[54] METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR
ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER VIA
FACSIMILE MACHINES
[75] Inventors: William M. Benton, Fort Lauderdale;
William Mee, Pompano Beach, both of Fla.
[73] Assignee: Moneyfax, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. [21] Appl. No.: 430,449 [22] Filed: Nov. 2, 1989
[51] Int. CI.* G06F 15/20; G06G 7/52
[52] U.S. CI 364/408; 235/379;
902/5
[58] Field of Search 364/408, 401; 235/379;
902/4, 5, 6, 24, 41
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,007,355 2/1977 Moreno 235/61.7 R
4.277.837 7/1981 Stuckert 364/900
4.305.059 12/1981 Benton 340/825.33
4.341,951 7/1982 Benton 235/379
4,454.414 6/1984 Benton 235/379
4,625,276 11/1986 Benton 364/408
4.799.156 1/1989 Shavit et al 364/408
4.926.325 5/1990 Benton et al 364/408
4.960,981 10/1990 Benton et al 364/408
Primary Examiner—Dale M. Shaw
In a system for carrying out finanical transactions via facsimile machines, account customized transaction vouchers are completed by at least one party to a transaction. The transaction vouchers issued to that party contain thereon a series of pseudo random alphanumeric characters with a different set of characters on each voucher. The party transmits by facsimile an image of the completed voucher to a facsimile machine at a central facility. A character reader at the central facility reads the incoming data and authorizes the requested transaction based on the pseudo random alphanumeric set of characters on the voucher when confirmed by a comparision to a list of pseudo random alphanumeric sets of characters in the account record of that party. Used sets of alphanumeric characters are deleted from the list in the account data to permit onetime usage of a voucher. A credit voucher is sent from the central facility to a facsimile machine at the site of the other party to the transaction. This voucher includes a pseudo random alphanumeric set of characters selected from a second list of such characters in the account information of said second party in the central facility.
18 Claims, 12 Drawing Sheets
