System, method, and devices for managing after hours transactions at a retail banking location

Abstract

A system, method and devices are provided for conducting retail banking transactions, and more particularly for transacting business with customers of the banking establishment, where those customers make deposits at a deposit box after the retail banking branch locations are closed. The present system, method and devices are implemented to manage logistics of the after hours deposits in retail banking facilities, and include operations of the deposit box, hosting of the transaction management, and data, and managing transactions where a retail banking customer may prestage the transaction prior to arriving at the deposit box location. The present system also provides surveying and reporting of transactional data in connection with the transactions, as well as the events and usage of the deposit box and transacting details.

1 . A method for handling retail banking transactions at a retail banking location, comprising:
 a) making available a deposit box having at least one access opening and an operating mechanism, wherein the access opening is regulated by the operating mechanism;   b) making available a transactional computing component having an associated display and at least one input element;   c) the transactional computing component being configured to effect a communication with the deposit box operating mechanism, wherein the transactional computing component effects the communication of a signal to the operating mechanism to actuate the access opening of the deposit box;   d) wherein the transactional computing component is configured to receive an input via the at least one input element, the input being associated with a deposit transaction at the deposit box;   e) wherein the transactional computing component is configured to effect a communication of information about the deposit transaction to a remotely situated data receiving component.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remotely situated data receiving component comprises a host computing component. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said transactional computing component communicates with said remotely situated host computing component via a connection with a local wireless network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said local wireless network is established via an electronic computer peripheral wireless communications device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said local wireless network includes at least one wireless cellular communication pathway. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said local wireless network includes both cellular network communication communications and Wi-Fi communications capabilities. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one input element receives an input made via said tablet directly by a user or by a scan of or a communication with a user device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one input element comprises a detection sensor of the drop box that is responsive to deposit box usage. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one input element receives an input made (i) via said tablet directly by a user or by a scan of or a communication with a user device; or (ii) via a detection sensor of the drop box that is responsive to deposit box usage. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said remotely situated data receiving component comprises a hosting computing component. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , including executing software on the host computing component to provide transaction information for a deposit box transaction. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said transaction information comprises information about a transaction that includes making a deposit at the deposit box as part of the transaction, wherein at least some of said transaction information is communicated to said host computing component prior to making the deposit at the deposit box. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said at least some of said transaction information that is communicated to said host computing component prior to making the deposit is communicated from a location remote from said deposit box. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , including making available to a user a software application, and wherein a user uses the software application on a user computing device, and wherein said at least some of said transaction information that is communicated to said host computing component prior to making the deposit is communicated from the user computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein executing said software comprises processing inputs from the transactional computing component received through said local network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , including processing said inputs received from said transactional computing component through the network to identify a deposit box transaction, and operating the deposit box access opening by actuating the access opening to open. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein operating the deposit box access opening comprises communicating a signal to the deposit box operating mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein executing said software includes processing said inputs to conduct a verification of the deposit box transaction, and upon verifying the deposit box transaction, continuing the transaction. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein when the transaction is not verified, terminating the transaction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising making available a receiving computing component to receive transaction information of deposit box transactions, and receiving with said receiving computing component from said host computing component deposit box transaction information. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said receiving computing receives deposit box transaction information from said host computing component at periodic time intervals. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said receiving component receives deposit box transaction information that includes information for a plurality of customer transactions that have taken place during a predetermined time interval. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , including providing a customer account for a customer. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , including associating the customer with at least one customer user device. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one customer user device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said input received by the transactional computing component via the at least one input element comprises verification information obtained from the at least one customer user device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , including executing software on the host computing component to provide transaction information for the deposit box transaction; wherein executing the software comprises processing inputs from the transactional computing component received through said local network; wherein said verification information comprises scannable indicia; wherein said scannable indicia is generated on the customer user device; and wherein verification comprises receiving with said input element the scannable indicia, transmitting the scannable indicia to said host computing component, processing the scannable indicia by executing the software on the host computing component to determine whether the scannable indicia matches a customer or customer transaction. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , including when the scannable indicia matches a customer or customer transaction that includes a deposit at the deposit box, executing software on the host computing component to communicate a signal through the local network to the deposit box operating mechanism to open the deposit box access opening. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said operating mechanism includes a solenoid that controls the access opening. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the deposit box comprises a container having an interior space therein, wherein the access opening is configured to communicate with the container interior space, and wherein the access opening is covered by a blocking member. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said access opening includes a blocking member, and wherein said blocking member is controlled by the solenoid that is actuated (i) to release the blocking member to provide access to the deposit box access opening, and (ii) to return the blocking member to its blocking position. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the blocking member is returned to its blocking position after at least one of the following events: (i) the transfer of a physical item into the deposit box, (ii) the passage of pre-determined time interval, and (iii) removal of the customer or the customer device from the transacting area. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1 , including transferring a physical item into the deposit box. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transactional computing component includes a sensor configured to recognize a customer device, and wherein the method includes detecting a customer device with the sensor. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1 , including processing a transaction by accepting an input from a customer. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , including actuating the deposit box to receive a deposit. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the deposit box is actuatable between at least two conditions, including a first condition wherein the deposit box does not accept a deposit therein, and a second condition wherein the deposit box accepts a deposit therein. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identification of the deposit amount includes an identification of the constituency of the funds comprising the deposit. 
     
     
         38 - 44 . (canceled)