Method of and system for electronic funds transfer via facsimile machines
First Claim
1. An electronic funds transfer system for carrying out financial transactions between parties to a transaction, comprising:
- at least one remote facsimile machine at the site or sites of the parties to the transaction, each said facsimile machine including a document reader, a modem for transmitting an image of said document and receiving document images received thereat, and a document printer for printing incoming images on a recording medium;
a central facsimile machine located at a central facility for receiving incoming images sent from said at least one remote facsimile machine at the site or sites of said parties, a central computer at said central facility and means for formatting said incoming images into a form recognizable by said central computer;
a transaction voucher having a first region for containing at least the amount of a transaction, an account number and the written signature of a party to the transaction;
images of transaction vouchers sent by the at least one remote facsimile machine to said central facsimile machine being formatted and processing by said central computer; and
means incorporated in the central computer for clearing the transaction based upon said incoming voucher images received from said at least one remote facsimile machine.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a system for carrying out financial transactions via facsimile machines, account customized transaction vouchers are completed by the parties to a transaction, each filling in the amount of the transactions, whether he or she is a sender or receiver of fund, the accound number of the other party and signature. The voucher optionally contains a transparent pocket for receiving an identification card of an authorized user of the system, and each party transmits by facsimile an image of the completed voucher together with identification card to a facsimile machine at a central facility, such as an automated clearing house ACH). A character reader at the central facility reads the incoming data and authorizes the requested transaction based on personal identification numbers correctly transmitted to the central facility via telephone pushbotton switches and an adequate account balance. Upon audible confirmation of the transaction information by the central facility using a synthesized voice message over the telephones, and confirmation by the parties, the central facility clears the transaction and sends transaction reports to the parties by facsimile.
402 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An electronic funds transfer system for carrying out financial transactions between parties to a transaction, comprising:
-
at least one remote facsimile machine at the site or sites of the parties to the transaction, each said facsimile machine including a document reader, a modem for transmitting an image of said document and receiving document images received thereat, and a document printer for printing incoming images on a recording medium; a central facsimile machine located at a central facility for receiving incoming images sent from said at least one remote facsimile machine at the site or sites of said parties, a central computer at said central facility and means for formatting said incoming images into a form recognizable by said central computer; a transaction voucher having a first region for containing at least the amount of a transaction, an account number and the written signature of a party to the transaction; images of transaction vouchers sent by the at least one remote facsimile machine to said central facsimile machine being formatted and processing by said central computer; and means incorporated in the central computer for clearing the transaction based upon said incoming voucher images received from said at least one remote facsimile machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of carrying out financial transactions between parties in an electronic funds transfer system having remote facsimile machines at the sites of the parties to the transaction, each said facsimile machine including a document reader, a modem for transmitting an image of a document and receiving document images received thereat, and a document printer for printing incoming images on a recording medium;
- and a central facility having at least one central facsimile machine for receiving images transmitted thereto from remote facsimile machines at the sites of the parties to the transaction, the central facility including a central computer having means for storing account data associated with the parties to the transaction and means for clearing financial transactions based upon the account data and the image data received on-line from parties to a transaction, comprising the steps of;
using the remote facsimile machines, transmitting to the central facility an image of each the transaction voucher having regions containing (1) information indicating whether a party to the transaction is a vendor or vendee, (2) information representing the amount of the transaction, (3) an account number, and (4) the written signature of the vendor or vendee to the transaction; and clearing the transaction based on information contained in the voucher images received by the central facility and on account data stored at the central computer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- and a central facility having at least one central facsimile machine for receiving images transmitted thereto from remote facsimile machines at the sites of the parties to the transaction, the central facility including a central computer having means for storing account data associated with the parties to the transaction and means for clearing financial transactions based upon the account data and the image data received on-line from parties to a transaction, comprising the steps of;
Specification