SAN DIEGO – Mitek Systems said yesterday it has received a U.S. patent for its widely used Mobile Deposit mobile Remote Deposit Capture application.
The Mitek technology allows users to deposit personal or business checks into their credit union or bank accounts from anywhere at any time simply by snapping pictures of the checks with their smartphone cameras.
The company said the now-patented mobile banking application relies on Mitek's expertise in image-analysis and processing software for camera-equipped smartphones, including iPhone, BlackBerry and devices on the Android and Windows Mobile platforms.
The patent covers the process of capturing a color image of a financial document using a mobile device and then transmitting the image to a server where the image can be manipulated such that information in the financial document can be interpreted and retrieved by the financial institution's remote deposit capture capabilities. The patent also covers the steps of detecting the financial document in the image, converting the image and correcting the orientation and size of the image.
Before transmitting, Mitek's IMagePROVE technology formats the check images, automatically corrects any image distortions or skewing, and confirms that the images meet accepted image-quality standards. After the checks are submitted successfully, users receive instant communications back from their institutions, resulting in rapid access to funds or timely payments.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Mitek patent No. 7,778,457 on Aug. 17.
