Granted Patent B1

US 7,611,048 · App. 12/288,205 · Granted Nov 3, 2009

Abstract

Claims (58)

1. A method carried out in a system including a plurality of automated banking machines, wherein the automated banking machines operate responsive to data read from data bearing records including user cards, and carry out a plurality of transactions including dispensing cash and accepting checks, and at least one computer remote from each of the automated banking machines, comprising:

(a) receiving with the at least one computer from a first automated banking machine that has received a check from a user, at least one first message including check data corresponding to visible indicia on at least one side of the check;

(b) responsive to the at least one first message received in (a), sending through operation of the at least one computer to the first automated banking machine, at least one second message including transaction identifying data;

(c) subsequent to (b), receiving with the at least one computer from the first automated banking machine, at least one image message including image data corresponding to a visual image of at least a portion of the check, and at least some of the transaction identifying data.

2. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

(d) processing the image data and transaction identifying data received in (c) through operation of the at least one computer.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein (d) includes making the received transaction identifying data available through operation of the at least one computer to selected entities authorized to have access to it.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein (d) includes including the received transaction identifying data in at least one table with data related to other transactions.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein (d) includes providing in at least one visible output corresponding to the at least one table, at least one icon associated with the received transaction identifying data to indicate that the transaction identifying data has associated image data.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein (d) includes presenting an electronic output corresponding to the image data, responsive to at least one input corresponding to selection of the at least one icon.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein in (d) the at least one icon is a graphic representation of at least one side of a check.

8. The method according to claim 2 wherein in (a) the at, least one first message includes data corresponding to at least one of the user and an account associated with the user.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein in (a) the check data corresponds to at least one character in a micr line on the check.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein in (a) the check data corresponds to an amount on the check.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein in (a) the check data corresponds to a courtesy amount on the check.

12. The method according to claim 10 and further comprising:

debiting through operation of the at least one computer, a maker account corresponding to at least one character included in the micr line on the check, the amount.

13. The method according to claim 12 and further comprising:

transmitting through operation of the at least one computer, the image data corresponding to visual appearance of at least a portion of the check, to an institution associated with the maker account.

14. The method according to claim 8 wherein in (b) the at least one second message includes instruction data, wherein the instruction data is operative to cause the first automated banking machine to carry out at least one transaction function.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein in (b) the instruction data is operative to cause the first automated banking machine to accept the check.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein in (b) the instruction data is operative to cause the first automated banking machine to dispense cash from the machine to the user.

17. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising:

(e) receiving at least one third message from the first automated banking machine with the at least one computer, wherein the third message includes data indicative that the first automated banking machine carried out the at least one transaction function.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein in (b) the at least one transaction function includes receiving the check, and wherein in (a) the check data includes data corresponding to an amount, and wherein the amount corresponds to at least one of a courtesy amount and a legal amount on the check, and further comprising:

(f) responsive to the at least one third message received by the at least one computer in (e), crediting at least one of the user and the account, the amount corresponding to the check data.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein in (b) the at least one transaction function includes dispensing cash, and further comprising:

(f) responsive to the at least one third message received by the at least one computer in (e), debiting at least one of the user and the account an amount corresponding to cash dispensed.

20. The method according to claim 1 wherein in (a) and (b) a first computer receives and sends respectively the at least one first and at least one second messages, and wherein in (c) the at least one image message is received by a second computer different from the first computer.

21. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

(d) prior to (a), receiving from the first automated banking machine with the at least one computer, at least one third message including data corresponding to a request by the user to receive cash;

(e) responsive to the at least one third message received in (d), sending at least one fourth message through operation of the at least one computer, to the first automated banking machine, including data corresponding to at least one instruction, wherein the at least one instruction is operative to cause the first automated banking machine to dispense cash to the user.

22. At least one article including computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one computer in a system including a plurality of automated banking machines, which automated banking machines operate responsive to data read from data bearing records including user cards, and are all remote from the at least one computer, and adapted to carry out a plurality of transactions including dispensing cash and accepting checks, to carry out a method comprising:

(a) receiving with the at least one computer from an automated banking machine that has received a check from a user, at least one first message including check data corresponding to visible indicia on the check;

(b) responsive to receiving the at least one first message in step (a), sending to the automated banking machine through operation of the at least one computer, at least one second message including transaction identifying data, adapted to be communicated by the automated banking machine in conjunction with image data corresponding to at least one visual image of at least a portion of the check; and

(c) subsequent to step (b), receiving with the at least one computer from the automated banking machine, at least one third message including

image data corresponding to a visual image of at least a portion of the check, and

the transaction identifying data.

23. The at least one article according to claim 22 wherein the method further comprises:

(d) sending to the at least one computer through operation of the automated banking machine, the at least one third message.

24. The at least one article according to claim 23 wherein the method further includes:

(e) prior to step (d), reading through operation of the automated banking machine, a plurality of characters included in a micr line on the check;

wherein in step (d) data corresponding to the plurality of characters is included in the at least one third message.

25. The at least one article according to claim 22 wherein in step (c) the at least one third message includes length data corresponding to size of the image data.

26. The at least one article according to claim 25 wherein in step (c) the image data corresponds to images of a front side and a back side of the check, and wherein the length data corresponds to the images of the front side and the back side of the check.

27. A method carried out in a system including automated banking machines that operate responsive to data bearing records, comprising:

(a) operating a transaction host that is adapted to authorize a plurality of automated banking machines that operate responsive to data read from user cards, to accept checks and dispense cash, to receive at least one first message that originated from a first automated banking machine, wherein the at least one first message includes

a terminal identifier usable to uniquely identify the first automated banking machine,

check data corresponding to visible indicia on at least one side of a check received by the first automated banking machine from a user of the first automated banking machine during a check cashing transaction, and

a transaction authorization request corresponding to the check cashing transaction;

(b) responsive to the at least one first message received in step (a), operating the transaction host to cause at least one second message to be sent to the first automated banking machine, wherein the at least one second message includes

transaction number data usable to uniquely identify the check cashing transaction, and

at least one instruction that authorizes the first automated banking machine to accept the check;

(c) subsequent to step (b), operating a transaction data storage server to receive at least one third message that originated from the first automated banking machine, wherein the transaction data storage server differs from the transaction host, wherein the transaction data storage server and the transaction host are remotely located from the first automated banking machine, and wherein the at least one third message includes

the transaction number data, and

check image data corresponding to a visual image of at least a portion of the check; and

(d) subsequent to step (c), operating the transaction data storage server to cause at least one fourth message to be sent to the first automated banking machine, wherein the at least one fourth message includes

an acknowledgment that the at least one third message was received by the transaction data storage server.

Assignments (9)