Automatic remote deposit image preparation apparatuses, methods and systems

• US 8,688,579 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Ethington, Seth E., Kay, Aaron, Newman, Adam S., Lu, Lawrence, Patterson, Dylan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/155,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 705/42, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/42
• 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 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• 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 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20132 Image cropping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/20 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/443 by matching or filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/50 by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/16 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/18019 by matching or filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/416 Extracting the logical structure, e.g. chapters, sections or page numbers; Identifying elements of the document, e.g. authors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40012 : Conversion of colour to monochrome
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

The AUTOMATIC REMOTE DEPOSIT IMAGE PREPARATION APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (hereinafter “MultiCrop”) transforms uploaded check images and check deposit information inputs via MultiCrop components image into deposit confirmation outputs. For example, in one embodiment, a user may employ a personal computer connected to a web camera, and/or a smartphone with a built-in camera to initiate the remote deposit by holding a check in front of the camera, and the MultiCrop may capture images of the check and send them to a financial institution for deposit processing.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented financial instrument deposit method, comprising:

receiving, at a processor, a request to remotely deposit a plurality of financial instruments via a user interface of a depositor device;

obtaining an image comprising a plurality of images of a plurality of financial instruments;

dividing the obtained image into a plurality of sub-images, each sub-image comprising an image of a separate financial instrument;

processing, by the processor, each of the sub-images by identifying background portions from the financial instrument image in each of the sub-images and removing, at least some of, the background portions from each of the sub-images;

obtaining a plurality of deposit amounts from the plurality of sub-images;

associating each obtained deposit amount with a corresponding processed sub-image; and

transmitting a processed sub-image associated with the obtained deposit amount to a remote deposit server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a remote deposit processing component for instantiation on the depositor device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining, by the processor, depositor identification information from at least one of the sub-images via the remote deposit processing component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing an image of a plurality of financial instruments via an image capture component communicatively coupled to the depositor device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the depositor device is one of a personal computer, a smart phone, or a facsimile machine.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the image capture component is one of a general purpose scanner, a camera or a video camera.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the obtained image comprises:

dividing the obtained image into a plurality of evenly divided sub-images.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the obtained image into a grayscale image; and

generating a grayscale pixel value map of the obtained image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein dividing the obtained image further comprises:

dividing the obtained image based on the grayscale pixel value map, wherein portions with low grayscale values are identified as background portions.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining edges of a financial instrument image within each sub-image; and

cropping out the financial instrument image from each sub-image to obtain the financial instrument image.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a remote deposit data structure including the processed sub-images and remote deposit metadata.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote deposit metadata comprises at least one of:

a deposit amount;

a user name;

a deposit account number; and

a bank routing number.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a message providing instructions to align a plurality of financial instruments to show front sides of the financial instruments.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a message providing instructions to align a plurality of financial instruments to show back sides of the financial instruments.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication of disapproval of the sub-images from the remote deposit server;

and

generating a message providing instructions to obtain new captures of financial instrument images.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a message requesting a depositor to select an edge of a financial instrument image via a user interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the message requests the depositor to select a lower left corner and a upper right corner of a financial instrument image.

18. A non-transitory storage medium storing a plurality of processor executable instructions for depositing negotiable instruments that are executable by a processor to:

receive a request to remotely deposit a plurality of financial instruments via a user interface of a depositor device;

obtain an image comprising a plurality of images of a plurality of financial instruments;

divide the obtained image into a plurality of sub-images, each sub-image comprising an image of a separate financial instrument;

process each of the plurality of the sub-images by identifying background portions from the financial instrument image in each of the sub-images and removing, at least some of, the background portions from each of the plurality of the sub-images;

obtain a plurality of deposit amounts from the plurality of sub-images;

associate each obtained deposit amount with a corresponding processed sub-image; and

transmit a processed sub-image associated with the obtained deposit amount to a remote deposit server.

19. A financial instrument deposit apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to execute a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the instructions to;

receive a request to remotely deposit a plurality of financial instruments via a user interface of a depositor device;

obtain an image comprising a plurality of images of a plurality of negotiable instruments;

divide the obtained image into a plurality of sub-images, each sub-image comprising an image of a separate financial instrument;

process each of the plurality of the sub-images by identifying background portions from the negotiable instrument image in each of the sub-images and removing, at least some of, the background portions from each of the plurality of the sub-images;

obtain a plurality of deposit amounts from the plurality of sub-images;

associate each obtained deposit amount with a corresponding processed sub-image; and

transmit a processed sub-image associated with the obtained deposit amount to a remote deposit server.