Method of controlling a self-service terminal

• US 8,788,302 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Goodwin, John C. III, Halpern, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Erb, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US10/101,584
• Time in Patent Office: 4,507 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17, 705/16, 705/5
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• 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

Abstract

A method of controlling a self-service terminal which makes optimal use of features offered by the self-service terminal. The method includes the steps of monitoring operation of a self-service terminal application, determining features of the self-service terminal application used by operators, storing usage information about the features, identifying triggering information, analyzing the usage information and the triggering information to determine optimal features to enable in the self-service terminal application, and enabling the optimal features.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a self-service travel terminal using a pre-programmed computer comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring operation of a self-service terminal application with the computer;

(b) determining with the computer, user selectable features of the self-service terminal application used by a plurality of operators;

(c) collecting and storing usage information about how the user selectable features are used by the plurality of operators with the computer;

(d) identifying with the computer, trigger information providing a predetermined reason for changing availability of one or more of the user selectable features of the self-service terminal application including a departure time;

(e) analyzing, with the computer, the usage information and the trigger information to determine which of the user selectable features to enable in the self-service terminal application;

(f) enabling determined user selectable features with the computer;

(g) determining that a function corresponding to a button takes too long; and

(h) graying out the button if it is determined a function corresponding to the button takes too long.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the substep of:

identifying a traveler, determining that the traveler only uses the self-service terminal for one option, and disabling the other options.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the substep of:

identifying an arrival time.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the substep of:

identifying passenger loads.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the substep of:

identifying a trip length.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the substep of:

storing information relating to the historical use by operators of a cash payment option feature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the substep of:

storing information relating to the historical use by operators of an internet browsing feature.