, that said one set of numeral keys is to be used for a corresponding operation from among said plurality of kinds of operations.

18. The interactive I/O terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein said plurality of processing units includes a bankbook processing unit for reading information from a bankbook and wherein said interactive I/O terminal further comprises a bankbook input unit for receiving the bankbook supplied by the user.

19. The interactive I/O terminal claimed in claim 8, wherein the messages displayed in the first display area include a card message for inducing the user to provide a card to said interactive I/O terminal, the card message being located at a head position of the messages arranged in a predetermined order.

20. An ATM including interactive I/O terminal for supplying information to a user and for receiving information input by the user to perform a transaction having a plurality of operations in conjunction with a remote host system, each operation requiring information from a user and verification from the remote host system, said ATM comprising:

a plurality of processing units, each processing unit having an assigned operation to process in accordance with the information input by the user regarding the corresponding operation;

an I/O display panel for displaying a predetermined screen having a display area on which prompts, requesting information related to each operation, and a plurality of touch sensitive operation keys for receiving the information from the user are displayed, said I/O display panel outputting signals corresponding to the operation keys operated by the user;

first control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that each of the messages are concurrently displayed on the display area in said screen formed on said I/O display panel;

second control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that said screen is maintained on said i/O display panel until all requested information corresponding to each of the messages displayed on the display area has been input using said operation keys;

communication means, coupled to said plurality of processing units, for collectively transmitting all at one same time all of the results outputted by said plurality of processing units to the host system and for receiving a response from the host system; and

processing means for performing a process in accordance with the response received by said communication means.

21. An ATM having an interactive I/O terminal for performing a banking transaction having a plurality of operations, each operation having associated input information and for receiving information from the user to perform the banking transaction in conjunction with a remote host system which verifies the banking transaction in accordance with the results of the operations, said ATM comprising:

a plurality of processing units, each processing unit having an assigned operation from among the plurality of operations to process in accordance with information input by the user, one of said plurality of processing units being a card processing unit for performing an operation of obtaining information from a card for the banking transaction;

a card input unit for receiving the card supplied from the user;

an I/O display panel for displaying a plurality of messages requesting the input information for each operation on a predetermined screen having touch sensitive operation keys for the user to enter the input information and for outputting signals corresponding to operation keys operated by the user;

first control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that the plurality of messages regarding operations required for the banking transaction are concurrently displayed on said screen formed on said I/O display panel;

second control means, coupled to said I/O display panel, for controlling said I/O display panel so that said screen is maintained on said I/O display panel until all operations of said operation keys required for the banking transaction are completed and the card has been received by said card input unit;

communication means, coupled to said plurality of processing units, for collectively transmitting all at one time all of the results obtained by said plurality of processing units and the information obtained from the card to the host system for receiving a response from the host system; and

processing means for performing a banking transaction process in accordance with the response received by said communication means.

22. An ATM which performs a banking transaction in cooperation with a host, the ATM comprising:

a card processor which receives a user'"'"'s card and reads and writes data on the user'"'"'s card;

an input unit which receives input from the user regarding the banking transaction;

a display unit which displays information including prompts for data input from the user; and

a main controller which;

causes said display unit to concurrently display, when a specific banking transaction is requested by a user, all the prompts required to complete the specific transaction including a prompt to insert the user'"'"'s card, a prompt for the user to enter a password associated with the user'"'"'s card, and, if appropriate, an amount related to the specific transaction;

causes said card processing unit to process the user'"'"'s card when input;

causes said input unit to receive the user'"'"'s responses to the displayed prompts when entered; and

upon completion of the processing of the user'"'"'s card by the card processor and receipt of the user'"'"'s responses to all of the concurrently displayed prompts initiates communication with the host to perform the banking transaction.