Method and system for remote operator interface with a self-service financial transactions terminal

• US 6,968,321 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yu, Chris S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US09/702,428
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 705/43, 705/42, 705/1, 379/9.01, 379/9.02, 379/27.04, 379/29.01
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for remote operator interface with a self-service transaction terminal, such as an ATM makes use of a set of web based applications for operator functions to enable the remote operator to access the operator functions over a standard browser from a remote operator interface client PC. Each ATM with which the remote operator interface is used has a set of web based applications that supports the operator functions. The operator accesses the ATM from the client PC by bringing up the browser and entering a URL to point to a specific ATM. The remote operator interface supports a plurality of supervisory type functions and enables the user to administer a plurality of ATMs for which it is configured to allow the particular functions to be performed. Communication via the remote operator interface is secure over a private network or virtual private network (VPN) over the Internet. The remote operator must be authenticated to gain access, and the operator'"'"'s entitlements may limit access.

Claims

1. A method for remote operator interface with a self-service financial transaction terminal, comprising:

providing a plurality of web-based, customer-inaccessible applications for remote operator functions on the self-service financial transaction terminal, said remote operator functions being selected from a group of remote operator functions consisting of a reboot function, a stop function, a stop immediately function, a start function, a configure function, a view configuration function, a view software release information function, a view status function, a view integrated network controller and host connection status function, a start peruse function, a view event logs function, a view event logs in real-time function, a write event logs to file function, a start back administration function, a start command shell function, and an initialize personal identification number encryption keys function;

allowing a remote operator at a remote operator interface client computing device to access the self-service financial transaction terminal via a browser application of the remote operator interface client computing device;

receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of a user identification by the self-service financial transaction terminal from the remote operator interface client computing device;

displaying a menu of the self-service financial transaction terminal operator functions for the remote operator at the remote operator interface client computing device by the self-service financial transaction terminal;

receiving the remote operator'"'"'s selection of at least one of the self-service financial transaction terminal operator functions by the self-service financial transaction terminal from the remote operator interface client computing device; and

allowing the remote operator at the remote operator interface client to access one of the plurality of web-based, customer-inaccessible applications on the self-service financial transaction terminal for the selected self-service financial transaction terminal operator function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the remote operator to access the terminal further comprises allowing the remote operator to access the self-service financial transaction terminal via the browser application of the computing device coupled to the self-service financial transaction terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein allowing the remote operator to access the terminal further comprises allowing the remote operator to access the self-service financial transaction terminal via the browser application of the computing device coupled to the self-service financial transaction terminal over a network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the remote operator to access the terminal further comprises allowing the remote operator to access the terminal via the browser application of a personal computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein allowing the remote operator to access the terminal further comprises receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of a URL address for the terminal by the browser application of the personal computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein allowing the remote operator to access the terminal further comprises receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of the URL address for a web server application of the terminal by the browser application of the personal computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the remote operator to access the terminal further comprises mutually authenticating the terminal and computing device with one another.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the entry of the user identification further comprises receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry on a logon screen displayed at the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the entry of the user identification further comprises receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of the user identification corresponding to a user entitlement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the entry of the user identification further comprises receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of at least one of a user ID and a password associated with the user entitlement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the entry of the user identification further comprises prompting the remote operator for selection of a preferred language.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the entry of the user identification further comprises verifying the user identification.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the menu further comprises displaying the menu of terminal operator functions according to a predetermined user entitlement corresponding to the user identification.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the remote operator'"'"'s selection further comprises receiving the selection according to a predetermined user entitlement corresponding to the user identification.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the remote operator to access the application for the selected function further comprises allowing the remote operator to access the application for the selected function according to a predetermined user entitlement corresponding to the user identification.

16. A system for providing remote operator interface with a self-service financial transaction terminal, comprising:

a plurality of web-based, customer-inaccessible applications for remote operator functions provided on the self-service financial transaction terminal, said remote operator functions being selected from a group of remote operator functions consisting of a reboot function, a stop function, a stop immediately function, a start function, a configure function, a view configuration function, a view software release information function, a view status function, a view integrated network controller and host connection status function, a start peruse function, a view event logs function, a view event logs in real-time function, a write event logs to file function, a start back administration function, a start command shell function, and an initialize personal identification number encryption keys function;

a remote operator interface client computing device adapted for allowing the remote operator to access the self-service financial transaction terminal via a browser application of the remote operator interface client computing device; and

said self-service financial transaction terminal being adapted for receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of a user identification from the remote operator interface client computing device, for displaying a menu of the self-service financial transaction terminal operator functions for the remote operator at the remote operator interface client computing device, means for receiving the remote operator'"'"'s selection of at least one of the self-service financial transaction terminal operator functions from the remote operator interface client computing device, and for allowing the remote operator at the remote operator interface client to access one of the plurality of web-based, customer-inaccessible applications on the self-service financial transaction terminal for the selected self-service financial terminal operator function.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote operator interface client computing device is further adapted for allowing the remote operator at the remote operator interface client computing device to access the self-service financial transaction terminal via the browser application of the remote operator interface client computing device coupled to the self-service financial transaction terminal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the remote operator interface client computing device is further adapted for allowing the remote operator to access the self-service financial transaction terminal via the browser application of the computing device coupled to the self-service financial transaction terminal over a network.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote operator interface client computing device further comprises a personal computing device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the personal computing device is adapted for receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of a URL address for the terminal by the browser application of the personal computing device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the personal computing device is further adapted for receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of the URL address for a web server application of the terminal by the browser application of the personal computing device.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote operator interface client computing device and the self-service financial transaction terminal are adapted for mutually authenticating the terminal and computing device with one another.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the the self-service financial transaction terminal is adapted for receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry on a logon screen displayed at the computing device.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the the self-service financial transaction terminal is further adapted for receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of the user identification corresponding to a user entitlement.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the the self-service financial transaction terminal is further adapted for receiving the remote operator'"'"'s entry of at least one of a user ID and a password associated with the user entitlement.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the the self-service financial transaction terminal is further adapted for prompting the remote operator for selection of a preferred language.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the self-service financial transaction terminal is further adapted for verifying the user identification.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the self-service financial transaction terminal is further adapted for displaying the menu of terminal operator functions according to a predetermined user entitlement corresponding to the user identification.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the means self-service financial transaction terminal is further adapted for receiving the selection according to a predetermined user entitlement corresponding to the user identification.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the self-service financial transaction terminal is further adapted for allowing the remote operator to access the application for the selected function according to a predetermined user entitlement corresponding to the user identification.

31. A method for remote operator interface with a self-service financial transaction terminal, comprising:

providing a plurality of web-based, customer-inaccessible applications for remote operator functions on the self-service financial transaction terminal, said remote operator functions being selected from a group of remote operator functions consisting of a reboot function, a stop function, a stop immediately function, a start function, a configure function, a view configuration function, a view software release information function, a view status function, a view integrated network controller and host connection status function, a start peruse function, a view event logs function, a view event logs in real-time function, a write event logs to file function, a start back administration function, a start command shell function, and an initialize personal identification number encryption keys function;

providing the self-service financial transaction terminal with a web server application having a URL address;

allowing the remote operator to enter the URL address for the web server application on a browser application of a computing device coupled to the self-service financial transaction terminal over a network;

displaying a logon screen at the computing device for the remote operator;

receiving entry of a user identification for the remote operator at the computing device;

displaying a menu of the self-service financial transaction terminal operator functions for the remote operator at the computing device by the self-service financial transaction terminal according to a predetermined entitlement corresponding to the user identification;

receiving the remote operator'"'"'s selection of at least one of the self-service financial transaction terminal operator functions by the self-service financial transaction terminal from the computing device; and

allowing the remote operator at the computing device to access one of the plurality of web-based, customer-inaccessible applications on the self-service financial transaction terminal for the selected self-service financial transaction terminal operator function.