TRANSACTIONS WITH IMAGING ANALYSIS

• US 20100332390A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Paintin, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,905,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/08 by using nuclear magnetic resonance G01N24/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38 Payment protocols; Details thereof
• 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

Abstract

A money transfer system with imaging. The system includes a first money transfer terminal and an imaging device. The imaging device is configured to acquire a first set of imaging information of a user. The system also includes a host computer system, configured to receive at least a portion of the first set of financial transaction information and at least a portion of the first set of imaging information. The system also includes a previous transaction database, an external database, and a decision maker terminal. The system also includes a second money transfer terminal and a second imaging device. The second imaging device is configured to acquire a second set of imaging information of the second user.

Claims

1. A money transfer system, comprising:

a first money transfer terminal, wherein the first money transfer terminal is configured to receive a first set of financial transaction information and to receive a first set of imaging information from an imaging device, wherein the first set of financial transaction information includes an amount of funds and a recipient of the funds, and wherein the first money transfer terminal is configured to transfer at least a portion of the first set of financial transaction information and at least a portion of the first set of imaging information to a host computer system;

the imaging device, wherein the imaging device is configured to acquire the first set of imaging information of the user and is communicatively coupled with the first money transfer terminal;

the host computer system, wherein the host computer system is communicatively coupled with the first money transfer terminal and a second money transfer terminal and configured to receive at least a portion of the first set of financial transaction information and at least a portion of the first set of imaging information;

a previous transaction database, wherein the previous transaction database is stored on an electronic storage medium and is communicatively coupled with the host computer system, wherein the previous transaction database includes financial information and imaging information for a plurality of users, a plurality of user types, or both;

an external database, wherein the external database is stored on an electronic storage medium and communicatively coupled with the host computer system, wherein the external database includes imaging information for a plurality of persons or a plurality of person types;

a decision-maker terminal, wherein the decision-maker terminal is communicatively coupled with the host system and configured to present at least a portion of the first set of financial transaction information and at least a portion of the first set of imaging information on a display of the decision-maker terminal and receive a decision from a decision-maker;

the second money transfer terminal, wherein the second money transfer terminal is communicatively coupled with the host computer system and is communicatively coupled with a second imaging device, wherein the second money transfer terminal disburses at least a portion of the funds to the recipient and transfers at least a portion of a second set of financial transaction information and at least a portion of a second set of imaging information to the host computer system; and

the second imaging device, wherein the second imaging device is configured to be communicatively coupled with the second money transfer terminal, to receive a second set of imaging information from the recipient, and transmit at least a portion of the second set of imaging information to the host computer system.

2. The money transfer system of claim 1, wherein the first money transfer terminal is configured to receive the first set of financial transaction information from a user.

3. A money transfer system, comprising:

a money transfer terminal, including an input device configured to receive financial transaction information relating to a user, and an interface with a host computer system;

a user imaging device, wherein the user imaging device is configured to acquire an image of a user; and

the host computer system, wherein the host computer system is configured to receive financial transaction information transmitted from the money transfer terminal.

4. The money transfer system of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the user information collected by the user imaging device is transmitted to the host computer system.

5. The money transfer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a past-transaction database stored on a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled with the host computer system, the past-transaction database including financial transfer information received at a plurality of money transfer terminals from a plurality of users and information on at least a subset of the plurality of users gathered by a plurality of imaging devices.

6. The money transfer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a decision-maker terminal, wherein the decision-maker terminal is configured to be communicatively coupled with the host computer system, the decision-maker terminal receives information from the user imaging device and the money transfer terminal, and displays information from the user imaging device and the money transfer terminal on a display communicatively coupled with the decision-maker terminal.

7. The money transfer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a third-party database, wherein the third-party database is communicatively coupled with the host computer system and contains financial information related to a plurality of persons, financial information from the third party database at least partially used to make a determination as to whether to allow a money transfer by the user.

8. The money transfer system of claim 3, further comprising:

an external database, wherein the external database is managed by a party other than an operator of the money transfer system, is communicatively coupled with the host computer system, contains information related to a plurality of persons, and is at least partially used to make a determination as to whether to permit a money transfer by the user.

9. The money transfer system of claim 8, wherein the user is one of the plurality of persons with personal information in the external database.

10. The money transfer system of claim 3, wherein the external database is managed by a law enforcement agency.

11. The money transfer system of claim 3, wherein the user imaging device comprises a magnetic resonance imaging machine.

12. The money transfer system of claim 11, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging machine comprises a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine.

13. The money transfer system of claim 11, wherein a money transfer transaction is at least in part contingent on a magnetic resonance image of the brain of the user.

14. The money transfer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a second money transfer terminal and a second user imaging device, wherein a disbursement of funds associated with a money transfer to a second user at the second money transfer terminal is at least partially contingent on imaging information of the second user acquired using the second user imaging device.

15. The money transfer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a profile database, wherein the profile database is communicatively coupled with the host computer system and the user information gathered with the user imaging device is compared to a profile stored in the profile database, a money transfer being at least partially contingent on a comparison between imaging information gathered with the imaging device and information in the profile.

16. A method of processing a money transfer, comprising:

providing a money transfer system, the money transfer system comprising a money transfer terminal, an imaging device, and a host computer system, wherein

the money transfer terminal is configured to receive financial information relating to a user,

the imaging device is configured to acquire imaging information of the user, and

the host computer system is communicatively coupled with the imaging device and the money transfer terminal;

receiving financial transaction information at the money transfer terminal relating to the user;

transmitting financial transaction information from the money transfer terminal to the host computer system;

receiving imaging information associated with the user at the imaging device;

transmitting the imaging information from the imaging device to the host computer system; and

evaluating the imaging information and the financial transaction information.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prompting the user for more information based at least in part on the imaging information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the imaging device comprises a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine.

19. A method of approving a money transfer initiated by a user, the method comprising:

providing a money transfer system, the money transfer system comprising a money transfer terminal, an imaging device, and a host computer system, wherein

the money transfer terminal is configured to receive financial information from the user,

the imaging device is configured to acquire imaging information of the user, and

the host computer system is communicatively coupled with the imaging device and the money transfer terminal;

receiving financial transaction information regarding the user at the host computer system from the money transfer terminal, wherein the financial transaction information includes a recipient;

receiving imaging information regarding the user at the host computer system from the imaging device;

accessing a database stored on a computer-readable device, wherein the database includes imaging information associated with a plurality of persons;

comparing the imaging information received from the imaging device to the imaging information stored in the database; and

determining whether to approve the money transfer, wherein the determination is based at least in part on the imaging information received from the imaging device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the imaging device comprises a magnetic resonance imaging machine.

21. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

determining a state-of-mind of the user at least partially using the imaging information.

22. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

transmitting at least a portion of the financial transaction information to a second money transfer terminal,

receiving imaging information at the host computer system associated with the target party.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the database includes profiles of types of users.

24. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

providing a decision-maker terminal;

transmitting financial transaction information to a decision-maker terminal;

transmitting imaging information to the decision-maker terminal; and

receiving at least a partial decision from the decision-maker terminal.

25. A money transfer system, comprising:

a user imaging device, wherein the user imaging device is configured to acquire an image of a user, the user imaging device includes an input device configured to receive financial transaction information relating to a user, and an interface with a host computer system; and

the host computer system, wherein the host computer system is configured to receive financial transaction information transmitted from the user imaging device.

26. A data collection system, comprising:

an input terminal, including an input device configured to receive user information, and an interface with a host computer system;

a user imaging device, wherein the user imaging device is configured to acquire an image of a user; and

the host computer system, wherein the host computer system is configured to receive user information transmitted from the input terminal, wherein at least one of the user information and the image of the user is compared to imaging information stored in a database to determine whether to approve a transaction, wherein the determination is based at least in part on the imaging information received from the user imaging device.

27. The data collection system of claim 26, wherein the input terminal and the user imaging device are the same.