System of self-service terminals and method of distributing software to a plurality of self-service terminals

• US 6,560,643 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: McPherson, Robert P., Shepherd, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/526,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220-222, 714/748, 370/255, 370/388, 370/390, 370/400, 370/408
• US Class Current: 709/220
• 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. In a self-service peer to peer system, a method of distributing a software package across a communications network from a management station to a plurality of self-service terminals in which each self-service terminal has a controller unit associated therewith and is connected as an end point node to the communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

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

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

(c) then transmitting the software package from the first self-service terminal to the second self-service terminal of the plurality of self-service terminals;

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

(e) maintaining at the management station a list of the plurality of self-service terminals together with an indication of whether or not the software package is received;

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

(g) updating the list of the plurality of self-service terminals when the management station receives the transfer complete message of step (f);

wherein the management station may transmit concurrently to more than one of the plurality of self-service terminals said software package and/or said transfer command.