ATM system and method

• US 7,845,552 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: DePietro, Mark, Benore, Randolph C., Bakerink, Allan R., MEEK, JAMES, McIntyre, Daniel S., Frazzitta, Bartholomew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung H
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, TAE W
• Application Number:
  US11/360,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network

Abstract

An exemplary system includes an ATM (322) which is operative to conduct transactions including cash dispensing for users responsive to communication with a transaction host (336). The ATM is also operative to provide output signals which drive external displays (328, 330) which are separate from the ATM. The processor in the ATM is also operative to cause the ATM to receive visual and/or audio content from one or more content sources (342, 343) and to store data corresponding to such content in the ATM. Such content is then output through the external displays. The ATM is also operative to receive and store a plurality of advertising messages. The advertising messages are output in a targeted manner to users of the ATM.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a transaction facility,

wherein the transaction facility includes a waiting area and a customer station,

wherein the customer station includes an ATM,

wherein the ATM includes;

 

a housing,

 

a card reader in supporting relation with the housing,

 

a cash dispenser in supporting relation with the housing,

 

an ATM display in supporting relation with the housing,

 

at least one processor in supporting relation with the housing,

 

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

 

wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the card reader, the cash dispenser, and the ATM display, and

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the cash dispenser to dispense cash from the ATM,

wherein the waiting area includes at least one external display,

wherein the at least one external display is other than the ATM display,

wherein the at least one external display is spaced from the housing,

wherein the at least one external display enables advertisements to be output therethrough to a customer waiting to use the ATM,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to provide at least one external output signal from the ATM to control the at least one external display to provide messages different from those concurrently being output through the ATM display.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM to communicate with at least one remote transaction host, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the cash dispenser to dispense cash responsive to communication between the ATM and the at least one transaction host.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM to communicate with at least one broadcast server, and to store data corresponding to broadcast content received from the at least one broadcast server in the at least one data store.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause data corresponding to broadcast content stored in the at least one data store, to be included in the at least one external output signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM display to provide at least one output corresponding to broadcast content stored in the at least one data store.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM to communicate only periodically with the at least one broadcast server, and to modify the data corresponding to broadcast content stored in the at least one data store responsive to the communication with the at least one broadcast server.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM to communicate only periodically with the at least one broadcast server, and to cause the data corresponding to broadcast content stored in the at least one data store to be modified responsive to the communication with the at least one broadcast server.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the broadcast content corresponds to information concerning recent news events.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the broadcast content corresponds to information concerning recent sporting events.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the broadcast content corresponds to information concerning weather conditions.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the broadcast content corresponds to information concerning recent stock values.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM to communicate with at least one advertising content server and to store data corresponding to advertising content received from the at least one advertising content server in the at least one data store, wherein the data corresponding to advertising content corresponds to a plurality of advertising messages.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the at least one processor is operative to provide outputs corresponding to the plurality of advertising messages through the ATM display responsive to operation of at least one of the card reader and the cash dispenser.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause at least one output corresponding to the advertising content to be displayed through the ATM display while not being displayed through the at least one external display.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM to communicate with at least one transaction host,

wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to reading card data through operation of the card reader, to cause the ATM to communicate with at least one marketing computer,

wherein the at least one marketing computer is a computer other than the at least one transaction host or the at least one broadcast server,

wherein the at least one processor is operative to communicate to the at least one marketing computer, data corresponding to the card data, and

wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to receipt of user presentation data from the at least one marketing computer to cause one of the plurality of advertising messages to be output through the ATM display.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one external output signal to be provided concurrently with providing the one advertising message through the ATM display.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause data corresponding to the card data to be communicated to the at least one ATM transaction host after the at least one processor has caused data corresponding to card data to be communicated to the at least one ATM marketing computer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the ATM to output the at least one external output signal while the ATM operates the card reader to read card data, communicates with the at least one transaction host, communicates with the at least one marketing computer and operates the cash dispenser to dispense cash.

19. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the at least one broadcast server comprises a plurality of content servers, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to communicate with each of the plurality of content servers and to cause data corresponding to content received from each of the plurality of content servers to be stored in the at least one data store, and to cause data corresponding to content received from each of the plurality of content servers to be included in the at least one external output signal.

20. Apparatus comprising:

a transaction facility,

wherein the transaction facility includes a waiting area and a customer station,

wherein the customer station includes an ATM,

wherein the ATM includes;

 

an ATM housing,

 

at least one reader device,

 

a cash dispenser,

 

an ATM display device in supporting relation with the ATM housing,

 

wherein the ATM display device is operative to have transaction instructions output therethrough, at least one processor,

 

wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with at least one data store, the at least one reader device, the cash dispenser, and the ATM display device,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the cash dispenser to dispense cash from the ATM,

wherein the waiting area includes at least one external display device,

wherein the at least one external display device is spaced from the ATM housing,

wherein the at least one external display enables advertisements to be output therethrough to a customer waiting to use the ATM,

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause at least one first message to be provided through the ATM display device,

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause at least one second message to be provided through the at least one external display device,

wherein the at least one second message differs from the at least one first message,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one second message to be provided through the at least one external display device while the at least one first message is provided through the ATM display device.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the at least one processor controls operation of the at least one external display device.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one second message to be provided through the at least one external display device independent of causing the at least one first message to be provided through the ATM display device.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the at least one second message comprises an advertising message, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the advertising message to be provided through the at least one external display device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the at least one first message comprises a first advertising message, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause both the advertising message through the at least one external display device and the first advertising message through the ATM display device to be concurrently provided.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the at least one first message comprises transaction instructions, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause both the advertising message through the at least one external display device and the transaction instructions through the ATM display device to be concurrently provided.

26. Apparatus comprising:

a transaction facility,

wherein the transaction facility includes a waiting area and a customer station,

wherein the customer station includes an automated transaction machine,

wherein the machine includes;

 

a housing,

 

at least one reader device,

 

a cash dispenser,

 

at least one transaction display device in supporting relation with the housing,

 

at least one processor,

 

wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the at least one reader device, the cash dispenser, and the at least one transaction display device,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to control the at least one transaction display device to cause transaction instructions to be output therethrough to a customer using the machine to carry out a transaction,

wherein the waiting area includes at least one waiting area display device,

wherein the at least one waiting area display device is spaced from the housing,

 

wherein the at least one waiting area display device enables advertisements to be output therethrough,

wherein the at least one processor is operative to control the at least one waiting area display device to cause advertisements to be output therethrough to a customer waiting to use the machine to carry out a transaction,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the advertisements to be output through the at least one waiting area display device independent of causing the transaction instructions to be output through the at least one transaction display device,

 

wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause both the advertisements and the transaction instructions to be concurrently output.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the automated transaction machine comprises an ATM.