Abstract:
A method of controlling a self-service terminal which makes optimal use of features offered by the self-service terminal. The method includes the steps of monitoring operation of a self-service terminal application, determining features of the self-service terminal application used by operators, storing usage information about the features, identifying triggering information, analyzing the usage information and the triggering information to determine optimal features to enable in the self-service terminal application, and enabling the optimal features.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to self-service kiosks and more specifically to a method of controlling a self-service terminal. 
     Kiosks are self-service terminals. Kiosks provide a publicly accessible computing platform for displaying World Wide Web (web) pages and other web-delivered content from web sites. Kiosks may be located within a retailer&#39;s transaction establishment or elsewhere, such as in shopping malls. Kiosks may be easily networked to web sites using the TCP/IP protocol. Web pages from web sites may be displayed using known and available web software, such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer software. 
     Service companies deploy kiosks in order to improve the quality of their services and to provide customers with more service options. For example, transportation companies may deploy kiosks to reduce passenger waiting time in check-in lines. 
     Kiosk owners wish to make optimal use of kiosks. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method of controlling a self-service terminal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method of controlling a self-service terminal is provided. 
     The method includes the steps of monitoring operation of a self-service terminal application, determining features of the self-service terminal application used by operators, storing usage information about the features, identifying triggering information, analyzing the usage information and the triggering information to determine optimal features to enable in the self-service terminal application, and enabling the optimal features. 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling a self-service terminal. 
     It is another object of the present invention to make optimal use of deployed self-service terminals. 
     It is another object of the present invention to determine through analysis of usage statistics operational features of a self-service terminal. 
     It is another object of the present invention to determine through real-time analysis of usage statistics features of a self-service terminal which should be enabled and features which should be disabled. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a transportation system; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , travel system  10  includes self-service terminal  12 , which is preferably a kiosk located in a travel building, such as an airport or train station. Self-service terminal  12  may include an NCR  7401  computer. 
     Self-service terminal  12  primarily includes processor  16 , touch screen  18 , memory  22 , and storage medium  20 . Self-service terminal  12  may be simple and include only receipt printer  26 , ticket printer  27 , and card reader  24 . Self-service terminal  12  may include a number of other peripherals, including, cash acceptor  28 , cash dispenser  30 , check reader  32 , personal identification number (PIN) keypad  34 , and barcode reader  35 . 
     Processor  16  executes self-service travel application  38 , which processes travel-related requests from passengers. For example, a passenger may use self-service travel application  38  to complete the check-in process, issue a boarding pass, change travel routes, or get scheduling information. Self-service travel self-service travel application  38  records passenger identification information, retrieves itinerary information from travel database  58  through server  52 , displays instructions for completing check-in, records any payments due, dispenses any change due, prints boarding passes and tickets, and prints receipts. In addition, self-service travel self-service travel application  38  records and stores check-in time. 
     Application  38  communicates with server  52  over a network connection, such as one which uses the TCP/IP protocol. Application  38  obtains and stores travel information in travel database  58 . 
     Processor  16  may also execute web browser software  36  and web wrapper software  40 . 
     Web browser software  36  allows an operator to display information in a format established by the World Wide Web (WWW or “web”). Application  38  may be written as a web application which displays travel information in the form of web pages  46 , although application  38  may also be a non-web application and operate without web browser software  36  and web wrapper software  40 . Web pages  46  may be written using hypertext markup language (HTML) or other suitable web page language. 
     Web browser software  36  may include commercially available web browser software, such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer web browser software. Microsoft® Internet Explorer web browser software is configured into a kiosk operation using a “-k” command line option. This option hides toolbars and menu bars to prevent operator access to those functions. 
     Web browser software  36  may also display a start or “home” page within web pages  46  which operates as a default page from which kiosk operation begins and to which operation returns when an operator is finished using self-service terminal  12 . 
     Web wrapper software  40  provides security functions. During operation, web wrapper software  40  prevents an operator from accessing kiosk files, or other applications, or the operating system software, or basic input-output system (BIOS) firmware, and prevents the operator from causing self-service terminal  12  to reboot. 
     Touch screen  18  records passenger selections and displays information to self-service passengers. 
     Storage medium  20  stores web pages  46  for use by application  38 . 
     Memory  22  stores executed program information. 
     Card reader  24  reads passenger identification, credit, debit, SMART, and/or other types of cards carried by a passenger. Card reader  24  may record payment information from a passenger. 
     Printer  26  prints receipt information. 
     Printer  27  prints tickets and boarding passes. 
     Cash acceptor  28  includes currency storage canister  29 . Cash acceptor  28  takes in currency, validates the currency, sends tendered amount information to application  38 , and sends currency count information to application  38 . Cash acceptor  28  may include a cash acceptor manufactured by CashCode or Mars. 
     Cash dispenser  30  dispenses any change due. 
     Check reader  32  reads checks and includes a magnetic ink character (MICR) reader. Check reader  32  also includes printer  33  for printing information on checks. 
     PIN keypad  34  records PIN numbers for debit card transactions. 
     Self-service terminal  12  may additionally include barcode reader  35 , which may be used to scan barcode labels on tickets. The barcode labels contain passenger identification information. 
     Server  52  executes feature determining software  42 , which monitors use of hardware and software features of self-service terminal  12  by travelers. Feature determining software  42  stores feature usage information in feature usage data file  60 . Feature determining software  42  analyzes stored historical feature usage information and presently obtained traveler information to determine which features should be available or temporarily suspended. 
     Feature determining software  42  uses various techniques for enabling or disabling features. For example, feature determining software  42  may gray out buttons which access certain features. Feature determining software  42  may remove features altogether. Finally, feature determining software  42  may skip to certain features or bypass other features. 
     Feature determining software  42  uses flags and software parameters, that are based on historical and anticipated results. For example, if cash takes six to eight seconds per bill to insert into a single bill acceptor, feature determining software  42  may gray out the cash button during busy times. 
     Feature determining software  42  may trigger off of passenger information or transportation information. For example, feature determining software  42  may determine that a large number of travelers will be present at a given time of day or departure time. Feature determining software  42  may disable options in self-service travel application  38  for selecting cash acceptor  28 , cash dispenser  30 , check reader  32 , and PIN keypad  34  in favor of accepting payment only through card reader  24 . 
     As another example, feature determining software  42  may determine that a particular traveler only uses self-service terminal  12  to issue a boarding pass. Feature determining software  42  may disable all other options in self-service travel application  38 . 
     As another example, feature determining software  42  may disallow browsing of future travel plans during busy times. 
     As another example, feature determining software  42  may jump to check-in features, skipping all other features, if a passenger is running late. 
     Server  52  stores feature usage information in feature usage data file  60 . Server  52  also stores travel database  58  which contains information about transportation routes, travelers, reservations, and itineraries. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , operation of feature determining software  42  is illustrated in detail beginning with START  70 . 
     In step  72 , feature determining software  42  monitors operation of self service travel application  38 . 
     In step  74 , feature determining software  42  stores feature usage information in feature usage data file  60 . 
     In step  76 , feature determining software  42  identifies trigger information. Trigger information may include departure and arrival times, traveler identification information, trip length, type of traveler, past history of features used, or other information. 
     In step  78 , feature determining software  42  determines features which should be enabled or temporarily disabled to make optimal use of self-service terminal  12  from feature usage information in feature usage data file  60 . 
     In step  80 , feature determining software  42  enables or temporarily disables the identified features in self-service travel application  38 . Preferably, feature determining software  42 . 
     Operation ends at step  82 . 
     Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.