Deposit accepting method and apparatus for automated banking machine
View Patent ↗An automated banking machine ( 10 ) includes a deposit accepting apparatus ( 44 ) which is capable of accepting and authenticating instruments, as well as accepting envelopes deposited into the machine by a user. A transport section ( 46 ) is operative to engage and transport deposited items selectively from an inlet ( 48 ) to an outlet ( 50 ). A deposit holding module ( 90 ) includes compartments ( 98, 106 ) which are operative to hold different types of deposits. The machine operates to selectively move a compartment into communication with the outlet based on the particular type of item being deposited. The depository apparatus is further operative to acquire image and magnetic profile data from deposited instruments, to manipulate the image and profile data and to analyze and resolve characters in selected areas thereof. The data from deposited instruments is used for determining if a user is authorized to conduct certain requested transactions at the machine.
1. A method comprising:
(a) accepting a non-cash document into an automated banking machine including a cash dispenser;
(b) sensing features on the document with the machine;
(c) determining at least one visible character corresponding to at least one visible feature in at least one area of the document in which at least one visible feature is sensed;
(d) determining a magnetic profile in at least one area of the document in which at least one magnetic feature is sensed;
(e) determining if the magnetic profile corresponds on the document to the at least one visible character;
(f) including data corresponding to the at least one visible character in a transaction message sent by the machine to a remote computer that is adapted to authorize a cash dispensing transaction at the machine involving the document.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein in (e) determining if the magnetic profile corresponds to the at least one visible character includes bringing data representative of the at least one visible feature and data representative of the at least one magnetic feature into registration with one another.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein in (e) bringing the at least one visible feature and magnetic profile into registration includes imposing a common coordinate system on both the data representative of the at least one visible feature and the magnetic profile.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein in (e) imposing the common coordinate system includes determining a location of at least one corner of the document, and placing a first corner at an origin of the common coordinate system.
5. The method according to claim 3 wherein in (e) imposing the common coordinate system includes determining positions of a plurality of sides of the document.
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein in (e) imposing the common coordinate system further comprises determining a location of a corner of the document from the position of the plurality of sides, and placing the corner at the origin of the common coordinate system.
7. The method according to claim 1 wherein (b) includes sensing both visible and non-visible features of the document.
8. The method according to claim 7 wherein (e) includes determining if at least one portion of the at least one non-visible feature and at least one visible feature of the document correspond.
9. The method according to claim 1 and prior to (f) further comprising:
(g) comparing data corresponding to features sensed on the document in (b) to at least one electronic template.
10. The method according to claim 9 and further comprising:
receiving at least one input from a user of the machine;
and wherein (g) comprises comparing the data corresponding to the features sensed on the document to the at least one template responsive to the at least one input.
11. The method according to claim 10 and further comprising, selecting the at least one template from among a plurality of templates responsive to the at least one input.
12. The method according to claim 9 and further comprising:
(h) reformatting data corresponding to the features sensed on the document, if in (g) the data does not correspond to the at least one template.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein in (h) the reformatting corresponds to changing an orientation of features corresponding to a visible image.
14. The method according to claim 13 where in (h) the reformatting corresponds to changing the orientation of the image 180°.
15. The method according to claim 12 wherein in (h) the reformatting corresponds to aligning the image in an imposed coordinate system.
16. The method according to claim 15 wherein (b) includes sensing both visible and non-visible features of the document.
17. The method according to claim 1 and prior to (f) further comprising:
(g) determining if at least one of certain visible characters is present in the features sensed on the document in (b), and carrying out step (f) responsive to a presence of the at least one of the certain visible characters.
18. The method according to claim 17 wherein in (g) certain visible characters include at least one micr character.
19. The method according to claim 18 wherein in (g) the at least one micr character includes a routing character.
20. The method according to claim 19 wherein in (g) the at least one micr character includes an account character.
21. The method according to claim 18 wherein in (g) the certain visible characters include at least one currency type character.
22. The method according to claim 21 wherein in (g) the at least one currency type character comprises a dollar sign.
23. The method according to claim 18 wherein in (g) the certain visible characters include a monetary amount.
24. The method according to claim 17 wherein (g) includes determining if routing characters and a monetary amount are present in visible features on the document, and carrying out step (f) responsive to the presence of both such characters and a monetary amount.
25. The method according to claim 1 and prior to (f) further comprising:
(g) determining if the at least one visible feature corresponds to at least one known character with at least a level of assurance, and carrying out step (f) responsive to the determination having at least the level of assurance.
26. The method according to claim 1 wherein the document comprises a check and further comprising:
dispensing cash from the machine responsive to at least one feature sensed on the check in (b).
27. An article bearing machine readable instructions operative to cause at least one computer in an automated banking machine including a cash dispenser to carry out a method comprising:
(a) receiving a check into the automated banking machine;
(b) sensing features of the check;
(c) determining at least one visible character corresponding to at least one visible feature in at least one area of the check in which at least one visible feature is sensed on the check;
(d) determining a non-visible profile in at least one area of the check in which at least one non-visible feature is sensed on the check;
(e) determining if the non-visible profile corresponds on the check to the at least one visible feature;
(f) sending at least one transaction message from the machine including data corresponding to the at least one character;
(g) dispensing cash from the machine.
28. The article according to claim 27 wherein (b) includes sensing at least one non-visible feature in (d), wherein the at least non-visible feature comprises a magnetic property.
29. The article according to claim 27 wherein the method includes:
producing electronic image data corresponding to the document; and
imposing a plurality of electronic templates on the image data.
30. The article according to claim 29 wherein each of the plurality of electronic templates include at least one analysis area, and wherein the method includes analyzing at least one feature sensed in (b) in the at least one analysis area for at least one recognizable character.
31. The article according to claim 30 wherein in analyzing characters in the at least one analysis area comprises determining if at least one recognizable visible character is present in a micr line of the check, and wherein (e) includes determining if the non-visible profile includes at least one magnetic feature corresponding to the at least one recognizable character.
32. A method comprising:
(a) receiving a financial check into an automated banking machine including a cash dispenser and at least one computer, wherein the check includes a micr line;
(b) optically reading data from the micr line;
(c) magnetically reading data from the micr line;
(d) determining if the magnetically read data corresponds to the optically read data; and
(e) responsive to a positive determination in step (d), operating the cash dispenser to dispense an amount of cash associated with an amount of the check.
33. The method according to claim 32
wherein step (b) includes reading an optical profile of the micr line,
wherein step (c) includes reading a magnetic profile of the micr line,
wherein step (d) includes determining if the magnetic profile corresponds to the optical profile.
34. The method according to claim 33 and further comprising:
(e) determining at least one dimension of an area of the optical profile,
(f) determining at least one dimension of an area of the magnetic profile,
(g) determining if the at least one magnetic profile dimension correlates with the at least one optical profile dimension.
35. The method according to claim 32 wherein the micr line includes a visible area and a magnetic area, and further comprising:
(e) determining at least one dimension of the visible area;
(f) determining at least one dimension of the magnetic area;
(g) determining if the at least one visible area dimension corresponds to the at least one magnetic area dimension.