Self-service device inventory information control

• US 8,924,266 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Shirbabadi, Daryoosh, Vannatter, Timothy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US12/728,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for servicing a self-service device (“SSD”) such as an ATM. The SSD may include a customer service module that may perform part of a transaction or provide a service in support of the transaction. For example, the customer service module may be a currency acceptor, a printer, EPROM or any other device or circuit that is present in the SSD. The SSD may include a component map that may be stored in machine readable memory. An element of the map may correspond to the component. The SSD may include a central processing unit that may revise the map based on input from a service technician or machine-generated information. The map may be used to track the presence of the component in the SSD.

Claims

1. A self-service device (“

SSD”

) comprising;

a customer service module for performing part of a transaction based on a customer account, the customer service module including a component;

a component map stored in machine readable memory, an element of the map corresponding to the component;

a component failure prediction module configured to;

log a warning message to a data file associated with the transaction, said warning message corresponding to a degraded performance of the component used in the transaction;

retrieve a threshold number of logged warning messages for the component, wherein the logging of said threshold number of said warning messages indicates a prediction of an imminent failure of the component;

if the threshold number of logged warning messages assigned to the component has been met, automatically initiate a self-healing process; and

log the results of the self-healing process in a central server;

a central processing unit processor configured to;

control the customer service module;

revise the map; and

based on the revising of the map, predict component failures; and

a communication module for exchanging transaction information with a financial institution server, the transaction information being based on the transaction.

2. The SSD of claim 1 further comprising:

a customer data entry module for exchange of the transaction information with a customer; and

a service data entry module for exchange of service information with a service technician.

3. The SSD of claim 2 wherein:

the service information includes replacement information; and

the central processing unit processor is further configured to revise the map based on the replacement information.

4. The SSD of claim 1 wherein:

the component is one of a plurality of components in the SSD; and

the element is one of a plurality of elements in the map, each element corresponding to one of the components.

5. The SSD of claim 4 wherein:

the customer service module includes sub-modules; and

, in the map, the plurality of elements are logically organized into groups that correspond to the sub-modules.

6. The SSD of claim 1 further comprising a code reader that is configured to read an identifier from a replacement corresponding to the component.

7. The SSD of claim 6 wherein the central processing unit processor is further configured to revise the map to include the replacement.

8. The SSD of claim 6 wherein the code reader is a bar code reader that is in communication with the map for revision of the map to include the replacement.

9. The SSD of claim 6 wherein the code reader is an RFID reader that is in communication with the map for revision of the map to include the replacement.

10. The SSD of claim 6 wherein the central processing unit processor is further configured to transmit map information to a remote field service management device after the map is revised.

11. A method for tracking a self-service device (“

SSD”

) on-board hardware inventory, the method comprising;

displaying a representation of a digital component map on a service data exchange module;

predicting failure of a component, said predicting comprising;

logging a warning message to a data file associated with the transaction, said warning message corresponding to a degraded performance of the component used in the transaction;

retrieving a threshold number of logged warning messages for the component, wherein the logging of said threshold number of said warning messages indicates a prediction of an imminent failure of the component;

when the threshold number of logged warning messages assigned to the component has been met, automatically initiating a self-healing process; and

logging the results of the self-healing process in a central server;

receiving replacement information corresponding to a replacement part for the SSD, said replacement being a replacement for the component; and

revising the digital component map to include the replacement part.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the receiving comprises receiving a user selection of an element of the digital component map, the element corresponding to a component of the SSD.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the receiving comprises receiving a bar code symbol corresponding to:

an element of the digital map; and

the replacement part.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the receiving comprises receiving a radio frequency symbol corresponding to:

an element of the digital map; and

the replacement part.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting map information to a remote field service management platform after the revising.