Automated Banking Machine Virtual Person Customer Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Banking customers face inefficiencies and errors in transactions due to overcrowding, resource unavailability, and incorrect data entry, leading to long wait times and negative experiences, especially when interacting with automated banking machines and human resources.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system with welcome terminals connected to branch bank computers that guide customers to available resources, track their movements, and pre-process transactions by capturing images and data entry, allowing for personalized greetings and efficient routing within the bank facility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If customers approach tellers or banking resources directly upon entering the bank, then immediate service may be provided, but banking resources become overburdened and unable to process all requests timely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmediate service accessVSAvoidbanking resource processing capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by capturing customer images and pre-processing transaction requests before customers actually reach the banking resources. The welcome terminal records customer data and images in advance, and the system pre-processes transaction requests to determine optimal resource routing, thereby preparing the system ahead of time to handle multiple customers efficiently without overburdening resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple customers wait in line for the same banking resource, then first-come-first-served order is maintained, but long wait times occur and customer experience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice order fairnessVSAvoidcustomer wait time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system captures customer images and pre-processes transaction requests at the welcome terminal before customers join physical lines. By determining optimal resource routing in advance and pre-processing requests, the system prepares multiple customers for simultaneous or near-simultaneous service, significantly reducing wait times while maintaining fair service allocation through automated queue management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical first-come-first-served physical line system with an automated digital queue management system. The computer system automatically tracks customer positions, processes transactions electronically, and routes customers to appropriate resources based on real-time availability, eliminating the need for physical waiting lines and reducing wait times while maintaining service fairness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If banking customers guess which resources are available, then they can attempt transactions independently, but they may direct themselves to busy resources and spend more time completing transactions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindependent transaction selectionVSAvoidtransaction completion time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides real-time feedback to customers about resource availability through the welcome terminal. After capturing customer images and transaction requests, the system communicates which banking resources are currently available and routes customers accordingly. This feedback mechanism guides customers to optimal resources based on real-time system state, preventing them from choosing busy resources and reducing overall transaction completion time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Ease of operation

If bank officers manually greet and assist waiting customers, then personalized service is provided, but officers cannot know what waiting customers look like or if they have left the waiting area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepersonalized customer greetingVSAvoidcustomer appearance and location data

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates digital copies of customer images at the welcome terminal and stores them in the computer system. These image copies are then transmitted to bank officers' devices, enabling officers to see what waiting customers look like without physical contact. The system also tracks customer locations digitally, allowing officers to know whether customers are still in the waiting area or have left, thereby maintaining personalized service capabilities while overcoming the limitations of manual greeting methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS9098961B1Automated banking machine that employs a virtual person for assisting customers

Publication Date: 2015.08.04 DIEBOLD NIXDORF INCORPORATED

AI summary

In an example embodiment, an automated banking machine that includes a computer, a camera, a display and an audio output device and is operative to cause visual outputs through the display and audio outputs through the audio output device, which correspond to a simulated person. The camera is in operative connection with the computer, and provides camera data to the computer. The computer is responsive at least in part to the camera data to cause eyes of the output simulated person to be directed toward the eyes of the machine user.