Method and system for banking coded self-identifying forms

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed which relate to online banking via interface surfaces printed with information and coded data. The coded data, encoded visibly or invisibly, may be queried by an appropriate sensing device. The sensing device communicates with a computer system. Together, the interface surfaces, sensing device and computer system are capable of effecting banking transactions over a network.

1 . A method of enabling online banking, the method including the steps of: 
 providing a banking customer with a form including coded data indicative of an identity of the form;    receiving, in a computer system, data from a sensing device regarding an identity of the banking customer and regarding the identity of the form, the sensing device containing the data regarding the identity of the banking customer and sensing the data regarding the identity of the form using at least some of the coded data; and    identifying, in the computer system and from the data regarding the identity of the banking customer and the identity of the form, a banking transaction.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the coded data is also indicative of at least one parameter of the banking transaction, and the method includes receiving, in the computer system, indicating data from the sensing device regarding said at least one parameter of the banking transaction, the sensing device sensing the indicating data using at least some of the coded data.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  which includes receiving, in the computer system, data from the sensing device regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the form, the sensing device generating data regarding its own movement relative to the form.  
     
     
         4 . The method of any one of claims  2  in which the parameter is an action parameter of the banking transaction, the method including effecting, in the computer system, an operation in respect of the action parameter.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  in which the action parameter of the banking transaction is selected from the group comprising: 
 a request for information relating to banking services, an order for checks, a request to stop checks, an application for a new account, an application for a loan, a request for an account history, a request for a withdrawal of funds, a request for a transfer of funds, a request for an account balance, a payment of a bill, and a request for a list of bill payments.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  in which the parameter is an option parameter of the banking transaction, the method including identifying, in the computer system, that the banking customer has entered a hand-drawn mark by means of the sensing device and effecting, in the computer system, an operation associated with the option parameter.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  in which the option parameter is associated with at least one of: 
 a request for information relating to banking services, an order for checks, a request to stop checks, an application for a new account, an application for a loan, a request for an account history, a request for a withdrawal of funds, a request for a transfer of funds, a request for an account balance, a payment of a bill, a request for a list of bill payments, an account, a currency, and a payee name.  
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3  in which the parameter is a text parameter of the banking transaction, the method including identifying, in the computer system, that the banking customer has entered handwritten text data by means of the sensing device and effecting, in the computer system, an operation associated with the text parameter.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  which includes converting, in the computer system, the handwritten text data to computer text.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  in which the text parameter is associated with at least one of: 
 a check amount, a payee name, a currency amount, a transfer amount, a payment amount, a payment date, and a check number.  
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3  in which the parameter is an authorization parameter of the banking transaction, the method including identifying, in the computer system, that the banking customer has entered a handwritten signature by means of the sensing device and effecting, in the computer system, an operation associated with the authorization parameter.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  which includes verifying, in the computer system, that the signature is that of the customer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which the authorization parameter is associated with authorization for at least one of: 
 access to account information, withdrawal of funds, transfer of funds, payment of a bill, modification of a bill payment, deletion of a bill payment, stopping of checks, and ordering of checks.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 3  in which the parameter is a picture parameter of the banking transaction, the method including identifying, in the computer system, that the banking customer has entered a hand-drawn picture by means of the sensing device and effecting, in the computer system, an operation associated with the picture parameter.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  in which the picture parameter is associated with a graphic design for a customer's checks.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  in which the form contains information relating to at least one of: 
 information relating to banking services, an order for checks, a request to stop checks, an application for a new account, an application for a loan, a request for an account history, a request for a withdrawal of funds, a request for a transfer of funds, a request for an account balance, a payment of a bill, and a request for a list of bill payments.  
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  which includes printing the form on demand.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  which includes printing the form on a surface of a surface-defining means and, at the same time that the form is printed, printing the coded data on the surface.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  which includes printing the coded data to be substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  which includes retaining a retrievable record of each form generated, the form being retrievable using its identity as contained in its coded data.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  which includes distributing a plurality of forms using a mixture of multicast and pointcast communications protocols.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  which includes providing all required information relating to the banking transaction in the form to eliminate the need for a separate display device.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  in which the form is printed on multiple pages and in which the method includes binding the pages.  
     
     
         24 . A system for enabling online banking, the system including: 
 a form including coded data indicative of an identity of the form; and    a computer system for receiving from a sensing device data regarding an identity of the banking customer and the identity of the form, and for identifying, from said received data, a banking transaction, the sensing device containing the data regarding the identity of the banking customer and sensing the data regarding the identity of the form using at least some of the coded data.    
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  in which the coded data is also indicative of at least one parameter of the banking transaction, the computer system receiving indicating data from the sensing device regarding said at least one parameter of the banking transaction, and the sensing device sensing the indicating data using at least some of the coded data.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24  which includes the sensing device, the sensing device sensing its movement relative to the form.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25  in which said at least one parameter of the banking transaction is selected from the group comprising an action parameter of the banking transaction, an option parameter of the banking transaction, a text parameter of the banking transaction, an authorization parameter of the banking transaction, and a picture parameter of the banking transaction.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27  in which the action parameter of the banking transaction is selected from the group comprising: 
 a request for information relating to banking services, an order for checks, a request to stop checks, an application for a new account, an application for a loan, a request for an account history, a request for a withdrawal of funds, a request for a transfer of funds, a request for an account balance, a payment of a bill, and a request for a list of bill payments.  
 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27  in which the option parameter is associated with at least one of: 
 a request for information relating to banking services, an order for checks, a request to stop checks, an application for a new account, an application for a loan, a request for an account history, a request for a withdrawal of funds, a request for a transfer of funds, a request for an account balance, a payment of a bill, a request for a list of bill payments, an account, a currency, and a payee name.  
 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27  in which the text parameter is associated with at least one of: 
 a check amount, a payee name, a currency amount, a transfer amount, a payment amount, a payment date, and a check number.  
 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27  in which the authorization parameter is associated with authorization for at least one of: 
 access to account information, withdrawal of funds, transfer of funds, payment of a bill, modification of a bill payment, deletion of a bill payment, stopping of checks, and ordering of checks.  
 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 27  in which the picture parameter is associated with a graphic design for a customer's check.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 26  in which the sensing device includes a marking nib.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 24  in which the form is printed on a surface of a surface-defining means and in which the system includes a printer for printing the form on demand.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34  in which the printer prints the coded data at the same time as printing the form on the surface-defining means.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 24  in which the coded data is substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 24  which includes a database for keeping a retrievable record of each form generated, each form being retrievable by using its identity as included in its coded data.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 34  in which, to cater for a form printed on multiple pages, the printer includes a binding means for binding the pages.