AUTHENTICATION OF CHEQUES AND THE LIKE

• US 20090261158A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: First Ondemand Limited
• Original Assignee: First Ondemand Limited
• Inventors: Lawson, Marcus Maxwell
• Application Number:
  US12/278,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20090261158A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0047 using checkcodes, e.g. coded numbers derived from serial number and denomination

Abstract

Value based tokens are generated for inclusion on a data carrier which may be applied to a cheque or similar document. The tokens are generated by a core system, which communicates with application specific wrappers. The wrappers supply token parameters to the core that are specific to the application and the core generates the tokens, and stores them for later authentication. The core then encodes the tokens onto a data carrier under the control of the wrapper and distributes the tokens under the control of the wrapper. The tokens are encoded onto the cheque when it is printed. When a cheque is presented for authentication, for example by at a bank, the signed cheque is imaged and the token retrieved from the encoded data carrier. It is passed back to the core by the wrapper for authentication of its identification number and other parameters. The image may be sealed by a further data carrier which may be printed on the cheque or added to the electronic image. The further data carrier may include a separate token or have a token which is related to the first token. Where the data carrier is applied to the electronic image it may replace the first data carrier. The data stored on the carrier references cheque information stored at a database which is compared with cheque information retrieved from the cheque.

Claims

1. A cheque authentication system comprising:

a cheque identity generator for generating cheque identities,

a store for storing cheque identities;

a token generator for generating a token having a header and a security section, the header including a first data set including an identifier;

a token converter for converting the token into a character string;

an encoder for encoding the character string onto a data carrier,

means for applying the data carrier to a cheque;

an imager for imaging completed cheques each including a data carrier;

means for reading an image of the data carrier in an image of a completed cheque to read the character string from the data carrier; and

means for authenticating the cheque by authenticating a cheque identity derived from the character string against the stored identity.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the header of the token includes a PIN flag indicating whether a PIN is required to validate the token.

7. A system according to claim 1, comprising means for applying a further data carrier having an identifier encoded thereon to the image of the cheque formed by the imager.

8. A system according to claim 1, comprising means for applying a further data carrier having an identifier encoded thereon to the cheque and for forming an image of the cheque including the further data carrier.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the further data carrier identifier is related to the identifier encoded on the first data carrier.

10. A system according to claim 1, comprising means for generating a further data carrier after imaging of the said data carrier, the further data carrier having data encoded thereon related to the data encoded on the first data carrier, and means for either applying the further data carrier to the image of the cheque formed by the imager, or applying the further data courier to the cheque and forming an image of the cheque and the further data carrier.

2-4. -4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

11-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method of authenticating cheques, security papers and the like, comprising:

generating a unique identifier for the cheque;

storing the unique identifier;

generating a token having a header, and a security section, the header including a first data set including the identifier;

converting the token into a character string;

encoding the character string onto a data carrier;

applying the encoded data character to a cheque;

imaging completed cheques including imaging the data carrier;

reading the image of the data carrier contained in an image of the completed cheque to retrieve the character string from the data carrier; and

authenticating the cheque by authenticating a cheque identity derived from the character string against the stored identity.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the token includes a PIN flag indicating whether a PIN is required to validate the token, and wherein the authentication of the cheque includes validation of the PIN.

23. A method according to claim 17, comprising:

generating a further data carrier after imaging of the said data carrier, the further data carrier having data encoded thereon related to the data encoded on the first data carrier; and

either

applying the further data carrier to the image of the cheque formed by the imager or

applying the further data carrier to the cheque and forming an image of the cheque and the further data carrier.

26. A method according to claim 17, comprising:

applying a further data carrier having an identifier encoded thereon to the cheque; and

forming an image of the cheque including the further data carrier.

18-19. -19. (canceled)

21-22. -22. (canceled)

24-25. -25. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. A method of securing the authenticity of a cheque, comprising printing the cheque with a first graphical symbol, the graphical symbol having encoded thereon a token including a unique identifier for the cheque,

imaging a completed cheque on remission of the cheque to a bank, thereby to form an electronic image of the cheque;

and

securing the cheque with a further graphical symbol having an identifier.

31. A method according to claim 28, wherein the further graphical symbol contains information retrieved from a database by scanning the first graphical symbol to retrieve the unique identifier and retrieving the cheque related information stored at the database and referenced by that unique identifier.

32. A method according to claim 28, wherein the second graphical symbol is printed on the cheque and the electronic image of the cheque comprises the first and second graphical symbols, or is applied to the electronic image of the cheque after the cheque has been imaged.

29-30. -30. (canceled)

33-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A system for securing the authenticity of a cheque, comprising:

a printer for printing the cheque with a first glyph, the glyph having encoded thereon a token including a unique identifier for the cheque,

an imager for imaging a completed cheque on remission of the cheque to a bank, thereby to form an electronic image of the cheque; and

a cheque securing device for securing the cheque with a further glyph having an identifier.

39. A system according to claim 35, wherein the second glyph is printed on the cheque and the electronic image of the cheque comprises the first and second glyphs, or the second glyph is applied to the electronic image of the cheque after the cheque has been imaged.

36-38. -38. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A method of authenticating a cheque security papers and the like, comprising:

generating a unique identifier for the cheque;

storing the unique identifier;

generating a token having a header and a security section, the header including a first data set including the identifier, the token including a PIN representing an authority to issue the cheque on behalf of an organisation;

converting the token into a character string;

encoding the character string onto a data carrier;

applying the encoded data character to a cheque;

reading data stored in the data carrier from a completed cheque to retrieve the character string from the data carrier;

retrieving the PIN from the character string;

comparing the PIN with a record of at least one PIN corresponding to the organisation issuing the cheque and

rejecting the cheque if the PIN is absent from the character string or the PIN does not match a stored PIN for the organisation issuing the cheque.

43. A method according to claim 42, comprising, if the retrieved PIN matches a record stored for the organisation issuing the cheque,

authenticating the cheque by authenticating a cheque identity derived from the character string against the stored identity.

44. A method according to claim 42, wherein a unique PIN is issued to each authorised signatory in an organisation issuing cheques and a record of authorised signatories and their respective PINs is provided to a cheque authorising party, and wherein the token includes an identification of the signatory to the cheque, comprising:

comparing the signatory and the PIN retrieved from the character string with the stored record, and

rejecting the cheque if the PIN does not match the PIN stored for that signatory.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein the signatory information is encoded into the token.

46. A method according to claim 42, wherein a unique PIN is issued to each authorised signatory in an organisation issuing cheques and the party authorising the cheque has a store of specimen signatures for each authorised signatory, the specimen signatures being stored with their respective PIN, comprising:

imaging completed cheques to form an image of a signature on the cheque;

retrieving the PIN from the token;

retrieving the stored signature linked to the retrieved PIN;

comparing the imaged signature with the stored signature; and

at least partially authorising the cheque if the stored signature matches the imaged signature.