Abstract:
Methods, systems, and software are disclosed for configuring an ATM. The ATM receives an online/offline configuration message that specifies one or more conditions when the ATM is to go online. The ATM goes offline and performing zero or more offline transactions. The ATM goes online based at least in part on at least a portion of the online/offline configuration message. The online/offline configuration message is in an XML-based format.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to commonly owned U.S. provisional patent application, NCR Docket No. 12412, filed Dec. 26, 2005, entitled “Method and System for Automated Teller Machine Online/Offline Operation,” by Andrew Hamilton, Wolf Rossmann, and Stephen MacPhail. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Automated teller machines (sometimes abbreviated as ATMs) can be configured to allow users to perform various financial transactions at any time. For example, many banks have one or more ATMs from which users may withdraw cash from a checking or savings account that corresponds to a card provided by the user. ATMs can also include devices called financial self-service terminals and kiosks. ATMs can perform one or more of a large number of customer transactions in addition to simply withdrawing cash such as depositing cash or checks in an account, checking the balance in an account, and transferring funds between accounts. ATMs can also perform one or more of a large number of administrative transactions including updating ATM software and replenishing the cash supply of the ATM.  
         [0003]     Within the context of an ATM transaction, the financial institution that operates the ATM may be referred to as the acquiring institution or acquiring bank. The financial institution that holds the account of the ATM user and issues the ATM card to the user may be referred to as the issuing institution or issuing bank.  
         [0004]     ATMs may be connected to a host computer of the acquiring institution by communications links. The communications links may be non-persistent, requiring the ATM to reinitiate communications with the host computer of the acquiring institution. The communications links may be persistent, requiring dedicated bandwidth.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method for a method for operating an ATM. The ATM receives an online/offline configuration message. The online/offline configuration message specifies one or more conditions when the ATM is to go online. The ATM goes offline and performs zero or more offline transactions. The ATM goes online based at least in part on at least a portion of the online/offline configuration message. The online/offline configuration message is in an XML-based format.  
         [0006]     In general, in another aspect, the invention features a system for operating an ATM. The system includes an ATM configured to receive an online/offline configuration messages, go offline, perform zero or more offline transactions, and go online based at least in part on at least a portion of the online/offline configuration message. The online/offline configuration message specifies one or more conditions when the ATM is to go online. The system includes a non-persistent communication link coupled to the ATM and a computer coupled to the non-persistent communication link. The ATM is configured to receive the online/offline configuration message in an XML-based format.  
         [0007]     In general, in another aspect, the invention features computer software, stored on a tangible storage medium, for configuring the online/offline operation of an ATM. The software includes executable instructions that cause at least one computer to receive an online/offline configuration message at an ATM, where the online/offline configuration message specifies one or more conditions when the ATM is to go online. The instruction cause the at least one computer to going offline and perform zero or more offline transactions, and go online based at least in part on at least a portion of the online/offline configuration message. The online/offline configuration message is in an XML-based format. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a system for operating an ATM according to one exemplary embodiment.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of a system for operating an ATM according to one exemplary embodiment.  
         [0010]      FIGS. 3-4  are flow charts of a method for configuring the online/offline behavior of an ATM according to one exemplary embodiment.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a data diagram for an ATM online/offline configuration message represented in an XML-based format according to one exemplary embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     The ATM online/offline operation technique disclosed herein has particular application, but is not limited, to groups of ATMs that are networked together for central administration.  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate different embodiments of system configurations for operating ATMs in a manner that provides online/offline operations. Those systems are exemplary and many different systems for coupled a computer to a ATM using a communications link can be utilized with various communications technologies.  
         [0013]     In  FIG. 1 , the system  100  includes two ATMs  102 ,  104 , each with a communications link to a host computer  110 . In the  FIG. 1  embodiment, the host computer is coupled to the Internet  108 . ATM  102  communicates with a computer in the Internet  108  over an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) using an ADSL modem  106 . ATM  104  communicates with a computer in the Internet  108  over a wireless connection established by two transceivers  112 ,  114  that exchange electromagnetic waves that are modified in a predetermined manner to indicate information. While ATMs  102 ,  104  may have different data transfer rates, each is coupled to the host computer  110  through a communications link that includes the Internet  108 .  
         [0014]     In  FIG. 2 , the system  200  includes four ATMs  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208  which are organized into two groups of two. Each group of ATMs is associated with a LAN server  210 ,  212  (LAN is an acronym for Local Area Network). System  200  can be used when multiple ATMs are associated with particular physical locations. For example, a bank or a shopping mall may have two or more ATMs. The first group of ATMs  202 ,  204  are coupled to LAN server  210 . As one example, the ATMs  202 ,  204  can use an ethernet protocol (such as Ethernet, 100Base-T, or Gigabit Ethernet) and architecture to route messages to and from the LAN server  210 . Other LAN protocols and architectures can also be used. The second group of ATMs  206 ,  208  are couple to LAN server  212 . The LAN servers  210 ,  212  are coupled to the host computer  214 , for example in a Wide Area Network (WAN). The communications between the LAN servers  210 ,  212  and the host computer  214  can travel through a public network such as the telephone system or the Internet. The communications between the LAN servers  210 ,  212  and the host computer  214  can also travel through private telecommunications devices such as a leased line or a satellite. While system  200  shows only two LAN servers  210 ,  212 , additional LANs with two or more ATMs could be added. For example, a banking company may have hundreds of branches with each branch including one or more ATMs that are connected to a LAN for that branch. A LAN server employed with a particular bank branch can be called a branch controller. The LAN need not be dedicated to the ATMs. For example, computers used by branch employees may also be connected to the LAN and the WAN to send and receive information. As an alternative embodiment, the ATMs  202 ,  204  may only send information to the LAN server  210  and not to the host computer  214 . An employee of the branch with LAN server  210  can then determine whether to send a group of ATM communications on to the host computer  214  or an automatic process can be performed, for example at the end of the day. A central facility  216  can also be provided to store information received from the ATMs. For example, the host computer  214  can store information received from the ATMs  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208  for a set time period and forward older information to be stored at the central facility  216 .  
         [0015]     While  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate particular network configurations, many other configurations are possible. For example, a single ATM may communicate with a single computer through a dial-up link. In other words, the ATM establishes a call only as part of the process for sending a message and does not maintain the call at other times. Such a call can occur over a copper wire connection or using a wireless connection established by a mobile phone as two examples. In addition, many different communications protocols can be used to encode information transmitted from the ATM(s), including but not limited to Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The information transmitted using these protocols can be compressed prior to transmission using, for example, one of several known compression techniques. The communications hardware includes but not limited to electrical wires or cables, optical cables, and wireless transmitters and receivers.  
         [0016]     In one embodiment, the ATMs shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  are accessible by customers for customer transactions. The ATMs can include buttons, a card scanner, or a touch-sensitive screen by which the ATM receive instructions and information from a customer. One example ATM may have a card reader, a screen, a group of number keys, and a group of buttons next to the screen. The ATM is programmed to have a transaction ready state where a customer can initiate a transaction by presenting a card that includes card information to the card reader. Certain example cards store card information on a magnetic stripe. Other example cards, such as smart cards, store card using on-card circuitry. The ATM can read the information on the card. The ATM can then display a request for a code to be entered using the number keys. The ATM can then wait a predetermined amount of time to receive the code. Certain example cards include circuitry that allows the ATM to locally authenticate the user, without contacting a computer host, such as computer host  110 . Other example cards require that the code be remotely authenticated, for example, by contacting the issuing institution to verity the code. If the correct code is entered, the ATM can then provide options with a graphical indication of the button that corresponds to each option to guide the customer through a transaction. The example ATM with these structures is configured to allow customer transactions in which the ATM both displays information to the customer and receives information from the customer. The same structures can be used to perform administrative transactions. For example, a particular magnetic card and code can be used to initiate a transaction by a bank employee who inserted cash to replenish the ATM.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing an example method for operating an ATM in an offline mode and an online mode. The ATM receives an online/offline configuration message (block  302 ). In general, the online/offline configuration message specifies zero or more conditions when the ATM is to go offline and one or more conditions when the ATM is to go back online. In certain implementations, the online/offline configuration message may specify that the ATM is to go offline immediately. In other implementations, the online/offline configuration message may specify one or more conditions when the ATM is to go offline, which may include going offline at a specified time or based on the occurrence of one or more other conditions. The one or more conditions when the ATM is to go online may include, for example going online at one or more specified times. After receiving the online/offline configuration message (block  305 ), the ATM goes offline (block  304 ). While offline, the ATM performs zero or more offline transactions until one or more conditions to go back online are met (block  306 , which is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 4 ). The ATM goes online (block  308 ), and send a log of the zero or more offline transactions to a computer, such as host computer  110  (block  310 ).  
         [0018]     An example method for performing zero or more offline transactions until one or more conditions are met to go online (block  306 ), is shown in  FIG. 4 . A user presents a card to the ATM (not shown). The ATM receives information from the card (block  402 ), and determines if the user can authenticate locally (block  404 ). In certain example implementations, this condition is met where the user presents a card with embedded logic which allows the ATM to verify the user&#39;s PIN without having to contact a remote computer, such as remote host  110 . If the user cannot authenticate locally (block  404 ), then the ATM determine whether to go online based on this condition (block  406 ), and if so the ATM goes online (block  308 ), otherwise the ATM does not allow the transaction to proceed (block  408 ).  
         [0019]     If the user can authenticate locally (block  404 ), then the ATM attempts to authenticate the user. If the user cannot authenticate, the ATM proceeds to block  406 . If the user has authenticated, then the ATM determine if a transaction type selected by the user can be performed offline. If the transaction type selected by the user cannot be performed offline, then the ATM proceeds to block  406 , where it determines whether to go online based on the condition. If the transaction can be performed offline, then the ATM performs the transaction offline and logs the transaction (block  408 ).  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows an example data structure  500  of an online/offline configuration message received by the ATM at block  302 . The message information is stored in nested tags. Each of the tags can include data and/or tags contained within it. The top level tag is an online/offline configuration tag  502 . The online/offline configuration tag  502  includes a go offline tag. In general, the go offline tag  502  may include zero or more tags to specify when to go offline. In other implementations, the online/offline configuration tag  502  may not include a go offline tag  504 . The go offline tag  504  includes a time tag  506  with content  508  specifying when the ATM is to go offline. The content  508  may specify one or more of a date and a time of day to go offline. The go offline tag  504  also includes an other condition tag  510  with content  512  specifying when the ATM is to go offline. In certain implementations, the conditions to go offline may depend of hardware limitations, such as communications link limitations, or business conditions.  
         [0021]     The online/offline configuration tag  502  includes a go online tag  514 . The go online tag  514 , in turn, includes a time tag  516  with content  518  that specifies when the ATM is to go online. In general, the go online tag includes one or more tags to specify conditions when the ATM should go online. The go online tag  514  includes a local authentication not possible tag  520  with content  522  to specify whether to ATM is to go back online if the user attempts to conduct a transaction at the ATM with a card that cannot authenticate the user, or if the user cannot authenticate with such a card. The go online tag  514  includes a transaction amount exceeded tag  514  with content  526  to specify whether the ATM will go online if a maximum transaction amount is exceeded while offline. The go online tag  514  includes a transaction type not allowed tag  528  with content  530  to specify whether the ATM will go online if the user attempts to perform a transaction type that is not allowed while the ATM is offline. The go online tag  514  includes an other condition tag  532  and content  534  to specify one or more other conditions when the ATM will go online if the condition occurs.  
         [0022]     In certain implementations, the online/offline configuration of the ATM is stored by the ATM as part of a logical object.  
         [0023]     The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.