System of automated teller machines and method of distributing software to a plurality of automated teller machines

• US 6,052,721 A
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Shepherd, Bruce, McPherson, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/857,670
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.01, 395/200.08, 395/840, 395/841, 395/600, 709/223, 709/200, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 710/20, 710/21, 707/10, 713/100
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a software management system, a software package held in a management station (12) is transferred across a communications network (14) to a plurality of destination terminals (16), of which there may be a large number. In order to save on distribution time, the management station (12) can cause terminals (16) which have received the software package to transmit it to further terminals, until all terminals (16) have received the package.

Claims

1. A self-service banking system comprising:

a management station;

first and second self-service banking terminals, each self-service banking terminal including a teller control unit for controlling bank teller functions for a customer carrying out a banking transaction at the self-service banking terminal; and

a peer-to-peer communications network interconnecting the management station and the first and second self-service banking terminals and for (i) enabling the management station to transmit a software package to the first self-service banking terminal and (ii) enabling the first self-service banking terminal to transmit the software package to the second self-service banking terminal after the management station has transmitted the software package to the first self-service banking terminal.

2. A self-service banking system according to claim 1, further comprising a third self-service banking terminal including a teller control unit associated therewith and connected to the peer-to-peer communications network such that the management station is able to transmit the software package to the third self-service banking terminal while the first self-service banking terminal is transmitting the software package to the second self-service banking terminal.

3. A method of distributing a software package across a peer-to-peer communications network from a management station to a plurality of self-service bank terminals in which each self-service banking terminal has a teller control unit associated therewith and is connected as an end point node to the peer-to-peer communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting the software package from the management station to a first self-service banking terminal of the plurality of self-service banking terminals; and

(b) transmitting the software package from the first self-service banking terminal to a second self-service banking terminal of the plurality of self-service banking terminal after the management station has transmitted the software package to the first self-service banking terminal in step (a).

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

(c) transmitting the software package from the management station to a third self-service banking terminal of the plurality of self-service banking terminals while the first self-service banking terminal is transmitting the software package to the second self-service banking terminal.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein step (a) includes the sub-step of:

(a-1) transmitting a transfer command from the management station to the first self-service banking terminal which has received the software package, the transfer command specifying the second self-service banking terminal.

6. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

(c) maintaining at the management station a list of the plurality of self-service banking terminals;

(d) transmitting to the management station a transfer complete message from the first self-service banking terminal which has completed transmission of the software package to the second self-service banking terminal; and

(e) updating the list of the plurality of self-service banking terminals when the management stations receives the transfer complete message of step (d).