Patent Issued for Systems and methods for counterfeit check detection (USPTO 11282086): United Services Automobile Association

2022 APR 07 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Barfield, William (San Antonio, TX, US), Gutierrez, Mario (San Antonio, TX, US), Medina, III, Reynaldo (San Antonio, TX, US), Newman, Adam (San Antonio, TX, US), Sridaran, Nandhini (Boerne, TX, US), Wood, Robert G. (San Antonio, TX, US), filed on May 4, 2020, was published online on March 22, 2022, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11282086 is assigned to United Services Automobile Association (San Antonio, Texas, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Fraud is a huge issue costing financial institutions billions of dollars every year. Both to comply with regulation and in the interest of customer service and retention, it is often the financial institution, rather than the account owner, responsible for losses. Regardless of the responsible party, the losses frustrate confidence and introduce inefficiencies into the financial system.

“Counterfeit checks are a particular type of fraud which can cost individual institutions millions of dollars every year. As with all physical documents possessing value, counterfeiters seek to make fraudulent checks then cash or deposit the checks to receive other money before the fraud is discovered.

“The problem of counterfeit checks evolved with the emergence of electronic banking, which brought about remote check deposit using check images. With these and other electronic or online banking systems, customers expect quick access to deposited funds, which may be needed for other purchases. Therefore, the time until a check “clears” has decreased, and customers may be unwilling to wait for review of checks deposited using electronic banking before funds are made available. But this presents new hazards with electronically deposited checks and similar transactions. Because the check need not be presented to or examined by a human teller and processing algorithms may be understood by counterfeiters, techniques for defrauding early automated or remote check deposit systems were discovered and spread rapidly. With customers demanding funds be available faster than banks can detect fraud, existing systems are ripe for abuse by criminals.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In an aspect, this disclosure is directed to non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions. When executed by a computer, the instructions cause the computer to receive a data transmission including at least a portion of a check image representing a check for deposit; analyze the portion of the check image to identify at least a first item of check information on the check image and a second item of check information on the check image, wherein the first item of check information and the second item of check information are different ones of a signature, barcode, routing number, account number, check number, check date, institution name, drawer name, address, security feature, memo, endorsement, and check design; determine, based on identification of the first item of check information and the second item of check information, item correspondence between the first item of check information and the second item of check information; determine a check score based on the item correspondence; compare the check score to a score threshold; and transmit a reject flag when the score threshold is violated by the check score.

“In another aspect, this disclosure is directed to a computer-implemented method comprising executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. When executed the instructions effectuate receiving a data transmission including at least a portion of a check image representing a check for deposit; analyzing the portion of the check image to identify at least a first item of check information on the check image and a second item of check information on the check image, wherein the first item of check information and the second item of check information are different ones of a signature, barcode, routing number, account number, check number, check date, institution name, drawer name, address, security feature, memo, endorsement; determining, based on identification of the first item of check information and the second item of check information, item correspondence between the first item of check information and the second item of check information; determining a check score based on the item correspondence; comparing the check score to a score threshold; and transmitting a reject flag when the score threshold is violated by the check score.

“In an additional aspect, this disclosure is directed to a system, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by a processor, effectuate a communication module configured to receive a data transmission including at least a portion of a check image representing a check for deposit. The instructions when executed also effectuate a security module configured to: analyze the portion of the check image to identify at least a first item of check information on the check image and a second item of check information on the check image, wherein the first item of check information and the second item of check information are different ones of a signature, barcode, routing number, account number, check number, check date, institution name, drawer name, address, security feature, memo, endorsement; determine, based on identification of the first item of check information and the second item of check information, item correspondence between the first item of check information and the second item of check information; determine a check score based on the item correspondence; compare the check score to a score threshold; and transmit a reject flag when the score threshold is violated by the check score.

“Alternative, complementary, and further aspects will be appreciated on review of the entire disclosure.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to effectuate a counterfeit check detection system configured to: collect, using a camera, a picture including at least a portion of a check image representing a check for deposit; analyze using the counterfeit check detection system the portion of the check image to identify at least a first item of check information within the check image and a second item of check information within the check image, wherein the first item of check information and the second item of check information are different items locally present on the face of the check; determine, without referencing remotely stored information and, based on identification of the first item of check information and the second item of check information, item correspondence between the first item of check information and the second item of check information; determine using the counterfeit check detection system a check score based on the item correspondence; compare using the counterfeit check detection system the check score to a score threshold; and provide a reject flag when the score threshold is violated by the check score.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: apply a filter to at least the portion of the check.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: identify edges of at least the portion of the check; and crop at least one feature within the portion of the check before analyzing the portion of the check.

“4. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: analyze the portion of the check to identify a drawer of the check; receive behavioral data related to the drawer of the check; and analyze the behavioral data related to the drawer of the check to determine a drawer behavior risk, wherein the check score is based on the drawer behavior risk.

“5. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: analyze the portion of the check image to identify a payee of the check; receive behavioral data related to the payee of the check; and analyze the behavioral data related to the payee of the check to determine a payee behavior risk, wherein the check score is based on the payee behavior risk.

“6. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: analyze the portion of the check to identify an account associated with the check; and determine that check writing is disabled with respect to the account, wherein the check score is determined to violate the threshold based on determining that check writing is disabled.

“7. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: determine an account associated with the check; identify an owner of the account; and transmit a notification to the owner of the account alerting the owner of the check for deposit, wherein the notification requests a response from the owner.

“8. The system of claim 7, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: receive the response from the owner, wherein the response is a negative response; and process a negative response to the notification, wherein the check score is determined to violate the threshold based on the negative response.

“9. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: cause rejection of a transaction involving the check based on the reject flag.

“10. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterfeit check detection system is configured to: cause holding of at least a portion of funds associated with the check based on the reject flag.

“11. A computer-implemented method comprising executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein when executed by a processor the instructions effectuate: collect, using a camera, a picture including at least a portion of a check image representing a check for deposit; analyzing using the processor the portion of the check image to identify at least a first item of check information within the check image and a second item of check information within the check image, wherein the first item of check information and the second item of check information are different items locally present on the face of the check; determining, without referencing remotely stored information and based on identification of the first item of check information and the second item of check information, item correspondence between the first item of check information and the second item of check information; determining using the processor a check score based on the item correspondence; comparing using the processor the check score to a score threshold; and providing a reject flag when the score threshold is violated by the check score.

“12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: applying a filter to at least the portion of the check.

“13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: identifying edges of at least the portion of the check; and cropping at least one feature within the portion of the check before analyzing the portion of the check.

“14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: analyzing the portion of the check to identify a drawer of the check; receiving behavioral data related to the drawer of the check; and analyzing the behavioral data related to the drawer of the check to determine a drawer behavior risk, wherein the check score is based on the drawer behavior risk.

“15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: analyzing the portion of the check image to identify a payee of the check; receiving behavioral data related to the payee of the check; and analyzing the behavioral data related to the payee of the check to determine a payee behavior risk, wherein the check score is based on the payee behavior risk.

“16. A system, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor effectuate: a sensor module configured to collect a picture including at least a portion of a check image representing a check for deposit; and a security module configured to: analyze using the processor the portion of the check image to identify at least a first item of check information within the check image and a second item of check information within the check image, wherein the first item of check information and the second item of check information are different items locally present on the face of the check; determine using the processor, without referencing remotely stored information and based on identification of the first item of check information and the second item of check information, item correspondence between the first item of check information and the second item of check information; determine using the processor a check score based on the item correspondence; compare using the processor the check score to a score threshold; and provide a reject flag when the score threshold is violated by the check score.

“17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, the instructions further causing the computer to: analyze the portion of the check to identify an account associated with the check; and determine that check writing is disabled with respect to the account, wherein the check score is determined to violate the threshold based on determining that check writing is disabled.

“18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, the instructions further causing the computer to: determine an account associated with the check; identify an owner of the account; and transmit a notification to the owner of the account alerting the owner of the check for deposit, wherein the notification requests a response from the owner.

“19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, the instructions further causing the computer to: receive the response from the owner, wherein the response is a negative response; and process a negative response to the notification, wherein the check score is determined to violate the threshold based on the negative response.

“20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, cause rejection of a transaction involving the check based on the reject flag.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Barfield, William. Systems and methods for counterfeit check detection. U.S. Patent Number 11282086, filed May 4, 2020, and published online on March 22, 2022. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=11282086.PN.&OS=PN/11282086RS=PN/11282086

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