Systems and methods for receiving and orienting an image of one or more checks

• US 8,358,826 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Medina, Reynaldo III, Prater, Matthew Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANSARI, TAHMINA N
• Application Number:
  US11/876,925
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque

Abstract

Images of a plurality of checks to be presented for payment may be captured through the use of a check sleeve. The check sleeve includes check-holding mechanism to hold one or more checks in place in the sleeve, and contains various types of markings or other features that allow an image of the sleeve to be oriented, and to allow the portion of the image that represents a check to be distinguished from portions of the image that do not represent a check. One or more algorithms may be used to distinguish check from non-check portions of the image, and to orient the image. The check sleeves may have one or more barcodes imprinted thereon, which may encode various types of information.

Claims

1. A system for obtaining one or more images of a plurality of checks, the system comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled with said memory and configured to execute a plurality of instructions stored in said memory to;

receive an image of a first side of a sleeve that holds the plurality of checks, said image comprising a first portion that contains the plurality of checks, and a second portion that does not contain the plurality of checks, the sleeve including at least one marking printed on said second portion;

perform an image processing operation to distinguish said first portion from said second portion;

orient said image based on a detected orientation of the at least one marking; and

present electronically, with said oriented image, said one or more checks to be paid through a banking system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one marking comprises a horizontal line, and to orient said image, said processor further to execute instructions to:

identify a first point on said horizontal line;

identify a second point on said horizontal line; and

solve for a skew angle of said image based on said first point and said second point.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one marking comprises a vertical line, and to orient said image, said processor further to execute instructions to:

identify a top of said vertical line;

identify a bottom of said vertical line; and

solve for a skew angle of said image based on said top and said bottom.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one marking comprises a first vertical line and a second vertical line, said first vertical line having a first predetermined length, said second vertical line having a second predetermined length, said first vertical line and said second vertical line having a predetermined distance between them, and wherein to orient said image, said processor further to execute instructions to:

identify a first point that is either a top or a bottom of either said first vertical line or said second vertical line;

identify a second point that is either a top or a bottom of either said first vertical line or said second vertical line, said second point being different from said first point; and

solve for a skew angle of said image based on said first point, said second point, said first predetermined length, said second predetermined length, and said predetermined distance.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one marking comprises a plurality of horizontal lines, and to orient said image, said processor further to execute instructions to:

identify at least two points among said plurality of horizontal lines; and

solve for a skew angle based on said at least two points and on dimensions and positions of said plurality of horizontal lines.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said second portion comprises a background, and said processor further to execute instructions to:

apply a filter to increase contrast in said image between said first portion and said second portion; and

identify an edge of said first portion based on the image with an increased contrast.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor further to execute instructions to:

calculate an entropy of said first portion to determine whether a check is present in said first portion.

8. A method of obtaining one or more images of a plurality of checks, the method executable by a computing device including a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the method comprising:

receiving an image of a first side of a sleeve that holds the plurality of checks, said image comprising a first portion that contains the plurality of checks, and a second portion that does not contain the plurality of checks, the sleeve including at least one marking printed on said second portion;

performing, by said processor, an image processing operation to distinguish said first portion from said second portion;

orienting, by said processor, said image based on a detected orientation of the at least one marking; and

electronically presenting, with said computing device and using said oriented image, said one or more checks to be paid through a banking system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one marking comprises a horizontal line, and wherein said orienting comprises:

identifying a first point on said horizontal line;

identifying a second point on said horizontal line; and

solving for a skew angle of said image based on said first point and said second point.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one marking comprises a vertical line, and wherein said orienting comprises:

identifying a top of said vertical line;

identifying a bottom of said vertical line; and

solving for a skew angle of said image based on said top and said bottom.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one marking comprises a first vertical line and a second vertical line, said first vertical line having a first predetermined length, said second vertical line having a second predetermined length, said first vertical line and said second vertical line having a predetermined distance between them, and wherein said orienting comprises:

identifying a first point that is either a top or a bottom of either said first vertical line or said second vertical line;

identifying a second point that is either a top or a bottom of either said first vertical line or said second vertical line, said second point being different from said first point; and

solving for a skew angle of said image based on said first point, said second point, said first predetermined length, said second predetermined length, and said predetermined distance.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one marking comprises a plurality of horizontal lines, and wherein said orienting comprises:

identifying at least two points among said plurality of horizontal lines; and

solving for a skew angle based on said at least two points and on dimensions and positions of said plurality of horizontal lines.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said second portion comprises a background, and wherein performing said image processing operation comprises:

applying a filter to increase contrast in said image between said first portion and said second portion; and

identifying an edge of said first portion based on the image with an increased contrast.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

calculating an entropy of said first portion to determine whether a check is present in said first portion.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions executable by a processor for obtaining one or more images of a plurality of checks, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions that:

receive an image of a first side of a sleeve that holds the plurality of checks, said image comprising a first portion that contains the plurality of checks, and a second portion that does not contain the plurality of checks, said sleeve including at least one marking printed on said second side;

perform an image processing operation to distinguish said first portion from said second portion;

orient said image based on a detected orientation of the at least one marking; and

present electronically, with said oriented image, said one or more checks to be paid through a banking system.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said at least one marking comprises a horizontal line, and wherein said instructions to orient further comprise instructions that:

identify a first point on said horizontal line;

identify a second point on said horizontal line; and

solve for a skew angle of said image based on said first point and said second point.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said at least one marking comprises a vertical line, and wherein said instructions to orient further comprise instructions that:

identify a top of said vertical line;

identify a bottom of said vertical line; and

solve for a skew angle of said image based on said top and said bottom.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said at least one marking comprises a first vertical line and a second vertical line, said first vertical line having a first predetermined length, said second vertical line having a second predetermined length, said first vertical line and said second vertical line having a predetermined distance between them, and wherein said instructions to orient further comprise instructions that:

identify a first point that is either a top or a bottom of either said first vertical line or said second vertical line;

identify a second point that is either a top or a bottom of either said first vertical line or said second vertical line, said second point being different from said first point; and

solve for a skew angle of said image based on said first point, said second point, said first predetermined length, said second predetermined length, and said predetermined distance.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said at least one marking comprises a plurality of horizontal lines, and wherein said instructions that orient further comprise instructions that:

identify at least two points among said plurality of horizontal lines; and

solve for a skew angle based on said at least two points and on dimensions and positions of said plurality of horizontal lines.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said second portion comprises a background, and wherein said instructions that perform said image processing operation further comprise instructions that:

apply a filter to increase contrast in said image between said first portion and said second portion; and

identify an edge of said first portion based on the image with an increased contrast.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that:

calculate an entropy of said first portion to determine whether a check is present in said first portion.