Extracting text written on a check

• US 20030177100A1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parascript, LLC
• Original Assignee: Parascript, LLC
• Inventors: Filatov, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/268 Lexical context

Abstract

A check processing system for recognizing text on a check and processing the check using an interpretation for the recognized text is disclosed. The check processing system recognizes text on a check using a text recognition method wherein the text is compared to information entries in a customized recognition list stored in a restrictive lexicon. Thus, a process of creating restricted lexicons containing only customized recognition lists is disclosed. Like the text on the check, the information entries may be strings of characters, such as, without limitation, strings of numerical characters, alphabetic characters or a combination of alphabetic and numerical characters. Furthermore, the strings of characters for the text, as well as the information entries, may be a word or a phrase of words, such as payee names or memo categories. After the text is recognized, the check processing system processes the check using the interpretation by linking the check to the interpretation on an account statement.

Claims

1. A method for processing a check issued from a checking account by a payor to a payee, the method comprising:

receiving a customized recognition list having a plurality of information entries being strings of characters predefined as information that may be handwritten on the check;

locating handwritten text on the check;

comparing the handwritten text to each of the information entries listed in the recognition list to determine if one of the plurality of information entries matches the handwritten text; and

if one of the plurality of information entries matches the handwritten text, linking the handwritten text to the matched information entry, wherein the linking act designates the matched information entry as an interpretation for the handwritten text.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking act comprises:

generating an account statement for the checking account detailing transactions of the checking account over a predetermined period of time and depicting the check as linked to the interpretation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting the account statement to the payor using an Internet server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the linking act comprises:

labeling a listing of the check on the account statement with the interpretation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the payor is a customer of a financial institution maintaining a financial record of the checking account by processing transactions in the checking account, the linking act comprising:

updating the financial record to depict the check as linked to the interpretation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the handwritten text does not match an information entry, providing the handwritten text to the payor for interpretation of the handwritten text.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the providing act comprises:

presenting the handwritten text to the payor using an Internet server.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a supplemental information entry submitted by the payor as the interpretation for the handwritten text; and

updating the recognition list to include the supplemental information entry.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving act comprises:

receiving the supplemental information entry using an Internet server.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a replacement recognition list submitted by the payor containing a verified information entry as the interpretation for the handwritten text; and

replacing the recognition list with the replacement recognition list.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving act comprises:

receiving the replacement recognition list using an Internet server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the handwritten text is payee name information identifying the payee to whom the check is issued.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the handwritten text is memo category information identifying a particular memo category to which the check is associated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of information entries are predefined by the payor.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of information entries are predefined by a financial institution maintaining a financial record of the checking account by processing transactions in the checking account.

16. A system for identifying a check with text located on the check, the check being issued from a checking account by a payor to a payee, the system comprising:

a restricted lexicon containing a plurality of information entries being strings of characters predefined as identification information that may be written on the check;

an extraction module receiving the check and comparing the text to the plurality of information entries in the restricted lexicon to identify an information entry as the interpretation for the text; and

an account statement generation module generating an account statement for the checking account and linking the check to the interpretation for the text on the account statement.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the restricted lexicon is one of a plurality of restricted lexicons each associated with a separate checking account number and each containing information entries being strings of characters predefined as identification information that may be written on checks issued from the separate checking accounts, the system further comprising:

a checking account recognition module recognizing an account number on the check and selecting the restricted lexicon based on a match between the account number on the check and the checking account number associated with the restricted lexicon.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the account statement generation module links the check with the interpretation on the account statement by labeling a listing of the check on the account statement with the interpretation for the text.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the text is payee name information identifying the payee to whom the check is issued.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the text is memo category information identifying a particular memo category to which the check is associated.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of information entries are predefined by the payor.

22. A computer program product readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for processing a check issued from a checking account by a payor to a payee, the computer process comprising:

receiving a recognition list having a plurality of information entries being strings of characters defined by the payor as information that may be handwritten on the check;

locating handwritten text on the check;

comparing the handwritten text to each of the information entries listed in the recognition list to determine if one of the plurality of information entries matches the handwritten text; and

if one of the plurality of information entries matches the handwritten text, linking the handwritten text to the matched information entry, wherein the linking act designates the matched information entry as an interpretation for the handwritten text.

23. The computer process in the computer program product of claim 22, wherein the linking act comprises:

generating an account statement for the checking account detailing transactions of the checking account over a predetermined period of time and depicting the check as linked to the interpretation.

24. The computer process in the computer program product of claim 23, further comprising:

presenting the account statement to the payor using an Internet server.

25. The computer process in the computer program product of claim 22, further comprising:

if the handwritten text does not match an information entry, providing the handwritten text to the payor for interpretation of the handwritten text.

26. The computer process in the computer program product of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a supplemental information entry submitted by the payor as the interpretation for the handwritten text; and

updating the recognition list to include the supplemental information entry.

27. The computer process in the computer program product of claim 22, wherein the handwritten text is payee name information identifying the payee to whom the check is issued.

28. The computer process in the computer program product of claim 22, wherein the handwritten text is memo category information identifying a particular memo category to which the check is associated.

29. A method for processing a check issued from a checking account by a payor to a payee, the method comprising:

receiving a recognition list having a plurality of information entries being strings of characters defined by the payor as payee names that may be handwritten on the check;

locating a payee name handwritten on the check;

comparing the handwritten payee name to each of the information entries listed in the recognition list to determine if one of the plurality of information entries matches the handwritten payee name;

if one of the plurality of information entries matches the handwritten payee name, linking the handwritten payee name to the matched information entry, wherein the linking act designates the matched information entry as an interpretation for the handwritten payee name; and

generating an account statement for the checking account detailing transactions of the checking account over a predetermined period of time and depicting the check as linked to the interpretation.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the generating act comprises:

labeling a listing of the check on the account statement with the interpretation.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

if the handwritten payee name does not match an information entry, providing the handwritten payee name to the payor for interpretation of the handwritten payee name.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the providing act comprises:

presenting the handwritten payee name to the payor using an Internet server.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving a supplemental information entry submitted by the payor as the interpretation for the handwritten payee name; and

updating the recognition list to include the supplemental information entry.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the receiving act comprises:

receiving the supplemental information entry using an Internet server.