Document processing system using full image scanning

• US 7,620,231 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Mennie, Douglas U., Jones, John E., Jones, William J., Jones, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHATNAGAR, ANAND P
• Application Number:
  US11/198,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382135-140, 194/4, 209/534, 235/379, 356/71, 902/7, 705/45
• US Class Current: 382/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0043 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0047 using checkcodes, e.g. coded numbers derived from serial number and denomination
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/121 Apparatus characterised by sensor details
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

A system for tracking currency bills comprises a currency scanning device. The scanning device includes a sensor that retrieves currency identification characteristic information of each bill processed. The currency identification characteristic information permits the unique identification of each bill processed. The system further comprises a customer identification means and means for associating each processed bill with the customer depositing the bill. Means for identifying the customer (or customer account) associated with a particular processed bill after the deposit transaction has been completed is also included in the system.

Claims

1. A system for processing checks, comprising:

at least one input receptacle for receiving checks;

at least one output receptacle for receiving checks;

an image scanning system that obtains an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each check and extracts, from the check image, an amount of information which uniquely identifies the check, the amount of information including an ABA number, an account number, a check number, or any combination thereof;

a validation unit that tests each of the checks using one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks;

a transport mechanism that transports each of the checks, one at a time, from the at least one input receptacle, past the image scanning system and validation unit, to the at least one output receptacle;

a memory that stores an amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit check, the amount of information including a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, a flagged check number, or any combination thereof; and

a processor operating to compare the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each check to the stored amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit check so as to identify, as a suspect check, any check with matching information, the processor further operating to update the counterfeit check information stored in the memory with the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each check that fails one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks,

wherein the flagged ABA number, the flagged account number, and/or the flagged check number are associated with counterfeit checks, accounts with insufficient funds, checks with stop payment orders, accounts with holds, overdrawn accounts, and/or closed accounts.

2. A system for processing currency bills and checks, comprising:

at least one input receptacle that receives currency bills and checks;

at least one output receptacle that receives currency bills and checks;

an image scanning system that obtains an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each currency bill and check and further extracts, from the image, an amount of information which uniquely identifies the currency bill or check;

a validation unit that tests each of the currency bills and checks using one or more tests for detecting counterfeit documents;

a transport mechanism that transports each of the currency bills and checks, one at a time, from the at least one input receptacle, past the image scanning system and validation unit, to the at least one output receptacle;

a memory that stores an amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit currency bill and at least one counterfeit check; and

a processor operating to compare the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each currency bill and check to the stored amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit currency bill and at least one counterfeit check so as to identify, as a suspect currency bill or check, any currency bill or check with matching information, the processor further operating to update the counterfeit currency bill and counterfeit check information stored in the memory with the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each currency bill or check that fails one or more tests for detecting counterfeit currency bills and counterfeit checks,

wherein the amount of information which uniquely identifies the currency bills;

are currency bill serial numbers,

the amount of information which uniquely identifies the checks is at least one of an ABA number, an account number or a check number,

the amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit currency bill is at least one counterfeit currency bill serial number, and

the amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit check is at least one of a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, or a flagged check number.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one flagged ABA number, the at least one flagged account number, and/or the at least one flagged check number are associated with counterfeit checks, accounts with insufficient funds, checks with stop payment orders, accounts with holds, overdrawn accounts, and/or closed accounts.

4. A method for processing checks, comprising the acts of:

obtaining an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each check;

extracting, from the image, an amount of information which uniquely identifies the check, the amount of information including one or more of an ABA number, an account number, a check number, or any combination thereof;

testing each of the checks using one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks;

transporting each of the checks, one at a time, from an input receptacle to an output receptacle past a scanning system which performs the steps of obtaining, extracting and testing;

storing an amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit check, the amount of information including one or more of a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, a flagged check number, or any combination thereof;

comparing the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each check to the stored amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit check so as to identify, as a suspect check, any check with matching information; and

updating the counterfeit check information stored in the memory with the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each check that fails one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks,

wherein the flagged ABA number, the flagged account number, and/or the flagged check number are associated with counterfeit checks, accounts with insufficient funds, checks with stop payment orders, accounts with holds, overdrawn accounts, and/or closed accounts.

5. A method for processing documents, comprising the acts of:

obtaining an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each document, the documents including currency bills and checks;

extracting, from the document image, an amount of information which uniquely identifies the document;

testing each of the documents using one or more tests for detecting counterfeit documents;

transporting each of the documents, one at a time, from an input receptacle to an output receptacle past a scanning system which performs the steps of obtaining, extracting and testing;

storing an amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit document;

comparing the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each document to the stored amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit document so as to identify, as a suspect document, any document with matching information; and

updating the counterfeit document information stored in the memory with the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each document that fails one or more tests for detecting counterfeit documents,

wherein the amount of information which uniquely identifies the documents, that are currency bills, are currency bill serial numbers,

the amount of information which uniquely identifies the documents, that are checks, is one or more of an ABA number, an account number, a check number, or any combination thereof,

the amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit document, that is a currency bill, is at least one counterfeit currency bill serial number, and

the amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit document, that is a check, is one or more of a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, a flagged check number, or any combination thereof.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the flagged ABA number, the flagged account number, and/or the flagged check number are associated with counterfeit checks, accounts with insufficient funds, checks with stop payment orders, accounts with holds, overdrawn accounts, and/or closed accounts.

7. A system for processing currency bills and checks, the system comprising:

at least one input receptacle that receives currency bills and checks;

at least one output receptacle that receives currency bills and checks;

an image scanning system that obtains an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each currency bill and each check, extracts a serial number from each currency bill image and extracts at least one of an ABA number, an account number, and a check number from each check image;

a validation unit that tests each of the currency bills using one or more tests for detecting counterfeit currency bills and further tests each of the checks using one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks;

a transport mechanism that transports each currency bill and each check, one at a time, from the at least one input receptacle, past the image scanner and validation unit, to the at least one output receptacle;

a memory that stores at least one counterfeit currency bill serial number and at least one of a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, and a flagged check number;

a processor that operates to compare the extracted serial number of each currency bill to the at least one counterfeit currency bill serial number stored in the memory, and to identify, as a suspect currency bill, any currency bill having a serial number that matches the at least one counterfeit currency bill serial number;

the processor further operates to compare the extracted ABA number, the extracted account number, and/or the extracted check number of each check to the at least one flagged ABA number, the at least one flagged account number, and/or the at least one flagged check number stored in the memory, and to identify, as a suspect check, any check that has a match;

the processor further updates the memory to store as a counterfeit currency bill serial number the extracted serial number of each currency bill failing any of the one or more tests for detecting counterfeit currency bills; and

the processor further updates the memory to store as a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, and a flagged check number the extracted ABA number, the extracted account number, and/or the extracted check number of each check failing any of the one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks.

8. A method for processing currency bills and checks, the method comprising the acts of:

obtaining an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each of a plurality of currency bills;

obtaining an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each of a plurality of checks;

extracting, from the image of each of the plurality of currency bills, a serial number;

extracting, from the image of each of the plurality of checks, at least one of an ABA number, an account number, and a check number;

storing at least one counterfeit currency bill serial number;

storing at least one of a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, and a flagged check number;

comparing the extracted serial number to the at least one stored counterfeit currency bill serial number;

comparing the extracted ABA number, the extracted account number, and/or the extracted check number of each of the plurality of checks to the at least one flagged ABA number, the at least one flagged account number, and/or the at least one flagged check number;

identifying, as a suspect currency bill, the currency bills with the extracted serial numbers that match the at least one stored counterfeit currency bill serial number;

identifying, as a suspect check, the checks with the extracted ABA number, the extracted account number, and/or the extracted check number that match the at least one flagged ABA number, the at least one flagged account number, and/or the at least one flagged check number,

testing each of the plurality of currency bills with one or more tests for detecting counterfeit currency bills;

testing each of the plurality of checks with one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks;

updating the at least one stored counterfeit currency bill serial number with the extracted serial number of each of the currency bills that fail any of the one or more tests for detecting counterfeit currency bills; and

updating the at least one flagged ABA number, the at least one flagged account number, and/or the at least one flagged check number with the extracted ABA number, the extracted account number, and/or the extracted check number of each of the checks that fail any of the one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks.