Abstract:
A Self-Service Terminal (SST) plinth is provided. The SST plinth includes one or more fastening mechanisms, a power supply, and one or more communication ports. The fastening mechanisms are configured to fasten an SST to the SST plinth. The SST is powered through the power supply of the plinth. Modules of the SST connect to some of the communication ports, and cabling connects external resources of the SST to the SST though other ones of the plinth&#39;s communication ports.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Installation of a Self-Service Terminal (SST) involves a number of independent tasks and specialists that are tightly project managed to get the SST operable as quickly as possible at a retail location. 
         [0002]    Some of installation steps of import include: pre-preparing a suitable location for receiving the SST (such as bolting mechanism in the floor at the suitable location); delivering the SST to the suitable location (often very heavy and cumbersome), fixing the SST to the surface (ground or floor using the bolting mechanism), and routing and terminating SST cabling for power, peripherals, and networking. 
         [0003]    In a situation where the SST is a terminal that needs enhanced security (such as when the SST is an Automated Teller Machine (ATM)), a set of prepared specialists often work consecutively with predefined tasks to timely install the ATM. This requires tight project-management discipline and ties up staffing resources during installation; both of which add cost and time to the ATM installation project. 
         [0004]    Additionally, retail locations often remodel or have needs that necessitate that current locations for SSTs can change at the retail locations. This means that any desired reconfiguration of the SST at the retail locations experience the same drawbacks as that which are associated with new SST installations. Still further, many times a particular problematic SST may need to be swapped out with a different or new SST. 
         [0005]    In fact, anytime a retail location experiences a need to install, relocate, and swap out SSTs, the retailer incurs substantial resource costs and operational time delays. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In various embodiments, apparatuses and a method are provided for a novel SST mounting plinth. 
         [0007]    According to an embodiment, a SST mounting plinth apparatus is provided. 
         [0008]    Specifically, the SST mounting plinth apparatus includes: an internal interface port, external interface ports, a power supply, and a secure fastening mechanism. The apparatus is configured to: i) attach a Self-Service Terminal (SST) to the interface port, ii) provide communication over at least one external interface port when the SST is attached to the interface port, iii) provide power to the SST from the power supply when the SST is attached, and iv) securely fasten the SST to the apparatus through the secure fastening mechanism. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a combination SST and plinth apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of an SST plinth, according to an example embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of another combination SST and plinth apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of a combination of SSTs and single plinth apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of a method for connecting an SST to a plinth apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a combination SST and plinth apparatus  100 , according to an example embodiment. It is to be noted that the configuration is shown schematically in greatly simplified form, with only those components relevant to understanding of this embodiment being illustrated. 
         [0015]    The combination SST and plinth apparatus  100  includes a plinth apparatus  110  and an SST apparatus  120 . The plinth apparatus  110  includes a horizontal base member  101 , a vertical base member  102 , a power supply  103 , an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)  104 , physical power and communication port/interfaces  106 , and, optionally, a SST computing core  105 . The SST apparatus  120  includes a secure cabinet/housing  121 , a media handling device  122 , and, optionally, a SST computing core  123 . 
         [0016]    The plinth apparatus  110  includes a fastening mechanism (shown in the  FIG. 2 ) for securely fastening the SST apparatus  120  to the plinth apparatus  110 . For example, prefabricated screw holes for which bolts can screwed into the plinth apparatus  110  from bolts that pass through pre-fabricated bolt holes in the secure cabinet/housing  121  of the SST apparatus  120  and screw into the horizontal base member  101  and/or the vertical base member  102  of the plinth apparatus  110 . In an embodiment, plinth apparatus includes multiple fastening mechanisms, one to secure fasten the SST apparatus to the plinth apparatus  110  and one to secure the plinth apparatus to a floor or the ground (this may similarly include prefabricated bolt holes). 
         [0017]    The horizontal base member  101  is longer in length than the vertical base member  102  and is constructed of a sturdy material, such as but not limited to steel. The weight of the horizontal base member  101  can be configured and distributed to provide optimal security and balance to the attached SST apparatus  120 . 
         [0018]    The vertical base member  102  has more height than that which is associated with the horizontal base member  101 . In an embodiment, the vertical base member  102  includes a height adjustment mechanism (not shown in the  FIG. 1 ) that can adjustably raise or lower the vertical height of vertical base member  102  (the adjustment can be internally accessible within the plinth apparatus  110  or can be externally (on the external fascia) accessible on the plinth apparatus. In an embodiment, the vertical base member  102  includes a fixed and prefabricated vertical height that is custom fabricated to a desired vertical height desired by an ordering customer. 
         [0019]    The plinth apparatus  110  also includes a power supply  103  that the SST apparatus  120  accessed via one or more of the physical power and communication port/interfaces  106 . 
         [0020]    The plinth apparatus  110  also includes an UPS  104  to supply power to the SST apparatus  120  when the power supply  103  is unavailable (not plugged into an electrical outlet or when power normally supplied through the electrical outlet is out). This ensures continuous power to the SST apparatus  120  when affixed to the plinth apparatus  110 . 
         [0021]    The physical power and communication port/interfaces  106  include a variety of connections internally to the SST apparatus  120  and externally for cabling and a power cord connecting to an external fascia of the plinth apparatus  110 . 
         [0022]    In an embodiment, the at least one of the physical power and communication port/interfaces  106  is a single internal manufactured port connection that provides power and communication interfaces for components of the SST apparatus  120  and peripherals being connected and interfaced to the components of the SST  120  apparatus (such as a single docketing port that is internally accessible from an inside of the plinth apparatus  120 ). 
         [0023]    In an embodiment, the physical power and communication port/interfaces  106  include two ports internally accessible within the plinth apparatus  110  (one for powering the SST apparatus  120  and one for all communication ports to peripherals associated with the SST apparatus  120 ). 
         [0024]    The peripherals that may be connected through the physical power and communication port/interfaces  106  include but are not limited to: display(s), encrypted PlNpad, receipt printer, dispenser, depositor, key board, scanner, scale, combined scanner/scale, magnetic card reader, chip-based card reader, and others. It is to be noted that some of these peripherals may be pre-installed within the secure cabinet/housing  121  of the SST apparatus  120  and physical power and communication port/interfaces  106  are needed by these peripherals for network communication with external devices (such as an encrypted PlNpad, dispenser, and depositor). 
         [0025]    The physical power and communication port/interfaces  106  also include externally facing port/interfaces (accessible from the external fascia of the plinth apparatus  110 ). These include a power cord connector port for connecting the plinth apparatus  110  to an electrical outlet and external communication ports for communication with network devices, such as one or more Ethernet ports, phone landline ports, Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, micro card ports, Virtual Graphics Interface (VGI) ports, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), wireless transceiver ports (WiFi, Bluetooth®, Radio Frequency, Low-Energy Bluetooth®, Near-Field Communication, Infrared, etc.) component video and audio ports, and others. 
         [0026]    The plinth apparatus  110  may also optionally include an SST computing core  105 . The computing core  105  drives processing of the SST apparatus  120  and includes: one or more hardware processors, hardware storage, memory, and executable instructions executed by the one or more processors from the memory, such as an Operating System (OS), a Virtual Machine (VM), device drivers, and other software-based applications residing in non-transitory computer-readable memory and/or storage. In an embodiment, the plinth apparatus  110  includes additional hardware storage that is accessible to a computing core  123  that resides on the SST apparatus  120 . 
         [0027]    The SST apparatus  120  includes safe cabinet/housing  121  made of sufficiently strong material, such as at some steel reinforced material. Access to the internal housing  121  requires a key access or authenticated electronical-mechanical mechanism. The housing  121  minimally includes a media handling device (such as a currency note/check depositor, dispenser, and/or recycler). In an embodiment, the housing  121  provides for integration of some pre-installed independent peripherals (independent of the computing core  123 ), such as an encrypted PINpad, magnetic card reader, chip-card reader, and the like (in these situations an appropriate slot permits the external (accessible to the externally-facing fascia of the housing  121 ) components of these pre-installed peripherals to be operated by a customer of the SST apparatus  120 . 
         [0028]    In an embodiment, the SST apparatus  120  includes a computing core  123 . 
         [0029]    In an embodiment, the plinth apparatus  110  is affixed to a surface, such as a floor or the ground (through a bolting mechanism). Cabling to external devices and an electrical outlet are connected to the externally facing power and communication port/interfaces  106 . At some later time, the SST apparatus  120  is internally affixed to the plinth apparatus  110  and the SST apparatus  120  is connected to the internally facing power and communication port/interfaces  106 . At this point, the SST apparatus  120  is ready to be powered on and made operational. 
         [0030]    Since the power supply  103  and the UPS  104  are housed in the plinth apparatus  110 , the SST apparatus  120  is less bulky, requires less space, and is lighter than conventional SSTs. Moreover, because the plinth apparatus  110  can be pre-affixed to a surface or structure (such as inside cabinetry) and pre-wired. This part of installation can occur more efficiently and while awaiting delivery of the SST apparatus  120 . Still further, swapping SST apparatuses  120  around is easier because it is detached from its plinth  110  and moved to another plinth  110 . Additionally, an enterprise can deploy more plinths  110  then SST apparatuses  120  allowing for the enterprise to grow to more SST apparatuses  120  or to swamp and move around existing SST apparatuses to different plinths  110  within the enterprise. 
         [0031]    In an embodiment, the SST apparatus  120  is an ATM. 
         [0032]    In an embodiment, the SST apparatus  120  is a kiosk. 
         [0033]    In an embodiment, the SST apparatus  120  is a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of an SST plinth apparatus  200 , according to an example embodiment. Again, it is to be noted that the configuration is shown schematically in greatly simplified form, with only those components relevant to understanding of this embodiment being illustrated. 
         [0035]    In an embodiment, the SST plinth apparatus  200  is the combination SST and plinth apparatus  100  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0036]    The SST plinth apparatus  200  includes: internal secure fastening mechanism(s)  201 , internal port connectors  202 , external port connectors  203 , a power cord/connector  204 , power and UPS modules  205 , and, zero or more optional hardware computing modules  206 . 
         [0037]    The internal secure fastening mechanism(s)  201  include one or more of: prefabricated bolt alignment holes matching alignment holes on an inside an SST apparatus (inside a secure housing of the SST apparatus, prefabricated bolt alignment holes for affixing the SST plinth apparatus  200  to a surface or structure, secure clamps, and the like. 
         [0038]    The internal port connectors  202  include one or more of: a single connector for all modules and peripherals of the SST apparatus and multiple connectors for different ones of the modules and peripherals of the SST apparatus. The connectors can be any of those discussed above with reference to the ports  106  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0039]    The external port connectors  203  include one or more of the ports  106  discussed above with the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0040]    The power/cord connector  204  may include a port for attaching a power cord from the SST plinth apparatus  200  to an electrical outlet for power or may include a prefabricated power cord of the SST plinth apparatus  200  that is connectable to the electrical power outlet. 
         [0041]    The power and UPS modules  205  regulate and provide power to the SST plinth apparatus  200  and to an SST apparatus when affixed and connected to the SST plinth apparatus  200 . In an embodiment, the power and UPS modules are the power supply  103  and the UPS  104  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0042]    In an embodiment, the SST plinth apparatus  200  optionally includes a computing core as an optional hard module  206  (as discussed above with the plinth apparatus  110  and computing core  105  of the  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0043]    In an embodiment, the SST plinth apparatus  200  includes a hardware storage device as an optional module  206 . 
         [0044]    In an embodiment, the SST apparatus that affixes and interfaces through the SST plinth apparatus  200  is the SST apparatus  120  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0045]    In an embodiment, the SST apparatus that affixes and interfaces through the SST plinth apparatus  200  is an ATM. 
         [0046]    In an embodiment, the SST plinth apparatus  200  that affixes and interfaces through the SST plinth apparatus is a kiosk. 
         [0047]    In an embodiment, the SST plinth apparatus  200  that affixes and interfaces through the SST plinth apparatus is a POS terminal. 
         [0048]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of another combination SST and plinth apparatus  300 , according to an example embodiment. The configuration is shown schematically in greatly simplified form, with only those components relevant to understanding of this embodiment being illustrated. 
         [0049]    The combination SST and plinth apparatus  300  includes a detachable and attachable SST component or set of components  310 . The SST component or set of modular hardware components  310  are configured to affix to the plinth  320 . The plinth  320  also providing a secure docketing station of the SST component or set of module hardware components  310  and interface connections to external devices (peripherals, network-based devices, or other hardware computing devices). 
         [0050]    The SST component or set of components  310  is also configured to be detached from the plinth  320 . 
         [0051]    In an embodiment, the plinth  320  is configured to be affixed to and removed from a surface or structure independent of any SST component  310 . 
         [0052]    In an embodiment, the plinth  320  includes wheels on a surface facing underside of the plinth providing mobility to the combination SST and plinth apparatus  300 . 
         [0053]    In an embodiment, the SST component or set of components  310  is the SST apparatus  120  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0054]    In an embodiment, the plinth  320  is the SST plinth  110  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0055]    In an embodiment, the plinth  320  is the SST plinth apparatus  200  of the  FIG. 2 . 
         [0056]    In an embodiment, the combination SST and plinth apparatus  300  is the combination SST and plinth apparatus  100  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of a combination of SSTs and single plinth apparatus  400 , according to an example embodiment. The configuration is shown schematically in greatly simplified form, with only those components relevant to understanding of this embodiment being illustrated. 
         [0058]    The combination SST and plinth apparatus  400  includes a plinth 4  having at least two (or more) separate and independent: internal port connectors ( 411  and  413 ) and external port connectors  412  and  414 . The combination SST and plinth apparatus  400  also includes a single shared power supply and UPS  415  (shared when more than one attached SST component is affixed and interfaced to the combination SST and plinth apparatus  400  ( 420  and  430 ). 
         [0059]    The plinth  410  provides shared power and shared UPS between multiple SST components  420  and  430  while at the same time providing individual and secure internal and external ports ( 411 - 415 ) for each independent SST component  420  and  430 . 
         [0060]    In an embodiment, the SST components  420  and  430  are the SST apparatuses  110  and/or the SST apparatuses  310  of the  FIGS. 1 and 3 , respectively. In an embodiment, at least one of the SST apparatuses  420  or  430  is an ATM. In an embodiment, at least one of the SST apparatuses  420  or  430  is a kiosk. In an embodiment, at least of the SST apparatuses  420  or  430  is a POS terminal. In an embodiment, at least one of the SST apparatus is one type of SST (ATM, kiosk, or POS terminal) and another one of the SST apparatuses is a different type of SST from the first type. 
         [0061]    In an embodiment, the port connectors  411 - 414  are the ports  106  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0062]    In an embodiment, the port connectors  411 - 41  are the ports  203 ,  204 , and  205  of the  FIG. 2 . 
         [0063]    In an embodiment, the plinth  410  includes at least one computing core for at least one of the SST components  420  and/or  430 . In an embodiment, the computing core is the computing core  105  of the  FIG. 1 . 
         [0064]    In an embodiment, the plinth  410  includes at least one optional hardware computing module for at least one of the SST components  420  and/or  430 . In an embodiment, the optional computing module is the optional module(s)  206  of the  FIG. 2 . 
         [0065]    In an embodiment, the plinth  410  is the plinth  110  of the  FIG. 1  having a single elongated horizontal base with sufficient space to attach and interface multiple independent SST components  420  and  430  with multiple and independent port connectors  411 - 415  for each SST component  420  and  430 . The plinth  410  further includes independent vertical base members (and optionally each separately height adjustable independent of the other) for each separate SST component  420  and  430  with sufficient distance between each vertical base member to attach two or more SST components  420  and  430  to the plinth  410 . 
         [0066]    In an embodiment, the plinth  410  includes separate internal fastening mechanisms (such as what was described above with any of the  FIGS. 1-3 ) to separately attach each different SST component  420  and  430 . In an embodiment, the plinth  410  also includes a single fastening mechanism for affixing the plinth  410  to a surface or structure. In an embodiment, the plinth  410  includes wheels on a surface-facing underside of the plinth  410  for mobility of the plinth  410  with or without the SST components  420  and/or  430  affixed to the plinth  410 . 
         [0067]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of a method  500  for connecting an SST to a plinth apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
         [0068]    At  510 , a plinth interface port of a plinth is provided for connecting a SST port of an SST to the plinth. 
         [0069]    At  520 , a secure fastening mechanism on the plinth is provided for securely fastening the SST to the plinth. 
         [0070]    At  530 , a power supply residing on the plinth is provided to the SST for powering the SST during operation of the SST while connected to the plinth. 
         [0071]    At  540 , external interface ports residing on the plinth is provided for connecting cabling to external devices that communicate with the SST during operation of the SST through communications sent over the cabling to the external interface ports and routed within the plinth to the plinth interface port and onto the SST interface ports. The external interface ports residing on the plinth also provide communication originating from the SST to the external devices by receiving the communication through the SST interface port connected to the plinth interface port and routing the communication through the plinth to select ones of the external interface ports and delivery over the cabling. 
         [0072]    According to an embodiment, at  550 , a second secure fastening mechanism on the plinth is provided for securely fastening the plinth to a surface or a structure. 
         [0073]    In an embodiment, at  560 , an UPS residing on the plinth is supplied to the SST during operation of the SST when electrical power to the power supply of the plinth is unavailable (i.e., the plinth is disconnected from a power source or the power source is out). 
         [0074]    In an embodiment, the plinth interface port and the plinth external interface ports are any of the ports discussed above with the  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0075]    In an embodiment, the plinth is any of the plinth apparatuses discussed above with the  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0076]    In an embodiment, the SST is any of the SST apparatuses discussed above with the  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0077]    In an embodiment, the secure fastening mechanism and the second secure fastening mechanism is any of the fastening mechanisms discussed above with the  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0078]    In an embodiment, the power supply and the UPS is any of the power supplies and UPSs discussed above with the  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0079]    The above description is illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of embodiments should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0080]    In the foregoing description of the embodiments, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting that the claimed embodiments have more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Description of the Embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment.