Automated banking machine system and method

• US 8,132,716 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Benore, Randolph C., Bakerink, Allan R., MEEK, JAMES, Smith, Mark D., DePietro, Mark, McIntyre, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/928,626
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/376, 235/379, 902/8, 705/35
• US Class Current: 235/379
• 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 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network

Abstract

A banking transaction system includes customer stations and a server provider station. The customer stations include automated banking machines. Each machine includes a cash dispenser and a card reader that reads financial account indicia from user cards. A service provider at the service provider station is able to communicate with a customer at a machine to help carry out a banking transaction. The customer may also carry out a banking transaction without involvement of the service provider. A pneumatic tube transport can move items between a service provider and customers. Computers operating facial image transformation software and vocal sound transformation software allow computer-generated outputs at customer stations of facial images and vocal sounds that customers may find more acceptable than those produced by the actual service provider.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine operative to cause a financial transaction associated with an account to be carried out,

wherein the automated banking machine includes

at least one reader operative to read data usable to identify at least one of a machine user and an account,

at least one display, and

at least one audio speaker,

at least one service provider station remotely located from the automated banking machine,

wherein each respective service provider station is operable by a respective operator,

wherein each respective service provider station includes

at least one image capture device,

wherein the at least one image capture device is operative to capture at least one facial image of a face of an operator at the respective service provider station,

wherein the at least one image capture device is operative to generate operator facial image data corresponding to the at least one facial image,

at least one sound capture device,

wherein the at least one sound capture device is operative to capture vocal sounds made by the operator at the respective service provider station,

wherein the at least one sound capture device is operative to generate operator vocal sound data corresponding to the vocal sounds,

at least one manual input device,

wherein the at least one manual input device is configured to receive inputs from the operator at the respective service provider station,

at least one computer,

wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive at least in part to generated operator facial image data, to produce modified facial image data,

wherein the modified facial image data corresponds to at least one facial image of a face other than that of the operator at the respective service provider station,

wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive at least in part to generated operator vocal sound data, to produce modified vocal sound data,

wherein the modified vocal sound data corresponds to vocal sounds other than those of the operator at the respective service provider station,

wherein the at least one computer is operative to

cause the at least one display to output a facial image corresponding to the modified facial image data, and

cause the at least one audio speaker to output vocal sounds corresponding to the modified vocal sound data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the automated banking machine is part of a banking system,

wherein the automated banking machine includes a cash dispenser,

wherein the at least one reader includes at least one card reader and at least one biometric reader,

wherein the at least one computer is operative during a transaction to

cause card data to be read from a customer card through operation of the at least one card reader, and then cause the read card data to be compared with card information stored in at least one data store,

cause biometric data to be read from a customer through operation of the at least one biometric reader, and then cause the read biometric data to be compared with biometric information in the at least one data store,

wherein the at least one computer is operative to authorize a customer to request a transaction involving the cash dispenser responsive at least in part to both

computer-determined correspondence between the read card data and stored card information, and

computer-determined correspondence between the read biometric data and stored biometric information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the facial image output through the at least one display moves in generally real time in correspondence with movement of the face of the operator at the respective service provider station.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the vocal sounds output through the at least one audio speaker correspond in generally real time to vocal sounds made by the operator at the respective service provider station.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the facial image output through the at least one display corresponds to a human of a different gender than the operator.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the facial image output through the at least one display corresponds to a human of a different race than the operator.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the facial image output through the at least one display corresponds to a human having a different age than the operator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the facial image output through the at least one display corresponds to a nonhuman entity.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one input to the at least one manual input device is operative to cause operation of a cash dispenser of the automated banking machine.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one input to the at least one manual input device is operative to cause the facial image to be output through the at least one display.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a pneumatic transport tube extends between the automated banking machine and the respective service provider station.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one input to the at least one manual input device is operative to cause the at least one computer to produce the modified facial image data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the at least one input to the at least one manual input device is operative to cause the at least one computer to produce the modified vocal sound data.

14. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine,

wherein the machine includes at least one reader operative to read data usable to identify at least one of a machine user and an account,

wherein the machine includes at least one display,

wherein the machine is operative to output instructions through the at least one display,

wherein the machine is operative to cause a financial transaction associated with an account to be carried out,

wherein the machine allows communication between a machine user and a service provider located remotely from the machine,

wherein during the communication the machine is operative to cause to be output through the at least one display, a computer-generated talking face that includes reproduced facial movements which substantially correspond to speaking facial movements from the face of the service provider,

wherein the computer-generated talking face has facial appearance characteristics which differ from facial appearance characteristics of the face of the service provider with regard to at least one of gender, race, and age.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the automated banking machine is part of a banking system,

wherein the automated banking machine includes a cash dispenser,

wherein the at least one reader includes at least one card reader and at least one biometric reader,

wherein the automated banking machine is operative during a transaction to

cause card data to be read from a customer card through operation of the at least one card reader, and then cause the read card data to be compared with card information stored in at least one data store,

cause biometric data to be read from a customer through operation of the at least one biometric reader, and then cause the read biometric data to be compared with biometric information in the at least one data store,

wherein the automated banking machine is operative to allow a customer to request a transaction involving the cash dispenser responsive at least in part to both

computer-determined correspondence between the read card data and stored card information, and

computer-determined correspondence between the read biometric data and stored biometric information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the machine is operative to cause the computer-generated talking face to be output through the display responsive at least in part to machine communication with a service provider station remotely located from the machine.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the reproduced facial movements includes facial images moving in generally real time in corresponding relation with the speaking facial movements of the service provider.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the reproduced facial movements include mouth movement, wherein the machine is operative to output vocal sounds that substantially match the mouth movement.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the machine is operative to display the computer-generated talking face in generally real time corresponding relation with the speaking facial movements of the face of the service provider.

20. At least one article including computer executable instructions configured to cause at least one computer to:

(a) cause data to be captured during a service provider speaking to a customer of an automated banking machine which is operative to carry out financial transactions and which includes at least one display, at least one audio speaker, and at least one reader operative to read data usable to identify at least one of a machine user and an account,

wherein the data includes both

sound data representative of spoken words made by voice of the service provider, and

image data representative of facial movements made by face of the service provider;

(b) use the image data to produce a computer-generated talking face which substantially reproduces the facial movements,

wherein the produced talking face has facial appearance characteristics which differ from the facial appearance characteristics of the face of the service provider with regard to at least one of gender, race, and age;

(c) use the sound data to reproduce the spoken words in a voice different from the voice of the service provider; and

(d) cause the produced talking face and the reproduced spoken words to be output in sync at the automated banking machine.