System and method for embedding check data in a check image

• US 7,548,641 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fidelity Information Services, LLC (Fidelity National Information Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: VECTORsgi, Inc. (Fidelity National Information Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weber, Christopher S., Gilson, Jonathan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US11/115,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20060182331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 382/137, 382/139, 382/140, 382305-306, 382/318, 382/320
• US Class Current: 382/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0202 whereby the quality of watermarked images is measured; Measuring quality or performance of watermarking methods; Balancing between quality and robustness

Abstract

An image capture system for retaining check processing data comprises a camera operable to generate an electronic check image of a physical check, with the electronic check image operable to generate an image replacement document. The system includes a scanner operable to process the check image to generate check processing data and one or more processors operable to embed at least a portion of the check processing data in the electronic check image. The embedded check processing data is typically operable to be subsequently identified.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for retaining check processing data comprising:

identifying an electronic check image of a physical check from an electronic check image data structure, the electronic check image operable to generate an image replacement document;

processing the check image to generate associated check processing data; and

embedding at least a portion of the check processing data in the electronic check image data structure such that the electronic check image is operable to generate the same image replacement document, the embedded check processing data operable to be subsequently identified.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising archiving the electronic check image into an archive file, the archive file comprising a header, a front image in black/white, a front image in grayscale, a back image in black/white, and a back image in grayscale.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein archiving the electronic check image into an archive file comprises adding the electronic check image with the embedded data to a standard archive without reconfiguring the archive.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the check image comprises performing Image Quality Analysis (IQA) on the check image and the processing data comprising at least one IQA test and an associated result.

5. The method of claim 4, each IQA result selected from the group comprising:

threshold image below minimum size;

threshold image above maximum size;

threshold folded or torn corners;

threshold folded or torn edges;

threshold document framing error;

threshold excessive skew;

threshold piggyback;

threshold image too light;

threshold image too dark;

threshold detect streaks and bands;

threshold below minimum compressed image size;

threshold above maximum compressed image size; and

threshold excessive spot noise.

6. The method of claim 1, the electronic check image comprising a Tag Image File Format (TIFF).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the check image comprises:

identifying a first financial institution at a second financial institution based on a first addendum record embedded in the electronic check image; and

generating a second addendum record associated with the second financial institution.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein processing the check image further comprises identifying a plurality of debits associated with a particular credit and the processing data comprises an identifier of each debit and the particular credit.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the check processing data prior to embedding in the electronic check image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded check processing data is located separate from the electronic check image in the data structure.

11. A computer program product for retaining check processing data, the computer program product tangibly embodied on a machine-readable storage medium and comprising instructions operable to:

identify an electronic check image of a physical check from an electronic check image data structure, the electronic check image operable to generate an image replacement document;

process the check image to generate associated check processing data; and

embed at least a portion of the check processing data in the electronic check image data structure such that the electronic check image is operable to generate the same image replacement document, the embedded check processing data operable to be subsequently identified.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to archive the electronic check image into an archive file, the archive file comprising a header, a front image in black/white, a front image in grayscale, a back image in black/white, and a back image in grayscale.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further operable to archive the electronic check image into an archive file comprises software operable to add the electronic check image with the embedded data to a standard archive without reconfiguring the archive.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions operable to process the check image comprises instructions operable to perform Image Quality Analysis (IQA) on the check image and the processing data comprising at least one IQA test and an associated result.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, each IQA result selected from the group comprising:

threshold front/rear image dimension mismatch;

threshold carbon strip detected;

threshold image out of focus;

threshold of amount field;

threshold of MICR field;

threshold of payee field;

threshold of payer field;

threshold of signature field;

threshold of document;

threshold of date;

threshold of CAR (courtesy amount recognition);

threshold of LAR (legal amount recognition);

threshold payee endorsements;

threshold for MICR comparison;

entry number; and

reserved.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, the electronic check image comprising a Tag Image File Format (TIFF) file.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions operable to process the check image comprises instructions operable to:

identify a first financial institution at a second financial institution based on a first addendum record embedded in the electronic check image; and

generate a second addendum record associated with the second financial institution.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the electronic check image compliant with the X9.37 standard and the second addendum record comprising one of ninety-nine addendum records.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the software operable to process the check image comprises software operable to identify a plurality of debits associated with a particular credit and the processing data comprises an identifier of each debit and the particular credit.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to compress the check processing data prior to embedding in the electronic check image.

21. The computer program product of claim 11, the computer program product communicably coupled with a sorter control application.

22. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions operable to identify the electronic check image of the physical check comprises instructions operable to:

identify the physical check; and

generate the electronic check image based on the identified physical check.

23. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the embedded check processing data is located separate from the electronic check image in the data structure.

24. An image capture system for retaining check processing data comprising:

a camera operable to generate an electronic check image data structure storing an electronic check image of a physical check, the electronic check image operable to generate an image replacement document;

a scanner operable to process the check image to generate associated check processing data; and

one or more processors operable to embed at least a portion of the check processing data in the electronic check image data structure such that the electronic check image is operable to generate the same image replacement document, the embedded check processing data located separate from the electronic check image in the data structure and operable to be subsequently identified.

25. The system of claim 24, the one or more processors further operable to archive the electronic check image into an archive file, the archive file comprising a header, a front image in black/white, a front image in grayscale, a back image in black/white, and a back image in grayscale.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more processors operable to archive the electronic check image into an archive file comprises the one or more processors operable to add the electronic check image with the embedded data to a standard archive without reconfiguring the archive.

27. The system of claim 24, the one or more processors further operable to compress the check processing data prior to embedding in the electronic check image.

28. The system of claim 24, the one or more processors further operable to perform Image Quality Analysis (IQA) on the check image based on the check processing data resulting in a one IQA result;

and

add the IQA result and an identifier of the associated IQA test to the check processing data prior to embedding in the image.

29. The system of claim 28, each IQA result selected from the group comprising:

min size score;

max size score;

corners score;

edges score;

framing score;

skew score;

piggyback score;

too light score;

too dark score;

streak score;

min compression size score;

max compression size score;

spots score;

dimension mismatch score;

carbon strip score;

focus score;

amount score;

MICR score;

payee score;

payor score;

signature score;

document score;

date score;

payee endorsement score; and

MICR match score.

30. The system of claim 24, the one or more processors further operable to:

identify a first financial institution at a second financial institution based on a first addendum record embedded in a received second electronic check image;

generate a second addendum record associated with the second financial institution; and

embed the second addendum record in the electronic check image.

31. The system of claim 24, the one or more processors further operable to identify a plurality of debits associated with a particular credit;

and

add an identifier of each debit and the particular credit to the processing data prior to embedding in the image.