ATM machine and methods with currency conversion capabilities

• US 7,458,507 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FEXCO Merchant Services, First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fillinger, Charles A., O'Sullivan, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haupt; Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US11/749,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20070228150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 902/8, 902/13, 902/14, 705 42- 43
• US Class Current: 235/379
• 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 20/381 Currency conversion
• 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 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

Methods, systems, and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are disclosed which provide ATM currency conversion capabilities. In one embodiment, a financial account number associated with a financial account maintained by a customer at a financial institution is received, a foreign currency type associated with the financial account is determined, and a choice is presented to the customer at the ATM to conduct a financial transaction in the foreign currency type. A currency selection is received from the customer and at least a portion of the financial transaction is conducted at the ATM in the selected currency.

Claims

1. A system to provide currency conversion information to an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) comprising:

an interface, communicatively coupled to an ATM, to receive at least an identifier portion of a financial account from an ATM;

first data associating financial institution identification numbers to at least one of a country and a currency;

second data comprising an exception table associating financial institution identification numbers to a country or currency different than the one indicated in the first data; and

logic, communicatively coupled to the interface and the data, to determine a currency type associated with the financial account using the first and second data;

wherein the interface is further to transmit the determined currency type to the ATM.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising currency exchange information, wherein the interface is further to receive, from the ATM, an amount in a first currency, the logic is to convert the amount to a second currency using the exchange rate information, and the interface is to transmit the converted amount to the ATM.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising currency exchange information, wherein the interface is further to receive a request from the ATM for a currency exchange rate and wherein the logic is to determine the currency exchange rate using the currency exchange information, and wherein the interface is to transmit the currency exchange rate to the ATM.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface receives the identifier portion from the ATM via an ATM network and transmits the determined currency to the ATM via the ATM network.

5. An Automated Teller Machine (ATM) comprising:

a user interface to receive a financial transaction selection from a customer and to receive a currency selection from the customer to conduct a transaction in a foreign currency type different than a native currency type associated with the ATM; and

logic to process at least a part of the financial transaction in the foreign currency;

wherein the logic is further configured to suggest a foreign currency by;

obtaining an identifier portion of a financial account number; and

determining a country associated with the financial institution using the identifier portion;

wherein determining the country comprises comparing the identifier portion to a lookup table, the lookup table associating financial institution identification numbers to a country;

and wherein determining the currency type further comprises comparing the identifier portion to an exception table associating financial institution identification numbers to a country different than the one indicated in the lookup table.

6. The ATM of claim 5, further comprising a communications interface, wherein the logic uses the communications interface to obtain a foreign currency type and an exchange rate to convert the foreign currency type to the native currency type.

7. The ATM of claim 5, wherein the communications interface communicatively couples the ATM to an ATM network.

8. The ATM of claim 5, wherein the communications interface communicatively couples the ATM to a financial institution.

9. The ATM of claim 5, wherein the communications interface communicatively couples the ATM to a currency recognition and exchange service.

10. An ATM system comprising:

at least one of an ATM and an ATM host computer, wherein the ATM comprises a user interface to receive a financial transaction selection from a customer and to receive a currency selection from the customer to conduct a transaction in a foreign currency type different than a native currency type associated with the ATM;

wherein at least one of the ATM and the host computer includes logic to suggest a foreign currency by;

obtaining an identifier portion of a financial account number; and

determining a country associated with the financial institution using the identifier portion;

wherein determining the country comprises comparing the identifier portion to a lookup table, the lookup table associating financial institution identification numbers to a country;

and wherein determining the currency type further comprises comparing the identifier portion to an exception table associating financial institution identification numbers to a country different than the one indicated in the lookup table.

11. A method of processing a withdrawal from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) that dispenses cash in a native currency, the method comprising:

receiving from a customer a financial account identifier of a financial account associated with a foreign currency different than the native currency;

receiving from the customer a withdrawal amount specified in the foreign currency;

obtaining a currency exchange rate for converting the foreign currency to the native currency;

converting the withdrawal amount specified in the foreign currency to a converted withdrawal amount specified in the native currency; and

dispensing the converted withdrawal amount in cash to the customer in the native currency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a portion of the account identifier comprises a financial institution identification number, the method further comprising determining the foreign currency type from a lookup table associating financial institution identification numbers to currency types used by the financial institutions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the converted withdrawal amount comprises rounding the converted withdrawal amount to a nearest, next higher, or next lower denomination supported by the ATM for withdrawal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a portion of the account identifier comprises a financial institution identification number, the method further comprising determining the foreign currency type from data associating financial institution identification numbers to at least one of a country and a currency, and from an exception table associating financial institution identification numbers to currency types different than indicated in the lookup table.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

presenting to the customer a choice of whether to specify the withdrawal amount in the foreign currency or in the native currency; and

receiving from the customer an indication that the withdrawal amount is specified in the foreign currency.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising modifying the converted withdrawal amount to a denomination supported by the ATM.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying the converted withdrawal amount comprises receiving a modification choice from the customer to one of increase the withdrawal amount or decrease the withdrawal amount.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying the modified withdrawal amount to the customer.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising deducting the withdrawal amount from the customer'"'"'s account.