CHECK DESTRUCTION TRACKING AND RECONSTRUCTION

• US 20100174632A1
• Filed: 01/08/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Boyd, Hamilton Tarry, Vanlandingham, Barry Thomas, Piedra, Humberto Kenneth, Felse, Mark David
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for check destruction tracking and reconstruction relates to tracking the destruction of financial institution items, such as paper checks. The method includes transferring the financial institution items to a bin for transporting the items to be destroyed. The bin is associated with a bin identifier. The items which are in the bin are identified and the bin is transported for destruction. If the items are safely transported and safely destroyed, a notification of destruction of the items in the bin is sent. If the items are either not safely transported or not safely destroyed, a notification of an incident is sent. Appropriate action may be taken in response to receiving such notification.

Claims

2-1. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an indication of which items are in the bin comprises:

providing one or more groupings of the one or more financial institution items;

creating a label for each of the groupings; and

associating the labels corresponding to the items placed in the bin with the bin identifier.

5. The method of claim 5, further comprising verifying the bin identifiers received in the destruction notification against the manifest in response to receiving the notification of destruction of the items in the bin.

12. A method comprising:

providing one or more groupings of the one or more financial institution items;

transferring the groupings to a plurality of bins which are each used to transport one or more groupings of items to a site where the items will be destructed;

creating a label for each of the groupings;

associating each label with the bin that contains the groupings of items corresponding to the label;

allowing the bins to be transported for destruction;

receiving notification of destruction of the items in the bins in response to safe transport and safe destruction of the items in the bins; and

receiving notification of an incident in response to any of the bins being compromised.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising affixing a seal to each of the bins, where each seal comprises a unique identifier for each bin.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in response to receiving the notification of an incident:

receiving information about the incident including the seal numbers of the bins compromised; and

determining if action should be taken.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in response to determining action should be taken;

determining which items have been compromised;

determining a customer associated with the compromised items; and

notifying the customer of the items compromised.

16. A method comprising:

transferring one or more financial institution items to an entity so that the entity transports the items to be destroyed via a holding container; and

at least one of;

receiving notification of destruction of the items in the holding container in response to safe transport and safe destruction of the items in the holding container; and

receiving notification of an incident in response to the holding container being compromised.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in response to receiving the notification of an incident:

receiving information about the incident including an identification of the holding container compromised and the items compromised; and

determining if action should be taken.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to determining action should be taken;

determining which items have been compromised;

determining customer account information associated with the compromised items; and

notifying the customer of the items compromised.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for transporting financial institution items to be destroyed, the transporting means having an identifier;

means for identifying which items are located in the transporting means;

means for receiving notification of destruction of the items in response to safe transport and safe destruction of the items; and

means for receiving notification of an incident in response to the transporting means being compromised;

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the financial institution items comprise paper checks.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for labeling groupings of items and associating the labeling with the transporting means.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for sealing the transporting means, wherein the sealing means comprises the identifier.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for determining the customers associated with any items compromised and means for notifying the customers in response to the incident.

24. A system comprising:

a bin that receives one or more financial institution items to be destroyed, the bin having an identifier; and

a processing unit configured to respond to computer instructions to;

receive notification of destruction of the items in the holding container in response to safe transport and safe destruction of the items in the bun; and

receive notification of an incident in response to the bin being compromised.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine the customers associated with any items compromised and notify the customers in response to the incident.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is further configured to create a manifest comprising the bin identifier and items associated with each bin via the bin identifier.