Method and system for thin client based image and transaction management

• US 7,577,611 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Research Development and Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: RDM Corporation (Deluxe Corp.)
• Inventors: Heit, Graham, Botejue, Dhammika, Shamroni, Dima, Kavanagh, John, Newman, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil; Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US11/797,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20080073423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 705 10- 44
• US Class Current: 705/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Provided is a system for coordinating collection and processing of digital data by a plurality of deposit modules with respect to a plurality of users over a communications network, the digital data based on a plurality of original paper deposits and including at least digital images of the original paper deposits and respective deposit information, the system comprising: a communications module that provides a list of one or more deposit functions assigned to each respective user, each of the deposit functions coordinated by a corresponding module of the plurality of deposit modules, and that provides a list of the respective digital data that is associated with each of the assigned deposit modules; the plurality of deposit modules that facilitates a distribution of the deposit functions for the collection and processing of the digital data with one or more users of the plurality of users, the deposit modules including a first module that monitors receipt of the digital images and respective deposit information of the digital data, the first module associated with a scanner function of the list of deposit functions, and including a second module for implementing on the digital data a second deposit function of the plurality of the deposit functions; and a workflow module that monitors a flow of the digital data between the first deposit module and the second deposit module based on a completion status of the digital data with respect to the first module.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating collection and processing of digital data by a plurality of deposit modules with respect to a plurality of users over a communications network, the digital data based on a plurality of original paper deposits and including at least digital images of the original paper deposits and respective deposit information, the system including a plurality of modules implemented on one or more computer processors, the system comprising:

a communications module of the plurality of modules that provides a list of one or more deposit functions assigned to each respective user, each of the deposit functions coordinated by a corresponding module of a plurality of deposit modules of the plurality of modules, and that provides a list of the respective digital data that is associated with each of the assigned deposit modules;

the plurality of deposit modules that facilitates a distribution of the deposit functions for the collection and processing of the digital data with one or more users of the plurality of users, the deposit modules including a first module that monitors receipt of the digital images and respective deposit information of the digital data, the first module associated with a scanner function of the list of deposit functions, and including a second module for implementing on the digital data a second deposit function of the plurality of the deposit functions; and

a workflow module of the plurality of modules that monitors a flow of the digital data between the first deposit module and the second deposit module based on a completion status of the digital data with respect to the first module.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a decisioning module of the plurality of modules that provides decisioning of the digital data received by the deposit modules and generates a decision with respect to the decisioning.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first module is configured to communicate the decision back to the user assigned to the first module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the decision requires the user assigned to the first module to provide data supplemental to the decisioned digital data in response to the decision.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the decision is selected from the group comprising:

the digital data contains erroneous data; and

the digital data is incomplete.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the second module is configured to communicate the decision back to the user assigned to the second module.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the decision requires the user assigned to the second module to provide data supplemental to the decisioned digital data in response to the decision.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the decision is selected from the group comprising:

the digital data contains erroneous data; and

the digital data is incomplete.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the second deposit module is selected from the group comprising:

a key data module that provides a key data deposit function of the list of deposit functions;

a balancing module that provides batch balancing deposit function of the list of deposit functions; and

an approval module that provides a batch approval deposit function of the list of deposit functions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the number of the plurality of deposit modules includes more than the first and second deposit modules.

11. The system of claim 2 further comprising a client device implemented on a computer processor for operation by the one or more users that communicates with the communications module and the plurality of deposit modules over the network via a user interface for facilitating the collection and processing of the digital data, the user interface including a network browser application that provides remote access to the communications module and the plurality of deposit modules hosted by a network service.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the network is the Internet and the network service is a Web service.

13. The system of claim 2 further comprising a logging module of the plurality of modules that monitors an event or an activity with respect to the digital data that is recorded in connection with a user ID of the respective user implementing the event or the activity, the event or the activity associated with at least one of the deposit functions for the digital data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the event or activity is associated with an error message pertaining to the deposit function selected from the group comprising:

the collection of the digital data; and

processing of the digital data.

15. The system of claim 2 further comprising a hierarchical structure stored in memory and having a plurality of nodes including at least one parent node for the respective user and at least one dependent node assigned to others of the one or more users, the hierarchical structure for coordinating the assignment of the one or more deposit functions to the respective user and the others.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the respective user has a scope of access to a plurality of the digital data including digital assigned to the respective user and the digital data assigned to the others.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the digital data representing the plurality of original paper deposits is grouped as a batch deposit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein two or more users of the plurality of users contribute to the digital data contained in the batch deposit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein only one of the two or more users can access the batch deposit via the one or more deposit functions assigned to the one of the two or more users.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one of the two or more users restricts access to the batch deposit for a predefined period of time.

21. A method for coordinating collection and processing of digital data by a plurality of deposit modules with respect to a plurality of users over a communications network, the digital data based on a plurality of original paper deposits and including at least digital images of the original paper deposits and respective deposit information, the method comprising instructions stored on a computer readable medium and executable by one or more computer processors, the instructions comprising:

assigning a list of one or more deposit functions to each respective user, each of the deposit functions coordinated by a corresponding module of the plurality of deposit modules,

assigning the respective digital data of the digital data that is associated with each of the assigned deposit modules;

providing network access to the deposit functions for the collection and processing of the digital data with one or more users of the plurality of users, the deposit modules including a first module that monitors receipt of the digital images and respective deposit information of the digital data, the first module associated with a scanner function of the list of deposit functions, and including a second module for implementing on the digital data a second deposit function of the plurality of the deposit functions; and

monitoring a flow of the digital data between the first deposit module and the second deposit module based on a completion status of the digital data with respect to the first module.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the instruction of decisioning of the digital data received by the deposit modules and generating a decision with respect to the decisioning.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the instruction of communicating the decision back to the user assigned to the first module.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the instruction of receiving data supplemental to the decisioned digital data in response to the decision.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the decision is selected from the group comprising:

the digital data contains erroneous data; and

the digital data is incomplete.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising the instruction of communicating the decision back to the user assigned to the second module.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the instruction of receiving data supplemental to the decisioned digital data in response to the decision.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the decision is selected from the group comprising:

the digital data contains erroneous data; and

the digital data is incomplete.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the second deposit module is selected from the group comprising:

a key data module that provides a key data deposit function of the list of deposit functions;

a balancing module that provides batch balancing deposit function of the list of deposit functions; and

an approval module that provides a batch approval deposit function of the list of deposit functions.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the number of the plurality of deposit modules includes more than the first and second deposit modules.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein a client device operated by the one or more users communicates with the plurality of deposit modules over the network via a user interface for facilitating the collection and processing of the digital data, the user interface includes a network browser application that provides remote access to the plurality of deposit modules hosted by a network service.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the network is the Internet and the network service is a Web service.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the instruction of monitoring an event or an activity with respect to the digital data that is recorded in connection with a user ID of the respective user implementing the event or the activity, the event or the activity associated with at least one of the deposit functions for the digital data.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the event or activity is associated with an error message pertaining to the deposit function selected from the group comprising:

the collection of the digital data; and

processing of the digital data.

35. The method of claim 22 further comprising the instruction of coordinating the assignment of the deposit modules through a hierarchical structure having a plurality of nodes including at least one parent node for the respective user and at least one dependent node assigned to others of the one or more users, the hierarchical structure for coordinating the assignment of the one or more deposit functions to the respective user and the others.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising the instruction of providing the respective user with a scope of access to a plurality of the digital data including the digital data assigned to the respective user and the digital data assigned to the others.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the digital data representing the plurality of original paper deposits is grouped as a batch deposit.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising the instruction of receiving contributions to the digital data contained in the batch deposit from two or more users of the plurality of users.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein only one of the two or more users can access the batch deposit via the one or more deposit functions assigned to the one of the two or more users.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the one of the two or more users restricts access to the batch deposit for a predefined period of time.