Systems and methods for financial deposits by electronic message

• US 7,970,677 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Oakes, Charles Lee III, Morris, Michael Frank, Prasad, Bharat, Medina, Reynaldo III
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ojiaku; Chika
• Application Number:
  US12/257,477
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 705/42, 235/375, 455/414, 250/461.1, 715/229
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

An image of a negotiable instrument may be communicated from a user to a financial institution using a messaging application so that funds associated with the negotiable instrument may be deposited into a user'"'"'s bank account. A user may launch an instant messaging application and establish a communications session with a predetermined account at the financial institution to communicate the image. The image may be stored in a file or created by a capture device under control of the instant messaging application. The image file may be processed and verified by the financial institution, where it may be deposited in an account associated with the user.

Claims

1. A method for depositing a negotiable instrument, comprising:

instantiating an electronic instant messaging application at a depositor-owned device;

establishing via an instant messaging protocol a communication session with a financial institution server via the electronic instant messaging application;

providing user credentials to the financial institution server over the communications session via the instant messaging protocol by sending an instant message to a deposit instant messaging account via the electronic instant messaging application;

verifying an account to which funds associated with the negotiable instrument are to be deposited; and

communicating via the instant messaging protocol an image file containing an image of the negotiable instrument to the deposit instant messaging account using the electronic instant messaging application,

wherein the image of the negotiable instrument is captured by the depositor-owned device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a verification that the negotiable instrument has been deposited to the account after communicating the image file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving the communications session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is received as an electronic file created by a capture device controlled by the electronic messaging application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the negotiable instrument comprises a first image of a first side of the negotiable instrument and a second image of a second side of the negotiable instrument.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining if the first image comprises valid financial information by verifying a courtesy amount field and a MICR line.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the negotiable instrument is a check.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for depositing a negotiable instrument, comprising:

instantiating an electronic instant messaging application at a depositor-owned device;

establishing via an instant messaging protocol a communication session with a financial institution server via the electronic instant messaging application;

providing user credentials to the financial institution server over the communications session via the instant messaging protocol by sending an instant message to a deposit instant messaging account via the electronic instant messaging application;

verifying an account to which funds associated with the negotiable instrument are to be deposited; and

communicating via the instant messaging protocol an image file containing an image of the negotiable instrument to the deposit instant messaging account using the electronic instant messaging application,

wherein the image of the negotiable instrument is captured by the depositor-owned device.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for receiving a verification that the negotiable instrument has been deposited to the account after communicating the image file.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for saving the communications session.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the image is received as an electronic file created by a capture device controlled by the electronic messaging application.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the image of the negotiable instrument comprises a first image of a first side of the negotiable instrument and a second image of a second side of the negotiable instrument.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for determining if the first image comprises valid financial information by verifying a courtesy amount field and a MICR line.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the negotiable instrument is a check.

15. A system for depositing a negotiable instrument, comprising:

at least one system that instantiates an electronic instant messaging application at a depositor-owned device;

at least one system that establishing via an instant messaging protocol a communication session with a financial institution server via the electronic instant messaging application;

at least one system that provides user credentials to the financial institution server over the communications session via the instant messaging protocol by sending an instant message to a deposit instant messaging account via the electronic instant messaging application;

at least one system that verifies an account to which funds associated with the negotiable instrument are to be deposited; and

at least one system that communicates via the instant messaging protocol an image file containing an image of the negotiable instrument to the deposit instant messaging account using the electronic instant messaging application,

wherein the image of the negotiable instrument is captured by the depositor-owned device.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising at least one system that receives a verification that the negotiable instrument has been deposited to the account after communicating the image file.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising at least one system that saves the communications session.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the image is received as an electronic file created by a capture device controlled by the electronic messaging application.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the image of the negotiable instrument comprises a first image of a first side of the negotiable instrument and a second image of a second side of the negotiable instrument.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising at least one system that determines if the first image comprises valid financial information by verifying a courtesy amount field and a MICR line.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the negotiable instrument is a check.