System and method for formless, self-service registration for access to financial services

Abstract

A system for enabling users to register to use external financial services comprises a central office comprising an operating platform including a communication interface and a user database having a plurality of records for individual users; wherein the central office communicates via the communication interface with a plurality of remote formless, self-service registration stations; whereby a registration station scans an identification card with a card scanner, photographs the user to create a verification image and records a biometric parameter unique to the user, whereupon the registration station transmits an image of the identification card, the biometric parameter and the verification image to the central office; wherein the operating platform translates text from the identification card and creates a record for the user and wherein the operating platform uses the translated text to populate fields in the user record and retrieves and displays the record to an administrator for review.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for enabling users to access financial services with a central office system, including a central verification system, comprises the steps:
 creating a verifiable user record for a given user by the steps of:
 receiving, from a given user at a fixed location, a verifiable user identification (ID) having the user's photo attached thereto, which verifiable user ID can be verified with third party data associating the given user with the verifiable user ID; 
 receiving a biometric parameter of the given user; 
 photographing the given user proximate to the fixed location at which the verifiable user ID and the biometrics are input to obtain a photograph of the user; and 
 transmitting the verifiable ID, biometric parameter and the photograph to the central verification system; 
 storing as the verifiable user record, at the central verification system, for the given user, the information from the verifiable user ID and the biometric parameter of the given user; 
 providing a unique code from the central verification system to the given user after receipt of the verifiable user ID that is uniquely associated with the stored verifiable user record by the central verification system; 
   whereby the given user may use at least the unique code and biometric parameter to access a financial service with a user terminal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 presenting, with a user terminal, a list of available financial services to the given user; 
 receiving, from the given user, a financial service selection; 
 photographing, with a camera associated with the user terminal, the given user:
 receiving a biometric parameter input from the given user with the user terminal; 
 receiving the unique code, input by the given user; 
 transmitting the unique code, biometric parameter and photograph of the given user to the central office system; 
 verifying, with the central office system, that the biometric parameter and the received code are associated with the given user; and 
 providing the given user access to the financial service after verifying, with the central office system, that the biometric parameter and the received code are associated with the given user. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of creating the verifiable user record is conducted, in part, at a physical kiosk having an input device for scanning a verifiable user ID including a photograph, a biometric input device and at least one camera associated therewith for photographing the given user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the camera associated with the physical kiosk is operable to take multiple photographs of the given user in a single transaction session at different times proximate to the time of input of biometric parameter and unique code. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein there are provided multiple cameras at different angles, wherein at least one of the cameras is known to the given user to be taking a photograph of the given user proximate during the creation operation with at least one additional camera photographing the user proximate the time of input of either verifiable IDs or biometrics. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of presenting a list of financial services comprises providing an indicator for the at least one subscribing financial service to indicate to the given user the one of the available financial services associated with the verifiable user record. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, prior to the step of storing as the verifiable user record, at the central verification system, for the given user, the information from the verifiable user ID and the biometric parameter of the given user, comparing information from the verifiable user identification (ID) with user information from a third party database to verify the identity of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of storing a verifiable user record for the user at the central office further comprises accessing a third party database and populating the verifiable user record with information from the third party database. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of storing a verifiable user record for the given user with information from the verifiable user identification and the biometric parameter of the given user further comprises storing a previously generated photograph of the given user extracted from the verifiable user ID. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of storing a verifiable user record for the given user with information from the verifiable user identification and the biometric parameter of the given user further comprises storing a photograph of the given user taken at the user terminal. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of verifying, with the central office system, that the biometric parameter and the received code are associated with the given user further comprises comparing a photograph of the given user taken at the user terminal with a photograph of the given user stored in the verifiable user record. 
     
     
         12 . A method of registering potential users of financial services provided by multiple institutions with a single formless registration, the method comprising:
 identifying an unregistered potential user of services physically present at a terminal;   prompting the user to scan a photo identification card and capturing an image of the photo identification card;   prompting the user to enter a biometric parameter;   transmitting the captured image of the user photo identification card and the biometric parameter to a central office remote from the terminal as captured user information;   creating a user record for the user at the central office;   populating the user record with captured user information;   transmitting a user customer identification number from the central office to the terminal, which user identification number is generated by the central office to uniquely define the user record associated with the captured user information; and   displaying the customer identification number to the user, the customer identification number enabling a user to later access at least one of the plurality of service providers through the central office wherein the user enters the user's customer identification number along with the user's biometric at a terminal remote from the central office to access the service provider.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising capturing a photographic image of the unregistered potential user of services present at the terminal and transmitting the photographic image of the unregistered potential user to the central office as part of the captured user information. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising extracting a photographic image of the user from the transmitted user's photo identification card and storing the extracted photographic image from the user's photo identification card in the user record. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising comparing information from the scanned user identification card with user information from a third party database to verify the identity of the user prior to generating the user customer identification number. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step of creating a user record for the user at the central office further comprises accessing a third party database and populating the user record with information from the third party database. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the step of creating a user record further comprises incorporating a photograph of the given user taken at the user terminal in the user record. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step of creating a user record further comprises comparing a photograph of the user taken at the user terminal with a photograph of the given user extracted from the user photo identification card. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step of creating a user record further comprises comparing a photograph of the user from a third party database with a photograph of the user taken at the user terminal.