Automated device assistance

Abstract

A user may perform activities at an automated device having various technical features, such as a display, a printer, a camera, a microphone, a speaker, and other features used to perform activities at the automated device. During performance of an activity, the user may run into an issue and request assistance from an agent having a computing device (e.g., a portable computing device). Additionally or alternatively, the automated device may detect the issue and send a request for assistance to a computing device managing a transaction assistance portal or directly to the agent's computing device. The request may identify the user, the activity, and/or the issue, and the agent and his or her computing device may be used to resolve the issue. The agent's computing device may also be used to facilitate customer relationship management with the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 authenticating a customer at an automated device based on a card and a PIN, or based on an identifying document;   determining, based on the authenticating, a profile for the customer stored in a database;   retrieving, from the profile, information identifying a plurality of accounts of the customer;   granting a transaction assistance computing device access to information from the plurality of accounts based on the information identifying the plurality of accounts; and   generating for display on a display of the transaction assistance computing device the information from the plurality of accounts.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the authenticating is based on the card and the PIN, and wherein the card is associated with a single account of the plurality of accounts of the customer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to authenticating the customer at the automated device, granting the customer access to the plurality of accounts at the automated device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the authenticating is based on the identifying document, and wherein the authenticating comprises generating for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device an image of the identifying document scanned at the automated device and the profile for the customer determined based on the authenticating. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the authenticating is based on the identifying document, and wherein the authenticating comprises generating for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device an option to search for the customer in the database. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing a second authentication of the customer at the automated device based on information retrieved from the profile for the customer.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving, from the profile, information identifying flagged opportunities for the customer; and   generating for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device the flagged opportunities for the customer.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and   memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 authenticate a customer at an automated device based on a card and a PIN, or based on an identifying document; 
 determine, based on the authenticating, a profile for the customer stored in a database; 
 retrieve, from the profile, information identifying a plurality of accounts of the customer; 
 grant a transaction assistance computing device access to information from the plurality of accounts based on the information identifying the plurality of accounts; and 
 generate for display on a display of the transaction assistance computing device the information from the plurality of accounts. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the authenticating is based on the card and the PIN, and wherein the card is associated with a single account of the plurality of accounts of the customer. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 responsive to authenticating the customer at the automated device, grant the customer access to the plurality of accounts at the automated device.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the authenticating is based on the identifying document, and wherein the authenticating comprises generating for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device an image of the identifying document scanned at the automated device and the profile for the customer determined based on the authenticating. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the authenticating is based on the identifying document, and wherein the authenticating comprises generating for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device an option to search for the customer in the database. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 perform a second authentication of the customer at the automated device based on information retrieved from the profile for the customer.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 retrieve, from the profile, information identifying flagged opportunities for the customer; and   generate for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device the flagged opportunities for the customer.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a computing device to:
 authenticate a customer at an automated device based on a card and a PIN, or based on an identifying document;   determine, based on the authenticating, a profile for the customer stored in a database;   retrieve, from the profile, information identifying a plurality of accounts of the customer;   grant a transaction assistance computing device access to information from the plurality of accounts based on the information identifying the plurality of accounts; and   generate for display on a display of the transaction assistance computing device the information from the plurality of accounts.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the authenticating is based on the card and the PIN, and wherein the card is associated with a single account of the plurality of accounts of the customer. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15  having additional computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
 responsive to authenticating the customer at the automated device, grant the customer access to the plurality of accounts at the automated device. 
 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the authenticating is based on the identifying document, and wherein the authenticating comprises generating for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device an image of the identifying document scanned at the automated device and the profile for the customer determined based on the authenticating. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the authenticating is based on the identifying document, and wherein the authenticating comprises generating for display on the display of the transaction assistance computing device an option to search for the customer in the database. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15  having additional computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
 perform a second authentication of the customer at the automated device based on information retrieved from the profile for the customer.