ELECTRONIC ENDORSEMENT OF CHECK IMAGES

• US 20070271182A1
• Filed: 05/17/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Prakash, Ravinder, Moon, Rodney G., Rector, Gerald C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and method for applying an endorsement to an electronic image of a bank check. A system is described that includes: an imaging system for generating an endorsement image representing an action taken relative to processing the bank check; a halftone system for converting the endorsement image into a digitally halftoned endorsement image; and a positioning system for placing the digitally halftoned endorsement image onto the electronic image of the bank check.

Claims

1. An electronic endorsement system for applying an endorsement to an electronic image of a bank check, comprising:

an imaging system for generating an endorsement image representing an action taken relative to processing the bank check;

a halftone system for converting the endorsement image into a digitally halftoned endorsement image; and

a positioning system for placing the digitally halftoned endorsement image onto the electronic image of the bank check.

2. The electronic endorsement system of claim 1, wherein the endorsement image is generated as a bitmap image.

3. The electronic endorsement system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system generates the endorsement image from static data and dynamic data.

4. The electronic endorsement system of claim 3,

wherein the static data comprises image data selected from the group consisting of:

text, logos, and processing notations; and

wherein the dynamic data comprises image data selected from the group consisting of;

a date, a time, an amount, and a reference number.

5. The electronic endorsement system of claim 1, wherein the halftone system generates the digitally halftoned endorsement image at a predetermined or dynamically determined grayscale level.

6. The electronic endorsement system of claim 1, wherein the positioning system places the digitally halftoned endorsement image onto the electronic image of the bank check at a predetermined or dynamically determined skew angle.

7. The electronic endorsement system of claim 1, wherein the electronic image of the bank check comprises a format selected from the group consisting of:

black white, bitonal, color and grayscale.

8. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for applying an endorsement to an electronic image of a bank check, comprising:

program code configured for generating an endorsement image representing an action taken relative to processing the bank check;

program code configured for converting the endorsement image into a digitally halftoned endorsement image; and

program code configured for placing the digitally halftoned endorsement image onto the electronic image of the bank check.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the endorsement image is generated as a bitmap image.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the endorsement image is generated by combining static data and dynamic data.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the static data comprises image data selected from the group consisting of:

text, logos, and processing notations; and

wherein the dynamic data comprises image data selected from the group consisting of;

a date, a time, an amount, and a reference number.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the digitally halftoned endorsement image is generated at either a predetermined or dynamically determined grayscale level.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the digitally halftoned endorsement image is placed onto the electronic image of the bank check at either a predetermined or dynamically determined skew angle.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the electronic image of the bank check comprises a format selected from the group consisting of:

black white, bitonal, color and grayscale.

15. A method of applying an endorsement to an electronic image of a bank check, comprising:

generating an endorsement image representing an action taken relative to processing the bank check;

converting the endorsement image into a digitally halftoned endorsement image; and

placing the digitally halftoned endorsement image onto the electronic image of the bank check.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the endorsement image is generated as a bitmap image.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the endorsement image is generated by combining static data and dynamic data.

18. The method of claim 17,

wherein the static data comprises image data selected from the group consisting of:

text, logos, and processing notations; and

wherein the dynamic data comprises image data selected from the group consisting of;

a date, a time, an amount, and a reference number.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the digitally halftoned endorsement image is generated at either a predetermined or dynamically determined grayscale level.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the digitally halftoned endorsement image is placed onto the electronic image of the bank check at either a predetermined or dynamically generated skew angle.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic image of the bank check comprises a format selected from the group consisting of:

black white, bitonal, color and grayscale.

22. A method for deploying a system for applying an endorsement to an electronic image of a bank check, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

generate an endorsement image representing an action taken relative to processing the bank check;

convert the endorsement image into a digitally halftoned endorsement image; and

place the digitally halftoned endorsement image onto the electronic image of the bank check.