Method and system for banking using coded 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 containing information relating to a banking transaction, the form including coded data indicative of at least one parameter of the banking transaction;    receiving, in a computer system, data from a sensing device regarding said at least one parameter and regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the form, the sensing device, when moved relative to the form, sensing the data regarding said at least one parameter using at least some of the coded data and generating the data regarding its own movement relative to the form; and    interpreting, in the computer system, said movement of the sensing device as it relates to said at least one parameter.    
     
     
         2 . The method of any one of claims  1  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.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  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.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of any one of claims  1  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.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  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.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of any one of claims  1  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.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  which includes converting, in the computer system, the handwritten text data to computer text.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  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.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method of any one of claims  1  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.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  which includes verifying, in the computer system, that the signature is that of the customer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  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.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of any one of claims  1  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.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which the picture parameter is associated with a graphic design for a customer's checks.  
     
     
         14 . 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.  
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  which includes printing the form on demand.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  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.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  which includes printing the coded data to be substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  which includes distributing a plurality of forms using a mixture of multicast and pointcast communications protocols.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  in which the sensing device contains an identification means which imparts a unique identity to the sensing device and identifies it as being associated with a particular banking customer and in which the method includes monitoring, in the computer system, said identity.  
     
     
         20 . 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.  
     
     
         21 . The method of claims  1  in which the form is printed on multiple pages and in which the method includes binding the pages.  
     
     
         22 . A system for enabling online banking, the system including: 
 a form containing information relating to a banking transaction, the form including coded data indicative of at least one parameter of the banking transaction; and    a computer system for receiving data from a sensing device regarding said at least one parameter and regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the form, and for interpreting said movement of the sensing device as it relates to said at least one parameter, the sensing device, when moved relative to the form, sensing the data regarding said at least one parameter using at least some of the coded data and generating the data regarding its own movement relative to the form.    
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  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.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  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.  
 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23  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.  
 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23  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.  
 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23  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.  
 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23  in which the picture parameter is associated with a graphic design for a customer's check.  
     
     
         29 . The system of any one of claims  22  in which the sensing device includes a marking nib.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 22  in which the sensing device contains an identification means which imparts a unique identity to the sensing device and identifies it as belonging to a particular customer.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 22  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.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31  in which the printer prints the coded data at the same time as printing the form on the surface-defining means.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 22  in which the coded data is substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31  in which, to cater for a form printed on multiple pages, the printer includes a binding means for binding the pages.