Portable automated teller machine

Claim 1

A portable, ultra-compact, and secure, automated teller machine, for transacting business with a bank via a bank host computer over the public telephone network, comprising: a housing defining an extension in space and having a top face; first and second transducers associated with said housing; screen means mounted in the housing for displaying any one of a plurality of predetermined screen-forms at the top face of the housing; selectively configurable means overlaying the screen means for enabling data and command entry to preselected different portions of the screen means in dependance on which one of the predetermined plurality of the screen-forms is being displayed on the screen means; a single-chip integrated circuit mounted within said housing, said single-chip integrated circuit including: a processor; a first memory operatively connected to the processor as a ROM memory, the first memory having memory locations at which an on-line mode and an off-line mode are specified, at which the plurality of predetermined screen-forms are specified, and at which the selectively configurable means is specified in plural formats that respectively conform to the plurality of predetermined screen-forms to enable data and command entry to preselected different portions of the screen means; a second memory operatively connected to the processor as an EEPROM memory, the second memory having memory locations at which a personal identification number is prestored, at which a machine identity number is prestored, at which at least one telephone number of a specific bank host computer is prestored, and at which at least one bank account number is prestored; a third memory operatively coupled to the processor as a RAM memory, the third memory having memory locations at which set-up data is temporarily stored during operation in the off-line mode and from which the set-up data is transferred blockwise to the bank host computer during operation in the on-line mode, and having memory locations at which data supplied back by the bank host computer is temporarily stored for display on the screen means; means including a tone generator coupled to the processor and to the first and second transducers for calling the bank host computer and for linking up over a telephone communication link with the same over the handset of any telephone station; and means including a data modem coupled to the processor and to the first and second transducers for transmitting the set-up data stored blockwise in said third memory means to the bank host computer over the telephone communication link in the on-line mode and for receiving data supplied back by the bank host computer in the on-line mode; said processor is coupled to said screen means and to said selectively configurable means and is operative in the off-line mode to display a preselected screen-form selected to request entry of the personal identification number of the user and to correspondingly configure the selectively configurable means at the same time to enable entry directly on the screen means of a personal identification number, and is operative in the off-line mode to allow data set-up if and only if the entered personal identification number matches the personal identification number prestored in the second memory means, and upon the correct entry to the screen means of the personal identification number prestored in the second memory means, the processor is operative in the off-line mode to display at least one predetermined screen-form in a preselected sequence on said screen means, the at least one predetermined screen-form in a preselected display sequence being determined and selected to enable the user to set-up a block of set-up data in said third memory means representative of a transaction to be transacted with the bank host computer and representative of the machine identity number; said processor is operative in the on-line mode upon having set-up the set-up data in the off-line mode representative of a transaction to be transacted with the bank host computer and representative of the machine identity number to call the bank host computer via the tone generator to link up over a telephone communication link with the same and to transfer the set-up data stored blockwise in the third memory means to the bank host computer via the data modem, said processor is operative in the on-line mode to receive data back from the host bank computer if and only if the machine identity number prestored in the second memory means and transferred as part of the set-up data matches a valid machine identity number at the bank host computer, and upon a correct match of machine identity numbers at the bank host computer, the processor is operative in the on-line mode once the transaction that's represented by that block of set-up data has been processed by the host bank computer to receive via the data modem data supplied back by the bank host computer representative of the status of the transaction and to store the same in the third memory means; said processor is operative in response to having received via the data modem the data supplied by the bank host computer representative of the status of the transaction and stored in the third memory to disconnect from the telephone communication link, and to display the data supplied by the bank host computer and stored in the third memory means on said screen means in the off-line mode.