System and method for canceling electronically deposited checks

• US 20070251992A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Reichelsheimer, Jay, Pierce, Jeffrey, Sharma, Megha, Wilk, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,832,627 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 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A method of processing a check prior to electronically depositing the check includes steps of (a) attempting to print a cancellation mark on the check using an energy emitting ink, such as a luminescent ink, (b) radiating first energy, such as UV energy, toward the check, (c) determining whether second energy is emitted from the check as a result of the radiated first energy impinging upon the energy emitting ink present on the check, and (d) allowing the check to proceed to electronic deposit only if it is determined that the second energy is emitted from the check. Also, an apparatus for electronically depositing a check that implements the method.

Claims

1. A method of processing a check prior to electronically depositing the check, comprising:

(a) attempting to print a cancellation mark on said check using an energy emitting ink;

(b) radiating first energy toward said check;

(c) determining whether second energy is emitted from said check as a result of said radiated first energy impinging upon said energy emitting ink present on said check; and

(d) allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit only if it is determined that said second energy is emitted from said check.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined that said second energy is emitted from said check, said determining step further comprises determining whether said emitted second energy indicates that said cancellation mark has been successfully printed and said allowing step further comprises allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit only if it is determined that said emitted second energy indicates that said cancellation mark has been successfully printed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, prior to step (a), said method further comprises radiating said first energy toward said check and determining whether third energy is emitted from said check as a result of said radiated first energy impinging upon said energy emitting ink present on said check, wherein steps (a) through (d) are performed only if it is determined that said third energy is not emitted from said check, and wherein if it is determined that said third energy is emitted from said check, the method further comprises allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit without attempting to print a cancellation mark on said check.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein if it is determined that said third energy is emitted from said check, the method further comprises determining whether said emitted third energy indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed on said check, and wherein said check is allowed to proceed to electronic deposit without attempting to print a cancellation mark on said check only if it is determined that said emitted third energy indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed on said check.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein if it is determined that said third energy is emitted from said check, the method further comprises allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit with an indicator that said check is being resubmitted for electronic deposit.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein, prior to step (a), said method further comprises radiating said first energy toward said check and determining whether third energy is emitted from said check as a result of said radiated first energy impinging upon said luminescent ink present on said check, wherein steps (a) through (d) are performed only if it is determined that said third energy is not emitted from said check, and wherein if it is determined that said third energy is emitted from said check, the method further comprises allowing said check to be electronically deposited.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein if it is determined that said third energy is emitted from said check, the method further comprises determining whether said emitted third energy indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed on said check, and wherein said check is allowed to proceed to electronic deposit without attempting to print a cancellation mark on said check only if it is determined that said emitted third energy indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed on said check.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein if it is determined that said third energy is emitted from said check, the method further comprises allowing said check to be electronically deposited with an indicator that said check is being resubmitted for electronic deposit.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said energy emitting ink is a luminescent ink.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating an electronic image of said check prior to step (a) and electronically transmitting at least said electronic image for electronically depositing said check following step (d).

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether said emitted second energy indicates that said cancellation mark has been successfully printed comprises converting said emitted second energy into a voltage profile and determining whether said voltage profile substantially matches an expected voltage profile.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether said emitted third energy indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed comprises converting said emitted third energy into a voltage profile and determining whether said voltage profile substantially matches an expected voltage profile.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether said emitted second energy indicates that said cancellation mark has been successfully printed comprises converting said emitted second energy into a first voltage profile and determining whether said first voltage profile substantially matches an expected voltage profile, and wherein the step of determining whether said emitted third energy indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed comprises converting said emitted third energy into a second voltage profile and determining whether said second voltage profile substantially matches said expected voltage profile.

14. An apparatus for electronically depositing a check, comprising:

a controller;

a scanner in electronic communication with said controller for generating an electronic image of said check;

a print head in electronic communication with said controller for printing an energy emitting ink on said check;

a sensor device in electronic communication with said controller, said sensor device having a radiant energy source for radiating first energy; and

a memory in electronic communication with said controller, said memory having one or more routines executable by said controller, said one or more routines including instructions for;

(a) causing the print head to attempt to print a cancellation mark on said check using said energy emitting ink;

(b) causing the radiant energy source to radiate said first energy toward said check;

(c) determining whether second energy is emitted from said check and received by said sensor device as a result of said radiated first energy impinging upon said energy emitting ink present on said check; and

(d) allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit only if it is determined that said second energy is emitted from said check.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said sensor device includes a photodetector for converting said emitted second energy, if present, into a voltage and wherein the instructions for determining whether second energy is emitted from said check make the determination based on said voltage.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said energy emitting ink is a luminescent ink, wherein said radiant energy source comprises a UV LED, and wherein said first energy is UV radiation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said determining instructions further comprise instructions for determining whether said emitted second energy, if present, indicates that said cancellation mark has been successfully printed and said allowing instructions further comprise instructions for allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit only if it is determined that said emitted second energy, if present, indicates that said cancellation mark has been successfully printed.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said sensor device includes a photodetector for converting said emitted second energy into a voltage profile and wherein the instructions for determining whether said emitted second energy indicates that said cancellation mark has been successfully printed comprise instructions for determining whether said voltage profile substantially matches an expected voltage profile.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said instructions further comprise instructions executed prior to the instructions (a) for radiating said first energy toward said check and determining whether third energy is emitted from said check as a result of said radiated first energy impinging upon said energy emitting ink present on said check, wherein instructions (a) through (d) are performed only if it is determined that said third energy is not emitted from said check, and wherein said instructions further comprise instructions for allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit without attempting to print a cancellation mark on said check using said print head if it is determined that said third energy is emitted from said check.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said instructions for determining whether third energy is emitted from said check further comprise instructions for determining whether said emitted third energy, if present, indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed and said instructions for allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit without attempting to print a cancellation mark on said check further comprise instructions for allowing said check to proceed to electronic deposit only if it is determined that said emitted third energy, if present, indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said sensor device includes a photodetector for converting said emitted third energy into a voltage profile and wherein the instructions for determining whether said emitted third energy indicates that a cancellation mark has been previously printed comprise determining whether said voltage profile substantially matches an expected voltage profile.