Digital camera processing system

• US 10,013,605 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Oakes, III, Charles Lee, Morlen, Randy Ray, Morris, Michael Frank, Medina, III, Reynaldo Bartlette, Harpel, Greg Alan, Gavia, Gabriel Glenn, Prasad, Bharat, Major, Frank Kyle, Pollack, Jeffrey Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Kanervo, Virpi H
• Application Number:
  US15/663,284
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/16 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2253 Recognition of characters printed with magnetic ink G06V30/2247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00816 Determining the reading area, e.g. eliminating reading of margins
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/403 Discrimination between the two tones in the picture signal of a two-tone original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 : Portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 : for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

A digital camera processing system with software to manage taking photos with a digital camera. Camera software controls the digital camera. A downloaded software component controls the digital camera software and causes a handheld mobile device to perform operations. The operations may include instructing a user to have the digital camera take photos of a check; displaying an instruction on a display of the handheld mobile device to assist the user in having the digital camera take the photos; or assisting the user as to an orientation for taking the photos with the digital camera. The digital camera processing system may generate a log file including a bi-tonal image formatted as a TIFF image.

Claims

1. An image capture and processing system for use with a digital camera, the image capture and processing system comprising:

a portable device comprising a general purpose computer including a processor coupled to a memory, the memory storing;

camera software comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, control the digital camera;

a downloaded software component configured to control the camera software and to manage capturing electronic images, the software component comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to perform operations including;

instructing a user of the portable device to place a check in front of the digital camera and have the digital camera capture electronic images of front and back sides of the check;

displaying an instruction on a display of the portable device to assist the user in having the digital camera capture the electronic images of the check;

assisting the user as to an orientation for capturing the electronic images of the check;

presenting the electronic images of the check to the user after the digital camera captures the electronic images;

transmitting, using a wireless network, a copy of the electronic images over a public electronic communications network from the portable device, wherein the transmitted copy of the electronic images is a modified version of the electronic images captured with the digital camera, the modified version having a different electronic format than the images captured with the digital camera; and

submitting the check for deposit after the system authenticates the user and after presenting the electronic images of the check to the user;

a plurality of processors coupled to a plurality of memory devices storing instructions that, when each instruction of the instructions is executed by a processor of the plurality of processors coupled to a memory device of the plurality of memory devices storing that instruction, cause the system to perform additional operations including;

confirming that the deposit can go forward after performing an optical character recognition on the check, the optical character recognition including determining an amount of the check, comparing the determined amount to an amount entered by the user into the portable device, and reading a MICR line of the check;

initiating the deposit after the confirming; and

generating a log file for the deposit, the log file including a bi-tonal image of the check; and

another computer, remote from the portable device, comprising a processor coupled to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the other computer to update a balance to reflect the amount of the check submitted for deposit by the portable device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bi-tonal image is formatted as a TIFF image.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to perform the update after the system determines that some mark or signature is present in an endorsement location on the back side of the check in the electronic images.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital camera is separate from the portable device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is a PDA.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to convert the electronic images into bi-tonal TIFF format.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a cellular network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of processors includes the processor of the portable device and the processor of the other computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the downloaded software component operations further comprise:

receiving input from the user of the portable device indicating an amount of the check.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructing is performed after the receiving.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the confirming occurs after performing a duplicate detection.

12. A system for allowing a customer to deposit a check using a customer'"'"'s own handheld mobile device with a digital camera, the system configured to authenticate the customer, the system including:

a customer'"'"'s handheld mobile device including;

camera software that controls the digital camera; and

a downloaded app associated with a hank configured to control the camera software and to control submitting a check for deposit by causing the customer'"'"'s handheld mobile device to perform the following steps;

instructing the customer to have the digital camera take photos of front and back sides of the check;

using a display of the customer'"'"'s handheld mobile device to assist the customer in having the digital camera take the photos of the check;

presenting the photos of the check to the customer after the digital camera takes the photos; and

transmitting, using a wireless network, a copy of the photos over the Internet from the customer'"'"'s handheld mobile device; and

submitting the check for mobile check deposit in the bank after the system authenticates the customer and after presenting the photos of the check to the customer;

a computer associated with the bank programmed to update a balance of an account to reflect an amount of the check submitted for a mobile check deposit by the customer'"'"'s handheld mobile device; and

the system configured to perform additional steps including;

confirming that the mobile check deposit can go forward after performing an optical character recognition on the check, the optical character recognition determining the amount of the check and reading a MICR line;

initiating the mobile check deposit after performing the confirming step; and

generating a log file for the mobile check deposit, the log file including an image of the check submitted for the mobile check deposit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the optical character recognition includes comparing the determined amount to an amount indicated by the customer.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to perform the update after determining that some mark or signature is present in an endorsement location on the back side of the check in the photos.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the digital camera is separate from the customer'"'"'s handheld mobile device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the customer'"'"'s handheld mobile device is a PDA.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to convert the photos into bi-tonal TIFF.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless network is a cellular network.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the downloaded app manages taking the photos.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the downloaded app causes the customer'"'"'s mobile device to perform the additional step of receiving input from the customer indicating an amount of the check.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructing step is performed after the receiving step.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the confirming step takes place after performing a duplicate detection on the check.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the log file image is a bi-tonal TIFF.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein the copy of the photos is a modified version of the photos taken with the customer'"'"'s digital camera.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the copy of the photos has a different format than the photos taken with the customer'"'"'s digital camera.

26. The system of claim 12, further including a third-party vendor computer.

27. The system of claim 12, wherein the authentication includes receiving a username and password.

28. The system of claim 12, wherein the authentication includes receiving data representing a customer fingerprint.

29. The system of claim 12, wherein the steps further include assisting the customer as to an orientation for taking the photos.