System and method for dispensing digital information from an automated transaction machine

Abstract

An automated teller machine (ATM) (10) includes an input device (16) a card reader (20), a cash dispenser (24), and an output device (18). The ATM is operative to read account information from a card with the card reader and validate a user PIN input through the input device. The ATM may also be operative to dispense cash with the cash dispenser and dispense digital content with the output device responsive to user input selections. The ATM may be further operative to charge a user fee to an account associated with the card for the dispense of cash and digital content. Digital content dispensed by the ATM may include sound recordings such as MP3 files, video files, books, graphics, photographs, and other digital data. In cases where the ATM dispenses visual content the output device may include a printer that is operative to output printed photographs. Photographic image files may be acquired by the ATM from a remote photo processor or other digital information source accessible through the Internet or other network. The ATM may be operated through user inputs to manipulate image files. Image files may also be selectively received from or dispensed to a portable storage medium through a reading device or recording device connected to the ATM. Fees associated with the dispense of the image files may be transferred from an account associated with a user.

Description

[0001] This Application claims benefit pursuant to 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) of Provisional Application Serial Nos. 60 / 180,490 filed Feb. 5, 2000 and 60 / 250,269 filed Nov. 30, 2000.[0002] This invention relates to the dispensing of digital information from an automated transaction machine. Specifically this invention relates to a system and method for downloading and dispensing digital information such as sound recording files from an automated transaction machine.[0003] Automated transaction machines are known in the prior art. For purposes of this disclosure an automated transaction machine shall include any device which is capable of carrying out transactions including transfers of value. A common type of automated transaction machine is an automated teller machine (ATM). ATMs are typically operative to perform banking transactions such as dispensing cash, transferring value between banking accounts, or accepting deposits. Many ATMs are located in retail or service facilities such ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

0034] In an alternative form of the present invention, the ATM may be operative to periodically download a selection of digital information in response to programmed instructions to acquire one or more categories of digital information. By pre-downloading and storing d

Problems solved by technology

If the ATM has only marginal use, the income generated may not be sufficient to justify the expense of maintaining the ATM.

For example maintenance and service costs may consume a large portion of the monthly income generated by an ATM which has low transaction volumes.

However, MP3 files are "lossy" meaning that the compression algorithms remove digital information that most people cannot hear or cannot distinguish from other sounds.

If a high sampling rate is used to generate the MP3 files, the sound quality is only slightly inferior to that of the original audio file.

Unfortunately, the technology associated with creating MP3 files from a CD and downloading MP3 files from web sites has resulted in a significant amount of music piracy and lost revenues for artists and music recording companies.

Because MP3 files are already wildly accepted as the de facto standard, it may be very difficult for new file formats to replace MP3.

The popularity of MP3 fi

Images