APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING MISREAD OR MISKEYED MAGNETIC INDICIA

• US 20070215691A1
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Swift, Amy, Mok, Waisum
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,775 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: 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for processing check data, such as data stored using magnetic indicia. In one embodiment, a check transaction processing system receives an indication that a first check transaction from a first payor failed to clear because at least a portion of first MICR or other account data associated with the first check transaction is incorrect. The check transaction processing system reads a personal identifier associated with the first payor, wherein the personal identifier was provided in association with the first check transaction. MICR data or other account data associated with a previously processed check transaction associated with the personal identifier is located. At least a portion of the located MICR or other account data is compared with at least the portion of first MICR or other account data associated with the first check transaction, and based at least in part on the comparison, the check transaction processing system determines if the portion of the located data is at least a potentially correct version of the portion of first MICR or other account data.

Claims

1. A method of correcting corrupted magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) indicia data, the method comprising:

receiving over a network a first account number for a check drafted by a payor, the first account number obtained from MICR indicia on the draft check;

receiving over the network a driver'"'"'s license number associated with the payor in association with the first account number;

storing in computer readable memory the first account number in association with the driver'"'"'s license number;

submitting the draft check for clearance, the submission comprising the first account number;

receiving an indication that the draft check failed to clear at least in part because the first account number is corrupted;

locating a database record for at least a previously cleared check associated with the driver'"'"'s license number;

reading a second account number, the second account number associated with the previously cleared check;

comparing at least the corrupted account number with at least the second account number;

determining if the second account number is a potential correct number for the corrupted account number, based at least in part on the comparison; and

resubmitting the draft check for clearance, the resubmission comprising the second account number when the second account number is a potential correct number for the corrupted account number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein locating the database record for the previously cleared check comprises searching a database for checks that have cleared, wherein the search is limited to checks associated with transactions that occurred within a time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein locating the database record for the previously cleared check comprises searching a database for checks that have cleared, wherein the search is limited to exclude checks received from customers from designated areas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein locating the database record for the previously cleared check comprises searching a database for checks that have cleared, wherein the search is limited to exclude checks whose MICR data was received from designated merchants.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrupted account number is received from a merchant terminal.

6. A method of correcting corrupted magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) indicia data, the method comprising:

receiving over a network MICR data associated with a financial instrument drafted by a payor, the MICR data obtained from MICR indicia on the financial instrument;

receiving over the network information identifying the payor;

associating the information with the MICR data in a database;

submitting the financial instrument for clearance, the submission including the MICR data;

receiving an indication that the submitted financial instrument failed to clear, wherein the submitted MICR data comprises corrupted MICR data;

locating additional MICR data associated with the information in the database;

filtering the located MICR data to identify filtered MICR data associated with a previously cleared financial instrument;

comparing the filtered MICR data with the corrupted MICR data; and

storing the filtered MICR data as corrected MICR data in the database based at least in part on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising resubmitting the failed financial instrument with the corrected MICR data.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the filtered MICR data with the corrupted MICR data comprises:

subtracting at least a portion of the filtered MICR data from at least a corresponding portion of the corrupted MICR data to produce a subtraction result;

summing the number of non-zero digits in the subtraction result; and

comparing the sum with a threshold.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the filtered MICR data with the corrupted MICR data comprises:

comparing character by character at least a portion of the filtered MICR data with at least a corresponding portion of the corrupted MICR data;

producing a 1 value if the characters match;

producing a 0 value if the characters do not match;

summing the 1 values once the comparison is complete; and

comparing the sum with a threshold.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the information comprises at least one of a driver'"'"'s license number, a social security number, an address, a phone number, and a toll road transponder.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the MICR data comprises a routing number and an account number.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the MICR data comprises an account number.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising excluding filtered MICR data based at least in part on at least one of a source area and a subscriber code.

14. An apparatus to correct corrupted magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) indicia data, the apparatus comprising:

a first network to receive MICR data associated with a check drafted by a payor and to receive information identifying the payor, wherein the MICR data is obtained from MICR indicia on the check;

a database to store the information and the MICR data, wherein the information is associated with the MICR data in the database;

a computer program to correct corrupt MICR data for processing of the check when at least a portion of the submitted MICR data associated with the check is invalid, the computer program comprising;

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to receive an indication that the submitted check failed to clear, wherein the submitted MICR data comprises corrupted MICR data;

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to locate MICR data of a cleared check associated with the information;

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to calculate a number of character mismatches between at least a portion of the located MICR data and at least a corresponding portion of the corrupted MICR data; and

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to store the located MICR data as corrected MICR data in the database based at least in part on the number of character mismatches.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer code configured to calculate the number of character mismatches comprises:

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to subtract at least a portion of the located MICR data from at least a corresponding portion of the corrupted MICR data to produce a subtraction result; and

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to sum the number of non-zero digits in the subtraction result.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer code configured to calculate the number of character mismatches comprises:

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to compare character by character at least a portion of the located MICR data with at least a corresponding portion of the corrupted MICR data;

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to produce a 1 value if the characters match;

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to produce a 0 value if the characters do not match; and

computer code stored on computer-readable media configured to sum the 1 values once the comparison is complete.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information comprises at least one of a driver'"'"'s license number, a social security number, an address, a phone number, and a toll road transponder.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the MICR data comprises a routing number and an account number.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the MICR data comprises an account number.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising excluding located MICR data based at least in part on at least one of a source area and a subscriber code.