Negotiable instrument electronic clearance monitoring systems and methods

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for analyzing negotiated negotiable instruments are described. A computer system, including a computer readable storage device and a processor may be provided. A plurality of electronic files may be received. Each of these electronic files of the plurality of electronic files may include an electronic image of at least a portion of a negotiable instrument and include a plurality of data fields. The plurality of electronic files may be divided into subsets based on whether data is available in particular data fields of the electronic files. Based upon the subset an electronic file is made a member of, various selection criteria may be applied to determine if the electronic file is a candidate for suspicious and/or illegal activity. Statistics may be calculated about the analysis process to determine the quality and effectiveness of various analysis methods.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of electronic files, wherein:
 each electronic file of the plurality of electronic files includes a plurality of data fields; 
   sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a plurality of groups, wherein each electronic file is sorted into at least one group; and   identifying candidate electronic files for further analysis in at least a subset of groups of the plurality of groups.   
     
     
         3 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein each electronic file of the plurality of electronic files comprises an image of a negotiable instrument. 
     
     
         4 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein identifying the candidate electronic files for further analysis in the subset of groups of the plurality of groups is based on selection criteria. 
     
     
         5 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 4 , wherein the selection criteria varies per group in the subset of groups. 
     
     
         6 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 prior to sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files in the plurality of groups, removing a set of the electronic files from the plurality of electronic files based on negotiable instruments of the set of electronic files each representing a monetary value below a threshold monetary value, such that the set of electronic files are not sorted into the plurality of groups.   
     
     
         7 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups comprises:
 sorting one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on return location routing numbers.   
     
     
         8 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups comprises:
 sorting one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on deposit account numbers at banks of first deposit.   
     
     
         9 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups comprises:
 sorting one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on amounts of monetary value deposited in particular deposit accounts.   
     
     
         10 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups comprises:
 sorting one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on sequence numbers associated with banks of first deposit.   
     
     
         11 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups comprises:
 sorting one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on sequence numbers associated with electronic check exchange institutions.   
     
     
         12 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups comprises:
 sorting one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on endorsing bank sequence numbers.   
     
     
         13 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 2 , wherein:
 sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups occurs in a sequential order such that a first set of electronic files of the plurality of electronic files are sorted into a first group of the plurality of groups prior to a second set of electronic files of the plurality of electronic files being sorted into a second group of the plurality of groups; and   each electronic file of the plurality of electronic files are sorted into one group of the plurality of groups.   
     
     
         14 . The computerized method for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 13 , wherein each electronic file of the plurality of electronic is eligible to be sorted into the second group of the plurality of groups if that electronic file does not contain sufficient information for sorting into the first group. 
     
     
         15 . A system for categorizing negotiable instruments, the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 receive a plurality of electronic files, wherein:
 each electronic file of the plurality of electronic files includes a plurality of data fields; 
 
 sort the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a plurality of groups, wherein each electronic file is sorted into at least one group; and 
 identify candidate electronic files for further analysis in at least a subset of groups of the plurality of groups. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 15 , wherein each electronic file of the plurality of electronic files comprises an image of a negotiable instrument. 
     
     
         17 . The system for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to identify the candidate electronic files for further analysis in the subset of groups of the plurality of groups uses selection criteria. 
     
     
         18 . The system for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 17 , wherein the selection criteria varies per group in the subset of groups. 
     
     
         19 . The system for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 prior to sorting the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files in the plurality of groups, remove a set of the electronic files from the plurality of electronic files based on negotiable instruments of the set of electronic files each representing a monetary value below a threshold monetary value, such that the set of electronic files are not sorted into the plurality of groups.   
     
     
         20 . The system for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to sort the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups further comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 sort one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on return location routing numbers.   
     
     
         21 . The system for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to sort the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups further comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 sort one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on deposit account numbers at banks of first deposit.   
     
     
         22 . The system for categorizing negotiable instruments of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to sort the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into the plurality of groups further comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 sort one or more electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a group of the plurality of groups based on a total amount of monetary value deposited in particular deposit accounts.   
     
     
         23 . A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium for categorizing negotiable instruments, the computer program product comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:
 receive a plurality of electronic files, wherein:
 each electronic file of the plurality of electronic files includes a plurality of data fields; 
   sort the electronic files of the plurality of electronic files into a plurality of groups, wherein each electronic file is sorted into at least one group; and   identify candidate electronic files for further analysis in at least a subset of groups of the plurality of groups.