Centralized user preference management for electronic decision making devices

• US 9,021,363 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Collier, Christopher Lee, McGregor, George Mark, Koser, Vincent Robert, Blake, Norman Perkins III
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Anil N
• Application Number:
  US12/915,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Systems and techniques for centralized user preference management for electronic decision making devices are provided. A user preference profile is received. A user preference profile manager may transmit a user preference from the user preference profile to a requesting user transaction terminal. the user preference manager may also receive a dynamic user preference from a user preference profile and extend the user preference profile with the dynamic user preference, where the dynamic user preference includes a preference definition and the preference definition includes read and write access controls for the dynamic user preference. Then the user manager may update the user preference profile based on data received from the user transaction terminal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of user transaction terminals including a plurality of device types, a device type of the plurality of device types being one of a self-service checkout terminal, an automatic teller machine, or a product dispenser, the self-service checkout terminal being a physical terminal controlled by a retailer; and

at least one server distinct from the plurality of user transaction terminals, the at least one server comprising;

one or more hardware processors; and

a user preference manager configured to be communicatively coupled to the plurality of user transaction terminals, the user preference manager configured to;

receive, using the one or more hardware processors of the at least one server, a user preference profile corresponding to a user, the user preference profile including a plurality of user preferences, the plurality of user preferences configured to be used locally by the plurality of transaction terminals to modify the behavior of the plurality of user transaction terminals;

transmit, responsive to a request for a user preference from a user transaction terminal in the plurality of user transaction terminals, the user preference from the user preference profile to a cache manager of the user transaction terminal, the cache manager configured to maintain the user preference in a user preference profile local to the user transaction terminal, the cache manager configured to request the user preference in response to determining that the user preference is stale, the user preference configured to be used locally by the user transaction terminal and the user preference specifying an attribute of a behavior of the user transaction terminal;

receive a dynamic user preference from the user transaction terminal to extend the user preference profile, the dynamic user preference including a preference definition, the preference definition including access controls to control read and write access to the dynamic user preference, the dynamic user preference being specific to a device type of the user transaction terminal; and

update the user preference profile based on data received from the plurality of user transaction terminals.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web-based portal configured to:

receive initial user preferences from a user to create the user preference profile;

communicate the user preference profile to the user preference manager; and

display, to the user, existing user preferences in the user preference profile to which the user has read access; and

communicate, to the user preference manager, modifications to the existing user preferences to which the user has write access, the modifications based on input received from the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user transaction terminals are configured to receive preference selections from the user and to communicate the preference selections to the user preference manager, and wherein to update the user preference profile includes modifying user preferences in the user preference profile corresponding to the preference selections.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user transaction terminals are configured to record customer interaction data corresponding to the user and transmit the customer interaction data to the user preference manager, and wherein to update the user preference profile includes modifying user preferences in the user preference profile corresponding to the customer interaction data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a user transaction terminal in the plurality of user transaction terminals include a preference manager interface, the preference manager interface configured to communicate a set of dynamic user preferences to the user preference manager, the set of dynamic user preferences consisting of user preferences configured in the user transaction terminal and absent from the user preference profile.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cache manager configured to:

maintain at least a portion of the user preference profile in a cache local to the user transaction terminal; and

manage user preference operations by the user transaction terminal.

7. In a system with a plurality of user transaction terminals, a method comprising:

receiving, by at least one server, which is distinct from the plurality of user transaction terminals, using one or more hardware processors, a user preference profile corresponding to a user the user preference profile including a plurality of user preferences, the plurality of user preferences configured to be used locally by the plurality of transaction terminals to modify the behavior of the plurality of user transaction terminals, the plurality of transaction terminals including a plurality of device types, a device type of the plurality of device types being one of a self-service checkout terminal, an automatic teller machine, or a product dispenser, the self-service checkout terminal being a physical terminal controlled by a retailer;

transmitting, by the at least one server using the one or more hardware processors in response responsive to a request for a user preference from a user transaction terminal in the plurality of user transaction terminals, the user preference from the user preference profile to a cache manager of the transaction terminal, the cache manager configured to maintain the user preference in a user preference profile local to the user transaction terminal, the cache manager configured to request the user preference in response to determining that the user preference is stale, the user preference configured to be used locally by the user transaction terminal and the user preference specifying an attribute of a behavior of the user transaction terminal;

receiving, by the at least one server using the one or more hardware processors, a dynamic user preference from the user transaction terminal to extend the user preference profile, the dynamic user preference including a preference definition, the preference definition including access controls to control read and write access to the dynamic user preference, the dynamic user preference being specific to a device type of the user transaction terminal; and

updating, by the at least one server using the one or more hardware processors, the user preference profile based on data received from the plurality of user transaction terminals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the user preference profile corresponding to the user includes:

creating the user preference profile from user preference selections received at a web-based portal;

displaying, to the user via the web-based portal, existing user preferences in the user preference profile to which the user has read access; and

receiving modifications to the existing user preferences in the user preference profile to which the user has write access, the modifications based on input received from the user via the web-based portal.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the plurality of user transaction terminals, preference selections from the user;

communicating the preference selections to the user preference manager at least one server; and

wherein updating the user preference profile includes modifying user preferences in the user preference profile corresponding to the preference selections.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

recording, by the plurality of user transaction terminals, customer interaction data corresponding to the user;

communicating the customer interaction data to the user preference manager at least one server; and

wherein updating the user preference profile includes modifying user preferences in the user preference profile corresponding to the customer interaction data.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising communicating, by a user transaction terminal in the plurality of user transaction terminals, a set of dynamic user preferences to the user preference manager at least one server, the set of dynamic user preferences consisting of user preferences configured in the user transaction terminal and absent from the user preference profile.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

maintaining, by the cache manager of a user transaction terminal in the plurality of user transaction terminals, at least a portion of the user preference profile in a cache local to the user transaction terminal; and

managing user preference operations by the user transaction terminal.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a machine implemented by computer hardware, cause the machine to:

receive, by a preference manager implemented by at least one server machine, a user preference profile corresponding to a user the user preference profile including a plurality of user preferences, the plurality of user preferences configured to be used locally by the plurality of transaction terminals to modify the behavior of the plurality of user transaction terminals, the plurality of transaction terminals including a plurality of device types, a device type of the plurality of device types being one of a self-service checkout terminal, an automatic teller machine, or a product dispenser, the self-service checkout terminal being a physical terminal controlled by a retailer, the at least one server machine being distinct from the plurality of transaction terminals;

transmit, by the at least one server machine in response responsive to a request for a user preference from a user transaction terminal in a plurality of user transaction terminals, the user preference from the user preference profile to a cache manager of the transaction terminal, the cache manager configured to maintain the user preference in a user preference profile local to the user transaction terminal, the cache manager configured to request the user preference in response to determining that the user preference is stale, the user preference configured to be used locally by the user transaction terminal and the user preference specifying an attribute of a behavior of the user transaction terminal;

receive, by the at least one server machine, a dynamic user preference from the user transaction terminal to extend the user preference profile, the dynamic user preference including a preference definition, the preference definition including access controls to control read and write access to the dynamic user preference, the dynamic user preference being specific to a device type of the user transaction terminal; and

update, by the at least one server machine, the user preference profile based on data received from the user transaction terminals.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein to receive the user preference profile corresponding to the user includes:

creating the user preference profile from user preference selections received at a web-based portal;

communicating, by the web-based portal, the user preference profile to the user preference manager;

displaying, to the user, existing user preferences in the user preference profile to which the user has read access; and

communicating, by the web-based portal, modifications to the existing user preferences in the user preference profile to which the user has write access, the modifications based on input received from the user.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

to receive, by the plurality of user transaction terminals, initial user preferences from the user;

to communicate the preference selections to the user preference manager; and

wherein to update the user preference profile includes modifying user preferences in the user preference profile corresponding to the preference selections.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

to record, by the plurality of user transaction terminals, customer interaction data corresponding to the user;

to communicate the customer interaction data to the user preference manager; and

wherein to update the user preference profile includes modifying user preferences in the user preference profile corresponding to the customer interaction data.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising, to communicate, by a user transaction terminal in the plurality of user transaction terminals, a set of dynamic user preferences to the user preference manager, the set of dynamic user preferences consisting of user preferences configured in the user transaction terminal and absent from the user preference profile.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

to maintain, by the cache manager of a user transaction terminal in the plurality of user transaction terminals, at least a portion of the user preference profile in a cache local to the user transaction terminal; and

to manage user preference operations by the user transaction terminal.