Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2001-10-23
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
C235S379000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305604
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a check processing system, printing apparatus and a reading apparatus for the check processing system. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a printing apparatus for printing payment information on a check with a symbol such as a two-dimensional symbol, a reading/printing apparatus for reading the symbol and printing magnetic ink characters on a check, and a check processing system employing the apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the United States and Europe, personal checks have been widely used as a means of payment.
FIG. 1
a
shows an example of a form
101
widely adopted as such a personal check. On form
101
, a date-of-issuance blank
102
, a payee blank
103
, a payment amount blank
104
, and a signature blank
105
are defined. In the lower part
106
of the form
101
, a bank number, account number, and check number are printed with magnetic ink characters (MIC).
With regard to an approach to printing magnetic ink characters in part
106
, standards are already common place. The standard adopted mainly in the United States is the E13B standard, and the standard adopted in France is the CMC7 standard.
Using the information printed with magnetic ink characters in part
106
, the validity of the check can be verified. A reading machine for reading magnetic ink characters is already being widely used. The reading machine is often referred to as an MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) reader.
A procedure which has previously been adopted to conduct business using such a personal check is described below.
(1) A consumer fills in the date, the payee, the payment amount, and his/her own signature on a check form like the one shown in
FIG. 1
a.
(2) The consumer hands the filled-in check (
FIG. 1
b
) to an appropriate person at the payee's shop.
(3) At the shop, some transaction information is written on the check (usually on the back) in order to endorse it. This work is achieved by handwriting or by utilizing a stamp or slip printer.
(4) A receipt is handed to the consumer at the shop, and the check is sent to a processing facility.
(5) At the processing facility, a payment
107
is printed on the check with magnetic ink characters. The appearance of such a printed check is shown in
FIG. 1
c.
(6) The check is processed in accordance with a settlement system at a bank. The payment specified with magnetic ink characters is paid into the account of the payee (shop).
In the past, the task of printing payments on checks with magnetic ink characters has often been centralized in a processing facility (input center) for inputting the payment amount, or the like. This is because a printer capable of printing magnetic ink characters is so expensive that one is usually not installed at each cashier lane in each shop. As for the task itself, an operator in the processing facility visually reads the handwritten payment amount, enters the payment amount at a keyboard terminal so as to issue a command to a magnetic ink character printer to print the payment amount on the check with magnetic ink characters.
Thus, according to the above-mentioned procedure, a consumer handwrites a payment amount on a check, and an operator visually reads the payment amount. The operator then inputs that amount to a magnetic ink character printer using a keyboard. As a result, human errors are likely to occur. These errors are not only difficult to prevent but are also particularly problematic in that the amount to be paid is the most important of all the information on a check. Another problem is that this increases both the time required for the processing and the costs including personal expenses.
If a printer capable of printing magnetic ink characters in conformity with a typical standard could be installed at each cashier lane, a procedure could be adopted in which payment amounts are printed in advance with magnetic ink characters at the shop, and consumers are then asked to sign their names. In reality, however, since such a printer is very expensive, this procedure has problems in terms of cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above-identified problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a check processing system that reduces the cost of processing business dealings, especially those where checks are used as a form of payment, and that also improves the speed and accuracy in processing.
Various aspects of the present invention for accomplishing the above objects are described below.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of processing checks comprises following steps.
(a) encoding transaction data to a symbol;
(b) printing the symbol on a check;
(c) interpreting the symbol printed on the check in step (b), and reading the transaction data therefrom; and
(d) printing on the check with magnetic ink characters the transaction data read in step (c).
According to another aspect of the present invention, a check processing system is provided which comprises an encoder that encodes transaction data to a symbol; a symbol printing unit that prints on the check the symbol encoded by the encoder; a reader/interpreter that interprets the symbol printed on the check by the symbol printing unit, and reads the transaction data therefrom; and a MIC printing unit that prints on the check with magnetic ink characters the transaction data read by the reader/interpreter.
The encoder and the symbol printing unit are preferably incorporated in a recording apparatus (POS terminal) that is installed at each cashier lane. On the other hand, the reader/interpreter and the MIC printing unit are preferably incorporated in a printing apparatus (symbol reading/MIC printing apparatus) that is installed at a processing facility.
Transaction data, which includes a payment amount and may also include additional payment information, such as the shop name, address, date and shop account number, is input into the POS terminal via an input unit and encoded in a symbol format such as a two-dimensional symbol, and reliably recorded on a check in the symbol format by the POS terminal at each cashier lane.
The symbol printed on the check is decoded by the symbol reading/MIC printing apparatus to recover transaction data which can then be printed with magnetic ink characters, which are typical characters that have been employed in the past in dealings using a check. Therefore, human errors can be drastically reduced compared with the number typically made in conventional check processing. As a result, speed and accuracy in processing can be improved.
While a relatively inexpensive recording apparatus is installed at each cashier lane, the task of printing the transaction data with magnetic ink characters can be centralized in a processing facility. Consequently, a check processing system that has lower cost as a whole can be provided.
The recording apparatus (POS terminal) may further comprise a character printing unit that prints characters, which express the transaction data input by the input unit, on the check. The transaction data thus can be recorded with both a two-dimensional symbol and characters, and the contents of a check can therefore be recognized easily.
Moreover, the POS terminal may further comprise an endorsing unit that prints endorsements on the check. Because of this, when a payment is printed on a check, endorsement information can be printed at the same time. This saves a large amount of labor.
Other objects and attainments together with a fuller understanding of the invention will become apparent and appreciated by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4027142 (1977-05-01), Paup et al.
patent: 5198975 (1993-03-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5491325 (1996-02-01), Huang et al.
patent: 5509692 (1996-04-01), Oz
patent: 5594226 (1997-01-01), Steger
patent: 6126203 (2000-10-01), Dwork et al.
patent: 0527639A
Frech Karl D.
Gabrik Michael T.
Seiko Epson Corporation
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