Apparatus for verifying checks presented for acceptance
First Claim
1. System for verifying the check presentation history of a number of persons who may present various types of checks for acceptance, irrespective of their current checking account status or availability of such persons, comprising:
- at least one input terminal disposed at a location where checks may be presented for acceptance by customers;
said input terminal having means operative to accept and read any of a plurality of customer identification cards each of which contains machine-readable information corresponding to an individual customer and also operative to produce a customer identification signal in the input terminal;
said input terminal having variable data entry means operable by the customer to provide a code input signal corresponding to a predetermined personal code whic has been previously selected by the customer;
said input terminal having form handling means operative to receive a customer-supplied form suitable for imprinting;
said input terminal having means operative to print authorization indicia on said customer-supplied form in response to an authorization signal supplied to said input terminal;
said input terminal having function selection means operable by the customer to provide check category signals corresponding to certain predetermined categories of checks which may be presented for acceptance;
data transmission means operative to supply information signals including said customer identification signal, said code input signal, and said category signal from said input terminal to a remote location;
transaction processing means disposed at said remote location and connected to receive information signals from said data transmission means;
said transaction processing means including information storage means operative to provide stored signals corresponding to the predetermined personal code previously selected by each customer, corresponding to certain previously authorized categories of checks which will be approved for acceptance if presented by a particular customer, and corresponding to a predetermined maximum number of times each such authorized category may be approved for acceptance for particular customers within a certain period of time;
said transaction processing means including signal processing means responsive to said stored signals and to said information signals received along said data transmission means from an input terminal to compare the personal code input signal from the input terminal with the stored predetermined personal code signal for that customer, said transaction processing means being operative in response to a comparison showing nonidentity of said input and stored personal code signals to provide a code error signal for transmission along said data transmission means to that input terminal; and
said transaction processing means including means operative in response to a comparison showing identity of said input and stored personal code signals to compare a received desired check category signal with said stored signals in said information storage means to provide an authorization control signal indicating whether or not said desired category is authorized for that customer and whether the present request for acceptance will exceed said predetermined maximum utilization of such category; and
means operative to transmit said authorization control signal to said input terminal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A check verification system for providing customer-operated verification of checks at point-of-sale locations. The present system enables a customer to verify several possible kinds of checking functions, including verification of payroll or government checks as well as certain types of personal checks for cash, and sets limits on the number of times each checking function will be verified in a period of time. The system utilizes a number of local point-of-use terminals which are operated by the customer, and which communicate with a remotely-located transaction processor including a positive file of customers who are entitled to verify checks with the present system. The positive check verification files do not require the current bank balance of the customer, and the present system is designed to include persons who are merely the payees of checks and have no checking account or other established relationship with any bank. The present check verification system includes an identification card containing a unique number for each customer; a personal customer code, which is not on the card, is also provided for manual entry into the input terminal by the customer. Check verification is given a positive acknowledgment within the input terminal by printing information including a verification number on the back of the specific check being verified. The printed verification number on the customer-supplied check enables such checks to be factored or purchased for the benefit of the merchant who accepts checks verified by the present system.
249 Citations
7 Claims
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1. System for verifying the check presentation history of a number of persons who may present various types of checks for acceptance, irrespective of their current checking account status or availability of such persons, comprising:
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at least one input terminal disposed at a location where checks may be presented for acceptance by customers; said input terminal having means operative to accept and read any of a plurality of customer identification cards each of which contains machine-readable information corresponding to an individual customer and also operative to produce a customer identification signal in the input terminal; said input terminal having variable data entry means operable by the customer to provide a code input signal corresponding to a predetermined personal code whic has been previously selected by the customer; said input terminal having form handling means operative to receive a customer-supplied form suitable for imprinting; said input terminal having means operative to print authorization indicia on said customer-supplied form in response to an authorization signal supplied to said input terminal; said input terminal having function selection means operable by the customer to provide check category signals corresponding to certain predetermined categories of checks which may be presented for acceptance; data transmission means operative to supply information signals including said customer identification signal, said code input signal, and said category signal from said input terminal to a remote location; transaction processing means disposed at said remote location and connected to receive information signals from said data transmission means; said transaction processing means including information storage means operative to provide stored signals corresponding to the predetermined personal code previously selected by each customer, corresponding to certain previously authorized categories of checks which will be approved for acceptance if presented by a particular customer, and corresponding to a predetermined maximum number of times each such authorized category may be approved for acceptance for particular customers within a certain period of time; said transaction processing means including signal processing means responsive to said stored signals and to said information signals received along said data transmission means from an input terminal to compare the personal code input signal from the input terminal with the stored predetermined personal code signal for that customer, said transaction processing means being operative in response to a comparison showing nonidentity of said input and stored personal code signals to provide a code error signal for transmission along said data transmission means to that input terminal; and said transaction processing means including means operative in response to a comparison showing identity of said input and stored personal code signals to compare a received desired check category signal with said stored signals in said information storage means to provide an authorization control signal indicating whether or not said desired category is authorized for that customer and whether the present request for acceptance will exceed said predetermined maximum utilization of such category; and means operative to transmit said authorization control signal to said input terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification