Intelligent ATM Check Image Deposit Engine

• US 20120023017A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Votaw, Elizabeth S., Siekman, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for recognizing a check deposit received in a self-service financial transaction device are described. A check is received from a customer associated with an entity for deposit into an account of the entity. Upon determining a that an amount of the check received for deposit cannot be determined from a scanned image of the check, deposit transaction data for the customer is collected and analyzed, including the frequency and timing of the customer'"'"'s previous check deposits, the amount of the customer'"'"'s previous check deposits, the payor of such deposits, etc., to predict the amount of the currently received check.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a self-service financial transaction device, a check for deposit from a user;

creating, by the self-service financial transaction device, a scanned image of the check;

determining, by the self-service financial transaction device, that an amount of the check cannot be read from the scanned image of the check;

querying, by the self-service financial transaction device, the user about one or more previous check deposits made by the user;

receiving, by the self-service financial transaction device, one or more responses to the querying from the user; and

determining, by the self-service financial transaction device, the amount of the check based on the one or more responses received from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording, by the self-service financial transaction device, transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user;

responsive to determining, by the self-service financial transaction device, that the amount of the check cannot be read from the scanned image of the check, retrieving, by the self-service financial transaction device, transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user; and

comparing, by the self-service financial transaction device, the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the retrieved transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording, by the self-service financial transaction device, transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user;

transmitting, by the self-service financial transaction device, the recorded transaction data associated with the received check deposit to a user deposit database;

responsive to determining, by the self-service financial transaction device, that the amount of the check cannot be read from the scanned image of the check, the self-service financial transaction device querying the user deposit database for a comparison of the transmitted transaction data associated with the received check deposit with transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user; and

receiving, at the self-service financial transaction device, a result of the comparison from the user deposit database, wherein the querying the user about the one or more previous check deposits is based on the received result of the comparison.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the self-service financial transaction device is an automated teller machine (ATM).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the querying the user about one or more previous check deposits made by the user includes:

identifying, by the self-service financial transaction device, a previous check deposit made by the user that has one or more similar characteristics to the received check deposit based on the comparing of the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the transaction data associated with previous check deposits;

querying, by the self-service financial transaction device, the user about whether the received check deposit has one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit; and

responsive to receiving a confirmation from the user that the received check deposit has the one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit, the self-service financial transaction device determining the amount of the received check deposit based on an amount of the previous check deposit.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a denial from the user that the received check deposit has the one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit, the self-service financial transaction device identifying a next previous check deposit made by the user that has one or more similar characteristics to the received check deposit based on the comparing of the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the transaction data associated with previous check deposits, wherein the next previous check deposit is different from the previous check deposit; and

querying, by the self-service financial transaction device, the user about whether the received check deposit has one or more similar characteristics to the next previous check deposit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to a display associated with the self-service financial transaction device the scanned image of the check; and

requesting, by the self-service financial transaction device, a confirmation from the user of the amount of the check based on the scanned image.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user includes one or more of a location of the self-service financial transaction device, a date of the receiving of the check deposit, a time of day of the receiving of the check deposit, a payor identified on the check deposit, and a date identified on the check deposit.

9. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method of:

receiving a check for deposit from a user;

scanning the check to create a scanned image of the check;

determining that an amount of the check cannot be read from the scanned image of the check;

querying the user about one or more previous check deposits made by the user;

receiving a response to the query from the user; and

determining the amount of the check based on the response received from the user;

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, further cause the at least one computer to perform:

recording transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user;

responsive to determining that the amount of the check cannot be read from the scanned image of the check, retrieving transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user; and

comparing the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the retrieved transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, further cause the at least one computer to perform:

recording transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user;

transmitting the recorded transaction data associated with the received check deposit to a user deposit database;

responsive to determining that the amount of the check cannot be read from the scanned image of the check, querying the user deposit database for a comparison of the transmitted transaction data associated with the received check deposit with transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user; and

receiving a result of the comparison from the user deposit database, wherein the querying the user about the one or more previous check deposits is based on the received result of the comparison.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, further cause the at least one computer to perform:

identifying a previous check deposit made by the user that has one or more similar characteristics to the received check deposit based on the comparing of the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the transaction data associated with previous check deposits;

querying the user about whether the received check deposit has one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit; and

responsive to receiving a confirmation from the user that the received check deposit has the one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit, determining the amount of the received check deposit based on an amount of the previous check deposit.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, further cause the at least one computer to perform:

responsive to receiving a denial from the user that the received check deposit has the one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit, identifying a next previous check deposit made by the user that has one or more similar characteristics to the received check deposit based on the comparing of the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the transaction data associated with previous check deposits, wherein the next previous check deposit is different from the previous check deposit; and

querying the user about whether the received check deposit has one or more similar characteristics to the next previous check deposit.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, further cause the at least one computer to perform:

outputting to a display associated with the computer the scanned image of the check; and

requesting a confirmation from the user of the amount of the check based on the scanned image.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user includes one or more of a location of the self-service financial transaction device, a date of the receiving of the check deposit, a time of day of the receiving of the check deposit, a payor identified on the check deposit, and a date identified on the check deposit.

16. An apparatus comprising:

at least one check deposit unit configured to receive checks for deposit from a user;

at least one scanner configured to generate, from checks received from the user by the at least one check deposit unit, images of the checks;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having stored therein computer executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method of;

receiving, by the at least one check deposit unit, a check from the user;

generating, by the at least one scanner, an image of the check;

determining from the image of the check that an amount of the check is unreadable;

querying the user about one or more previous check deposits made by the user;

receiving a response to the query from the user; and

determining the amount of the check based on the response received from the user;

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the computer executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform:

recording transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user;

responsive to determining that the amount of the check is unreadable from the image of the check, retrieving transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user; and

comparing the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the retrieved transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the computer executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform:

recording transaction data associated with the received check deposit from the user;

transmitting the recorded transaction data associated with the received check deposit to a user deposit database;

responsive to determining that the amount of the check is unreadable from the image of the check, querying the user deposit database for a comparison of the transmitted transaction data associated with the received check deposit with transaction data associated with previous check deposits made by the user; and

receiving a result of the comparison from the user deposit database, wherein the querying the user about the one or more previous check deposits is based on the received result of the comparison.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, the computer executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform:

identifying a previous check deposit made by the user that has one or more similar characteristics to the received check deposit based on the comparing of the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the transaction data associated with previous check deposits;

querying the user about whether the received check deposit has one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit; and

responsive to receiving a confirmation from the user that the received check deposit has the one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit, determining the amount of the received check deposit based on an amount of the previous check deposit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the computer executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform:

responsive to receiving a denial from the user that the received check deposit has one or more similar characteristics to the previous check deposit, identifying a next previous check deposit made by the user that has one or more similar characteristics to the received check deposit based on the comparing of the transaction data associated with the received check deposit with the transaction data associated with previous check deposits, wherein the next previous check deposit is different from the previous check deposit; and

querying the user about whether the received check deposit has one or more similar characteristics to the next previous check deposit.