Network for transporting and processing images in real time

Abstract

An image processing network for processing image files and coupled to an outside data communication network comprising a plurality of remote image capture units, the units scanning documents and creating a plurality of image files of said documents; the image processing means is coupled to said plurality of remote image capture units for processing the image files; the accounting means is coupled to the image processing means for immediately updating accounts associated with said image processing means; and the plurality of remote capture units are coupled to the outside network, the outside data communication network is connected to outside financial institutions, the image processing means transmits said image files to the outside financial institutions via the data communication network and receives image files from the outside financial institutions over the network.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for accepting deposits of documents including currency bills and checks, the system comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of documents associated with a deposit transaction, the documents including one or more currency bills and one or more checks;

an image scanner;

a currency denominator;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle past the image scanner and the currency denominator to one or more output receptacles, the image scanner being adapted to obtain an image of each passing document as well as process the obtained images to extract serial number data from the currency bills and MICR data from the checks, and the currency denominator being adapted to denominate those documents which are currency bills;

a memory adapted to store an image file for the deposit, the image file including the images of all documents as well as the extracted serial number data for the imaged currency bills and the MICR data for the imaged checks.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents at a rate in excess of 800 documents per minute for imaging and denominating.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute for imaging and denominating.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the image scanner is a digital imager and the stored images are digital images.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interface adapted to communicate the images of the documents along with the currency bill serial number and check MICR information to a financial institution.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the memory is located remote from the image scanner and currency denominator.

7. A method of depositing checks and currency into an account at a financial institution comprising:

entering an itemized declared value balance of the checks and currency;

feeding checks and currency into a document processing system, the document processing system having an input receptacle adapted to receive documents associated with the deposit transaction, a transport mechanism adapted to transport the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle past an image scanner and currency denominator to one or more output receptacles, the image scanner being adapted to obtain an image of each passing document and process the check images to obtain check value, the currency denominator being adapted to obtain currency bill value, and a memory adapted to store the images of the documents deposited along with itemized and accumulated check values and currency bill values for the deposit transaction; and

updating the account to reflect the itemized declared value balance for the deposit transaction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a receipt of the deposit transaction.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising depositing coins into the document processing system to be counted and authenticated.

10. A method of processing deposits of checks and currency bills that have been inserted into a document processing device, comprising:

transporting a plurality documents from an input to an output receptacle, wherein the plurality of documents include checks and currency bills;

obtaining an image of each document as it is transported past an image scanner;

denominating each document which is a currency bill as it is transported past an currency denominator;

processing the obtained check images to extract MICR information and processing the obtained currency bill images to extract serial number information; and

storing an image file for the deposit, the image file including the images of all of the documents as well as the extracted MICR information for the imaged checks and the extracted serial number information for the imaged currency bills.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving a plurality of coins, denominating the plurality of coins, and including a summary of the coin deposit on the review of the deposit transaction.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving an input indicating the account to which the deposit is to be deposited.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing a review of the deposit transaction.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the review of the deposit transaction provides a detail of all of the documents transported.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising printing a receipt of the deposit transaction, detailing all of the documents imaged.

16. A system for accepting deposits of documents, including currency bills and checks, the system comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of documents associated with a deposit transaction, the plurality of documents including one or more U.S. or foreign currency bills and one or more checks;

at least one output receptacle for receiving the documents after they have been processed;

an image scanner adapted to digitally image at least one side of said documents, the image scanner further operable to process the images to extract check value from the check images;

a currency denominator operable to determine bill value for the currency bills;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle past the image scanner and the currency denominator to the output receptacle; and

a memory adapted to store the document images along with itemized and accumulated check values and bill values for the deposit transaction.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents at a rate in excess of 800 documents per minute past the image scanner and currency denominator.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport documents at a rate in excess of 1000 documents per minute past the image scanner and currency denominator.

19. A method of depositing checks and currency into an account at a financial institution comprising:

entering an itemized declared accumulated value of the checks and currency;

feeding the checks and currency into a document processing system having

an input receptacle adapted to receive documents associated with the deposit transaction,

at least one output receptacle for receiving the documents after they have been processed,

an image scanner adapted to digitally image at least one side of said documents, the image scanner further operable to process the check images to extract check value,

a currency denominator adapted to denominate a currency value for each currency bill,

a transport mechanism adapted to transport the documents, one at a time, from the input receptacle past the image scanner and the currency denominator to the output receptacle, and

a memory adapted to store a record of the document images as well as itemized and accumulated check values for the imaged checks and the bill values for the imaged currency bills; and

comparing the record of the deposit transaction with the itemized entered declared accumulated value.

20. A method of accepting deposits of checks and currency bills into a document processing device, comprising:

accepting a plurality of documents into an input receptacle of the document processing device, wherein the plurality of documents include one or more U.S. or foreign currency bills and one or more checks;

imaging each accepted document;

converting the image on at least one side of said documents to electronic data representing the document image;

processing the check images to extract check value;

denominating documents which are currency bills to extract bill values;

receiving the documents in at least one output receptacle after they have been imaged and denominated; and

storing the document images along with itemized and accumulated check values and bill values for the deposit transaction.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a paperless image processing network where images and other information is exchanged between various financial institutions rather than physical documents.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an image processing network where images and other information as well as physical documents are exchanged between various financial institutions.

It is another object of the invention to provide an image processing network where the processing of document images is distributed amongst various locations rather than concentrated at a single central location.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an image processing network which is capable of processing both images and physical documents.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an image processing network which is capable of extracting the MICR, CAR, and LAR data from checks and inserting this data into an image file or files.

It is another object of the invention to provide an image processing network where images are sorted between transit and on-us image files.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a data file format that comprises two subparts, containing image data and the other part containing data extracted from the document's image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a block diagram of the image processing network according to principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1b is a block diagram of units which comprise the image processing network according to principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1c shows one topology of the interconnection of remote capture devices according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 1d shows another topology of the interconnection of remote capture devices according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 1e shows yet another topology of the interconnection of remote capture devices according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 1f shows a block diagram of the remote capture unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 1g shows a block diagram of the image processing system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 1h shows a block diagram of an image processing system used in combination with a traditional document processing system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2a shows a block diagram of the components of a document and currency processing system with a single output bin according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2b is a perspective view of one embodiment of the processing system with a video screen and keyboard according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2c is a diagram of the document processing system with touch screen according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2d is a block diagram of the document processing system with touch screen and keyboard according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2e is a block diagram of the document processing system with dual output bins according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2f is a block diagram of the document processing system with a plurality of output bins according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2g is a block diagram of the document processing system without a discrimination unit and having a single output receptacle according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2h is a block diagram of the document processing system without a discrimination unit and having dual output receptacles according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2i is a block diagram of the document processing system without a discrimination unit and having a plurality of output receptacles according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2j is a cut-away view of the document processing systems showing three output bins;

FIG. 2k is a cut-away view of the document processing systems showing four output bins;

FIG. 2l is a cut-away view of the document processing systems showing six output bins;

FIG. 2m is a view of a document being scanned by the full image scanner in the wide dimension;

FIG. 2n is a view of a document being scanned by the full image scanner in the narrow dimension;

FIG. 2o is a view of a compact document processing system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2p is a block diagram of the document processing system with modules to insert smart cards, dispense smart cards, and insert optical media according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2q illustrates the document processing system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2r is a block diagram of the document processing system with coin sorter according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2s is a perspective of a document processing system having two output bins;

FIG. 2t is a side view of an evaluation device depicting various transport rolls in side elevation according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2u shows a flowchart describing the operation of the document processing system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2v shows a flowchart of how a customer would use the proposed document processing system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the full image scanner according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4a is a block diagram of the discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 4b-4d illustrate the scanning process of the discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4e illustrates one embodiment of size determining sensors;

FIG. 4f illustrate the operation of the scanning process in the discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 5a and 5b are graphs illustrating the correlation of scanned and master patterns according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a multiple scanhead according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the multiple scanheads according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts another embodiment of the scanning system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 9 depicts another embodiment of the scanning system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a top view of a staggered scanhead arrangement according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 11a and 11b are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 12 shows a block diagram of a counterfeit detector according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of the discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a graphical representation of the magnetic data points generated by two types of currency according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 15 shows a functional block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the currency discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 16a and 16b show a flowchart illustrating the steps in implementing the discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 17 illustrate a routine for detecting the overlapping of bills according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 18a-18c show one embodiment of the document authenticating system in the discrimination unit according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 19 shows a functional block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the document authenticating system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 20 shows a modified version of the document authenticating system according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 21 shows the magnetic characteristics of bills;

FIG. 22 shows other magnetic characteristics of bills;

FIGS. 23 and 24 illustrate bills being transported across sensors according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in optically determining the denomination of a bill according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in optically determining the denomination of a bill based on the presence of a security thread according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in optically determining the denomination of a bill based on the color of the security thread according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in optically determining the denomination of a bill based on the location and color of the security thread according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in magnetically determining the denomination of a bill according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in optically denominating a bill and authenticating the bill based on thread location and/or color information.

FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in denominating a bill based on thread location and/or color information and optically authenticating the bill.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in optically determining the denomination of a bill and magnetically authenticating the bill according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 33 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in magnetically determining the denomination of a bill and optically authenticating the bill according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 34 is a flowchart illustrating the steps in denominating the bill according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 35 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in denominating the bill both optically and magnetically according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 36 is a flowchart illustrating the steps in denominating the bill magnetically and based on thread location according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 37 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in denominating a bill optically, based on thread location and magnetically according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 38 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed in denominating a bill based on a first characteristic and authenticating it based on a second characteristic according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 39-47 illustrate alternative methods denominating and/or authenticating information according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 48a-48c illustrated control panels according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 49a, 49b, 50a, 50b, 51a, 51b, and 52-53b illustrate alternate means for entering the value of no-call documents according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 54 illustrates one embodiment of the control panel according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 55 shows the touch screen according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 56a is a flowchart of conducting a document transaction according to principles of the present invention;

FIGS. 56b, 56c, and 56d are flowcharts of the funds distribution algorithm according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 56e is a flowchart of an alternate funds distribution algorithm according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 56f is a flowchart of the coin sorting algorithm according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 57a illustrates means for entering the value of a no-call document according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 57b illustrates means for entering the value of a no-call document on a touch screen according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 58 is perspective view of a disc-type coin sorter embodying the present invention, with a top portion thereof broken away to show internal structure;

FIG. 59 is an enlarged horizontal section taken generally along line 59--59 in FIG. 58;

FIG. 60 is an enlarged section taken generally along line 62--62 in FIG. 59, showing the coins in full elevation;

FIG. 61 is an enlarged section taken generally along line 63--63 in FIG. 59, showing in full elevation a nickel registered with an ejection recess;

FIG. 62 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a coin and an improved coin discrimination sensor embodying the invention;

FIG. 63 is a schematic circuit diagram of the coin discrimination sensor of FIG. 62;

FIG. 64 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the coils in the coin discrimination sensor of FIG. 62;

FIG. 65a is a circuit diagram of a detector circuit for use with the discrimination sensor of this invention;

FIG. 65b is a waveform diagram of the input signals supplied to the circuit of FIG. 65a;

FIG. 66 is a perspective view of an outboard shunting device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 67 is a section taken generally along line 67--67 in FIG. 66;

FIG. 68 is a section taken generally along line 68--68 in FIG. 66, showing a movable partition in a nondiverting position; and

FIG. 69 is the same section illustrated in FIG. 68, showing the movable portion in a diverting position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1a, documents are scanned at a remote image capture unit 12. The remote image capture unit 12, as will be explained in greater detail below, preferably is a low-cost scanning unit that obtains an image of both sides of the document. However, the remote image capture unit 12 may be a variety of machines including a large multi-pocket scanner, a small table-top scanner, a single document hand-fed scanner, and a hand-held scanner.

By "currency", "documents", or "bills," it is meant to include not only conventional U.S. or foreign bills, such as $1 bills, but also to include checks, deposit slips, coupon and loan payment documents, food stamps, cash tickets, savings withdrawal tickets, check deposit slips, savings deposit slips, and all other documents utilized as a proof of deposit at financial institutions. It is also meant by the term "documents" to include loan applications, credit card applications, student loan applications, accounting invoices, debit forms, account transfer forms, and all other types of forms with predetermined fields. By "financial institution documents," it is meant to include all of the above documents with the exception of currency.

By "accounting system," it is meant to include the hardware and software associated with accessing, maintaining, tracking, and updating savings accounts, checking accounts, credit card accounts, business and commercial loans, consumer payments, and all other similar accounts at locations remotely located from the full image scanners. The term includes three broad types of systems: systems where deposits are made; systems where withdrawals are made; and systems where both deposits and withdrawals are made. Although the accounting system described herein is described as being employed at a financial institution such as a bank, it will be understood that any business, public or private institution, or individual can employ an outside accounting system to process transactions. By "financial institution," it is meant to include savings and loans, investment houses, and all other types of financial institutions whether private, public, or government. The following description is in terms of banks but it also includes all financial institutions as well.

The image processing network described herein processes several types of physical and electronic data units. First, it processes physical documents, for example, checks, coupons, and deposit slips, which a user deposits into the system.

Second, the network processes image files. The image file comprises three portions. A first portion contains binary encoded data representing the images of both sides of the document. Alternatively, this first portion may contain only a portion or portions of the document. The second portion of the image file contains data extracted from the images of the document. It is an important feature of the invention that all information in the second portion is obtained from the images. For example, MICR data is obtained from the image of the document rather than alternate extraction techniques such as magnetic reading. In the case of a check, the second portion includes the MICR data, such as the amount of the check and the bank drawn. A third portion contains a unique identification code or tag associated with the document. For example, if the document is currency, the unique identifier may be a serial number, seal, plate number, or customer number.

For those documents where data fields are unreadable, the image can be transmitted to a central location where an operator would view the image and key in the amount. Also, the operator keys in any non-readable MICR or CAR/LAR data. In the context of a bank imaging network, the bank would choose between simply sending forward the captured image for final settlement or waiting for the physical document to arrive from the remote location. If the physical document arrives at the central location, there would be a benefit from the imaging. The amount field will already have been entered. Therefore, when the checks are transported through the centralized check processing system, the on-us checks immediately have the amount field MICR encoded. This represents a savings in time and labor over current systems which require one pass for MICR encoding and one for sorting checks into various output bins.

Alternatively, the customer may be prompted to enter unreadable data. For example, if a check for $158 is processed but the system can only identify the "1" and the "5", the customer is asked to enter the last digit. Allowing a customer to enter missing data may be allowable for only selected customers of the financial institution. Alternatively, all customers may be allowed this option and the image file tagged for later verification of the amount.

Similarly, being able to MICR encode on the first pass on transit checks reduces the number of passes through the scanner. Therefore, the productivity and efficiency of the proof-of-deposit processing are increased regardless of which methods are used (i.e., actual handling of physical documents or only image processing).

The image file data portion also includes the identities of banks where the image file has been processed. Both the data portion and the image portion have tags uniquely identifying the document, and pointers to where the other portion is located. The two portions are not necessarily physically contiguous. A security code is attached in both portions so that the item can transit between banks or depositors and the bank.

Third, the network manipulates the data portion of the image file. As will be explained in greater detail below, the entire image file need not be sent to all destinations in the network. Finally, the network uses inquiries as to the images. The inquiry is data representing the document number and will be correctly routed through the network until the document is found or permission to access the document is denied. Inquires are used by bank personnel or customers to view the image file of the document.

As mentioned above, the remote image capture unit 12 may be configured as any number of units having different sizes, processing speeds, and other features. Referring now to FIG. 1b, the remote image capture unit 12 may be replaced by a remote image capture network 7 which comprises a plurality of remote image capture units.

The remote image capture network 7 includes a large multi-pocket scanner 8a. Using full image sensors, the large multi-pocket scanner 8a captures images of one or both sides of documents, converts the images to digital signals, and sends these signals to be processed either at other units (described below) within the remote image capture network 7 or at an image processing system 16.

The remote image capture network 7 further includes a small table-top scanner 8b. In contrast to the large multi-pocket scanner 8a, the small table-top scanning device 8b is compact and can be conveniently located in the corner of a room or on a table top.

Also, the remote image capture network 7 includes a single document hand-fed scanner 8c. The single document scanner 8c is preferably a compact device where the user feeds through documents one-at-a-time. The single document scanner 8c has the advantage of being less expensive to purchase than other scanning devices.

The remote image capture network 7 also includes an electronic document creation device 8d. The electronic document creation device 8d comprises hardware and software which automatically creates an image of a document, for example, a check. The document creation device also preferably contains a specialized printer that is capable of printing documents which utilize special paper or ink, for example, checks.

Additionally, the remote image creation network 7 also includes a hand-held scanner 8e. The hand-held scanner 8e comprises a wand which a user scans a document by moving a hand-held wand across the document. The wand is electrically coupled to a personal computer which has the necessary software to obtain and process the scanned image.

The above devices 8a-8e can be located as stand-alone units or as one component in all types of tellers systems such as a teller system 8h at a window, in a vault system 8g, an automatic teller machine (ATM) 8i, a home banking system 8j, a depositor cash management system 8k or a night teller (not shown), or a lock box 8l. Additionally, they may be connected as a local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), or wide area network (WAN).

The above devices are included as part of the vault system 8g. The vault system 8g includes hardware and software which processes the amount and type of currency, documents, or coin entering or leaving a vault. The vault system includes any of the devices described above such as the large pocket scanner module, a table-top scanning device, a single document scanner, an electronic document creation device, or a hand-held scanner.

The above devices are also included as part of the teller system 8h. The teller system 8h processes documents, coin, and currency at the teller window and maintains a record of all types of documents, currency and coin transactions at the teller window. The teller system may include any of the modules described above such as a table-top scanning device, a single document scanner, an electronic image document creation device, or a hand-held scanner. The teller system also has a video monitor to view images of documents or currency obtained anywhere in the image processing network or at the teller window.

The above image processing devices may be included in an automated teller machine (ATM) 8i. The ATM 8i processes all types of deposits involving all types of documents, currency, and types of coin in real-time from remote accounting systems and obtains full images of each document and all currency processed. The ATM 8i can also accept and transfer funds to all types of magnetic media such as smart cards. The ATM 8i also has a video monitor to view images of documents or currency obtained anywhere in the image processing network.

The above devices are also connected as part of a home banking system 8j. The home banking system 8j comprises hardware and software that allows a customer to check account balances, obtain images of deposited documents, and create images of documents. The home banking system 8j may include any of the other modules described above such as a single document scanner, an electronic document creation device, or a hand-held scanner. The home banking system 8j also has a video monitor to view images of documents or currency obtained anywhere in the image processing network.

The devices mentioned above are further connected as part of a depositor cash management system 8k. The depositor cash management system 8k may include devices in one location or at several locations. The depositor cash management system 8k includes hardware and software to obtain images of documents, process these images, obtain transaction information, and perform any other functions associated with an accounting system. The depositor cash management system 8k may include any of the other modules described above such as the large multi-pocket scanner module, a table-top scanning device, a single document scanner, an electronic document creation device, or a hand-held scanner. The depositor cash management system 8k also has a video monitor or monitors to view images of documents or currency obtained anywhere in the image processing network.

Referring again to FIG. 1a, one function provided at the remote capture unit is proof-of-deposit processing. Proof-of-deposit processing ensures that for a given transaction, debits equal credits. As described below, POD processing, CAR/LAR processing, or any other type of processing can occur at the remote unit or at a central location. Thus, images can be transported from any point in the network (including a central location) and processed at any other location in the network.

Shortly after the images are captured by the remote capture unit, they are transmitted to the proof of deposit area within that unit. It is important to the present invention that the transaction be proved shortly after it occurs if the remote capture unit is at the teller window, automatic teller machine or depositor site. Tellers or a customer's clerical staff have access to all the images for the transactions handled that day and correct any errors occurring that same day. The remote capture unit additionally contains hardware and software to detect and process counterfeit documents. Each remote capture unit assembles a running total of non-counterfeit documents for a given transaction, allowing a customer to know when a counterfeit has been detected. Counterfeits are held and deducted from totals so customers know about that immediately.

Alternatively, remote scanners can be placed at various locations, for example teller windows. Checks and other document images will be captured by these remote image scanners. However, the images are forwarded to a central location where proof-of-deposit processing occurs. Additionally, the financial institution could choose to process the image immediately at the central location or the financial institution could store the images for a period of time in some kind of electronic reservoir for proof of depositing at a later time. Processing the images at a central location has the advantage of not slowing down service at the remote location. For example, central processing reduces lines and excessive waiting for bank customers.

Documents that cannot be read by the remote capture unit ("no-reads") will be returned to the depositor. The depositor keys in the amount of the rejected currency and put it in an envelope with his account number and other requested information to be reconciled later. Alternatively, the remote image capture device can accept the document and display the image for a bank employee to key in the amount. This could be done as the deposit is being entered into the automatic teller machine or later. The deposit does not have to be proved while the depositor is at the automatic teller machine or the teller window. Since all of the items entered are stored as images, an account can be adjusted later. Alternatively, as described previously, the customer may be prompted to enter the missing data. In this case the image file may be tagged for later verification.

Documents whose images are captured at remote capture units located at large retail and commercial depositor's place of business will be processed as at a teller window. All items are sent to the bank, until all banks are able to receive images. They would be processed on check processing machines to separate the on-us items from transit items and to power encode the transit items.

It should be realized that the above imaging network can be used for all or part of a bank or financial institution's document processing needs. For example, some banks may choose to process only checks. Additionally, a bank might use this for on-us checks or for on-us checks of under $100. These checks would be scanned at the branch location or the ATM location. These low value checks would then be immediately destroyed because the bank could utilize the captured image. However, all on-us checks in excess of $100 and all transit checks would be handled under the current system. The bank will hold certain checks over a certain value for a longer period of time before destroying or returning the check. Thus, the present invention can be used in combination with current physical document processing.

Referring now to FIG. 1h, checks are fed through a remote capture unit 9a. The unit 9a operates as described above and has two output bins. The unit 9a scans the check and determines the amount. Based on the amount of the check, checks greater than $100 are placed in a first bin 9d. All checks are placed in a second bin 9e where they are later discarded. The images of checks having values greater than $100 are sent to an image processing system 9b which operates as described below. Otherwise, the checks from the first bin are physically transported to a traditional processing system 9c where they are processed using a bank document processing system. All other documents entering the system are also processed by the traditional processing system 9c.

The devices on the remote image processing network are preferably connected to form a LAN. The physical layout or topology of the LAN can vary. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1c, a series of remote units 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d are connected to common bus 11e. Bus 11e connects the common bus to an interface 11f which accesses other networks. The "remote units" may include any combination of large multi-pocket scanners, small table top scanners, single document scanners, electronic document creation devices, hand-held scanners, vault systems, teller systems, ATMs, home banking systems, or retail cash management systems. The bus-based network is inexpensive, reliable, and requires the least amount of cable for any LAN topology.

A LAN using a ring topology is illustrated in FIG. 1d. Remote units 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d retransmit information to adjacent units using point-to-point links. The units communicate with other networks through an interface 11f. Although more expensive than the bus topology, the ring topology lends itself to being able to transmit over greater distances.

A LAN using a star topology is illustrated in FIG. 1e where a central remote unit 11b is connected to all other remote units 11a, 11c, 11d, and 11g. The central remote unit 11b communicates to other networks through an interface 11f. An advantage to the star topology is enhanced network management. Because all traffic passes the central unit 58, traffic monitoring is simple and detailed network reports are easy to produce. Enhanced security is inherently a part of this type of topology since the central unit can keep tables of user access rights as well as acceptable passwords. Also, the network can easily control who logs onto any remote device present on the network.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that any combination of the above topologies can be used to construct the network. Thus, any of the units may be, themselves, networks of any topology.

The system described above can be configured to provide a combination of distributed and centralized image processing. That is, remote image capture units may supply images to an image processing system at a remote location (e.g., a bank branch) where image processing is accomplished. Additionally, central processing locations may exist where the physical checks and/or images are processed as is known to those skilled in the art. As a specific example, a bank might have remote units located at various bank branches. At the same time, certain customers may continue to send their check images to a central location for processing. Additionally, certain customers may choose to send checks having a value over a predetermined amount, such as $100, to central location for processing.

Referring again to FIG. 1a, the remote image capture unit 12 accepts physical documents from a bank system 10 which does process the images of documents. The documents are moved to the remote image capture unit 12 where they are processed.

The remote image capture unit 12 provides either "raw" image data or an image file to the image processing system 16. Raw image data is unformatted data that is sent as a series a binary digits. Raw image data is transmitted from remote image capture units which lack the capability to process the raw data into an image file. The raw data is sent to the image processing system 16 where processing is accomplished, as described below.

The image processing system 16 also accepts image files from a remote image creation device 20. The remote image creation device 20 creates images of documents. For example, the remote image creation device 20 can create the image of a check. The remote image creation units use software to create the image and prompt the user for information to complete the image such as the transaction amount and the payee.

The image processing system 16 also accepts inclearing items. The inclearing image processing area accepts images in the format of the file described above. The inclearing images comprise image files associated with "on-us" documents or, in addition, physical documents. It is an important aspect of the present invention that the image processing system 16 can process both image files and physical documents. Additionally, if needed because other financial institutions can not process image files, transit documents are sent out of the image processing system 16 to other financial institutions.

The remote image capture unit 12, after processing the documents separates documents sending some documents to physical storage 14. For example, if used by a bank, the remote image capture unit 12 will separate documents drawn on the financial institution ("on-us" documents) from documents drawn on other financial institutions ("transit" documents). In an alternate embodiment the documents are not separated but destroyed.

The image processing system 16, therefore, accepts both raw image data and image files. As will be explained in greater detail below, the image processing system 16 sorts document image files into transit and image files, performs proof-of-depositing functions, forms cash letters for transmission, and routes the out-going transit image files. Additionally, it may power-encode physical documents (if needed) and acts as a conduit for inquiries throughout the system.

The image processing system sends image files to an image storage device 18 where they are stored. The image storage device 18 may be an optical storage device or a magnetic storage device, as is known in the art.

The storage device allows the system's owner (i.e., a bank) to make a full record of deposits. In other words, when the customer deposits the document, a full image picture of the front and back side of the document is deposited. This is advantageous at the teller window, and, in particular, when the remote capture device is an ATM which accepts bulk deposits. Therefore, if a dispute arises at a later date relative as to what was deposited into the ATM, there will be a full image record of the complete deposit. The customer can then review each document deposited. Therefore, the bank and customer can easily re-reconcile the deposit based upon the image record.

The image processing system 16 sends the data portion of the image file to an accounting system 22. As described above, the accounting system 22 includes the hardware and software associated with accessing, maintaining, tracking, and updating savings accounts, checking accounts, credit card accounts, business and commercial loans, consumer payments, and all other similar accounts at locations remotely located from the image processing system 16.

A personal computer (PC) 24 is coupled to the accounting system 22 and the image storage 18. The personal computer 24 contains software allowing the operator to make inquiries about a particular document. The inquiry comprises data representing the document identification number and the location within the network where the document is stored. The inquiry can also be routed through the accounting system 22 and the image processing system 16 and then through a security unit 26 onto a dedicated line 37a, an internet line 37b, a private banknet line 37c, a federal reserve network line 37d or a clearing house network line 37e. From these lines, the inquiry is routed over the particular network to the destination, as is known in the art. When received at the destination, the request is routed to particular hardware or software where the inquiry is serviced, that is, the destination responds to the request by answering that the entry was not found, that the user does not have access rights to the information, or with the image file (with a marking indicating that it was from an inquiry). Then, if the query is successful, the image data file is routed back (with the inquiry mark). It goes through security 26 and returns to the image processing system 16. Since it is marked, it is routed to the outside accounting system 22 and to the personal computer 24. At the personal computer 24, the contents of the image file are displayed.

The image processing system 16 transmits and receives inquiries, the data portion of the image file, and image files through the security unit 26. From the security unit 26, the inquiries, data and image files can traverse the dedicated line 37a, internet line 37b, private banknet line 37c, federal reserve network line 37b and clearing house network line 37e. All of these lines are connected through security units 38, 42, and 46 to other bank branches 40, the federal reserve system 44, and other financial institution processing 48.

Referring now to FIG. 1f, a document 50 is scanned by an image extraction unit 62. Preferably two heads are used to obtain full video images of both sides of the documents. However, the unit can have any number of heads and scan only one side of the document. Additionally, the document can be scanned in either the wide or the narrow direction. The image extraction unit 62 extracts portions of the image of the document for future processing. For example, in the case of a check, the image extraction unit 62 extracts MICR data, courtesy amount (CAR) data, and legal amount field (LAR) data. The image extraction unit 62 may also be configured to extract other data in the case of currency or other types of documents. The image extraction unit 62 sends a "suspend" signal to deactivate itself in the case of overflow of documents. The suspend signal starts a timer which, upon times-out, allows the image extraction unit 62 to resume operations. However, if the overflow condition still exists, then another suspend signal will deactivate the image extraction unit 62.

When the image extraction unit 62 fails to identify the required data, then a "fail" signal is sent to a manual key unit 68. An operator at the manual key unit 68 is alerted and then views the image of the document on a video terminal (not shown) and enters the missing data at the manual key unit 68.

The image extraction unit 62 sends the MICR data, CAR data, and LAR data to a balance unit 64. The purpose of the balancing unit 64 is to ensure that the amount recorded as the total of a transaction matches the individual amounts recorded. For example, a deposit may comprise ten checks. The purpose of the balance unit 64 is to ensure that the amounts recorded on a deposit slip as the total matches the total deposited as recorded by the extraction unit 62. The balance unit 64 also creates images of cash-in slips which are used to indicate the number of bills processed in a transaction. The cash-in and cash-out slips are created automatically as images and indicate the number of dollar bills handled both in and out which are printed on these receipts. The bank stores images of all documents and currency processed in every transaction. Thus, processing errors are easily detectable. Also, the stored images facilitate convincing the depositor that the transaction, as corrected by the bank, is correct.

The MICR, CAR, and LAR data is sent to the form image file unit 66 where an image file is formed. A mentioned above, the image file comprises an image portion and a data portion. The two portions are tied together by pointers which indicate the location and identity of the other portion. The image file is then sent to the image processing system.

In some networks, it will be necessary to sort "on-us" items and transit items, then send out (physically) the transit items. A sorter 60 sorts on-us and transit items. The on-us documents are placed in an on-us document bin 54 while the transit documents are placed in a transit bin 56. Alternately, any number of bins may be used. For example, the on-us items may be sorted into on-us bins for checks, currency, coupons or other types of documents. The user takes the physical documents from the bin 54 and places them in physical storage area 52. The storage area may be near the sorting unit or may be housed in a separate facility. The transit documents are transported via a transport mechanism to a power-encoder 58 where the MICR, CAR, and LAR data are power-encoded onto the document, as is known in the art. The power-encoded document is then transported to the financial institution required. It should be noted that in an alternate embodiment, the system of FIG. 1f would be paperless. In this case, the document transport mechanism 51 simply discards the documents; units 56 and 58 are omitted. In yet another embodiment the system would process some paper documents and unit 56 would be omitted.

Turning now to FIG. 1g, the image processing system comprises an image file creation system 70 which accepts raw image data. The image data is processed as described with respect to the remote image capture unit above. This image file creation system 70 is located at the image processing system when the remote image capture unit 16 lacks the capability for processing a document image.

An on-us and transit file sorter system 76 sorts on-us and transit image files and physical documents. Both the on-us and transit image files are sent to a temporary storage unit 72 which stores the image files for a short period of time, for example, until the end of the day. At the end of that time period, the temporary storage transmits these files to a permanent storage 18. The transit image files are sent to a cash letter formation unit 84. The physical transit items are encoded by a power encode unit 78. The on-us physical items are imaged by the system 76 and their image files processed as described above. The sorter system 76 sends both inclearing items and image files to a proof-of-deposit processing system 82. Alternatively, MICR encode units may be located at remote units throughout the system.

The proof-of-deposit processing unit 82 determines whether documents and images accepted are the same as the declared deposited amount. In other words, the unit determines that the documents declared as input are going out as a output. The proof-of-deposit processing unit 82 accepts both physical items (inclearing items including both on-us and transit items) and image items. The image items include image files from other banks, image files from remote capture units, and image files from the image file creation system 70. Of course, in an image-only system the functionality of processing physical documents would not be present.

The data portion of the transit image files is sent to a power-encode unit 78 where, if needed, the information is placed on the physical document sent out as a transit item from a cash letter formation unit 84. The power encode unit 78 can be omitted in a paperless network.

The transit image file and any transit documents are also sent to the cash letter formation unit 84 where the individual image files and documents having the same destination are bundled together into a single packet of data or physical packets. Outgoing transit file router 86 then transmits the data to its correct destination. The router 86 adds data, as is known in the art, ensuring that the packet will reach its destination. In the case of physical documents, the documents are sent to the correct financial institution. Of course, in an entirely image-based network, the handling and processing of physical documents would be omitted.

A inquiry processor 80 accepts inquires. The inquiry processor determines whether the image file requested is in temporary storage 72. When found, the inquiry processor 80 determines whether access permission has been granted. If permission has been granted, the image file is sent over the correct lines to the output. The inquiry processor also receives inquiries from the accounting system and routes them over the inquiry line to the appropriate outside destination.

Referring again to FIG. 1a, image files, the data portion of image file, and inquiries are transmitted to branches of the same bank 40, the federal reserve system 44, or to outside financial institutions 48. The data portion of the image file follows the traditional settlement path. That is, the data portion of the image file may first go to the federal reserve if two banks do not have a direct account. There, the moneys are transferred by an accounting system as described above. Alternately, banks may have special accounts between each other. This usually occurs when the banks have a large volume of transactions. Then, the image data files are sent to the banks directly.

Thus, financial institutions and the federal reserve system transfer image files, the data portion of image files, and inquiries over dedicated lines 37a, which are connected directly between financial institutions. The above information can also be transmitted over the internet 37b as is known in the art. Also, the above data can be transmitted over a private bank-net which provides connections between the various branches of a bank. Also, the above information can be transmitted over a federal reserve network line 37d to banks in the federal reserve system. Finally, the above data can be transmitted over a clearing house network line 37e to a financial clearing house.

As an alternative, or in addition to the communication links described above, the image data may be stored on CD ROM (or any other type of magnetic or optical media) and physically transported to any point in the system. In this way, data can also be viewed at points not coupled to the network.

A full image scanner utilized in the remote capture unit or image processing system of the present invention is now described. As illustrated in FIG. 2r, a user deposits currency or documents into an input receptacle 7016. As stated above, by "currency", "documents", or "bills" it is meant to include not only conventional U.S. or foreign bills, such as $1 bills, but also to include checks, deposit slips, coupon and loan payment documents, food stamps, cash tickets, savings withdrawal tickets, check deposit slips, savings deposit slips, and all other documents utilized as a proof of deposit at financial institutions. It is also meant by the term "documents" to include loan applications, credit card applications, student loan applications, accounting invoices, debit forms, account transfer forms, and all other types of forms with predetermined fields. By "financial institution documents" it is meant to include all of the above documents with the exception of currency. A transport mechanism 7018 transports the documents from the input receptacle 7016 past a full image scanner 7012, as the documents are illuminated by a light (not shown). The full image scanner 7012, described in greater detail below, scans the full image of the document, recognizes certain fields within the document, and processes information contained within these fields in the document. For example, the full image scanner 7012 may search for the serial number field when processing U.S. currency, determine the serial number once the field is located, and store the serial number for later use by the system. The scanner also obtains MICR, CAR, and LAR data from the MICR, CAR, and LAR fields of appropriate documents, such as checks without using a magnetic reader. The system may also be used to capture any document image for electronic document display, electronic document storage, electronic document transfer, electronic document recognition (such as denomination recognition or check amount recognition) or any other processing function that can be performed using an electronic image.

Next, the transport mechanism 7018 transports the document past a discrimination and authentication unit 7014 which is also described in greater detail below. The discrimination and authentication unit 7014 authenticates the document and, in the case of a bill, determines the denomination of the bill. On other documents, such as checks, the system may capture information such as the check amount, account number, bank number, or check number. The discrimination and authentication unit 7014 also directs the transport unit 7018 to place the document in the output receptacle 7020a as described below.

A dispensing unit 7022 dispenses funds to a user. For example, when the user is depositing currency in an account, the system has the capability to return all or part of a deposit back to the user in the form of bills, coins, or other media via the dispensing unit 7022. The amount of payback to the user may be supplemented by funds from other accounts, as well, as described below. The dispensing unit 7022 is capable of accepting a variety of media including money orders, smart cards, and checks and may include separate units directed to accepting a particular type of media.

A controller 7010 manages the operation of the system. The controller 7010 directs the flow of documents from the input receptacle 7016 through the transport mechanism 7018, past the full image scanner 7012 and the discrimination and authentication unit 7014, and into the output receptacle 7020a. The transport mechanism directs the documents through the system such that the documents are scanned either along their wide dimension as shown in FIG. 2m. Alternatively, the documents are passed through the system such that they are scanned along their narrow dimension as shown in FIG. 2n. The controller 7010 also directs the dispensing unit 7022 to dispense funds to the user and routes information from the full image scanner 7012 and the discrimination and authentication unit 7014 to an interface 7024 which communicates with an outside accounting system or central office. The controller is also capable of directing information from the outside office through the interface and to a communications panel 7026. Finally, the controller 7010 selectively processes information from the full image scanner 7012 and the discrimination and authentication unit 7014 for use by the system.

Various types of payments are made between customers of a financial institution using a full image scanner and the accounting system at a selected financial institution. First, payments are made from one financial institution to another financial institution to settle accounts. Second, payments are made from a retail customer to a given financial institution or from the financial institution to the given retail customer. Third, financial institutions can issue payments to and receive payments from the Federal Reserve Banks within each region. Fourth, consumers can make payments or withdraw payments from financial institutions. Fifth, businesses of many kinds can make payments to or withdraw payments from financial institutions. The outside accounting system at the financial institution receives information which has been processed at the full image scanner of the present invention. The outside accounting system performs different operations based upon the type of media used in the transaction and the type of accounts accessed.

When checks are utilized in a transaction, the check is tagged with the customer checking account number, the bank number, and the Federal Reserve Region. If multiple banks are involved in the payment, each bank's number is tagged to the payment through an endorsement on the back of the check. Alternatively, the system could tag the checks electronically. In other words, the customer checking account number, bank number, and Federal Reserve region are electronically tagged to the check's image. Tagging also occurs on current electronic payments such as wire transfers.

The outside accounting system processes information associated with checking accounts which can be held by individual consumers, businesses, trade associations, trusts, non-profit organizations, or any other organization. Documents utilized in the check account function include checks, check account deposit slips, debit or credit slips which may be issued by the bank against the checking account, new account application forms, and forms for customers to reorder check and deposit slips. The full image scanner of the present invent processes all of these documents. The documents could be received at a full image scanner located at the teller line, a drive -up window, an ATM, or, alternatively, the documents may be received by mail. If received by mail, the bank employee immediately runs the documents through a full image scanner without having to forward the documents to a central location for processing. The outside accounting system maintains a record of all transactions regarding the checking account, balances, and tracks information associated with a particular check.

Savings accounts are another type of account for which the outside accounting system processes information. Savings accounts typically receive some rate of interest payment on the balances held. Individuals may maintain interest bearing savings accounts at a bank. Depending upon the terms, a savings account could vary in duration for withdrawal from immediate demand for withdrawal to as long as five years. When a consumer agrees to leave the funds for a longer period of time, this usually provides the account with a higher earning interest rate. Documents used in a savings account transaction include deposit slips, withdrawal slips, new account application slips and debit or credit slips which can be applied against the account by the given banking institution. The full image scanner of the present invention processes all of these documents. Again, the documents could be received at the teller line, drive-up window, ATM, or by mail, and immediately be scanned at point of entry without transporting the document to a central location. This information is sent to an outside accounting system where it can be stored, monitored, and analyzed. The accounting system compiles statistics on customers and their accounts and maintains current balances, interest earnings, available funds, available advances, and records all information concerning deposits and withdrawals.

Credit card accounts are another type of account that are handled by the outside accounting system. When a credit card is used in a transaction, the bank typically receives a commission. The full image scanner of the present invention reads credit cards which are being used for electronic payment. The outside accounting system maintains a record of the customer's credit limit, available credit, current balance, and payment. Preferably, the outside accounting system does not settle the credit card balance until the end of the month when the customer pays the balance due on the account.

The debit card is similar to a credit card but is a newer type of media. With the debit card, the customer's account is immediately debited when the transaction takes place. The full image processing system of the present invention accepts debit cards and performs the same functions described above with respect to credit cards.

Smart cards are a new evolving method of payment. Banks, phone companies, and transit authorities issue smart cards for use by customers. The smart cards have a pre-stored value in place which a customer draws against. Consumers might deposit cash or write a check or submit a savings withdrawal document through the full image scanner to purchase a smart card.

Various other types of documents are maintained by a bank. For example, a bank may maintain a trust for an individual such as a retirement trust account. An outside accounting system can maintain all types of information regarding these types of accounts such as account balances, interest earnings, and maturity dates.

The outside accounting system also maintains records and manages information concerning mortgages, consumer loans, and student loans. The outside accounting system maintains records such as the loan balance, last payment, interest rate, and amount paid.

The outside accounting system also distributes funds between the various accounts described above. For example, an individual, with checking and savings accounts at a bank, may also hold a mortgage with the bank. The outside accounting system can make monthly withdrawals from the checking account or savings account to pay the monthly mortgage amount due the bank. To accomplish this, the customer may issue a check for payment and submit this against a coupon provided to the customer by the bank with the required monthly mortgage payment. The coupon and the check (or savings withdrawal and coupon) are run through the full image scanner (at the teller line or automated teller). The information is read by the full image scanner and transmitted to the outside accounting system which conducts the required transfers.

A customer could use the outside accounting system to electronically remove any funds from an account without issuing a check as payment towards their mortgage. Alternately, a bank customer could mail the check payment and loan coupon to the bank. Upon receipt, the bank employee immediately runs the check and coupon through the full image scanner at any bank location--branch, central offices, payment center, etc. The document would not have to be forwarded to a centralized proof department for handling.

In a like manner, businesses can borrow funds from banks for mortgages on commercial property. Again, monthly payments are required, and the corporation must withdraw funds from their checking account to make these monthly payments. Again, an outside accounting system could be utilized to make an electronic payment without the use of checks by using wire transfer or other methods, or the check for payment and the coupon may be scanned by the full image scanner. Alternatively, a bank customer could mail the check payment and loan coupon to the bank. Upon receipt, the bank employee immediately runs the check and coupon though the scanner at any bank location--branch, central offices, payment center, etc. Thus, the document would not have to be forwarded to a centralized proof department for handling.

Consumer loan transactions, for example, involving auto loans, home improvement loans, and educational loans, is another type of transaction processed by the outside accounting system. Payments are typically made using the monthly repayment schedule by the issuing of the check payable to the bank for the monthly balance. Full image scanning of the check and loan coupon could be utilized for this transaction. The payment can be processed as described above. Alternatively, the customer could mail payment and the bank could process through its full image scanners.

Various types of business loan transactions are also processed by the outside accounting system including a "bank line of credit" or "revolving loan." This type of loan is typically one year in maturity. A given business draws up to an authorized amount in a given year. For example, a business may have a line of credit with a bank for up to $2 million, and, on a daily basis, draw on this line of credit. The typical collateral provided for this loan would include accounts receivables, inventory, etc. As long as the business has receivables to support the loan, it can draw up to as much as the authorized amount. Then, when the financial position of the business improves, the business pays down this revolving loan either by issuing a check payable to the bank or through wire electronic transfer from the business's cash account to the loan payment. The full image scanner could be used to accept such check payments and the outside accounting system at the bank processes these payments as described above.

Other types of loans, such as term loans which might have a five-year maturity with a scheduled principle repayment and interest payment required on a monthly or quarterly basis, are processed and tracked by the outside accounting system. Longer term loans, with collateral such as buildings, are also available that might have a 10 to 15 year life.

Banks sometimes underwrite bonds or other issues of securities by corporations. For example, a business may hold an industrial revenue bond issued by a city in the amount of $1.5 million. However, in support of the business's credit, the bank guarantees payment if the business could not perform. The business pays a small interest rate (for example, 1/4 or 1% per year) for the bank's guarantee. Checks are one method used by banks for such payments. Therefore, the full image scanner and outside accounting system may be utilized to process this type of transaction, as described above.

Another important service provided by the outside accounting system for business accounts is cash management. This can be provided by lock box services or sweep accounts. For example, a business needs a minimum operating cash balance in their checking account each day to meet requirements for payment to vendors or employees, for example. Each day, hundreds of payments from various customers of the business are received, typically by check. The checks are deposited into the general account of the business. When the business's account balances exceeds its operating requirements, the outside accounting system at the bank automatically "sweeps" extra funds from the non-interest bearing account to an interest bearing account such as commercial paper.

In a similar manner, many companies have customer payments directed to a bank "lock box." This lock box address is at a bank location and all customer payments to the company are diverted to this lock box address. This insures that the payments are deposited as quickly as possible so that the bank's commercial customers have immediate use of the funds at the bank. The next day the outside accounting system at the bank advises the business which payments were received into the account and the business adjusts its accounts receivables balance one day later, creating a timing problem due to the delay.

The full image scanner of the present invention enables a business to scan the documents through the scanner at the business's location (thus, eliminating the need to first send payments to a bank lock box location) and receive immediate credit electronically through the outside accounting system located at the bank. The check images and other images would immediately be available via the outside accounting system at the bank for settlement purposes. Therefore, lock box services by banks are handled on a de-centralized basis at bank customer locations.

Another service the outside accounting system provides is payment of payroll accounts. The business instructs the accounting system at the bank of the amounts to withdraw from the business's general account on the day of payroll and credit the employee payroll accounts. The outside accounting system can also provide direct deposits to employee accounts without actually issuing a check. Therefore, the employees have immediate use of their funds.

Businesses often maintain cash balances invested in bank commercial paper. The bank, via the accounting system, pays interest daily on the cash balances. Deposits and withdrawals are typically handled by a pre-authorized officer of the company such as the controller. Movement of funds typically require written authorization including a signature of the company officer. The full image scanner and outside accounting system of the present invention are utilized for withdrawals from commercial paper to a checking account or for purchase of commercial paper. This could be initiated by inserting a pre-designed form with an area to add the amount filed and authorized signature. The full image scanner captures the amount and seeks a match for the signature.

The system, via the link with a central office computer 7015, processes transactions substantially immediately. That is, deposits are processed in real time rather than waiting for the end of the day. Also, full images of all documents can be stored on mass storage devices 7017 at the central office. The images could also be stored at the unit itself, or at another remote system. The images could also be temporarily stored and forwarded at a later time.

A personal computer 7011 also be connected to the system. The personal computer can also process data from the scanning modules. Processing of scanned data can occur at the personal computer 7011, within the full image scanning module 7012 or the discrimination unit 7014, or at the central office computer 7015. The system also is connected to teller station 7013 (which includes a video display).

Several full image scanners can be interconnected to form a local area network (LAN). The individual image scanners may be located at teller stations, in bank vaults, or at businesses, for example. In such a network, some or all image processing is accomplished at the image scanner and not at some centralized location. In other words, the processing functionality is "distributed" in such an arrangement. The individual LANs may have a different physical layouts or topologies such as the ring, start, and bus topologies discussed above.

Referring to FIGS. 2q and 2r, the communication panel 7026 displays information to the user and accepts user commands. The panel 7026 consists of a video screen 7050 onto which information to the user is displayed by the system and a keyboard 7052 for accepting commands from a user. As shown in FIG. 2c, the communications panel 7026 can consist of a touch screen 7027 or as shown in FIG. 2d, a combination of a touch screen 7027 and keyboard 7029. A slot 7054 is used for receiving a user's identification card. The user inserts the card into the slot 7054 to access the machine. The user deposits documents into bin 7056. Loose currency is dispensed from slot 7058, strapped currency from receptacle 7060, and loose or rolled coin at receptacle 7062.

As shown in FIG. 2p, other modules can be added to the system. A smart card acceptance module 7063 is provided for accepting smart card. A smart card dispensing module 7065 is provided for dispensing smart cards. An optical reader module 7067 is also provided for accepting and dispensing optical media.

An audio microphone 7064a and speaker 7064b allow two-way communication between the user and a central office, for example, with a teller at a bank's central office. Thus, during the operating hours of a financial institution, bank personnel are connected to the system by the audio microphone 7064a and speaker 7064b. The central office computer 7015 (which includes a video terminal) also receives and displays full video images of the documents from the system. If the documents are not recognizable, the image is forwarded to the bank employee for observation on the terminal. The bank employee could then discuss the document with the customer. In this case, the bank employee could decide to accept the document immediately for credit after reviewing the image on the terminal. With a full image scan, enough information may have been scanned on an unrecognizable document that review by the bank employee on the terminal will enable the bank employee to accurately call the value of the document. Additionally, the image of a document may be presented on a teller's monitor. By reviewing the data, the teller may be able to enter missing data via their keyboard, if the image is recognizable. If the teller is near the machine and an image on the monitor is unclear, the teller may remove the document from the scanner, inspect the document, and enter the missing data. The value could also be entered by the denomination keys and other information by a alphanumeric keypad, as described below, or with a mouse and applications software. Additionally, the value could be entered by a touch screen device or by any combination of the input means described above. The document would then be placed in back of the output receptacle 7020a and processing would continue. In some situations, the customer might enter the value or other information concerning the unidentified documents. This entry would be via the keyboard and credit would be given to the customer's account only after the document is verified by bank personal. In other situations, the customer may merely hold onto the document.

A mentioned previously, the system has a slot for the insertion of a customer identification card. Alternatively, the customer might enter a PIN identification number through the keyboard. After identification of the customer is determined, then the customer submits a document (such as a check or savings account withdrawal slip) and immediate payment to the customer is made.

The output receptacle 7020 can be a single bin as shown in FIG. 2a into which all documents transported by the transport mechanism 7018 are stored. Alternatively, the output receptacle 7020 can consist of dual bins as shown in FIG. 2e. In the case of dual bins, identifiable documents are placed into the first bin and unidentifiable documents are placed into the second bin. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2f, any number of output bins can be used to store the documents. For example, currency of particular denominations can be stored in separate bins. For example, one bin each can be used to store $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills. Users deposit coins into receptacle 7023 and these are processed in coin discriminator and sorter 7019. Alternatively, the customer may be able to select the bins by entering selecting data into a terminal, as the system is operating providing "on the fly" bin selection. Alternatively, a coin receptacle 7023 can be coupled to a coin discriminator and sorter 7019 as illustrated in FIG. 2r.

As shown in FIG. 2g, the full image scanner can be used without the discrimination unit with a single output receptacle. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2h, a full image scanner can be used in a system without a discrimination unit with two output bins or receptacles. Finally, as shown in FIG. 2i, the full image scanner can be used in a system without a discrimination unit in a system containing any number of output bins.

FIG. 2s depicts an exterior perspective view and FIG. 2t is a side view of a multi-pocket document processing system 5010 according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment the document processing system 5010 is compact having a height (H) of about 171/2 inches, width (W) of about 131/2 inches, and a depth (D) of about 15 inches. The evaluation device 5010 may be rested upon a tabletop.

In FIGS. 2s and 2t, documents are fed, one by one, from a stack of documents placed in an input receptacle 5012 into a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism includes a transport plate or guide plate 240 for guiding documents to one of a plurality of output receptacles 5217a and 5217b. Before reaching the output receptacles 5217a, 5217b a document can be, for example, evaluated, analyzed, authenticated, discriminated, counted and/or otherwise processed by a full image scanning module. The results of the above process or processes may be used to determine to which output receptacle 5217a, 5217b a document is directed. In one embodiment, documents such as currency bills are transported, scanned, and identified at a rate in excess of 800 bills or documents per minute. In another embodiment, documents such as currency bills are transported, scanned, and identified at a rate in excess of 1000 bills or documents per minute. In the case of currency bills, the identification includes the determination of the denomination of each bill.

The input receptacle 5012 for receiving a stack of documents to be processed is formed by downwardly sloping and converging walls 205 and 206 (see FIG. 2t) formed by a pair of removable covers (not shown) which snap onto a frame. The converging wall 206 supports a removable hopper (not shown) that includes vertically disposed side walls (not shown). One embodiment of an input receptacle is described and illustrated in more detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/450,505, filed May 26, 1995, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Discriminating and Counting Documents," now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,963 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. The document processing system 5010 in FIG. 2s has a touch panel display 5015 in one embodiment of the present invention which displays appropriate "functional" keys when appropriate. The touch panel display 5015 simplifies the operation of the multi-pocket document processing system 5010. Alternatively or additionally physical keys or buttons may be employed.

From the input receptacle 5012, the documents are moved in seriatim from a bottom of the stack along a curved guideway 211 (shown in FIG. 2t) which receives documents moving downwardly and rearwardly and changes the direction of travel to a forward direction. Although shown as being fed from the bottom, the documents can be fed from the top, front, or back of the stack. The type of feeding used could be friction feed, a vacuum feed, or any other method of feeding known to those skilled in the art. A stripping wheel mounted on a stripping wheel shaft aids in feeding the documents to the curved guideway. The curvature of the guideway corresponds substantially to the curved periphery of a drive roll 223 so as to form a narrow passageway for the bills along the rear side of the drive roll 223. An exit end of the curved guideway 211 directs the documents onto the transport plate 240 which carries the documents through an evaluation section and to one of the output receptacles 5217a, 5217b.

Stacking of the documents in one embodiment is accomplished by a pair of driven stacking wheels 5212a and 5213a for the first or upper output receptacle 5217a and by a pair of stacking wheels 5212b and 5213b for the second or bottom output receptacle 5217b. The stacker wheels 5212a,b and 5213a,b are supported for rotational movement about respective shafts 5215a,b journalled on a rigid frame and driven by a motor (not shown). Flexible blades of the stacker wheels 5212a and 5213a deliver the documents onto a forward end of a stacker plate 214a. Similarly, the flexible blades of the stacker wheels 5212b and 5213b deliver the bills onto a forward end of a stacker plate 214b.

A diverter 260 directs the documents to either the first or second output receptacle 5217a, 5217b. When the diverter is in a lower position, documents are directed to the first output receptacle 5217a. When the diverter 260 is in an upper position, documents proceed in the direction of the second output receptacle 5217b.

FIGS. 2j-l depict multi-pocket document processing system 5010, such as a currency discriminators, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2j depicts a three-pocket document processing system 5010. FIG. 2k depicts a four-pocket document processing system 5010. FIG. 2l depicts a six-pocket document processing system 5010.

The multi-pocket document processing systems 5010 in FIGS. 2j-l have a transport mechanism which includes a transport plate or guide plate 240 for guiding currency documents to one of a plurality of output receptacles 217. The transport plate 240 according to one embodiment is substantially flat and linear without any protruding features. Before reaching the output receptacles 217, a document can be, for example, evaluated, analyzed, authenticated, discriminated, counted and/or otherwise processed.

The multi-pocket document processing systems 5010 move the documents in seriatim from a bottom of the stack along the curved guideway 211 which receives documents moving downwardly and rearwardly and changes the direction of travel to a forward direction. Although shown as being fed from the bottom, the documents can be fed from the top, front, or back of the stack. An exit end of the curved guideway 211 directs the documents onto the transport plate 240 which carries the documents through an evaluation section and to one of the output receptacles 217. A plurality of diverters 260 direct the documents to the output receptacles 217. When the diverter 260 is in a lower position, documents are directed to the corresponding output receptacle 217. When the diverter 260 is in an upper position, documents proceed in the direction of the remaining output receptacles.

The multi-pocket document processing systems 5010 of FIGS. 2j-l according to one embodiment includes passive rolls 250, 251 which are mounted on an underside of the transport plate 240 and are biased into counter-rotating contact with their corresponding driven upper rolls 223 and 241. Other embodiments include a plurality of follower plates which are substantially free from surface features and are substantially smooth like the transport plate 240. The follower plates 262 and 278 are positioned in spaced relation to transport plate 240 so as to define a currency pathway therebetween. In one embodiment, follower plates 262 and 278 have apertures only where necessary for accommodation of passive rolls 268, 270, 284, and 286.

The follower plate, such as follower plate 262, works in conjunction with the upper portion of the transport plate 5240 to guide a bill 5020 from the passive roll 251 to a driven roll 264 and then to a driven roll 266. The passive rolls 268, 270 are biased by H-springs into counter-rotating contact with the corresponding driven rolls 264 and 266.

The general operation of the automated document processing system is illustrated in FIG. 2u. The user conducts a transaction at step 7010a. During the transaction step 7010a, the user places documents into the input receptacle 7016, the full image scanner 7012 scans a full image of the documents, selected parts of the image are processed by the image scanner 7012, the discrimination and authentication unit 7014 authenticates the document, and the document is placed in the output receptacle 7020. During the transaction step 7010a, any interaction with personnel at a central office, for example, with a bank teller, occurs. As previously described, the system may also include a smart card processing module, modules which accept and read all forms of magnetic and optical media, and modules which dispense smart cards and all forms of optical and magnetic media.

An alarm condition may be generated during a transaction. At step 7010b, the system determines whether an alarm condition is present. If the answer is affirmative, then at step 7010c the system responds to the alarm condition. The response may be automatic or may require manual action by the user. If the response is automatic, the system preferably flashes a warning light, for example a 24 VAC external light driven by a relay. If the response required is manual, the user is required to perform some manual action and instructions of how to proceed may be displayed to the user on a user display screen, as described below. Alarm conditions occur when the user presses a help key; when a currency dispenser becomes empty; when more than a programmable predetermined amount of foreign currency is detected; upon a system error condition; and when a bin is full. If the answer to step 7010b is negative or upon completion of step 7010c, operation continues at step 7010d.

After the alarm condition is tested or handled, the amount deposited in the transaction is stored at step 7010d for later use. The values are preferably stored in a computer memory. Next, at step 7010e, the user or machine distributes the deposited amount stored in step 7010d. Step 7010e is also described in greater detail below and can, for example, consist of receiving the deposited amount in the form of bills, allocating it to a savings account, or receiving part of the deposit back in bills and crediting the remainder to a bank savings account. At step 7010f, the user is given the choice of conducting a new transaction. If the answer is affirmative, the system returns to step 7010a which is described above. If the user answers in the negative, then the machine stops.

The full image scanner 7012 is now described in detail. In accordance with the present invention, the image scanner may be of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,812 which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. As shown in FIG. 3, the front and back surfaces of the documents are scanned by scan heads 80 and 82 and the images processed into video image data by electronic circuitry. The scan heads 80 and 82 are preferably charge coupled scanner arrays and generate a sequence of analog signals representing light and dark images defining the image on the document. The scan heads 80 and 82 are arranged for simultaneously scanning both the front and back of the documents and are connected respectively to analog-to-digital converters 84 and 86 which convert the analog values into discrete binary gray scale values of, for example, 256 gray scale levels. The scan heads are capable of obtaining images of varying resolutions. The particular resolution chosen, which can be varied by the user, is selected based upon the type of document being scanned, as is known in the art.

The high resolution gray scale image data from the analog-to-digital converters 84 and 86 is directed to an image data preprocessor 88 in which the data may be enhanced and smoothed and which serves to locate the edges of successive documents and discard irrelevant data between documents. If the documents are slightly skewed, the image preprocessor 88 can also perform rotation on the image data to facilitate subsequent processing.

The image data is monitored for unacceptable image quality by image quality unit 90. For example, the image quality unit 90 and monitors the distribution of gray scale values in the image data and create a histogram. As is well known in the art, acceptable quality images have a distribution of gray scale values within certain prescribed limits. If the gray scale distribution of the histogram falls outside these limits, this is indicative of poor image quality and an error condition is generated.

The image data is transmitted from the quality unit 90 to the image processor 92. As is known in the art, the optical scanners can additionally scan specified fields on the faces of the document. For example, when processing checks, the scan head may search for the "$" symbol as a coordinate to the left of the numeric check amount field box. As is known in the art, a straight coordinate system or dimension system is used where known dimensions of the box are used to locate the field. Also, when scanning currency, the system searches for the serial numbers printed at defined locations which the image processor 92 can locate. The processor 92 can be programmed to locate fields for various types of currency and perform processing as follows. Based on scanning certain areas on the currency or document, the processor 92 first identifies the type of currency, for example, U.S. bank notes. Then, based on the outcome of the previous step, certain fields of interest are located, and the information stored for use by the system. The processor 92 may also compresses the image data, as is known in the art, in preparation for transmission to an outside location.

The amount of image data per document may vary depending upon the size and nature of the document and the efficiency of the data compression and reduction for that particular document. To insure that no data is lost in the event that the volume of image data may temporally exceed the transfer capacity of the high speed data channel, a prechannel buffer 94 interposed prior to the data channel, which is connected to the controller 10. The capacity of the pre-channel buffer 94 is continually monitored by the controller 10 so that appropriate action may be taken if the buffer becomes overloaded. The compressed video image data is received by the controller 7010 over a high-speed data channel 96 and is initially routed to temporary storage. The image buffer is preferably of a size capable of storing the image data from at least several batches or runs of checks or similar documents. The controller 7010 in the full image scanner performs the functions of analyzing the data. Alternatively, as discussed above, analysis of the data can occur at the central office computer 7015 or at a personal computer 7011 attached to the system.

The personal computer or alternate means may be used to create images of documents that are electronic images only, without scanning documents. For example, the EDGE system by Cummins-Allison Corporation could be used. In such a system, computer software electronically creates an image of a document such as a check. A special printer (not shown) is connected to the system to print documents with special fields such as magnetic ink fields.

A plurality of document processing systems may be connected in a "hub and spokes" network architecture as is known in the art. In order to prevent congestion, the image buffer on each document processing system stores data until polled by the central office computer or outside accounting system. When polled, the data is uploaded to the central office computer or accounting system.

Other scanning modules and methods can be used in place or in addition to the particular one described above. These include CCD array systems, multi-cell arrays and other well-known scanning techniques. Examples of these techniques and devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,792; U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,158; U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,750; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,780 all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The scanning module can also be a color image scanner such as the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,292 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Referring now to FIG. 2v, a customer uses the document processing system by accessing the system at step 8002. This step could include entering a PIN or inserting an identification card. Alternatively, in some systems, no PIN or card may be required. Next, at step 8004, the customer enters an itemized, declared balance. Then, at step 8006, the customer feeds currency into the system. Next, at step 8008, the customer feeds checks into the system. Then, at step 8010, the customer feeds coins into the system. At step 8012, the customer reviews the deposit and may be prompted to enter any missing data. At step 8014, the customer is asked for a receipt. If the answer is affirmative, a receipt is printed at step 8016. If the answer is negative, execution ends.

The individual units of the image processing network can be located in the back room of a bank, to facilitate batch processing. Thus, documents can be processed at the convenience of bank employees. This has several advantages. For example, instead of waiting until the end of the day to process all documents, these items can be processed in groups or batches. The images can be sent to a central location relieving congestion at the central location and the back room since items can be processed at several times during the day rather than at one time at the end of the day. CAR/LAR processing and POD can be done either at the unit in the back room or at a central location.

The discrimination and authentication unit may contain a single or multiple head scanner. Before explaining such a multiple head scanner, the operation of a scanner having a single scanhead is first described. In particular, a currency discrimination system adapted to U.S. currency is described in connection with FIGS. 4a-4d. Subsequently, modifications to such a discrimination and authentication unit will be described in obtaining a currency discrimination and authentication unit in accordance with the present invention. Furthermore, while the embodiments of the discrimination and authentication unit described below entail the scanning of currency bills, the discrimination and authentication unit of the present invention is applicable to other documents as well. For example, the system of the present invention may be employed in conjunction with stock certificates, checks, bonds, and postage and food stamps, and all other financial institution documents.

Also, an image can be displayed on a display screen for comparison as a method of flagging. The image processing means need not stop during processing. For example, a batch of one hundred notes could be processed; all notes are $20 bills except one that is a $5 bill. The $5 bill image will be displayed to a customer. The customer could read the display amount and verify that it is a $5 bill. Alternatively, after the unit stops and a full stack was run, customers could look through the stack to try to find the $5 bill. Also, as a part of flagging and display of the image on the screen, the machine could be stopped exactly on the note or several notes later.

Referring now to FIG. 4a, there is shown a functional block diagram illustrating a currency discriminating unit having a single scanhead. The unit 910 includes a bill accepting station 912 where stacks of currency bills that need to be identified and counted are positioned by the transport mechanism. Accepted bills are acted upon by a bill separating station 914 which functions to pick out or separate one bill at a time for being sequentially relayed by a bill transport mechanism 916, according to a precisely predetermined transport path, across scanhead 918 where the currency denomination of the bill is scanned and identified. Scanhead 918 is an optical scanhead that scans for characteristic information from a scanned bill 917 which is used to identify the denomination of the bill. The scanned bill 917 is then transported to a bill stacking station 920 where bills so processed are stacked for subsequent removal.

The optical scanhead 918 of FIG. 4a comprises at least one light source 922 directing a beam of coherent light downwardly onto the bill transport path so as to illuminate a substantially rectangular light strip 924 upon a currency bill 917 positioned on the transport path below the scanhead 918. Light reflected off the illuminated strip 924 is sensed by a photodetector 926 positioned directly above the strip. The analog output of photodetector 926 is converted into a digital signal by means of an analog-to-digital (ADC) converter unit 928 whose output is fed as a digital input to a central processing unit (CPU) 930.

While scanhead 918 of FIG. 4a is an optical scanhead, it should be understood that it may be designed to detect a variety of characteristic information from currency bills. Additionally, the scanhead may employ a variety of detection means such as magnetic, optical, electrical conductivity, and capacitive sensors. Use of such sensors is discussed in more detail below, for example, in connection with FIG. 15.

Referring again to FIG. 4a, the bill transport path is defined in such a way that the transport mechanism 916 moves currency bills with the narrow dimension of the bills being parallel to the transport path and the scan direction. Alternatively, the system 910 may be designed to scan bills along their long dimension or along a skewed dimension. As a bill 917 moves on the transport path on the scanhead 918, the coherent light strip 924 effectively scans the bill across the narrow dimension of the bill. As depicted, the transport path is so arranged that a currency bill 917 is scanned by scanhead 918 approximately about the central section of the bill along its narrow dimension, as shown in FIG. 4a. The scanhead 918 functions to detect light reflected from the bill as it moves across the illuminated light strip 924 and to provide an analog representation of the variation in light so reflected which, in turn, represents the variation in the dark and light content of the printed pattern or indicia on the surface of the bill. This variation in light reflected from the narrow dimension scanning of the bills serves as a measure for distinguishing, with a high degree of confidence, among a plurality of currency denominations which the discrimination unit of this invention is programmed to handle.

A series of such detected reflectance signals are obtained across the narrow dimension of the bill, or across a selected segment thereof, and the resulting analog signals are digitized under control of the CPU 930 to yield a fixed number of digital reflectance data samples. The data samples are then subjected to a digitizing process which includes a normalizing routine for processing the sampled data for improved correlation and for smoothing out variations due to contrast fluctuations in the printed pattern existing on the bill surface. The normalized reflectance data so digitized represents a characteristic pattern that is fairly unique for a given bill denomination and provides sufficient distinguishing features among characteristic patterns for different currency denominations. This process is more fully explained in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/885,648, filed on May 19, 1992, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 for a "Method and Apparatus for Currency Discrimination and Counting," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In order to ensure strict correspondence between reflectance samples obtained by narrow dimension scanning of successive bills, the initiation of the reflectance sampling process is preferably controlled through the CPU 930 by means of an optical encoder 932 which is linked to the bill transport mechanism 916 and precisely tracks the physical movement of the bill 917 across the scanhead 918. More specifically, the optical encoder 932 is linked to the rotary motion of the drive motor which generates the movement imparted to the bill as it is relayed along the transport path. In addition, the mechanics of the feed mechanism (not shown, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 referred to above) ensure that positive contact is maintained between the bill and the transport path, particularly when the bill is being scanned by scanhead 918. Under these conditions, the optical encoder 932 is capable of precisely tracking the movement of the bill 917 relative to the light strip 924 generated by the scanhead 918 by monitoring the rotary motion of the drive motor.

The output of photodetector 926 is monitored by the CPU 930 to initially detect the presence of the bill underneath the scanhead 918 and, subsequently, to detect the starting point of the printed pattern on the bill, as represented by the thin borderline 917A which typically encloses the printed indicia on currency bills. Once the borderline 917A has been detected, the optical encoder 932 is used to control the timing and number of reflectance samples that are obtained from the output of the photodetector 926 as the bill 917 moves across the scanhead 918 and is scanned along its narrow dimension.

The use of the optical encoder 932 for controlling the sampling process relative to the physical movement of a bill 917 across the scanhead 918 is also advantageous in that the encoder 932 can be used to provide a predetermined delay following detection of the borderline prior to initiation of samples. The encoder delay can be adjusted in such a way that the bill 917 is scanned only across those segments along its narrow dimension which contain the most distinguishable printed indicia relative to the different currency denominations.

In the case of U.S. currency, for instance, it has been determined that the central, approximately two-inch (approximately 5 cm) portion of currency bills, as scanned across the central section of the narrow dimension of the bill, provides sufficient data for distinguishing among the various U.S. currency denominations on the basis of the correlation technique disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 referred to above. Accordingly, the optical encoder can be used to control the scanning process so that reflectance samples are taken for a set period of time and only after a certain period of time has elapsed since the borderline 917A has been detected, thereby restricting the scanning to the desired central portion of the narrow dimension of the bill.

FIGS. 4b-4d illustrate the scanning process of scanhead 918 in more detail. Referring to FIG. 4c, as a bill 917 is advanced in a direction parallel to the narrow edges of the bill, scanning via a wide slit in the scanhead 918 is effected along a segment S of the central portion of the bill 917. This segment S begins a fixed distance D inboard of the borderline 917A. As the bill 917 traverses the scanhead 918, a strip s of the segment S is always illuminated, and the photodetector 926 produces a continuous output signal which is proportional to the intensity of the light reflected from the illuminated strip s at any given instant. This output is sampled at intervals controlled by the encoder, so that the sampling intervals are precisely synchronized with the movement of the bill across the scanhead 918.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4b and 4d, it is preferred that the sampling intervals be selected so that the strips s that are illuminated for successive samples overlap one another. The odd-numbered and even-numbered sample strips have been separated in FIGS. 4b and 4d to more clearly illustrate this overlap. For example, the first and second strips s1 and s2 overlap each other, the second and third strips s2 and s3 overlap each other, and so on. Each adjacent pair of strips overlap each other. For U.S. currency, this is accomplished by sampling strips that are 0.050 inch (0.127 cm) wide at 0.029 inch (0.074 cm) intervals, along a segment S that is 1.83 inch (4.65 cm) long (64 samples).

The optical sensing and correlation technique is based upon using the above process to generate a series of stored intensity signal patterns using genuine bills for each denomination of currency that is to be detected. According to one embodiment, two or four sets of master intensity signal samples are generated and stored within system memory, preferably in the form of an EPROM 934 (see FIG. 4a), for each detectable currency denomination. The sets of master intensity signal samples for each bill are generated from optical scans, performed on the green surface of the bill and taken along both the "forward" and "reverse" directions relative to the pattern printed on the bill. Alternatively, the optical scanning may be performed on the black side of U.S. currency bills or on either surface of bills from other countries. Additionally, the optical scanning may be performed on both sides of a bill, for example, by placing a scanhead on each side of the bill transport path as described in more detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/207,592 filed Mar. 8, 1994, for a "Method and Apparatus for Currency Discrimination," now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,406, and incorporated herein by reference.

In adapting this technique to U.S. currency, for example, sets of stored intensity signal samples are generated and stored for seven different denominations of U.S. currency, i.e., $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. For bills which produce significant pattern changes when shifted slightly to the left or right, such as the $2 and the $10 bill in U.S. currency, it is preferred to store two patterns for each of the "forward" and "reverse" directions, each pair of patterns for the same direction represent two scan areas that are slightly displaced from each other along the long dimension of the bill. Accordingly, a set of a number of different master characteristic patterns is stored within the system memory for subsequent correlation purposes. Once the master patterns have been stored, the pattern generated by scanning a bill under test is compared by the CPU 930 with each of the master patterns of stored intensity signal samples to generate, for each comparison, a correlation number representing the extent of correlation, i.e., similarity between corresponding ones of the plurality of data samples, for the sets of data being compared. In the case of checks, the system compares the image signature to a stored master signature or to an account number.

The CPU 930 is programmed to identify the denomination of the scanned bill as corresponding to the set of stored intensity signal samples for which the correlation number resulting from pattern comparison is found to be the highest. In order to preclude the possibility of mischaracterizing the denomination of a scanned bill, as well as to reduce the possibility of spurious notes being identified as belonging to a valid denomination, a bi-level threshold of correlation is used as the basis for making a "positive" call. Such a method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 referred to above. If a "positive" call can not be made for a scanned bill, an error signal is generated.

Using the above sensing and correlation approach, the CPU 930 is programmed to count the number of bills belonging to a particular currency denomination as part of a given set of bills that have been scanned for a given scan batch, and to determine the aggregate total of the currency amount represented by the bills scanned during a scan batch. The CPU 930 is also linked to an output unit 936 (FIG. 4a) which is adapted to provide a display of the number of bills counted, the breakdown of the bills in terms of currency denomination, and the aggregate total of the currency value represented by counted bills. The output unit 936 can also be adapted to provide a print-out of the displayed information in a desired format.

A procedure for scanning bills and generating characteristic patterns is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 referred to above and incorporated by reference in its entirety and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/243,807, filed on May 16, 1994 and entitled "Method and Apparatus for Currency Discrimination," now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,949.

The optical sensing and correlation technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,196 permits identification of pre-programmed currency denominations with a high degree of accuracy and is based upon a relatively short processing time for digitizing sampled reflectance values and comparing them to the master characteristic patterns. The approach is used to scan currency bills, normalize the scanned data and generate master patterns in such a way that bill scans during operation have a direct correspondence between compared sample points in portions of the bills which possess the most distinguishable printed indicia. A relatively low number of reflectance samples is required in order to be able to adequately distinguish among several currency denominations.

Now that a single scanhead currency scanner has been described in connection with scanning U.S. currency, a currency discrimination unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In particular, a discrimination unit that can accommodate bills, checks, or any financial institution document of non-uniform size and/or color will be described.

First of all, because currencies come in a variety of sizes, sensors are added to determine the size of a bill to be scanned. These sensors are placed upstream of the scanheads to be described below. One embodiment of size determining sensors is illustrated in FIG. 4e. Two leading/trailing edge sensors 962 detect the leading and trailing edges of a bill 964 as it passing along the transport path. These sensors in conjunction with the encoder 932 (FIG. 4a) may be used to determine the dimension of the bill along a direction parallel to the scan direction which in FIG. 4e is the narrow dimension (or width) of the bill 964. Additionally, two side edge sensors 966 are used to detect the dimension of a bill 964 transverse to the scan direction which in FIG. 4e is the wide dimension (or length) of the bill 964. While the sensors 962 and 966 of FIG. 4e are optical sensors, any means of determining the size of a bill may be employed.

Once the size of a bill is determined, the potential identity of the bill is limited to those bills having the same size. Accordingly, the area to be scanned can be tailored to the area or areas best suited for identifying the denomination and country of origin of a bill having the measured dimensions.

Secondly, while the printed indicia on U.S. currency is enclosed within a thin borderline, the sensing of which may serve as a trigger to begin scanning using a wider slit, most currencies of other currency systems such as those from other countries do not have such a borderline. Thus the system described above may be modified to begin scanning relative to the edge of a bill for currencies lacking such a borderline. Referring to FIG. 4f, two leading edge detectors 968 are shown. The detection of the leading edge 969 of a bill 970 by leading edge sensors 968 triggers scanning in an area a given distance away from the leading edge of the bill 970, e.g., D.sub.3 or D.sub.4, which may vary depending upon the preliminary indication of the identity of a bill based on the dimensions of a bill. Alternatively, the leading edge 969 of a bill may be detected by one or more of the scanheads (to be described below). Alternatively, the beginning of scanning may be triggered by positional information provided by the encoder 932 of FIG. 4a, for example, in conjunction with the signals provided by sensors 962 of FIG. 4e, thus eliminating the need for leading edge sensors 968.

However, when the initiation of scanning is triggered by the detection of the leading edge of a bill, the chance that a scanned pattern will be offset relative to a corresponding master pattern increases. Offsets can result from the existence of manufacturing tolerances which permit the location of printed indicia of a document to vary relative to the edges of the document. For example, the printed indicia on U.S. bills may vary relative to the leading edge of a bill by as much as 50 mils which is 0.05 inches (1.27 mm). Thus when scanning is triggered relative to the edge of a bill (rather than the detection of a certain part of the printed indicia itself, such as the printed borderline of U.S. bills), a scanned pattern can be offset from a corresponding master pattern by one or more samples. Such offsets can lead to erroneous rejections of genuine bills due to poor correlation between scanned and master patterns. To compensate, overall scanned patterns and master patterns can be shifted relative to each other as illustrated in FIGS. 5a and 5b. More particularly, FIG. 5a illustrates a scanned pattern which is offset from a corresponding master pattern. FIG. 5b illustrates the same patterns after the scanned pattern is shifted relative to the master pattern, thereby increasing the correlation between the two patterns. Alternatively, instead of shifting either scanned patterns or master patterns, master patterns may be stored in memory corresponding to different offset amounts.

Thirdly, while it has been determined that the scanning of the central area on the green side of a U.S. bill (see segment S of FIG. 4c) provides sufficiently distinct patterns to enable discrimination among the plurality of U.S. denominations, the central area may not be suitable for bills originating in other countries. For example, for bills originating from Country 1, it may be determined that segment S.sub.1 (FIG. 4f) provides a more preferable area to be scanned, while segment S.sub.2 (FIG. 4f) is more preferable for bills originating from Country 2. Alternatively, in order to sufficiently discriminate among a given set of bills, it may be necessary to scan bills which are potentially from such set along more than one segment, e.g., scanning a single bill along both S.sub.1 and S.sub.2.

To accommodate scanning in areas other than the central portion of a bill, multiple scanheads may be positioned next to each other. One embodiment of such a multiple scanhead system is depicted in FIG. 6. Multiple scanheads 972a-c and 972d-f are positioned next to each other along a direction lateral to the direction of bill movement. Such a system permits a bill 974 to be scanned along different segments. Multiple scanheads 972a-f are arranged on each side of the transport path, thus permitting both sides of a bill 974 to be scanned.

Two-sided scanning may be used to permit bills to be fed into a currency discrimination unit according to the present invention with either side face up. An example of a two-sided scanhead arrangement is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/207,592 filed on Mar. 8, 1994 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,406 and incorporated herein by reference. Master patterns generated by scanning genuine bills may be stored for segments on one or both sides. In the case where master patterns are stored from the scanning of only one side of a genuine bill, the patterns retrieved by scanning both sides of a bill under test may be compared to a master set of single-sided master patterns. In such a case, a pattern retrieved from one side of a bill under test should match one of the stored master patterns, while a pattern retrieved from the other side of the bill under test should not match one of the master patterns. Alternatively, master patterns may be stored for both sides of genuine bills. In such a two-sided system, a pattern retrieved by scanning one side of a bill under test should match with one of the master patterns of one side (Match 1) and a pattern retrieved from scanning the opposite side of a bill under test should match the master pattern associated with the opposite side of a genuine bill identified by Match 1.

Alternatively, in situations where the face orientation of a bill (i.e., whether a bill is "face up" or "face down") may be determined prior to or during characteristic pattern scanning, the number of comparisons may be reduced by limiting comparisons to patterns corresponding to the same side of a bill. That is, for example, when it is known that a bill is "face up", scanned patterns associated with scanheads above the transport path need only be compared to master patterns generated by scanning the "face" of genuine bills. By "face" of a bill it is meant a side which is designated as the front surface of the bill. For example, the front or "face" of a U.S. bill may be designated as the "black" surface while the back of a U.S. bill may be designated as the "green" surface. The face orientation may be determinable in some situations by sensing the color of the surfaces of a bill. An alternative method of determining the face orientation of U.S. bills by detecting the borderline on each side of a bill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,406. The implementation of color sensing is discussed in more detailed below.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 6, the bill transport mechanism operates in such a fashion that the central area C of a bill 974 is transported between central scanheads 972b and 972e. Scanheads 972a and 972c and likewise scanheads 972d and 972f are displaced the same distance from central scanheads 972b and 972e, respectively. By symmetrically arranging the scanheads about the central region of a bill, a bill may be scanned in either direction, e.g., top edge first (forward direction) or bottom edge first (reverse direction). As described above with respect to FIG. 4a, master patterns are stored from the scanning of genuine bills in both the forward and reverse directions. While a symmetrical arrangement is preferred, it is not essential provided appropriate master patterns are stored for a non-symmetrical system.

While FIG. 6 illustrates a system having three scanheads per side, any number of scanheads per side may be utilized. Likewise, it is not necessary that there be a scanhead positioned over the central region of a bill. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention capable of scanning the segments S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 of FIG. 4f. Scanheads 976a, 976d, 976e, and 976h scan a bill 978 along segment S.sub.1 while scanheads 976b, 976c, 976f, and 976g scan segment S.sub.2.

FIG. 8 depicts another embodiment of a scanning system according to the present invention having laterally moveable scanheads 980a-b. Similar scanheads may be positioned on the opposite side of the transport path. Moveable scanheads 980a-b may provide more flexibility that may be desirable in certain scanning situations. Upon the determination of the dimensions of a bill as described in connection with FIG. 4e, a preliminary determination of the identity of a bill may be made. Based on this preliminary determination, the moveable scanheads 980a-b may be positioned over the area of the bill which is most appropriate for retrieving discrimination information. For example, if based on the size of a scanned bill, it is preliminarily determined that the bill is a Japanese 5000 Yen bill-type, and if it has been determined that a suitable characteristic pattern for a 5000 Yen bill-type is obtained by scanning a segment 2.0 cm to the left of center of the bill fed in the forward direction, scanheads 980a and 980b may be appropriately positioned for scanning such a segment, e.g., scanhead 980a positioned 2.0 cm left of center and scanhead 980b positioned 2.0 cm right of center. Such positioning permits proper discrimination regardless of the whether the scanned bill is being fed in the forward or reverse direction. Likewise scanheads on the opposite side of the transport path (not shown) could be appropriately positioned. Alternatively, a single moveable scanhead may be used on one or both sides of the transport path. In such a system, size and color information (to be described in more detail below) may be used to properly position a single laterally moveable scanhead, especially where the orientation of a bill may be determined before scanning.

FIG. 8, depicts a unit in which the transport mechanism is designed to deliver a bill 982 to be scanned centered within the area in which scanheads 980a-b are located. Accordingly, scanheads 980a-b are designed to move relative to the center of the transport path with scanhead 980a being moveable within the range R.sub.1 and scanhead 980b being moveable within range R.sub.2.

FIG. 9 depicts another embodiment of a scanning system according to the present invention wherein bills to be scanned are transported in a left justified manner along the transport path, that is wherein the left edge L of a bill 984 is positioned in the same lateral location relative to the transport path. Based on the dimensions of the bill, the position of the center of the bill may be determined and the scanheads 986a-b may in turn be positioned accordingly. As depicted in FIG. 9, scanhead 986a has a range of motion R.sub.3 and scanhead 986b has a range of motion R.sub.4. The ranges of motion of scanheads 986a-b may be influenced by the range of dimensions of bills which the discrimination unit is designed to accommodate. Similar scanheads may be positioned on the opposite side of the transport path.

Alternatively, the transport mechanism may be designed such that scanned bills are not necessarily centered or justified along the lateral dimension of the transport path. Rather the design of the transport mechanism may permit the position of bills to vary left and right within the lateral dimension of the transport pat