Fingerprint check to reduce check fraud

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9305413-B1
Application number	US-201314076369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 1, 2008
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A digital image of a surface of a check is received. A check scanning device captures the digital image as the check moves through the check scanning device. A fingerprint is impressed on the surface of the check. A computing system uses the digital image to determine a match score. The match score represents an approximate probability that the fingerprint on the check matches a reference fingerprint. An alert is presented based on the match score.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a digital image of a surface of a check, wherein a fingerprint is impressed on the surface of the check, wherein the digital image has a resolution of 500 dpi or less;
using, by a computing system, the digital image to determine a match score, the match score representing a probability that the fingerprint on the check matches a plurality of reference fingerprints stored in a database, wherein using the digital image comprises:
applying one or more image enhancing processing operations to a fingerprint image, the fingerprint image being a digital image containing the fingerprint; and
using the fingerprint image to determine the match score; and

presenting an alert based on the match score.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the alert comprises:
instructing a cashier to segregate the check for subsequent analysis when the match score exceeds an alert threshold; and
instructing the cashier to complete a transaction involving the check when the match score is below the alert threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital image is a grayscale image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the digital image comprises:
applying one or more image processing operations to the fingerprint image; and
using the fingerprint image to determine the match score.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the one or more image processing operations comprises: applying one or more image processing operations that reduce artifacts caused by movement of the check through a check scanning device that generated the digital image.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the method further comprises: detecting a fiducial mark on the check; and
wherein applying the one or more image processing operations comprises: using the fiducial mark during performance of at least one of the image processing operations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the digital image further comprises:
after applying the one or more of image processing operations to the fingerprint image, calculating a fingerprint image quality metric of the fingerprint image, wherein the fingerprint image quality metric of the fingerprint image is a measure of an expected accuracy in representing the fingerprint; and
adjusting the match score based on the fingerprint image quality metric.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein using the digital image comprises:
using the fingerprint image to generate a target fingerprint template that represents the fingerprint; and
calculating the match score by comparing the target fingerprint template and a given reference fingerprint template, the given reference fingerprint template representing the reference fingerprint; and

wherein presenting the alert comprises presenting the alert when the match score exceeds an alert threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing a plurality of reference fingerprint templates, each reference fingerprint template representing a fingerprint of a different person, the plurality of reference fingerprint templates including a reference fingerprint template representing the reference fingerprint; and
wherein using the digital image comprises:
generating a target fingerprint template of the fingerprint from the digital image; and
calculating match scores by comparing the target fingerprint template with the plurality of reference fingerprint templates until a given match score is calculated that exceeds a search-ending threshold, the match scores representing approximate probabilities that the target fingerprint template matches the reference fingerprint templates; and

wherein presenting the alert comprises presenting the alert when the given match score exceeds an alert threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: performing a learning process that seeks to reduce a rate of false matches and false non-matches.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein performing the learning process comprises dynamically adjusting the search-ending threshold based on fraud patterns.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein performing the learning process comprises: dynamically adjusting the alert threshold based on local fraud patterns.

13. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing unit of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
receive a digital image of a surface of a check, wherein a check scanning device captures the digital image as the check moves through the check scanning device, wherein a fingerprint is impressed on the surface of the check, wherein the digital image has a resolution of less than 500 dpi;
use the digital image to determine a match score, the match score representing an approximate probability that the fingerprint on the check matches a reference fingerprint, wherein use the digital image comprises applying one or more image enhancing processing operations to a fingerprint image, the fingerprint image being a digital image containing the fingerprint; and
cause a workstation device to present an alert when the match score exceeds an alert threshold.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the computing device to:
generate a target fingerprint template that represents the fingerprint;
store a plurality of reference fingerprint templates in a database, each of the reference fingerprint templates representing a fingerprint of a different person, each of the plurality of reference fingerprint templates representing one of the plurality of reference fingerprints; and
calculate the match score by comparing the target fingerprint template and the reference fingerprint template.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, further cause the computing device to: search the fingerprint templates in the database for the reference fingerprint that closely matches the fingerprint using a fingerprint analysis system.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein at least one reference fingerprint represents a fingerprint of a person suspected of committing check fraud.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, further cause the computing device to: perform a learning process that seeks to reduce a rate of false matches and false non-matches.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the learning process comprises dynamically adjusting a search-ending threshold based on fraud patterns.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the learning process comprises: dynamically adjusting the alert threshold based on local fraud patterns.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, further cause the computing device to:
store a plurality of reference fingerprint templates;
generate a target fingerprint template of the fingerprint from the digital image; and
calculate match scores by comparing the target fingerprint template with the plurality of reference fingerprint templates until a given match score is calculated that exceeds a search-ending threshold, the match scores representing approximate probabilities that the target fingerprint template matches the reference fingerprint templates.

Assignees

• Wells Fargo Bank Na

Inventors

• Mccormick Michael
• Jaffe Frank

Classifications

• G06V40/1365

  Matching; Classification · CPC title

• G06Q40/02 Primary

  Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance (credit or loans G06Q40/03) · CPC title

• G06K9/00087

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T5/003

  Physics · mapped topic

• G07D7/2033 Primary

  Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper · CPC title