Method of Obtaining An Electronically-Stored Financial Document

Abstract

A method for a bank to obtain an electronically-stored financial document is disclosed. The financial document includes a specific document parameter, such as a record date. The bank maintains the financial document in an off-site storage system when the record date is later than a pre-selected date and in an on-site storage system when the record date is earlier than or equal to the pre-selected date. The off-site storage system is different from the on-site storage system. The bank receives and inputs a request for the financial document from a client and compares the record date to the pre-selected date to determine if the record date is later than, earlier than, or equal to the pre-selected date. In processing the request, the bank utilizes a computer terminal, connected to the off-site and on-site storage systems through a processing unit, to access one of the storage systems in response to the comparison of the record date to the pre-selected date. After accessing the appropriate storage system, the bank retrieves the requested financial document. The bank then reproduces the requested financial document and distributes the requested financial document to the requesting client, or some other end user of the bank.

1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of obtaining an electronically-stored financial document from one of a first storage system and a second storage system with the first and second storage systems being different from each other wherein the first and second storage systems each include a plurality of financial documents stored therein and wherein each of the financial documents is associated with at least one specific document parameter, said method comprising the steps of:
 storing a plurality of financial documents in a first fixed medium at the first storage system when the specific document parameter of the financial document is greater than a predetermined parameter;   storing a plurality of financial documents in a second fixed medium at the second storage system when the specific document parameter of the financial document is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter;   utilizing a computer terminal connected to the first and second storage systems through a processing unit;   submitting a request for at least one of the stored financial documents into the computer terminal;   comparing the specific document parameter of the requested financial document to the predetermined parameter to determine if the specific document parameter is greater than, less than, or equal to the predetermined parameter after the request has been submitted;   at least partially automatically accessing the first storage system through the processing unit when the specific document parameter is greater than the predetermined parameter and accessing the second storage system through the processing unit when the specific document parameter is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter; and   retrieving the requested financial document, as defined by the submitted request, in the first fixed medium when the specific document parameter is greater than the predetermined parameter and in the second fixed medium when a specific document parameter of the financial document is less than or equal to the predetermined parameter.   
     
     
         24 . A method as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the first and second fixed mediums are different from each other. 
     
     
         25 . A method as set forth in  claim 24  wherein the step of storing a plurality of financial documents in a first fixed medium is further defined as storing a plurality of financial documents on a physical media. 
     
     
         26 . A method as set forth in  claim 25  wherein the step of storing a plurality of financial documents in a second fixed medium is further defined as electronically storing the plurality of financial documents in a fixed electronic medium. 
     
     
         27 . A method as set forth in  claim 24  wherein the step of storing a plurality of financial documents in a first fixed medium is further defined as electronically storing the plurality of financial documents in a fixed electronic medium. 
     
     
         28 . A method as set forth in  claim 27  wherein the step of storing a plurality of financial documents in a second fixed medium is further defined as storing a plurality of financial documents on a physical media. 
     
     
         29 . A method as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the first and second fixed mediums are the same. 
     
     
         30 . A method as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the step of accessing the first and second storage systems is further defined as accessing only one of the storage systems at any one time to locate the requested financial document.