Consumer transaction facility

Details Consumer transaction facility Consumer transaction facility

1999-10-07

2003-06-17

Hoff, Marc S. (Department: 2857)

Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing

Measurement system

Time duration or rate

C702S139000, C702S150000, C702S152000, C702S183000, C702S187000, C702S188000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06581024

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a consumer transaction facility for performing consumer transactions with customers, such as for example, an automatic teller machine (ATM) and a cash dispenser (CD).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today, a consumer transaction facility is installed in a bank and the like, and it is general to perform consumer transactions such as a receipt of money and a transfer of money. Such a consumer transaction facility serves to compensate for a shortage of workers, and it is convenient for customers.
However, in some time, for example, in a utilizing time zone for a consumer transaction facility, it happens that the consumer transaction facility is thronged with users, and thus it is obliged for customers to wait for a while. Even in this situation, according to the conventional consumer transaction facility, there is taken no measures to meet the situation, and there is simply received the users in turn without taking into account a situation that the users are obliged to wait.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a consumer transaction facility taking into account a situation that the users are obliged to wait.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a consumer transaction facility for performing transactions in accordance with an operation of a customer, said consumer transaction facility comprising:
a customer sensor for detecting whether a customer stands in front of said consumer transaction facility;
an interface unit for notifying a customer of a message;
a timer unit for measuring a time of a customer's absence during a period of time from a first timing wherein it is detected by said customer sensor that a customer removes from the front to a second timing wherein another customer stands in front of said consumer transaction facility; and
a determining unit for determining whether the time of a customer's absence measured by said timer unit is within a predetermined time,
wherein in a case where said determining unit determines that the time of a customer's absence is within the predetermined time, said interface unit notifies a customer of a message associated with a matter that the time of a customer's absence is within the predetermined time.
In the above-mentioned consumer transaction facility according to the present invention, it is acceptable that said interface unit notifies a customer of mutually different messages in accordance with a decision result by said determining unit.
In the above-mentioned consumer transaction facility according to the present invention, it is acceptable that said interface unit notifies a customer of a message by a screen display. Alternatively, it is acceptable that said interface unit notifies a customer of a message by a voice.
In the above-mentioned consumer transaction facility according to the present invention, typically, said customer sensor is provided on a main frame of said consumer transaction facility.
In the above-mentioned consumer transaction facility according to the present invention, it is acceptable that said timer unit starts clocking in the first timing and stops clocking in the second timing. In the above-mentioned consumer transaction facility according to the present invention, it is acceptable that said timer unit stores a time of the first timing in the first timing, and determines in the second timing a difference between a time of the second timing and the time of the first timing which is stored.
The consumer transaction facility according to the present invention is typically to perform a transfer of cash with a customer.
When a time interval (a time of a customer's absence) from a timing wherein a customer removes from the front to a timing wherein a successive customer stands the front is short, it is considered that the later customer waited one's turn. Thus, according to the consumer transaction facility according to the present invention, a message associated with the matter of waiting, for example, a message for an apology for waiting, is conveyed to the customer. This makes it possible even somewhat to ease dissatisfaction of a customer who was obliged to wait one's turn.


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