Abstract:
A method of enrolment for electronic banking services is described. The method involves receiving a transmitted image (or images) of a financial document. The method further comprises: locating banking information from a portion of the image and performing optical character recognition to extract the located banking information. The method also includes locating customer name and customer address information from another portion of the image and performing optical character recognition to extract a customer name and customer address from the located customer name and customer address information. The method uses this extracted banking and/or customer information to enroll the customer for electronic banking services.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a method of enrolment for electronic banking services. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    Registering a bank account for electronic banking services, such as electronic deposits or electronic payments, is typically performed by a financial institution requesting a customer wishing to register to send a void check. The financial institution extracts information from this void check (account number and bank number) and uses the extracted information to enroll that customer. 
         [0003]    It would be desirable to make this process quicker, easier, and/or more efficient. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, the invention generally provides methods, systems, apparatus, and software for enrolling for electronic banking services. 
         [0005]    In addition to the Summary of Invention provided above and the subject matter disclosed below in the Detailed Description, the following paragraphs of this section are intended to provide further basis for alternative claim language for possible use during prosecution of this application, if required. If this application is granted, some aspects may relate to claims added during prosecution of this application, other aspects may relate to claims deleted during prosecution, other aspects may relate to subject matter never claimed. Furthermore, the various aspects detailed hereinafter are independent of each other, except where stated otherwise. Any claim corresponding to one aspect should not be construed as incorporating any element or feature of the other aspects unless explicitly stated in that claim. 
         [0006]    According to a first aspect there is provided a method of enrolment for electronic banking services, the method comprising: 
         [0007]    receiving a transmitted image of a blank check; 
         [0008]    locating banking information from a portion of the image containing a magnetic ink character recognition line; 
         [0009]    performing optical character recognition to extract the located banking information; 
         [0010]    locating customer name and customer address information from another portion of the image; 
         [0011]    performing optical character recognition to extract a customer name and customer address from the located customer name and customer address information; and 
         [0012]    using this extracted information to enroll the customer for electronic banking services. 
         [0013]    The method may comprise the further step of analyzing additional portions of the image to ensure that these additional portions are blank. The additional portions may correspond to one or more of the corresponding fields on a check, such as: a payee field, a courtesy amount field, a legal amount field, and a signature field. 
         [0014]    The method may comprise the further step of adding the word “VOID” to the image as a watermark. 
         [0015]    The method may comprise the further step of storing the image on a server as proof of enrolment. 
         [0016]    The method may comprise the further step of providing electronic access to the image to bank staff to verify information that was extracted automatically. 
         [0017]    Once enrolled in electronic banking, the customer may then have access to (i) automated withdrawals to pay utility bills, magazine subscriptions, and the like, and/or (ii) automated deposits, such has income tax refunds, pay check deposits, and the like. 
         [0018]    This method of enrolment for electronic banking services may be used by a customer to register a check relating to a third party account. For example, a customer may wish to register a payroll check with a check cashing company. The check cashing company may allow the customer to enroll for this service by capturing and transmitting an image of the payroll check. 
         [0019]    According to a second aspect there is provided a cellular telephone program for enrolling for electronic banking services, the program being operable to: (i) control a camera in the telephone to capture an image of a financial document, (ii) access an electronic address of an organization with which the user of the telephone desires to enroll for electronic banking services, and (iii) transmit the captured image to the received electronic address. 
         [0020]    The financial document may comprise a check, an account statement, a utility bill, or the like 
         [0021]    Where the financial document is a check, the cellular telephone program may also be operable to validate that the captured check image meets an acceptance criterion. The acceptance criterion may relate to one or more of: image quality, orientation of the check image, a minimum and/or maximum margin around the check, absence of writing or printing in predefined fields (such as payee fields), and the like. 
         [0022]    The cellular telephone program may be operable to manipulate a captured image into a defined format. This manipulation may involve cropping the captured image, rotating the captured image, or the like. 
         [0023]    The cellular telephone program may be operable to capture an image of the front of the check and an image of the rear of the check, and to create a message including both front and rear images. 
         [0024]    The cellular telephone program may be operable to perform OCR of certain fields on the front image. OCR may be performed on one or more of the following fields: MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) codeline, courtesy amount, legal amount, customer address, customer name, or the like. 
         [0025]    The cellular telephone program may access an electronic address of an organization with which the user of the telephone desires to enroll for electronic banking services by: accessing a pre-stored address, by prompting the user of the telephone to enter an electronic address, or in any other convenient way. 
         [0026]    The cellular telephone program may be downloadable from a Web site operated by the organization with which the user of the telephone desires to enroll for electronic banking services. 
         [0027]    The electronic address may comprise a uniform resource locator (URL), an electronic mail address, or the like. 
         [0028]    According to a third aspect there is provided a processor implemented method of enrolling a customer for electronic banking services, the method comprising: 
         [0029]    controlling a camera to capture an image of a check, 
         [0030]    receiving an electronic address of an organization with which the customer desires to enroll for electronic banking services, and 
         [0031]    transmitting the captured check to the received electronic address. 
         [0032]    The electronic address may be received from the customer (who may type in the electronic address) or may be received from another computer application. 
         [0033]    The step of controlling a camera to capture an image of a check may include the sub-steps of capturing an image of the front of the check and an image of the rear of the check, and creating a message including both front and rear images. 
         [0034]    The method may include the further step of validating that the captured check image (or images) meets an acceptance criterion. 
         [0035]    The method may include the further step of manipulating the captured image (or images) into a defined format. 
         [0036]    According to a fourth aspect there is provided an enrolment system for electronic banking services, the system comprising: 
         [0037]    a cellular telephone including a cellular telephone program according to the second aspect; and 
         [0038]    an enrolment server operable to receive a transmitted message from the cellular telephone program, where the transmitted message includes a check image, and to enroll a customer for electronic banking services based on information extracted from that check image. 
         [0039]    The information may be extracted from the check image (or check images, if a front and rear image of the check is required) either by the cellular telephone program or by the enrolment server. 
         [0040]    According to a fifth aspect there is provided a method of enrolment for electronic banking, the method comprising: 
         [0041]    receiving a transmitted image of a customer statement; 
         [0042]    locating banking information from a portion of the image; 
         [0043]    performing optical character recognition to extract the located banking information; 
         [0044]    locating customer name and customer address information from another portion of the image; 
         [0045]    performing optical character recognition to extract a customer name and customer address from the located customer name and customer address information; and 
         [0046]    using this extracted information to enroll the customer in electronic banking. 
         [0047]    This method may be useful where a customer wants to use a remittance transaction as the basis for enrolment. 
         [0048]    According to a sixth aspect there is provided a method of enrolment for electronic banking, the method comprising: 
         [0049]    receiving a transmitted image of a financial document; 
         [0050]    locating banking information from a portion of the image; 
         [0051]    performing optical character recognition to extract the located banking information; 
         [0052]    locating customer name and customer address information from another portion of the image; 
         [0053]    performing optical character recognition to extract a customer name and customer address from the located customer name and customer address information; and 
         [0054]    using this extracted information to enroll the customer in electronic banking. 
         [0055]    The financial document may comprise a check, an account statement, remittance advice, an invoice, or the like. 
         [0056]    As used herein, a blank check relates to a check that either has no writing on it, or is marked void, or marked in some other way to indicate that it cannot (or can no longer) be used for making a payment. 
         [0057]    For clarity and simplicity of description, not all combinations of elements provided in the aspects recited above have been set forth expressly. Notwithstanding this, the skilled person will directly and unambiguously recognize that unless it is not technically possible, or it is explicitly stated to the contrary, the consistory clauses referring to one aspect are intended to apply mutatis mutandis as optional features of every other aspect to which those consistory clauses could possibly relate. 
         [0058]    These and other aspects will be apparent from the following specific description, given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0059]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an electronic banking enrolment system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0060]      FIG. 2  is a simplified block diagram illustrating one part (a cellular telephone) of the system of  FIG. 1  in more detail; 
           [0061]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating steps performed by the cellular telephone of  FIG. 2  in enrolling for electronic banking services using the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0062]      FIG. 4  is a pictorial diagram of a blank check used by a customer to enroll for banking services using the system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0063]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating steps performed by a part (an enrolment server) of the electronic banking enrolment system of  FIG. 1  in response to the steps performed in  FIG. 3  by the cellular telephone. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0064]    Reference is first made to  FIG. 1 , which is a schematic diagram of an electronic banking enrolment system  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0065]    The enrolment system  10  comprises an enrolment server  12  coupled to the Internet  14 . As will be known to those of skill in the art, various Internet-enabled computer devices (such as laptop computers, desktop computers, and handheld computers) could be coupled to the Internet  14 . In  FIG. 1 , a cellular radiofrequency telephone (hereinafter “cell phone”)  16  is shown coupled to the Internet  14 . 
         [0066]    The enrolment server  12  comprises a message handling component  20 , and a back-office interface  22 . 
         [0067]    The message handling component  20  is operable to extract information from received messages and store images extracted from received messages, as will be described in more detail below. 
         [0068]    The back-office interface  22  is operable to access account records relating to customers and to update these account records, for example, by activating a field that enrolls the customer for one or more electronic banking services, as will be described in more detail below. These electronic banking services include remote deposit capture of checks and electronic payments. 
         [0069]    Reference will also be made to  FIG. 2 , which is a simplified block diagram illustrating the cell phone  16  in more detail. 
         [0070]    The cell phone  16  comprises one or more processors  30 , non-volatile memory  32 , a communications interface  34  (including a USB port), a display  36  and associated touch sensitive panel  38 , a power management circuit  40  (including a battery and a connection for a batter recharger), a camera  42 , and a cellular transceiver  44  (including an antenna). All of these components are conventional cell phone components. The cell phone  16  also includes firmware  50  (in non-volatile memory  32 ) for controlling these components (such as the camera  42 , the display  36 , the touch sensitive panel  38 , and the like). However, the cell phone  16  also includes an enrolment program  52 , which is used by a customer (typically the owner of the cell phone  16 ) for enrolling in electronic banking services. The enrolment program  52  may have been downloaded from a Web site associated with an organization that provides electronic banking services. 
         [0071]    The operation of the cell phone  16  will now be described with reference to  FIG. 3 , which is a flowchart  100  illustrating steps involved in enrolling for electronic banking services using the enrolment system  10 . 
         [0072]    Initially, the customer launches the enrolment program  52 , which may be presented as an icon on the display  36 . This causes the enrolment program  52  to execute (step  102 ). 
         [0073]    The enrolment program  52  then prompts the customer to capture an image of the front of a check using the camera  42  (step  104 ).  FIG. 4  illustrates a front surface of a typical check  60 . 
         [0074]    The customer then operates the camera  42  to capture an image (step  106 ) which is transferred to the enrolment program  52  (step  108 ). 
         [0075]    The enrolment program  52  then extracts the front check image from the image captured by the camera  42  and correctly orients the front check image (step  110 ). Software is available that can perform this extraction and orientation function. For example, suitable software is described in U.S. patent application 2010/0150424 to Grigori Nepomniachtchi and James DeBello, assigned to Mitek Systems. Suitable software for this function is also available from Mitek Systems Inc, 8911 Balboa Ave., Suite B, San Diego Calif. 92123. 
         [0076]    The enrolment program  52  then prompts the customer to capture an image of the rear of a check using the camera  42  (step  112 ). 
         [0077]    The customer then operates the camera  42  to capture an image of the rear of the check (step  114 ) which is transferred to the enrolment program  52  (step  116 ). 
         [0078]    The enrolment program  52  then extracts the rear check image from the image captured by the camera  42  and correctly orients the rear check image (step  118 ). 
         [0079]    The enrolment program  52  then prepares a message including the front check image and the rear check image (both of which have been extracted and correctly oriented) (step  120 ). 
         [0080]    The enrolment program  52  then prompts the customer to enter an electronic address to which the check images should be sent, which the enrolment program  52  receives (step  122 ). In this example, the electronic address received from the customer relates to a URL for the enrolment server  12 . 
         [0081]    The enrolment program  52  then informs the customer that the message is ready for transmission, and requests the customer to confirm that the message should be sent (step  124 ). 
         [0082]    If the customer cancels at this point, then the enrolment program  52  deletes the prepared message (step  126 ) and closes. 
         [0083]    If the customer confirms that the message should be transmitted, then the enrolment program  52  transmits the message to the electronic address received from the customer (step  128 ), that is, the URL for the enrolment server  12 . 
         [0084]    Reference will now be made to  FIG. 5 , which is a flowchart  150  illustrating the steps performed by the enrolment server  12  on receipt of the message from the cell phone  16 . 
         [0085]    Initially, the message handling component  20  within the enrolment server  12  receives the message transmitted by the cell phone  16  (step  152 ). 
         [0086]    The message handling component  20  then identifies the front and back images from the message and extracts relevant information from these images (step  154 ). Referring again to  FIG. 4 , the front check image  60  includes a MICR field  62  comprising banking information (including a bank account number and a bank number); a customer field  64  comprising customer information (including customer name and customer address); a legal amount field  66 ; a courtesy amount field  68 ; and a signature field  70 . The rear check image (not shown) includes an endorsement field (not shown). 
         [0087]    The message handling component  20  identifies the bank account number and bank number using optical character recognition (OCR) on the MICR field  62  (step  156 ). 
         [0088]    The message handling component  20  also identifies the customer name and customer address using OCR on the customer field  64  (step  158 ). 
         [0089]    The message handling component  20  then validates that the check meets an acceptance criterion (step  160 ). In this example, this involves the message handling component  20  validating that the legal amount field  66  and the customer amount field  68  are blank. 
         [0090]    If the check does not meet the acceptance criterion then the message handling component  20  cancels the transaction (step  162 ) and sends a message to the cell phone  16  indicating that the transaction could not proceed because the check did not meet certain requirements. 
         [0091]    If the check does meet the acceptance criterion then the message handling component  20  accesses the banks customer account records via the back-office interface  22  using the customer name and bank account information (step  164 ). 
         [0092]    The message handling component  20  then updates an electronic banking services field (not shown) in the accessed customer account record to enroll that customer in electronic banking (step  166 ). Optionally, the message handling component  20  may store the front and rear check images in a data store for accessing by staff and/or the customer. 
         [0093]    The message handling component  20  then sends a message to the cell phone  16  to confirm that the customer has been enrolled in electronic banking services (step  168 ). 
         [0094]    It will now be appreciated that this process provides a simple and efficient mechanism for allowing a customer to enroll in electronic banking services. 
         [0095]    Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment within the scope of the invention, for example, in other embodiments, the customer may enroll using a previously cashed check that is marked void. In such embodiments, the message handling component  20  implements an acceptance criterion (in step  160 ) that allows previously cashed checks to be used. 
         [0096]    In other embodiments, the check may be issued by a third party and may be used to enroll for check cashing. 
         [0097]    In other embodiments, a financial document other than a check, for example, a bank statement, a utility bill, or other remittance may be used to enroll for electronic banking services instead of a check. 
         [0098]    In other embodiments, the enrolment program  52  may perform the bank information and customer detail extraction instead of, or in addition to, the message handling component  20 . 
         [0099]    In other embodiments, the enrolment server may add the word “Void” to the front image of the check. 
         [0100]    In other embodiments, the enrolment program  52  may perform part or all of the data extraction from the images that was performed by the enrolment server  12  in the above embodiment (step  154  to  158 ). 
         [0101]    The steps of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. The methods described herein may be performed by software in machine readable form on a tangible storage medium or as a propagating signal. 
         [0102]    The terms “comprising”, “including”, “incorporating”, and “having” are used herein to recite an open-ended list of one or more elements or steps, not a closed list. When such terms are used, those elements or steps recited in the list are not exclusive of other elements or steps that may be added to the list. 
         [0103]    Unless otherwise indicated by the context, the terms “a” and “an” are used herein to denote at least one of the elements, integers, steps, features, operations, or components mentioned thereafter, but do not exclude additional elements, integers, steps, features, operations, or components. 
         [0104]    The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other similar phrases in some instances does not mean, and should not be construed as meaning, that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases are not used.