Automated document processing system using full image scanning

An apparatus comprising:

• a document transport path for individually conveying documents from a stack including checks and currency bills;
• a sensing assembly adjacent the transport path, wherein the sensing assembly is operative to sense radiation that is reflected from documents conveyed along the transport path;
• and
• a processing unit connected to the sensing assembly and operative when the document is a currency bill to determine a characteristic of the currency bill from the reflected radiation and operative when the document is a check to capture an electronic image of the check from the reflected radiation.

An apparatus comprising:

• a transport path along which individual currency bills and checks pass;
• a sensing assembly, comprising:
• a document imager operable to capture electronic images of at least the checks which pass along the transport path;
• and
• a reflective scanner operable to sense radiation that is reflected from at least the currency bills which pass along the transport path;
• and
• a processing unit in operative connection with the document imager and the reflective scanner and further operable to process the reflected radiation sensed by the reflective scanner to determine at least one of currency bill denomination and currency bill validation and further operable to store captured electronic check images in, and retrieve captured electronic check images from, a storage device.

A method comprising:

• a) individually passing documents along a transport path from a stack comprising currency bills and checks;
• b) sensing radiation that is reflected from bills and checks passed along the transport path using a sensing assembly adjacent the path;
• c) determining through operation of a processing unit responsive to radiation sensed by the sensing assembly, a denomination associated with a currency bill passed along the transport path;
• and
• d) storing in a data store through operation of the processing unit responsive to radiation sensed by the sensing assembly electronic image data corresponding to an image of a check passed along the transport path.