Self-service terminal (SST) thin client

• US 9,338,167 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Han, Richard, Monaghan, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US14/194,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Self-Service Terminal (SST) thin clients and operation thereof are provided. A SST includes an operating system (OS), and authorized thin-client application, and an authorized agent. The OS is configured to restrict execution on the SST to authorized applications. The authorized thin-client application is configured to access predefined peripheral devices within the SST and an authorized server. In an embodiment, the authorized agent is configured to connect to the authorized server to: manage updates to the OS received from the authorized server and receive customizations from the authorized server to configure the authorized thin-client application.

Claims

1. A Self-Service Terminal (SST), comprising:

a processor is configured with and to execute an operating system (OS) that is configured to restrict execution on the SST to authorized applications;

the processor is also configured with and to execute an authorized thin-client application that is configured to access only predefined peripheral devices from a set of available peripherals within the SST and an authorized server, wherein the thin-client application is further configured to execute code from a local SST processing environment and execute remote code received from the authorized server;

the processor is further configured with and to execute an authorized agent that is configured to connect to the authorized server and to manage updates to the OS received from the authorized server; and

a memory storing the thin-client application and the authorized agent, wherein the authorized agent is further configured to;

(i) download content anticipated for use by the authorized thin-client application, (ii) intercept requests from the authorized thin-client application to the authorized server for content, and (iii) provide the content to the authorized thin-client application in response to the intercepted requests.

2. The SST of claim 1 further comprising, an authorized maintenance application configured to execute on the SST and operable to provide:

maintenance, testing, and diagnostic functions to an authorized user of the SST.

3. The SST of claim 1 further comprising, platform-specific applications implemented as functions accessible within the OS.

4. The SST of claim 1, wherein the authorized agent is further configured to receive customization instructions from the authorized server and apply those customizations to the authorized thin client application.

5. The SST of claim 4, wherein the authorized agent is further configured to apply some customization instructions during initialization of the SST and other of the customization instructions on a transaction basis based on an identity of a customer.

6. The SST of claim 1, wherein the authorized thin client application is further configured to:

use a peripheral interface for interacting with the predefined peripheral devices and use a user interface for interacting with a customer transacting at the SST.

7. The SST of claim 6, wherein the user interface is a web-based browser interface.

8. A method, comprising:

initiating, on a Self-Service Terminal (SST), a thin-client application for execution on the SST;

applying, by an authorized agent of the SST, a customization to the thin-client application received from a server, wherein applying further includes applying the customization to the thin-client application while the thin-client application continues to execute on the SST;

downloading, by the authorized agent, content anticipated for use by the thin-client application;

intercepting, by the authorized agent, requests from the thin-client application to the server for content;

providing, by the authorized agent, the content to the thin-client application in response to the intercepted requests; and

transacting, by the thin-client application on the SST, with a customer, the server or the server through the authorized agent, and at least one peripheral device coupled to the SST.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, forcing, by the authorized agent, an update received from the server to the thin-client application.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising, initiating, by the authorized agent, an update to an operating system (OS) executing on the SST.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising, passing, by the thin-client application, secure communications from the at least one peripheral device to one of:

the authorized agent for delivery to the server and the server.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising, performing, by a maintenance application on the SST, one or more of:

a diagnostic operation, a maintenance operation, and a test operation.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising, reporting, by the authorized agent results produced by the maintenance application to the server.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising, providing, by a peripheral application on the SST, error logging, settings management, and application services for the at least one peripheral device.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein transacting further includes presenting, by the thin-client application, a web-based interface to the customer on a display of the SST.

16. A method, comprising:

interacting, on a server, with a plurality of authorized agents, each authorized agent executing on a Self-Service Terminals (SST);

facilitating, by the server, transactions on each SST though communications of thin-client applications interfaced to the authorized agents, wherein facilitating further includes providing customizations to at least one of the thin-client applications while that thin-client application continues to execute on the SST through instructions provided to at least one authorized agent;

downloading, by at least one authorized agent, content anticipated for use by at least one of the thin-client applications;

intercepting, by at least one authorized agent, requests from at least one of the thin-client applications to the server for content;

providing, by at least one authorized agent, the content to at least one of the thin-client applications in response to the intercepted requests;

communicating, by the server, with external systems associated with the transactions; and

managing, by the server, each SST through that SST'"'"'s authorized agent.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, signing, by the server, an update package for an operating system (OS) associated with a particular SST, and sending the signed update package to a particular authorized agent for that particular SST.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein interacting further includes providing customizations to each of the authorized agents for configuring each authorized agent'"'"'s thin client application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing further includes providing the customizations as profile settings for one or more of:

particular SSTs, particular thin client applications, particular customers transacting at particular SSTs, and particular periods of time.