Automated document cashing system

• US 7,653,600 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anderson & Associates, LLC, Capital Security Systems Incorporated, UtilX Corporation (Novinium, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Capital Security Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Gustin, Robin Haley, Park, Namsoo, Shekoory, Nabil, Livingston, Troy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPEN, KELLY SCAGGS
• Application Number:
  US10/889,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20050035193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 705/43, 705/39, 705/30, 705/35, 705/24, 235/379, 235/375, 379/192
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]

Abstract

An automated document cashing system is provided with an automated machine that cashes monetary transaction documents such as checks, money orders, and that makes deposit entries into the bank account of the user after validation of the user and monetary transaction document, without the aid of a bank teller. Validation of the identity of the user is performed with the use of a card associated with intelligence that identifies the user. A biometric device also may be used in identifying the validity of the user. Validation of the document involves one or more of: validating the presence of a signature; validating the amount of the monetary transaction document including a manual entry of the amount by the user; validating CAR against the LAR; and validating the banking system parameters and rules for the customer and/or the transaction. To assist in the automatic analysis of data on monetary transactional documents or on remittance documents, the user is prompted to provide a bounding box about the data. An image touch screen may be touched by the user to locate the bounding box and the user may magnify the data to fill the boundary box to exclude other data from this analysis. After document and person validation, the system will dispense money or transfer monies to a savings account, a checking account, a smart card, or the like. The system will also write money orders or wire transfer money. By supplying monies in the form of cash, credit card authorization, smart card balance, or the like to the machine, the user can pay bills such as a utility bill through the system or purchase items dispensed by the system.

Claims

1. An automated machine for an automated document handling system for making bank deposits with a monetary document comprising:

a card reader for a card having an intelligence associated therewith for identifying a system user as a qualified user;

a document scanner for scanning the monetary document;

a processor for receiving input from the document scanner and generating an image thereof;

a document reader in the machine for the monetary document from which a deposit is being made;

a display device coupled to the processor for displaying the image from the scanned monetary document to the system user; and

an acceptance of deposit indicator operable by the processor after qualification of the user and validity of the document to indicate proof of deposit to the system user,

wherein the processor reviews images from a legal amount recognition (LAR) line and a courtesy amount recognition (CAR) line and ascertains an apparent signature from the document image in order to validate the document.

2. The machine in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) reader for reading a MICR amount line on the document.

3. The machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein a locating device is provided to define coordinates on the image and the device is operable by the user to locate areas on the document image for the processor to review.

4. The machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein the locating device comprises a touch screen and the user touches the screen at areas on the document image for at least one of a CAR line, LAR line, date line, MICR line, name line, address line or any combination thereof.

5. The machine in accordance with claim 4 wherein the processor comprises an arbitrator for comparing results from an analysis of at least one of the CAR line, LAR line, the user-entered amount or any combination thereof.

6. The machine in accordance with claim 1, the machine further comprising intelligent character recognition (ICR) engines that specialize in recognition of a particular portion of the document image;

a CAR engine that provides confidence levels with respect to the CAR line; and

a LAR engine that provides confidence levels with respect to the LAR line.

7. The machine in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an entering device coupled to the processor for the system user to enter an amount to be deposited.

8. The machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the information read from the monetary document is sufficient to complete a banking transaction.