Abstract:
A self-service terminal system ( 10 ) is described. The system ( 10 ) includes a self-service terminal ( 14 ) and a host ( 12 ) interconnected by a network ( 16 ). The host ( 12 ) is operable to transfer software ( 90, 92 ) to the terminals ( 14 ) for subsequent transfer by a terminal ( 14 ) to a portable device ( 24 ) presented by a user ( 96 ). Each terminal ( 14 ) includes a communications port ( 78 ), so that the terminal ( 14 ) is operable to transfer software ( 90, 92 ) from the terminal ( 14 ) to a portable device ( 24 ) using the communications port ( 78 ). A method of operating a self-service terminal system is also described.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a self-service terminal (SST), such as an automated teller machine (ATM). In particular, the invention relates to an ATM for offering complex financial services. 
     When a customer is contemplating a financial service, such as a loan or mortgage, the customer generally obtains an estimate of the cost involved from several different institutions before selecting a service provided by a particular institution. This is because many financial services rely on parameters that change frequently or that vary from institution to institution, for example interest rates; these parameters affect the cost of the service. This means that customers typically make a first visit to each of a plurality of financial institutions to obtain information about a financial service, and then a second visit to a selected one of the financial institutions to request the financial service, that is, to execute the transaction. 
     ATMs are capable of performing complex financial transactions and offering users complex financial services, such as arranging loans, mortgages, and such like. However, ATM users are reluctant to use these services because of the public environment of most ATMs and because of the time required to complete these complex transactions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is among the objects of embodiments of the present invention to obviate or mitigate one or more of the above disadvantages or other disadvantages associated with conventional SSTs. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a self-service terminal characterized in that the terminal includes a communications port, where the terminal is operable to transfer software for execution on a portable device from the terminal to the portable device using the communications port. 
     Preferably, the communications port is a wireless port, such as an infra-red port, a radio-frequency port, a Bluetooth (trade mark) port, or such like. One advantage of using a wireless port is that the portable device does not require a predefined physical coupler for coupling to the terminal. This allows many different types of portable device to be used with the terminal. It also reduces the possibility of damage to the coupler due to, for example, ingress of moisture or dirt, or vandalism. 
     Preferably, the terminal is interconnected to a host, and the terminal is operable to receive software from the host for transferring to a portable device. 
     Preferably, the software is related to a financial service and includes parameters that are correct at the time the software was transferred. The software may relate to, for example, a mortgage calculator, a loan repayment calculator, or such like. 
     In some embodiments, the software may have a time to live, so that once the time to live has expired the software automatically deletes itself. In other embodiments, the software may only delete certain parameters once the time to live has expired. This enables a user to update the parameters at an ATM without having to download the entire software program. 
     Preferably, the software is operable to receive details from a user and to prepare a response program for transmitting back to an SST, where the response program includes details of a transaction to be executed by the SST. This feature has the advantage that the software is able to interact with a user to assist the user in preparing a transaction (for example, for a loan, the amount of money borrowed and the length of time that the money will be borrowed for). In addition, once the user has prepared a transaction, the software is able to create a sub-program (the response program) for transmitting to an ATM so that the user does not need to re-enter the transaction at the ATM. This reduces the amount of time a user has to spend operating an ATM to execute a transaction. 
     By virtue of this aspect of the invention, a user is able to download software from a financial institution to his/her portable device for executing directly on the portable device. The user is then able to use the software to estimate the cost involved in a particular financial service and to vary certain features of the service, for example, the user may estimate repayments on a loan over one year, two years, and five years, for a loan amount of one thousand pounds, two thousand pounds, or five thousand pounds. As the software is executed by the user&#39;s portable device, the user is able to estimate the cost of services in any location (for example, when they are at home) and at any time they desire, thus improving the comfort and privacy of the transaction. As the software is transferred to the user&#39;s portable device from a public access, self-service, terminal, it is very convenient for the user. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a self-service terminal system comprising a host and a plurality of self-service terminals, the host and the terminals being mutually interconnected by a network, characterized in that the host is operable to transfer software to the terminals for subsequent transfer by a terminal to a portable device presented by a user. 
     According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of operating a self-service terminal system characterized by the steps of: providing a software program at a central location; transferring the software program to one or more terminals using a network connection; and, in response to a request from a user, transferring the software program to a portable device presented to a terminal by the user, so that the user can execute the software program directly on the portable device. 
     According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a self-service terminal characterized in that the terminal includes a communications port, where the terminal is operable to transfer software from the terminal to a portable device using the communications port, and the terminal is configured to receive payment from a user for the transferred software. 
     The terminal may be configured to receive payment by direct transfer from the user&#39;s bank account. Alternatively, the terminal may be configured to receive deposit of cash from the user. 
     By virtue of this aspect of the invention, the terminal is able to supply a user with valuable software and to make a charge for the software. The software may not be related to financial services, but may be a new application for the portable device. 
     Preferably, the portable device is a handheld unit, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, or such like. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specific description, given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a self-service terminal system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of a portable device used in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a self-service terminal used in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a software repository used in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating a user operating the portable device of FIG.  2  and the SST of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating the contents of a memory of the portable device of  FIG. 2  after interaction with a user. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , which is a block diagram of a self-service terminal system  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the system  10  comprises a host  12  interconnected to a plurality of SSTs  14  (only two are shown) by a network  16 . The SSTs  14  are in the form of ATMs. The host  12  includes an authorization facility  18 , a back-office facility  20  and a software repository  22  for storing software programs for distribution to ATMs  14  across the network  16 . 
     In addition to authorizing ATM transactions, the host  12  operates as an interactive server from which ATMs  14  can download software programs, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The ATMs  14  are physically remote from each other, but are shown in proximity in  FIG. 1  for clarity. 
       FIG. 1  also shows a portable device  24  in the form of a PDA, such as a 3Com PalmIIIx (trade mark). The PDA  24  is shown in broken line adjacent to one of the ATMs  14   a  and in solid line further away from the ATM  14   a  to illustrate that the PDA  24  is typically presented to an ATM  14   a  and then used remote from the ATM  14   a.    
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , which is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of the PDA  24  used in  FIG. 1 , PDA  24  comprises a controller  32  and associated volatile memory  34  and non-volatile memory  36 , a touch-sensitive display  38 , a serial communication port  40  for receiving a connector, and a wireless communication port  42  in the form of an IrDA (Infra-red data association) compliant infra-red port. The controller  32  is responsible for the operation of the terminal  24 , and is coupled to the display  38 , serial port  40 , and IR port  42 . In use, the controller  32  loads a simple operating system  46  into the volatile memory  34 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , which shows an ATM  14  of  FIG. 1  in more detail, the ATM  14  includes a display module  64 , an encrypting keypad module  66 , a magnetic card reader/writer (MCRW) module  68 , a receipt printer module  70 , a cash dispenser module  72 , an ATM controller module  74  for controlling the operation of the various modules, a network connection module  76  for communicating with the host  12  ( FIG. 1 ) via network  16  (FIG.  1 ), and an IR port module  78 . All of the modules within the ATM  14  are interconnected by a proprietary internal bus  80 . 
     The IR port module  78  includes an IR to electrical signal converter, and conforms to the IrDA standard for wireless communication of data. 
     The financial institution owning the ATM system  10  creates software programs for one or more of their financial services. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , which illustrates the software repository  22 , in this embodiment, the institution creates a program  90  for a personal loan, and a program  92  for a mortgage. The correct interest rates for each of these services (which depend on the length of time the loan is taken out for, as well as other factors) and other parameters which affect the cost of the services are hard-coded into these programs  90 ,  92 . These programs  90 ,  92  are also given a time-to-live: that is, each program  90 ,  92  is given a time period during which its parameters are valid. The time-to-live is set to one month in this embodiment. 
     The host  12  automatically transfers the programs  90 ,  92  to each ATM  14 . This is typically done during the night, or at some other time period when network traffic is low. If the programs  90 ,  92  are updates to programs that are currently stored on the ATMs  14 , then the previous programs are automatically deleted by the ATMs  14 . Each ATM  14  stores the transferred programs  90 ,  92  on its ATM controller  74  (FIG.  3 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , if a user  96  wishes to receive information relating to the cost of a loan, then the user approaches ATM  14   a , inserts his/her magnetic stripe card into the MCRW module  68  via a slot in the ATM  14   a , enters a PIN (personal identification number), and selects a download loan program option which the controller  74  presents on display module  64 . 
     The user then presents his/her PDA  24 ; that is, the user aligns his/her PDA  24  with the IR port module  78  in the ATM  14   a.    
     The ATM  14   a  then transfers the loan program  90  from the controller  74  to the IR port  78 , which converts the electrical signals into an IR signal and transmits the IR signal to the PDA&#39;s IR port  42 ; the transmission is illustrated by broken line  98 . 
     The PDA&#39;s IR port  42  receives the IR signal and converts it into an electrical signal for storing in the non-volatile memory  36 . The ATM  14   a  then returns the magnetic stripe card to the user  96  and the user  96  leaves the vicinity of the ATM  14   a.    
     At some later time, the user  96  can execute the loan program  90  stored in non-volatile memory  36 , so that the loan program  90  is loaded into volatile memory  34 . 
     Loan program  90  allows the user  96  to enter user-specific data and generates estimates for the cost of a loan for any time period entered by the user  96 . Each time the loan program  90  is executed, the program  90  determines if the time-to-live has elapsed: if the time-to-live has elapsed then the loan program  90  deletes itself from the PDA  24 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , if the user  96  decides to obtain a loan based on details he/she has entered into the loan program  90 , then the program  90  creates a response program  100  containing the entered details for the user  96 . The response program  100  is a prepared transaction that is operable to execute directly on an ATM controller  74 . Thus, the user  96  conveys the PDA  24  to an ATM  14  and transmits the response program  100  to the ATM  14 , which executes the transaction directly and confirms to the user  96  that a loan has been agreed by the ATM  14 . 
     Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment within the scope of the invention, for example, in other embodiments, the SSTs may be information kiosks rather than ATMs. In other embodiments, the time-to-live may be shorter or longer than one month. In other embodiments, services other than financial services may be provided by the software program. In other embodiments, the ATM may charge for the software that it transferred to the user&#39;s PDA. In other embodiments, the portable device may be a cellular telephone, or such like.