Check accepting and cash dispensing automated banking machine system and method

• US 7,419,093 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crews, Tim, Blackson, Dale H., Laskowski, Edward L., Galloway, Todd, Barnett, Robert W., Ryan, Mike, Ward, Mark A., Brown, Martin J., Peters, David A., Kay, James R., McCarthy, William, Pahl, Matthew, Warren, Wayne, Bell, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US11/728,882
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/375, 235/380
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]

Abstract

An automated banking machine system and method includes ATMs which accept checks and dispense cash to users. The ATMs are operated to acquire image and magnetic data from deposited checks to determine the genuineness of checks and the authority of a user to receive cash for such checks. Cash is dispensed to the user from the ATM in exchange for the deposited check.

Claims

1. Computer readable media including computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one computer to carry out a method comprising:

(a) receiving a check in a check accepting machine including at least one computer, at least one check reading device, and at least one input device adapted to receive at least one identifying input from a machine user;

(b) reading optical indicia and magnetic indicia from the check through operation of the at least one check reading device to produce image data;

(c) determining through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the optical indicia read from the check, a location of a micr line in image data corresponding to the optical indicia read from the check; and

(d) determining through operation of the at least one computer responsive to the magnetic indicia read from the check, that the magnetic indicia corresponds to the micr line in the image data.

2. The computer readable media according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

(e) operating a card reader of the machine to receive at least one identifying input from a machine user.

3. The computer readable media according to claim 2 wherein (a) includes receiving the check from the machine user.

4. The computer readable media according to claim 2 wherein the method further comprises:

(f) corresponding the check to the at least one identifying input through operation of the at least one computer.

5. The computer readable media according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to the determination in step (d),

(e) cancelling the check through operation of the machine;

(f) dispensing cash from the machine through operation of at least one cash dispenser.

6. The computer readable media according to claim 5 wherein the method further comprises:

prior to (f) receiving at least one identifying input from a user providing the check in (a), and at least one of;

(g) determining through operation of the at least one computer, amount data included in the image data, and determining that the amount data is below a limit, wherein data corresponding to the limit is stored in at least one data store in association with the user;

(h) determining through operation of the at least one computer, a check maker from data included in the micr line, and determining if data correlating the user to the check maker is included in at least one data store;

(i) determining through operation of the at least one computer responsive to data stored in at least one data store, if a delay period has passed since the user last received a cash value for a check presented at a check accepting machine in operative connection with the at least one computer; and

(j) determining through operation of the at least one computer if the user is entitled to receive an incentive based on data stored in at least one data store.

7. The computer readable media according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

(e) determining through operation of the at least one computer whether substantial magnetic indicia read from the check through operation of the at least one check reading device, is in at least one area of the image data other than the location of the micr line.

8. The computer readable media according to claim 7 wherein in (e) the at least one area corresponds to an area having preprinted indicia on the check located outside of the micr line.

9. The computer readable media according to claim 7 wherein (e) includes imposing at least one electronic template on the image data through operation of the at least one computer.

10. The computer readable media according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

(e) determining through operation of the at least one computer at least one monetary amount included in the image data;

(f) responsive to the determinations in (d) and (e), operating the at least one computer to cause a cash value to be allocated responsive to the at least one monetary amount.

11. The computer readable media according to claim 10 wherein (e) comprises determining at least two monetary amounts corresponding to data included in the image data, and further comprising, prior to (f) analyzing through operation of the at least one computer the amounts for a relationship, wherein in (f) the cash value is allocated responsive to the at least two monetary amounts having the relationship.

12. The computer readable media according to claim 1 wherein (c) comprises imposing at least one electronic template including at least one area on the image data through operation of the at least one computer, and analyzing data within the at least one area.

13. The computer readable media according to claim 12 and prior to (c) the method further comprises:

through operation of the at least one computer, adjusting the image data for skew of the check during reading in (b).

14. The computer readable media according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

(e) analyzing the magnetic indicia through operation of the at least one computer to determine if other magnetic indicia is present in an area of the check other than in an area of the micr line.

15. The computer readable media according to claim 14 wherein the method further comprises:

(f) responsive to the analysis in (e) resulting in a determination that other magnetic indicia is not present, operating the at least one computer to cause cash to be dispensed from the machine through operation of at least one cash dispenser.

16. The computer readable media according to claim 15 wherein the method further comprises:

(g) operating the at least one computer to cause the machine to cancel the check.

17. The computer readable media according to claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

(h) determining through operation of the at least one computer, a legal amount and a courtesy amount included in the image data;

(i) prior to (f), determining through operation of the at least one computer if the legal amount corresponds to the courtesy amount, wherein (f) is carried out responsive to correspondence between the legal amount and the courtesy amount, and wherein in (f) an amount of cash dispensed correlates with the corresponding amounts.

18. Computer readable media including computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one computer to carry out a method comprising:

(a) receiving a check in a check accepting machine including at least one computer, at least one check reading device, and at least one input device adapted to receive at least one identifying input from a machine user;

(b) reading optical indicia and magnetic indicia from the check through operation of the at least one check reading device;

(c) producing image data corresponding to the optical indicia through operation of the at least one computer;

(d) determining micr line indicia from the image data through operation of the at least one computer; and

(e) determining whether the micr line indicia corresponds to the magnetic indicia through operation of the at least one computer.

19. The computer readable media according to claim 18 wherein in (b) the reading of the magnetic indicia includes determining a magnetic profile length from the check, wherein (d) includes determining a micr line length from the image data, and wherein (e) includes determining whether the micr line length corresponds to the magnetic profile length.

20. Computer readable media including computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one computer in a check accepting machine to carry out a method comprising:

(a) operating a card reader of the machine to read machine user identifying input from a card;

(b) receiving a check into the machine;

(c) reading optical indicia from the check through operation of at least one optical indicia reading device;

(d) producing at least one check image corresponding to the optical indicia read in (c) through operation of the at least one computer, wherein the at least one check image includes a micr line area;

(e) reading magnetic data from the check through operation of at least one magnetic data reading device;

(f) subsequent to (d), reading micr line data from the micr line area; and

(g) determining through operation of the at least one computer, whether the micr line data read in (f) corresponds to the magnetic data read in (e).