ATM user authorization based on user location verification

• US 7,992,777 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Self-Service Systems (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blackson, Dale H., Enright, Jeffery M., Ramachandran, Natarajan, Graef, H. Thomas, Block, James
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/806,276
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/2055 Anti-skimming aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An ATM transaction request is authorized based on the determined location of an authorized user relative to the ATM. Identification of an authorized ATM user is linked to a remotely locatable item (e.g., a cell phone) of the authorized user. An ATM receiving the identification causes the location of the cell phone to be determined. A comparison is then made of the cell phone location and the ATM location. If the locations correspond, then the current ATM user is recognized as the authorized user and ATM transactions are permitted. If the locations do not correspond, then the current ATM user is denied ATM transactions. The security arrangement can prevent an unauthorized ATM user from using a fraudulent ATM card to access a financial account.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) operating a mobile phone to receive input from a customer,

wherein the input causes the phone to send at least one message;

(b) operating at least one computer of a fraud prevention system to receive the at least one message,

wherein the fraud prevention system includes at least one system computer and at least one data store;

(c) responsive at least in part to the at least one message received in (b), operating the at least one system computer to modify the at least one data store to set at least one time window within which a financial account associated with the customer is usable in carrying out cash dispense transactions with a banking system which comprises a plurality of cash dispensing automated banking machines including a first automated banking machine,

wherein the first automated banking machine is operative to cause financial transfers responsive at least in part to data read from user cards,

wherein the first automated banking machine includes;

at least one card reader,

wherein the at least one card reader is operative to read from a card of a machine user, card data corresponding to user identification data,

at least one cash dispenser,

wherein the at least one cash dispenser is operative to cause stored cash to be dispensed,

at least one machine computer,

wherein the at least one machine computer is in operative connection with the at least one card reader and the at least one cash dispenser,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative during a cash dispense transaction to

 

cause card data to be read from a user card through operation of the at least one card reader,

 

cause read card data to be compared with card information stored in a user identification data store, and

 

cause cash to be dispensed from the machine through operation of the at least one cash dispenser,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to cause a financial account to be assessed a value associated with cash dispensed;

(d) operating the first automated banking machine to receive from a machine user, a request for a cash dispense transaction, wherein the request includes account data corresponding to the financial account;

(e) operating the first automated banking machine to send the account data to the at least one system computer;

(f) operating the at least one system computer to receive the account data sent in (e);

(g) responsive at least in part to (a), operating the at least one system computer to determine from the at least one data store whether the financial account is currently usable in carrying out a cash dispense transaction with the banking system;

(h) operating the at least one system computer to notify the first automated banking machine that either

(hi) the financial account is currently usable to carry out the request, responsive at least in part to a positive determination in (g);

or

(hii) the financial account is currently unusable to carry out the request, responsive at least in part to a negative determination in (g),

wherein (hii) causes the first automated banking machine to deny the request.

2. The method according to claim 1

wherein in (c) the first automated banking machine includes at least one biometric reader,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to cause customer biometric data read by the at least one biometric reader to be compared with biometric information in the user identification data store,

wherein a customer is authorized to request a cash dispense transaction responsive at least in part to both

computer-determined correspondence between read card data and stored card information, and

computer-determined correspondence between read biometric data and stored biometric information.

3. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising

(i) operating the mobile phone during the transaction to provide information regarding the transaction.

4. The method according to claim 3

wherein (i) includes operating the mobile phone responsive to input from the customer, wherein the input corresponds to a password which authorizes a transaction for the machine user, wherein the customer differs from the machine user,

wherein (hi) occurs responsive at least in part to the password.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein (i) includes providing the account data, wherein (i) occurs during (d).

6. A method comprising:

(a) operating a cash dispensing automated banking machine associated with at least one computer to receive during a transaction, account data provided by a user of the machine, wherein the account data corresponds to a financial account comprising customer-changeable account settings which are configurable to associate the financial account with at least one access period during which transactions attempted on the account with the automated banking machine are permitted to be carried out, wherein all transactions attempted on the financial account with the automated banking machine outside of each access period are prevented from being completed;

(b) operating the automated banking machine during the transaction to cause the account data to be sent to a fraud prevention system which includes at least one system computer associated with at least one data store storing the account settings,

wherein the automated banking machine is associated with a transaction host that is operative to authorized transactions,

wherein the fraud prevention system is remotely located from the transaction host;

(c) operating the automated banking machine during the transaction to cause at least one transaction message to be sent to the transaction host; and

(d) operating the automated banking machine during the transaction to receive either

at least one approval message based at least in part on the account data being timely received within an access period associated with the financial account, or

at least one disapproval message based at least in part on the account data being untimely received outside of each access period associated with the financial account,

wherein the at least one disapproval message causes the automated banking machine to prevent the transaction from being completed.

7. The method according to claim 6

wherein the automated banking machine includes a card reader and a biometric reader,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to cause card data read by the card reader to be compared with card information stored in a user identification data store,

wherein the at least one machine computer is operative to cause biometric data read by the biometric reader to be compared with biometric information in the user identification data store,

wherein a customer is authorized to request a cash dispense transaction responsive at least in part to both

computer-determined correspondence between read card data and stored card information, and

computer-determined correspondence between read biometric data and stored biometric information,

wherein the automated banking machine includes a cash dispenser, and further comprising

(e) operating the cash dispenser to dispense cash responsive at least in part to receiving the at least one approval message;

(f) operating the at least one machine computer to cause the financial account to be assessed a value associated with the dispensed cash.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein (a) includes operating the automated banking machine to receive the account data from a mobile phone.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein (d) includes operating the automated banking machine to receive the at least one approval message from the fraud prevention system.

10. The method according to claim 6 wherein (d) includes operating the automated banking machine to receive the at least one disapproval message from the fraud prevention system.

11. A method comprising:

(a) operating at least one computer to receive account data sent from an automated banking machine, wherein the account data corresponds to a financial account of a user of the machine,

wherein the financial account is associated with customer-changeable account settings stored in at least one data store,

wherein the account settings are configurable to allow the account to have during the same day, both

at least one access period during which transactions attempted on the account with the automated banking machine are permitted to be carried out, and

at least one non-access period during which all transactions attempted on the account with the automated banking machine are prevented from being carried out;

(b) responsive at least in part to (a), operating the at least one computer to determine from the account settings whether the account is currently in an access period; and

(c) operating the at least one computer to send to the automated banking machine either

(ci) at least one first message based at least in part on a positive determination in (b);

or

(cii) at least one second message based at least in part on a negative determination in (b),

wherein the at least one second message prevents a transaction on the account from being carried out with the automated banking machine,

wherein the at least one second message differs from the at least one first message.

12. The method according to claim 11

wherein the automated banking machine is part of a banking system,

wherein the automated banking machine includes a card reader, a biometric reader, at least one machine computer, and a cash dispenser,

wherein (a) includes receiving from the automated banking machine, user account data read from a user card by the card reader;

wherein (a) includes receiving from the automated banking machine, user biometric data read by the biometric reader;

and further comprising

(d) operating the at least one computer to determine whether the user account data corresponds to the user biometric data; and

(e) responsive at least in part to a positive determination in both (b) and (d), operating the at least one computer to authorize the machine to carry out a transaction on the account.

13. The method according to claim 11

wherein (a) includes receiving from the automated banking machine, a cash withdraw transaction authorization request,

wherein (ci) is carried out in (c), wherein the at least one first message includes authorization to carry out a cash withdraw transaction.

14. The method according to claim 11 and further comprising

(d) operating the at least one computer to receive at least one account settings message originating from a mobile device of a customer authorized to change the account settings;

(e) responsive at least in part to (d), operating the at least one computer to change the account settings.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone, wherein (d) includes receiving the at least one account settings message from the cell phone.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein in (e) the account settings are changed to have access periods at specific times on specific days.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein in (e) the account settings are changed to limit Saturdays to only a single one hour access period.

18. A method comprising:

(a) operating a mobile phone including programming on a first date to receive phone user input which causes a fraud prevention system to set a time window within which an already active financial account is available for use in carrying out cash dispensing transactions with at least one automated banking machine including a reader device and a cash dispenser, wherein the time window is less than twenty-four consecutive hours, wherein outside of the time window the financial account is unavailable for use in carrying out any cash dispensing transaction with the at least one automated banking machine; and

(b) operating the mobile phone on the first date subsequent to a cash dispensing transaction carried out on the financial account with the at least one automated banking machine within the time window set in (a), to receive further phone user input which causes the fraud prevention system to close the time window set in (a), which closure causes the financial account to remain active yet unavailable for use in carrying out any cash dispensing transaction with the at least one automated banking machine.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein (a) includes setting a time window that comprises a continuous time period on the first date, wherein the time period has a start time and an end time.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the time period comprises at least one hour.