Abstract: Interesting features of an object within a physical environment are identified from a video of the physical environment. A model of the object is obtained, the model includes dimensions of the object. A first array is maintained with the pixel coordinates of the identified features within the video. A second array is maintained with the dimensions of the features obtained from the model. A processing framework is provided for using the first and second arrays and estimating, updating, and tracking the anchor pose in the physical environment within the video along with any AR generated objects placed in the video. The framework provided to an Augmented Reality (AR) app to initiate an AR session and to maintain the session.

Abstract: A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.

Abstract: Images captured for components of a device are monitored for changes by evaluating a first region of interest in the images. Periodically, a command is sent to the device to move one or more of the components to a known position or state. A certain component or set of components associated with being moved based on the command is evaluated in a second region of interest in the images to determine if the corresponding component or set of components is in the known position or state within the images. When the corresponding component or set of components is not identified from the images in the known position or state, a security alert is raised for the device and security operations are processed on the host device.

Abstract: A card reader includes a movable upper surface platform with a lower surface platform including one or more sensors. When there is no card transaction in progress, the upper surface platform moves toward the lower surface platform and locks in place making contact with the lower surface platform. The one or more sensor indicate whether the two surfaces are in contact with one another. When the two surfaces are not in contact with one another, when the card reader is in an idle state, the card reader shuts down/disables since there is foreign object is present in the card reader's transport path, which may indicate a skimmer/shimmer was placed in the card reader.

Abstract: A media terminal includes two integrated currency devices, each device providing at least one feature/operation that is similar to or is the same as the other device. Two independent sessions to each device are made and presented to a transaction application of the terminal as a single aggregated session. When the transaction application issues a command through the single aggregated session, a decision is made that is transparent to the application as to which device should process the command on behalf of the application and the command is issued to the selected device over the corresponding independent session. Results or notifications provided by the selected device are aggregated and provided to the application over the single aggregated session. In an embodiment, the two integrated currency devices are different types of devices from one another.

Abstract: A valuable media sanitizing/cleansing cassette is provided for sanitizing/cleansing surfaces of valuable media dispensed to a consumer during a dispense transaction at a transaction terminal. Dispensed media is urged from one or more media cassettes within the terminal along a transport path. The transport path is altered to pass the media through the sanitizing/cleansing cassette where the top and bottom surfaces of the media are illuminated with Ultraviolet (UV) radiation to eradicate any bacteria or virus that may be adhered to the top or the bottom surfaces of the media. Once the media passes through the sanitizing/cleansing cassette, the now sanitized/cleansed media is urged along a remainder of the transport path and dispensed from a media interface of the terminal to the consumer. In an embodiment, media deposited at the terminal is also sanitized/cleansed by passing through the sanitizing/cleansing cassette before being stored in the appropriate media cassettes.

Abstract: A network-based service creates a smart contract on a blockchain on behalf of a user who has a loan or a subscription that requires installment payments be collected by a provider from the user and provided to creditor of the loan or subscription. The smart contract associates a default account of the user with a first access token and non-default registered other accounts of the user with a second access token. The smart contract when presented with the access tokens from a provider determines whether the payment due can be satisfied from a current balance of the default account and if so, transfers the payment from the default account to the provider. If the default lacks sufficient funds for the payment, the smart contract proportions the amounts taken from each of the accounts to reach the amount due and transfers the amount due to the provider.

Abstract: Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, methods, and software for biometric authentication of pre-staged self-service terminal transactions. One embodiment in the form of a method includes connecting, wirelessly via a wireless communication device of a mobile device, to a Self-Service Terminal (SST), such as an ATM or self-service checkout terminal. The mobile device then receives, via the wireless communication device from the SST, biometric authentication data to authenticate an account holder. The received biometric data is then compared on the mobile device with biometric data stored on or read by a biometric reader of the mobile device. When the comparing identifies a match between the received biometric data and the biometric data read by or stored on the mobile device, the method then transmits an authentication message via the wireless communication device to the SST indicating the match.

Abstract: A dual antiphase read-head arranged card reader is provided. The card reader includes a first read-head arrangement and a second read-head arrangement. Electromagnetic noise is applied to both the first and second arrangements. Waves associated with the electromagnetic noise on the second arrangement is transformed and applied to the first arrangement canceling the noise on a first read head of the first arrangement. The first read head reads magnetically encoded information on a magnetic strip of a card inserted into a card slot of the card reader free of noise. However, the noise remains present such that any skimmer read head of a skimmer inserted into the card slot is unable to read the magnetically encoded information off the magnetic strip of the card.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for protecting an escrow clutch of a self-service terminal. The systems and methods may include actuating a motor of the self-service terminal to cause an escrow clutch of the self-service terminal to spin at a rate. As the clutch spins, a determination as to when a clutch slippage exceeds a preset slippage rate may be made. When the clutch slippage exceeds the preset slippage rate, the motor may be actuated to cause the escrow clutch to spin at a second rate. The second rate may less than the first rate.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a safe door apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a locking apparatus affixed to an inside portion of a safe door for a safe and at least one vertically oriented bolt fastened to the inside portion of the safe door with the locking apparatus. The bolt is adapted to move with the locking apparatus during locking and unlocking of the safe door from a safe body of the safe. The bolt is further adapted to fasten and unfasten to a horizontal plate, which is affixed to an inside of the safe body during locking and unlocking of the safe door by the locking apparatus.

Abstract: Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, methods, software, and data structures that facilitate inter-entity non-monetary transactions. Some such embodiments include a single account identifier per consumer that is utilized across multiple entities to identify a single award account which is credited and debited in the consumer's transactions with all participating entities. One method embodiment includes receiving a unique account identifier within a transaction involving an account of the unique account identifier and calculating a value based on the transaction for transfer to the account of the account identifier. The method then generates a data structure in memory to transfer the calculated value to the account of the account identifier and signing the data structure in the memory with a private key of a private/public key-pair. The method then transmits the data structure to a computing system storing a replicated trusted ledger used to maintain value balances.

Abstract: An agent on a terminal send an instruction to firmware on a miscellaneous board of the terminal. The instruction includes a time period during which power to the terminal and peripherals of the terminal are to be powered off. The agent sends an instructions to a core of a motherboard of the terminal to perform shutdown operations in anticipation of the terminals and peripherals being powered off. In response to the instruction received, the firmware monitors the core for a state indicating that the core is shutdown, the firmware sets a timer to the time period, and causes power to be cut between the motherboard and a power supply unit of the terminal. When the timer expires, the firmware re-establishes power between the motherboard and the power supply unit causing the core to initiate the proper sequence of operations to start up the terminal and the peripherals.

Abstract: A magnetic strip of a card is read by a card reader while the card remains stationary and motionless within the card reader. The card is parked within the card reader in a read position. A dynamic read head of the card reader moves over the strip from a trailing edge of the inserted card to a leading edge of the card and then back from the leading edge of the card to the trailing edge of the card. A rate and speed of the read head is controlled during the passes of the read head over the strip. The card data of the strip is provided to a terminal during a transaction of a customer at the terminal.

Abstract: A Self-Service Terminal (SST) that provides valuable media deposit features is enhanced with an apparatus fastened to an outside surface of the SST. The apparatus is adapted to receive an externally provided valuable media cassette and connect/interface a port of the cassette to an unload infeed port. A transaction interface is enhanced to identify the cassette as a source device for obtaining valuable media during a deposit transaction. The SST feeds the valuable media from the externally connected cassette through media validation and transport modules of the SST into cassettes of a safe and the SST returns rejected media for the deposit transaction back through the modules to return rejected media to the externally interfaced cassette.

Abstract: Cryptographic techniques are provided for generating, distributing, validation, and processing secure commands on different devices and/or peripherals. A control device generates and encrypts a key corresponding to a secure command using a private key of control device to produce a key envelope. Control device further encrypts the key envelope with a recipient's public key producing a recipient envelope. The recipient envelope is delivered to a recipient's device. The recipient's device decrypts the recipient envelope with a private key of the recipient's device producing the key envelope. The key envelope is delivered back to the control device. The control device decrypts the key envelope producing the key, validates the key, and processes a secure command on behalf of a secure resource or delivers the secure command to the secure resource for processing. In an embodiment, control device maintains audit records/audit trail, which is maintained on the control device.

Abstract: Audio/speech-based and text-based interactions between a transaction terminal and a user conducting a transaction are provided. In an embodiment, the terminal may establish a direct wireless connection to a user-operated device or an indirection wireless connection to the user-operated device through a proxy device. In an embodiment, the wireless connection is automatically established through a different out-of-band wireless communication between the terminal and the user-operated device. In an embodiment, text-based data for the transaction are provided over a second simultaneous wireless connection that is different from the wireless connection associated with providing the audio/speech data. In an embodiment, audio/speech data provided from the user during the transaction are enhanced for security and are filtered for accuracy using audio-based processing and/or image-based processing. In an embodiment, a speech-to-text and text-to-speech interface for a transaction at the terminal is provided.

Abstract: Cash trapping at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is detected in real time. One or more images from one or more cameras are analyzed. The camera(s) is/are focused overhead of the ATM or on a cash slot of a dispense module for the ATM. The images are analyzed for determining one or more of whether the dispenser module is authentic, whether the cash slot opened or did not open when it should have opened for a cash withdraw, whether visual features of the dispense module have changed over a configurable period of time, and whether hands, gestures, and actions of a person present at the ATM indicate that cash trapping is taking place at the ATM. When cash trapping is detected at the ATM a variety of automated actions are processed, such as shutting down the dispense module, shutting down the ATM, notifying a financial institution, and/or notifying legal authorities.

Abstract: Current temperatures for an enclosure of a media handling device are monitored and managed using threshold temperature values. When a current temperature deviates below a threshold temperature value, commands are sent to modules of the device to start and idle their motors causing heat to be generated from current flowing to the motors. The heat radiates within the enclosure raising the current temperature. When the current temperature reaches a second threshold temperature value for the enclosure, second commands are sent to the modules of the device to stop idling their motors causing heat within the enclosure to dissipate and lowering the current temperature for the enclosure.

Abstract: Boot firmware of a terminal sets a lock password on a hard disk drive of the terminal to lock the hard disk drive from access. The password is obfuscated in boot variables or stored separately on a server independently of the terminal. During subsequent boots of the terminal, the firmware de-obfuscates the password from the boot variables or obtains the password from the server and provides the password to the hard disk drive, which causes the hard disk drive to unlock for operation with the terminal following the subsequent boots.