Check accepting and cash dispensing automated banking machine system and method

Apparatus comprising:

• an ATM including:
• a display;
• a card reader;
• a printer;
• a keypad;
• a cash dispenser;
• a check accepting device including optical sensors operative to generate appearance data corresponding to appearance of at least a portion of checks received in the check accepting device;
• at least one processor and at least one data store, wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the at least one data store, the check accepting device, the cash dispenser, the keypad, the printer, the card reader, and the display;
• wherein the at least one processor has software operating therein, wherein the software includes area selection software and character recognition software,
• wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to the area selection software to select first area appearance data corresponding to at least one first area of a check received in the check accepting device,
• wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to the character recognition software to determine if the first area appearance data includes character data corresponding to at least one visible character, an identity of which at least one character is resolved through operation of the character recognition software based on the first area appearance data with at least a programmed level of assurance,
• wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to determining that the first area appearance data does not include the character data, to select second area appearance data responsive to the area selection software, the second area appearance data corresponding to at least one second area of the check, the at least one second area being different from the at least one first area,
• wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to the character recognition software to determine if the second area appearance data includes the character data corresponding to the at least one visible character, the identity of which at least one character is resolved through operation of the character recognition software based on the second area appearance data with at least the programmed level of assurance.