Virtual check

• US 9,002,749 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Thiele, Ross Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/709,361
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 705/64
• US Class Current: 705/64
• 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 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography

Abstract

Methods and systems for virtual checking are described. A virtual check is created by a payor'"'"'s device and then sent to the payee'"'"'s device. The payee can be another mobile device. The virtual check has many of the same features as a regular, paper check plus additional features only available in digital form. In an example, the data can be encrypted by either the banks key or the payor'"'"'s key. Further encryption can occur between the payor'"'"'s device and the payee'"'"'s device, which can connect on a peer-to-peer network. The check can be an image with tag data. In an example, data can be encoded into the image itself. The virtual check can include populated data that cannot be changed by the payee. In an example, the virtual check application of the payee can automatically perform a funds availability check.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating, in real-time in a payor mobile device, a virtual check;

generating tag data associated with the virtual check, the tag data including a physical location of the creation of the virtual check;

embedding, in the virtual check, at least a portion of the tag data; and

sending, from the payor mobile device, the virtual check and the tag data directly to a receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag data includes a time that the virtual check was sent to the receiving device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag data includes a virtual check creation time and a virtual check creation date.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag data is displayed on an image of the virtual check.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically populating the tag data with data stored in the payor mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically populating data fields of the virtual check with data stored in the payor mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation that the virtual check has been received; and

cancelling the virtual check in the payor mobile device in response to receiving the confirmation,

wherein cancelling the virtual check comprises;

storing data associated with the virtual check and the confirmation; and

transmitting the data associated with the virtual check and the confirmation to a bank of a payor.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors, direct the one or more computer processors to:

create, in real-time in a payor mobile device, a virtual check;

generate tag data associated with the virtual check;

embed, in the virtual check, at least a portion of the tag data;

send, from the payor mobile device, the virtual check and the tag data to a receiving device; and

receive, from the receiving device, a confirmation that the virtual check has been received.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the tag data includes a time that the virtual check was sent to the receiving device.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the tag data includes a time the virtual check was created, a date the virtual check was created, and a physical location where the virtual check was created.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the tag data is displayed on an image of the virtual check.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable instructions further direct the one or more computer processors to automatically populate the tag data with data stored in the payor mobile device.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable instructions further direct the one or more computer processors to automatically populate data fields of the virtual check with data stored in the payor mobile device.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable instructions further direct the one or more computer processors to:

cancel the virtual check in the payor mobile device in response to receiving the confirmation that the virtual check has been received,

wherein cancelling the virtual check comprises;

storing data associated with the virtual check and the confirmation; and

transmitting the data associated with the virtual check and the confirmation to a bank of a payor.

15. A system comprising:

a memory containing machine-readable instructions; and

a computer processor in communication with the memory and configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to;

create, in real-time in a payor mobile device, a virtual check;

generate tag data associated with the virtual check;

embed, in the virtual check, at least a portion of the tag data;

send, from the payor mobile device, the virtual check and the tag data to a receiving device; and

cancel the virtual check after receiving a confirmation that the virtual check was received.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the tag data includes a time that the virtual check was sent to the receiving device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the tag data includes a virtual check creation time, a virtual check creation date, and a virtual check creation physical location.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least a portion of the tag data is displayed on an image of the virtual check.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the tag data includes security information, the security information including a type of security, version of security, and a number of times data associated with the virtual check has been encrypted.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the tag data includes information relating to a version of software used to create the virtual check.