Automated banking machine system and method

• US 8,172,133 B1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: DePietro, Mark, McIntyre, Daniel S., Benore, Randolph C., Bakerink, Allan R., MEEK, JAMES, Smith, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/925,114
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/376, 235/379, 705/35
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 processing system includes customer stations and at least one server provider station. The customer stations include automated banking machines. Each automated banking machine includes a card reader that reads indicia on user cards corresponding to financial accounts. Each automated banking machine also includes a cash dispenser. Service providers at service provider stations are enabled to communicate with customers at automated banking machines to help carry out transactions. Customers at automated banking machines may also carry out banking transactions without the involvement of service providers. Pneumatic tube transport systems may be used for moving items between local service providers and customers. In some embodiments, computers operating facial image transformation software and vocal sound transformation software enable outputs at customer stations which correspond to facial images and vocal sounds that customers may find more acceptable than those produced by the actual service provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) outputting instructions associated with operation of an automated banking machine, through a display of the machine responsive at least in part to operation of at least one processor in the machine,

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

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

(b) causing at least one facial image to be output through the display, responsive at least in part to communication with a service provider (SP) station remote from the machine;

(c) capturing with an image capture device at the SP station, at least one SP facial image corresponding to a service provider'"'"'s face;

(d) producing SP facial image data through operation of at least one computer;

responsive at least in part to at least one SP facial image captured in (c); and

(e) modifying the SP facial image data produced in (d) at least in part through operation of image transformation software operating in the at least one computer, to produce modified facial image data;

wherein the at least one facial image in (b) corresponds to the modified facial image data produced in (e),

wherein the at least one facial image in (b) has an appearance different from that of the at least one SP facial image captured in (c).

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein in (c) the captured at least one SP facial image includes moving images of the service provider'"'"'s face, and wherein in (b) the output includes facial images moving in generally real time in corresponding relation with the service provider'"'"'s face.

3. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising:

(f) during at least a portion of (c), capturing vocal sounds of the service provider through operation of a sound capture device,

(g) producing vocal sound data corresponding to the vocal sounds;

(h) modifying the vocal sound data produced in (g) through operation of sound transformation software to produce modified vocal sound data;

(i) during at least a portion of (b), outputting through an audio speaker of the machine, vocal sounds which correspond to the modified vocal sound data;

wherein the vocal sounds output in (i) are different from the vocal sounds of the service provider captured in (f).

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the moving facial images output in (b) include mouth movement, wherein the vocal sounds output in (i) are in accordance with the mouth movement in (b), and wherein the vocal sounds output in (i) differ from the vocal sounds of the service provider captured in (f) in at least one of different gender, race, and age.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one facial image output in (b) has an appearance differing from the service provider'"'"'s face with regard to at least one feature corresponding to gender, race, and age.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one facial image output in (b) has an appearance corresponding to a nonhuman entity.

7. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

(f) transporting at least one item either

from the SP station to the machine user, or

from the machine user to the SP station;

wherein during the transporting in (f) the at least one item passes through a pneumatic transport tube.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the machine includes a cash dispenser, and further comprising:

(f) operating the at least one of a card reader and a biometric reader to read identification data provided by the machine user;

(g) operating the cash dispenser to cause cash to be dispensed from the machine responsive at least in part to computer-determined correspondence between the identification data read in (f) and stored identification data.

9. A method comprising:

(a) operating at least one computer to cause speaking facial movements shown in a service provider (SP) face to be read;

(b) operating the at least one computer to cause the speaking facial movements read in (a) to be substantially reproduced with a different face, resulting in a computer-generated talking face,

wherein the different face has facial appearance characteristics which differ from the facial appearance characteristics of the SP face with regard to at least one of gender, race, and age; and

(c) operating the at least one computer to cause the computer-generated talking face to be displayed at an automated banking machine which is operative to cause a financial transaction associated with an account to be carried out and which includes at least one of a card reader and a biometric reader operative to read data usable to identify at least one of a machine user and an account.

10. The method according to claim 9

wherein the automated banking machine includes a cash dispenser,

wherein the machine includes at least one reader device, wherein the at least one reader device includes at least one of a card reader and a biometric reader,

wherein the machine includes at least one machine computer,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to allow the machine user to request a cash dispense transaction responsive at least in part to the machine user being recognized as an authorized user of the machine based at least in part on computer-determined correspondence between

identification data read by the at least one reader device and

authorized user identification information stored in at least one data store,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to carry out authorized cash dispense transactions,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to cause a financial account to be assessed a value associated with cash dispensed responsive at least in part to data read by the at least one reader device,

and further comprising:

(d) operating the at least one reader device to read identification data provided by the machine user.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the at least one reader device includes both a card reader and a biometric reader,

wherein (d) includes

operating the card reader to read customer card data, and

operating the biometric reader to read customer biometric data,

and further comprising:

(e) operating the at least one machine computer to allow the machine user to request a cash dispense transaction responsive at least in part to both

computer-determined correspondence between the customer card data read in (d) and stored card information, and

computer-determined correspondence between the customer biometric data read in (d) and stored biometric information.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein (a)-(c) are carried out during SP communication with a customer at the automated banking machine.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein in (c) the computer-generated talking face is displayed at the automated banking machine in generally real time corresponding relation with the speaking facial movements read in (a).

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein in (a), (b), and (c) the SP is located at a SP station which is operative to enable the SP communication.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein in (a), (b), and (c) the SP station includes at least one input device which allows the SP to control display of the computer-generated second talking face at the automated banking machine.

16. A method comprising:

(a) operating an automated banking machine to output instructions through at least one display,

wherein the machine includes the at least one display and at least one computer,

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

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

wherein the machine enables a customer to communicate with a service provider (SP) located at a remote SP station;

(b) operating the automated banking machine to output through the at least one display, a computer-generated talking face,

wherein the computer-generated talking face includes reproduced facial movements which substantially correspond to speaking facial movements read from the SP'"'"'s face,

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

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the at least one data reader includes at least one of a card reader and a biometric reader,

wherein the automated banking machine includes a cash dispenser,

wherein the machine includes at least one machine computer,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to allow the machine user to request a cash dispense transaction responsive at least in part to the machine user being recognized as an authorized user of the machine based at least in part on computer-determined correspondence between

identification data read by the at least one data reader and

authorized user identification information stored in at least one data store,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to carry out authorized cash dispense transactions,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to cause a financial account to be assessed a value associated with cash dispensed responsive at least in part to data read by the at least one data reader,

and further comprising:

(c) operating the at least one data reader to read identification data provided by the machine user.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the at least one data reader includes both a card reader and a biometric reader,

wherein (c) includes

operating the card reader to read customer card data, and

operating the biometric reader to read customer biometric data,

and further comprising:

(e) operating the at least one machine computer to allow the machine user to request a cash dispense transaction responsive at least in part to both

computer-determined correspondence between the customer card data read in (c) and stored card information, and

computer-determined correspondence between the customer biometric data read in (c) and stored biometric information.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the at least one display includes a first display device, wherein both the output in (a) and the output in (b) are through the first display device.

20. The method according to claim 16 wherein the computer-generated talking face is displayed at the automated banking machine in generally real time corresponding relation with the speaking facial movements of the SP'"'"'s face.