METHODS FOR MOBILE IMAGE CAPTURE AND PROCESSING OF CHECKS

• US 20090185738A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitek Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mitek Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Nepomniachtchi, Grigori
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/20 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00816 Determining the reading area, e.g. eliminating reading of margins
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/403 Discrimination between the two tones in the picture signal of a two-tone original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to automated document processing and more particularly, to methods and systems for document image capture and processing using mobile devices. In accordance with various embodiments, methods and systems for document image capture on a mobile communication device are provided such that the image is optimized and enhanced for data extraction from the document as depicted. These methods and systems may comprise capturing an image of a document using a mobile communication device; transmitting the image to a server; and processing the image to create a bi-tonal image of the document for data extraction. Additionally, these methods and systems may comprise capturing a first image of a document using the mobile communication device; automatically detecting the document within the image; geometrically correcting the image; binarizing the image; correcting the orientation of the image; correcting the size of the image; and outputting the resulting image of the document.

Claims

1. A method for mobile image capture and processing for checks, comprising:

capturing an image of a check using the mobile communication device;

transmitting the image to a server; and

processing the image to create a bi-tonal image of the check for data extraction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging into an application before capturing the image of the check.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a type of check before processing the image to create a bi-tonal image of the check for data extraction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering an amount before processing the image to create a bi-tonal image of the check for data extraction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a status at the mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, where processing the image comprises processing the image on the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, where processing the image comprises processing the image on the server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the image comprises converting the image to gray-scale.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the image comprises detecting a quadrangle and correcting the image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the image comprises converting the image to a gray-scale image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is a camera phone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the image of the check to a server is accomplished by the mobile communication device.

13. A method for mobile image capture and processing for checks, comprising:

capturing a first image of a check using the mobile communication device;

automatically detecting the check within the first image;

geometrically correcting the first image, resulting in a second image;

binarizing the second image, resulting in a third image;

correcting the orientation of the third image, resulting in a fourth image;

correcting the size of the fourth image, resulting in a fifth image; and

outputting the fifth image of the check.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically detecting the check comprises determining a plurality of corners belonging to the check within the first image.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically detecting the check comprises:

converting the first image to a color icon image, wherein the first image is in color;

reducing color within the color icon image, resulting in a gray-scale icon image; and

determining a plurality of corners belonging to the check within the first image.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein geometrically correcting the first image comprises:

reducing color within the first image, wherein the first image is in color and the color reduction of the first image results in a first gray-scale image;

building a projective transformation model, wherein the projective transformation model maps the check within the first gray-scale image to a gray-scale check image;

applying the projective transformation model to the first image, resulting in the second image as a gray-scale check image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein geometrically correcting the first image further comprises:

correcting the orientation of the check within a gray-scale icon image if the check within the first image is in landscape orientation; and

building the projective transformation model from the gray-scale icon image.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the third image comprises a bi-tonal image.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein correcting the orientation of the third image comprises correcting the orientation of the check within the third image if the check is in upside-down orientation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein correcting the orientation of the third image further comprises determining the orientation of the check within the third image using an MICR-line on the check.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein correcting the size of the fourth image comprises:

reading an MICR-line at the bottom of the check within the fourth image;

computing an average width of MICR-characters within the MICR-line;

computing a scaling factor based on the average width of the MICR-characters;

using the scaling factor to determine whether the fourth image needs a size correction;

applying a size correction to the fourth image, resulting in a resized image;

geometrically correcting the resized image, resulting in a corrected image;

binarizing the corrected image, resulting in a binarized image; and

outputting the binarized image as the fifth image.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein outputting the fifth image of the check comprises outputting a bi-tonal image of the check.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein outputting the fifth image of the check comprises outputting a gray-scale image of the check.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the mobile communication device is a camera phone.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the first image of the check from the mobile communication device to a server for image processing.

26. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program code embodied therein for enabling a computing device to perform the operations of:

capturing an first image of a check using the mobile communication device;

automatically detecting the check within the first image;

geometrically correcting the first image, resulting in a second image;

binarizing the second image, resulting in a third image;

correcting the orientation of the third image, resulting in a fourth image;

correcting the size of the fourth image, resulting in a fifth image; and

outputting the fifth image of the check.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein automatically detecting the check comprises determining a plurality of corners belonging to the check within the first image.

28. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein automatically detecting the check comprises:

converting the first image to a color icon image, wherein the first image is in color;

reducing color within the color icon image, resulting in a gray-scale icon image; and

determining a plurality of corners belonging to the check within the first image.

29. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein geometrically correcting the first image comprises:

reducing color within the first image, wherein the first image is in color and the color reduction of the first image results in a first gray-scale image;

building a projective transformation model, wherein the projective transformation model maps the check within the first gray-scale image to a gray-scale check image;

applying the projective transformation model to the first image, resulting in the second image as a gray-scale check image.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein geometrically correcting the first image further comprises:

correcting the orientation of the check within a gray-scale icon image if the check within the first image is in landscape orientation; and

building the projective transformation model from the gray-scale icon image.

31. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the third image comprises a bi-tonal image.

32. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein correcting the orientation of the third image comprises correcting the orientation of the check within the third image if the check is in upside-down orientation.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein correcting the orientation of the third image further comprises determining the orientation of the check within the third image using an MICR-line on the check.

34. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein correcting the size of the fourth image comprises:

reading an MICR-line at the bottom of the check within the fourth image;

computing an average width of MICR-characters within the MICR-line;

computing a scaling factor based on the average width of the MICR-characters;

using the scaling factor to determine whether the fourth image needs a size correction;

applying a size correction to the fourth image, resulting in a resized image;

geometrically correcting the resized image, resulting in a corrected image;

binarizing the corrected image, resulting in a binarized image; and

outputting the binarized image as the fifth image.

35. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein outputting the fifth image of the check comprises outputting a bi-tonal image of the check.

36. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein outputting the fifth image of the check comprises outputting a gray-scale image of the check.

37. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the mobile communication device is a camera phone.

38. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising transmitting the first image of the check from the mobile communication device to a server for image processing.