Method of determining usability of a document image and an apparatus therefor

• US 20020150279A1
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, Dennis, Wesolkowski, Slawomir B., Stefanuk, Nancy B.M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,912,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/112
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/16 Irregularities, e.g. protuberances
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/40 using optical, e.g. photographic, elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1322 corner
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1912 Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 43/00 Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10008 from scanner, fax or copier
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30176 Document
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0006 using a design-rule based approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

A method of processing a document comprises the steps of (a) scanning a document to capture image data associated with the document, (b) processing at least a portion of the captured image data to calculate a first count of pixels associated with a corner of the document, (c) processing at least a portion of the captured image data to calculate a second count of pixels associated with the corner of the document, and (d) determining if the corner of the document is missing or has a fold based upon the first count of pixels associated with the corner of the document and the second count of pixels associated with the corner of the document. The usability of the captured image data associated with the document is determined based upon the amount of information found missing from the image of the document due to, for examples, a torn or folded corner. If the torn or folded corner is determined to be large enough, then the corresponding image of the document is determined to be unusable.

Claims

1. A method of determining usability of a document image, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining if a corner of a document is missing based upon captured image data associated with the document; and

(b) determining if the corner of the document has a fold when the corner of the document is determined to be missing.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (a) includes the step of:

(a-1) determining if at least a predetermined amount of the corner of the document is missing.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) includes the step of:

(b-1) determining if the fold of the corner of the document is at least a predetermined size.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (a) includes the step of (a-1) determining if at least a predetermined amount of the corner of the document is missing, and step (b) includes the step of (b-1) determining if the fold of the corner of the document is at least a predetermined size.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

(c) determining the usability of the captured image data associated with the document based upon at least one of the determinations of steps (a-1) and (b-1).

6. A method of processing a document, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) scanning a document to capture image data which is representative of an image of the document;

(b) processing at least a portion of the captured image data to calculate a first count of pixels associated with a corner of the document;

(c) processing at least a portion of the captured image data to calculate a second count of pixels associated with the corner of the document; and

(d) determining if the corner of the document is missing or has a fold based upon the first count of pixels associated with the corner of the document and the second count of pixels associated with the corner of the document.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

(e) determining the usability of the captured image data associated with the document based upon the amount of information found missing from the image of the document as determined in step (d).

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein step (d) includes the steps of:

(d-1) determining whether at least a predetermined amount of the corner of the document is missing; and

(d-2) determining whether the corner has a fold of at least a predetermined size when at least the predetermined amount of the corner of the document is determined to be missing.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

(e) determining the usability of the captured image data associated with the document based upon at least one of the determination as to whether at least the predetermined amount of the corner of the document is missing and the determination as to whether the corner of the document has a fold of at least the predetermined size.

10. An apparatus for determining usability of a document image, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining if a corner of the document is missing based upon captured image data associated with the document; and

means for determining if the corner of the document has a fold when the corner of the document is determined to be missing.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for determining the usability of the captured image data associated with the document based upon at least one of the determination as to whether the corner of the document is missing and the determination as to whether the corner of the document has a fold.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for determining if a corner of the document is missing includes means for determining if at least a predetermined amount of the corner of the document is missing.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for determining if the corner of the document has a fold includes means for determining if the fold of the corner of the document is at least a predetermined size.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining the usability of the captured image data associated with the document based upon the determination as to whether the corner of the document is missing or has a fold.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for determining if the corner of the document is missing or has a fold includes (i) means for determining whether a corner of the document is missing, and (ii) means for determining if a corner of the document has a fold when the corner of the document is determined to be missing.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether a corner of the document is missing includes means for determining if at least a predetermined amount of the corner of the document is missing.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the means for determining if a corner of the document has a fold includes means for determining if the fold of the corner of the document is at least a predetermined size.

19. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether a corner of the document is missing includes means for determining if at least a predetermined amount of the corner of the document is missing, and the means for determining if a corner of the document has a fold includes means for determining if the fold of the corner of the document is at least a predetermined size.

14. An apparatus comprising:

means for scanning a document to capture image data which is representative of an image of the document;

means for processing at least a portion of the captured image data to calculate a first count of pixels associated with a corner of the document;

means for processing at least a portion of the captured image data to calculate a second count of pixels associated with the corner of the document; and

means for determining if the corner of the document is missing or has a fold based upon the first count of pixels associated with the corner of the document and the second count of pixels associated with the corner of the document.