Versatile camera system for secure document transactions

A camera system comprising:

• a structure;
• two video cameras mounted on said structure, wherein the first camera located on said structure to focus on an image at the front of said structure and said second camera located on said structure to focus on an image below said structure;
• a document tray being at the base of said structure with a marker to define the image area and having a document detection means for detecting the presence of a document so that the system may trigger a document-in-place event and switch to the next state of operation;
• a display means for displaying the front image to assist operator the correct capture of the front image;
• a processor means having four states of operation, a Wait state in which the system is waiting for external input, a Ready state in which the system is ready to take images, a Taking-Picture state in which the display means displays the image, and an Alarm state in which the system has received a trigger, does not respond to internal events and transmits image externally by using a communication means;
• and
• an indicator means for indicating the current state of the system.