Recognizing financial document images

• US 8,811,711 B2
• Filed: 01/01/2012
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Calman, Matthew A., Ross, Erik Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Koziol, Stephen R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Azima, Shaghayegh
• Application Number:
  US13/342,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20120230577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 961 Days
• Field of Search: 382/135, 382/137, 382/138, 382/139, 705/14.25, 705/44, 705/42
• US Class Current: 382/138
• 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 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, apparatus systems and computer program products that provide for using real-time video analysis for recognizing financial document images by capturing a real-time video stream using a mobile device, wherein the video stream features one or more financial documents, analyzing and correlating the images in the real-time video stream to the images necessary to process the financial document, providing notice to a user of additional images needed to process the financial document and communicating the information associated with the financial document to a financial institution to complete a transaction once sufficient images of the financial document have been captured to process the financial document.

Claims

1. A method for processing financial documents using real-time video analysis by capturing a real-time video stream using a mobile device, wherein the video stream features one or more financial documents, comprising:

capturing, via a mobile device, a real-time video stream that includes images of a financial document;

determining, using a positioning system device, a location of a user associated with the financial document;

identifying a type for the financial document based at least in part on the location of the user;

identifying information that must be determined prior to processing the financial document based on the type for the financial document, wherein the information is disclosed on the financial document and is used by a financial institution to route funds associated with the financial document;

analyzing, via a processor, the real-time video stream to identify one or more objects comprising information that is used to process the financial document;

comparing the objects from the financial document to the information needed to process the financial document;

determining that more information from the financial document is needed in order for the financial institution to process the financial document based on the type;

determining at least one part of the financial document containing objects that have not yet been analyzed based on the information that is needed;

providing a notice to a user of additional images needed to process the financial document, wherein the notice provided to the user comprises instructions to the user of how to manipulate the mobile device to capture the objects on the financial document comprising the information that is needed; and

communicating the information associated with the financial document to a financial institution to complete a transaction once sufficient images of the financial document have been captured to process the financial document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial document is a check, cash, draft, bond, share, bill of exchange, future, option, money order, promissory note, deposit slip, security, invoice or statement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is a deposit, transfer, sale, payment or exchange.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting one or more indicators via a display of the mobile device, each indicator being associated with an image that may be used to process the financial document.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more indicators are interactive allowing the user to access additional information associated with the images.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more indicators are a representation of the amount of images captured as compared to the number of images remaining to be captured before the financial document may be processed.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more indicators are interactive allowing the user to take an action using the information associated with the image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the action is selected from one of making a payment, transferring funds to a financial institution or depositing funds with a financial institution.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a substitute image using the captured images of the financial document and wherein communicating the information associated with the financial document to a financial institution comprises communicating the substitute image to the financial institution to complete a transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the substitute image is an enhanced payment order.

11. An apparatus for processing financial documents using real-time video analysis by capturing a real-time video stream using a mobile device, wherein the video stream features one or more financial documents, the apparatus comprising:

a device for capturing a real-time video stream of a user'"'"'s environment, the video stream including images of a financial document;

a positioning system device;

a display operably connected to the device; and

a processor operably connected to the device and the display and configured to;

capture the real-time video stream of the user'"'"'s environment, the real-time video stream comprising images of a financial document;

determine, using the positioning system device, a location of the user associated with the financial document;

identify a type for the financial document based at least in part on the location of the user;

identify information that must be determined prior to processing the financial document based on the type for the financial document, wherein the information is disclosed on the financial document and is used by a financial institution to route funds associated with the financial document;

analyze the real-time video stream to identify one or more objects comprising information that is used to process the financial document;

compare the objects from the financial document to the information needed to process the financial document;

determine that more information from the financial document is needed in order for the financial institution to process the financial document based on the type;

determine at least one part of the financial document containing objects that have not yet been analyzed based on the information that is needed;

provide a notice to the user of additional images needed to process the financial document, wherein the notice provided to the use comprises instructions to the user of how to manipulate the mobile device to capture the objects on the financial document comprising the information that is needed; and

a communication device, operably connected to the processor for communicating the information associated with the financial document to a financial institution to complete a transaction once sufficient images of the financial document have been captured to process the financial document.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the financial document is a check, cash, draft, bond, share, bill of exchange, future, option, money order, promissory note, deposit slip, security, invoice or statement.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the device is a mobile device.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transaction is a deposit, transfer, sale, payment or exchange.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to present one or more indicators via the display, each indicator being associated with an image that may be used to process the financial document.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more indicators are interactive allowing the user to access additional information associated with the images.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more indicators are a representation of the amount of images captured as compared to the number of images remaining to be captured before the financial document may be processed.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more indicators are interactive allowing the user to take an action using the information associated with the image.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the action is selected from one of making a payment, transferring funds to a financial institution or depositing funds with a financial institution.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to create a substitute image using the captured images of the financial document and wherein communicating the information associated with the financial document to a financial institution comprises communicating the substitute image to the financial institution to complete a transaction.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the substitute image is an enhanced payment order.

22. A computer program product for processing financial documents using real-time video analysis by capturing a real-time video stream using a mobile device, wherein the video stream features one or more financial documents, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable code stored thereon, the computer executable code comprising;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to capture, via a mobile device, a real-time video stream that includes images of a financial document;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to determine, using a positioning system device, a location of a user associated with the financial document;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to identify a type for the financial document based at least in part on the location of the user;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to identify information that must be determined prior to processing the financial document based on the type for the financial document, wherein the information is disclosed on the financial document and is used by a financial institution to route funds associated with the financial document;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to analyze the real-time video stream to identify one or more objects comprising information that is used to process the financial document;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to compare the objects from the financial document to the information needed to process the financial document;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to determine that more information from the financial document is needed in order for the financial institution to process the financial document based on the type;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to determine at least one part of the financial document containing objects that have not yet been analyzed based on the information that is needed;

a code portion stored in the memory and configured to provide a notice to a user of additional images needed to process the financial document, wherein the notice provided to the use comprises instructions to the user of how to manipulate the mobile device to capture the objects on the financial document comprising the information that is needed; and

a code portion configured to communicate the information associated with the financial document to a financial institution to complete a transaction once sufficient images of the financial document have been captured to process the financial document.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the financial document is a check, cash, draft, bond, share, bill of exchange, future, option, money order, promissory note, deposit slip, security, invoice or statement.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the transaction is a deposit, transfer, sale, payment or exchange.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising a code portion stored in the memory and configured to present one or more indicators via a display, each indicator being associated with an image that may be used to process the financial document.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the one or more indicators are interactive allowing the user to access additional information associated with the images.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the one or more indicators are a representation of the amount of images captured as compared to the number of images remaining to be captured before the financial document may be processed.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the one or more indicators are interactive allowing the user to take an action using the information associated with the image.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the action is selected from one of making a payment, transferring funds to a financial institution or depositing funds with a financial institution.

30. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising a code portion stored in the memory and configured to create a substitute image using the captured images of the financial document and wherein communicating the information associated with the financial document to a financial institution comprises communicating the substitute image to the financial institution to complete a transaction.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the substitute image is an enhanced payment order.