| 摘要 |
Disclosed is an inventive concept in the field of automated teller machines, frequently referred to as ATM's. The concept, referred to as a “micro-branch,” comprises a method of presenting a sequence of automated, interactive video presentations to a user who then performs desired financial transactions. In particular, the disclosed concept relates to a free-standing kiosk that can perform a plurality of financial transactions which, up to now, were only available at the main office or a branch office of the financial institution. The preferred embodiment of this concept is the design of a system specifically applicable to a credit union and its members, although similar transactions may be engaged in by customers of banks and other financial institutions. The functional characteristics of the concept include the user's selection of varied video “concierges” to provide intuitive-type assistance to the user of the system. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method for a customer or account holder of a financial. institution to operate any of a plurality of automated, video-teller machines for financial transactions, said machines being owned by the financial institution and installed at locations remote from the physical location of said financial institution or any of its physically structured branches, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the main branch of the financial institution with a primary front-end server capable of communicating with the internet and routing data packages to a variety of entities, including said remote video-teller machines; providing a kiosk or similar structure to house said video-teller machine, as a micro-branch of the financial institution, said micro-branch having a means of direct communication with the primary server of said financial institution; providing said micro-branch with application programming interface (API) for specific communication with a core platform/data processing system used by the financial institution; providing, a touch-screen monitor with an opening home page displaying a one-page concierge screen seeking determination as to Whether the user accessing the micro-branch is a current customer or a new customer of the financial institution; providing, upon a user selecting a: “member”/“customer” option on the monitor, an electronically loaded program for member/customer authentication: determining, whether a new customer is accessing the micro-branch system, and thereupon displaying a series of sequential electronic screens for the purpose of registering the user as a financial institution customer and registering a password if the user is a first-time customer of the financial institution; providing an overview page displaying tiles in a dashboard layout upon a user initiating access to any desired financial transaction as allowed by the core system of the financial institution; providing an on-screen concierge which offers a variety of demographic profiles for guiding the user through a manually-selected transaction and its associated procedures; providing capability for the micro branch unit to perform a plurality of transactions which include, minimally, cash deposits, cash withdrawal, check deposits, cashier check disbursements, loan payments, funds transfer between sub-accounts, stop payment (check), stop payment (ACH), account balance inquiries, loan balance inquiries, account details, loan details, signatures for required transactions, loan origination decisions, loan closings, loan proceeds disbursements, new customer processing, and account management. |
