Method and system for remote delivery of retail banking services

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for conducting financial transactions using an ATM network of the type connected to at least one financial institution, said financial institution maintaining an account for a specific user, said system comprising;

a central computer;

at least one remote data terminal including user input means and an alpha-numeric display, said data terminal coupled to a dial-up telephone line, said remote data terminal including means for generating first data representing a payee, second data representing an amount, and third data representing an ATM network compatible personal identification number;

telecommunication means including a first modem operatively coupled to said central computer and a second modem operatively coupled to said remote data terminal, said telecommunications means for communicating said first, second and third data from said remote data terminal to said central computer via said dial-up telephone line,

said central computer further including means for generating a digital message responsive to said communicated first, second and third data and for applying said digital message including said ATM network compatible personal identification number to said ATM network so as to selectively effect debiting of said user account substantially in real-time response to user manipulation of said remote terminal input keys.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said terminal comprises:

an alpha-numeric display device capable of displaying a maximum of N lines of text, N being an integer; and

a plurality N of pointer keys manipulable by the user, each of said N pointer keys pointing to a different one of said N display lines.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein:

said central computer connects to said dial-up telephone line via a packet data network that frames messages in packets of predetermined length; and

said central computer includes means for generating display data specifying the display content of all of said N lines of said display and for inserting all of said display data into a single one of said packets.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein:

said central computer connects to said dial-up telephone line via a packet data network;

said packet data network frames messages carried thereby into fixed-length packets of a predetermined size; and

said central computer includes means for specifying substantially all of said characters displayed by said terminal display including means for formatting data controlling said terminal display into a single one of said fixed-length packets.

5. A system as in claim 4 wherein said packets have a fixed length of 128 bytes and said said terminal display provides a variable display of less than 128 characters.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein said terminal includes encryption means for encrypting at least said third data.

7. A system as in claim 1 wherein:

said terminal includes an alpha-numeric panel-type display and a plurality of selectively illuminatable prompts having ON and OFF states; and

said central computer includes means for controlling, via said telecommunications means, the information displayed on said display and the ON/OFF states of said illuminatable prompts.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said central computer comprises means for generating a 128 byte data packet comprising digital data representing display and prompt information and means for transmitting said generated packet to said terminal via said dial-up telephone line.

9. A system as in claim 1 wherein:

said terminal further includes a help key and a cancel key;

said central computer includes means for providing context-sensitive help information for display on said terminal display in response to user depression of said help key; and

said central computer ignores the last keystroke provided by said user in response to depression of said cancel key.

10. A system as in claim 1 wherein said terminal further includes alpha-numeric keypad means for facilitating input by said user of said second data.

11. A system as in claim 1 wherein said terminal further includes screen navigation keys for requesting recall of information previously displayed by said terminal.

12. A system as in claim 1 wherein said terminal includes encrypting means for encrypting said personal identification number.

13. A system as in claim 12 wherein said encrypting means comprises means for encrypting said personal identification number using DES.

14. A system as in claim 1 wherein said remote data terminal comprises a home terminal for connecting to said dialup telephone line, said terminal providing voice and data communications capabilities, said terminal comprising:

a housing;

a digital controller disposed within said housing;

said user input means, coupled to said digital controller, for inputting said personal identification number;

encrypting means coupled to said digital controller and disposed within said housing for encrypting said inputted personal identification number to provide ATM network compatible encrypted personal identification data;

wherein said alphanumeric display is electrically coupled to said digital controller and disposed on said housing, and said display is capable of simultaneously displaying a plurality N of discrete lines of information;

a plurality N of user-manipulable controls, coupled to said controller and disposed on said housing, each of said N controls associated with and corresponding to a different one of said plurality N of discrete display information lines, said controls for selection of menu options displayed on said corresponding display information lines;

a telephone handset for permitting voice communications over said dialup telephone line; and

wherein said second modem is disposed within said housing and coupled to said controller, and said second modem is adapted to communicate data between said controller and said central computer via said dialup telephone line, said second modem for transmitting said ATM network compatible encrypted personal identification data from said terminal to said central computer via said dialup telephone line, and for communicating information bidirectionally with said central computer in a packet data network format to efficiently provide a high degree of on line interactivity between (a) said central computer, and (b) a user viewing said display and operating said controls.

15. A system as in claim 14 wherein said controller includes means for periodically transmitting a random number over said telephone line.

16. A system as in claim 14 wherein said second modem automatically transmits a tone-blocking signal over a telephone line to prevent intervention by a call interrupt service.

17. A system as in claim 14 further including a power supply means coupled to a telephone line, said power supply means for providing power to at least said controller and for recharging in response to voltages present on said telephone line.

18. A system as in claim 14 wherein said controller includes memory buffer means for receiving and temporarily storing signals representing user input and for supplying said stored signals to said second modem for transmission over said telephone line.

19. A system as in claim 14 wherein said terminal further includes navigational keys for requesting display of previous and subsequent screens in a predetermined sequence of screens.

20. A system as in claim 14 further including means for interfacing with a non-volatile memory element so as to permit credits to be downloaded to said terminal and stored by said memory element.

21. A system as in claim 14 wherein said encrypting means comprises means for encrypting said inputted personal identification number using DES.

22. A method of distributing financial services remotely, comprising the following steps:

providing a plurality of remote home banking terminals to a corresponding plurality of users;

receiving bill paying requests including user-supplied ATM network compatible personal identification information from said plurality of terminals over dial-up telephone lines; and

processing said bill paying requests substantially in real-time at a central computer operatively coupled to said telephone lines, said processing step including the following steps:

generating POS or other ATM interchange-compatible debit messages including said ATM network compatible personal identification information responsive to information transmitted by users from said remote home banking terminals to said central computer over said telephone lines;

transmitting said debit messages over an ATM network substantially in real-time response to said user bill paying requests;

debiting said users' bank accounts substantially in real-time in response to said debit message; and

paying entities selected by said users via said remote home banking terminals with funds obtained by debiting the users' bank accounts.

23. A method as in claim 22 wherein said bill paying requests receiving step includes the step of receiving a user-inputted personal identification number that is encrypted using DES.

24. A method of paying bills comprising the following steps:

activating a microprocessor-based home banking terminal coupled to a standard dial-up telephone line;

causing and controlling said home banking terminal to establish communications with a central computer over said telephone line;

inputting a PIN user identification number;

manipulating said terminal to select a payee;

manipulating said terminal to select an amount to pay said payee;

encrypting said PIN user identification number at said home banking terminal to provide an ATM network compatible encrypted PIN user identification number;

transmitting data representing said ATM network compatible encrypted PIN user identification number and said amount from said home banking terminal to said central computer;

generating, substantially in real-time at said central computer in response to said transmitted data, an ATM network transaction debit message encoding at least said ATM network compatible encrypted PIN and said amount;

transmitting said ATM network transaction debit message from said central computer to said user's bank substantially in real-time over an ATM network;

validating and processing said ATM network transaction debit message at said user's bank substantially in real-time;

controlling, with said central computer, a means for paying said selected payee said selected amount; and

transferring funds in the amount specified by said ATM network transaction debit message from said user's bank to the operator associated with said central computer.

25. A method as in claim 24 wherein said home banking terminal includes an alphanumeric multiline display, and said manipulating steps each include the step of prompting for inputs by displaying information on said alphanumeric multiline display.

26. A method as in claim 24 wherein said home banking terminal includes plural user-depressable controls, and said inputting step comprises the step of inputting said PIN user identification number by depressing said controls.

27. A method as in claim 24 wherein said encrypting step includes encrypting said PIN user identification number using DES.

28. A method of providing home banking services comprising the following steps:

providing home banking terminals to users;

communicating with said home banking terminals on demand using a central computer;

receiving financial service requests from said home banking terminals, said receiving step including receiving at least an ATM network compatible encrypted user PIN, an amount, and a payee selection;

processing said received financial service requests with said central computer, including the steps of:

generating and communicating messages from said central computer to users' banks over an ATM network resulting in debiting of user's bank accounts electronically substantially in real-time response to receipt of user bill paying requests, including the step of generating a digital ATM network transaction message containing at least said ATM network compatible encrypted user PIN and said amount and applying said message to said ATM network;

disbursing payments electronically with said central computer to payees selected by said users;

obtaining advertising text from advertisers and storing said advertising text on said central computer;

transmitting said advertising text from said central computer to said home banking terminals; and

generating, at said users' banks, unified statements including at least some of the information contained within said ATM network transaction message.

29. A method as in claim 28 wherein:

said method further includes the step of separately communicating said payee selection to said users' banks; and

said generating step includes the step of generating a report specifying said separately communicated payee selection information.

30. A method as in claim 28 wherein said disbursing step comprises the step of electronically disbursing said payments by communicating data across a network of electronic lockboxes.

31. A method as in claim 28 further including encrypting user PIN data within said home banking terminals using DES.

32. A method of distributing advertising remotely comprising the following steps:

providing home banking terminals to users;

communicating with said home banking terminals on demand using a central computer;

receiving financial service requests included encrypted PIN information with