WO2019147382A1

WO2019147382A1 - Commercial paper with computer-readable medium

Info

Publication number: WO2019147382A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/067852
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicholas Billett; Damon J Blackford
Original assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
Priority date: 2018-01-29
Filing date: 2018-12-28
Publication date: 2019-08-01

Abstract

A commercial paper configured to facilitate the transfer of funds can include a paper blank and a computer readable medium. The paper blank can display, on an upper face, indicia corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred. The computer-readable medium is adherable to the paper blank with adhesive. The commercial paper is part of a system further including a writing device configured to write data to the computer-readable medium and a computing device configured to store and correlate the data written to the computer-readable medium with the account and the amount. A method for processing the commercial paper includes determining the data to be written to the computer-readable medium, writing the data, receiving the commercial paper from a payee, and reading the data from the computer-readable medium before transferring the amount.

Description

COMMERCIAL PAPER WITH COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLCIATONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/623,007 for NEGOTOABLE INSTRUMENT WITH MEMORY, filed 1/29/2018, which is hereby incorporated by referenced in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates to apparatus, systems, and methods associated with commercial paper, such as checks and money orders, including computer-readable medium.

BACKGROUND

[0003] For many years checks have been used to transfer money from the accounts of banking customers to other persons or entities. A customer of a bank with a checking account may fill out a paper check to transfer money from his/her checking account to pay a bill, for example. When writing a check, the customer will write the payee on the check and the amount of to be transferred to the payee. The customer may then present the completed check to the payee either in person or through the mail. Checks often contain magnetic ink that may indicate a bank routing number, an account number, and a check serial number.

[0004] Checks often contain one or more security features. For example, additional magnetic ink or another, strategically-placed material can be used for security measures on a check. Machines, later processing the check, may then use this material to ensure that the written text is located only within specific areas of the check. Even though checks are personalized and may have a variety of security features, what is needed is a better check.

SUMMARY

[0005] A commercial paper configured to facilitate the transfer of funds can include a paper blank and a computer readable medium. The paper blank can display, on an upper face, indicia corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred. The computer-readable medium is adherable to the paper blank with adhesive.

[0006] According to other features, the computer-readable medium can be thinner than the paper blank. The computer-readable medium can be adhered to the upper face of the paper blank. The computer-readable medium can cover less than one-third of the upper face of the paper blank. The computer-readable medium can be a plurality of distinct electronic components physically spaced and unconnected from one another on the upper face of the paper blank. The computer-readable medium can be a plurality of distinct electronic components physically stacked and layered on top one another on the upper face of the paper blank.

[0007] A system for processing commercial paper can include a commercial paper, a writing device, and a computing device. The commercial paper can include a paper blank and a computer-readable medium. The paper blank can display, on an upper face, indicia corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred. The computer-readable medium is adherable to the paper blank with adhesive. The writing device can be configured to write data to the computer-readable medium. The computing device can be configured to store and correlate the data written to the computer-readable medium and the account maintained by the financial institution and the amount to be transferred. [0008] In other features, the writing device is also configured to read the data written to the computer-readable medium. The system can also include a reading device configured only to read data from the computer-readable medium, wherein the reading device is contained with an automated transaction machine (ATM). The reading device can be in data communication with the computing device whereby the data read from the computer-readable medium is transmitted to the computing device by the reading device.

[0009] A method for processing commercial paper can include determining, with a computing device having one or more processors and memory, data to be stored in a computer-readable medium adherable to a paper blank with adhesive. The paper blank and the computer-readable medium can define a commercial paper. The paper blank can display indicia on an upper face corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred by the commercial paper. The data can be correlated at least to the account maintained by the financial institution and the amount to be transferred. The method can also include writing, with a writing device, the data to the computer-readable medium. The method can also include receiving the commercial paper from a payee of the commercial paper, with the computer-readable medium adhered to the paper blank with adhesive. The method can also include transferring, with the computing device, the amount from the account to a second account of the payee in response at least in part to the receiving. The method can also include reading, with a reading device, the data stored in the computer-readable medium after the receiving and before the transferring, wherein the transferring is in response at least in part to the reading. [0010] According to additional features, the method can also include adhering the computer-readable medium to the paper blank with adhesive before the writing. The determining can be implemented, at least in part, by including, with the computing device, at least one of a time and a date of the determining in the data to be stored in a computer- readable medium. The method can also include determining, with the computing device, a duration of time between the writing and the receiving, the determining the duration performed before the transferring.

[0011] According to other features, the method can also include encrypting, with the computing device, the data before the writing whereby the data is written to the computer- readable medium in encrypted form. The method can also include decrypting, with the computing device, the data read from the computer-readable medium during the reading. The determining can be implemented, at least in part, by including, with the computing device, a query and an answer to the query in the data to be stored in a computer- readable medium, the query and the answer decrypted during the decrypting. The method can also include receiving, from a payor of the commercial paper, the query and the answer to be encrypted during the encrypting and written to the computer-readable medium during the writing. The method can also include receiving, from the payee of the commercial paper, the answer to the query after the writing and before the transferring. Neither the answer nor the query may be displayed by the indicia on the upper face of the paper blank. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] One or more preferred embodiments that illustrate the best mode(s) are set forth in the drawings and in the following description. The appended claims particularly and distinctly point out and set forth the invention.

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example methods and other example embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some examples, one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In addition, it is appreciated that the figures provided herewith are for explanation purposes to persons ordinarily skilled in the art and that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that some portions of some drawings may be exaggerated so that some details may more easily be seen and described. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates one example embodiment of an example system of using a thin memory attached to an item.

[0015] Figure 2 illustrates a side view of one example embodiment of a thin memory.

[0016] Figure 3 illustrates a top view of one example embodiment showing the pads of a thin memory. [0017] Figure 4 illustrates an example block diagram of an embodiment of cryptographic logic that may be used with the thin memory.

[0018] Figure 5 illustrates an example schematic diagram of an embodiment of the thin memory used to store two different fields.

[0019] Figure 6 illustrates another example embodiment of an example system of using a thin memory attached to an item.

[0020] Figure 7 illustrates an example method of using a thin memory.

[0021] Figure 8 illustrates an example schematic of an example computing environment in which portions of a system using the thin memory may operate.

[0022] Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Details are set forth in the following description and in Figures 1 -8 provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the example embodiments may have additional components and configurations that may be practiced without several of the details described below. In some instances, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the methods and systems described herein can include additional details without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, some known structures and systems associated with ATMs, mobile devices, and associated computer networks have not been shown or described in detail below to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments.

[0024] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be embodied as an apparatus, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a "module" or "system." Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer-usable program code embodied in the medium.

[0025] Embodiments may also be implemented in cloud computing environments. In this description and the following claims, "cloud computing" may be defined as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned via virtualization and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction, and then scaled accordingly. A cloud model can be composed of various characteristics (e.g., on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service, etc.), service models (e.g., Software as a Service ("SaaS"), Platform as a Service ("PaaS"), Infrastructure as a Service ("laaS"), and deployment models (e.g., private cloud, community cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud, etc.). [0026] The flowchart and block diagrams in the flow diagrams illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

[0027] Additionally, functionality of components of the systems described below may be implemented with one or more processors executing software instructions and/or be implemented with other hardware logic.“Processor” and“Logic”, as used herein, includes but is not limited to hardware, firmware, software and/or combinations of each to perform a function(s) or an action(s), and/or to cause a function or action from another logic, method, and/or system. For example, based on a desired application or needs, logic and/or processor may include a software-controlled microprocessor, discrete logic, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmed logic device, a memory device containing instructions or the like. Logic and/or processor may include one or more gates, combinations of gates, or other circuit components. Logic and/or a processor may also be fully embodied as software. Where multiple logics and/or processors are described, it may be possible to incorporate the multiple logics and/or processors into one physical logic (or processors). Similarly, where a single logic and/or processor is described, it may be possible to distribute that single logic and/or processor between multiple physical logics and/or processors.

[0028] One embodiment is a method of using a thin memory that is flexible. The method begins by attaching the thin memory to an item, such as a commercial paper that may be a check for deposit or another type commercial paper or another type of item. One or more values are written to the thin memory either before or after it is attached to the item. Next, the item is sent to another person and/or location with the thin memory attached. A first person may hand deliver the item or cause it to be sent in any suitable way to the second location and/or person. The item is received with the thin memory attached at the second location and/or by a second person who was intended to receive the item. Next, the one or more values are read from the thin memory. The second person may be verified as an authorized holder of the item based, at least in part, on the one or more values that were read from the thin memory. The one or more values may also be used to provide other security features related to the item as discussed below.

[0029] Another embodiment is a system for providing security to an item. The system includes an item to be monitored that may be commercial paper such as a check, a negotiable instrument, or any other type of item. The system also includes a thin memory adapted to be attached to the item. In one or more configurations, a substance is included on a back surface of the thin memory that is adapted to stick the thin memory onto the item. This substance is adapted to damage the item if there is an attempt to remove the thin memory from the item. The thin memory is used to store information written into the thin memory. In some configurations, the information specifies a sequence of alphanumeric characters that may be unique to the thin memory and/or the item it is attached to. The information may later be read from the thin memory so that the information may be used to create security features to monitor the item. The thin memory is adapted to provide an indication if the thin memory is removed from the item, for example, by causing the item to be torn if there is an attempt to remove the thin memory from the item.

[0030] Other configurations may include other items and/or useful features. Another embodiment of the system for providing security to an item includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal may be controlled by a first person to write the information to the thin memory and the second terminal may be controlled by a second person to read the information from the thin memory. The first and second terminals may be part of a larger device such as an ATM or may be a portable handheld devices such as an electronic device similar to a laptop and/or cellular phone. In some configurations, the second terminal may provide the second person with the information so that the second person has an ability to compare the information to a known value to determine if security of the item has been compromised. In some embodiments, the thin memory is formed with several memory cells for storing electronic values representative of the information. In other configurations, the thin memory is flexible and is less than one millimeter in thickness. [0031] Figure 1 illustrates one example embodiment of a system 1 for generating an using a commercial paper (or a secure document or a negotiated/negotiated instrument), having a paper blank 3 with a computer-readable medium 5 that may be flexible. The paper blank 3 can formed from paper stock typically used for commercial papers. The paper blank 3 can display, on an upper face 10, indicia 12 corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred. The exemplary computer-readable medium 5 is adherable to the paper blank 3 with adhesive. Xerox® Printed Memory can be utilized as the computer-readable medium 5 in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer-readable medium 5 can be thinner than the paper blank 3, as referenced by C1 in Figure 2. The computer-readable medium 5 can be adhered to the upper face 10 of the paper blank 3 or to the opposite, lower face. As shown in Figure 1 , the computer-readable medium 5 can cover less than one-third of the upper face 10 of the paper blank 3. The exemplary computer-readable medium 5 includes a plurality of distinct electronic components, referenced at C1 - C7 with some physically spaced and unconnected from one another and some physically stacked and layered on top one another.

[0032] The commercial paper may be any document or object that transfers something of monitory value from one entity to another. For example, the commercial paper may be a check 7 that represents funds being transferred from an account of one entity to another entity. For example, a first person 9 (or bank customer) may draft a check 7 representing a monitory value that is payable to a second person 11. At the time the check 7 (or other commercial paper, negotiable instrument, and the like) is created, data can be written to the computer-readable medium 5, stored in memory locations P1-P30 (Figure 3). The data can include a unique identification value such as an alphanumeric string of characters. When completed, the commercial paper 3 may then be handed, mailed, or transferred in another way to the second person 11 as indicated by arrow A. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the second person 11 may, after receiving the check 7, redeem funds conveyed to them by the commercial paper 3.

[0033] The computer-readable medium 5 may be any flexible memory consistent with this disclosure. In one example embodiment, the computer-readable medium 5 may have a thickness T (Figure 2) much less than one mm thick and have electronic components C1 -7 built upon a blank 3. The blank 3 may, in some embodiments, be a thin sheet of flexible polymer (e.g., plastic) material that may be clear to minimize the blockage of a view of an object to which the computer-readable medium 5 is attached. The components C1 -7 may be passive and/or active devices such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, various types of transistors, and the like and may include metal or other types of routing wires connecting them. In some embodiments, some components may be built upon other components. For example, component C7 is built upon components C4 and C5. Individual components may contain various layers of different materials similar to an integrated silicon chip such as a silicon microprocessor chip.

[0034] The Xerox thin memory is a highly secure, printed label containing up to 36 bits of rewritable memory which can store up to 68 billion points of data. The labels, for example, can be used to determine if a product is genuine and provides tracking capabilities of the product throughout handling and distribution. Some Xerox thin memories are produced with cryptographic security features that include a unique, encrypted printed code (such as a quick reference (QR) bar code) to provide access to the memory. Thin memories may only be read by authorized personnel using a reader which interfaces with a secure smartphone application. The combination of thin memory with an encrypted printed code, creates a secure anti-counterfeit type of commercial paper. This secure thin memory may be ideal for use in applications as wide ranging as tracking and ensuring the safety of pharmaceutical products to securing tax or duty stamps for government agencies. This type of cryptographic security feature may be an added feature of some thin memories.

[0035] As illustrated in example Figure 3, in some embodiments, the computer- readable medium 5 may be formed with rows of pad-like structures P1 -P32 where each pad corresponds to a separate memory cell. In various embodiments, the pads P1-P32 may be separate electrical structures that are not connected together. For example, each pad P1 -P32 may be formed using a capacitor, a transistor that indicates one of two possible states, and/or other suitable structures.

[0036] Thin memories may only be read by authorized personnel using a reader which interfaces with a secure smartphone application. A writing/reading device 17 (Figures 1 and 3) may make contact with the pads P1 -P32 individually allowing the writing/reading device 17 to write data to and read data from the pads P1-P32 with one of two (or more) states. Writing data to the pads P1 -P32 may amount to placing a specific individual charge on each of the pads P1 -P32 that corresponds to a data value. In another embodiment, the computer-readable medium 5 may contain a bus for directing signals to each of the pads P1 -P32 for programing specific values for each memory pad P1 -P32. In this case, the writing/reading device 17 may connect to a bus and write data to the pads P1-P32 through the bus. For example, a connection 16, that may be a physical connector, allows a terminal (writing/reading device 17) to apply a desired voltage to each individual pads P1-P32 with the voltage on each of the individual pads P1-P32 representing values at each of the pads P1 -P32. In some embodiments, the connection 16 may be a wireless connection. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a device can be configured only to read data from the computer-readable medium 5 and the device can be part of an ATM. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a device can be configured only to read data from the computer-readable medium 5 and the device can be part of an ATM.

[0037] Thin memories may make it possible to ensure the integrity of a product from the time it leaves a factory to the time it gets into the hands of a customer. Thin memory products may provide a cost efficient, highly secure method of authenticating and verifying information about a product as it moves through various distribution channels or as it is used. Traditional anti-counterfeiting methods such as invisible ink, holograms and RFID tags can be copied, and are often expensive to implement. In contrast, the computer-readable medium 5 with cryptographic security features may offer brand owners a solution that is inexpensive and difficult to counterfeit because every label is uniquely encrypted.

[0038] Figure 4 illustrates an example embodiment of a cryptographic logic 19 that may be used to encrypt data to be stored on the computer-readable medium 5 and also to decrypt data being read and removed from the computer-readable medium 5. As illustrated, the cryptographic logic 19 includes encryption logic 21 , decryption logic 23, processor logic 25, key logic 27, and a first input/output bus 29. Some embodiments may contain other features such as a second I/O bus 31 or other components and logic as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. In one embodiment, the encryption logic 21 and decryption logic 23 may be hardware with registers for holding cryptography keys and intermediate encrypted/decrypted data values. These logics may implement any type of encryption and decryption cypher operation or more than one cypher operation. For example, the encryption logic 21 and decryption logic 23 may be structured to implement the common advanced encryption standard (AES) that may be implemented in either a 128 bit, 196 bit, or a 256 bit key format. The key logic 27 may store keys used for different operations and may keep track of currently valid keys. The processor logic 25 may contain state machines, instruction execution units, and/or other logic useful to control and sequence operations of the encryption logic 21 , decryption logic 23, and key logic 27 when performing cypher operations. Completed decrypted values, completed, encrypted values, keys values, and the like may be input and/or output on the first I/O bus 29 and/or the second I/O bus 31.

[0039] Figure 5 illustrates one example embodiment of some example fields that may be stored in the computer-readable medium 5. Flowever, other embodiments of the computer-readable medium 5 may include any number of fields representing a variety of different values. Each entry in the computer-readable medium 5 may represent an ASCII character, another character set, a digit/numeral value, a binary value, or other values or items as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. The example embodiment of the computer-readable medium 5 in Figure 5 stores two different fields, a first field 33 and a second field 35. The first field 33 and second field 35 may be the same size or different sizes. For example, if the soft memory is a 64 bit memory, the first field 33 may be 48 bits and the second field 35 may be 16 bits. In this example embodiment, the first field 33 may be a serial number of whatever the computer-readable medium 5 is attached to and the second field 35 may be a routing number that may indicate where the item that the thin memory is attached to may be routed. Of course, in other embodiments, the fields may be different sizes and may represent account numbers and/or other values as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0040] Referring now to Figure 6, a system 100 for processing commercial paper can include a commercial paper 107, a reading device 117 within an ATM 104, and a computing device 119. Embodiments of the present disclosure can include a reading device 117 within a self-serve kiosk, rather than an ATM. A self-serve kiosk can differ from an ATM in that a self-service kiosk may not have the capability of dispensing currency. Instead of dispencing currency, a self-serve kiosk may output a receipt. The commercial paper 107 can include a paper blank 103 and a computer-readable medium 105. The paper blank 103 can display, on an upper face 110, indicia 112 corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred. The computer-readable medium 105 is adherable to the paper blank 103 with adhesive. The writing device 117 can be configured to read data from the computer-readable medium 105. The computing device 119 can be configured to store and correlate the data written to the computer-readable medium 105 and the account maintained by the financial institution and the amount to be transferred. The exemplary computing device 119 is a core of a financial institution that stores a primary ledger of accounts. The reading device 117 is in data communication with the computing device 119 whereby the data read from the computer-readable medium 105 is transmitted to the computing device 119 by the reading device 117. [0041] The exemplary system 100 also includes a first bank 101 which houses the ATM 104. A second bank 115 houses a second terminal 114. The first terminal 104 and second terminal 114 may each communicate the computing device 119 over a network 113 that may include a telephone network 116 with a telephone switch 117. The banking core 119 may be comprised of computers and other servers that a particular bank may use to manage transactions of customer accounts.

[0042] In other configurations, the network 113 may include the internet, cloud computing devices, and other networking equipment as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Of course, in some embodiments, the telephone network 116 may be partially replaced by any suitable computing network such as an Ethernet network with a TCP/IP protocol or another suitable protocol. In yet some embodiments, the network 113 may be whole operated within the“internet network”.

[0043] Similarly, the first terminal 104 and the second terminal 114 may be a variety of devices that are capable of writing and/or reading data to the computer-readable medium 105 and/or performing cryptographic functions as described above with reference to the writing/reading device 17 of Figures 1 and 3 and/or the cryptographic logic 19 of Figure 4. For example, the first terminal 104 and the second terminal 114 may be part of an ATM, an in-lobby-teller (ILT), part of a KIOSK, part of a cellphone, and/or part of an application on a smartphone, or part of another electronic device that may be a handheld electronic device. Additionally, the first terminal 104 and the second terminal 114 may be located at one or more fixed locations such as the first bank 101 and the second bank 115 and/or may be mobile devices carried by customers and/or attached to mobile devices. [0044] Having described the system 100 of Figure 6, the use of the computer-readable medium 105 is now described with reference to this system 100. The computer-readable medium 105 may initially be prepared for use. This may involve affixing the computer- readable medium 105 to an object such as a blank 103 and then writing data to the computer-readable medium 105. Of course, these actions may be performed in any order. Affixing the computer-readable medium 105 onto an item may involve peeling off a protective backing of the computer-readable medium 105 to expose a sticky surface and then pressing the sticky surface onto a desirable location of the item. In some configurations, the computer-readable medium 105 may tear, rip, become deformed and/or be at least partially destroyed if there is an attempt to remove the computer- readable medium 105 from an item that it has been attached onto. The computer- readable medium 105 may be attached to an item in other ways as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0045] The computer-readable medium 105 may be written to in any suitable way as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, in some configurations, the computer-readable medium 105 may be written to using a device similar to the writing/reading device 17, the first terminal 104, the second terminal 114, as discussed above. In some embodiments, the first terminal 104 and the second terminal 114 may be handheld devices and may have a connector that may be placed onto contact surfaces of the computer-readable medium 105. In some embodiments, each memory cell P1 -32 (Figure 3) of the computer-readable medium 105 may have a contact surface to allow each memory cell to be loaded with data individually and/or at the same time in parallel. As mentioned above, the computer-readable medium 105 may be receive data with a field value and/or other values that may represent various alphanumeric characters or may be one or more different field values stored in the computer-readable medium 105 depending on a desired use of the computer-readable medium 105. For example, when the computer-readable medium 105 is to be affixed to a check, it may be programmed with a field value that is a serial number that may be used to identify the particular check 107 and that must be presented at a time the check is to be cashed. In some embodiments, the serial number may also be stored in the core 119 so that it may later be verified.

[0046] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium 105 may have one or more field values written to the computer-readable medium 105 before the computer- readable medium 105 is attached to an item 3. This may make it easier to align contacts on the computer-readable medium 105 with respect to a device, such as terminal device (second terminal 114 or the device 17), that will write to the computer-readable medium 105. Of course, in some configurations, the computer-readable medium 105 may later need to be read while it is still attached to an item such as the check 107.

[0047] In other embodiments, data written onto the computer-readable medium 105 may be encrypted and later decrypted when read. For example, cryptographic logic 19 similar to Figure 4 may be enabled within the device 17 or the terminals 104, 114. As discussed earlier, any suitable encryption algorithm such as AES, data encryption standard (DES), triple DES, and the like may be used.

[0048] When the computer-readable medium 105 is to be attached to a blank 103 to create the check 107, the check 107 may need to be filled out before and/or after the computer-readable medium 105 is attached to the check 107. In some embodiments, the check 107 may represent prior deposited funds in a checking account or that funds are currently being deposited with an entity issuing the check 107. For example, funds can be input to a kiosk that may issue the check 107, a bank teller or a bank terminal (e.g., first terminal 104) may verify funds are in a checking account before issuing the check 107, or funds may be associated/earmarked with the check 107 and the check may be verified in other ways. In some configurations, the computer-readable medium 105 may be part of a check 107 associated with a pre-existing checking account.

[0049] After the check 107 is issued and prepared, it will be transported by a first person 109 (arrow A in Figure 1 and arrow B in Figure 5) and received by a second person 111. The check 107 may be transported in any suitable way. For example, the check 107 (or any item) may be carried by the first person 109 and handed to the second person 111. Alternatively, the check may be mailed by the first person 109 and received by the second person 111 or the check may be transported from the first person 109 to the second person 111 in another way.

[0050] Once the second person 111 receives the check 107 with the computer- readable medium 105 attached to the blank 103, the field value(s) stored in the computer- readable medium 105 may need to be verified before by the second person 111 before the second person 111 is given the funds to be transferred through the check 107. Figure

7 illustrates a simple example of this verification process. In this example, the computer- readable medium 105 retains a serial number that may use all available memory cells in the computer-readable medium 105. When the check 107 is transferred from the first person 109 to the second person 111 , the second person 111 may be given the serial number stored in the computer-readable medium 105 by the first person and the second person 111 may write the serial number down and/or memorize its value. When the second person 111 later takes the check 107 to the second terminal 114 (or other similar device or a bank teller), the terminal 114 requests the serial number. The serial number thus acts as a pin. When the second person 111 submits or enters the serial number, the second terminal 114 may read the serial number from the computer-readable medium 105 and compare the serial number from the computer-readable medium 105 against the serial number presented by the second person 111. When both serial numbers match, the second terminal 114 dispenses cash in the amount of the check 107. Alternatively, a banking teller may similarly compare the two serial numbers and only honor the check when both serial numbers adequately match.

[0051] The computer-readable medium 105 can also store a check number, an account number, and/or a routing number. These numbers, in combination with a serial number of the check 107, can be stored in the banking core 119, linked together. Later, when the check 107 is presented to the second person 111 and the check 107 is presented for payment, the check number, account number, and routing number may be read from magnetic ink on the blank 103 and the serial number may be read from the computer-readable medium 105 attached to the check 107 to test the vailidity of the check 107. In one example embodiment, those three read values may be compared with corresponding values stored in the banking core 119 and when all three values match, then there may be a high degree of certainty that second person is a valid holder/true owner of the check, especially when their identity is also verified with their identity on the check 107. After this verification, in some embodiments, an account associated with the first person 109 may be reduced by an amount of the check 107 and an account associated with second person 111 may be credited with the amount of the check 107. In other configurations, a portion of the amount represented in cash may be presented to the second person 111 and a remaining amount of the value of the check 107 may be deposited into a banking account of the second person.

[0052] Example methods may be better appreciated with reference to flow diagrams. For purposes of simplicity, explanation of the illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks. It is to be appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks can occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be required to implement an example methodology. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. Furthermore, additional and/or alternative methodologies can employ additional, non-illustrated blocks. Thus, the depicted blocks, functions and/or other components may be implemented as parts of a monolithic software structure, as standalone software modules, or as modules that employ external routines, code, services, and so forth, or any combination of these. All such implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 7 illustrates a method 700 for processing commercial paper. At 702, the data to write to the computer readable medium 5, 105 is determined. The data can be determined by the writing/reading device 17. The data can include data scanned from a blank 3, 103, such as an account number, a routing number, a check number, and an amount to be transferred. The data can include data solicited from the payee (person to whom the check is payable to) or the payor (person issuing the check) when the check 7, 107 is being created. The data is correlated at least to the account maintained by the payor at the financial institution that generates the check 7, 107 and correlated to the amount to be transferred. The data stored written to computer readable medium 5, 105 can also be stored in the core 119, so that the data stored in the core 119 can be compared to the data stored in computer readable medium 5, 105 when the check 7, 107 is presented for payment/transfer.

[0054] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, data can include at least one of a time and a date when the check 7, 107 is created. The financial institution can require that the check 7, 107 is presented for payment within some predetermined period of time, or the check 7, 107 will expire. This may ensure that if an item that the computer- readable medium 5, 105 is attached to does not reach its destination in a certain time that something wrong may have occurred or that there was a bad actor interfering with the computer-readable medium 5, 105. This time limit may be enforced by the system 100 as illustrated in Figure 6, for example (those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciated servers of the system may monitor the computer-readable medium 5 and determine when its field(s) 33, 35, as known/initially created/logged by the server, are due to expire). In some embodiments and as discussed below, the writing/reading device 17 may be connected to a network and the writing/reading device 17 may, alternatively, read from the computer-readable medium 5, 105 at the time that the computer-readable medium 5, 105 was written to verify whether or not the maximum valid time has been exceeded. If the maximum valid time is exceeded, then the item the computer-readable medium 5, 105 is attached to, a commercial paper 3, 103 for example, is void. [0055] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the data can include a query and an answer to the query that is received from the payor of the commercial paper when the commercial paper is being created. The query and the answer can be encrypted when the data is written to the computer-readable medium 5, 105. This allows the payor to submit a query to which the payee will know the answer, without revealing the query to the payee, enhancing security. For example, the query can be personal or professional information about the payee. Alternatively, the payor can communicate the answer to the payee when the check 107 is provided to the payee.

[0056] Data is written to the computer-readable medium 5, 105, at 704. As set forth above, in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the data can be encrypting, with writing device 17 or the core 119. The computer-readable medium 5, 105 can be adhered to the paper blank 3 with adhesive before or after the data is written.

[0057] The commercial paper is received from a payee at 706. The payee can present the check 7, 107 to a teller or to a terminal 104, 114. The computer-readable medium 5, 105 can be adhered to the paper blank 3, 103 with adhesive.

[0058] At 708, the data stored on the computer-readable medium 5, 105 is read. The data can be read with the writing/reading device 17, which can be operated by a teller.

Alternatively, the data can be read with by the device 117 in the ATM 104, or by the terminal 114. The data can be decrypted as part of the reading of the data. The duration of time between the writing and the receiving can be determined.

[0059] In embodiments in which a query and answer are stored on the computer- readable medium 5, 105, the answer to the query can be received from the presenter of the check 7, 107 at 710. It is noted that neither the answer nor the query is displayed by the indicia 12, 112 on the upper face 10, 110 of the paper blank 3, 103 in one or more embodiments of the disclosure to enhance security. At 712, the amount on the check 7, 107 is transferred and the exemplary method ends.

[0060] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the data written to the computer readable medium can include a serial number that is distinct from the account from which the funds will be drawn. The serial number may or may not be visible on the paper blank. When the check is created, the serial number can be stored in the banking core 119. When the check is redeemed by the payee, the reading device can read the serial number from the data on the computer readable medium and transmit the serial number read from the computer readable medium to the banking core 119. The banking core 119 can confirm that the serial number read from the computer readable medium and transmitted during said transmitting is identical to the serial number already stored in the banking core. The financial institution can complete the transfer of funds only if the serial numbers are identical.

[0061] Figure 8 illustrates an example computing device in which example systems and methods described herein, and equivalents, may operate. The example computing device may be a computer 800 that includes a processor 802, a memory 804, and input/output ports 810 operably connected by a bus 808. In one example, the computer

800 may include a thin memory control logic 830 that may control writing to a thin memory

(such as the computer-readable medium 5 in Figure 1 and the computer-readable medium 105 in Figure 6), the reading of the thin memory, the encryption and decryption of data written to and from the thin memory, and other aspects of controlling of the thin memory as understood of by those of ordinary skill in the art. In different examples, thin memory control logic 830 may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, and/or combinations thereof. Thus, the thin memory control logic 830 may provide a means (e.g., hardware, software, firmware) for controlling the thin memory. While the thin memory control logic 830 is illustrated as a hardware component attached to bus 808, it is to be appreciated that in one example, the thin memory control logic 830 could be implemented in the processor 802 or may be implemented as part of the writing/reading device 17 (Figure 1 ).

[0062] Generally describing an example configuration of the computer 800, the processor 802 may be a variety of various processors including dual microprocessor and other multi-processor architectures. The memory 804 may include volatile memory and/or non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may include, for example, ROM, programmable read only memory (PROM), as well as EPROM. The volatile memory may include, for example, RAM, synchronous random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), direct Rambus random access memory (DRRAM) and the like.

[0063] A disk 806 may be operably connected to the computer 800 via, for example, an input/output interfaces (e.g., card, device) 818 and input/output ports 810. The disk

806 may be, for example, a magnetic disk drive, a solid state disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a tape drive, a Zip drive, a flash memory card, and/or a memory stick. Furthermore, the disk 806 may be a compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), a compact disk (CD) recordable drive (CD-R drive), a CD rewriteable drive (CD-RW drive), and/or a digital video ROM drive (DVD ROM). The memory 804 can store a process 814 and/orthe data 816, for example. The disk 806 and/or the memory 804 can store an operating system that controls and allocates resources of the computer 800.

[0064] The bus 808 may be a single internal bus interconnect architecture and/or other bus or mesh architectures. While a single bus is illustrated, it is to be appreciated that the computer 800 may communicate with various devices, logics, and peripherals using other busses (e.g., PCIE, SATA, Infiniband, 1384, USB, Ethernet). The bus 808 can be types including, for example, a memory bus, a memory controller, a peripheral bus, an external bus, a crossbar switch, and/or a local bus.

[0065] The computer 800 may interact with input/output devices via the input/output interfaces 818 and the input/output ports 810. Input/output devices may be, for example, a keyboard, a microphone, a pointing and selection device, cameras, video cards, displays, the disk 806, the network devices 820, and so on. The input/output ports 810 may include, for example, serial ports, parallel ports, universal-serial bus (USB) ports, and the like.

[0066] The computer 800 can operate in a network environment and thus may be connected to the network devices 820 via the input/output interfaces 818, and/or the input/output ports 810. Through the network devices 820, the computer 800 may interact with a network. Through the network, the computer 800 may be logically connected to remote computers. Networks with which the computer 800 may interact include, but are not limited to, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and other networks. The networks may be wired and/or wireless networks. [0067] In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative embodiments, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0068] Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. References to“the preferred embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example”, “an example” and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1. A commercial paper configured to facilitate the transfer of funds comprising:

a paper blank displaying, on an upper face, indicia corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred; and a computer-readable medium adherable to said paper blank with adhesive.

2. The commercial paper of claim 1 wherein said computer-readable medium is further defined as thinner than said paper blank.

3. The commercial paper of claim 1 wherein said computer-readable medium is further defined as adhered to said upper face of said paper blank.

4. The commercial paper of claim 3 wherein said computer-readable medium is further defined as covering less than one-third of said upper face of said paper blank.

5. The commercial paper of claim 1 wherein said computer-readable medium is further defined as a plurality of distinct electronic components physically spaced and unconnected from one another on said upper face of said paper blank.

6. The commercial paper of claim 1 wherein said computer-readable medium is further defined as a plurality of distinct electronic components physically stacked and layered on top one another on said upper face of said paper blank.

7. A system for processing commercial paper comprising:

a commercial paper including a paper blank and a computer-readable medium, said paper blank displaying, on an upper face, indicia corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred, said computer-readable medium adherable to said paper blank with adhesive; a writing device configured to write data to said computer-readable medium; and a computing device configured to store and correlate the data written to said

computer-readable medium and the account maintained by the financial institution and the amount to be transferred.

8. The system for processing commercial paper of claim 7 wherein said writing device is further configured to read the data written to said computer-readable medium.

9. The system for processing commercial paper of claim 7 further comprising:

a reading device configured only to read data from said computer-readable

medium, wherein said reading device is contained with one of an automated transaction machine (ATM) and a self-serve kiosk.

10. The system for processing commercial paper of claim 9 wherein said reading device is further defined as in data communication with said computing device whereby the data read from said computer-readable medium is transmitted to said computing device by said reading device.

11. A method for processing commercial paper comprising:

determining, with a computing device having one or more processors and

memory, data to be stored in a computer-readable medium adherable to a paper blank with adhesive, wherein the paper blank and the computer- readable medium define a commercial paper, the paper blank displaying indicia on an upper face corresponding to an account maintained by a financial institution and an amount to be transferred by the commercial paper, the data correlated at least to the account maintained by the financial institution and the amount to be transferred;

writing, with a writing device, the data to the computer-readable medium;

receiving the commercial paper from a payee of the commercial paper, with the computer-readable medium adhered to the paper blank with adhesive; transferring, with the computing device, the amount from the account to a second account of the payee in response at least in part to said receiving;

reading, with a reading device, the data stored in the computer-readable medium after said receiving and before said transferring, wherein said transferring is in response at least in part to said reading.

12. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 11 further comprising:

adhering the computer-readable medium to the paper blank with adhesive before said writing.

13. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 11 wherein said determining further comprises:

including, with the computing device, at least one of a time and a date of said determining in the data to be stored in a computer-readable medium.

14. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 11 further comprising:

determining, with the computing device, a duration of time between said writing and said receiving, said determining the duration performed before said transferring.

15. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 11 further comprising:

encrypting, with the computing device, the data before said writing whereby the data is written to the computer-readable medium in encrypted form.

16. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 11 further comprising:

decrypting, with the computing device, the data read from the computer-readable medium during said reading.

17. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 16 wherein said determining further comprises:

including, with the computing device, a query and an answer to the query in the data to be stored in a computer-readable medium, the query and the answer decrypted during said decrypting.

18. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving, from a payor of the commercial paper, the query and the answer to be encrypted during said encrypting and written to the computer-readable medium during said writing.

19. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving, from the payee of the commercial paper, the answer to the query after said writing and before said transferring, wherein neither the answer nor the query is displayed by the indicia on the upper face of the paper blank.

20. The method for processing commercial paper of claim 11 wherein the data includes a serial number distinct from the account and wherein:

said reading further comprises reading, with the reading device, the serial

number from the data on the computer readable medium; and

said method further comprises:

storing, in a banking core, the serial number;

transmitting, with the reading device, the serial number read from the computer readable medium to the banking core; and

confirming, with the banking core, that the serial number read from the computer readable medium and transmitted during said transmitting is identical to the serial number stored in the banking core during said storing, wherein said transferring occurs after said confirming.