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.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates generally to processing electronic check images, and more particularly, to a system and method for providing electronic endorsement of check images using digital halftones. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    With the passage of the Check 21 Act (“Check21”), financial institutions are now able to electronically process transactions based on check images. Before Check21, banks would physically endorse checks with a stamp as a means for recording the processing of the check, e.g., when it cleared, the bank name, etc. With the advent of electronic images, however, banks have limited ability to physically stamp or endorse checks since many checks are being presented as electronic images. Nonetheless, from an operational standpoint, banks would still prefer to endorse checks either physically or electronically. 
         [0003]    Currently, the banking industry has adopted black white images, as opposed to grayscale or color, as the standard for image based check processing. One of the inherent problems with attempting to electronically endorse a black white check image is that there is a risk of obscuring or overwriting the image information present on the check image. This same problem would likewise exist if the banking industry adopted the use of grayscale, color or other bitonal images for check processing. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method that can provide a soft endorsement on check images without damaging the information on the check images. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems, as well as others, by providing a system and method for providing a soft endorsement on check images using digital halftones such that the information on the check images is not damaged. 
         [0006]    In a first aspect, the invention provides 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. 
         [0007]    In a second aspect, the invention provides 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. 
         [0008]    In a third aspect, the invention provides 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. 
         [0009]    In a fourth aspect, the invention provides 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. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    These and other features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  depicts a system for providing a soft endorsement of a check image in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  depicts a black white check image. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  depicts a black white check image with an endorsement generated on the image in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  depicts a variation of an endorsement generated on a check image in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to drawings,  FIG. 1  depicts a computer system  10  having an electronic endorsement system  18  for adding a digital halftone endorsement  32  to an inputted electronic check image  30 . Electronic endorsement system  18  includes an imaging system  20  for generating an electronic endorsement, a halftone system  22  for creating a halftone image  32  of the electronic endorsement, and a positioning system  24  for positioning the halftone image  32  on the check image  30 . Note that while the illustrative embodiments described herein disclose a system that processes a black white image  30 , the invention is applicable to any type of electronic check image, including color, grayscale and other bitonal representations. 
         [0016]    In one illustrative embodiment, imaging system  20  generates an endorsement image by incorporating both static data  26  and dynamic data  28 . Static data  26  comprises any type of information that is stable from check to check, e.g., a bank&#39;s name, logos, notations such “cleared,” “returned,” etc. Dynamic data  28  comprises any type of information that may vary from check to check, e.g., a date, an amount, a sequence number, etc. Any now known or later developed system for generating an endorsement image may be utilized. For instance, the endorsement image may be generated as a black white bitmap image, a color image, etc. 
         [0017]    Halftone system  22  converts the endorsement image into a halftone image  32  suitable for placement onto check image  30 . Halftone system  22  can likewise be implemented in any manner. As is known in the art, a halftone image  32  is made up of a series of dots rather than a continuous tone. These dots can be different sizes, different colors, and sometimes even different shapes. Larger dots are used to represent darker, denser areas of the image, while smaller dots are used for lighter areas. As long as the resolution of the image is high enough, the dots appear as a continuous image to the human eye. 
         [0018]    Positioning system  24  provides a system for positioning the halftone image  32  (i.e., endorsement) onto the check image  30 . For instance, positioning system  24  may place the halftone image  32  at a determined location (e.g., in the center), at a determined skew angle, at a determined size, etc. Positioning may be done using predetermined settings, or determined dynamically, e.g., based on a software routine that analyzes information on the check. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a black white check image  40  is shown. As noted above, the traditional method of endorsing a check is to stamp it with color ink. Such endorsements offer the ability to overwrite without obscuring the original information. However, in electronic images, such as the one shown, overwriting with a bitmap can obscure and risk altering the original information. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  depicts the check image  40  of  FIG. 2 , in which the digital halftone endorsement  42  has been added. In this example, a 50% grayscale has been utilized for the halftone endorsement  42 . As can be seen, the information on the check image  40  is not obscured or overwritten by the halftone endorsement  42 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  depicts a further variation in which positioning system  24  ( FIG. 1 ) has inclined or skewed the halftone endorsement  44  by 30 degrees in order to improve endorsement readability. In addition, the halftone endorsement  44  is implemented with a grayscale level of 25%. Obviously, the specific positioning, amount of grayscale, amount of rotation, and size used for the digitally generated halftone endorsement can vary without departing from the scope of the invention. Moreover, these features could be set to a predetermined level, or determined dynamically, e.g., based on information collected from the check itself. Thus, electronic endorsement system  18  could set the grayscale level, skew angle, position and size of the electronic endorsement  44  on a check by check basis in order to maximize the readability of both the endorsement and underlying information on the check image. For instance, the electronic endorsement could be positioned to overlap a minimum amount of data in the check. 
         [0022]    In general, computer system  10  ( FIG. 1 ) may comprise any type of computing device, and could be implemented as part of a client and/or a server. Computer system  10  generally includes a processor  12 , input/output (I/O)  14 , memory  16 , and bus  17 . The processor  12  may comprise a single processing unit, or be distributed across one or more processing units in one or more locations, e.g., on a client and server. Memory  16  may comprise any known type of data storage and/or transmission media, including magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a data cache, a data object, etc. Moreover, memory  16  may reside at a single physical location, comprising one or more types of data storage, or be distributed across a plurality of physical systems in various forms. 
         [0023]    I/O  14  may comprise any system for exchanging information to/from an external resource. External devices/resources may comprise any known type of external device, including a monitor/display, speakers, storage, another computer system, a hand-held device, keyboard, mouse, voice recognition system, speech output system, printer, facsimile, pager, etc. Bus  17  provides a communication link between each of the components in the computer system  10  and likewise may comprise any known type of transmission link, including electrical, optical, wireless, etc. Although not shown, additional components, such as cache memory, communication systems, system software, etc., may be incorporated into computer system  10 . 
         [0024]    Access to computer system  10  may be provided over a network such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), etc. Communication could occur via a direct hardwired connection (e.g., serial port), or via an addressable connection that may utilize any combination of wireline and/or wireless transmission methods. Moreover, conventional network connectivity, such as Token Ring, Ethernet, WiFi or other conventional communications standards could be used. Still yet, connectivity could be provided by conventional TCP/IP sockets-based protocol. In this instance, an Internet service provider could be used to establish interconnectivity. Further, as indicated above, communication could occur in a client-server or server-server environment. 
         [0025]    It should be appreciated that the teachings of the present invention could be offered as a business method on a subscription or fee basis. For example, a computer system  10  comprising an electronic endorsement system  18  could be created, maintained and/or deployed by a service provider that offers the functions described herein for customers. That is, a service provider could offer to provide halftone endorsements to check images as described above. 
         [0026]    It is understood that the systems, functions, mechanisms, methods, engines and modules described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. They may be implemented by any type of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general-purpose computer system with a computer program that, when loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. Alternatively, a specific use computer, containing specialized hardware for carrying out one or more of the functional tasks of the invention could be utilized. In a further embodiment, part or all of the invention could be implemented in a distributed manner, e.g., over a network such as the Internet. 
         [0027]    The present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods and functions described herein, and which—when loaded in a computer system—is able to carry out these methods and functions. Terms such as computer program, software program, program, program product, software, etc., in the present context mean any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: (a) conversion to another language, code or notation; and/or (b) reproduction in a different material form. 
         [0028]    The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims.