Ncr Corporation

Michael James Neilan

Robin Angus

Timothy F Brown

Edgar Rojas

Kevin Horgan

Simon J Forrest

Alexander William Whytock

Gordon David Chisholm

James Henderson

Colin Herkes

A memory device is interfaced to a SST; an identifier and, optionally, an invalid identifier list are received from the device. The invalid identifier list is updated to the SST when the invalid identifier list is a more recent version of a SST invalid identifier list. The identifier is invalidated when the identifier is matched in the invalid identifier list or when an expiration date associated with the identifier has expired. When the identifier is invalid, access to administrative features of the SST is denied; and when the identifier is valid access to the administrative features is granted.

Maintaining secure access to a self-service terminal (SST)

A method of managing media replenishment for a media terminal is described. The method comprises: calculating an amount of media required for the media terminal; receiving from the media terminal an indication of media items deposited at that media terminal that have a condition fulfilling a condition criterion; and adjusting the calculated amount of media required based on the indication of media items that fulfill the condition criterion.

Managing media replenishment

A method of method of managing media replenishment at a media terminal, the method comprising: receiving a media event from a media terminal; retrieving a next scheduled media replenishment event for that media terminal; evaluating if the next scheduled media replenishment event is scheduled to occur within an acceptable delay period; and initiating an unscheduled replenishment event only if the next scheduled media replenishment event is scheduled to occur after the acceptable delay period.

Media replenishment management

A method of providing a service operation event notification is described. The method comprises: receiving at a management application an indication of a service event at a media terminal, where the indication includes (i) a service event type and (ii) a service event time; and updating the management application to record the type of event and a time associated with that event. The service event type may be an 'engineer arrived' event, an 'engineer left' event, or a replenishment scheduled event.

Event notification

A method of validating resolution of a problem at a media terminal is described. The method comprises accessing a file including a task; identifying a plurality of specific actions to be taken to perform the task; and ascertaining each event that would be triggered by the media terminal when each identified specific action is performed correctly. The method further comprises: displaying the identified specific actions to a service engineer; and transmitting a validation message to a remote management system when all ascertained events have been triggered in response to the service engineer performing the identified specific actions correctly.

Problem resolution validation

A method of managing media counts at a media terminal is described. The method comprises: receiving an expected media count from a remote management application; detecting a media replenisher at the media terminal; providing the expected media count to the media replenisher; and receiving confirmation from the media replenisher that the expected media count corresponds to the actual media present.

Media count replenishment management

A method of providing secure authentication of a service user at a self-service terminal is described. The method comprises: detecting attempted access by the service user to a restricted function on the self-service terminal; ascertaining if a removable storage device is in communication with the self-service terminal; in the event that a removable storage device is not in communication with the self-service terminal, denying access to the restricted function; in the event that a removable storage device is in communication with the self-service terminal, prompting the service user to enter login credentials. The method further comprises comparing the entered login credentials with access details stored on the removable storage device; denying access to the restricted function if the entered login credentials do not comply with the access details; permitting access to the restricted function if the login credentials do comply with the access details; and storing details relating to the access.

Secure authentication at a self-service terminal

A method of handling events is described. The method comprises: receiving an event; transmitting the event to a remote management application; receiving a new event; ascertaining if the new event fulfills an event storm criterion; suppressing the new event if the new event fulfills the event storm criterion; and transmitting the new event to the remote management application if the new event does not fulfill the event storm criterion.

Event handling

A self-service terminal comprises a pc core; at least one module coupled to the pc core; a control application executing on the pc core for controlling the operation of the terminal; and a management application executing on the pc core. The management application is arranged to (i) monitor state of health of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, (ii) detect a fault state at any of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, (iii) monitor the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, and (iv) transmit a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied.

Self-service terminal

A self-service terminal comprises a pc core and at least one module, which can be powered down independently of the pc core, the terminal has a control application and an agent arranged to monitor the fault state of the at least one module and cause a fault signal to be sent from the self-service terminal when the fault state of the at least one module is characteristic of a problem with the at least one module. The agent is arranged to determine if the module has been powered down; whereupon the fault signal is buffered until the module is powered up and a determination as to the fault state of the module is again made. The fault signal is only sent if the fault state still indicates there to be a problem with the at least one module.

A method of validating machine components in a self-service terminal is disclosed which comprises providing at least one machine component with a machine readable identifier and reading identity data from the machine readable identifier using a processing unit. The identity data is compared with identity data stored in the memory of the processing unit to determine if the identity of a component has changed. If the identity has changed, the processing unit compares the identity data with source data to determine if the component is from a trusted source. In one embodiment, the self service terminal is an ATM and the components are an encrypting Personal Identification Number (PIN) pad, a cash dispenser unit and a card reader.

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Dundee, United Kingdom

Michael James Neilan