Document imaging and processing system for performing blind balancing and display conditions

• US 8,625,875 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Csulits, Frank M., Anderson, Matthew, Blake, John R., Hallowell, Curtis W., Klein, Robert J., Mennie, Douglas U., Watts, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarka, David
• Application Number:
  US13/402,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 382/135
• 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: G06V 20/95 Pattern authentication; Markers therefor; Forgery detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/127 with the intervention of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

A document processing system comprising one or more document scanning devices that extract information from document images that uniquely identify a document. The system further comprises a central processor remotely connected to the document scanning devices. The central processor is configured to receive the document images and the extracted information from the document scanning devices and is further configured to execute a correction routine configured to adjust errors in the extracted information from the document image.

Claims

1. A document processing system, comprising:

an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of documents associated with a deposit transaction, the plurality of documents including currency bills;

an image scanner configured to obtain a document image of at least a portion of at least one side of each of the plurality of documents;

a transport mechanism configured to transport each of the plurality of documents one at a time from the input receptacle past the image scanner and to at least one output receptacle;

a memory coupled to the image scanner and being configured to store the document image of each of the documents; and

a processor configured to;

(1) denominate each of the currency bills,

(2) calculate a bank deposit amount for the received plurality of documents associated with the deposit transaction,

(3) perform a blind balancing of the received plurality of documents associated with the deposit transaction by comparing the calculated bank deposit amount with a customer deposit amount received by the document processing system for the deposit transaction such that the customer deposit amount is not displayed when the calculated bank deposit amount does not balance with the received customer deposit amount, and

(4) display an indication for a balanced deposit amount only in response to the calculated bank deposit amount balancing with the received customer deposit amount.

2. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the customer deposit amount received by the document processing system is associated with a prior provisional credit.

3. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a credit to be credited to a customer account associated with the deposit transaction.

4. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the document processing system has a foot print of less than 2 square feet and wherein the document processing system weighs less than 35 pounds.

5. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the image scanner is configured to obtain a document image of a currency bill at approximately 100 dots per inch while the transport mechanism transports the currency bills at the rate of about 1000 documents per minute.

6. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport each of the plurality of documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of approximately 450 documents per minute and wherein the image scanner is configured to obtain a document image of a currency bill at approximately 200 dots per inch while the transport mechanism transports the currency bills at the rate of about 450 documents per minute.

7. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the image scanner is configured to obtain a document image of a currency bill having at least approximately 100 dots per inch while the transport mechanism transports the currency bills at the rate of at least about 450 documents per minute.

8. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents further includes checks;

the image scanner further being configured to extract information from the document image of each of the documents;

wherein the memory is further configured to store the document image of each of the documents, the information extracted from each of the document images, or both;

wherein the processor is further configured to extract an amount of each of the checks;

wherein the received customer deposit amount is received by the document processing system via a communications link coupled to the document processing system; and

the processor being further configured to send a message in response to the calculated bank deposit amount not balancing with the received customer deposit amount.

9. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents further includes checks;

the image scanner further being configured to extract information from the document image of each of the documents;

wherein the memory is further configured to store the document image of each of the documents, the information extracted from each of the document images, or both;

wherein the processor is further configured to extract an amount of each of the checks;

wherein the received customer deposit amount is received by the document processing system via a communications link coupled to the document processing system.

10. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to send a message in response to the calculated bank deposit amount not balancing with the received customer deposit amount.

11. The document processing system of claim 10, wherein the document processing system is configured to send the message to a bank manager, a customer associated with the deposit transaction, or both.

12. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the received customer deposit amount is received by the document processing system via a communications link coupled to the document processing system.

13. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents further includes checks.

14. The document processing system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to extract an amount of each of the checks.

15. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the image scanner is further configured to extract information from the document image of each of the documents.

16. The document processing system of claim 15, wherein the memory is further configured to store the information extracted from each of the document images.

17. The document processing system of claim 15, wherein the information extracted for each currency bill includes a serial number, a signature, a denomination, a series, a back plate, a front plate, a print code, or any combination thereof.

18. The document processing system of claim 15, wherein the information extracted for each currency bill includes a serial number and a denomination.

19. The document processing system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of documents includes checks and the information extracted for each check includes a routing number, a bank account number, a check number, a check amount, a payee name, a drawer signature, a drawee name, an endorsement signature, a drawer name, contact information, memo field information, or any combination thereof.

20. The document processing system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of documents includes checks and the information extracted for each check includes a routing number, a bank account number, a check number, or any combination thereof.

21. The document processing system of claim 15, wherein the currency bills are U.S. currency bills and the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills, the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images of the U.S. currency bills, and the image scanner is configured to extract the information at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

22. The document processing system of claim 15, wherein the documents further include checks and the currency bills are U.S. currency bills, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the checks and the U.S. currency bills, the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images of the checks and the U.S. currency bills, and the image scanner is configured to extract the information at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

23. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the document processing system is configured to store the received customer deposit amount along with customer identifying information for use in the blind balancing of the deposit transaction.

24. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents includes currency bills and checks and wherein the input receptacle is a single receptacle configured to receive intermingled currency bills and checks.

25. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the input receptacle is configured to receive currency bills and checks, the transport mechanism being configured to transport the currency bills in a direction perpendicular to a wider edge of said currency bills and to transport the checks in a direction perpendicular to at least one of a wider edge and a narrower edge of said checks.

26. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents at a rate varying between 0 inches and 100 inches per second.

27. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents and the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images at a rate between about 300 and about 400 documents per minute.

28. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents and the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images at a rate in excess of 600 documents per minute.

29. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents and the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images at a rate in excess of 800 documents per minute.

30. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents and the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

31. The document processing system of claim 30, wherein the image scanner has a depth of field of approximately 0.060 inches (0.15 centimeters).

32. The document processing system of claim 30, wherein the image scanner is capable of simultaneously scanning a front side and a back side of each of the documents.

33. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the currency bills are U.S. currency bills and the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills and the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images of the front and back of each of the U.S. currency bills at a rate of 1000 documents per minute.

34. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the currency bills are U.S. currency bills and the transport mechanism is configured to transport the U.S. currency bills and the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images of the U.S. currency bills at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

35. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents and the image scanner is configured to obtain the document images at a rate in excess of 1200 documents per minute.

36. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the documents at a rate in excess of 1500 documents per minute.

37. The document processing system of claim 1, wherein the image scanner is configured to initiate an image processing technique when the transport mechanism is transporting documents at a non-constant rate.

38. The document processing system of claim 37, wherein the image processing technique adjusts the brightness of a light source of the image scanner based on fluctuations in the transport speed of the transport mechanism.

39. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the display of the indication for the balanced deposit amount comprises displaying the balanced deposit amount on a display.

40. A method of processing documents using a document processing system, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a plurality of documents associated with a deposit transaction in an input receptacle of the document processing system, the plurality of documents including currency bills;

transporting each of the plurality of documents one at a time from the input receptacle to an output receptacle;

imaging, via an image scanner of the document processing system, at least a portion of at least one side of each of the plurality of documents to obtain a document image for each of the documents;

storing the document images of each of the documents in a memory coupled to the image scanner;

determining a value associated with each of the documents;

receiving a customer deposit amount associated with the deposit transaction;

calculating a bank deposit amount based on the determined value associated with each of the documents;

comparing the calculated bank deposit amount with the received customer deposit amount to perform a blind balancing of the plurality of documents such that the customer deposit amount is not displayed when the calculated bank deposit amount does not match the received customer deposit amount; and

displaying, via a display device, an indication for a balanced deposit amount only in response to the calculated bank deposit amount matching the received customer deposit amount.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the customer deposit amount received by the document processing system is associated with a prior provisional credit.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising the act of crediting a customer account associated with the deposit transaction.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the document processing system has a foot print of less than 2 square feet and wherein the document processing system weighs less than 35 pounds.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting each of the plurality of documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of about 1000 documents per minute and wherein the act of imaging includes imaging the currency bills at approximately 100 dots per inch.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting each of the plurality of documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of about 450 documents per minute and wherein the act of imaging includes imaging the currency bills at approximately 200 dots per inch.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting each of the plurality of documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 450 documents per minute and wherein the act of imaging includes obtaining currency bill images having at least approximately 100 dots per inch.

47. The method of claim 40, wherein the plurality of documents further includes checks;

the method further comprising the act of extracting information from the document image of each of the documents;

wherein the act of storing further comprises storing in the memory the document image of each of the documents, the information extracted from each of the document images, or both;

the method further comprising the act of extracting an amount of each of the checks; and

wherein the act of receiving further comprises receiving the customer deposit amount associated with the deposit transaction via a communications link coupled to the document processing system.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising the act of sending a message in response to the calculated bank deposit amount not matching the received customer deposit amount.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the message is sent to a bank manager, a customer associated with the deposit transaction, or both.

50. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving the customer deposit amount associated with the deposit transaction via a communications link.

51. The method of claim 40, wherein the plurality of documents further includes checks and wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving currency bills and checks associated with a deposit transaction.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the act of determining a value includes extracting an amount of each of the checks.

53. The method of claim 40, further comprising the act of extracting information from the document image of each of the documents.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the act of storing includes storing the information extracted from each of the document images.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the act of extracting comprises extracting for each currency bill a serial number, a signature, a denomination, a series, a back plate, a front plate, a print code, or any combination thereof.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the plurality of documents includes checks and the act of extracting comprises extracting for each check a routing number, a bank account number, a check number, a check amount, a payee name, a drawer signature, a drawee name, an endorsement signature, a drawer name, contact information, memo field information, or any combination thereof.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the act of extracting comprises extracting for each currency bill a serial number, a denomination, or both.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein the plurality of documents includes checks and the act of extracting comprises extracting for each check a routing number, a bank account number, a check number, or any combination thereof.

59. The method of claim 53, wherein the currency bills are U.S. currency bills, and wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the U.S. currency bills at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute, the act of imaging includes imaging the U.S. currency bills at a rate of 1000 documents per minute, and the act of extracting includes extracting the information at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

60. The method of claim 53, wherein the documents further include checks and the currency bills are U.S. currency bills, and wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the checks and the U.S. currency bills at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute, the act of imaging includes imaging the checks and the U.S. currency bills at a rate of 1000 documents per minute, and the act of extracting includes extracting the information at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

61. The method of claim 40, further comprising the act of storing the received customer deposit amount along with customer identifying information for use in the blind balancing of the deposit transaction.

62. The method of claim 40, wherein the plurality of documents includes currency bills and checks and wherein the act of receiving includes receiving intermingled currency bills and checks.

63. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents in a direction perpendicular to a wider edge of the documents.

64. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents at a rate varying between 0 inches and 100 inches per second.

65. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents at a rate between about 300 and about 400 documents per minute and the act of imaging includes imaging the documents at a rate between about 300 and about 400 documents per minute.

66. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents at a rate in excess of 600 documents per minute and the act of imaging includes imaging the documents at a rate in excess of 600 documents per minute.

67. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents at a rate in excess of 800 documents per minute and the act of imaging includes imaging the documents at a rate in excess of 800 documents per minute.

68. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute and the act of imaging includes imaging the documents at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute.

69. The method of claim 40, wherein the currency bills are U.S. currency bills and the act of transporting includes transporting the U.S. currency bills at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute and the act of imaging includes imaging the front and back of each of the U.S. currency bills at a rate of 1000 documents per minute.

70. The method of claim 40, wherein the currency bills are U.S. currency bills and the act of transporting includes transporting the U.S. currency bills at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute and the act of imaging includes imaging the U.S. currency bills at a rate of 1000 documents per minute.

71. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents at a rate in excess of 1200 documents per minute and the act of imaging includes imaging the documents at a rate in excess of 1200 documents per minute.

72. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting the documents at a rate in excess of 1500 documents per minute.

73. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of displaying the indication for the balanced deposit amount comprises displaying the balanced deposit amount.

74. A method of processing documents using a document processing system, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a plurality of documents associated with a deposit transaction in an input receptacle of the document processing system, the documents at least including currency bills;

transporting each of the documents one at a time from the input receptacle to at least one output receptacle;

imaging, via an image scanner of the document processing system, at least a portion of at least one side of each of the documents to obtain at least one document image for each of the documents;

storing the at least one document image of each of the documents in a memory coupled to the image scanner;

determining, using the stored document images, a value associated with each of the documents;

receiving a customer deposit amount associated with the deposit transaction;

calculating a bank deposit amount based on the determined value associated with each of the documents;

comparing the calculated bank deposit amount with the received customer deposit amount to perform a blind balancing of the plurality of documents such that at least one of the deposit amounts is not displayed when the calculated bank deposit amount does not match the received customer deposit amount; and

only in response to the calculated bank deposit amount balancing with the received customer deposit amount, displaying on a display a value equal to the received customer deposit amount.

75. The method of claim 74, further comprising sending a message in response to the calculated bank deposit amount not matching the received customer deposit amount.

76. The method of claim 75, further comprising sending the message to a bank manager, a customer associated with the deposit transaction, or both.

77. The method of claim 74, wherein the customer deposit amount received by the document processing system is associated with a prior provisional credit.

78. The method of claim 74, further comprising the act of crediting a customer account associated with the deposit transaction.

79. The method of claim 74, wherein the document processing system has a foot print of less than 2 square feet and wherein the document processing system weighs less than 35 pounds.

80. The method of claim 74, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting each of the documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of about 1000 documents per minute and wherein the act of imaging includes imaging the currency bills at approximately 100 dots per inch.

81. The method of claim 74, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting each of the documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of about 450 documents per minute and wherein the act of imaging includes imaging the currency bills at approximately 200 dots per inch.

82. The method of claim 74, wherein the act of transporting includes transporting each of the plurality of documents in a wide-edge leading manner at a rate of at least about 450 documents per minute and wherein the act of imaging includes obtaining currency bill images having at least approximately 100 dots per inch.

83. A U.S. currency bill processing system, comprising:

an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of U.S. currency bills associated with a deposit transaction;

an image scanner configured to obtain a U.S. currency bill image of at least a portion of at least one side of each of the U.S. currency bills;

a transport mechanism configured to transport each of the plurality of U.S. currency bills one at a time from the input receptacle past the image scanner and to at least one output receptacle;

a memory coupled to the image scanner and being configured to store the U.S. currency bill image of each of the U.S. currency bills; and

a processor configured to;

(1) denominate each of the U.S. currency bills,

(2) calculate a bank deposit amount for the plurality of U.S. currency bills associated with the deposit transaction,

(3) perform a blind balancing of the plurality of U.S. currency bills associated with the deposit transaction by comparing the calculated bank deposit amount with a customer deposit amount received by the currency bill processing system for the deposit transaction such that the customer deposit amount is not displayed when the calculated bank deposit amount does not match the customer deposit amount, and

(4) cause a value equal to the calculated deposit amount to be displayed on a display of the currency bill processing system only in response to the calculated bank deposit amount matching with the received customer deposit amount.

84. The document currency bill processing system of claim 83, wherein the customer deposit amount received by the currency bill processing system is associated with a prior provisional credit.

85. The currency bill processing system of claim 83, wherein the currency bill processing system has a foot print of less than 2 square feet and wherein the currency bill processing system weighs less than 35 pounds.

86. The currency bill processing system of claim 83, wherein the image scanner is configured to obtain a U.S. currency bill image having at least approximately 100 dots per inch while the transport mechanism transports the U.S. currency bills at the rate of at least approximately 450 U.S. currency bills per minute.

87. The currency bill processing system of claim 83, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a message to be sent in response to the calculated bank deposit amount not matching the customer deposit amount received by the currency bill processing system.

88. The currency bill processing system of claim 87, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the message to be sent to a bank manager, a customer associated with the deposit transaction, or both.