Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Banking systems
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-28
2001-09-11
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Banking systems
C235S380000, C235S382000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286756
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The invention relates to automated teller machines for use in performing financial transactions.
In general, a customer uses an automated teller machine (“ATM”) to access the customer's bank account. For example, the customer may use the ATM to make deposits or withdrawals from a checking or savings account, or to determine the balance of such an account.
Traditional ATMs identify a customer based on an identification card provided by the customer's bank and a personal identification number (“PIN”) that is recorded in a database and, presumably, known only to the customer. When using a traditional ATM, the customer inserts the identification card into a slot of the ATM. The card includes a magnetic strip on which is encoded information about the customer's bank accounts (e.g., the account number of the customer's checking account). The ATM responds to insertion of the card by prompting the customer to enter the customer's PIN. The ATM then compares the PIN entered by the customer to the PIN stored in the database. If the two PINs match, the ATM determines that the customer is authorized to access the account associated with the inserted card.
SUMMARY
The invention provides careless automated financial transactions through unmanned ATMs. The ATMs use biometric information to confirm a customer's identity prior to contacting a banking network provider. For example, the ATM may produce an image of the customer's face as the customer types in an identification number, and then may compare the image with an image stored in association with the identification number to verify the customer's identity. Use of biometric information promises to vastly improve the identification process and to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of fraudulent ATM transactions. In addition, elimination of the need for identification cards when performing ATM transactions promises to increase the convenience of such transactions.
In one aspect, generally, an apparatus for providing careless-automated financial transactions includes an input device configured to generate an input signal corresponding to a customer identifier in response to actuation of the input device by a customer, a biometric device configured to receive biometric information about the customer, a storage device including a database of customer information that includes stored biometric information, and a connection to a banking network provider. An electronic processor of the apparatus is configured to receive the input signals from the input device, receive biometric information from the biometric device, and access the database of customer information in response to the input signals to obtain data about the customer identified by the customer identifier, the data including stored biometric information for the customer. The processor then compares the received biometric information to the stored biometric information, and provides a message to the tanking network provider confirming the customer's identity when the received biometric information matches the stored biometric information.
Embodiments of the apparatus may include one or more of the following features. The apparatus may further include a cash dispenser, with the electronic processor being configured to receive messages from the banking network provider through the connection and to signal the cash dispenser to dispense cash to the customer in response to a message from the banking network provider.
The biometric device may be a camera, such as a digital video camera, configured to obtain an image of the customer's face, and the biometric information may be the image of the customer's face. The camera may be configured to obtain the image of the customer's face in response to actuation of the input device by the customer. The stored biometric information may include stored images of customers' faces, and comparing the received biometric information to the stored biometric information may include comparing an image of the customer's face from the database of customer information to the image of the customer's face produced by the camera to confirm the identity of the customer. The apparatus also may include a second camera configured to obtain a second image of the customer's face, and the processor may be configured to compare the first and second images when confirming the identity of the customer. The apparatus also may include lights positioned to illuminate the customer's face to improve an image obtained by the camera.
The biometric information also may include the customer's fingerprint.
The customer identifier may be an identification number, and may include multiple symbols. The input device may be configured to produce an input signal corresponding to one symbol in response to each actuation of the input device by the customer.
The apparatus may include an output device for providing information to the customer. For example, the input device and the output device may be provided by a touch screen display. The output device may be a speaker, and the apparatus may include a voice synthesizer connected to the speaker and configured to provide spoken information to the customer through the speaker. The input device may be a numeric keypad.
The apparatus may be configured to perform card-based automated financial transactions in addition to careless transactions. To perform card-based-automated financial transactions, the apparatus may contact the connection to the banking network provider in response to insertion of a card into the card reader and entry of a personal identification number using the input device.
The apparatus may be configured to perform check-cashing transactions in addition to careless automated financial transactions. To this end, the apparatus may include a check reader configured to receive and read a check to be processed, and a cash dispenser. The electronic processor may be configured to perform check-cashing transactions by receiving the input signals from the input device, receiving information about the check to be processed from the check reader, accessing the database of customer information to obtain data about the customer, determining automatically whether to accept or reject the check based on the input signals, the received information about the check, and the data about the customer, and upon accepting the check, signalling the cash dispenser to dispense cash to the customer.
The apparatus may be configured to determine automatically whether to accept or reject the check by applying a set of business rules. The business rules may be defined generally to permit the processor to accept the check if the customer has used the apparatus previously to cash a previous check for a similar amount from a payor associated with the check to be processed.
The apparatus also may be configured to accept the check when the database of customer information includes a record for the customer and other criteria are met. For example, the processor may be configured to accept the check when criteria stored in the record for the customer are met. The processor may be configured to reject the check when a criterion stored in the record for the customer is not met.
The storage device also may include a database of payor information, and the processor may be configured to accept the check when the database of customer information includes a record for the customer, criteria stored in the record for the customer are met, the database of payor information includes a record for a payor of the check, and criteria stored in the record for the payor are met. The processor may be configured to reject the check when a criterion stored in the record for the payor is not met.
A system for providing careless automated financial transactions may include one or more instances of the apparatus along with a remotely located service center. Each apparatus may include a first communications device connected to the processor, and the service center may include a second commun
Clower Dyron
Stinson Michael C.
Templer, Jr. John W.
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Franklin Jamara A.
Frech Karl D.
InnoVentry Corporation
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