Granted Patent B1

US 8,453,924 · App. 13/555,276 · Granted Jun 4, 2013

Abstract

Claims (127)

1. A method carried out at least in part through use of a banking system apparatus comprising an automated banking machine that is operable to cause financial transfers responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records,

wherein the machine includes:

at least one input device,

wherein the at least one input device includes at least one data reader,

wherein the at least one data reader is operative to read user data corresponding to a financial account,

at least one output device, wherein the at least one output device includes a visual display,

at least one transaction function device,

wherein the at least one transaction function device includes at least one of a cash dispenser and a deposit accepting device,

wherein the at least one transaction function device includes a sheet path,

at least one terminal processor,

wherein the at least one terminal processor is in operative connection with the at least one input device, the at least one output device, and the at least one transaction function device,

wherein the at least one terminal processor is operative to cause the machine to operate to cause financial transfers involving accounts that correspond to user data read by the at least one data reader,

an image sensor adjacent the sheet path,

wherein the image sensor is operative to sense a sheet as the sheet moves in the sheet path,

wherein the image sensor is operative to produce image data corresponding to a plurality of images of sheet surface features;

at least one image data processor,

wherein the at least one image data processor is in operative connection with the image sensor,

wherein the method comprises:

(a) operating the image sensor to produce image data corresponding to a plurality of images of surface features of a sheet as the sheet moves in the sheet path;

(b) operating the at least one image data processor to receive image data produced in (a);

(c) operating the at least one image data processor to identify from the image data received in (b), displacement of the surface features caused by movement of the sheet; and

(d) operating the at least one image data processor,

while the sheet is moving in the sheet path, and

while the image sensor is sensing the sheet,

to determine from the displacement identified in (c), current direction of sheet movement in the sheet path.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the automated banking machine is part of a banking system,

wherein the at least one transaction function device includes both a cash dispenser and a deposit accepting device,

wherein the at least one reader includes both

a card reader, and

a biometric reader,

wherein the at least one terminal processor is operative during a user transaction session to

cause card data to be read through operation of the card reader, and

cause biometric data to be read through operation of the biometric reader,

and further comprising:

(e) operating the card reader to read card data;

(f) operating the biometric reader to read biometric data; and

(g) operating the at least one terminal processor to authorize the user to request a financial transaction involving the cash dispenser, responsive at least in part to both

computer-determined correspondence between the card data read in (e) and stored card information, and

computer-determined correspondence between the biometric data read in (f) and stored biometric information.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one image data processor is in operative connection with the at least one terminal processor, and further comprising:

(e) operating the at least one terminal processor responsive at least in part to the current direction determined in (d), to cause operation of at least one component of the at least one transaction function device.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein in (e) the at least one component includes a sheet transport.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein in (e) the at least one component includes a gate.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein in (a) the image sensor includes at least two sensors, wherein each sensor is operative to provide respective image data corresponding to a plurality of images of at least two disposed areas on the sheet.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein in (d) the at least one image data processor determines current direction of the sheet responsive at least in part to image data produced by all of the at least two sensors.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein in (a) the image sensor includes a charge couple device array.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein in (a) the image sensor includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the image sensor includes a radiation emitter, and wherein in (a) the image sensor produces image data corresponding to radiation from the emitter that is reflected from the sheet.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein (d) includes determining movement data that corresponds to movement of the sheet, wherein the at least one transaction function device includes a deposit accepting device,

wherein the deposit accepting device includes the sheet path and the image sensor,

wherein the deposit accepting device includes a magnetic read head,

and further comprising:

(e) operating the magnetic read head to produce magnetic read head signals corresponding to magnetic indicia on the sheet;

(f) operating the at least one terminal processor to determine at least one magnetic character of the sheet responsive at least in part to both the magnetic read head signals and the sheet movement data.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the sheet comprises a financial check including magnetic ink character recognition (micr) symbols, wherein (f) includes determining at least one micr character on the check responsive at least in part to the magnetic read head signals and the sheet movement data.

13. A method carried out at least in part through use of an automated transaction machine that is operable responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records,

wherein the machine includes:

at least one data reader,

wherein the at least one data reader is operable to read user data usable to identify a financial account with which a transaction can be carried out through use of the machine,

at least one deposit accepting device,

wherein the at least one deposit accepting device includes a sheet path,

wherein the sheet path comprises a sheet path configuration,

 wherein the sheet path configuration allows a sheet to be moved in the sheet path in at least a first direction,

wherein the at least one deposit accepting device includes at least one image sensor adjacent the sheet path,

wherein the method comprises:

(a) operating the at least one image sensor to capture in succession, a plurality of images of an outer surface area of a sheet as the sheet is moving in the sheet path;

(b) operating at least one processor associated with the machine to receive images captured in (a); and

(c) operating the at least one processor to determine based at least in part on differences in at least two of the images received in (b), whether there is a change in directional movement of the sheet from the first direction.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the machine includes the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor includes at least one image data processor,

wherein the at least one image data processor is in operative connection with the at least one image sensor,

wherein (b) includes operating the at least one image data processor to receive images captured in (a), and

wherein (c) includes operating the at least one image data processor to determine current direction of sheet movement in the sheet path.

15. The method according to claim 13

wherein the at least one deposit accepting device comprises a sheet acceptor,

wherein the sheet acceptor includes the at least one image sensor,

wherein the at least one image sensor is operable to capture in succession, a plurality of images of indicia on a sheet as the sheet is moving in the sheet path,

wherein the sheet acceptor includes a sheet transport operable to move a sheet in the sheet path in at least two non-parallel directions,

wherein in (c) the at least one processor determines that the sheet is moving out of alignment relative to the first direction,

and further comprising:

(d) operating the at least one processor responsive at least in part to (c), to cause the sheet transport to move the sheet in at least one direction that causes the sheet to be returned toward alignment with the first direction.

16. The method according to claim 13 wherein (c) includes:

operating the at least one processor,

while the at least one image sensor is capturing first sheet images of an outer surface area of a first sheet moving in the sheet path, and

while the at least one processor is receiving first sheet images captured by the at least one image sensor,

to determine

based at least in part on comparison of

first sheet images newly received from the at least one image sensor,

 wherein the first sheet images newly received are indicative of a later moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path,

and

first sheet images previously received from the at least one image sensor,

 wherein the first sheet images previously received are indicative of an earlier moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path,

whether there is a change in moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path.

17. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:

(d) operating the at least one processor to determine a moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path.

18. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising:

(d) operating the at least one processor to determine the earlier moving direction based at least in part on first sheet image data previously received;

(e) operating the at least one processor to determine the later moving direction based at least in part on first sheet image data newly received;

(f) operating the at least one processor to compare the later moving direction to the earlier moving direction;

wherein (c) includes determining based at least in part on the comparison in (f), whether there is a change in moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path.

19. At least one computer readable medium comprising non-transitory computer executable instructions,

wherein the instructions,

when executed by at least one processor associated with an automated transaction machine that is operable responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records, wherein the machine includes:

at least one data reader,

wherein the at least one data reader is operable to read user data usable to identify a financial account with which a transaction can be carried out through use of the machine,

at least one deposit accepting device,

wherein the at least one deposit accepting device includes a sheet path,

 wherein the sheet path comprises a sheet path configuration,

 wherein the sheet path configuration allows a sheet to be moved in the sheet path in at least a first direction,

wherein the at least one deposit accepting device includes at least one image sensor adjacent the sheet path, and

 wherein the at least one image sensor is operable to capture images of an outer surface area of a sheet in the sheet path;

cause the at least one processor to carry out a method comprising:

(a) operating the at least one processor to cause the at least one image sensor to capture in succession, a plurality of images of an outer surface area of a sheet as the sheet is moving in the sheet path;

(b) operating the at least one processor to receive images captured in (a); and

(c) operating the at least one processor to determine based at least in part on differences in at least two of the images received in (b), whether there is a change in directional movement of the sheet from the first direction.

20. The at least one computer readable medium according to claim 19 wherein (c) includes:

operating the at least one processor,

while the at least one image sensor is capturing first sheet images of an outer surface area of a first sheet moving in the sheet path, and

while the at least one processor is receiving first sheet images captured by the at least one image sensor,

to determine

based at least in part on comparison of

first sheet images newly received from the at least one image sensor,

wherein the first sheet images newly received are indicative of a later moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path,

and

first sheet images previously received from the at least one image sensor,

wherein the first sheet images previously received are indicative of an earlier moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path,

whether there is a change in moving direction of the first sheet relative to the sheet path.

Assignments (22)