Self service terminal

A self-service terminal that is adapted to: receive a text message, in particular an SMS message, from a mobile telecommunications device; interpret the received text message, and provide information or a service in response to the received text message. Preferably, the information is printed out and the print out is provided to the customer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a self-service terminal (SST), such as an automated teller machine (ATM), and a method for accessing information or services from such a terminal.

Self-service terminals such as ATMs currently provide many services, most of which relate to financial transactions. In the increasingly competitive banking arena, financial service providers are continually looking for innovative new services to include in their SSTs in order to differentiate them from their competitors. However, in practice including new services in SST networks can be difficult, particularly for ATM networks. This is because the inclusion of such new services invariably requires changes to the existing ATM infrastructure. Whilst service providers find the idea of including new services on their ATMs appealing, they are reluctant to do this at the expense of any disruption to their existing networks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for allowing additional services to be provided at a self-service terminal.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a self-service terminal that is adapted to: receive an audio or text message from a mobile telecommunications device; interpret the received audio or text message, and provide information or a service in response to the received message.

By allowing customers to interact with the SST via a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone, additional services can be provided via the telecommunications network, without disrupting the existing financial network.

By self-service terminal, it is meant a terminal or device that can be used by a customer to access information or services. This includes, but is not restricted to automated teller machines that are able to dispense cash and point of sales terminals or kiosks.

Where the message is a text message, for example a SMS message, the self-service terminal may include a receiver for receiving the text message and a computer program for interpreting the received message and causing the information and/or service to be provided.

Where the message is an audio message, the self-service terminal includes speech recognition software for interpreting the message and a computer program for causing the information and/or service to be provided. The speech recognition software and computer program may be provided as a single integrated computer program or may be provided separately.

The self-service terminal may include a printer. The terminal may be adapted to print out the information requested and provide the printed out information to the customer. In particular, the terminal may include a computer program that is adapted to cause the information to be printed out.

The self-service terminal may be operable to record the details, such as the telephone number, of mobile devices that have been used to access information or services. These details may be used to invoice the customer. Alternatively, where the provider of the terminal has a revenue sharing agreement with, say, mobile telephone providers, revenue could be collected on the basis of a record of the telephone numbers dialed by the user, together with knowledge of the telephone number associated with the terminal.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method comprising: receiving at a self-service terminal a text or audio message from a mobile telecommunications device; interpreting the received text or audio message, and providing information and/or a service in response to the received text or audio message.

Where the message is an audio message, the method may further involve using speech recognition software for interpreting the message and a computer program for causing the information and/or service to be provided. The speech recognition software and computer program may be provided as a single integrated computer program or may be provided separately.

The method may further involve printing out the information requested and providing the printed out information to the customer.

The method may further involve receiving information from a remote location. This information may be received via the internet or WAP or any other suitable communications channel.

The method may further involve sending a text message from the self-service terminal to the mobile device.

The method may further involve recording the details, such as the telephone number, of mobile devices that have been used to access information or services. These details may be used to invoice the customer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1shows an automated teller machine10. This has a housing12with a front fascia14that has a screen16for presenting financial information to a customer; a keyboard18for receiving user inputs; a card slot20for receiving a customer's card; a print-out slot22through which printed material is dispensed and a slot24for dispensing cash through.

Included in the ATM housing is a control module26that is operable to control access to the banking network and any financial transactions. This is connected to each of a card reader mechanism28that is aligned with the card slot20, a printer30that is aligned with the print out slot22and a dispensing mechanism32that is aligned with the dispensing slot24. The card reader mechanism28is operable to receive and read cards that are inserted into the slot20. Information read from the card by the card reader28can be transmitted to the control module26for further processing. The printer30is operable to print out financial information, such as bank statements, under the control of the control module26. The dispensing mechanism32is operable to dispense cash that is stored in a secure enclosure, again under the control of the control module26.

All of the previously described features ofFIG. 1are commonplace in ATMs and so will not be described in detail. In the present case, however, also included in the machine ofFIG. 1is a wireless communications module34for allowing communication between the ATM10and a mobile device36, such as a mobile telephone.

The wireless communications module34is shown in more detail inFIG. 2. This includes a receiver37for receiving signals from a wireless device, such as a mobile telephone, via a telecommunications network and a communication port or connector, such as a SIM card38, for allowing the terminal10access to the telecommunications network. The wireless communications module34is connected to a processor42that is provided in the ATM core module26. Also included in the ATM core26is a software application space44that includes a computer program for allowing access to the stored information and a memory42for storing information for presenting to a user. The core processor40is operable to communicate with each of the SIM card38and the memory42and is configured to run the computer program. The processor40is also connected to the printer30and is operable to send print control commands thereto. It should be noted that the core processor40is operable to control other functionality in the ATM10and is not dedicated for use with the telecommunications module34.

The control program stored in the ATM core26is operable to control the provision of information to customers in response to requests received via SMS messages. To this end, the program is adapted to interpret text messages received at the SIM card38; identify the information requested by the customer and cause the printer30to provide printed out information to a user in response to a text messages received at the SIM card38. In this way, a customer can interact with the terminal10and receive information therefrom merely by using a mobile telephone36.

In order to allow the computer program to identify the information requested, the information available is stored in the memory42in association with specific keywords. For example, the keyword “news” is used to identify information relating to current news; the keyword “football” is used to identify the latest football scores and the keyword “Pisces” is used to identify the current Pisces horoscope. In this way, when a text message is received from a customer containing the keyword “news” the computer program recognizes this as a request for the information associated with the word “news” and retrieves this information from the ATM core memory42. Once the information is retrieved, it is forwarded to the printer30for printing.

Typically, the keywords are provided in signs (not shown) that are presented on the front face14of the terminal10, so that they can be readily identified by customers, together with an indication of the information associated with them. Additionally or alternatively, the keywords and a description thereof may be included on the ATM's “idle attract” screens. These are screens that are presented when the ATM10is not being used. Additionally or alternatively, the keywords may be printed on the back of a customer's normal receipt, thereby to advertise the service for subsequent use.

The information that is available to the user can be provided to the self-service terminal10in various ways, depending on the nature of the self-service terminal. For example, if the self-service terminal is WAP enabled or connected to the internet, information could be downloaded via any suitable internet communication channel. For WAP enabled telephones, the information would be provided as WAP content. Alternatively, the information could be provided over the telecommunications network via the SIM card. In many cases, it is likely that the data received may have to be reformatted in order for it to be printed in a suitable manner. Methods for reformatting data of this nature are well known and so will not be described herein in detail.

FIG. 3shows the steps that are required to provide information to a customer. The first step involves the customer selecting the information desired. If the latest football results are wanted, the customer has to create a text message50using his mobile telephone. Then, the keyword “football” in typed into the message window52. Then the customer has to dial the telephone number54associated with the SST10. Typically, this is provided on signs that are presented on the terminal. Once the number is dialed and a connection made with the SST's SIM card, the text message is sent. The computer program in the ATM core26is adapted to query the SIM card38to determine whether a text message has been received. Alternatively, the SIM card38could be adapted to send a signal to the computer program notifying it of the existence of the message. In either case, once it is determined that a message is received, the program retrieves and processes that message, thereby to identify the keyword, in this case “football”. The computer program recognizes this keyword message as a request for the latest football results. The program then retrieves the information60associated with the keyword from the memory42and forwards it to the printer30together with a command to print62. Once this is done, the printer30prints out the desired information64. The print out is then dispensed to the customer through the print-out slot22.

Each time a mobile device36is used to access information or services, the self-service terminal10records the details of the device36, such as the telephone number. These details may be used to invoice the customer. Where the provider of the terminal10has an agreement with the mobile telephone company, charges for providing the information via the SST may be included in the customer's mobile telephone bill and passed onto the SST provider later. Of course, where the telephone number of the ATM is known by the mobile telephone company, it is not necessary for the ATM provider to records details of all transactions. Instead, users could be billed merely on the basis of the mobile telephone company's record of when the ATM number is dialed.

In order to further enhance functionality, the self-service terminal10may be operable to send text messages to the mobile telephone36from which it received the original request for information. For example, if the printer30is already involved in printing out other information when a request is received from a mobile device36, the self-service terminal10may be adapted to send the user's mobile device36a text message confirming receipt of the initial keyword message and saying that the information requested will be printed out at a certain time.

By providing the SST10of the invention with the capability for communicating with a mobile telephone or similar wireless telecommunication devices, there is provided a simple mechanism for allowing customers to access additional services, without causing any disruption to the financial services network. This is advantageous.

Whilst the example described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 3uses text messaging, in particular SMS messaging, to communicate with the self-service terminal, it will be appreciated that the invention could equally be implemented by allowing the terminal to receive and interpret audio messages. To do this, the self-service terminal would include interactive speech recognition software (not shown in the drawings) for identifying audio or voice messages received from a customer and then taking appropriate action. In this case, rather than sending a text message to the terminal, the customer would dial the number of the terminal and once a connection is made, say out loud the keyword associated with the information desired. This spoken keyword is then stored and identified by the speech recognition software. As before, the identified keyword is used to find the appropriate information, which is then provided to the customer.

A skilled person will appreciate that variations of the disclosed arrangements are possible without departing from the invention. For example, whilst in the examples described keywords are used by the customer to identify the information desired, any other suitable identifiers could be used, such as picture messages or numbers. In addition, whilst the telecommunications module34ofFIG. 2is connected to and interrogated by components in the ATM core26, the processor, control application and memory could be provided within the communications module34itself. In this case, the telecommunications module34would additionally include a port for allowing the processor to communicate with the printer30, so that when information is selected using a text message, a command can be sent from the processor in the module34to cause that information to be printed out. Furthermore, although in the specific embodiments described a SIM card is used, it will be appreciated that cards of this nature are currently only used in Europe and for GSM based systems, and so any other communication port that allows access to a mobile telecommunications network could be used. Accordingly, the above description of a specific embodiment is made by way of example only and not for the purposes of limitation. It will be clear to the skilled person that minor modifications may be made without significant changes to the operation described.