Check printing auditing systems and methods

• US 20070019855A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Marlett, Calvin, Ray, Lily
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/274 Syntactic or semantic context, e.g. balancing

Abstract

Embodiments herein print documents comprising magnetic ink characters, capture overlapping partial images of the MICR line of magnetic ink characters, and stitch these partial images together to form a complete image of the MICR line. This allows the embodiments to accumulate the routing number, the account number, the check number, and the amount data in the magnetic ink characters on each document to produce image-based data including accumulated amounts (e.g. ledger). Then, the image-based data including the accumulated amounts can be compared to the anticipated data from the original source of information to verify the accuracy of the printing operations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

printing at least one document comprising magnetic ink characters;

capturing overlapping partial images of said magnetic ink characters;

stitching said partial images together to form a complete image of said magnetic ink characters;

accumulating values of said magnetic ink characters as shown in said complete image to produce image-based accumulated amounts; and

comparing said image-based monetary amounts to anticipated accumulated amounts.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic ink characters further comprise data regarding monetary amounts, routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said accumulating further comprises accumulating data regarding monetary amounts, routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said comparing further comprises:

comparing image-based monetary amounts to anticipated monetary amounts;

comparing image-based routing numbers to anticipated routing numbers;

comparing image-based account numbers to anticipated account numbers; and

comparing image-based check numbers to anticipated check numbers.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said capturing comprises optically sensing said magnetic ink characters, within an interior of a printing device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said partial images comprise images of less than all said magnetic ink characters on said document.

7. A method comprising:

printing at least one document comprising monetary amounts, wherein said monetary amounts are printed on said document using magnetic ink characters;

magnetically sensing said magnetic ink characters;

capturing overlapping partial images of said magnetic ink characters;

stitching said partial images together to form a complete image of said magnetic ink characters;

accumulating said monetary amounts as shown in said complete image to produce image-based accumulated monetary amounts;

accumulating said monetary amounts of said documents as determined by said magnetically sensing of said magnetic ink characters to produce magnetic-based accumulated monetary amounts; and

comparing said image-based accumulated monetary amounts to said magnetic-based accumulated monetary amounts, and to anticipated accumulated monetary amounts.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said magnetic ink characters further comprise data regarding routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said accumulating further comprises accumulating data regarding routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said comparing further comprises:

comparing image-based routing numbers to anticipated routing numbers;

comparing image-based account numbers to anticipated account numbers; and

comparing image-based check numbers to anticipated check numbers.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said capturing comprises optically sensing said magnetic ink characters, within an interior of a printing device.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said partial images comprise images of less than all said magnetic ink characters on said document.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one printing engine adapted to print magnetic ink characters on at least one document;

an optical sensor positioned to capture overlapping partial images of said magnetic ink characters;

a processor operatively connected to said optical sensor, wherein said processor is adapted to stitch said partial images together to form a complete image of said magnetic ink characters, and to accumulate values of said magnetic ink characters to produce image-based accumulated amounts; and

a comparator operatively connected to said processor, wherein said comparator is adapted to compare said image-based accumulated amounts to anticipated accumulated amounts.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said magnetic ink characters further comprise data regarding monetary amounts, routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said processor is further adapted to accumulate data regarding monetary amounts, routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said comparator is further adapted to:

compare image-based monetary amounts to anticipated monetary amounts;

compare image-based routing numbers to anticipated routing numbers;

compare image-based account numbers to anticipated account numbers; and

compare image-based check numbers to anticipated check numbers.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a printing device, wherein said optical sensor is positioned within an interior of said printing device.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said partial images comprise images of less than all said magnetic ink characters on said document.

19. An apparatus comprising:

at least one printing engine adapted to print magnetic ink characters comprising monetary amounts on at least one document;

an electronic sensor positioned to magnetically sense said magnetic ink characters;

an optical sensor positioned to capture overlapping partial images of said magnetic ink characters;

a processor operatively connected to said optical sensor, wherein said processor is adapted to stitch said partial images together to form a complete image of said magnetic ink characters, to accumulate said monetary amounts as shown in said complete image to produce image-based accumulated monetary amounts, and to accumulate said monetary amounts of said documents as determined by said electronic sensor of said magnetic ink characters to produce magnetic-based accumulated monetary amounts; and

a comparator operatively connected to said processor, wherein said comparator is adapted to compare said image-based accumulated monetary amounts to said magnetic-based accumulated monetary amounts, and to anticipated accumulated monetary amounts.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said magnetic ink characters further comprise data regarding routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said processor is further adapted to accumulate data regarding routing numbers, account numbers, and check numbers.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said comparator is further adapted to:

compare image-based routing numbers to anticipated routing numbers;

compare image-based account numbers to anticipated account numbers; and

compare image-based check numbers to anticipated check numbers.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a printing device, wherein said optical sensor is positioned within an interior of said printing device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said partial images comprise images of less than all said magnetic ink characters on said document.