Optical character recognition pre-verification system

• US 10,062,060 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Felse, Mark D., Banks, Jr., Richard A., Benton, James, Brennan, Theresa, Christine, Sarah, Furr, Dewayne A., Gentile, Melody, Hanshew, Michele N., Simpkins, Kerry Kurt, Hall, John Barrett
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Eric T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poe, Kevin T
• Application Number:
  US14/834,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20170061399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 705 39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A system for optical character recognition pre-verification is provided. The system may review payment documents. The payment documents may include remit stubs and paper checks. The system, utilizing optical character recognition software, may determine dollar amounts on the remit stubs and the paper checks. The optical character recognition software may determine a confidence level of whether the determined amount is the same amount that the writer of the check. If the confidence level is above first predetermined threshold level of confidence and below a second predetermined threshold level of confidence, the system may present an operator with a pre-verification GUI. The pre-verification GUI may include a view of the remit stub, a view of the check, the dollar amount due, a match button and a do not match button. Upon selection of either the match or do not match button, the payment may be processed in another check-processing system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for optical character recognition, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive;

a plurality of payments, each payment included in the plurality consists of;

a paper check; and

a remit stub;

a scanner configured to scan the plurality of payments, thereby transforming;

the paper check into an electronic record of the paper check; and

the remit stub into an electronic record of the remit stub;

optical character recognition software which;

extracts a legal check amount from the electronic record of the paper check;

determines a degree of confidence that the extracted legal check amount is the same amount that a writer of the check intended, the determination being based at least in part on the clarity of the writer'"'"'s handwriting;

extracts a dollar amount due from the electronic record of the remit stub;

a processor configured to determine whether the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is above a first predetermined threshold level of confidence, the payment is processed in a straight through processing (“

STP”

) system, independent of human intervention;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is below the first predetermined threshold level of confidence and above a second predetermined threshold level of confidence, the payment is processed in a pre-verification system, the pre-verification system comprising a pre-verification graphical user interface, the pre-verification graphical user interface enabling an operator to view one payment included in the plurality of payments, the pre-verification graphical user interface comprising;

a view of the electronic record of the paper check;

a view of the electronic record of the remit stub;

the extracted dollar amount;

a selectable match button; and

a selectable does not match button;

the pre-verification system further comprising;

when the operator selects the match button, the payment is processed independent of further human intervention; and

when the operator selects the does not match button, the payment is processed in the verification system;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is below the second predetermined level of confidence, the payment is processed in a verification system, said verification system comprising a verification graphical user interface, the verification graphical user interface being presented to two distinct operators, each operator being enabled to view the same payment included in the plurality of payments, the verification graphical user interface comprising;

a view of the electronic record of the paper check;

a view of the electronic record of the remit stub;

a text entry field which accepts user input relating to the legal check amount of the paper check;

the verification system further comprising;

the processor configured to determine whether the amount of the first operator'"'"'s entered legal check amount and the second operator'"'"'s legal check amount are the same;

when the amounts are the same, processing the payment independent of further human intervention;

when the amounts are not the same, transmitting, using a transmitter, the payment for resolve processing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the remit stub further comprises a significant number printed in MICR ink;

the significant number is extracted via the scanner;

embedded in the significant number is the dollar amount due; and

the optical character recognition software utilizes the extracted significant number to extract the dollar amount due.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pre-verification graphical user interface further comprises a selectable do not know button, and when the operator selects the do not know button, the payment is processed in the verification system.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein upon selection of the match button, the pre-verification graphical user interface presents a second payment to the operator.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein upon selection of the does not match button, the pre-verification graphical user interface presents a second payment to the operator.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein upon selection of the do not know button, the pre-verification graphical user interface presents a second payment to the operator.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein upon selection of the do not know button, the pre-verification graphical user interface presents a second payment to the operator.

7. An apparatus for optical character recognition, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive;

a plurality of payments, each payment included in the plurality comprising;

a paper check; and

a remit stub;

a scanner configured to scan the plurality of payments, thereby transforming;

the paper check into an electronic record of the paper check;

the remit stub into an electronic record of the remit stub;

optical character recognition software which;

extracts a legal check amount from the electronic record of the paper check;

determines a degree of confidence that the extracted legal check amount is the same amount that a writer of the check intended, the determination being based at least in part on the clarity of the writer'"'"'s handwriting;

extracts a dollar amount due from the electronic record of the remit stub;

a processor configured to determine whether the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is above a first predetermined threshold level of confidence, the payment is processed in a straight through processing (“

STP”

) system, independent of human intervention;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is below the first predetermined threshold level of confidence and above a second predetermined threshold level of confidence, the payment is processed in a pre-verification system, the pre-verification system comprising a pre-verification graphical user interface, the pre-verification graphical user interface enabling an operator to view one payment included in the plurality of payments, the pre-verification graphical user interface comprising;

a view of the electronic record of the paper check;

a view of the electronic record of the remit stub;

the extracted dollar amount;

a selectable match button;

a selectable does not match button;

the pre-verification system further comprising;

when the operator selects the match button, the payment is processed without further human intervention; and

when the operator selects the does not match button, the payment is processed in the verification system;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is below the second predetermined level of confidence, the payment is processed in a verification system, said verification system comprising a verification graphical user interface, the verification graphical user interface being presented to two distinct operators, each operator being enabled to view the same payment included in the plurality of payments, the verification graphical user interface comprising;

a view of the electronic record of the paper check;

a view of the electronic record of the remit stub;

a text entry field which accepts user input relating to the legal check amount of the paper check;

the verification further comprising;

the processor configured to determine whether the legal check amount entered into the text entry field by first operator and the legal check amount entered into the text field by the second operator are the same;

when the amounts are determined to be the same, processing the payment without further human intervention;

when the amounts are not the same, transmitting, using a transmitter, the payment for resolve processing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the remit stub further comprises a significant number printed in MICR ink;

the significant number is extracted via the scanner;

embedded in the significant number is the dollar amount due; and

the optical character recognition software utilizes the extracted significant number to extract the dollar amount due.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the pre-verification graphical user interface further comprises a selectable do not know button, and when the operator selects the do not know button, the payment is processed in the verification system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein upon selection of the match button by the operator, the pre-verification graphical user interface presents a second payment to the operator.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein upon selection of the does not match button by the operator, the pre-verification graphical user interface presents a second payment to the operator.

13. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having code stored thereon which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, performs a method for optical character recognition, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of payments, wherein each payment consists of a paper check and a remit stub;

scanning the plurality of payments, thereby transforming;

each paper check into a paper check electronic record; and

each remit stub into a remit stub electronic record;

extracting, using optical character recognition software, a legal check amount from the paper check electronic record;

determining, using optical character recognition software, a degree of confidence that the extracted legal check amount is the same amount that a writer of the paper check intended, the determining being based at least in part on the clarity of the writer'"'"'s handwriting;

extracting, using optical character recognition software, a dollar amount due from the remit stub electronic record;

determining whether the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is above a first predetermined threshold level of confidence, processing the payment in a straight through processing (“

STP”

) system, independent of user intervention;

when the extracted legal check amount is the same as the extracted dollar amount due and the degree of confidence is below the first predetermined threshold level of confidence and above a second predetermined threshold level of confidence, processing the payment in a pre-verification system, the pre-verification system comprising;

viewing one payment, from the plurality of payments, on a pre-verification graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) by an operator, the viewing comprising;

viewing the paper check electronic record;

viewing the remit stub electronic record;

viewing the extracted dollar amount;

viewing a selectable match button; and

viewing a selectable does not match button;

processing the one viewable payment without further human intervention upon selection of the match button by the operator;

processing the one viewable payment in the verification system upon selection of the does not match button, the verification system comprising a verification GUI;

presenting the verification GUI to two distinct operators, each operator being enables to view the same payment included in the plurality of payments;

viewing the paper check electronic record on the verification GUI;

viewing the remit stub electronic record on the verification GUI;

viewing a text entry field which accepts user input relating to the legal check amount of the paper check;

entering a legal check amount into the text entry field by a first operator of the two distinct operators;

entering a legal check amount into the text entry field by a second operator of the two distinct operators;

determining whether the amount of the first operator'"'"'s entered legal check amount and the amount of the second operator'"'"'s legal check amount are the same;

processing the one viewable payment without further human intervention when the legal check amounts are the same;

transmitting, using a transmitter, the payment for resolve processing, when the amounts are not the same.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

extracting, via the scanner, a significant number, printed in MICR ink, from the remit stub; and

extracting, using the optical character recognition software, an embedded dollar amount due from the significant number.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

viewing a do not know button on the pre-verification GUI; and

processing the payment in the verification system upon selection of the do not know button by the operator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting a second payment to the operator on the pre-verification GUI upon selection of the match button by the operator.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting a second payment to the operator on the pre-verification GUI upon selection of the do not match button by the operator.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting a second payment to the operator on the pre-verification GUI upon selection of the do not know button by the operator.