초록 ▼

A system for programming point of sale devices is provided. The system includes a terminal programming system that can program point of sale devices provided by different manufacturers and having different proprietary operating systems. A communications interface is connected to the terminal program

A system for programming point of sale devices is provided. The system includes a terminal programming system that can program point of sale devices provided by different manufacturers and having different proprietary operating systems. A communications interface is connected to the terminal programming system that receives update requests from the plurality of point of sale devices, such as when the point of sale devices call in to the system or when the point of sale devices respond to a poll.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method utilizing automated machines that operate responsive to data to cause financial transfers, wherein each machine includes a card reader, wherein the card reader is operative to read card data from user cards, wherein the card data corresponds to at least one financial account, and wherein

1. A method utilizing automated machines that operate responsive to data to cause financial transfers, wherein each machine includes a card reader, wherein the card reader is operative to read card data from user cards, wherein the card data corresponds to at least one financial account, and wherein each machine is operative to cause financial transfers, comprising: (a) storing in at least one data memory through operation of at least one computer, data corresponding to:(i) one or more entities which can each have operational responsibility for at least one function of one or more of the automated machines;(ii) for each entity, at least one identifier associated with at least one computer program operated in association with at least one automated machine for which the respective entity has operational responsibility;(iii) a plurality of templates, wherein each template is operative to provide update changes to at least one computer program; and(iv) for each template, at least one identifier associated with the at least one computer program in (iii) to which the respective template is operative to provide update changes;(b) receiving through operation of the at least one computer, data corresponding to a first entity;(c) determining through operation of the at least one computer at least one template that can be used to make update changes to at least one computer program operated in association with at least one automated machine for which the first entity has operational responsibility; wherein (a) further includes storing in at least one data memory (v) at least one system address from which the at least one template can be downloaded, and wherein in (e) the data corresponding to the at least one template includes at least one electronic message including the at least one system address from which the at least one template can be downloaded. 2. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising (d) communicating to the first entity, data corresponding to the at least one template determined in (c). 3. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising (d) communicating an electronic message to the first entity indicating an availability of at least one template usable by the first entity. 4. The method according to claim 3 wherein (iii) includes storing in the at least one data memory, data representative of a previously unavailable template, and wherein (iv) includes storing in the at least one data memory, data corresponding to an identifier associated with at least one first computer program to which the previously unavailable template can be used to provide update changes, and further comprising (e) determining through operation of the at least one computer that the at least one first computer program operates in association with at least one automated machine for which the first entity has operational responsibility. 5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the communication in (d) indicates an availability of the previously unavailable template and is communicated to the first entity responsive to determination in (e). 6. The method according to claim 5 wherein (b) includes receiving a message from the first entity through operation of the at least one computer. 7. The method according to claim 6 wherein (b) includes the at least one computer communicating a message to the first entity including an address, and wherein in (b) the message from the first entity is received by the at least one computer from the address. 8. The method according to claim 3 and further comprising (e) responsive to data corresponding to the first entity received in (b), delivering electronically to the first entity through operation of the at least one computer, data corresponding to the at least one template determined in (c). 9. The method according to claim 8; wherein in (a) and (e) the at least one system address from which the at least one template can be downloaded comprises an Internet accessible address not associated with the at least one computer. 10. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising (f) downloading the at least one template to the first entity from the address presented in (e). 11. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising (f) downloading the at least one template to the first entity through operation of the at least one computer. 12. The method according to claim 11 and further comprising (g) storing in the at least one data memory through operation of the at least one computer, data indicating that the at least one template has been downloaded by the first entity. 13. The method according to claim 11 and further comprising (g) prior to (f) presenting at least one first message to the first entity through operation of the at least one computer. 14. The method according to claim 13 and further comprising (h) receiving through operation of the at least one computer, at least one message from the first entity. 15. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising (f) storing in the at least one data memory through operation of the at least one computer, data indicating that data concerning the at least one template has been delivered to the first entity. 16. The method according to claim 8 wherein (a) includes receiving through operation of the at least one computer, at least one message from the first entity including data representative of at least one computer program operated in at least one automated for which the first entity has operational responsibility. 17. The method of claim 1 wherein each template is compatible with one computer program of a plurality of computer programs and is incompatible with others of the plurality of computer programs. 18. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the computer program with a selected template to create a new version of the computer program. 19. The method of claim 1 further comprising: determining a version of the computer program;determining a template associated with a newer version of the computer program; andobtaining the template associated with the newer version of the computer program. 20. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer program is one of a plurality of computer programs, and each of the plurality of computer programs are incompatible with each other. 21. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer program is one of a plurality of computer programs, and each of the plurality of computer programs are compatible with a first subset of the templates and are incompatible with a second subset of the templates. 22. A method utilizing automated machines configured to cause financial transfers, wherein each machine includes a card reader that is configured to read card data from user cards, wherein the card data corresponds to at least one financial account and wherein each machine is configured to use the card data to process financial transfers, comprising: (a) storing in at least one data memory through operation of at least one computer, data corresponding to:(i) one or more entities, each associated with at least one function of one or more of the automated machines;(ii) for each entity, at least one identifier associated with at least one computer program operated in association with at least one automated machine;(iii) a plurality of templates, wherein each template is operative to provide update changes to the at least one computer program; and(iv) for each template, at least one identifier associated with the at least one computer program in (iii) to which the respective template is operative to provide update changes;(b) receiving through operation of the at least one computer, data corresponding to a first entity;(c) determining through operation of the at least one computer at least one template that can be used to make update changes to at least one computer program operated in association with at least one automated machine for which the first entity has operational responsibility;wherein (a) further includes storing in at least one data memory (v) at least one system address from which the at least one template can be downloaded, and wherein in (e) the data corresponding to the at least one template includes at least one electronic message including the at least one system address from which the at least one template can be downloaded.