Automated document processing system and method

• US 8,169,602 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Jones, John E., Jones, Paul A., Jones, William J., Mennie, Douglas U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M
• Application Number:
  US13/114,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20110220717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 356/71
• US Class Current: 356/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/14 Apparatus driven under control of coin-sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs

Abstract

A document processing system includes an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past an image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The image scanner operates to obtain images of the documents and further operates to obtain images of selected portions of the documents, and further can obtain information contained in the selected portions. The discrimination unit operates to determine document authenticity. A system controller directs the flow of documents over the transport mechanism.

Claims

1. An automated teller system for processing documents in a deposit transaction, the automated teller system comprising:

an input receptacle configured to receive a stack of documents including a combination of checks and currency bills;

a transport system configured to convey the documents from the input receptacle along a transport path;

an imaging scanner at least partially adjacent to the transport path, the imaging scanner configured to generate image data of at least one side of each conveyed document, the generated image data reproducible as a visually readable image for electronic display of each conveyed document;

one or more processors configured to

determine the denomination of the currency bills from the generated image data of the conveyed currency bills,

extract amount information from the generated image data of the conveyed checks, and

determine a total value of the conveyed checks and currency bills, the total value based on the extracted amount information from the generated image data of the conveyed checks and the determined denomination from the generated image data of the conveyed currency bills.

2. The automated teller system of claim 1, wherein the transport system comprises a single transport path configured to convey the checks and currency bills.

3. The automated teller system of claim 1, wherein the conveyed checks and currency bills each have a wide edge and a narrow edge, the wide edge having a dimension greater than the narrow edge, the checks and currency bills being conveyed by the transport system with the narrow dimension generally parallel to the direction of conveyance.

4. The automated teller system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more interfaces configured to transmit data indicative of a value relating to the total value of the conveyed checks and currency bills to a network associated with the automated teller system.

5. The automated teller system of claim 4, wherein the network comprises an accounting system for crediting the total value of the conveyed checks and currency bills to an account of a user.

6. The automated teller system of claim 4, wherein the one or more interfaces are configured to connect to an outside accounting system and the transmission of the value is configured to occur in real-time with the outside accounting system such that the total value associated with the processed documents is available substantially immediately to the outside accounting system for updating a funds balance of an account associated with the outside accounting system.

7. The automated teller system of claim 6, wherein the one or more interfaces are configured to receive in real-time a confirmation that the account associated with the outside accounting system has been credited.

8. The automated teller system of claim 1, further comprising a diverter for diverting checks to one output receptacle and currency bills to another output receptacle.

9. The automated teller system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display the generated images of the conveyed checks to a user of the automated teller system; and

a data entry device configured to receive a user input of amount information related to the conveyed checks.

10. The automated teller system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to

transmit to a communications panel a prompt requesting user input, the prompt being transmitted in response to the one or more processors being unable to extract amount information from the generated image data for one or more conveyed checks,

display at least a portion of the generated image data for the one or more checks on a display associated with the communications panel, and

receive, via a data entry device associated with the communication panel, amount information associated with the one or more checks.

11. The automated teller system of claim 1, wherein the currency bills in the received stack of documents are U.S. currency bills.

12. The automated teller system of claim 1, further comprising a dispensing unit configured to dispense currency bills to a user.

13. The automated teller system of claim 1, wherein access to the automated teller system is controlled by an identification card inserted by a user into a slot in the automated teller system.

14. An automated teller system for processing checks and currency bills in a deposit transaction, the automated teller system comprising:

an input receptacle configured to receive a stack of documents including a combination of currency bills and checks;

a transport system configured to convey the currency bills and checks from the input receptacle along a transport path;

an imaging scanner at least partially adjacent to the transport path, the imaging scanner configured to generate image data of at least one side of each conveyed currency bill and check, the generated image data reproducible as a visually readable image for electronic display of each currency bill and check;

a denominating sensor at least partially adjacent to the transport path, the denominating sensor configured to generate denomination data for each currency bill;

one or more processors configured to

determine the denomination of each currency bill from the generated denomination data,

extract amount information from the generated images of the conveyed checks, and

determine a total value of the conveyed checks and currency bills, the total value based on the extracted amount information from the generated image data of the conveyed checks and the determined denomination of each currency bill from the generated denomination data.

15. The automated teller system of claim 14, wherein the transport system comprises a single transport path configured to convey the checks and currency bills.

16. The automated teller system of claim 14, wherein the conveyed checks and currency bills each have a wide edge and a narrow edge, the wide edge having a dimension greater than the narrow edge, the checks and currency bills being conveyed by the transport system with the narrow dimension generally parallel to the direction of conveyance.

17. The automated teller system of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more interfaces configured to transmit data indicative of a value relating to the total value of the conveyed checks and currency bills to a network associated with the automated teller system, wherein the network includes an accounting system for crediting the total value of the conveyed checks and currency bills to an account associated with the deposit transaction, the one or more interfaces further configured to receive in real-time a confirmation that the associated account has been credited.

18. The automated teller system of claim 14, further comprising a diverter for diverting checks to one output receptacle and currency bills to another output receptacle.

19. The automated teller system of claim 14, further comprising:

a display configured to display the generated images of the conveyed checks to a user of the automated teller system; and

a data entry device configured to receive a user input of amount information related to the conveyed checks.

20. The automated teller system of claim 14, wherein the currency bills in the received stack of documents are U.S. currency bills.

21. The automated teller system of claim 14, further comprising a dispensing unit configured to dispense currency bills to a user.

22. The automated teller system of claim 14, wherein access to the automated teller system is controlled by an identification card inserted by a user into a slot in the automated teller system.