Method of providing an indication of quality of a document image and an apparatus therefor

• US 7,266,230 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Doran, Wayne M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US10/315,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 382/137, 382/139
• US Class Current: 382/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/993 Evaluation of the quality of the acquired pattern

Abstract

A method of providing an indication of quality of an image of a document comprises the steps of (a) storing apriori data which is representative of a line contained in at least one field associated with the document, (b) receiving image data which is representative of the image of the document, (c) retrieving the stored apriori data based upon a first portion of the document image data, (d) comparing a second portion of the document image data with the retrieved apriori data, (e) providing an indication of quality of the image of the document based upon the comparison of the second portion of the document image data with the retrieved apriori data, and (f) processing the status signal to alert an operator of quality of the image of the document being below a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A method of processing a check, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing apriori data which is representative of certain features of the check;

(b) receiving image data which is representative of an image of the check;

(c) reading a pre-printed account number from a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline associated with the check image data, wherein the account number has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check;

(d) retrieving the stored apriori data based upon the pre-printed account number which has been read from the MICR codeline associated with the check image data;

(e) comparing a portion of the check image data with the retrieved apriori data; and

(f) providing a status signal indicative of check image quality which is other than fraud of the check based upon the comparison of the portion of the check image data with the retrieved apriori data.

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

(a-1) storing apriori data which is representative of a pre-printed line contained in at least one field associated with the check, wherein the line has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

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

(a-1) storing apriori data which is representative of pre-printed alphanumeric text contained in at least one field associated with the check wherein the alphanumeric text has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

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

(a-1) storing apriori data which is representative of only pre-printed alphabetic text contained in at least one field associated with the check, wherein the alphabetic text has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

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

(a-1) storing apriori data which is representative of only pre-printed numeric text contained in at least one field associated with the check, wherein the numeric text has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(g) processing the status signal to alert an operator of the check image quality which is other than fraud of the check being below a predetermined threshold.

7. An apparatus for processing a check, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing apriori data which is representative of certain features of the check;

means for receiving image data which is representative of an image of the check;

means for reading pre-printed account number from a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline associated with the check image date wherein the account number has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check;

means for retrieving the stored apriori data based upon the pre-printed account number which has been read from the MICR codeline associated with the check image data;

means for comparing a portion of the check image data with the retrieved apriori data; and

means for providing a status signal indicative of check image quality which is other than fraud of the check based upon the comparison of the portion of the check image data with the retrieved apriori data.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storing means includes means for storing apriori data which is representative of a pre-printed line contained in at least one field associated with the check, wherein the line has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storing means includes means for storing apriori data which is representative of pre-printed alphanumeric text contained in at least one field associated with the check, wherein the alphanumeric text has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storing means includes means for storing apriori data which is representative of only pre-printed alphabetic text contained in at least one field associated with the check, wherein the alphabetic text has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storing means includes means for storing apriori data which is representative of only pre-printed numeric text contained in at least one field associated with the check, wherein the numeric text has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check.

12. An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for processing the status signal to alert an operator of check image quality which is other than fraud of the check being below a predetermined threshold.

13. A method of providing an indication of document image quality which is other than fraud of a document, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing apriori data which is representative of a line contained in at least one field associated with the document;

(b) receiving image data which is representative of the image of the document;

(c) reading a pre-printed account number from a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline associated with the document image data, wherein the account number has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check

(d) retrieving the stored apriori data based upon the pre-printed account number which has been read from the MICR codeline associated with the document image data;

(e) comparing a portion of the document image data with the retrieved apriomi data;

(f) providing a status signal indicative of document image quality which is other than fraud of the document based upon the comparison of the portion of the document image data with the retrieved apriori data; and

(g) processing the status signal to alert an operator of the document image quality which is other than fraud of the document being below a predetermined threshold.

14. An apparatus for providing an indication of document image quality which is other than fraud of a document, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing apriori data which is representative of alphanumeric text contained in at least one field associated with the document;

means for receiving image data which is representative of the image of the document;

means for reading an a pre-printed account number from a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline associated with the document image data, wherein the account number has been pre-printed on the check before issuance of the check;

means for retrieving the stored apriori data based upon the pre-printed account, number which has been read from the MICR codeline associated with the document image data;

means for comparing a portion of the document image data with the retrieved apriori data;

means for providing a status signal indicative of the document image quality which is other than fraud of the document based upon the comparison of the portion of the document image data with the retrieved apriori data; and

means for processing the status signal to alert an operator of the document image quality which is other than fraud of the document being below a predetermined threshold.