Remotely configurable user device with physical user resources and interface

• US 8,255,500 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganart Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ganart Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cacheria, Anthony M. III, Hooker, David, McHugh, Wayne Thomas, Glover, Kristopher, Edwards, Webb, Holbrook, Arthur Martin, Jenkins, Barrett
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US12/684,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20100179990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 962 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/226, 705/16, 705/26.41, 705/35, 705/39, 705/42, 705/43
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1057 Benefits or employee welfare, e.g. insurance, holiday or retirement packages
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/065 using e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/08 Payment architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/125 Finance or payroll

Abstract

A user device for interfacing predetermined external services provided by third party service providers to a user at a fixed location includes a processing platform running an operating system, a plurality of physical system resources associated with the remotely configurable user device, physical system resource interfaces for interfacing the operating system with the available physical system resources, a data store for storing ones of multiple configuration information associated with and identifying the external services that are available to a user with the user device and one or more of the available physical system resources required for ones of the external services and a communication resource for interfacing with the operating system to allow communication of the operating system with a central office for downloading of configuration information to remotely enable a selected one or ones of the predetermined external services provided by third party service providers.

Claims

1. A remotely configurable user device for interfacing with a plurality of different independent predetermined external services provided by third party service providers to a user at a fixed location, comprising:

a kiosk positioned at a publicly accessible fixed location including;

a processing platform including a processor, the processing platform running an operating system at the kiosk;

a plurality of physical system resources associated with the remotely configurable user device, wherein the processor and the physical system resources are mounted in the kiosk and wherein the physical system resources include at least one of a card reader and currency counter, a visual display and a user interface for receiving input from a user to enable the user to conduct a transaction with at least one of the third party service providers with the remotely configurable user device, wherein the transaction is conducted through a central office remote from the fixed location and in communication with the kiosk and with the at least one of the third party service providers;

a plurality of physical system resource hardware interfaces for interfacing the operating system with the physical system resources, the hardware interfaces each associated with a defined one of the physical system resources and operable to communicate the status of the physical system resource to the operating system;

a data store for storing configuration information, the configuration information identifying external services that are available to a user with the remotely configurable user device and wherein there are multiple configurations stored in the data store, each identifying the physical system resources required to enable a user to conduct a selected transaction with one of the predetermined external services whereby the processor accesses the data store to determine the physical system resources required to conduct the transaction, the data store further defining a series of actions required to authenticate the identity of a user and open an identity session for the user and a plurality of scripts, each of the scripts associated with one of the predetermined external resources and comprising a sequential series of actions required to be executed by the kiosk to enable a user to conduct a transaction using a user selected one of the predetermined external services;

a communication resource interfaced with the operating system to allow communication of the operating system with the central office for downloading of configuration information identifying the physical system resources required to remotely enable a selected one or ones of the predetermined external services provided by third party service providers and to allow the operating system to communicate the status of the physical system resources to the central office; and

wherein the communications resource in conjunction with configuration information enables authentication of the user identity and access to external services available to a user through the user device whereby a user utilizes at least one of the physical system resources to initiate a transaction with a user selected predetermined external service, wherein the remotely configurable user device communicates with the central office to initiate the user selected transaction based upon user input and wherein the central office communicates with the user selected predetermined external service to conduct the transaction and wherein the central office communicates with the remotely configurable user device to complete the transaction.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the physical system resources include a camera and a biometric scanner.

3. The remotely configurable user device of claim 2, wherein the kiosk is operable to capture an image of a user.

4. The user device of claim 1, wherein the operating system is adaptable to monitor through the physical system resource interfaces available physical system resources and inform the central office of the availability thereof through said communication resource and wherein the operating system is operable to block access to an external service when a required physical system resource is unavailable.

5. The user device of claim 1, wherein the physical system resource interface is adaptable to allow the operating system to determine if a physical system resource is operating after it is actually interfaced with an associated one of the physical system resource interfaces and wherein the operating system is operable to block access to an external service when a required physical system resource is inoperable.

6. The user device of claim 1, wherein the physical system resource interface is connected to allow the operating system to determine if a physical system resource is actually interfaced with an associated one of the physical system resource interfaces.