Method and apparatus for bill payments at an automatic teller machine

• US 20020152165A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Banerjee, Dwip N.
• Application Number:
  US09/833,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer implemented instructions for processing a bill in an automatic teller machine. The bill is scanned to form a bill image in which the bill includes a markup language providing payment information. Optical character recognition is performed on the bill image to identify the payment information. The bill is processed using the payment information. Bills, such as waterbills, mortgages, credit card statements, and tax bills may be made in this manner.

Claims

1. A method in an automatic teller machine for processing a bill, the method comprising:

scanning the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill image includes a markup language providing payment information;

performing optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and

processing the bill using the payment information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a user presents the bill for scanning at the automatic teller machine and further comprising:

generating a video recording of the user during the processing of the bill.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language is in a form of a text or a bar code.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a time stamp to the bill image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step includes:

presenting payment options to a user; and

initiating a transfer of funds to pay the bill in response to a selected user input using a payment option selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step includes:

displaying an amount of the bill to a user.

7. A method in an automatic teller machine for processing a tax form, the method comprising:

scanning the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form;

scanning supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images;

performing optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and

processing the tax form based on the data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein processing of the tax form generates a result and further comprising:

confirming the result of processing with the user.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

recording a video of user during scanning and processing of the tax form at the automatic teller machine.

10. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to scan the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill includes a markup language providing payment information;

perform optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and

process the bill using the payment information.

11. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to scan the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form;

scan supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images;

perform optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and

process the tax form based on the data.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein a user presents the bill for scanning at the automatic teller machine and further comprising:

generating means for generating a video recording of the user during the processing of the bill.

14. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the markup language is in a form of a text or a bar code.

15. The data processing system of claim 12 further comprising:

adding means for adding a time stamp to the bill image.

16. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the processing means includes:

means for presenting payment options to a user; and

means for initiating a transfer of funds to pay the bill in response to a selected user input using a payment option selected by the user.

17. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the processing means includes:

means for displaying an amount of the bill to a user.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein processing of the tax form generates a result and further comprising:

confirming means for confirming the result of processing with the user.

20. The data processing system of claim 18 further comprising:

recording means for recording a video of user during scanning and processing of the tax form at the automatic teller machine.

12. A data processing system in an automatic teller machine for processing a bill, the data processing system comprising:

scanning means for scanning the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill includes a markup language providing payment information;

performing means for performing optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and

processing means for processing the bill using the payment information.

18. A data processing system in an automatic teller machine for processing a tax form, the data processing system comprising:

first scanning means for scanning the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form;

second scanning means for scanning supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images;

performing means for performing optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and

processing means for processing the tax form based on the data.

21. A computer program product in a computer readable medium in an automatic teller machine for processing a bill, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for scanning the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill includes a markup language providing payment information;

second instructions for performing optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and

third instructions for processing the bill using the payment information.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein a user presents the bill for scanning at the automatic teller machine and further comprising:

fourth instructions for generating a video recording of the user during the processing of the bill.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the markup language is in a form of a text or a bar code.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

fourth instructions for adding a time stamp to the bill image.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the third instruction for processing includes:

first sub-instructions for presenting payment options to a user; and

second sub-instructions for initiating a transfer of funds to pay the bill in response to a selected user input using a payment option selected by the user.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the third instructions for processing includes:

sub-instructions for displaying an amount of the bill to a user.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein processing of the tax form generates a result and further comprising:

fifth instructions for confirming the result of processing with the user.

29. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising:

fifth instructions for recording a video of user during scanning and processing of the tax form at the automatic teller machine.

27. A computer program product in a computer readable medium in an automatic teller machine for processing a tax form, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for scanning the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form;

second instructions for scanning supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images;

third instructions for performing optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and

fourth instructions for processing the tax form based on the data.