Apparatus and system for imaging currency bills and financial documents and method for using the same

• US 8,594,414 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Jones, William J., Csulits, Frank M., Hallowell, Curtis W., Mennie, Douglas U., Anderson, Matthew L., Klein, Robert J., Jaeger, Ralf H., Badalamenti, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US13/785,001
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 382/135, 382/137, 382/140, 902/8, 902/20, 705/45, 209/534
• US Class Current: 382/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/146 Aligning or centring of the image pick-up or image-field
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/148 Segmentation of character regions
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0047 using checkcodes, e.g. coded numbers derived from serial number and denomination
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/04 Testing magnetic properties of the materials thereof, e.g. by detection of magnetic imprint G07D7/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/202 using pattern matching

Abstract

A first prompt is displayed to insert a deposit slip that includes declared information. The deposit slip is received, transported at a first speed, and imaged. A total declared cash-in amount and a total declared check amount are extracted from image data associated with the deposit slip. The total declared cash-in amount is determined to be a non-zero number. A second prompt is displayed to insert currency bills. The currency bills are received, transported at a second speed, and imaged. Deposit information is generated from image data associated with each of the currency bills. The deposit information at least includes a calculated total cash deposit amount. The deposit information is compared with the declared information to determine if the deposit transaction is balanced.

Claims

1. A method of processing a deposit transaction involving a plurality of documents, the method comprising:

displaying a first prompt to a user of a document processing device to insert currency bills associated with the deposit transaction;

receiving the currency bills associated with the deposit transaction in an input receptacle of the document processing device;

transporting the currency bills, one at a time, at a first transportation speed along a transport path from the input receptacle past an image scanner;

imaging the currency bills with the image scanner to produce image data associated with each of the currency bills, the image data associated with each individual currency bill being reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of a respective currency bill;

displaying a second prompt to the user of the document processing device to insert checks associated with the deposit transaction;

receiving the checks associated with the deposit transaction in the input receptacle of the document processing device;

transporting the checks, one at a time, at a second transportation speed along the transport path from the input receptacle past the image scanner; and

imaging the checks with the image scanner to produce image data associated with each of the checks, the image data associated with each individual check being reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of a respective check.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a customer account number associated with the deposit transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a record for each currency bill and each check associated with the deposit transaction, each record including a respective portion of the image data associated with each individual currency bill or each individual check.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising tagging the customer account number to each generated record associated with the deposit transaction and storing the records in a records storage database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving declared information including a total declared deposit amount, a total declared check deposit amount, a total declared cash deposit amount, a total declared cash withdrawal amount, or any combinations thereof via an interface of the document processing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating deposit information from image data associated with each of the currency bills and the image data associated with each of the checks, the deposit information at least including a total deposit amount, a total check deposit amount, and a total cash deposit amount.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising comparing the deposit information with the declared information to determine if the deposit transaction is balanced.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining that the deposit transaction is not balanced and displaying a non-balance indicator on a display of the document processing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transportation speed and the second transport speed are both at least about 500 documents per minute.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating deposit information from image data associated with each of the currency bills and the image data associated with each of the checks, the deposit information at least including a total deposit amount, a total check deposit amount, and a total cash deposit amount.

11. A document processing system for processing a deposit transaction involving a plurality of documents, the system comprising:

a display;

an input receptacle configured to receive currency bills and checks associated with the deposit transaction;

an image scanner configured to produce image data associated with currency bills and checks received in the input receptacle, the image data being reproducible as visually readable images of at least a portion of a respective currency bill or a respective check;

a transport mechanism for transporting the currency bills at a first transportation speed along a transport path from the input receptacle past an image scanner and for transporting the checks at a second transportation speed along the transport path from the input receptacle past the image scanner; and

a controller configured to implement the acts of;

displaying on the display a first prompt to a user to insert currency bills associated with the deposit transaction;

after receiving the currency bills in the input receptacle, transporting the currency bills, one at a time, at the first transportation speed along the transport path;

imaging the currency bills with the image scanner to produce image data associated with each of the currency bills;

displaying a second prompt to the user of the document processing device to insert checks associated with the deposit transaction;

after receiving the checks in the input receptacle, transporting the checks, one at a time, at the second transportation speed along the transport path; and

imaging the checks with the image scanner to produce image data associated with each of the checks.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of receiving a customer account number associated with the deposit transaction.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of generating a record for each currency bill and each check associated with the deposit transaction, each record including a respective portion of the image data associated with each individual currency bill or each individual check.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of tagging the customer account number to each generated record associated with the deposit transaction and storing the records in a records storage database.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of receiving declared information including a total declared deposit amount, a total declared check deposit amount, a total declared cash deposit amount, a total declared cash withdrawal amount, or any combinations thereof via an interface of the document processing device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of generating deposit information from image data associated with each of the currency bills and the image data associated with each of the checks, the deposit information at least including a total deposit amount, a total check deposit amount, and a total cash deposit amount.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of generating deposit information from image data associated with each of the currency bills and the image data associated with each of the checks, the deposit information at least including a total deposit amount, a total check deposit amount, and a total cash deposit amount.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of comparing the deposit information with the declared information to determine if the deposit transaction is balanced.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to implement the act of determining that the deposit transaction is not balanced and displaying a non-balance indicator on a display of the document processing device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first transportation speed and the second transport speed are both at least about 500 documents per minute.