Financial document processing system

• US 7,873,576 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Csultis, Frank M., Jones, John E., Jones, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vezeris; James A
• Application Number:
  US10/669,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,673 Days
• Field of Search: 705/43.ATM
• US Class Current: 705/43
• 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 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system for processing deposits and/or withdrawals in a financial institution accepts a plurality of documents, including currency bills, at an input receptacle of a document-processing device, converts the image of at least some of the documents to electronic data representing the image. The currency bills are denominated by the document processing device, and the total value of the bills included in each deposit is accumulated. Whenever the total value of the bills in a deposit exceeds a prescribed value, a report may be generated containing at least an identification of the specified account, the total value of the bills in the deposit, and the serial numbers of the bills. The serial numbers may be extracted from images of the bills.

Claims

1. A method of accepting deposits of currency bills into a document processing device for crediting to a specified account, comprising:

receiving a plurality of documents associated with a deposit being made at a financial institution into an input receptacle of the document processing device, wherein the plurality of documents include a plurality of currency bills, each of the currency bills having an associated serial number;

scanning the plurality of currency bills to produce an electronic image for each of the plurality of currency bills;

extracting the associated serial number for each of the plurality of currency bills from the plurality of electronic images;

denominating each of the plurality of currency bills;

accumulating the total value of the plurality of currency bills included in the deposit; and

in the document processing device, automatically generating a government-required report whenever the accumulated total value exceeds a prescribed value, wherein the document processing device is configured to include in the automatically generated government-required report one or more of the electronic images, an identification of the specified account at the financial institution to which the deposit is being made, the accumulated total value of the deposit, and the serial numbers associated with the currency bills included in the deposit.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

counting a number of currency bills of each denomination included in the deposit; and

wherein the automatically generating is configured to include the number of currency bills of each denomination included in the deposit.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the automatically generating is further configured include an identification of a location of the document processing device, and an identification of a teller or customer responsible for the deposit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the scanning further comprises scanning a complete image of at least one side of each of the plurality of currency bills so as to produce electronic images, and wherein automatically generating the government-required report includes automatically generating the government-required report such that the electronic images are complete images of the currency bills included in the deposit.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents include at least one deposit slip, and wherein the scanning further includes scanning the at least one deposit slip to produce electronic data.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reading the identification of the specified account at the financial institution from a card supplied by a depositor; and

storing the specified account identification with the electronic images.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed value is $10,000.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the electronic images of the plurality of currency bills such that the electronic images may be retrieved and displayed for review at a time subsequent to completion of the deposit.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a suspect counterfeit currency bill included in the deposit;

generating a signal indicating the detection of the suspect counterfeit bill; and

retaining electronic data representing the detected suspect counterfeit bill in association with the identification of the specified account at the financial institution.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising denominating the plurality of currency bills at a rate in excess of 800 currency bills per minute.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising denominating the plurality of currency bills at a rate in excess of 1,000 currency bills per minute.

43. The method according to claim 8, wherein the electronic images represent at least a partial video image of each currency bill.

12. A system for accepting deposits of currency bills into a document processing device for crediting to a specified account, comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of documents associated with a deposit transaction at a financial institution, and wherein the plurality of documents includes a plurality of currency bills, each of the currency bills having an associated serial number;

at least one output receptacle for receiving the plurality of documents;

an image scanner adapted to scan the currency bills to produce an electronic image for each of the currency bills;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport the plurality of documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle past the image scanner to the at least one output receptacle;

a processor adapted to extract the associated serial numbers from the electronic images; and

a denominating device for denominating each of the plurality of currency bills,

wherein the document processing device is configured to accumulate a total value of the plurality of currency bills included in the deposit transaction and to automatically generate a government-required report whenever the accumulated total value exceeds a prescribed value, the document processing device being further configured to include one or more of the electronic images, an identification of the specified account at the financial institution to which the deposit is being made, the accumulated total value, and the serial numbers extracted from the electronic images in the automatically generated government-required report.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the document processing device is configured to count a number of bills of each denomination included in the deposit transaction, and wherein the document processing device is configured to include the number of bills of each denomination included in the deposit transaction in the automatically generated government-required report.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the document processing device is configured to include an identification of a location of the document processing device and an identification of a teller or customer responsible for the deposit in the automatically generated government-required report.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the image scanner is adapted to scan a complete image of at least one side of each of the plurality of currency bills to produce the electronic images, and wherein the electronic images are the complete images of the currency bills included in the deposit.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of documents includes at least one deposit slip, and wherein the image scanner is adapted to scan the at least one deposit slip to produce an electronic image of the at least one deposit slip, and wherein the document processing device is configured to include the electronic image of the at least one deposit slip in the automatically generated government-required report.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a card reader that reads the identification of the specified account at the financial institution from a card supplied by a depositor; and

a memory storing the account identification with the electronic images relating to the deposit transaction.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the memory storing the electronic images of the plurality of currency bills stores the electronic images such that the electronic images can be retrieved and displayed for review at a time subsequent to completion of the deposit transaction.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising a suspect counterfeit detector that detects suspect counterfeit currency bills included in the deposit and generates a signal that indicates the detection of a suspect counterfeit bill.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents and the denominating device is adapted to denominate documents at a rate in excess of 800 documents per minute.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents and the denominating device is adapted to denominate documents at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein the prescribed value is $10,000.

44. The system according to claim 12, wherein the electronic images represent at least a partial image of each currency bill.

23. A document processor for processing a deposit of currency bills into a specified account at a financial institution, the document processor comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive documents associated with a deposit transaction being made at the financial institution, the documents including currency bills, each of the currency bills being associated with a respective serial number;

an image scanner adapted to scan the documents to produce an electronic image for each of the documents;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle past the image scanner to at least one output receptacle;

a denominating device adapted to denominate the currency bills; and

a processor programmed to accumulate the total value of the currency bills included in the deposit transaction, to extract the associated serial numbers from the electronic images of the currency bills, and to automatically generate a government-required report whenever the accumulated total value exceeds a prescribed value, the processor further being programmed to include the associated serial numbers of the currency bills, an identification of the specified account at the financial institution to which the deposit is being made, and the accumulated total value of the currency bills in the automatically generated government-required report.

24. The document processor according to claim 23, wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents and the denominating device is adapted to denominate currency bills at a rate of approximately 800 to 1000 documents per minute.

25. The document processor according to claim 24, wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents and the denominating device is adapted to denominate currency bills at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

26. The document processor according to claim 23, further comprising:

a memory adapted to store the electronic images such that the electronic images may be retrieved and displayed for review after completion of the deposit transaction,

wherein the processor is programmed to count a number of currency bills of each denomination included in the deposit transaction, and wherein the processor is programmed to include the number of currency bills of each denomination included in the deposit in the automatically generated government-required report.

27. The document processor according to claim 26, wherein the processor is programmed to include an identification of a location of the document processing device, and an identification of a teller or customer responsible for the deposit in the automatically generated government-required report.

28. The document processor according to claim 27, wherein the image scanner is adapted to scan at least one side of the currency bills to produce the electronic images, and wherein the electronic images are complete images of the currency bills.

29. The document processor according to claim 28, wherein the documents include at least one deposit slip, the scanner being adapted to scan the deposit slip to produce an electronic image of the deposit slip, and wherein the processor is programmed to include the electronic image of the deposit slip in the automatically generated government-required report.

30. The document processor according to claim 29, wherein the prescribed value is $10,000.

31. The document processor according to claim 30, wherein the processor is programmed to include one or more of the electronic images of the currency bills in the automatically generated government-required report.

45. The processor according to claim 23, wherein the electronic images represent at least a partial image of each currency bill.

32. A method for processing a deposit of currency bills into a document processing device, the deposit associated with a specified account at a financial institution, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of currency bills associated with a deposit transaction being made at the financial institution;

scanning at least a portion of each of the currency bills with an image scanner to produce electronic data representing at least a partial image of each of the currency bills;

transporting the plurality of currency bills, one at a time, from an input receptacle past the image scanner to at least one output receptacle;

denominating the plurality of currency bills;

extracting a serial number from each of the at least partial images of the plurality of currency bills;

storing the electronic data so that the at least partial images may be retrieved and displayed for review after completion of the deposit;

accumulating a total value of the plurality of currency bills included in the deposit transaction; and

automatically generating and printing a government-required report whenever the accumulated total value exceeds a prescribed value, the automatically generating the government-required report comprising including in the report the extracted serial numbers from the at least partial images of the plurality of currency bills, an identification of the specified account at the financial institution to which the deposit is being made, and the accumulated total value of the plurality of currency bills included in the deposit transaction.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein denominating further comprises denominating the plurality of currency bills at a rate of approximately 800 to 1000 currency bills-per minute.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein denominating further comprises denominating the plurality of currency bills at a rate in excess of 1000 currency bills per minute.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein automatically generating and printing the government-required report further comprises automatically generating and printing the government-required report whenever the accumulated total value exceeds $10,000.

36. The method according to claim 32, further comprising:

counting a number of currency bills of each denomination included in the deposit transaction; and

including the number of currency bills of each denomination included in the deposit transaction in the automatically generated report.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

identifying a location of the document processing device; and

identifying a teller or customer responsible for the deposit.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the scanning further comprises scanning a complete image of at least one side of each currency bill to produce the electronic data.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein automatically generating and printing the government-required report further comprises including in the automatically generated government-required report the complete image of each currency bill included in the deposit transaction.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising:

receiving a deposit slip;

scanning the deposit slip to produce electronic data representing at least a partial video image of the deposit slip; and

including in the automatically generated government-required report the at least partial image of the deposit slip.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising including the at least partial images of the currency bills in the automatically generated government-required report.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the prescribed value is $10,000.