Diebold, the company that produces electronic voting machines, announced that it has acquired five U.S. patents that allow mobile phones to interact directly with ATMs.
Diebold said that the technologies will allow mobile phone owners to find ATMs, order cash withdrawals remotely, generate electronic checks, transmit wireless payments and conduct other transactions more securely and conveniently than they do now.
"Diebold's new patented technology has the potential to offer myriad applications to boost the convenience and personal security factors of using an ATM," Jim Block, director of global advanced technology at Diebold, said in a statement.
The company said it is in talks with technology partners that could bring Diebold's tested applications to market in three to five years.