Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A multi-transaction services system comprising: a plurality of service request and supply channels, each channel including channel-specific hardware and software; at least one operation means including operation-specific hardware and software; and an integrated channel manager connected between the channels and the operation means, the integrated channel manager having (i) a first interface layer for interfacing the channel-specific components of each channel, (ii) a second interface layer for interfacing the operation means, and (iii) a third interface layer between the first and second interface layers and including at least one application service connectable to any channel in a channel-independent manner for performing one or more channel-independent functions using data supplied by the operations means, wherein the operations means is unaware of the function being performed by application service.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
A multi-transaction services system comprising: a plurality of service request and supply channels, each channel including channel-specific hardware and software; at least one operation means including operation-specific hardware and software; and an integrated channel manager connected between the channels and the operation means, the integrated channel manager having (i) a first interface layer for interfacing the channel-specific components of each channel, (ii) a second interface layer for interfacing the operation means, and (iii) a third interface layer between the first and second interface layers and including at least one application service connectable to any channel in a channel-independent manner for performing one or more channel-independent functions using data supplied by the operations means, wherein the operations means is unaware of the function being performed by application service.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A multi-transaction services system according to claim 1, wherein (i) the plurality of channels comprise financial service channels, (ii) the operation means comprises a plurality of financial service operations means, and (iii) the application service comprises a plurality of business application services.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A multi-transaction services system according to claim 2, wherein the business application services comprise at least one of a balance inquiry, an account credit, an account debit, a cash deposit, a cash withdrawal, a cheque deposit, a cheque withdrawal, a loan inquiry, a mortgage inquiry, and an insurance inquiry.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A multi-transaction services system according to claim 2, wherein the financial service channels comprise at least one of an automated teller machine, a self service sales terminal, a home banking system, a digital telephone connection, a financial services branch office, a financial branch sales office, and an interactive television system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A multi-transaction services system according to claim 2, wherein the operations means comprise at least one of a transaction processing host computer, an item processor, a relationship management database, a financial call center, and an external financial database.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
102 words
A multi-transaction services system according to claim 2, wherein the integrated channel manager includes: a first layer (L1) for receiving customer requests for a plurality of different channel-specific financial services and providing access to the operation, administration, and maintenance of the service requests; a second layer (L2) for monitoring the operation of the business application services; a third layer (L3) for providing interfaces between the plurality of channel-specific services and the plurality of financial service operation means, and providing the business application services; a fourth layer (L4) for providing application enabling services; and a fifth layer (L5) for providing distributed system services.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A multi-transaction services system according to claim 6, wherein the second, fourth, and fifth layers (L2, L4, L5) comprise the middleware NCR Top End.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A multi-transaction services system according to claim 1, wherein (i) the plurality of channels comprise retail service channels including at least two of a point of sale service, an automatic vending service, and a loyalty card service, and (ii) the operation means comprises at least a relationship database.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for providing multi-transaction services, comprising: connecting an integrated channel manager between a plurality of service request and supply channels and at least one operations means, wherein each channel includes channel-specific hardware and software and the operation means includes operation-specific hardware and software; providing a plurality interface layers in the integrated channel manager for the connected channels and the connected operation means, the provided interface layers comprising (i) a first interface layer for interfacing the channel-specific components of each channel, (ii) a second interface layer for interfacing the operation means, and (iii) a third interface layer between the first and second interface layers and including at least one application service connectable to any channel in a channel-independent manner for performing one or more channel-independent functions using data supplied by the operations means, wherein the operations means is unaware of the function being performed by application service.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for providing multi-transaction services, comprising: connecting an integrated channel manager between a plurality of service request and supply channels and at least one operations means, wherein each channel includes channel-specific hardware and software and the operation means includes operation-specific hardware and software; providing a plurality interface layers in the integrated channel manager for the connected channels and the connected operation means, the provided interface layers comprising (i) a first interface layer for interfacing the channel-specific components of each channel, (ii) a second interface layer for interfacing the operation means, and (iii) a third interface layer between the first and second interface layers and including at least one application service connectable to any channel in a channel-independent manner for performing one or more channel-independent functions using data supplied by the operations means, wherein the operations means is unaware of the function being performed by application service.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of providing multi-transaction services according to claim 9, wherein (i) the plurality of channels comprise financial service channels, (ii) the operation means comprises a plurality of financial service operations means, and (iii) the application service comprises a plurality of business application services.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method of providing multi-transaction services according to claim 10, wherein the business application services comprise at least one of a balance inquiry, an account credit, an account debit, a cash deposit, a cash withdrawal, a cheque deposit, a cheque withdrawal, a loan inquiry, a mortgage inquiry, and an insurance inquiry.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method of providing multi-transaction services according to claim 10, wherein the financial service channels comprise at least one of an automated teller machine, a self service sales terminal, a home banking system, a digital telephone connection, a financial services branch office, a financial branch sales office, and an interactive television system.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of providing multi-transaction services according to claim 10, wherein the operations means comprise at least one of a transaction processing host computer, an item processor, a relationship management database, a financial call center, and an external financial database.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
104 words
A method of providing multi-transaction services according to claim 10, wherein the integrated channel manager includes: a first layer (L1) for receiving customer requests for a plurality of different channel-specific financial services and providing access to the operation, administration, and maintenance of the service requests; a second layer (L2) for monitoring the operation of the business application services; a third layer (L3) for providing interfaces between the plurality of channel-specific services and the plurality of financial service operation means, and providing the business application services; a fourth layer (L4) for providing application enabling services; and a fifth layer (L5) for providing distributed system services.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method of providing multi-transaction services according to claim 14, wherein the second, fourth, and fifth layers (L2, L4, L5) comprise the middleware NCR Top End.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method of providing multi-transaction services according to claim 9, wherein (i) the plurality of channels comprise retail service channels including at least two of a point of sale service, an automatic vending service, and a loyalty card service, and (ii) the operation means comprises at least a relationship database.