Monitoring method and monitoring system for automatic transaction machine

• US 5,983,197 A
• Filed: 09/15/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Enta, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESFAMARIAM, MUSSIE
• Application Number:
  US08/929,764
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 902/38, 902/39, 902/40, 364/476.06, 364/479.07, 364/479.11, 364/479.14, 702/188, 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 705/7, 705/9
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/26 Servicing, repairing or coping with irregularities, e.g. power failure or vandalism
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/34 Monitoring the contents of devices, e.g. the number of stored valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/36 Auditing of activities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network

Abstract

Failure information and cash reserve information for each automatic transaction machine 5 are collected at a monitoring center 5. In a dispatch condition table, criteria for making decisions such as a dispatch standby being required when a specific number of automatic transaction machines are not operating at a given point in time are displayed. A dispatch decision making portion references the dispatch condition table to display the necessity for a dispatch, the necessity for a dispatch standby and the like on the display. Since the decision making criteria in regard to whether or not a service person should be placed on standby for dispatch or whether or not a request for dispatch should be issued are clearly defined in correspondence to the number of operating machines and the state of the cash reserve, suitable measures can be taken in correspondence to the state of each automatic transaction machine, thereby reducing the responsibility of the operator at the monitoring center.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for automatic transaction machines provided with:

a monitoring center that monitors operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines and obtains failure information from said automatic transaction machines on the presence/absence of failures to make a decision as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person;

wherein;

said monitoring center is provided with a dispatch condition table indicating a relationship between the number of operating machines and the necessity for dispatch and a dispatch decision making portion that makes a decision as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person by referencing said dispatch condition table.

2. A monitoring system for automatic transaction machines according to claim 1, wherein:

said dispatch condition table comprises criteria indicating the necessity for dispatch based upon a relationship between the on-duty time and the number of operating machines.

3. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines according to claim 2, wherein:

said criteria are divided in a plurality of stages and contents of said display vary for individual stages.

4. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines according to claim 2, wherein:

said criteria change in correspondence to the time period and time zone.

5. A monitoring system for automatic transaction machines provided with:

a monitoring center that monitors operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines and obtains cash reserve information from said automatic transaction machines on cash reserves therein to make a decision as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person;

wherein;

said monitoring center is provided with a dispatch condition table indicating a relationship between total cash reserves in operating machines at a given branch and the necessity for dispatch and a dispatch decision making portion that makes a decision as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person by referencing said dispatch condition table.

6. A monitoring system for automatic transaction machines according to claim 5, wherein:

said dispatch condition table comprises criteria indicating the necessity for dispatch based upon a relationship between the on-duty time and the total cash reserves in said automatic transaction machines in a given branch.

7. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines according to claim 6, wherein:

said criteria are divided in a plurality of stages and a contents of said display vary for individual stages.

8. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines according to claim 6, wherein:

said criteria change in correspondence to the time period and time zone.

9. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines comprising:

a step in which operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines are monitored to acquire failure information from said automatic transaction machines on the presence/absence of failures therein; and

a step in which a decision is made as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person based upon criteria that are prepared in advance to indicate a relationship between the number of operating machines and the necessity for dispatch with the results thereof being displayed, said criteria further indicating the necessity for dispatch based upon a relationship between the on-duty time and the number of operating machines.

10. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines comprising:

a step in which operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines are monitored to acquire failure information from said automatic transaction machines on the presence/absence of failures therein; and

a step in which a decision is made as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person based upon criteria that are prepared in advance to indicate a relationship between the number of operating machines and the necessity for dispatch with the results thereof being displayed, said criteria being divided into a plurality of stages, the contents of a display varying for each stage.

11. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines comprising:

a step in which operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines are monitored to acquire failure information from said automatic transaction machines on the presence/absence of failures therein; and

a step in which a decision is made as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person based upon criteria that are prepared in advance to indicate a relationship between the number of operating machines and the necessity for dispatch with the results thereof being displayed, said criteria being divided in correspondence to a given time period and a given time zone.

12. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines comprising:

a step in which operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines are monitored to acquire cash reserve information from said automatic transaction machines on cash reserves therein; and

a step in which a decision is made as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person based upon criteria that are prepared in advance to indicate a relationship between total cash reserves in operating automatic transaction machines at a given branch and the necessity for dispatch with the results thereof being displayed, said criteria further indicating the necessity for dispatch based upon a relationship between the on-duty time and the number of operating machines.

13. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines comprising:

a step in which operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines are monitored to acquire cash reserve information from said automatic transaction machines on cash reserves therein; and

a step in which a decision is made as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person based upon criteria that are prepared in advance to indicate a relationship between total cash reserves in operating automatic transaction machines at a given branch and the necessity for dispatch with the results thereof being displayed, said criteria being divided into a plurality of stages, the contents of a display varying for each stage.

14. A monitoring method for automatic transaction machines comprising:

a step in which operations of a plurality of automatic transaction machines are monitored to acquire cash reserve information from said automatic transaction machines on cash reserves therein; and

a step in which a decision is made as to whether or not it is necessary to dispatch a service person based upon criteria that are prepared in advance to indicate a relationship between total cash reserves in operating automatic transaction machines at a given branch and the necessity for dispatch with the results thereof being displayed, said criteria being divided in correspondence to a given time period and a given time zone.