US 5,416,308 A · Transaction document reader

Abstract

A transaction document reader reads image data on a transaction document. The image data includes marking areas employed by a user to record marks and includes characters. A sensor senses, one row at a time, rows of image data as the document is transported across the sensor. Each row includes a number of pixel areas. The pixel areas of the rows being aligned in columns. The sensor generates output signals representative of the pixel areas. The output signals are transformed into bit signals representative of each pixel area. The bit signals are stored in image memory which is organized into rows and columns of bit signals corresponding to the rows and columns of the pixel areas of the image data. The marking areas are located in image memory. The marks are identified in the marking areas while additional rows of bit signals are being stored and while other marking areas are being located by probing the bit signals in image memory. A specific area within image memory representative of a single character is also located. A neural network is utilized to recognize the character within specific area.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An apparatus for reading image data on a transaction document, said image data including a plurality of marking areas employed by a user to record marks, the apparatus comprising:

sensor means for sensing, one row at a time, a plurality of rows of image data as said document is transported across said sensor means, each row including a plurality of columns, said sensor means comprising means for generating output signals representative of said pixel areas;
transform means for receiving said output signals and generating bit signals representative of each pixel area, wherein said transform means comprises means for digitizing said output signals representative of said pixel areas and for providing gray scale digitized output signals, transform memory means for generating and storing bit signals for individual columns as a function of a threshold value, and means for addressing said transform memory means to select a bit signal representative of whether the gray scale digitized output signals are representative of generally dark or light pixel areas;
image memory means for storing said bit signals, said image memory means being organized into rows and columns of bit signals corresponding to said plurality of rows and columns of said pixel areas of said image data;
means for locating at least one portion of said image memory means representative of at least one of said plurality of marking areas of said transaction document, said means for locating being operative after rows of bit signals representative of said at least one marking area are stored in said image memory means and while additional rows of bit signals representative of other image data are being sensed, transformed, and stored in said image memory;
and
means for identifying marks made in said at least one marking area while said additional rows of bit signals are being stored and while other marking areas are being located by probing said bit signals within said image memory means.

3 more elements

An apparatus for reading image data on a transaction document, said image data including a plurality of marking areas employed by a user to record marks, the apparatus comprising:

sensor means for sensing, one row at a time, a plurality of rows of image data as said document is transported across said sensor means, each row including a plurality of columns, said sensor means comprising means for generating output signals representative of said pixel areas;
transform means for receiving said output signals and generating bit signals representative of each pixel area;
image memory means for storing said bit signals, said image memory means being organized into rows and columns of bit signals corresponding to said plurality of rows and columns of said pixel areas of said image data;
means for locating at least one portion of said image memory means representative of at least one of said plurality of marking areas of said transaction document, including means for identifying a type of transaction document by probing a predetermined plurality of rows of said image memory means in order to determine dimensions of said document, said type of document having certain dimensions;
and
wherein said at least one portion of image memory means representative of said at least one of said plurality of marking areas is located as a function of stored predetermined distances measured with respect to said dimensions of said type of transaction document identified, said means for locating being operative after rows of bit signals representative of said at least one marking area are stored in said image memory means and while additional rows of bit signals representative of other image data are being sensed, transformed, and stored in said image memory;
and
means for identifying marks made in said at least one marking area while said additional rows of bit signals are being stored and while other marking areas are being located by probing said bit signals within said image memory means.

5 more elements

An apparatus for reading image data on a transaction document, said image data including a plurality of marking areas employed by a user to record marks, the apparatus comprising:

sensor means for sensing, one row at a time, a plurality of rows of image data as said document is transported across said sensor means, each row including a plurality of columns, said sensor means comprising means for generating output signals representative of said pixel areas;
transform means for receiving said output signals and generating bit signals representative of each pixel area;
image memory means for storing said bit signals, said image memory means being organized into rows and columns of bit signals corresponding to said plurality of rows and columns of said pixel areas of said image data;
means for locating at least one portion of said image memory means representative of at least one of said plurality of marking areas of said transaction document, said means for locating comprising,
means for identifying a type of transaction document by probing a predetermined plurality of rows of said image memory means to determine dimensions of said document, said type of document having predetermined dimensions;
means for probing at least one column of said image memory means to locate a first mark position, the image data of said document including a plurality of mark positions;
and
means for locating the at least one portion of image memory means representative of said at least one of said plurality of marking areas as a function of a predetermined distance from said first mark position to said at least one marking area dependent upon said type of transaction document identified,
said means for locating being operative after rows of bit signals representative of said at least one marking area are stored in said image memory means and while additional rows of bit signals representative of other image data are being sensed, transformed, and stored in said image memory;
and
means for identifying marks made in said at least one marking area while said additional rows of bit signals are being stored and while other marking areas are being located by probing said bit signals within said image memory means.

8 more elements

An apparatus for reading image data on a transaction document, said image data including a plurality of marking areas employed by a user to record marks, the apparatus comprising:

sensor means for sensing, one row at a time, a plurality of rows of image data as said document is transported across said sensor means, each row including a plurality of columns, said sensor means comprising means for generating output signals representative of said pixel areas;
transform means for receiving said output signals and generating bit signals representative of each pixel area;
image memory means for storing said bit signals, said image memory means being organized into rows and columns of bit signals corresponding to said plurality of rows and columns of said pixel areas of said image data;
means for locating at least one portion of said image memory means representative of at least one of said plurality of marking areas of said transaction document, said means for locating being operative after rows of bit signals representative of said at least one marking area are stored in said image memory means and while additional rows of bit signals representative of other image data are being sensed, transformed, and stored in said image memory;
and
means for identifying marks made in said at least one marking area while said additional rows of bit signals are being stored and while other marking areas are being located by probing said bit signals within said image memory means, said identifying means comprising,
means for probing a plurality of lines of bit signals representative of pixel areas extending across said marking area within said at least one portion of said image memory means in order to identify whether said lines contain at least one bit signal representative of a dark pixel area;
means for comparing the number of lines containing said at least one bit signal to at least one predetermined number of lines;
and
means for filtering the result of said means for comparing in order to identify whether a mark appears in said at least one marking area.

7 more elements

An apparatus for reading information on a transaction document having image data thereon, said image data including at least one marking area for a user to place a transaction mark, comprising:

means for generating bit signals representative of rows and columns of dark or light pixel areas of said image data;
an image memory for storing said bit signals, said image memory being organized in rows and columns corresponding to said pixel areas of said image data of said document;
means for locating at least one portion of said image memory representative of said at least one marking area as a function of particular reference characteristics of said document;
and
means for identifying whether said at least one marking area contains a mark or lacks a mark by probing a plurality of lines of said bit signals of said image memory representative of pixel areas extending across said marking areas, said identifying means comprising,
means for probing said plurality of lines of bit signals of said image memory representative of said pixel areas within said at least one marking area to identify whether said lines contain at least one bit signal representative of a dark pixel area;
means for comparing the number of lines containing said at least one bit signal to at least one predetermined number of lines;
and
means for filtering the result of said means for comparing to identify whether a mark appears in said at least one marking area.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Transaction document reader

Life of this patent

Transaction document reader

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25