Automated payment system and method
First Claim
1. An automated payment system for processing payment of an invoice sent from a payee to a customer, wherein the customer has a bank account at a payor bank and the payee has a bank account at a payor bank, the automated payment system comprising:
- a document scanning system having;
an input receptacle for receiving the invoice and a check for an amount drawn on the customer'"'"'s account, an image scanner, an output receptacle, a transport mechanism adapted to transport the invoice and the check from the input receptacle, past the image scanner, and to the output receptacle, the image scanner being adapted to obtain at least one image of the invoice and at least one image of the check, and a controller coupled to the transport mechanism and the image scanner, the controller adapted to control the transport mechanism and the image scanner;
a first computer at the payor bank communicatively coupled to the document scanning system and adapted to receive the at least one image of the check and the at least one image of the invoice, the first computer is further adapted to debit the customer'"'"'s account for the amount of the check; and
a second computer at the payee bank communicatively coupled to the first computer and adapted to receive the at least one image of the check and the at least one image of the invoice from the first computer;
wherein the first computer is further adapted to transmit funds in the amount of the check to the payee bank and the second computer is adapted to receive the funds and to credit the payee'"'"'s account for the amount of the funds.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated payment system for processing payment by a customer to a company. The payment system includes a document scanning system which has an input receptacle adapted to accept a document. After receiving an authorization agreement from the customer, the scanner acquires at least one image from the document. Also provided is a first computer adapted to receive images from the document scanning system. Adapted to communicate information represented by the image, a first communication link couples the document scanning system and the first computer. The payment system also includes a second computer adapted to receive images which is in communication with the first computer via a second communication link. The second communication link is adapted to communicate images and payment information.
485 Citations
76 Claims
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1. An automated payment system for processing payment of an invoice sent from a payee to a customer, wherein the customer has a bank account at a payor bank and the payee has a bank account at a payor bank, the automated payment system comprising:
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a document scanning system having;
an input receptacle for receiving the invoice and a check for an amount drawn on the customer'"'"'s account, an image scanner, an output receptacle, a transport mechanism adapted to transport the invoice and the check from the input receptacle, past the image scanner, and to the output receptacle, the image scanner being adapted to obtain at least one image of the invoice and at least one image of the check, and a controller coupled to the transport mechanism and the image scanner, the controller adapted to control the transport mechanism and the image scanner;
a first computer at the payor bank communicatively coupled to the document scanning system and adapted to receive the at least one image of the check and the at least one image of the invoice, the first computer is further adapted to debit the customer'"'"'s account for the amount of the check; and
a second computer at the payee bank communicatively coupled to the first computer and adapted to receive the at least one image of the check and the at least one image of the invoice from the first computer;
wherein the first computer is further adapted to transmit funds in the amount of the check to the payee bank and the second computer is adapted to receive the funds and to credit the payee'"'"'s account for the amount of the funds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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48. A method of debiting a first financial account and crediting a second financial account, the first financial account belonging to a customer and the second financial account belonging to a payee, the method comprising:
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receiving a check drawn on the first financial account in an input receptacle of a document scanning system;
receiving an invoice referencing the second financial account in an input receptacle of the document scanning system;
transporting the check past an image scanner of the document scanning system;
transporting the invoice past the image scanner of the document scanning system;
scanning the check and the invoice with the image scanner to generate an electronic image of the check and an electronic image of the invoice;
obtaining a transaction amount from the image of the check;
obtaining account information from the image of the invoice;
transmitting the image of the check and the image of the invoice to a payor financial institution, the financial institution holding the first financial account;
debiting the first financial account for the transaction amount;
transmitting the image of the check, the image of the invoice, and funds equal to the transaction amount to a payee financial institution, the financial institution holding the second financial account; and
crediting the second financial account for the transaction amount.
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74. An automated payment system for processing payment of an invoice sent from a payee to a customer, wherein the customer has a bank account at a payor bank and the payee has a bank account at a payor bank, the automated payment system comprising:
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a document scanning system adapted to obtain at least one image of at least one of the invoice and the check;
a first computer at the payor bank communicatively coupled to the document scanning system and adapted to receive the at least one image of at least one of the check and the invoice, the first computer is further adapted to debit the customer'"'"'s account for the amount of the check; and
a second computer at the payee bank communicatively coupled to the first computer and adapted to receive the at least one image of at least one of the check and the invoice from one of the first computer and the document scanning system, the second computer further adapted to credit the payee'"'"'s account for the amount of the check.
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75. A method of debiting a first financial account and crediting a second financial account, the first financial account belonging to a customer and the second financial account belonging to a payee, the method comprising:
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receiving a check drawn on the first financial account and having a transaction amount in a document scanning system;
receiving an invoice referencing the second financial account in the document scanning system;
obtaining an image of the check;
obtaining an image of the invoice;
transmitting the image of the check and the image of the invoice to a payor financial institution, the financial institution holding the first financial account;
debiting the first financial account for the transaction amount;
transmitting the image of the check to a payee financial institution, the payee financial institution holding the second financial account; and
crediting the second financial account for the transaction amount.
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76. An automated payment system for processing payment of an invoice sent from a payee to a customer, wherein the customer has a bank account at a payor bank and the payee has a bank account at a payor bank, the automated payment system comprising:
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a plurality of document scanning systems, each of the document scanning systems adapted to obtain at least one image of at least one of the invoice and the check;
a first computer at the payor bank communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of document scanning systems and adapted to receive the at least one image of at least one of the check and the invoice, the first computer is further adapted to debit the customer'"'"'s account for the amount of the check; and
a second computer at the payee bank communicatively coupled to the first computer and adapted to receive the at least one image of at least one of the check and the invoice from one of the first computer and the document scanning system, the second computer further adapted to credit the payee'"'"'s account for the amount of the check.
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Specification