# US 8,542,949 B1 · TIFF validation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,949 B1 - Document ID: US8542949B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 12/187,435 - Filed: 2008-08-07 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-07 - Assignees: Bank of America Corporation - Applicants: Lowell Huff; James Milford Heddleson - Inventors: Lowell Huff; James Milford Heddleson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542949B1 ## CPC - G06V 10/98: Detection or correction of errors, e.g. by rescanning the pattern or by human intervention; Evaluation of the quality of the acquired patterns - G06V 10/22: by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition - G06V 30/40: Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract An apparatus and method for validation of images and their associated Tag Image File Format (TIFF) tags in an image cash letter. One or more image cash letters (ICLs) are received. Each image cash letter is validated that it satisfies defined image and TIFF validation rules. Image cash letters are identified that have non-conforming images that do not pass the image and TIFF validation rules. Errors associated with the non-conforming images are automatically sent to an originator of the identified image cash letter that has the non-conforming images. Various reports may be generated identifying errors in the non-conforming images and associated originators of the errors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for image and Tag Image File Format (TIFF) validation comprising: receiving a plurality of image cash letters (ICLs) sent from a plurality of originating entities; validating, by a computing device processor, that each image in the image cash letter satisfies defined image and TIFF validation rules, wherein the TIFF validation rules include validating TIFF tag type, TIFF tag count and TIFF tag value in each image of the ICLs and the image validation rules include (1) validating the minimum and maximum size, in units of digital information and length, of a front check image and back check image and (2) an image file header (IFH) order; identifying, by a computing device processor, image cash letters that have one or more non-conforming images that do not pass the image and TIFF validation rules; generating, by a computing device processor, a modified ICL for each identified ICL, wherein the modified ICL replaces each non-conforming image with a general ledger debit, wherein the general ledger debit in the modified ICL is operative to insure that a deposit associated with the non-conforming image remains in balance; generating, by a computing device processor, an image cash return letter (ICLR) for each identified ICL, wherein the ICLR includes the general ledger debits and the one or more non-conforming images; automatically communicating, by a computing device processor, the ICLR to a corresponding originating entity; and generating, by a computing device processor on a periodic basis, an ICL validation error summary report that includes errors listed by originating entity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating, by a computing device processor, a summary file including all the at least one image cash letters that includes images that do not pass the image or TIFF validation rules. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein generating the summary file further comprises generating, by the computing device processor, the summary file comprising at least one of errors encountered in the at least one image cash letter, errors encountered in the at least one image cash letter listed by error type, or contact information for institutions originating image cash letters with errors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, generating, via a computing device processor, the ICL validation error summary report from the summary file, the report further comprising at least one of a run summary report, an error summary report, an error detail report, a record type report, or a TIFF tags report. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising generating, via a computing device processor, the summary file periodically. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further comprising generating, via a computing device processor, the summary file one of daily or several times within a day. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising making corrections to an image cash letter generation process at the originating entity, in response to the originating entity receiving the ICLR. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising validating, via a computing device processor, that each image in each at least one image cash letter has a front image and a back image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising validating, via a computing device processor, each image in each at least one image cash letter was scanned within a defined scanning resolution range. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium with instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a processing device to perform: receiving a plurality of image cash letters (ICLs) sent from a plurality of originating entities; validating that each image in the image cash letter satisfies defined image and TIFF validation rules, wherein the TIFF validation rules include validating TIFF tag type, TIFF tag count and TIFF tag value in each image of the ICLs and the image validation rules include validating (1) the minimum and maximum size, in units of digital information and length, of a front check image and back check image and (2) an image file header (IFH) order; identifying image cash letters that have one or more non-conforming images that do not pass the image and TIFF validation rules generating a modified ICL for each identified ICL, wherein the modified ICL replaces each non-conforming image with a general ledger debit, wherein the general ledger debit in the modified ICL is operative to insure that a deposit associated with the non-conforming image remains in balance; generating an image cash return letter (ICLR) for each identified ICL, wherein the ICLR includes the general ledger debits and the one or more non-conforming images; automatically communicating the ICLR to a corresponding originating entity; and generating, on a periodic basis, an ICL validation error summary report that includes errors listed by originating entity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising communicating the ICL validation error summary report to the corresponding originating entity.