Granted Patent B1

US 8,091,784 · App. 12/378,043 · Granted Jan 10, 2012

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine operative responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records, wherein the automated banking machine includes:

a card reader, wherein the card reader is operative to read card data from a user card, wherein the card data corresponds to a financial account;

a check acceptor, wherein the check acceptor is configured to receive financial checks that include thereon magnetic ink character recognition (micr) symbols,

wherein the check acceptor includes:

at least one magnetic sensor,

at least one transport, wherein the at least one transport is operative to move a check adjacent to the at least one magnetic sensor in a first direction,

wherein the at least one magnetic sensor is operative to generate electrical signals corresponding to micr symbols on the check that are moved adjacent to the at least one magnetic sensor in the first direction;

at least one processor, and at least one data store, wherein the at least one data store is in operative connection with the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to a plurality of predetermined symbol feature vectors, wherein each predetermined symbol feature vector corresponds to one of a plurality of predetermined micr symbols;

wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the card reader and the check acceptor, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause a financial transfer at least one of to and from a financial account corresponding to the card data;

and wherein the at least one processor is operative to:

cause the electrical signals generated responsive at least in part to a first micr symbol on the check to be sampled, wherein sample signal data is generated, which sample signal data is representative of changes in amplitude in the electrical signals generated for the micr symbol at different positions along the first direction,

identify a plurality of peaks in the sampled signal data,

cause data corresponding to a sample magnetic feature vector associated with the first micr symbol on the check to be generated responsive at least in part to the identified peaks, wherein the data corresponding to the sample magnetic feature vector includes a plurality of values representative of respective distances between the identified peaks, which distances between the identified peaks correspond at least in part to distances between different positions in the first direction on the first micr symbol associated with generation of the respective identified peaks,

determine that a first predetermined symbol feature vector and the sample magnetic feature vector have a predetermined relationship,

determine first micr symbol data that corresponds to the first predetermined symbol feature vector, wherein the first micr symbol data corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined micr symbols and the first micr symbol on the check,

cause the automated banking machine to send at least one message from the automated banking machine to at least one remote computer, wherein the at least one message includes data corresponding to the card data and the first micr symbol data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each value of the sample magnetic feature vector corresponds to a distance between a peak value that is one of either positive or negative, and an immediately adjacent peak value that is the same one of either positive or negative, for the first micr symbol on the check.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of predetermined symbol feature vectors include a plurality of values, wherein each value corresponds to a distance between a peak value that is one of either positive or negative and an immediately adjacent peak value that is the same one of either positive or negative among data values for the corresponding predetermined micr symbol.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the predetermined micr symbols comprise CMC-7 font micr symbols, and wherein each of the predetermined symbol feature vectors include six values each corresponding to six distances between immediately adjacent peak values among the data values corresponding to a respective predetermined micr symbol.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein “10” corresponds to a first distance and “15” corresponds to a second distance between adjacent peaks and wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance, and wherein the “10” and “15” correspond to relative lineal distances, and wherein the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “0” is (10 10 15 15 10 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “1” is (15 10 10 10 15 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “2” is (10 15 15 10 10 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “3” is (15 10 15 10 10 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “4” is (15 10 10 15 10 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “5” is (10 10 10 15 15 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “6” is (10 10 15 10 15 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “7” is (15 15 10 10 10 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “8” is (10 15 10 10 15 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “9” is (10 15 10 15 10 10) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “I” is (15 10 10 10 10 15) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “T” is (10 15 10 10 10 15) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “A” is (10 10 15 10 10 15) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “N” is (1 10 10 15 10 15) T and the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “R” is (10 10 10 10 15 15) T .

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the first magnetic sample feature vector includes data values corresponding to six relative distances between immediately adjacent peak values among the data values generated responsive at least in part to the first micr symbol on the check.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the automated banking machine further includes a cash dispenser, and wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the cash dispenser, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the cash dispenser to dispense cash from the automated banking machine having a value and is operative to cause the financial account corresponding to the card data to be assessed an amount corresponding to at least the value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the check acceptor further includes an imaging device, wherein the imaging device is operative to capture image data corresponding to visual appearance of checks,

wherein the at least one data store further includes data corresponding to instructions operative to identify each of the plurality of predetermined micr symbols responsive at least in part to associated image data,

and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the imaging device to capture image data corresponding to visual appearance of at least a portion of at least one face of the check including image data corresponding to the first micr symbol,

and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the image data corresponding to the first micr symbol to be analyzed,

and wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine the first micr symbol data responsive at least in part to the image data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause at least a portion of image data to be included in the at least one message.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the at least one message sent from the automated banking machine is operative to cause the financial transfer.

11. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine operative responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records, wherein the automated banking machine includes:

a card reader, wherein the card reader is operative to read card data from a user card, wherein the card data corresponds to a financial account;

a check acceptor, wherein the check acceptor is configured to receive financial checks that include thereon magnetic ink character recognition (micr) symbols,

wherein the check acceptor includes:

at least one magnetic sensor,

at least one transport, wherein the at least one transport is operative to move a check adjacent to the at least one magnetic sensor,

wherein the at least one magnetic sensor is operative to generate electrical signals corresponding to micr symbols on the check that are moved adjacent to the at least one magnetic sensor;

at least one processor, and at least one data store, wherein the at least one data store is in operative connection with the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to a plurality of predetermined symbol feature vectors, wherein each predetermined symbol feature vector corresponds to one of a plurality of predetermined micr symbols wherein each of the plurality of predetermined symbol feature vectors includes data corresponding to a plurality of values;

wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the card reader and the check acceptor, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause a financial transfer at least one of to and from a financial account corresponding to the card data;

and wherein the at least one processor is operative to:

cause the electrical signals generated responsive at least in part to a first micr symbol on the check to be sampled, wherein sample signal data is generated;

cause the generation of a plurality of data values responsive at least in part to the sample signal data, wherein the plurality of data values include a plurality of peak values;

cause data corresponding to a sample magnetic feature vector associated with the first micr symbol on the check to be generated responsive at least in part to the plurality of data values generated from the sample signal data, wherein the data corresponding to the sample magnetic feature vector includes a plurality of values, wherein each of the values in the sample magnetic feature vector corresponds to a distance between a peak value that is one of either positive or negative, and an immediately adjacent peak value that is the same one of either positive or negative, included in the plurality of data values generated from the sample signal data for the first micr symbol on the check;

cause the data corresponding to the sample magnetic feature vector to be compared to the data corresponding to a plurality of the predetermined symbol feature vectors;

determine, responsive at least in part to the comparison, a first predetermined symbol feature vector that at least substantially corresponds to the sample magnetic feature vector;

resolve first micr symbol data that corresponds to the first predetermined symbol feature vector, wherein the first micr symbol data corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined micr symbols and the first micr symbol on the check, and

cause the automated banking machine to send at least one message from the automated banking machine to at least one remote computer, wherein the at least one message includes data corresponding to the card data and the first micr symbol data.

12. Apparatus comprising:

an automated banking machine operative responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records, wherein the automated banking machine includes:

a card reader, wherein the card reader is operative to read card data from a user card, wherein the card data corresponds to a financial account;

a check acceptor, wherein the check acceptor is configured to receive financial checks that include thereon magnetic ink character recognition (micr) symbols,

wherein the check acceptor includes:

at least one magnetic sensor,

at least one transport, wherein the at least one transport is operative to move a check adjacent to the at least one magnetic sensor in a first direction,

wherein the at least one magnetic sensor is operative to generate electrical signals corresponding to micr symbols on the check that are moved adjacent to the at least one magnetic sensor;

at least one processor, and at least one data store, wherein the at least one data store is in operative connection with the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to a plurality of predetermined symbol feature vectors, wherein each predetermined symbol feature vector corresponds to one of a plurality of predetermined micr symbols, wherein each of the plurality of predetermined symbol feature vectors includes data corresponding to a plurality of peak values;

wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the card reader and the check acceptor, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause a financial transfer at least one of to and from a financial account corresponding to the card data;

and wherein the at least one processor is operative to:

cause the electrical signals generated responsive at least in part to a first micr symbol on the check to be sampled, wherein sample signal data is generated;

cause the generation of a plurality of data values responsive at least in part to the sample signal data, wherein the plurality of data values include a plurality of peak values;

cause data corresponding to a sample magnetic feature vector associated with the first micr symbol on the check to be generated responsive at least in part to the plurality of data values, wherein the sample magnetic feature vector includes data corresponding to the plurality of peak values included in the plurality of data values generated from the sample signal data;

cause a Pearson correlation function to be carried out to compare the data corresponding to the sample magnetic feature vector and the data corresponding to the plurality of predetermined symbol feature vectors;

determine responsive at least in part to the comparison, a first predetermined symbol feature vector that at least substantially corresponds to the sample magnetic feature vector;

resolve first micr symbol data that corresponds to the first predetermined symbol feature vector, wherein the first micr symbol data corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined micr symbols and the first micr symbol on the check; and

cause the automated banking machine to send at least one message from the automated banking machine to at least one remote computer, wherein the at least one message includes data corresponding to the card data and the first micr symbol data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the peak values include both positive and negative peak values.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the peak values correspond to peak amplitudes of the plurality of data values.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the predetermined micr symbols comprise E-13b font micr symbols, and wherein each of the predetermined symbol feature vectors include eight values each corresponding to at least one data value in each of eight equally spaced transverse locations across the corresponding predetermined micr symbol.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “0” is (130 −90 0 0 0 0 103 −126) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “1” is (68 0 85 −55 −99 0 0 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “2” is (105 −45 0 53 −102 0 0 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “3” is (85 93 −107 0 0 −55 0 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “4” is (69 0 −50 0 105 0 −123 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “5” is (105 −45 0 0 53 −102 0 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “6” is (70 −30 41 −22 0 105 −154 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “7” is (75 −34 70 −88 28 −51 0 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “8” is (79 86 −99 0 0 105 −73 −96) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “9” is (166 −45 −77 0 0 54 −88 0) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “T” is (104 0 0 −104 0 105 0 −106) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “A” is (72 0 −73 77 −75 68 0 −73) T , the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “U” is (70 0 0 −70 101 −97 99 −98) T and the predetermined feature vector corresponding to the symbol “D” is (71 −65 67 0 −71 67 0 −71) T .

17. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause electrical signals corresponding to the first micr symbol on the check to be sampled about 100 times, whereby the sample signal data comprises about 100 sampled data elements.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the generation of each data value corresponding to a signal peak responsive at least in part to about eleven of the sampled data elements.

Assignments (21)