Method and apparatus for bill payments at an automatic teller machine

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer implemented instructions for processing a bill in an automatic teller machine. The bill is scanned to form a bill image in which the bill includes a markup language providing payment information. Optical character recognition is performed on the bill image to identify the payment information. The bill is processed using the payment information. Bills, such as waterbills, mortgages, credit card statements, and tax bills may be made in this manner.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method in an automatic teller machine for processing a bill, the method comprising: 
 scanning the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill image includes a markup language providing payment information;    performing optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and    processing the bill using the payment information.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a user presents the bill for scanning at the automatic teller machine and further comprising: 
 generating a video recording of the user during the processing of the bill.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the markup language is in a form of a text or a bar code.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 adding a time stamp to the bill image.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing step includes: 
 presenting payment options to a user; and    initiating a transfer of funds to pay the bill in response to a selected user input using a payment option selected by the user.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing step includes: 
 displaying an amount of the bill to a user.    
     
     
         7 . A method in an automatic teller machine for processing a tax form, the method comprising: 
 scanning the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form;    scanning supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images;    performing optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and    processing the tax form based on the data.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein processing of the tax form generates a result and further comprising: 
 confirming the result of processing with the user.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 recording a video of user during scanning and processing of the tax form at the automatic teller machine.  
 
     
     
         10 . A data processing system comprising: 
 a bus system;    a communications unit connected to the bus system;    a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and    a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to scan the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill includes a markup language providing payment information; perform optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and process the bill using the payment information.    
     
     
         11 . A data processing system comprising: 
 a bus system;    a communications unit connected to the bus system;    a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and    a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to scan the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form; scan supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images; perform optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and process the tax form based on the data.    
     
     
         12 . A data processing system in an automatic teller machine for processing a bill, the data processing system comprising: 
 scanning means for scanning the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill includes a markup language providing payment information;    performing means for performing optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and    processing means for processing the bill using the payment information.    
     
     
         13 . The data processing system of  claim 12 , wherein a user presents the bill for scanning at the automatic teller machine and further comprising: 
 generating means for generating a video recording of the user during the processing of the bill.    
     
     
         14 . The data processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the markup language is in a form of a text or a bar code.  
     
     
         15 . The data processing system of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 adding means for adding a time stamp to the bill image.  
 
     
     
         16 . The data processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the processing means includes: 
 means for presenting payment options to a user; and    means for initiating a transfer of funds to pay the bill in response to a selected user input using a payment option selected by the user.    
     
     
         17 . The data processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the processing means includes: 
 means for displaying an amount of the bill to a user.    
     
     
         18 . A data processing system in an automatic teller machine for processing a tax form, the data processing system comprising: 
 first scanning means for scanning the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form;    second scanning means for scanning supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images;    performing means for performing optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and    processing means for processing the tax form based on the data.    
     
     
         19 . The data processing system of  claim 18 , wherein processing of the tax form generates a result and further comprising: 
 confirming means for confirming the result of processing with the user.    
     
     
         20 . The data processing system of  claim 18  further comprising: 
 recording means for recording a video of user during scanning and processing of the tax form at the automatic teller machine.  
 
     
     
         21 . A computer program product in a computer readable medium in an automatic teller machine for processing a bill, the computer program product comprising: 
 first instructions for scanning the bill to form a bill image, wherein the bill includes a markup language providing payment information;    second instructions for performing optical character recognition on the bill image to identify the payment information; and    third instructions for processing the bill using the payment information.    
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein a user presents the bill for scanning at the automatic teller machine and further comprising: 
 fourth instructions for generating a video recording of the user during the processing of the bill.    
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the markup language is in a form of a text or a bar code.  
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising: 
 fourth instructions for adding a time stamp to the bill image.  
 
     
     
         25 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the third instruction for processing includes: 
 first sub-instructions for presenting payment options to a user; and    second sub-instructions for initiating a transfer of funds to pay the bill in response to a selected user input using a payment option selected by the user.    
     
     
         26 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the third instructions for processing includes: 
 sub-instructions for displaying an amount of the bill to a user.    
     
     
         27 . A computer program product in a computer readable medium in an automatic teller machine for processing a tax form, the computer program product comprising: 
 first instructions for scanning the tax form from a user to create an image of the tax form;    second instructions for scanning supporting documents for the tax form to generate additional images;    third instructions for performing optical character recognition on the image of the tax form to generate data; and    fourth instructions for processing the tax form based on the data.    
     
     
         28 . The computer program product of  claim 27 , wherein processing of the tax form generates a result and further comprising: 
 fifth instructions for confirming the result of processing with the user.    
     
     
         29 . The computer program product of  claim 27  further comprising: 
 fifth instructions for recording a video of user during scanning and processing of the tax form at the automatic teller machine.