Remote system override

• US 7,979,502 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SI SA (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: S1 Corporation (ACI Worldwide Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lamparello, Drew, Tsang, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, HASSAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/319,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for providing remote supervisory override of a lockout at a workstation is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first workstation an override response module which is configured to receive an override request message. The override response module provides an override response message that includes an indicator of an action authorized by the user of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of remote supervisory control of a workstation, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a first workstation an override request message, wherein a supervisor operates the first workstation;

receiving supervisory input at the first workstation via an override response interface that includes one or more indicators of pending override request messages, wherein the supervisory input is responsive to a select override request message and presentation of the one or more indicators of pending override request messages, the supervisory input including entering a supervisor note to the requestor and selecting a supervisor response input in the override response interface;

sending an override response message from the first workstation to a second workstation, wherein the second workstation sent the override request message, and wherein the override response message includes an indication of an action authorized by the supervisor.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

providing a prompt to the supervisor that the override request message has been received.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving at the first workstation transactional information, wherein the transactional information is related to a suspended transaction; and

providing the transactional information to the supervisor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transactional information is provided to the supervisor in response to the supervisor selecting a pushbutton in the override response interface.

5. The method of claim 3, further including the steps of:

receiving at the first workstation an active user query; and

responding to the active user query, wherein the response includes an indicator associated with the supervisor.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the response includes a user-classification associated with the supervisor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications between the first and second workstations include Peer-to-Peer communications.

8. A first workstation in a distributed institution, the first workstation comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, the memory having stored therein executable instructions that when executed by the processor implement specified functions, the executable instructions arranged as a communication module configured to communicate with a server via a first communication path; and

an override response module, wherein the override response module is configured to receive an override request message from a third workstation and provide an override response message responsive to the third workstation, wherein the override response message includes an indicator of an action authorized by the user of the first workstation and is responsive to both a select override request message and an action button selected from within an override response interface, the override response module further configured to provide the override response interface, the override response interface including one or more indicators of pending override request messages, a note field used to send a note to a requestor, and a response button.

9. The first workstation of claim 8, wherein the override response module is further configured to provide a prompt to the user in response to receiving the override request message.

10. The first workstation of claim 8, wherein the interface includes a plurality of action buttons, wherein responsive to the user selecting one of the action buttons, the override response message includes the indicator of the authorized action.

11. The first workstation of claim 10, wherein the plurality of action buttons includes at least one of a deny button and a grant button, wherein the deny button indicates a denial of the override request and the grant button indicates granting authorization for the override request.

12. The first workstation of claim 8, wherein the interface provides a message field in which the user may input a message to the sender of the override request message.

13. The first workstation of claim 12, wherein the override response module is configured to display transactional information to the user, wherein the transactional information is related to a suspended transaction.

14. The first workstation of claim 13, wherein the transactional information is displayed to the user in response to the user selecting a pushbutton.

15. The first workstation of claim 8, wherein the override response module is configured to respond to an active user query, which is received via the second communication path, wherein the response is sent to the second workstation.

16. The first workstation of claim 15, wherein the response includes an indicator associated with the user of the first workstation.

17. The first workstation of claim 8, wherein the second and third workstations are the same and communications between the first and second workstations include Peer-to-Peer communications.