Negotiable instrument

Claim 3

A method for processing a negotiable instrument as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: preparing a statement of account including a reproduction of the indicia within said at least one generally rectangular field area of the negotiable instrument.

Claim 4

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration and having a width and height and bank identification information and an area for receiving a date of making of the negotiable instrument on one side thereof, said planer member further having a first field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said first field area designating a maker of the negotiable instrument, said planer member having a second field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said second field area designating a payee of the negotiable instrument and said planer member having a third field area on said one side for receiving a numeric amount of said negotiable instrument; and fluorescent ink means applied as a background upon said negotiable instrument within at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, said fluorescent ink being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving visible indicia placed within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas and upon said fluorescent ink means background, said fluorescent ink means being further operable for selectively permitting a scanner to read the said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas of the negotiable instrument and for optically rendering indicia placed upon the fluorescent ink means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing ultraviolet light onto said negotiable instrument wherein information located within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, regardless of location on the negotiable instrument, may be automatically detected and scanned.

Claim 5

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration and having a width and height and bank identification information and an area for receiving a date of making of the negotiable instrument on one side thereof, said planer member further having a first field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said first field area designating a maker of the negotiable instrument, said planer member having a second field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said second field area designating a payee of the negotiable instrument and said planer member having a third field area on said one side for receiving a numeric amount of said negotiable instrument; and fluorescent ink means applied as a background upon said negotiable instrument within at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, said fluorescent ink being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving visible indicia placed within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas and upon said fluorescent ink means background, said fluorescent ink means being further operable for selectively permitting a scanner to read the said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas of the negotiable instrument and for optically rendering indicia placed upon the fluorescent ink means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing ultraviolet light onto said negotiable instrument wherein information located within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, regardless of location on the negotiable instrument, may be automatically detected and scanned.

Claim 6

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 3 wherein: said fluorescent ink has an emission spectrum when exposed to ultra violet light which peaks at approximately 544 nanometers.

Claim 7

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 3 wherein: said fluorescent ink means is applied as a background upon said first field area such that maker indicia placed within said first field may be automatically detected and scanned under ultraviolet light.

Claim 8

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 3 wherein: said fluorescent ink means is applied as a background upon said second field area such that payee indicia placed within said second field may be automatically detected and scanned under ultraviolet light.

Claim 9

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 3 wherein: said fluorescent ink means is applied as a background upon said third field area such that a numeric amount indicia placed within said third field may be automatically detected and scanned under ultraviolet light.

Claim 10

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 3 wherein: said fluorescent ink means is applied as a background upon both of said second and third field areas such that payee and numeric amount indicia placed upon said negotiable instrument may be automatically detected and scanned under ultraviolet light.

Claim 11

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration and having a width and height and bank identification information and an area for receiving a date of making of the negotiable instrument on one side thereof, said planer member further having a first field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said first field area designating a maker of the negotiable instrument, said planer member having a second field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said second field area designating a payee of the negotiable instrument and said planer member having a third area on said one side for receiving a numeric amount of said negotiable instrument; and fluorescent ink means applied as a background upon said negotiable instrument within said first, second, and third field areas, said fluorescent ink being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving indicia placed within said first, second, and third field areas upon the fluorescent ink means background, said fluorescent ink means being further operable for selectively permitting a scanner to read the said first, second, and third field areas of the negotiable instrument and for optically rendering indicia placed upon the fluorescent ink means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing ultraviolet light onto said negotiable instrument wherein information located within said first, second, and third field areas, regardless of location on the negotiable instrument, may be automatically detected and scanned.

Claim 12

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration and having a width and height and bank identification information and an area for receiving a date of making of the negotiable instrument on one side thereof, said planer member further having a first field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said first field area designating a maker of the negotiable instrument, said planer member having a second field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said second field area designating a payee of the negotiable instrument and said planer member having a third area on said one side for receiving a numeric amount of said negotiable instrument; and fluorescent ink means applied as a background upon said negotiable instrument within said first, second, and third field areas, said fluorescent ink being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving indicia placed within said first, second, and third field areas upon the fluorescent ink means background, said fluorescent ink means being further operable for selectively permitting a scanner to read the said first, second, and third field areas of the negotiable instrument and for optically rendering indicia placed upon the fluorescent ink means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing ultraviolet light onto said negotiable instrument wherein information located within said first, second, and third field areas, regardless of location on the negotiable instrument, may be automatically detected and scanned.

Claim 13

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration and having a width and height and bank identification information and an area for receiving a date of making of the negotiable instrument on one side thereof, said planer member further having a first field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said first field area designating a maker of the negotiable instrument, said planer member having a second field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said second field area designating a payee of the negotiable instrument and said planer member having a third area on said one side for receiving a numeric amount of said negotiable instrument; and coating means applied as a background upon said negotiable instrument within at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, said coating means being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving indicia visible to the human eye placed within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas and upon said coating means background, said coating means being further operable for selectively signaling a scanner to read the said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas of the negotiable instrument and for optically rendering normally visible indicia placed upon the coating means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing energy onto said negotiable instrument wherein information located within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, regardless of location on the negotiable instrument and negotiable instrument background pattern, may be automatically detected, scanned and machine read.

Claim 14

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration and having a width and height and bank identification information and an area for receiving a date of making of the negotiable instrument on one side thereof, said planer member further having a first field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said first field area designating a maker of the negotiable instrument, said planer member having a second field area on said one side for receiving indicia within said second field area designating a payee of the negotiable instrument and said planer member having a third area on said one side for receiving a numeric amount of said negotiable instrument; and coating means applied as a background upon said negotiable instrument within at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, said coating means being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving indicia visible to the human eye placed within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas and upon said coating means background, said coating means being further operable for selectively signaling a scanner to read the said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas of the negotiable instrument and for optically rendering normally visible indicia placed upon the coating means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing energy onto said negotiable instrument wherein information located within said at least one of said first, second, and third field areas, regardless of location on the negotiable instrument and negotiable instrument background pattern, may be automatically detected, scanned and machine read.

Claim 15

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 10 wherein said energy comprises: ultraviolet light.

Claim 16

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 10 wherein said coating means comprises: a fluorescent ink.

Claim 17

A negotiable instrument operable for automatic bank scanning and processing as defined in claim 12 wherein: said fluorescent ink has an emission spectrum when exposed to ulstraviolet light which pass at approximately 544 nanometers. ultraviolet light.

Claim 18

A document operable for automatic machine scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration having a width and height and printed indicia on at least one surface thereof, said one surface, in addition to said print indicia, having a first field area on said at least one surface for receiving variable indicia within said first field area, said planer member having at least a second field area on said one side for receiving variable indicia within said at least a second field area distinguishable from the variable indicia within said first field area; and coating means applied as a background upon said document within at least one of said first, and at least a second field area, said coating means being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving indicia visible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions placed within said at least one of said coating means background, said coating means being further operable for selectively keying a scanner to read the said at least one of said first and at least a second, field areas of the document and for optically rendering visible indicia placed upon the coating means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing energy onto said document wherein normally visible information located within said at least one of said first and at least a second field area, regardless of location and print background on the document may be automatically detected, scanned and machine read.

Claim 19

A document operable for automatic machine scanning and processing comprising: a planer member of generally rectangular configuration having a width and height and printed indicia on at least one surface thereof, said one surface, in addition to said print indicia, having a first field area on said at least one surface for receiving variable indicia within said first field area, said planer member having at least a second field area on said one side for receiving variable indicia within said at least a second field area distinguishable from the variable indicia within said first field area; and coating means applied as a background upon said document within at least one of said first, and at least a second field area, said coating means being substantially invisible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions and being operable for receiving indicia visible to the human eye under normal lighting conditions placed within said at least one of said coating means background, said coating means being further operable for selectively keying a scanner to read the said at least one of said first and at least a second, field areas of the document and for optically rendering visible indicia placed upon the coating means background readable by a scanning apparatus directing energy onto said document wherein normally visible information located within said at least one of said first and at least a second field area, regardless of location and print background on the document may be automatically detected, scanned and machine read.

Claim 20

A document operable for automatic machine scanning and processing as defined in claim 14 wherein: said coating means comprises a fluorescent ink.

Claim 21

A document operable for automatic machine scanning and processing as defined in claim 14 wherein: said energy comprises ultraviolet light.

Claim 24

A method for processing a document as defined in claim 17 wherein: said step of applying a source of energy comprising bathing the document with ultraviolet light.

Claim 25

A method for processing a document as defined in claim 17 wherein: said step of reading comprises reading normally visible indicia highlighted by fluorescence of the coating of the at least one generally rectangular field area.