Self-service terminal

• US 8,078,912 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Neilan, Michael J., Chisholm, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): BONZO, BRYCE P
• Application Number:
  US12/399,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20090199053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 714/22, 714/23
• US Class Current: 714/22
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/209 Monitoring, auditing or diagnose of functioning of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/21 Retaining of the payment card by ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications

Abstract

A self-service terminal comprises a pc core; at least one module coupled to the pc core; a control application executing on the pc core for controlling the operation of the terminal; and a management application executing on the pc core. The management application is arranged to (i) monitor state of health of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, (ii) detect a fault state at any of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, (iii) monitor the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, and (iv) transmit a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied.

Claims

1. A self-service terminal comprising:

a pc core;

at least one module coupled to the pc core;

a control application executing on the pc core for controlling the operation of the terminal; and

a management application executing on the pc core and arranged to (i) monitor state of health of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, (ii) detect a fault state at any of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, and upon detection of the fault (iii) obtain operating information from the control application (iv) access a rules engine including conditions associated with a filter criterion, (v) compare the operating information to the conditions in the rules engine to ascertain if at least one of the conditions is satisfied, and (vi) transmit a fault signal from the terminal only if none of the conditions are satisfied.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the management application uses a context filter to monitor the control application and ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied.

3. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control application comprises:

a platform portion for controlling the modules in the terminal;

a transaction portion for executing customer transactions; and

a maintenance portion for providing diagnostic and maintenance support to service personnel using the terminal.

4. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the management application stores fault states in a log for subsequent review, even if the fault states are never communicated as fault signals.

5. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the management application includes an SNMP agent operable to send a trap as a fault signal if the filter criterion is not satisfied.

6. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the management application caches a received fault state and compares it with a subsequent state when the filter criterion is no longer satisfied.

7. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the management application allows a recovery agent to register with the management application, and in response to a valid registration request from the recovery agent, the management application automatically adds one or more conditions to the filter criterion based on information provided in the registration request.

8. A method of operating a self-service terminal comprising a pc core and at least one module coupled to the pc core, the method comprising:

monitoring state of health of the pc core and the at least one module;

detecting a fault state at either of the pc core and the at least one module; and

upon detection of the fault

obtaining operating information from the control application;

accessing a rules engine including conditions associated with a filter criterion;

comparing the operating information to the conditions in the rules engine to ascertain if at least one of the conditions is satisfied; and

transmitting a fault signal from the terminal only if none of the conditions are satisfied.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied by the terminal being in a supervisor mode.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if the control application has issued a reset command to the at least one module immediately prior to the fault state being detected.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if the control application includes a maintenance portion that is executing when the fault state is detected.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if a module reset command has been issued to reset the at least one module.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if a USB reset command has been issued.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes storing detected fault states in a log, even if no fault signal is sent for those fault states.

15. A method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the detected fault state log to a remote management system in response to a request therefor.

16. A method of operating a self-service terminal comprising a pc core and at least one module coupled to the pc core, the method comprising:

monitoring state of health of the pc core and the at least one module;

detecting a fault state at either of the pc core and the at least one module;

monitoring the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied by the terminal being in a supervisor mode; and

transmitting a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied.

17. A method of operating a self-service terminal comprising a pc core and at least one module coupled to the pc core, the method comprising:

monitoring state of health of the pc core and the at least one module;

detecting a fault state at either of the pc core and the at least one module;

monitoring the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if the control application has issued a reset command to the at least one module immediately prior to the fault state being detected; and

transmitting a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied.

18. A method of operating a self-service terminal comprising a pc core and at least one module coupled to the pc core, the method comprising:

monitoring state of health of the pc core and the at least one module;

detecting a fault state at either of the pc core and the at least one module;

monitoring the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if the control application includes a maintenance portion that is executing when the fault state is detected; and

transmitting a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied.

19. A method of operating a self-service terminal comprising a pc core and at least one module coupled to the pc core, the method comprising:

monitoring state of health of the pc core and the at least one module;

detecting a fault state at either of the pc core and the at least one module;

monitoring the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if a module reset command has been issued to reset the at least one module; and

transmitting a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied.

20. A method of operating a self-service terminal comprising a pc core and at least one module coupled to the pc core, the method comprising:

monitoring state of health of the pc core and the at least one module;

detecting a fault state at either of the pc core and the at least one module;

monitoring the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, wherein the filter criterion is satisfied if a USB reset command has been issued; and

transmitting a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied.