Automated banking machine system with multiple browsers

• US 7,266,526 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Drummond, Jay Paul, Smith, Mark D., Cichon, Bob A., Weis, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin; Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHARLES, DEBRA F
• Application Number:
  US09/578,312
• Time in Patent Office: 2,658 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 705/43, 705/35, 705/42, 705/79, 705/39, 705/26, 705/40, 379/91.01, 109/2, 380/279, 400/621, 400/708, 455/406, 713/201
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

An automated banking machine (12) is operative to conduct transactions in response to HTML documents and TCP/IP messages exchanged with a local computer system (14) through an intranet (16), as well as in response to messages exchanged with foreign servers (20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 96) in a wide area network (18). The banking machine includes a computer (34) having a document handling portion (76, 80, 82) including one or more browsers. The document handling portion is operative to communicate through a proxy server (88), with a home HTTP server (90) in the intranet or the foreign servers in the wide area network. The computer further includes a device application portion (84) which interfaces with the document handling portion and dispatches messages to operate devices (36) in the automated banking machine. The devices include a sheet dispenser mechanism (42) which dispenses currency as well as other transaction function devices. The device application portion communicates with a device interfacing software portion (64) in the banking machine through a device server (92) in the intranet. The device server maintains local control over the devices in the banking machine including the sheet dispenser. The banking machine operates to read indicia on the user'"'"'s card corresponding to a network address. The computer is operative to connect the banking machine to the home or foreign server corresponding to the network address, which connected server operates the banking machine to conduct transactions by the user. The customer is enabled to operate the banking machine using a familiar interface. The machine may also connect to other applications to provide the customer with promotional material or additional transaction options.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine including a computer and at least one transaction function device in operative connection with the computer, and a plurality of browsers operating in the computer, wherein the computer is operative to cause the transaction function device to operate responsive to instructions in at least one document processed by at least one of the browsers.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the automated banking machine further comprises at least one output device in operative connection with the computer, and wherein documents processed by at least two of the browsers produce outputs delivered simultaneously through the output device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the output device includes a display, and wherein each of the two browsers outputs on separate portions of the display.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the transaction function device is operated responsive to documents processed by a plurality of browsers.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the automated banking machine includes a card reader in operative connection with the computer, wherein the computer is operative to include card data read by the card reader in a transaction data object, and wherein instructions in documents processed by a plurality of the browsers are operative to access the card data from the transaction data object.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising:

a network, wherein the computer of the automated banking machine is in operative connection with the network;

a plurality of servers in operative connection with the network, wherein a first server is operative to deliver first documents and a second server is operative to deliver second documents;

and wherein a first browser operating in the banking machine is operative to process the first documents from the first server and a second browser operating in the banking machine is operative to process the second documents from the second server.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the automated banking machine includes a display device in operative connection with the computer, wherein at least one of the first and second browsers is operative to cause a visible output through the display device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein at least one of the browsers is operative to produce a non-visible output, wherein the non-visible output is operative to cause the computer to control operation of at least one transaction function device in the banking machine.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the first documents includes at least one show instruction, and wherein the computer is operative responsive to the show instruction to cause a further visible output responsive to the second browser to be output through the display device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein at least one of the first documents includes at least one size instruction, and wherein the computer is operative responsive to the size instruction to size the further visible output.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one document includes an HTML document.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transaction function device includes a cash dispenser.

12. A method comprising:

a) operating a plurality of browsers in a computer in operative connection with an automated banking machine;

b) operating a transaction function device in the banking machine responsive to at least one document processed by at least one of the browsers;

c) delivering outputs through at least one output device in connection with the automated banking machine responsive to documents processed by at least two of the browsers.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the automated banking machine includes a display device, and wherein in step (c) outputs from at least two of the browsers are output through the display device.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein at least one document includes a show instruction, and prior to step (c) further comprising the step of reading the show instruction with a first browser, and wherein in step (c) an output responsive to a second browser is delivered responsive to reading the show instruction.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein at least one document includes a size instruction, and further comprising the step of reading the size instruction with a first browser, wherein in step (c) an output responsive to a second browser is produced having a magnitude responsive to the size instruction.

16. The method according to claim 13 wherein in step (c) a size of at least one output from a browser is determined responsive to other outputs.

17. The method according to claim 12 wherein in step (b) a transaction function device is operated responsive to documents processed by a plurality of the browsers.

18. The method according to claim 12 wherein the automated banking machine includes a display device, and wherein in step (a) at least five browsers are operated in the machine, and wherein in step (c) outputs corresponding to documents processed by each of the five browsers are delivered through the display device.

19. The method according to claim 12 wherein in the delivering step at least one output is delivered through at least one output device responsive to at least one HTML document processed by at least one of the browsers.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the operating step the transaction function device includes a cash dispenser.

22. An apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine including a computer, a plurality of transaction function devices in operative connection with the computer, and a plurality of instances of at least one browser simultaneously operating in the computer, wherein the transaction function devices include a cash dispenser, wherein the computer is operative to cause at least one of the transaction function devices to operate responsive to instructions in at least one document processed by at least one instance of the at least one browser.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the automated banking machine further comprises at least one output device in operative connection with the computer, and wherein documents processed by at least two instances of the at least one browser produce outputs delivered simultaneously through the at least one output device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the at least one output device includes a display device.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the at least one document includes an HTML document.

26. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the at least one document includes a markup language document.

27. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the at least one of the transaction function devices includes the cash dispenser.

28. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the at least one transaction function devices includes a card reader.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the computer is operative to include card data read by the card reader in a transaction data object, and wherein instructions in documents processed by at least two instances of the at least one browser are operative to access the card data from the transaction data object.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the computer is further operative to cause the cash dispenser to dispense cash responsive to the accessed card data.

31. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the automated banking machine further comprises at least one display device in operative connection with the computer, wherein at least one first instance of the at least one browser is operative to process at least one first document, wherein the at least one first document includes at least one show instruction, and wherein the computer is operative responsive to the at least one show instruction to cause a visible output responsive to at least one second instance of the at least one browser to be output through the display device.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the at least one first document includes at least one size instruction, and wherein the computer is operative responsive to the at least one size instruction to size the visible output.

33. An apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine including a computer, a plurality of transaction function devices in operative connection with the computer, at least one display device in operative connection with the computer, and at least one instance of at least one browser operating in the computer, wherein the transaction function devices include a cash dispenser, wherein the computer is operative to cause at least one of the transaction function devices to operate responsive to instructions in at least one document processed by the at least one instance of the at least one browser, and wherein at least one document processed by the at least one instance of the at least one browser produces an output delivered through the at least one display device.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33 wherein the automated banking machine includes at least two instances of the at least one browser running simultaneously in the computer.

35. A method comprising:

a) simultaneously operating a plurality of instances of at least one browser in a computer in operative connection with an automated banking machine, wherein the automated banking machine includes a cash dispenser;

b) operating a transaction function device in the automated banking machine responsive to at least one document processed by at least one of the instances of the at least one browser;

c) delivering outputs through at least one output device in connection with the automated banking machine responsive to at least one document processed by at least one of the instances of the at least one browser.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein step (c) includes simultaneously delivering outputs through the at least one output device in connection with the automated banking machine responsive to at least one document processed by at least two of the instances of the at least one browser.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein in step (c) the at least one output device includes a display device.

38. The method according to claim 35, wherein in step (b) the at least one document includes an HTML document.

39. The method according to claim 35, wherein in step (b) the at least one document includes a markup language document.

40. The method according to claim 35, wherein in step (b) the at least one transaction function device includes the cash dispenser.

41. The method according to claim 35, wherein in step (b) the at least one transaction function device includes a card reader.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising:

d) reading card data with the card reader;

e) storing the card data in a transaction data object; and

f) accessing the data stored in the transaction data object with at least two instances of the at least one browser responsive to instructions in documents processed by the at least two instances of the at least one browser.

43. The method according to claim 42, further comprising:

g) causing the cash dispenser to dispense cash responsive to the accessed card data.

44. The method according to claim 35, wherein the at least one document includes a show instruction, and prior to step (c) further comprising the step of reading the show instruction with a first instance of the at least one browser, and wherein in step (c) an output responsive to a second instance of the at least one browser is delivered responsive to reading the show instruction with the first instance of the at least one browser.

45. The method according to claim 35, wherein the at least one document includes a size instruction, and further comprising the step of reading the size instruction with a first instance of the at least one browser, wherein in step (c) an output responsive to a second instance of the at least one browser is produced having a magnitude responsive to the size instruction.