Fault monitoring and notification system for automated banking machines

• US 7,406,630 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Singer, Irek, Stock, Timothy M., Gill, Robert Bradley, Shirah, Roy, St. George, Peter, Baghdadi, Gaby, Symonds, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Yolanda L
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUYTON, PHILIP A
• Application Number:
  US11/408,417
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 714/47, 235/379, 705/43, 902/21, 902/38
• US Class Current: 714/47.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/21 Retaining of the payment card by ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A system operates to receive status messages from banking machines (12) operating in a network (14). The messages are received by an event management system (20) operating at least one computer (54). The computer is in operative connection with a data store (52). The data store includes information representative of the banking machines in the network, status messages generated by the banking machines and actions to be taken including entities to be notified of conditions which cause status messages to be sent by the various banking machines. The event management system receives the messages and places them in a uniform standard message format for further processing by the system. A device status processing program (36) in the computer resolves an action to be taken responsive to the status message. Responsive to the action resolved by the device status processing program the computer causes a notification message to be dispatched by a multimedia reporter to an entity who is to be notified of the condition at the banking machine which caused the status message. The computer also causes a trouble record to be created in the data store responsive to the status message from the banking machine. The multimedia reporter receives input messages from the entity and the computer causes information to be included in the trouble record responsive to the input messages. The system further provides report data to a user which enables the user to analyze the operation of the banking machines and service providing entities. The system further includes test capabilities for testing proper operation of the system.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a plurality of cash dispensing automated banking machines, located at a plurality of geographically disposed locations, wherein each machine is operative to generate at least one status message responsive to a fault condition at the respective machine;

at least one computer in operative connection with each of the plurality of machines,

wherein the at least one computer is in operative connection with at least one data store,

wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to each of the plurality of machines, the at least one status message and for each machine at least one action to be taken responsive to the at least one status message being generated by the respective machine,

wherein responsive to at least one status message being generated by a first machine included in the plurality of machines, the at least one computer is operative responsive to the data stored in the at least one data store to carry out the at least one corresponding action,

wherein the data corresponding to the at least one action includes data corresponding to an entity to be notified responsive to the at least one status message being generated by the first machine, and

wherein the at least one action taken responsive to the at least one status message includes causing a notifying message to be sent to the first entity; and

an interactive voice response (IVR) device in operative connection with the at least one computer, wherein the (IVR) device is operative responsive to the at least one computer to output at least one audible message corresponding to the first machine and the fault condition, wherein the IVR device is operative to receive inputs, wherein the IVR device is operative to receive at least one acknowledgment input from the first entity acknowledging the notifying message, and wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive to the IVR device receiving the at least one acknowledgment input, to include data corresponding to receipt of the at least one acknowledgment input in the at least one data store.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the IVR device is operative to receive at least one close input from the first entity indicating the fault in the first machine is corrected, and wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive to receipt of the at least one close input to include data corresponding to receipt of the at least one close input in the at least one data store.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to a plurality of audible corrective action outputs for a corresponding plurality of fault conditions, and wherein the IVR device is operative to output to the first entity at least one audible message including at least one corrective action corresponding to the fault condition at the first machine.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the IVR device is selectively operative to output audible messages in a plurality of languages.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the at least one computer is operative to assign a corresponding number to the fault at the first machine, and wherein the IVR device is operative to output at least one audible message including the corresponding number.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to at least one entity associated with a group comprising a plurality of machines, and wherein the IVR device is operative to output at least one audible message to the at least one entity corresponding to faults associated with each of the plurality of machines in the group.

7. Apparatus comprising:

a plurality of cash dispensing automated banking machines, located at a plurality of geographically disposed locations, wherein each machine is operative to generate at least one status message responsive to a fault condition at the respective machine;

at least one computer in operative connection with each of the plurality of machines,

wherein the at least one computer is in operative connection with at least one data store,

wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to each of the plurality of machines, the at least one status message, and for each machine at least one action to be taken responsive to the at least one status message being generated by the respective machine,

wherein responsive to at least one status message being generated by a first machine included in the plurality of machines, the at least one computer is operative responsive to the data stored in the at least one data store to carry out the at least one corresponding action; and

an interactive voice response (IVR) device in operative connection with the at least one computer, wherein the IVR device is operative responsive to the at least one computer to output at least one audible message corresponding to the first machine and the fault condition, wherein the IVR device is selectively operative to output the at least one audible message in a plurality of languages.

8. Apparatus comprising:

a plurality of cash dispensing automated banking machines, located at a plurality of geographically disposed locations, wherein each machine is operative to generate at least one status message responsive to a fault condition at the respective machine;

at least one computer in operative connection with each of the plurality of machines,

wherein the at least one computer is in operative connection with at least one data store,

wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to each of the plurality of machines, the at least one status message, and for each machine at least one action to be taken responsive to the at least one status message being generated by the respective machine,

wherein responsive to at least one status message being generated by a first machine included in the plurality of machines, the at least one computer is operative responsive to the data stored in the at least one data store to carry out the at least one corresponding action,

wherein the at least one computer is operative to assign a corresponding number to the fault at the first machine; and

an interactive voice response (IVR) device in operative connection with the at least one computer, wherein the IVR device is operative responsive to the at least one computer to output at least one audible message corresponding to the first machine and the fault condition, wherein the IVR device is operative to output at least one audible message including the corresponding number.