Method Of Verifying Signatures And Forms Carrier For Use Thereon

Abstract

A method of verifying the identity of an individual by means of a uniquely cataloged signature card which may also contain the individual's photograph. A novel forms carrier to align signature cards is used for xeroxing or microfilming. The carrier has slots to hold individual cards and pockets for use in coding and cataloging. Once copies of cards are made they may be used as part of a verification system, their address being determined from a computer in which the address is stored under the bank patron's account number.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention has utility in any business where it is necessary to quickly verify data such as, signatures or photographs and thus has particular utility in banking. Broadly it has utility wherever there is an inflow of data which must be stored on microfilm, and which can be stored in random fashion as it is received.

2. Prior Art

A number of patents are directed to forms alignment devices that are useful in microfilming. U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,301 -- Koonz et al. discloses a coding and photographic device comprising a plurality of characters and coding members, and a rigid member having elongated slots extending across the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,395 -- Bailey discloses a device for coding microfilm which comprises a table with pivotally mounted marker plates that can be positioned when desired by automatic means. U.S. Pat. No. 2,841,066 -- Tod discloses a card mounting structure for use in photographing the cards. Rails and runway channels are secured on a metal backing to receive card carriers. In all of the above patents, the devices are unduly complex and at the same time do not achieve a better result than the subject invention which is much less complex. Further, none of these patents disclose a process of first copying the subject matter by xeroxing or similar means so that a manageable, useful, cataloged record will be available for use and subsequent microfilming, nor do they disclose a forms carrier that has utility for this purpose.

While fully automatic analog methods of verifying signatures have been proposed, for many banks and institutions, the cost of employing a system that uses one of these methods is prohibitive.

Recently, voice answer-back computer systems have been used increasingly by banks. In using such a system, a teller keys the customer's account number and the cash amount of the transaction into a telephone hand set. This is transmitted to the central computer where the amount is debited from the customer's balance. If the balance is sufficient a voice answer is automatically sent to the teller indicating that the transactions can be completed. This type of system, however, lacks a means to confirm the identity of the customer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system of verifying the identity of individuals by their signatures and photographs without resorting to expensive analog techniques and which is made possible by a relatively simple forms alignment carrier.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive, fast signature/photographic verification system.

It is a related object of the invention to provide a forms carrier that is practical for use in such a signature/photographic verification system.

It is another object of the invention to provide a signature/photographic verification technique which is particularly adaptable to and suitable for use with a voice answer-back banking computer system.

It is another object of the invention to provide signature and photographic verification in which incoming data may be recorded quickly by personnel not trained to operate complex devices.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a signature photographic verification system which is easy to update, and which may be done in random fashion.

It is still further object of the invention to provide a signature/photographic verification system that may be used in branch banking where it is necessary for bank personnel at remote locations to determine the validity of a particular customer's signature without resorting to voluminous records.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a forms alignment carrier,

FIG. 2 is a front view of a reader screen with code indicia for retrieving the desired frame of microfilm or microfiche cards,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a carrier pocket, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic layout showing the steps of the signature/photographic verification system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the forms carrier 10 comprises a transparent holder 12 for signature cards 14 which has eight individual slotted sections 16 into which signature cards 14 are placed. The signature cards 14 are shown without photographs, but it is to be understood that they may include photographs and be arranged in any suitable format. Along the left edge of the carrier 10, there are numerous pockets 18 to hold bars 20 that are suitable for bar coding. FIG. 3 shows the manner in which pocket 18 may be fused to the backing 22 by the fused portion 24. On the right edge of the carrier 10, there are slots 26 for inserting numerical decals. These decals give the cartridge number 28 for the microfilm cartridge, the side number 30, if a two-sided microfilm or microfiche system is used, and the page number 32. The carrier 10 may be manufactured by heat fusion techniques or any other suitable means.

In the case of signature cards 14 without photographs as the signature cards 14 are received, they are placed into the forms carrier 10 randomly and xeroxed. The xerox copies of each page provide up to date recordation of the signature cards. The signature cards are microfilmed or put on microfiche cards when a sufficient number of cards accummulate. Any standard microfilming technique may be used.

When utilizing the system for both signature verification and photographic verification, it will be necessary to photograph the forms alignment carrier directly onto microfilm, since a xerox copy will not give a useable reproduction of the photograph. However, the forms alignment carrier may still be used to make paper copies for immediate distribution until the photographic copies can be developed and reproduced to be distributed in microfilm form.

Referring to FIG. 2, a reader screen 40 is illustrated that can be used on many standard types of microfilm reading units. This shows one example of a display which is presented to the teller. The bars 42 and numbers 44 on the left-hand side are for use when the bar coding technique is used. The numbers 46 on the right-hand side indicate the precise row in which a particular card is located. The letters 48 at the bottom of the screen indicate the column in which the card may be found.

Referring to FIG. 4, the diagrammatic sketch illustrates the system at one teller's location and its connection to voice answer-back computer. When a patron opens a bank account, he signs a signature card which is then put in the forms carrier with other signature cards and xeroxed as explained above. The exact location of the card is then stored in a computer under the bank patron's account number.

For example, if 24 microfilm cartridges are filled, the next series of cards will be recorded in cartridge No. 25 and the pages will bear that number as they are xeroxed on the forms carrier. The page number and the side number, if required, are also recorded on the pages by inserting the correct decals in the right-side pockets of the forms carrier.

When a patron later attempts to withdraw money from his account, the teller keys into the computer the account number and the amount of the deduction that the patron wishes to make. This may be done by a touch-tone telephone in which the teller gives her identifying number, the patron's account number and the amount to be deducted. The computer then deducts this amount from the account if the patron has sufficient funds and indicates by voice message that the transaction can be completed. This message also gives the teller the address of the signature card.

At this point, note the ease of adapting the present signature verification system to the voice-answer back computer system. It is only necessary to store a signature address with the patron's account number and balance. Furthermore, note the ease with which the signature card is updated. When the customer changes the card, (he may wish to add or delete authorized signatures) it is only necessary to change the signature card address stored with his account number.

This signature card address is transmitted to the teller in the voice message. A microfilm reader and the cartridges are located conveniently for the teller's use. She selects the proper cartridge, inserts it into the reader, and runs it at high speed until the approximate location of the page specified by the signature card address is reached. This is ascertained by a comparison of the bar coding on the microfilm with the coding lines and numbers on the reader. Any standard bar coding technique may be used, or for that matter, any type of coding technique, and the technique disclosed is, therefore, not to be considered limiting. If page number 0985 is desired, the teller will stop the reader when one line reaches 900 and a second line reaches 80 on the scale. She will then manually operate the reader at slow speed until page 0985 is reached. Once the correct page is reached, by means of the row and column designation on the microfilm reader, she can quickly find the applicable signature card and compare the signature on it with the signature on the withdrawal slip to verify that the customer is the bona fide account holder.

For example, the computer will read out a number such as 25-1-0984-4B in the voice message. The desired signature card will be in cartridge 25, side 1, page 985 and will be in row 4, column B as observed in the microfilm reader.

If the patron has recently opened his account, and the page bearing his signature card has not yet been microfilmed, the page will be stored in looseleaf fashion at the teller's disposal. Instead of selecting the applicable microfilm cartridge, the teller merely leafs through the pages until she comes to the correct one.

While the bar coding method has been described for approximately locating the page bearing the signature card, a microfilm reader which operates with an odometer may also be used. If the odometer reads in feet and tenths of feet, the number of images per tenths of foot can be easily computed and a scale devised for approximately determining the location on a particular reel of the desired page, for the microfilming, either an 8 millimeter duo-method of filming or a 16 millimeter single image method may be used. An odometer-type system may be used in either case. One suitable three digit odometer-type microfilm reader is marketed by the 3M Company.

Up to now, microfilming techniques have been discussed. Microfiche cards may also be used with a special microfiche scale mounted on the reader. This can be done by successively numbering blocks in rows across the reader continuing with the same in succeeding rows, until the entire number of frames contained on a given microfiche has been numbered on the scale. An edge coding system that practically eliminates any misfiles and provides rapid retrieval of any given card is used. Square notations on the upper left hand side of the card represent the hundredths field. Ten different colors are utilized which make any improperly filed card immediately obvious. On the upper right hand portion of the cards, the tenths fields are notched to facilitate finding a given card as well as locating a misfiled card. The angled upper left hand corner of the card also gives us an easily recognizable method of identifying the thousandths field. Should completely random access to the microfiche cards be desired, Randomatic Data Systems, Inc., Trenton, N.J. markets a retrieval unit which is particularly suitable for this use in the present system.

As can readily be seen such a system has particular value in branch banking where patrons may use any one of a number of banking facilities. While data verification such as amount in account may be verified telephonically, signatures can only be matched visually, unless expensive computerized analog techniques are used. This means that in the case of large banks, tellers must have ready access to millions of signature cards. The present invention as disclosed above gives them this capability and it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. The new use for conducting a banking transaction of apparatus including:

a voice answer back system having a digital computer at a central location,

a plurality of input/output devices at remote locations each having data entry means for transmitting encoded numbers to said computer and each having means for receiving an audible message from said computer, and

a microfilm reader at each of said remote locations, said new use comprising:

keying the account number and amount to be withdrawn by a patron at one of said remote locations into the input/output device of said voice answer/back system for transmission of said account number and amount to be withdrawn to said computer,

receiving from said computer a signature card address and account balance for each received account number, at which time the computer debits the amount to be withdrawn from said balance,

automatically transmitting an audible message from said computer to said remote location, said message containing an authorization for completion of the transaction and a signature card address,

retrieving on said microfilm reader the image of the signature card specified by said signature card address, and

comparing the signature on said signature card with the signature of the patron to insure that the patron withdrawing is authorized to do so.

2. The new use recited in claim 1 further comprising:

microfilming the signature cards of new bank patrons as they are received,

storing the microfilmed signature cards on cartridges, and

storing said microfilm cartridges at the remote locations so they are accessible with said microfilm reader for signature verification.