Method for reading and sorting documents

• US 20020067846A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agissar Corp.
• Original Assignee: Agissar Corp.
• Inventors: Foley, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,487,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1463 Orientation detection or correction, e.g. rotation of multiples of 90 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/424 Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

A method for reading and sorting documents is provided which generally comprises staging each document for processing, capturing a digital image of the front side and the back side of each document, determining the physical orientation of each document using digital orientation recognition software and possibly hardware, reading the information from a digital image of each document, sorting the documents by orientation, and then communicating the information read from each document to a posting system. Additionally, the image of the document can be automatically oriented and then read. The documents, among other things, can include checks and coupons. When the document is a bank check, the method further comprises endorsing the check, printing an audit trail for the check, sorting the check by orientation, preparing a cash letter and sending the check to the bank.

Claims

1. A method for sorting and reading a batch of documents of the type including information and having a front side and a back side, the method being for the purposes of communicating such information to a posting system, comprising the steps of:

staging each document for processing;

capturing a digital image of the front side and the back side of each document;

automatically determining the physical orientation of each document;

reading the information from a digital image of each document;

sorting each document by orientation; and

communicating the information read from each document to the posting system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically orienting the digital image of each document to the preferred orientation after determining the orientation of each document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes machine readable information and the step of reading the information is done automatically.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the document is a check and the machine readable information includes a magnetic ink codeline and a courtesy amount and wherein the step of automatically reading the machine readable information comprises automatically reading the magnetic ink codeline by magnetic ink character recognition and automatically reading the courtesy amount by digital image-based character recognition.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the document is a check and the machine readable information includes a magnetic ink codeline and a courtesy amount and the step of automatically reading the machine readable information comprises:

automatically reading the magnetic ink codeline by optical character recognition; and

automatically reading the courtesy amount by image character recognition.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the document is a check and the machine readable information includes a magnetic ink codeline and the non-machine readable information includes a courtesy amount and wherein the step of reading the information comprises:

automatically reading the magnetic ink codeline by magnetic ink character recognition; and

manually reading the courtesy amount.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the document is a coupon, and wherein the machine readable information includes an optical character scanline, and the step of automatically reading the information comprises automatically reading the optical character scanline by optical character recognition.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the document is a check, the check has a right-side up orientation and an up-side down orientation, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

providing a batch header and a batch trailer for each of the sets of documents having a different orientation, the batch header having a unique numerical designation; and

after determining the physical orientation of each document, sorting the check based upon its orientation into a plurality of sets selected from the group consisting of the front side and the right-side up, the front side and the up-side down, the back side and the right-side up, and the back side and the up-side down.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

orienting each check to the preferred orientation;

encoding each check;

endorsing each check;

printing an audit trail for each check;

preparing a cash letter; and

sending each check to a bank.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising extracting each check from an envelope before staging the check.

11. A method for sorting and reading a batch of documents of the type having a front side, a back side, a right-side up, an up-side down, and a preferred orientation, comprising the steps of:

staging each document for processing;

capturing a digital image of the front side and the back side of each document;

automatically determining the physical orientation of each document;

reading the oriented digital image of each document; and

sorting each check based upon its orientation into a plurality of sets selected from the group consisting of the front side and the right-side up, the front side and the up-side down, the back side and the right-side up, and the back side and the up-side down.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of automatically orienting the digital image of each document from a position selected from the group comprising face-forward and right-side up, face-forward and up-side-down, face-backward and right-side-up and face-backward and up-side-down to a preferred orientation.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing at least four batch headers, wherein each of the batch headers has a unique numerical designation printed on at least four separate locations.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing at least four batch trailers.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising extracting each document from an envelope before staging each document.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the orientation of each document is determined automatically by using software.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the orientation of each document is determined automatically by using a hardware-based codeline device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of creating at least four batch control documents comprises creating four batch headers and wherein a unique numerical designation is printed on at least four separate locations of each batch header.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of creating at least four batch control documents comprises creating four batch headers and four batch trailers and wherein a same unique numerical designation is printed on at least four separate locations of each batch header.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising after sorting each of the checks based upon its orientation, the steps of:

orienting each check to the preferred orientation;

encoding each check;

endorsing each check;

printing an audit trail for each check;

preparing a cash letter; and

sending each check to a bank.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising extracting each check from an envelope before staging the check.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of automatically orienting the digital image of each document from a position selected from the group comprising face-forward and right-side-up, face-forward and up-side-down, face-backward and right-side-up and face-backward and up-side-down to a preferred orientation.

18. A method for sorting and reading a batch of checks of the type having a front side, a back side, a right-side up, an up-side down and a preferred orientation and including readable information, the method being for the purposes of communicating such information to a posting system, comprising the steps of:

staging each of the checks for processing;

creating at least four batch control documents;

printing a unique numerical designation on each of the batch control documents;

capturing a digital image of the front side and the back side for each check;

determining the physical orientation of each check using digital software;

reading the digital image of each check;

sorting each of the checks based upon its orientation into one of four sets selected from the group consisting of the front side and the right-side up, the front side and the up-side down, the back side and the right-side up, and the back side and the up-side down; and

communicating the information read to the posting system.