Self-service terminal

• US 8,370,499 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Guntupalli, Vishwam, Joy, Ian M., Behara, Ashalatha
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US12/650,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]

Abstract

A self-service terminal comprises: a plurality of session initiation devices, each associated with an initiation token, so that a customer can initiate a transaction using one of a plurality of different initiation tokens. The terminal further comprises a plurality of session suppliers, each session supplier being associated with one of the session initiation devices, and each session supplier being operable: (i) to receive from its associated session initiation device, information from an initiation token provided by a customer, and (ii) to create an electronic access token based on the received information. The terminal also comprises a session supplier aggregate operable to receive an electronic access token from one of the session suppliers for each session to be created; and a session component operable (i) to receive the electronic access token from the session supplier aggregate and (ii) to create a session based on the received electronic access token.

Claims

1. A self-service terminal comprising:

a plurality of session initiation devices, each associated with an initiation token, so that a customer can initiate a transaction using one of a plurality of different initiation tokens;

a plurality of session suppliers, each session supplier being associated with one of the session initiation devices, and each session supplier being operable;

(i) to receive from its associated session initiation device, information from an initiation token provided by a customer, and (ii) to create an electronic access token based on the received information;

a session supplier aggregate compatible with the plurality of session suppliers and able to receive an electronic access token from any of the plurality of session suppliers, but only conveying one electronic access token for each session to be created; and

a session component operable (i) to receive the one electronic access token from the session supplier aggregate and (ii) to create a session based on the received electronic access token.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the session component is further operable to provide transaction options based on the electronic access token.

3. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of session initiation devices is associated with a physical initiation token, so that a customer can initiate a transaction using one of a plurality of different physical initiation tokens.

4. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the session initiation devices is associated with a non-physical initiation token, and at least some session initiation devices are associated with physical initiation tokens.

5. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the session initiation devices comprise two or more devices selected from the:

a card reader;

an RF reader;

a biometrics reader;

a camera;

barcode scanner;

a keypad; and

a touchscreen display.

6. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the session component is operable to provide transaction options based on the electronic access token by (i) transmitting the electronic access token to a plurality of transaction objects, and (ii) receiving a response from each transaction object indicating whether the customer can access that transaction based on information contained within the electronic access token.

7. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein each session supplier is responsive to an enable command, which enables the session supplier to receive a customer interaction relating to initiation of a session at its associated session initiation device.

8. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein each session supplier is also responsive to a reset command, which (i) clears any electronic access token stored therein, (ii) returns any inserted media to a customer, and (iii) disables the session supplier so that no customer interaction relating to session initiation can be received by the session supplier.

9. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein each session supplier is operable to create a customer accepted event, which reports to the session supplier aggregate that an electronic access token has been created.

13. A self-service terminal network comprising a plurality of self-service terminals according to claim 1, each self-service terminal being coupled to an authorization server for authorizing transactions entered at the self-service terminals.

16. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein each session supplier has a common architected interface defining (a) a message sequence to the session supplier aggregate, and (b) a common electronic access token data structure, so that a new session initiation device and associated new session supplier can be added by ensuring that the associated new session supplier conforms to the common architected interface.

17. A terminal according to claim 16 wherein the new session initiation device is a barcode scanner.

18. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein the session supplier aggregate handles communication with all of the plurality of session suppliers effectively hiding that there are a plurality of session initiation devices.

19. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein upon establishing the session with one session supplier, the session supplier aggregate sends a reset command to any other of the plurality of session suppliers to prevent them from attempting to create an electronic access token during the session.

10. A runtime software platform for a self-service terminal embodied on a memory of the self-service terminal, the runtime software platform comprising:

a plurality of session suppliers, each session supplier being associated with at least one of a plurality of session initiation devices, and each session supplier being operable;

(i) to receive from its associated session initiation device, information extracted from a physical initiation token provided by a customer, and (ii) to create an electronic access token based on the received information;

a session supplier aggregate compatible with the plurality of session suppliers and able to receive an electronic access token from any of the plurality of session suppliers, but only conveying one electronic access token for each session to be created; and

a session component operable (i) to receive the one electronic access token from the session supplier aggregate, (ii) to create a session based on the received electronic access token, and (iii) to provide transaction options based on the electronic access token.

11. A runtime software platform according to claim 10, wherein the runtime software platform is embodied on a non-transitory data carrier.

12. A runtime software platform according to claim 10, wherein each session supplier has a common architected interface defining (a) a message sequence to the session supplier aggregate, and (b) a common electronic access token data structure, so that a new session initiation device and associated new session supplier can be added by ensuring that the associated new session supplier conforms to the common architected interface.

14. A method of initiating a session at a self-service terminal, the method comprising:

receiving one of a plurality of different initiation tokens from a customer using one of a plurality of session initiation devices, each session initiation device associated with one of a plurality of session suppliers;

deriving information from the received token by the one of a plurality of session suppliers associated with said one of the session initiation devices, and creating an electronic access token based on the derived information;

conveying only one electronic access token for each session to be created by a session supplier aggregate compatible with the plurality of session suppliers and able to receive an electronic access token from any of the plurality of session suppliers;

using the created electronic access token to start a session for the customer; and

providing transaction options to the customer by a session component based on the created electronic access token.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein step of providing transaction options to the customer based on the created electronic access token further comprises (i) transmitting the created electronic access token to a plurality of transaction objects, and (ii) receiving a response from each transaction object indicating whether the customer can access that transaction based on information contained within the created electronic access token.

20. A runtime software platform for a self-service terminal stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the runtime software platform when executed by a computer implementing:

a plurality of session suppliers, each session supplier being associated with at least one of a plurality of session initiation devices, and each session supplier being operable;

(i) to receive from its associated session initiation device, information extracted from a physical initiation token provided by a customer, and (ii) to create an electronic access token based on the received information;

a session supplier aggregate compatible with the plurality of session suppliers and able to receive an electronic access token from any of the plurality of session suppliers, but only conveying one electronic access token for each session to be created; and

a session component operable (i) to receive the one electronic access token from the session supplier aggregate, (ii) to create a session based on the received electronic access token, and (iii) to provide transaction options based on the electronic access token.