Granted Patent B1

US 7,128,260 · App. 11/159,081 · Granted Oct 31, 2006

Abstract

Claims (32)

1. A method of an operator who is other than a check depositing customer handling a fault condition in an image-based check depositing terminal, the method comprising:

inserting a non-customer identification card into a card reader of the terminal to allow the card reader to read from the card data which is associated with a financial institution;

removing a check along a check transport path which extends between a check input slot and an image capture device of the terminal; and

inserting the removed check into the check input slot to allow the check to be transported along the check transport path past the image capture device to capture an image of the check so that the image of the check can be electronically transmitted together with the data which is associated with the financial institution.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

verifying that the check is transported into a check storage bin after the check has been transported past the image capture device.

3. A method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

removing the non-customer identification card from the card reader after the operator has verified that the check has been transported into the check storage bin.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the data which is associated with the financial institution comprises an account number of a reconciliation account for free network images of the financial institution.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the data which is associated with the financial institution comprises a bank number.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the data which is associated with the financial institution comprises data which identifies the operator as a bank branch employee.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the data which is associated with the financial institution comprises data which identifies the operator as an employee of a third party transit company.

8. A method of an operator who is other than a check depositing customer handling a fault condition in an image-based check depositing terminal, the method comprising:

inserting a non-customer identification card into a card reader of the terminal to allow the card reader to read from the card data which is associated with the operator;

removing a check along a check transport path which extends between a check input slot and an image capture device of the terminal; and

inserting the removed check into the check input slot to allow the check to be transported along the check transport path past the image capture device to capture an image of the check so that the image of the check can be electronically transmitted together with the data which is associated with the operator.

9. A method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

verifying that the check is transported into a check storage bin after the check has been transported past the image capture device.

10. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

removing the non-customer identification card from the card reader after the operator has verified that the check has been transported into the check storage bin.

11. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the data which is associated with the operator comprises data which identifies the operator as a bank branch employee.

12. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the data which is associated with the operator comprises data which identifies the operator as an employee of a third party transit company.

13. A method of a responsible operator who is other than a check depositing customer handling a document jam condition in an image-based check depositing terminal having a check transport path which extends between a check input slot and an image capture device which captures check images as checks are transported past the image capture device, the method comprising:

inserting an identification card into a card reader of the terminal to allow the card reader to read from the card data which is representative of an account number of a reconciliation account associated with a financial institution and data which is representative of the operator;

removing a check which has jammed along the check transport path between the check input slot and the image capture device; and

inserting the removed check into the check entry slot to allow the check to be transported along the check transport path to the image capture device so that the image capture device can capture an image of the check for electronically transmitting along with the data which is representative of the account number of the reconciliation account associated with the financial institution and the data which is representative of the operator.

14. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

verifying that the check is transported into a check storage bin after the check has been transported past the image capture device.

15. A method according to claim 14 , further comprising:

removing the non-customer identification card from the card reader after the operator has verified that the check has been transported into the check storage bin.

16. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the data which is associated with the operator comprises data which identifies the operator as a bank branch employee.

17. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the data which is associated with the operator comprises data which identifies the operator as an employee of a third party transit company.

Assignments (9)