Character recognition, including method and system for processing checks with invalidated MICR lines
First Claim
1. A financial item analysis method, comprising digitally applying character recognition processing to an invalidated MICR line in a digital image of a financial item after the financial item has been sent to a reject pocket of a financial item sorter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated analysis method and tool for a digitally imaged financial item can digitally recognize a plurality of characters across an area of a digital image containing character indicia at predetermined positions in the area and also possibly containing non-character indicia in the area. This finds exemplification in an automated check processing method and check sorting system in which a check'"'"'s MICR line that has been read and interpreted as invalid can be digitally analyzed, via a digital image of the check, to identify MICR characters that could not be validly read or interpreted by the conventional MICR processing equipment. This includes digitally applying character recognition processing to an invalidated MICR line in a digital image of the financial item (e.g., a check). Previously invalidated MICR line data can then be corrected.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A financial item analysis method, comprising digitally applying character recognition processing to an invalidated MICR line in a digital image of a financial item after the financial item has been sent to a reject pocket of a financial item sorter.
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11. A check processing method, comprising:
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transporting a check through a check sorter;
generating electrical signals in response to sensing a MICR line on a check in the check sorter;
generating a digital image of the check in the check sorter;
determining in a programmed computer whether the electrical signals represent a valid or an invalid MICR line; and
in response to determining that the electrical signals represent an invalid MICR line, and off-line from the check sorter and the transporting of the check, digitally processing the digital image of the check to identify MICR characters therein. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A check sorting system, comprising:
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a check sorter including a MICR reader and a digital imager for checks transported by the check sorter;
a controller connected to the check sorter, the controller including a MICR interpreter responsive to the MICR reader;
a database connected to the check sorter to provide a repository for digital images of checks provided from the digital imager; and
a digital image analyzer connected to the controller and to the database to analyze by off-line digital processing a check digital image from the database for a check indicated by the MICR interpreter of the controller to have an invalid MICR line, wherein the off-line digital processing occurs after the check sorter has completed transporting the respective check. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A check processing method, comprising:
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transporting a check through a check sorter including a MICR reader and a digital imager;
generating electrical signals with the MICR reader in response to the MICR reader sensing a MICR line on a check in the check sorter and communicating the electrical signals to a controller including a programmed computer to define a first set of data;
generating with the digital imager a digital image of the check in the check sorter and communicating the digital image to a database to define a second set of data;
determining in the programmed computer, using the first set of data and a predetermined set of MICR line validation rules digitally stored in the programmed computer, whether the electrical signals represent a valid or an invalid MICR line;
in response to determining that the electrical signals represent an invalid MICR line, transporting the check to a reject pocket preparatory to manual processing of the check by key entry personnel;
off-line from the check sorter and after transporting the check to the reject pocket but before a time for manual processing of the check by key entry personnel, digitally processing, using the second set of data, the digital image of the check to identify MICR characters therein, including;
digitally converting a digital representation of the digital image from the second set of data to a common image format;
digitally applying templates to the converted data in the common image format to determine MICR characters in the MICR line represented in the converted data;
determining in the programmed computer, using the predetermined set of MICR line validation rules, whether the determined MICR characters represent a valid or invalid MICR line; and
writing the determined MICR characters to the first set of data in response to determining that the determined MICR characters represent a valid MICR line, thereby obviating the need for manually processing the check by key entry personnel.
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25. A check processing method, comprising:
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transporting a check through a check sorter including a MICR reader and a digital imager;
generating electrical signals with the MICR reader in response to the MICR reader sensing a MICR line on a check in the check sorter and communicating the electrical signals to a controller including a programmed computer to define a first set of data;
generating with the digital imager a digital image of the check in the check sorter and communicating the digital image to a database to define a second set of data;
determining in the programmed computer, using the first set of data and a predetermined set of MICR line validation rules digitally stored in the programmed computer, whether the electrical signals represent a valid or an invalid MICR line;
in response to determining that the electrical signals represent an invalid MICR line, transporting the check to a reject pocket preparatory to manual processing of the check by key entry personnel;
after transporting the check to the reject pocket but before a time for manual processing of the check by key entry personnel, digitally processing, using the second set of data, the digital image of the check to identify MICR characters therein, including;
digitally determining MICR characters in the MICR line represented in the second set of data;
determining whether the determined MICR characters represent a valid or invalid MICR line; and
writing the determined MICR characters to the first set of data in response to determining that the determined MICR characters represent a valid MICR line, thereby obviating the need for manually processing the check by key entry personnel.
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Specification