throbber
OPIC
`OFFICE DE LA PROPRIETE
`INTELLECTUELLE DU CANADA
`
`llfllllll
`
`"%flEF
`fin.-.1 CIPO
`(Ill
`Ill’,
`CANADIAN 1Nn;1_L5crU,~.L
`PROPERTY OFFICE
`
`Ottawa HL“ KIA 0C‘)
`
`(21)
`
`(Al)
`
`2,163,280
`
`(22)
`
`(43)
`
`1995/11/20
`
`1996/05/19
`
`6
`
`(51) Int.Cl.
`
`G06F 17/30
`
`(19) (CA) APPLICATION FOR CANADIAN PATENT (12)
`
`(54) Electronic Check Image storage and Retrieval System
`
`;
`(72) Cahill, Thomas — U.S.A.
`S
`.
`McNu1ty, Louise A.
`U
`S.
`McMonagle, John J.
`U.
`S.
`Sferra, Richard H.l
`- U.
`7
`Levine, Glenn — U.S.A.
`Goldfisher, Saul — U.S.A.
`;
`Wilson, Philip — U.S.A.
`Koroteyev, Vladimir — U.s.A.
`
`.
`.
`.
`
`;
`
`Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A.
`
`(The)
`
`- U.S.A.
`
`;
`
`(US) 08/342,265 1994/11/18
`
`237 Claims
`
`Notice:
`
`This application is as filed and may therefore contain an
`incomplete specification.
`
`lndustriecanada
`
`Indusrycanada
`
`cpuc-cupom
`
`I*I
`
`Fiserv Exhibit 1054
`
`Page 1 of 221
`
`

`
`2153220
`
`P/2l67-
`
`ELECTRONIC CHECK IMAGE STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method and apparatus for storing and retrieving
`
`images of documents, e.g. checks.
`
`The method comprises placing a
`
`plurality of documents in a document
`
`imaging machine and forming
`
`an electronic image of each document, storing each electronic
`
`image in an electronic storage device, providing at least one
`
`user interface device in communication on a communication link
`
`with the electronic storage device, placing a request for at
`
`least one document
`
`image on the user interface device,
`
`transmitting the request by the communication link to the
`
`electronic storage device, searching the electronic storage
`
`device for the requested electronic image of the document,
`
`retrieving the at least one electronic image or providing an
`
`indication that the image was not found, storing the electronic
`
`image,
`
`if found,
`
`in an electronic file, for transmission to the
`
`user interface device at user option, providing the electronic
`
`image to the user interface device at command of a user at the
`
`user interface device for storage at the user interface device
`
`and displaying the requested electronic image on a display of the
`
`user interface device. Preferably,
`
`the electronic,
`
`images are
`
`stored with embedded identifying information in a TIFF file
`
`format and the check images can be displayed on a display device
`
`which permits the user to view both sides of the checks
`
`simultaneously and perform functions such as zooming and rotation
`
`of the images.
`
`AMDT\95753
`
`November 1, 1995/10: 1 lam
`
`Page 2 of 221
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`

`
`,215328a
`
`The present invention relates to electronic banking.
`
`More specifically,
`
`the present invention relates to an
`
`electronic check image storage and retrieval system.
`
`With the present day increase in the number of checks
`
`and other financial instruments processed by banking
`
`institutions,
`
`there is an increased need to automate the
`
`requesting, delivery and display of check and other financial
`
`instrument copies. This invention accordingly relates to an
`
`electronic system for storing and retrieving electronic images of
`
`checks and other financial instruments.
`
`The system of the
`
`invention is particularly adapted to the storage and retrieval of
`
`check images and the images of other commercial paper
`
`instruments, but could also be employed to store and retrieve
`
`images of other documents.
`
`The financial services industry has provided for more
`
`than a century the ability for its customers to write checks and
`
`similar instruments.
`
`In current practice a payor or customer
`
`writes a check representing an amount to be deducted from its
`
`account.
`
`The check is given to the payee. Checks are normally
`
`presented for payment by the payee to the payee's banking
`
`institution (the "payee bank").
`
`In turn,
`
`the payee bank presents
`
`the check to the payor bank.
`
`The payor bank then pays the payee
`
`bank, and deducts the check amount from the payor’s account,
`
`against which the check is drawn.
`
`The check is then marked
`
`"PAID" and is often made available in some form (e.g.
`
`the
`
`original check or a photocopy)
`
`to the customer/payor as a record
`
`of the payment.
`
`SPEC\94634
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`Page 3 of 221
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`

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`72153280
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`-2-
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`For several decades now the U.S. Government has also
`
`required that financial institutions maintain a seven year
`
`library (e.g. on microfilm, microfiche or original hard copy) of
`
`all checks deposited and/or paid from the institution's accounts.
`
`Because the payor bank is required to maintain this library, it
`
`makes and archives a copy of both sides of the "PAID" check prior
`
`to forwarding the original instrument, or a copy of it,
`
`to the
`
`customer.
`
`Accordingly, payor banks must maintain millions upon
`
`millions of copies of checks in their files.
`
`For example,
`
`if a
`
`single large customer/payor writes 2,500 checks each business
`
`day, seven years of records will comprise over 4,500,000 checks
`
`for that customer alone. Thus, banks fill tremendous storage
`
`spaces with copies of checks.
`
`At some future date,
`
`the payor may be required to
`
`produce a copy of a check as proof of payment. This often
`
`requires that the payor retrieve the bank copy of the instrument
`
`from the payor bank's archive. Certain financial institution
`
`customers, particularly those that write large numbers of checks
`
`to the general public, often are required to produce check copies
`
`systematically.
`
`The situation is the following:
`
`the
`
`payor/customer writes a check, sends it to the payee and receives
`
`through its standard checking account reporting mechanism (e.g.
`
`statement) notification that the check has been paid.
`
`The
`
`payor/customer subsequently receives an inquiry or complaint from
`
`sPEC\94634
`
`November I , 1995/10:23am
`
`Page 4 of 221
`
`

`
`the payee stating that payment (i.e.
`
`the check) has not been
`
`received.
`
`As proof of payment,
`
`the payor/customer must produce
`
`the original
`
`"PAID" check, or a front and back photocopy of the
`
`"PAID" check.
`
`From this record, it can determine who cashed it
`
`and where it was cashed.
`
`If the payee is in error, and has been
`
`paid,
`
`the payor will typically forward to the payee a
`
`correspondence enclosing a copy of the "PAID" check.
`
`The actual number of requests to a payor bank for check
`
`copies based upon a payee claim that payment has not been
`
`received varies by the type of check.
`
`Some known example
`
`statistics are:
`
`Type of Check
`
`Request/Checks Written
`
`health insurance refunds
`personal
`income tax refunds
`social security payments
`welfare payments
`
`To accommodate these requests, financial institution customers
`
`often maintain their own extensive check libraries.
`
`Often such customer—maintained check libraries are kept
`
`on microfilm, which can be made by the customer itself from the
`
`returned check or can be purchased directly from the financial
`
`institution.
`
`The financial institution's seven year library of
`
`check microfilm is often used as a backup source for check
`
`copies.
`
`In some cases, due to the cost of maintaining an
`
`archive, and fulfilling payee requests,
`
`the bank's seven-year
`
`librar
`
`Y
`
`is the customer's
`
`rima
`
`source.
`
`SPECW4634
`
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`

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`_215328fl
`
`-4-
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`Furthermore, depending on the type of customer and
`
`account,
`
`the institution is often subpoenaed by the government
`
`to
`
`produce photocopies or originals from its seven year library.
`
`Whether the original checks are kept or they are
`
`reduced to microfilm, and regardless of whether it is maintained
`
`by the payor bank or the customer, it is readily understood that
`
`there are many costs associated with maintaining a check archive
`
`and retrieving check copies upon request.
`
`For example,
`
`the
`
`production and manipulation of microfilm libraries is a labor
`
`intensive process and the quality of the photocopies produced is
`
`often low. Although,storing a high resolution digital image of
`
`the front and rear surface of a check could be used as a
`
`potential replacement for microfilm,
`
`the cost of storing all
`
`checks in such format, and the difficulty inherent in locating
`
`and retrieving them, made this storage media impracticable in the
`
`past.
`
`To fulfill its customers’ requests or comply with
`
`subpoenas, countless man-hours of searching are required to
`
`locate copies of the requested instruments. Due to the immense
`
`volume of stored information,
`
`the average turn-around time -- the
`
`time elapsed from when the request is made until the copy is
`
`received -- for fulfilling such requests can vary from a minimum
`
`of 24 hours to one to two weeks or more.
`
`Importantly, if a check
`
`copy cannot be found or its quality is too poor to reconcile the
`
`inquiry,
`
`the payor may be required to write the check again and
`
`send it to the recipient —-
`
`incurring the expense of double
`
`SPEC\94634
`
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`

`
`2163280
`
`-5-
`
`payment despite the expense of maintaining a check library, and
`
`searching for a check.
`
`Further,
`
`to facilitate processing of checks,
`
`the
`
`banking industry has, for many years, used a Magnetic Ink
`
`Character Recognition (MICR)
`
`line on each check.
`
`The MICR line
`
`of a check is a series of alpha-numeric digits encoded on a check
`
`in magnetic ink.
`
`The MICR line is also optically readable.
`
`A
`
`MICR line is found along the bottom of most checks.
`
`The encoded
`
`information in the MICR line usually includes the account number
`
`and check number; Where the check writer (or some intermediate
`
`in the check handling process) chooses,
`
`the encoded information
`
`in the MICR line also includes the amount of the check.
`
`Frequently, a large company that prints its own checks may encode
`
`the check amount in the MICR line. Normally, when a check is
`
`processed,
`
`the information contained in the MICR line is scanned,
`
`interpreted, and becomes part of the bank's electronic record of
`
`the check.
`
`While previously many banking institutions were forced
`
`to maintain large staffs of people to handle manually the time-/
`
`consuming and tedious task of processing check copy requests, it
`
`is desirable to provide a system whereby a customer of the
`
`banking institution can request, retrieve, and display copies of
`
`checks and, preferably, generate correspondence with a copy of a
`
`check, i.e. a check image, all without bank staff involvement.
`
`Thus,
`
`the present application is directed to an automated system
`
`which retains images of the front and back of each check and data
`
`SPECW4634
`
`Novcmbcr 1, 1995/10:23am
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`Page 7 of 221
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`

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`2153280
`
`-6-
`
`associated with that check.
`
`The associated data includes the
`
`account number,
`
`the check number and the check amount as well as
`
`image data.
`
`The system allows a user to request, retrieve and
`
`display check copies with turnaround time much faster than in the
`
`prior art.
`
`There are obvious inefficiencies in the current
`
`methods of handling customer service inquiries about checks
`
`and in the present costly and labor intensive paper and
`
`microfilm archives required to support such inquiries.
`
`It is an object of the present invention to provide
`
`a novel electronic check image storage and retrieval system
`
`which obviates or mitigates at least one of the disadvantages
`
`of the prior art systems.
`
`The invention provides a new financial services
`
`product and computer system.
`
`In particular, according to one
`
`aspect of the present invention,
`
`there is provided a new
`
`method and apparatus for providing traditional features of
`
`bank services related to check microfilm and commercial paper
`
`archives in electronic form.
`
`In another aspect,
`
`the present invention provides a
`
`new method and apparatus for capturing, processing and storing
`
`check images for on-line access.
`
`In yet another aspect,
`
`the present invention
`
`provides a new method and apparatus for communication for the
`
`purpose of requesting and receiving check images.
`
`In yet a further aspect,
`
`the present invention
`
`provides a new method and apparatus for locally storing,
`
`displaying and utilizing check images in industry standard
`
`computer office automation environments.
`
`Page 8 of 221
`
`

`
`In yet a further aspect,
`
`the present invention
`
`provides an electronic check storage and retrieval system
`
`which eliminates the need to maintain costly and inefficient
`
`microfilm or paper check archives.
`
`In yet a further aspect,
`
`the present invention
`
`provides a document storage and retrieval system which is
`
`applicable to documents other than checks and comercial paper
`
`instrument.
`
`In yet still another aspect,
`
`the present invention
`
`provides a system which facilitates error correction in the
`
`MICR line of checks, and furthermore which facilitates such
`
`error correction in an efficient manner, requiring a small
`
`number of keystrokes or minimal operator interaction to
`
`accomplish such error correction.
`
`Furthermore,
`
`in another aspect,
`
`the present
`
`invention provides at the financial service customer's
`
`request, a system with the ability on a daily basis to scan a
`
`customer's paid checks at a resolution level superior to that
`
`available from traditional microfilm and photocopy methods and
`
`in excess of all readability requirements for the customer
`
`service investigation functions described above as well as
`
`other applications such as signature verification, check fraud
`
`evaluation, return item processing, etc.
`
`In another aspect,
`
`the present invention provides a
`
`system having the ability to index and store check images
`
`Page 9 of 221
`
`

`
`2163289
`
`_ 3 _
`
`in a relational database supporting appropriate access and
`
`inquiry requirements.
`
`Furthermore,
`
`in another aspect,
`
`the present
`
`invention provides a system having the ability to create a
`
`permanent, reliable,
`
`legal and auditable store record of check
`
`images, superior to that available in the current system of
`
`microfilm, photocopy and paper records.
`
`In another aspect,
`
`the present invention provides a
`
`system having the ability for the financial services
`
`institution customer or user to request access to images in an
`
`efficient, reliable and orderly way that allows for the
`
`maintenance of both electronic and permanent records of the
`
`inquiries for both management and audit control.
`
`Furthermore,
`
`in another aspect,
`
`the present
`
`invention provides a system allowing a requester user to
`
`transmit check copy requests to the financial institution and
`
`receive information back (e.g.
`
`the electronic check images) by
`
`means of a new method consistent with current
`
`telecommunications file transfer standards.
`
`Furthermore,
`
`in another aspect,
`
`the present
`
`invention provides a system having the ability to return
`
`electronic check images at the customer's request in the
`
`following ways:
`
`by direct and immediate on-line transmission,
`
`by electronic batch request and batch return of
`files of check image_requests and check images,
`
`by bulk transmission of image files according to
`standing orders (e.g. all return items, all items
`above $1,000, etc.)
`
`Page 10 of 221
`
`

`
`2153230
`
`-9-
`
`by delivery on magnetic or other media such as
`magnetic tape or disk,
`
`by delivery on electronic optical or other media
`such as WORM disk, CD-ROM or magneto-optical disk,
`etc.
`
`by all of the above ways of returning the image
`supported by an implementation of industry
`standard image formats with new features
`specifically designed to support the recipient's
`effective handling of individual electronic check
`images or arbitrarily large files of electronic
`check images.
`
`It is yet still a further‘ aspect of the invention to
`
`provide a system having the ability to display the received
`
`electronic images in a windowed graphical user interface
`
`consistent with industry standard office automation and computer
`
`workstation environments.
`
`It is yet still another aspect of the invention to
`
`provide a system having one or more user workstations where a
`
`user has the ability to manipulate the displayed, received image
`
`in a manner required to support the objectives of the underlying
`
`check investigation applications (e.g.
`
`to enlarge, enhance,
`
`rotate, etc.
`
`the image).
`
`It is yet still a further aspectof the invention to
`
`provide a system having a user workstation where the user can
`
`review and maintain the local database of check images within the
`
`constraints of
`
`the possibly limited local disk space available
`
`to industry standard office automation and computer workstation
`
`environments.
`
`It is yet still a further aspect of the invention to
`
`provide a system having the ability to create reports and audit
`
`SPECV34634
`
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`Page 11 of 221
`
`

`
`2153289
`
`-10-
`
`records of all check image related events at the requester
`
`workstation level.
`
`According to still a further aspect,
`
`the present
`
`invention provides a system having the ability to accomplish
`
`all the above functions when the requester’s workstation is
`
`part of an industry standard LAN environment and software
`
`and/or data and/or telecommunications support are executed at
`
`the LAN server level.
`
`According to yet another aspect,
`
`the present
`
`invention provides a system having the ability to accomplish
`
`all the above functions (save the last mentioned) when the
`
`recipient wishes to originate and/or receive transmissions
`
`from a mainframe computer system.
`
`As is evident from the above description of current
`
`check processing system, a highly sophisticated problem is
`
`presented when copies of hundreds or thousands of checks
`
`requested by a customer or customers need to be processed by a
`
`banking institution and the need arises to verify the check
`
`information.
`
`The system described herein provides a solution to
`
`this problem.
`
`For example,
`
`the inventive system can accomodate
`
`all the check image requests generated at today's largest check
`
`processing institutions on their peak days.
`
`The invention provides a solution to this customer
`
`service problem which heretofore involved intensive manual
`
`processing.
`
`The invention provides an electronic document
`
`image
`
`storage and retrieval system including a customer service
`
`workstation that can request, retrieve, display, manipulate and
`
`print copies of documents, particularly checks, and furthermore
`
`Page 12 of 221
`
`

`
`-11-
`
`create correspondence for a client incorporating copies of
`
`document
`
`images.
`
`The system of the invention includes an electronic host
`
`archive storage and retrieval system for storing and retrieving
`
`copies of checks or check images. This host archive system is
`
`linked via a communications link, e.g., modems and telephone
`
`line,
`
`to one or more generally remotely located customer
`
`workstations.
`
`For the purpose of this application, a customer is the
`
`customer of the banking institution and which utilizes a
`
`workstation according to the invention to request and retrieve
`
`copies of checks from the banking institution.
`
`For the purpose
`
`of this application, an operator, user or requester is the
`
`individual who operates a workstation according to the invention.
`
`For the purpose of this application, a workstation or
`
`image station may be a standard desktop computer that utilizes a
`
`graphical user interface. Also, a workstation preferably has
`
`local magnetic disk storage or other storage, contained in the
`
`unit or is linked to a magnetic disk drive or other storage unit
`
`via a network communications device comonly referred to as a
`
`file server.
`
`In the invention, use is made of multi-tasking and
`
`multi-windowing environments such as Microsoft Windows” or IBM
`
`OS/2” to provide a graphical interface for the system of the
`
`invention that the operator uses to interact with the retrieved
`
`check image copies.
`
`SPEC\94634
`
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`

`
`,2163230
`
`-12-
`
`According to the invention,
`
`the operator or customer
`
`can make requests by account number and check number for a
`
`specific check at the local workstation.
`
`The requests are stored
`
`locally until the operator is ready to forward the requests to
`
`the banking institution.
`
`Once an operator is ready to forward the requests to
`
`the banking institution,
`
`the workstation will dial the host
`
`computer controlling the archive system at the banking
`
`institution. Once connected to the host computer,
`
`the host will
`
`prompt the operator or customer for a user-ID and password to
`
`initiate the file transfer. Once the ID and password are
`
`verified,
`
`the requests are translated into a file and transferred
`
`to the host archival system.
`
`After a predetermined processing time to retrieve and
`
`sort the check images,
`
`the workstation operator can initiate a
`
`download or file transfer from the host archival system.
`
`The
`
`host system will transfer a front image and a separate back image
`
`for each check.
`
`Each check image has the MICR line information embedded
`
`in the check image file for identification.
`
`The identification
`
`information contains the account number,
`
`the check number, amount
`
`and date of the check.
`
`Once downloaded to local storage of the workstation,
`
`the system software resident at the workstation will read the
`
`data stored within each check image file to obtain the account
`
`number, check number and amount of the check. When check images
`
`SPEC\94634
`
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`Page 14 of 221
`
`

`
`_2163280
`
`-13-
`
`are received at the local workstation,
`
`the system software will
`
`correlate the check request entry with the check images.
`
`The
`
`filename of the check in the local database as well as a status
`
`field will be updated so as to indicate that the item has been
`
`downloaded, processed and received from the host archive system.
`
`Once all of the downloaded check images have been
`
`processed,
`
`they are available for review by the operator.
`
`According to the invention, an operator can select a
`
`menu item to present a Select/Display screen at the workstation
`
`that lists alpha-numerically the downloaded checks and those
`
`requests for check download which are pending.
`
`On this
`
`Select/Display screen, an operator has the option to sort the
`
`check images by account number/check number, amount, a user
`
`reference number, status and date. Status indicates whether the
`
`item is Pending, Received or Exported.
`
`A pending item is a
`
`request that has been sent or uploaded to the host archive but
`
`not yet downloaded.
`
`A Received item is an item that has been
`
`downloaded to the workstation, processed and is ready for
`
`viewing.
`
`An Exported item is a check image that has been
`
`downloaded to the workstation but not requested. According to
`
`the invention, a customer has an option of indicating if it wants
`
`all check images sent to the workstation (exported) without the
`
`need to request each image specifically.
`
`Preferably, according to the invention, an operator may
`
`click with a mouse or other pointer device to select an item
`
`indicated on a screen display of the workstation or select an
`
`SPEC\94634
`
`Novembcr 1, 1995/ 10:23am
`
`Page 15 of 221
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`

`
`2153280
`
`-14-
`
`item for viewing by using cursor arrow keys of a computer
`
`keyboard and striking the enter or return key. Once selected,
`
`the system will read the file names for the front and the back of
`
`the check images.
`
`The system of the invention preferably will
`
`read and display the front and back check images into a separate
`
`window for each check image.
`
`The separate windows for each front
`
`and back check image are referred to herein as a check-centric
`
`display interface. This check-centric display optimizes (i.e.
`
`minimizes)
`
`the amount of time a user would have to search for
`
`information on the check images.
`
`According to the invention,
`
`the front of the check may
`
`be displayed in maximum width horizontally in the left window.
`
`The back of the check then may be displayed in the right window
`
`vertically and enlarged to display the endorsement section.
`
`The
`
`endorsement section of a check is the section where a payee would
`
`indicate its account number and signature or endorsement stamp.
`
`This feature saves the operator from rotating the check image
`
`vertically in order to read the endorsement. At this point, an
`
`operator has the option of manipulating the check image to
`
`enhance the readability of the information.
`
`The system of the invention provides a toolbar or
`
`button zone, preferably as a screen icon, for each check display
`
`window.
`
`The operator may, for example, enlarge, reduce, rotate
`
`relative left, rotate relative right,
`
`invert the image absolute
`
`180 degrees, and invert the colors of the image from black on
`
`white background to white on black background.
`
`The inverting of
`
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`_21532ao
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`-15-
`
`colors from black to white helps an operator read check
`
`endorsement stamps that federal and banking institutions use to
`
`indicate processing. Thus, an operator or customer may obtain
`
`information regarding where the check was presented for payment.
`
`According to the invention, a facility to highlight a
`
`specific area of a check image has been provided for fast
`
`enlargement. This facility allows an operator to zero in on
`
`specific information and enlarge it so it is more readable to the
`
`human eye.
`
`In addition to the toolbar or button zone, an operator
`
`may select the manipulation options from a menu zone that lists
`
`all the options in text rather than graphical representation.
`
`Furthermore,
`
`to expedite the selection process,
`
`the system will
`
`allow a user to select the manipulation options by clicking a
`
`mouse or other pointer device's button on any area of a check
`
`display window to display a pop-up list of the manipulation
`
`options in text.
`
`In addition to the Select/Display screen to select a
`
`specific check,
`
`the system preferably has two navigation buttons
`
`located at the bottom of the screen. One button is a graphical
`
`representation of an arrow facing down to move forward through
`
`the local database of check images. Another button is a
`
`graphical representation of an arrow facing up to move backward
`
`in the local database of check images. Once the operator
`
`operates these navigation buttons,
`
`the system will automatically
`
`display next/previous check images in a default order (account
`
`SPEC\94634
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`‘2163280
`-16-
`
`number and check number) or any other order specified by the
`
`user. These navigation buttons allow an operator the ability to
`
`quickly review the downloaded check images. This is a
`
`significant improvement over manually handling physical paper
`
`checks.
`
`A facility to store a customer account number is also
`
`provided by the invention. An operator can add or delete any
`
`corresponding account numbers that are supplied to and processed
`
`by the host archive system. This account number facility allows
`
`a customer to manage its accounts without the intervention of the
`
`banking institution. Further,
`
`the Select/Display screen will
`
`read this account number file to facilitate the fast selection of
`
`the specific account number from a graphical list box.
`
`Further according to the invention, a database
`
`maintenance facility is provided to manage downloaded check
`
`images.
`
`The invention provides a configuration parameter to
`
`indicate when a check image should be listed in the database
`
`maintenance screen. This configuration parameter is used to
`
`indicate the threshold number of calendar days before a check
`
`image should be included in a database maintenance screen report.
`
`Each downloaded check image is stored locally at the workstation.
`
`It is conceivable that at some point in time the check
`
`images available for downloading will exceed the amount of
`
`physical storage space available at the workstation. An operator
`
`can select the database maintenance option to purge or physically
`
`delete check images and the corresponding database record. An
`
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`

`
`-17-
`
`operator preferably has two options according to the invention:
`
`one is to select a check individually for deletion and the other
`
`is to delete all the check images and entries that appear in the
`
`database maintenance screen.
`
`A facility to copy the front or back check image to a
`
`temporary storage area, e.g., a Microsoft Windows” clipboard,
`
`is
`
`provided.
`
`The ability to share the image with other desktop
`
`applications improves the operator's ability to create
`
`correspondence or additional documentation in today's office
`
`computing architecture.
`
`According to the invention, a facility to incorporate
`
`the check images into customer correspondence is preferably
`
`provided. An operator may select a document template that is
`
`created with an industry available word processing package.
`
`The
`
`document and check images are merged along with address
`
`information of the recipient
`
`(payee)
`
`to create a document that
`
`can be sent to the payee to confirm that the check was received
`
`by the payee and paid. An operator may print out the document to
`
`send to a payee via conventional mail delivery service such as
`
`the Postal Service. However,
`
`if the system software is installed
`
`on a workstation that supports outgoing fax services via modem
`
`communications, an operator may fax the correspondence directly
`
`to a payee’s fax machine. This automated correspondence
`
`processing represents a significant improvement in the time it
`
`takes to prepare correspondence and send it to a payee.
`
`SPEC\94634
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`2153280
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`-18-
`
`The aspects of the invention described above are
`
`achieved by a method for storing and retrieving images of
`
`documents comprising placing a plurality of documents in a
`
`document
`
`imaging machine and forming an electronic image of each
`
`document, storing each electronic image in an electronic storage
`
`device, providing at least one user interface device in
`
`communication on a communication link with the electronic storage
`
`device, placing a request for at least one document
`
`image on the
`
`user interface device,
`
`transmitting the request by the
`
`comunication link to the electronic storage device, searching
`
`the electronic storage device for the requested electronic image
`
`of the document, retrieving the at least one electronic image or
`
`providing an indication that the image was not found, storing the
`
`electronic image,
`
`if found,
`
`in an electronic file, for
`
`transmission to the user interface device at user option,
`
`providing the electronic image to the user interface device at
`
`command of a user at the user interface device for storage at the
`
`user interface device and displaying the requested electronic
`
`image on a display of the user interface device.
`
`The aspects of the invention are furthermore achieved
`
`by apparatus for storing and retrieving images of documents
`
`comprising a document
`
`imaging machine for receiving a plurality
`
`of documents and forming an electronic image of each document, an
`
`electronic storage device for storing each electronic image, a
`
`user interface device in comunication on a communication link
`
`with the electronic storage device,
`
`the user interface device
`
`sp|=_c\94¢34
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`2153289
`
`-19-
`
`having an input device for placing a request for at least one
`
`document
`
`image and for transmitting the request on the communi-
`
`cation link to the electronic storage device, a computer for
`
`searching the electronic storage device for the requested
`
`electronic image of the document and for retrieving the at least
`
`one electronic image or providing an indication that the image
`
`was not found, an electronic file for storing the electronic
`
`image,
`
`if found, for transmission to the user interface device at
`
`user option,
`
`the computer adapted to provide the electronic image
`
`to the user interface device at command of a user at the user
`
`interface device for storage at the user interface device, and a
`
`display for displaying the requested electronic image at the user
`
`interface device.
`
`According to the preferred embodiment of the method of
`
`the invention,
`
`the step of forming an electronic image comprises
`
`forming an electronic image of two sides of a two sided document.
`
`Also according to the preferred embodiment,
`
`the step of
`
`storing each electronic image in an electronic storage device
`
`comprises storing the electronic image in a mass storage device.
`
`Further according to the preferred embodiment,
`
`the step
`
`of storing in a mass storage device comprises storing each
`
`electronic image in an electronic optical storage device.
`
`According to the preferred embodiment,
`
`the document
`
`comprises a check and the step of placing a request for a
`
`document
`
`image comprises entering an account number and a check
`
`number for the requested check.
`
`SPEC\94634
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`November I, I995/1 0:23am
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`Page 21 of 221
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`

`
`Also according to the preferred embodiment,
`
`the step of
`
`placing a request for a document comprising a check further
`
`comprises entering an amount of the check.
`
`According to the preferred embodiment,
`
`the step of
`
`placing a request for a document comprising a check further
`
`comprises entering a user defined reference field.
`
`Furthermore, according to the pref

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