Cheque deposit at a self-service terminal

• US 20050205661A1
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Atleos Corp.
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Norman G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]

Abstract

A system and method for depositing a cheque at a self-service terminal such as an automated teller machine. The method comprises the steps of: transporting the cheque from an entrance slot to a process zone; determining whether to accept or reject the document; and electronically acquiring an image of the document. Thereupon the system identifies an electronic or telecommunications address of a device associated with the user; and in the event of accepting the document, transmits the acquired image of the cheque to the device address.

Claims

1. A self-service terminal comprising:

a fascia having a document entry/exit slot;

a document processing module for processing documents entered via the slot;

a transport mechanism for transporting documents within the terminal;

communication means; and

control means for causing the communications means to identify an electronic or telecommunications address of a device associated with the user and to send an image of the deposited document to the user'"'"'s device address, following a successful attempt to deposit the document in the terminal.

2. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is arranged to transport unacceptable documents to a reject bin.

3. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is arranged to return unacceptable documents to the user.

4. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, a user'"'"'s account is credited in response to the successful depositing of the cheque.

5. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display screen which is controlled by the control means arranged to present the user with an image of the deposited document, which can be compared with the image forwarded to the device address, during the deposit process.

6. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means includes means for causing the communications means to identify an electronic or telecommunications address of a mobile telephone associated wit the user.

7. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the image is transmitted to the mobile telephone as an MMS message.

8. A method of depositing a financial document, the method comprising the steps of:

transporting the financial document from an entrance slot to a process zone;

determining whether to accept or reject the document;

electronically acquiring an image of the document;

identifying an electronic or telecommunications address of a device associated with the user; and

transmitting the image to the device address if the document is accepted.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the device comprises a mobile telephone.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile phone is that of the user who deposited the document.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile telephone belongs to the person to whose account the document is to be credited, which may be someone different from the person who deposited the document.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the document comprises a cheque which is credited to an account associated with the user.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user has pre-registered for the service and supplied information including the address of the device to which the image is to be transmitted.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user inputs an electronic or telecommunications address during the transaction.

15. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein other information may be transmitted to the user with the image.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the other information comprises advertising.

17. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the image of the deposited document is sent to the mobile telephone as an MMS message.

18. A program storage medium readable by a computer having a memory, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps further operating a self-service terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether to accept or reject a document deposited at the self-service terminal by a user;

electronically acquiring an image of the document;

identifying an electronic or telecommunications address of a device associated with the user; and

transmitting the image to the device address via a host if the document is accepted.