Abstract: A device for reading magnetic information from documents hand-fed to the device is described herein. Such a device may be configured as a hand-fed check reader for reading MICR information from a check. The check reader includes a housing having a configuration designed to allow a human operator to efficiently hand-feed checks to the reader. In particular this configuration includes a check support surface and associated rail which assists the operator in guiding the check to a read head located adjacent to the surface. The read head is coupled to circuitry for generating signals representative of MICR information, and may be supported by a circuit board which also supports the circuitry. The reader also includes a drive mechanism having a drive wheel for forcing the check against the head while the check is driven along the head during reading.

Abstract: A document reader, such as a hand-fed check reader is described herein. The reader includes a transducer elastically supported relative to a circuit board. Components and circuitry to manipulate signals produced by (read head transducer), or applied to (write head transducer), the transducers are supported by the circuit board. The transducer is supported by a spring member fabricated from the circuit board material, where the board is mounted relative to a document path of travel such that the transducer is biased against the document. A drive wheel and mechanism is provided to move the document along the path and bias the document against the transducer in the vicinity of magnetic information on the document.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for operating a local terminal which includes a programmable computer so that the terminal executes a pre-arranged application program. More specifically, the present invention provides methods for operating a local terminal according to a pre-arranged application program which is created on a remote computer, then communicated by a communication channel to the local terminal where it is stored for execution.