ATM security system and associated method for protecting personal information during transmission of an emergency event

• US 8,474,695 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jelani Mccoy
• Original Assignee: Jelani Mccoy
• Inventors: McCoy, Jelani
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): TARDIF, DAVID P
• Application Number:
  US12/770,042
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

An ATM security system preferably a mechanism is provided for capturing and transmitting an occurrence of the emergency event to a backup server. Another mechanism is provided for determining whether a consumer granted permission to a financial institution to share the non-public personal consumer information with the policing authority upon detection of the emergency event. Yet another mechanism is provided for routing a real time output distress signal to the policing authority upon capturing the emergency event in such a manner that the policing authority receives a location, a date and a time of the emergency event. Such a real time output distress signal includes a facial image of the consumer at the emergency event. Notably, the real time output distress signal includes the non-public personal consumer information only if the consumer granted the financial institution permission to share the non-public personal consumer information before occurrence of the emergency event.

Claims

1. An ATM security system for alerting a policing authority of an emergency event occurring at the ATM while ensuring preservation of non-public personal consumer information involved in the emergency event, the ATM security system comprising:

a housing including a controller disposed therein;

a backup server in communication with the controller;

means for capturing and transmitting an occurrence of the emergency event to the backup server;

a policing authority remotely located from the housing;

means for determining whether a consumer granted permission to a financial institution to share the non-public personal consumer information with the policing authority upon detection of the emergency event;

means for routing a real time output distress signal to the policing authority upon capturing the emergency event in such a manner that the policing authority receives a location, a date and a time of the emergency event;

wherein the real time output distress signal includes a facial image of the consumer at the emergency event;

wherein the real time output distress signal further includes the non-public personal consumer information only if the consumer granted the financial institution permission to share the non-public personal consumer information before occurrence of the emergency event;

wherein the consumer permission determining means comprises;

a financial institution database adapted to be housed at the financial institution, said financial institution database containing a list of all consumers having bank accounts at the financial institution and who have granted the financial institution permission to share the non-public personal consumer information with the policing authority during the emergency event; and

a dedicated communication link communicatively connecting the housing to the financial institution database;

wherein the controller comprises;

a processor; and

a memory electrically coupled to the processor, the memory including a software program executing a programmable control logic algorithm for causing the capturing and transmitting means to identify when the emergency event is occurring such that the routing means automatically communicates the captured emergency event to the policing authority after the emergency event is transmitted to the backup server, the software program including the steps of;

a. verifying an emergency pin code;

b. upon verifying the emergency pin code, requesting the consumer to press one of a continue button and a cancel button based on whether the consumer believes the emergency event is occurring and not occurring respectively;

c. if the continue button is pressed, generating and transmitting a control signal to stamp the date, time and location of the emergency event as well as to capture the facial image of the consumer; and

d. if the cancel button is pressed, restarting a money withdrawal transaction process at the ATM;

wherein the distress output signal comprises;

a first embedded data stream comprising a time stamp of the emergency event;

a second embedded data stream comprising a date stamp of the emergency event;

a third embedded data stream comprising a location stamp of the emergency event; and

a fourth embedded data stream comprising the facial image of the consumer;

wherein the first, second, third and fourth embedded data streams provide real-time documentation of the emergency event directly to the policing authority;

wherein step c. further comprises the steps of;

querying said financial institution database for a record of the consumer based upon the verified emergency pin code associated with the consumer;

determining whether said record states the consumer authorized release of the non-public personal consumer information to the policing authority; and

if the consumer authorized release of the non-public personal consumer information to the policing authority, then generating a fifth embedded data stream containing the non-public personal consumer information.

2. The ATM security system of claim 1, wherein distress output signal further comprises:

the fifth embedded data stream.

3. The ATM security system of claim 2, wherein the backup server comprises:

a digital video recorder capable of formatting and playing back the first, second, third, fourth and fifth embedded data streams during pre-emergency and post-emergency event time frames.

4. The ATM security system of claim 3, wherein the distress output signal comprises:

an audio message audibly communicating the time, date and location stamps to the policing authority, wherein the non-public personal consumer information is audibly transmitted to the policing authority.

5. An ATM security system for alerting a policing authority of an emergency event occurring at the ATM while ensuring preservation of non-public personal consumer information involved in the emergency event, the ATM security system comprising:

a housing including a controller disposed therein, the housing being adapted to reside at the ATM;

a backup server in communication with the controller;

means for capturing and transmitting an occurrence of the emergency event to the backup server, the capturing and transmitting means being disposed within the housing;

a policing authority remotely located from the housing;

means for determining whether a consumer granted permission to a financial institution to share the non-public personal consumer information with the policing authority upon detection of the emergency event;

means for routing a real time output distress signal to the policing authority upon capturing the emergency event in such a manner that the policing authority receives a location, a date and a time of the emergency event;

wherein the real time output distress signal includes a facial image of the consumer at the emergency event;

wherein the real time output distress signal further includes the non-public personal consumer information only if the consumer granted the financial institution permission to share the non-public personal consumer information before occurrence of the emergency event;

wherein the consumer permission determining means comprises;

a financial institution database adapted to be housed at the financial institution, said financial institution database containing a list of all consumers having bank accounts at the financial institution and who have granted the financial institution permission to share the non-public personal consumer information with the policing authority during the emergency event; and

a dedicated communication link communicatively connecting said housing to said financial institution database;

wherein the controller comprises;

a processor; and

a memory electrically coupled to the processor, the memory including a software program executing a programmable control logic algorithm for causing the capturing and transmitting means to identify when the emergency event is occurring such that the routing means automatically communicates the captured emergency event to the policing authority after the emergency event is transmitted to the backup server, the software program including the steps of;

a. verifying an emergency pin code;

b. upon verifying the emergency pin code, requesting the consumer to press one of a continue button and a cancel button based on whether the consumer believes the emergency event is occurring and not occurring respectively;

c. if the continue button is pressed, generating and transmitting a control signal to stamp the date, time and location of the emergency event as well as to capture the facial image of the consumer; and

d. if the cancel button is pressed, restarting a money withdrawal transaction process at the ATM;

wherein the distress output signal comprises;

a first embedded data stream comprising a time stamp of the emergency event;

a second embedded data stream comprising a date stamp of the emergency event;

a third embedded data stream comprising a location stamp of the emergency event; and

a fourth embedded data stream comprising the facial image of the consumer;

wherein the first, second, third and fourth embedded data streams provide real-time documentation of the emergency event directly to the policing authority;

wherein step c. further comprises the steps of;

querying said financial institution database for a record of the consumer based upon the verified emergency pin code associated with the consumer;

determining whether said record states the consumer authorized release of the non-public personal consumer information to the policing authority; and

if the consumer authorized release of the non-public personal consumer information to the policing authority, then generating a fifth embedded data stream containing the non-public personal consumer information.

6. The ATM security system of claim 5, wherein distress output signal further comprises:

the fifth embedded data stream.

7. The ATM security system of claim 6, wherein the backup server comprises:

a digital video recorder capable of formatting and playing back the first, second, third, fourth and fifth embedded data streams during pre-emergency post-emergency event time frames.

8. The ATM security system of claim 7, wherein the distress output signal comprises:

an audio message audibly communicating the time, date and location stamps to the policing authority, wherein the non-public personal consumer information is audibly transmitted to the policing authority.