System and method of sorting document images based on image quality

• US 7,406,183 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moon, Rodney G., Rector, Gerald C., Stokes, Raymond F., Sutton, Andrew H., Emerson, Geoffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan; Sheela C
• Application Number:
  US10/425,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20040213434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/101, 382/305, 382/306, 382/137, 382/140, 382/276, 382/168, 382/169, 382/284, 382/293, 382/296, 382/173, 382/283, 358/1.15, 358/403, 358/444, 358/296, 358/451, 358/1.9, 358/468, 399/403, 399/404, 399/402, 399/79, 707/104.1, 707/204
• US Class Current: 382/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/993 Evaluation of the quality of the acquired pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2253 Recognition of characters printed with magnetic ink G06V30/2247 takes precedence

Abstract

A document processing system and method for using image quality to sort documents. The document processing system comprises: a document sorting system that designates a destination pocket for each document based on data gathered from each document; a document imaging system that captures an image of each document; and an image quality analysis system that analyzes each image and causes any document having an unacceptable image to be redirected to an unacceptable destination pocket.

Claims

1. A method for processing documents, comprising:

inputting documents into a document processing system, wherein the document processing system includes a sort control processor, a front-end pocket designator, and a back-end pocket designator;

gathering data from each document;

designating a destination pocket for each document based on the data gathered from each document;

capturing an image of each document;

analyzing each image using an automated process to determine an image quality; and

redirecting unacceptable images to an unacceptable destination pocket.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data gathered from each document is gathered using a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition reader.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data gathered from each document is gathered using a Optical Character Recognition reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each document comprises a check.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising a preliminary step of setting a threshold for determining an unacceptable document quality level via a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising a preliminary step of setting a location of the unacceptable destination pocket within the document processing system via a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

collecting documents in the unacceptable destination pocket; and

re-imaging the collected documents.