CLIAMS:We claim:
1. A system for personalizing a physical document, the system comprising an information providing device configured to:
receive the physical document;
receive at least information identifying a user’s account;
communicate the information identifying the user’s account to a remote server, with a request to personalize the physical document;
receive instructions from the remote server to write a unique code on the physical document; and
write the unique code on the physical document.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information providing device is configured to receive the information identifying the user’s account at least through a financial instrument.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the remote server is configured to associate the unique code with the user’s account.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the physical document is provided with at least one provision for receiving the unique code.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the information providing device is configured to write the unique code in the provision provided in the physical document.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the provision is at least one of magnetic strip, RFID chip, integrated circuit, and space for writing barcode and QR code.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information providing device is further configured to print details corresponding to the user’s account on the physical document.

8. A system for personalizing a physical document, the system comprising a kiosk and at least one remote server, wherein,
the kiosk is configured to:
read a unique code from the physical document;
receive at least information identifying a user’s financial account through a financial instrument; and
communicate the unique code and the information identifying the user’s financial account to the remote server; and
the remote server is configured to:
receive the unique code and the information identifying the user’s financial account from the kiosk; and
associate the unique code with the user’s financial account.

9. A method for personalizing a physical document, the method comprising:
enabling reception of information identifying a user’s account by receiving a financial instrument associated with the user’s account;
generating a unique code;
associating the unique code with the user’s account; and
writing the unique code on the physical document.

10. A method for personalizing a physical document, the method comprising:
reading a unique code from the physical document;
enabling reception of information identifying a user’s account by receiving a financial instrument associated with the user’s account; and
associating the unique code with the user’s account. ,TagSPECI:The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
BACKGROUND
Field
[0001] The disclosed subject matter in general relates to self service terminals, and more particularly, but not exclusively, the subject matter relates to self service terminals enabling personalization of physical documents, such as passbooks.
Discussion of related field
[0002] Self service terminals, such as kiosks, are often used by entities such as banks, to provide information to users. In addition to providing information, kiosks may also be configured to print information on financial documents, such as passbooks and cheques. Kiosks may be configured to print transactional details on a passbook. Also, kiosks may be configured to print user and account information on a blank/new passbook thereby personalizing the passbook in the name of the user.
[0003] Conventionally, the process of personalization involves associating a passbook with a user’s account. The conventional process may require a manual teller’s intervention at least at the initial stage of associating the passbook to the user’s account. The teller at the bank may be required to connect to the bank’s databases to retrieve user information and print the user details as well as account details on the passbook. This process is however, tedious and time consuming as the user has to visit the bank and wait in queue for his turn to be attended by a human teller who enables printing of the user’s account details on the passbook.
[0004] Some conventional kiosks may be configured to print user and account details on a passbook. Such kiosks, however, require the passbooks to be encoded with machine-readable information that associates the passbook with the user’s account. However, even in such a process, a human teller’s intervention is required. The teller may have to input information to communicate with the bank’s database to map the machine-readable information on the passbook with the user’s account. Conventionally, self-service kiosks for printing on passbooks require human pre-processing for at least associating the passbook with the user’s account, which may be referred to as personalization of the passbook.
[0005] In light of the foregoing discussion, there is a need for a technique that may enable personalization of a physical document with a user’s account more efficiently, preferably without requiring teller’s intervention, thereby speeding up the otherwise time consuming and tedious process.

SUMMARY
[0006] An embodiment provides a system for personalizing a physical document. The system includes an information providing device configured to receive the physical document, receive at least information identifying a user’s account, and communicate the information identifying user’s account to a remote server, with a request to personalize the physical document. The information providing device receives instructions from the remote server to write a unique code on the physical document, and the information providing device writes the unique code on the physical document.
[0007] Another embodiment provides a system for personalizing a physical document. The system includes a kiosk and at least one remote server. The kiosk is configured to read a unique code from the physical document, receive at least information identifying a user’s financial account through a financial instrument, and communicate the unique code and the information identifying the user’s financial account to the remote server. The remote server is configured to receive the unique code and the information identifying the user’s financial account from the kiosk, and associate the unique code with the user’s financial account.
[0008] Yet another embodiment provides a method for personalizing a physical document. The method includes enabling reception of information identifying a user’s account by receiving a financial instrument associated with the user’s account, generating a unique code, associating the unique code with the user’s account, and writing the unique code on the physical document.
[0009] Yet another embodiment provides a method for personalizing a physical document. The method includes reading a unique code from the physical document, enabling reception of information identifying a user’s account by receiving a financial instrument associated with the user’s account, and associating the unique code with the user’s account.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the Figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the exemplary reception of a physical document 104 by a kiosk 102, in accordance with an embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an illustration of the exemplary reception of a non personalized physical document 104 by a kiosk 102, in accordance with an embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an exemplary communication between the kiosk 102 and a server 302, in accordance with an embodiment;
[0014] FIG. 4A is an illustration of a magnetic stripe 106, which may have been encoded with a unique code, provided on the physical document 104, in accordance with an embodiment;
[0015] FIG. 4B is an illustration of a barcode 106 (representing a unique code) printed on the physical document 104, in accordance with an embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates user details printed on a page of the physical document 104, in accordance with an embodiment;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of personalizing the physical document 104, in accordance with an embodiment; and
[0018] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary method of personalizing the physical document 104, in accordance with another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

OVERVIEW
[0019] Embodiments provide system and method for personalizing physical documents. The system may include an information providing device, such as, a self service kiosk. The information providing device may be configured to receive, from one or more external sources, information identifying a user’s account. The information identifying the user’s account may be provided by swiping the user’s financial instrument, such as a debit card at the information providing device. The information providing device may communicate the information identifying the user’s account to a remote server. The remote server, in response, may communicate instructions to the information providing device for writing at least machine readable information on the physical document. The remote server also associates the machine readable information with the user’s account. Hence, once the machine readable information is written on the physical document, the physical document may be considered to have been personalized.
[0020] Further, the information providing device may additionally print, on the physical document, information corresponding to the user’s account retrieved from the remote server as part of personalizing the physical document.
[0021] The following detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the detailed description. The drawings show illustrations in accordance with example embodiments. These example embodiments are described in enough detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments. The embodiments can be combined, other embodiments can be utilized or structural, logical, and electrical changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken as a limiting sense.
[0022] In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive “or,” such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated.

EXEMPLARY SYSTEM
[0023] Referring to the figures, and more particularly to FIGs. 1 to 2, an embodiment discloses a system for personalizing physical documents. The system may include an information providing device 102. The information providing device 102 may include a user interface unit, one or more sensors, memory units, processor and printer, among other hardware, software and firmware.
[0024] In an embodiment, the information providing device 102 may be a self service terminal. The information providing device 102 may be a self service kiosk or an electronic kiosk.
[0025] In an embodiment, a physical document 104 that may be personalized at the kiosk 102 may be financial documents. Examples of financial documents include passbook and cheque book, among other such documents. The physical documents 104 may be issued by entities such as banks. A physical document 104 which may be issued to a user for the first time may not be personalized.
[0026] In an embodiment, the physical document 104 may include one or more provisions for receiving machine readable information. An example of such a provision is a digital storage units 106 provided on the physical document 104. Examples of digital storage units 106 may include magnetic stripe and RFID chip, among others. Examples of machine readable information include information that can be stored in magnetic stripe, RFID chip or integrated circuit, or information in the form of barcodes and QR codes among others. It may be noted that, in an embodiment, machine readable information includes information that may also be capable of being read by humans.
[0027] The digital storage unit 106 of a physical document 104 which is not personalized may not include any information. Alternatively, the digital storage unit 106 of a physical document 104 which is not personalized may not include information corresponding to the user’s account. In an embodiment, the digital storage unit 106 of a physical document 104 which is not personalized may include information corresponding to an entity (ex: bank) that has issued the physical document.
[0028] In an embodiment, the digital storage unit 106 may be provided on any convenient location on the physical document 104. For example, if the physical document 104 is a passbook, then the digital storage unit 106 may be provided either on the front or the back cover of the passbook.
[0029] In an embodiment, the kiosk 102 may include at least one slot 108 for receiving a physical document 104. The slot 108 may be configured to receive the physical documents 104 partially or fully based on the hardware and software of the kiosk 102. The kiosk 102 may be configured to read information from and write information to the one or more digital storage units 106 provided on/in the physical document 104. FIG. 1 is an illustration of the exemplary reception of a physical document 104 by the kiosk 102, in accordance with an embodiment.
[0030] In an embodiment, the kiosk 102 may be configured to receive information identifying a user’s account in one or more forms. Such information or part of such information may be received from one or more instruments, such as a financial instrument (ex: debit card) that a user might be using. The kiosk 102 may further be configured to retrieve information corresponding to the user’s account using the information identifying the user’s account, from one or more remote servers. The information identifying a user’s account may include details corresponding to a user’s financial instrument. For example, if the financial instrument is a debit card, then the information identifying a user’s account may be the debit card number.
[0031] Physical documents 104 which are not personalized may require machine readable information to be written into their digital storage unit 106 in order to be personalized. On the other hand, machine readable information, such as a bar code may be written over the passbook at an appropriate location.
[0032] In an embodiment, the kiosk 102 receives a financial instrument to be read to personalize a physical document 104 to the owner of the financial instrument. FIG. 2 is an illustration of the exemplary reception of a non personalized physical document 104 by a kiosk 102, in accordance with an embodiment.
[0033] The kiosk 102 may include one or more slots configured to receive financial instruments. The kiosk 102 may receive information identifying a user’s account details corresponding to a user’s financial instrument by reading the financial instrument.
[0034] The kiosk 102 may include one or more sensors configured to extract information from the physical document 104. Examples of sensors include scanners, card readers and magnetic stripe readers, among others. Examples of scanners may include barcode and QR code scanners, among others. The one or more sensors may be configured to read machine readable information from physical document 104 or the machine readable information in the digital storage unit 106 provided on the physical document 104 by receiving the physical document 104.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 3, in an embodiment, the system may further include a server 302. The kiosk 102 may be configured to communicate with a server 302. The server 302 may be governed, for example by entity/entities associated with a bank(s). The kiosk 102 may communicate with one or more servers 302 based on requirement.
[0036] The kiosk 102 may be configured to communicate with one or more servers 302 for personalizing the physical document 104 and/or printing information on the physical document 104.
[0037] In an embodiment, the one or more servers 302 may be configured to communicate to the kiosk 102 at least a portion of the information corresponding to a user’s financial account based on the information corresponding to the financial instrument. The information communicated by the servers 302 may be for example an account number identifying a user’s account associated with the financial instrument that is being inserted into the kiosk 102. The server 302 may further receive a request, from the kiosk 102, to communicate information corresponding to the user’s financial account to the kiosk 102.
[0038] In an embodiment, the one or more servers 302 may be configured to associate or map machine readable information (ex: unique code) with a user’s account. The unique code may be generated by the server 302 and mapped with the user’s account. The unique code may be generated by the server 302 at a stage between receiving the request for personalizing the physical document 104 and communicating instruction to the kiosk 102 to write the unique code on the physical document 104. The kiosk 102 writes the unique code on the physical document 104. The word writing can mean printing or encoding digital storage unit 106 (ex: magnetic strip) provided in the physical document 104, among other equivalent meanings. FIG. 4A is an illustration of a physical document 104 that has a magnetic stripe 106 for storing the unique code; and FIG. 4B is an illustration of another physical document 104 that has the unique code printed in the form of a barcode 106, in accordance with an embodiment.
[0039] In another embodiment, even a non-personalized physical document 104 includes a unique code. The unique code may be in the form of machine readable information or human readable information. The server 302 may receive a request to personalize the physical document 104. The kiosk 102 may communicate the unique code and information corresponding to a user’s account (gathered from the user’s financial instrument) to the server 302. The server 302 may map the unique code to the user’s account, thereby associating (personalizing) the physical document 104 with the user’s account.
[0040] In an embodiment, the kiosk 102 may be configured to print information corresponding to the user’s account communicated by the server 302 on physical document 104. The kiosk 102 may also be configured to print additional information corresponding to the user. The kiosk 102 may be configured to print such information on one or more pages of the physical document 104. FIG. 5 illustrates user information printed on a page of the physical document 104, in accordance with an embodiment. The kiosk 102 may be further configured to print transactional details on one or more pages of the physical document 104.

FIRST EXEMPLARY METHOD FOR PERSONALIZING PHYSICAL DOCUMENT
[0041] An embodiment discloses a method 600 for personalizing physical documents 104. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating communication between the kiosk 102 and the server 302 for personalizing physical documents 104, in accordance with an embodiment. The method 600 may include, at step 601, the kiosk 102 receiving the physical document 104. The kiosk 102, upon determination that the physical document 104 has to be personalized, may initiate a personalization process. As part of the personalization process, at step 602, the kiosk 102 receives information identifying a user’s account from a financial instrument (ex: debit card). The financial instrument may be inserted into the kiosk 102 or swiped at the kiosk 102. In addition, the kiosk 102 may receive authentication information from the user. At step 604, the kiosk 102 communicates the information identifying the user’s account and authentication information to the server 302, along with a request to personalize the physical document 104. At step 606, the server 302 receives the information. At step 608, upon successful authentication, the server 302 generates a unique code. At step 610, the server 302 maps/associates the unique code to the user’s account. At step 612, the server 302 communicates instructions to the kiosk 102 to write the unique code on the physical document. At step 614, the kiosk 102 receives the instructions from the server 302. At step 616, the kiosk 102 writes the unique code on the physical document, thereby associating the physical document 104 to the user’s account, and hence personalizing the physical document 104.
[0042] In an embodiment, the server 302 may communicate information corresponding to the unique ID or unique code in one or more forms. The server 302 may generate a unique code which may represent the user’s account.
[0043] In another embodiment, the server 302 may communicate a number or code or ID, directly linked with the account, which may represent the account. Such a number or code may be already assigned to the account at the time of opening the account. Example of such a number or code or ID may be an account number.
[0044] In an embodiment, as part of the personalization process, the server 302 communicates instructions to the kiosk 102 to write additional information corresponding to the user’s profile on one or more pages of the physical document 104. The kiosk 102 upon receiving the instructions from the server 302, writes/prints the information on the physical document 104. The information corresponding to the user’s profile may include one or more of user’s name, address, account type, and validity of the account, among others.
[0045] In an embodiment, subsequent to the personalization process, in the same session or a different session, the kiosk 102 sends a request to the server 302 to provide instructions for printing transactional details corresponding to the user’s account on one or more pages of the physical document 104. The server 302, after validating the request, sends instructions to the kiosk for printing the transactional details. The kiosk 102 subsequently prints the transactional details on one or more pages of the physical document 104.
[0046] In an embodiment, the kiosk 102 may be configured to automatically flip pages to print additional information such as transactional data on one or more pages of the physical document 104. The kiosk 102 may be configured to store dynamic data in order to enable the software and hardware of the kiosk 102 to automatically flip pages of the physical document 104 and print based on the dynamic data. Examples of dynamic data may include page numbers, line numbers and last printed data among others. Such dynamic data may be stored in the one or more digital storage units 106. Alternatively, the kiosk 102 may be configured to receive the dynamic data from the server 302.

SECOND EXEMPLARY METHOD FOR PERSONALIZING PHYSICAL DOCUMENT
[0047] Referring to FIG. 7, in this example, the physical document 104 has a unique code written on it, even before it is personalized. A method 700 may include, at step 701, the kiosk 102 receiving the physical document 104 with a request to personalize the physical document 104. The kiosk 102 may read the unique code and verify (ex: by communicating with the server 302) whether the unique code has been associated with any user’s account. In case the unique code is not associated with any user’s account then the kiosk 102/server 302 may initiate the personalization process.
[0048] As part of the personalization process, at step 702, the kiosk 102 receives information identifying a user’s account from a financial instrument (ex: debit card). The financial instrument may be inserted into the kiosk 102 or swiped at the kiosk 102. In addition, the kiosk 102 may receive authentication information from the user. At step 704, the kiosk 102 communicates the unique code along with information identifying the user’s account and authentication information to the server 302. At step 706, the server 302 receives the information. At step 708, the server 302 maps/associates the unique code to the user’s account, thereby associating the physical document 104 to the user’s account, and hence personalizing the physical document 104.
CONCLUSION
[0049] Embodiments provide system and method for personalizing physical documents at self service terminals.
[0050] Embodiments provide system and method for associating physical document with a user’s account with reduced human intervention.
[0051] Embodiments provide system and method for enabling self service kiosks for writing encoded data into digital storage units of physical documents, thereby associating the physical document with a user’s account.
[0052] Embodiments provide system and method for enabling encoding and printing of information without having to depend on the human teller for personalization of the physical document.
[0053] Embodiment solve a technical problem of associating a tangible product with an entity, by providing a technical solution that enables a tangible identity associated with the tangible product to be mapped with the entity.
[0054] It shall be noted that the processes described above is described as sequence of steps, this was done solely for the sake of illustration. Accordingly, it is contemplated that some steps may be added, some steps may be omitted, the order of the steps may be re-arranged, or some steps may be performed simultaneously.
[0055] The example embodiments described herein may be implemented in an operating environment comprising software installed on a computer, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware.
[0056] Although embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the system and method described herein. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
[0057] Many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. It is to be understood that the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the personally preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.