Systems and methods to modify a negotiable instrument

• US 8,001,051 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Smith, Arthur Quentin, Billman, Bradly Jay, Medina, Reynaldo III, Hopkins, John Chandler III
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen; Elizabeth H
• Application Number:
  US11/927,896
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/45, 705/1.1, 705/42, 705/70, 382/137, 382/138, 382/139, 382/140, 235/379, 283/57, 283/58, 283/72
• US Class Current: 705/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• 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

When the deposit of a negotiable instrument, such as a check, is done electronically by using a digital image of the negotiable instrument rather than the negotiable instrument itself, during the process, at least two negotiable instruments may exist: the physical negotiable instrument and the digital image of the negotiable instrument. To change the physical negotiable instrument to a non-negotiable instrument, a bank or other financial institution may send a transmission to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument, thus effectively “voiding” the physical negotiable instrument. The negotiable instrument may have various inks or mechanisms that facilitate the modification of the appearance through the application of a stimulus, such as heat or light. The financial institution may cause the application of the stimulus to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method of voiding a physical negotiable instrument, comprising:

receiving a digital image of a physical negotiable instrument at a server computer from a user'"'"'s scanner, wherein the physical negotiable instrument comprises at least one surface having a modifiable ink, wherein the modifiable ink is sensitive to a stimulus, wherein the digital image is generated by the user'"'"'s scanner, wherein the server computer is remotely located from the user, wherein the stimulus is a heat or light source of the scanner;

verifying the received digital image of the physical negotiable instrument at the server computer;

transmitting a communication to the user'"'"'s scanner subsequent to successful verification of the digital image of the physical negotiable instrument; and

the user'"'"'s scanner generating and applying the stimulus to the modifiable ink on the at least one surface of the physical negotiable instrument, the generated stimulus permanently modifying the negotiable instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical negotiable instrument is a check.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the stimulus is the heat source of the scanner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image is generated through a scanning process performed at the scanner, wherein the stimulus of the modifiable ink is the scanner light source applied to the modifiable ink for a period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving the communication to apply the stimulus; and

configuring the scanner to scan the physical negotiable instrument at a predetermined scan speed, wherein the pre-determined scan speed is adequate to apply the scanner light source for the period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image is generated through a scanning process performed at a scanner, wherein the stimulus of the modifiable ink is the heat source of the scanner applied to the modifiable ink for a period of time.

7. A system for voiding a physical negotiable instrument, comprising:

a processor;

a server including the processor; and

a memory disposed in communication with the processor and storing processor-executable instructions, the instructions and the processor configured to;

receive a digital image of the physical negotiable instrument at the server from a user'"'"'s scanner, wherein the physical negotiable instrument comprises at least one surface having a modifiable ink, wherein the modifiable ink is sensitive to a stimulus, wherein the server is remotely located from the user, wherein the digital image is generated by the user'"'"'s scanner, wherein the stimulus is a heat or light source of the scanner;

verify the received digital image of the physical negotiable instrument at the server; and

transmit a communication to the user'"'"'s scanner subsequent to successful verification of the digital image of the physical negotiable instrument;

generate and apply, by the scanner, the stimulus to the modifiable ink on the at least one surface of the physical negotiable instrument, the generated stimulus permanently modifying the physical negotiable instrument.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the physical negotiable instrument is a check.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the stimulus is the heat source of the scanner.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the digital image is generated through a scanning process performed at the scanner, wherein the stimulus of the modifiable ink is the scanner light source applied to the modifiable ink for a period of time.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a third subsystem that:

receives the communication to apply the stimulus; and

configures the scanner to scan the physical negotiable instrument at a predetermined scan speed, wherein the pre-determined scan speed is adequate to apply the scanner light source for the period of time.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the digital image is generated through a scanning process performed at the scanner, wherein the stimulus of the modifiable ink is the heat source of the scanner applied to the modifiable ink for a period of time.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for voiding a physical negotiable instrument, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

receive a digital image of the physical negotiable instrument at a server from a user'"'"'s scanner, wherein the physical negotiable instrument comprises at least one surface having a modifiable ink, wherein the modifiable ink is sensitive to a stimulus, wherein the server is remotely located from the user, wherein the digital image is generated by the user'"'"'s scanner, wherein the stimulus is a heat or light source of the scanner;

verify the received digital image of the physical negotiable instrument at the server; and

transmit a communication to the user'"'"'s scanner subsequent to successful verification of the digital image of the physical negotiable instrument;

generate and apply, by the scanner, the stimulus to the modifiable ink on the at least one surface of the physical negotiable instrument, the generated stimulus permanently modifying the physical negotiable instrument.

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

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the stimulus is a the heat source of the scanner.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the digital image is generated through a scanning process performed at the scanner, wherein the stimulus of the modifiable ink is the light source of the scanner applied to the modifiable ink for a period of time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

receive the communication to apply the stimulus; and

configure the scanner to scan the physical negotiable instrument at a predetermined scan speed, wherein the pre-determined scan speed is adequate to apply the scanner light source for the period of time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the digital image is generated through a scanning process performed at the scanner, wherein the stimulus of the modifiable ink is the heat source of the scanner applied to the modifiable ink for a period of time.