Method and apparatus for correcting erroneously decoded magnetic ink characters

• US 5,963,659 A
• Filed: 05/05/1995
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Wilson, Philip, Levine, Glenn, Koroteyev, Vladimir, Cahill, Thomas, Sferra, Richard H., Goldfisher, Saul
• Primary Examiner(s): Au, Amelia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prikockis, Larry J.
• Application Number:
  US08/435,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 382/309, 382/310, 382/311, 382/135, 382/136, 382/137, 382/138, 382/139, 382/140, 235/379
• US Class Current: 382/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A method and apparatus for storing and retrieving images of documents, e.g. checks. The method comprises placing a plurality of documents in a document imaging machine and forming an electronic image of each document, storing each electronic image in an electronic storage device, providing at least one user interface device in communication on a communication link with the electronic storage device, placing a request for at least one document image on the user interface device, transmitting the request by the communication link to the electronic storage device, searching the electronic storage device for the requested electronic image of the document, retrieving the at least one electronic image or providing an indication that the image was not found, storing the electronic image, if found, in an electronic file, for transmission to the user interface device at user option, providing the electronic image to the user interface device at command of a user at the user interface device for storage at the user interface device and displaying the requested electronic image on a display of the user interface device. Preferably, the electronic, images are stored with embedded identifying information in a TIFF® (trademark of Aldus Corp.) file format and the check images can be displayed on a display device which permits the user to view both sides of the checks simultaneously and perform functions such as zooming and rotation of the images.

Claims

1. A method for determining and correcting errors in magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) data on a check, comprising the steps of:

reading the MICR data with magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) means and comparing the MICR data to a first threshold to obtain decoded data corresponding to each character of the MICR data;

rejecting a character in the decoded data if the first threshold is not exceeded and determining that the rejected character requires correction;

assigning a specified character to characters requiring correction in the decoded data;

displaying the uncorrected decoded data on a display device and highlighting in reverse video a first field of said MICR data containing an error with the specified character replacing characters requiring correction;

entering data to replace the specified characters;

replacing the specified characters with the entered data;

checking if the number of characters in the data entered is equal to the number of specified characters and if so replacing only the specified characters with the entered data;

if the number of characters in the data entered is less than the number of specified characters, replacing all the decoded data with the entered data; and

if the number of characters in the entered data is greater than in the decoded data, generating a warning message to confirm that the entered data is longer than in the decoded data prior to replacing the decoded data with the entered data.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising optically scanning said magnetic ink MICR data to form optically decoded data and further comprising comparing said optically decoded data with said decoded magnetic MICR data for consistency and if there is a lack of consistency, flagging the respective document for correction.

3. Apparatus for determining and correcting errors in magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) data on a check, comprising:

magnetic ink character recognition means for comparing the MICR data to a first threshold to determine each character of the MICR data;

means for rejecting any character in the MICR data if the first threshold is not exceeded and indicating that such character requires correction;

means for assigning a specified character to characters requiring correction in the MICR data;

a display for displaying the uncorrected MICR data that highlights in reverse video a first field containing an error and with the specified character replacing characters requiring correction;

an input device for entering data to replace the specified characters; and

means for replacing the specified characters with the entered data;

further comprising;

means for;

checking if the number of characters in the data entered is equal to the number of specified characters and if so replacing only the specified characters with the entered data;

if the number of characters in the data entered is less than the number of specified characters, replacing all the MICR data with the entered data; and

if the number of characters in the entered data is greater than in the MICR data, generating a warning message to confirm that the entered data is longer than in the MICR data prior to replacing the MICR data with the entered data.

4. The apparatus cited in claim 3, further comprising optical character recognition means for forming optically decoded data and means for comparing said optically decoded data for consistency, and if there is a lack of consistency, flagging the respective document for correction.