Depository apparatus for envelopes and single sheets

A depository apparatus comprising:

• a user interface having a common entry slot therein for receiving deposit items being either an envelope or a single sheet, a display, and a keyboard for entering data;
• a common transport path;
• an envelope path;
• a sheet path;
• sensors for determining whether a deposit item is an envelope or a single sheet;
• a first deposit item transport for moving a deposit item along the common transport path;
• a second deposit item transport for moving a deposit item which has been determined by the sensors to be an envelope along the envelope path;
• a third deposit item transport for moving a deposit item which has been determined by the sensors to be a single sheet along the sheet path;
• an aligner for aligning a deposit item which has been determined by the sensors to be a single sheet for processing by an imager;
• an imager for generating an image of at least one side of the aligned deposit item which has been determined by the sensors to be a single sheet;
• and
• a controller for (i) displaying the image on the display to enable a user to control processing of the aligned deposit item which has been determined by the sensors to be a single sheet via the keyboard, (ii) determining whether the single sheet is of a predetermined type based upon the image, and (iii) returning the single sheet to the user through the entry slot if the controller determines that the single sheet is not of a predetermined type.

A depository apparatus comprising:

• a user interface having a common entry slot therein for receiving deposit items comprising envelopes and single sheet financial documents;
• thickness sensing means for providing an output indicative of whether a deposit item has at least a predetermined thickness;
• a common transport path;
• an envelope path;
• a document path;
• transport means and diverter means for (i) transporting the deposit item along the common transport path and thereafter routing the deposit item into the envelope path for further processing as an envelope if the deposit item has at least the predetermined thickness, or for (ii) transporting the deposit item into the document path for further processing as a financial document if the deposit item has less than the predetermined thickness;
• imaging means for generating a digital image of a deposit item routed into the document path;
• and
• processing means for processing the digital image to determine whether the deposit item is a financial document of a predetermined type, the deposit item being returned to the common path if the processing means fails to determine that the deposit item is a document of the predetermined type;
• the processing means including circuitry to determine whether a deposit item is a financial document of the predetermined type by checking whether appropriate information is present at certain locations on the deposit item;
• the transport means including means for returning to the entry slot along the common feed path a single sheet document which has failed to be recognized as a financial document of the predetermined type by the processing means;
• the processing means including circuitry to determine whether a deposit item is an envelope of predetermined type;
• the transport means including means for transporting the envelope to the envelope path.