Abstract: An automated, dynamic digital financial management tool is described herein. The financial management tool enables a user to access all forms of payments, debt and transactions to be deducted automatically depending on which form of payment is chosen. The financial management tool documents every item/service purchased. The documentation enables a company/manufacturer/store to provide marketing and recall information to the user. The financial management tool is able to include any and/or all financial aspects of a user's life. The financial management tool is able to be implemented using a universal card. The financial management tool is able to include a pay station to receive payments. The financial management tool is able to include automated services. An automated, dynamic health management system is also described herein.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for determining changes to database tables. In an embodiment, the method comprises loading a first group of records in a first time period in a database; loading a second group of records in a second time period in the database; selecting one or more of the records in the database; and for each of the selected records, determining whether it was loaded into the database during the first time period or the second time period, and providing the each record with a specified designation based on the time period during which the each record was loaded into the database. In an embodiment, identified times when the records were loaded in the database are used to determine the time period during which the each record was loaded in the database.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide for an automated system for analyzing damage to process claims associated with an insured item, such as a vehicle. An enhanced claims processing server may analyze damage associated with the insured item using photos/video transmitted to the server from a user device (e.g., a mobile device). The enhanced claims processing server may submit a signal that locks one or more portions of an application on the mobile device used to submit the photos/videos. The mobile device may receive feedback from the server regarding the acceptability of submitted photos/video. The photos may further be annotated using, for example, a touch screen display. An estimate, such as a cost estimate, may be determined for the damage associated with the insured item based on the photos and/or annotations.

Abstract: Methods that can accelerate replication of file metadata on different sites are disclosed herein. One method includes recreating, by a processor, a transaction history for a predetermined period of time for a set of consumer sites of a first storage network and synchronizing data in the set of consumer sites and a new consumer site added to the first storage network utilizing a cloud scale persistent message bus. In this method, the data is synchronized based on the recreated transaction history during the predetermined period of time and current transactions performed on each consumer site in the set of consumer sites. Apparatus, systems, and computer program products that can include, perform, and/or implement the methods are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: An approach to time-series data handling involves use of a logical data file structure within a multi-layer file storage. Client systems may ingest time-series data to this logical data file structure by writing or appending the time-series data to at least one file in the logical data file structure and adding metadata describing contents of the at least one file to a metadata catalog. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a device and system for verifying the content of items in a bin within a materials handling facility. In some implementations, a bin content verification apparatus may pass by one or more bins and capture images of those bins. The images may be processed to determine whether the content included in the bins has changed since the last time images of the bins were captured. A determination may also be made as to whether a change to the bin content was expected and, if so, if the determined change corresponds with the expected change.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a method for maintaining and analyzing a rolling history of performance data for a computer network is described. In one embodiment, one year's data is stored, sorted by object and date. New data is appended to the end of the file each day and an index by object is stored. Using this method, data for twelve full months can be provided in object order, and data for one partial month that was added daily in date order can also be provided.

Abstract: Provided is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an imaging processing program that causes a computer to execute a process, the process including: detecting an inclination of a terminal that is in an imaging mode; and issuing a notice or capturing a still image when detecting that the inclination of the terminal is within a predetermined inclination range and a number of pixels corresponding to a reference subject contained in a captured image is within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A system and method for providing aural guidance in imaging a document is disclosed. Visually impaired people may have difficulty when imaging a document with a mobile computing device. The system and method may analyze the image of the document in the imaging device, and output one or more aural directions in order for the user to move the document and/or camera for proper imaging of the document. In that regard, those with visual impairments may be assisted in imaging documents using a mobile computing device.

Abstract: A method for rules based data extraction includes extracting content from a document by executing a set of rules on the document. Executing the set of rules comprises for a rule in the set includes obtaining, from a runtime context and based on a rule definition, a input for the rule, executing, using the input for the rule, rule code for the rule to obtain output, where the rule code for the rule is distinct from the rule definition, and storing the output in the runtime context. The method further includes extracting content from the runtime context, and storing the extracted content.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a device and system for verifying the content of items in a bin within a materials handling facility. In some implementations, a bin content verification apparatus may pass by one or more bins and capture images of those bins. The images may be processed to determine whether the content included in the bins has changed since the last time images of the bins were captured. A determination may also be made as to whether a change to the bin content was expected and, if so, if the determined change corresponds with the expected change.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing an image validation module. The image validation mobile enables capture, enhancement, validation, and upload of a digital image to a networked computing service, applying criteria that correspond to image validation criteria used by the networked computing service. The image validation mobile may be executed on a mobile computing device, and may authenticate itself to the networked computing service to indicate that digital images have already been validated. The image validation module may provide feedback before, during, or after image capture to enable the capture of valid images, and may provide feedback before, during, or after image enhancement to allow issues that prevent a digital image from passing validation to be addressed.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a method for maintaining and analyzing a rolling history of performance data for a computer network is described. In one embodiment, one year's data is stored, sorted by object and date. New data is appended to the end of the file each day and an index by object is stored. Using this method, data for twelve full months can be provided in object order, and data for one partial month that was added daily in date order can also be provided.

Abstract: One aspect determines centroids of a plenoptic image, which correspond to the center view of the plenoptic image. A search band spanning a range of different values along a search direction (e.g., range of ?y) is determined. Multiple slices of the plenoptic image are taken at different values of the search coordinate (i.e., different y values). Because the plenoptic image has a periodic structure imposed by the periodicity of the microlens array, each slice will have a strong frequency component at this fundamental frequency. A slice corresponding to the centroid location (i.e., value of y at the centroid) is selected based on analysis of these frequency components. In one approach, the slice with the weakest component at this fundamental frequency is selected as the centroid. A similar approach can be performed in the orthogonal direction to obtain the two-dimensional coordinates of the centroids.

Abstract: An electronically stored financial document is either maintained in a first storage system when a parameter associated with the document is greater than a pre-selected parameter or in a second storage system when the parameter associated with the document is less than or equal to the pre-selected parameter. A request for a stored financial document is received and the requested financial document parameter is compared to the pre-selected financial document parameter to determine if the electronically stored financial document's parameter is more than, less than, or equal to the pre-selected parameter. In processing the request, a processing unit compares and electronically accesses one of the storage systems in response to the comparison of the pre-selected parameter to the electronically stored financial document's parameters. After accessing the appropriate storage system, the requested electronically stored financial document can be reproduced, and/or distributed.

Abstract: A document indexing and delivery system is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention provide an agent-based delivery platform to supply financial document images in a variety of formats to fulfill requests from various clients of an image processing system at a financial institution. Workflows can be created using extensible markup language (XML) to direct the operation of the system. Software agents on the system can include a client agent, a delivery agent, an index agent, a format agent, an image agent, and/or a workflow agent. The workflow agent manages the execution of the workflow. Images and relevant data can be located using a master index residing in partitioned, high-speed databases.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a device and system for verifying the content of items in a bin within a materials handling facility. In some implementations, a bin content verification apparatus may pass by one or more bins and capture images of those bins. The images may be processed to determine whether the content included in the bins has changed since the last time images of the bins were captured. A determination may also be made as to whether a change to the bin content was expected and, if so, if the determined change corresponds with the expected change.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe methods and apparatus for performing context-sensitive OCR. A device obtains an image using a camera coupled to the device. The device identifies a portion of the image comprising a graphical object. The device infers a context associated with the image and selects a group of graphical objects based on the context associated with the image. Improved OCR results are generated using the group of graphical objects. Input from various sensors including microphone, GPS, and camera, along with user inputs including voice, touch, and user usage patterns may be used in inferring the user context and selecting dictionaries that are most relevant to the inferred contexts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) comprising: means (3) for receiving an image of a pre-determined area, containing the heights of points therein; means (8) for determining the directions of flow; means (9) for finding source points that can be used to create a binary image; means (11) for filtering the binary image; processing means (13) that can be used to obtain a set of lines formed by source points; means (15) for creating, from said set of lines, a set of sequences of segments illustrating the ridge lines of the area; and means (19) for transmitting said set of sequences of segments to user means (22).

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, and computer program products for determining a storage location for an image of a check. In some embodiments, a system is configured to: receive an image of a check, the image being associated with an account associated with a user; analyze check retrieval activity associated with the account; determine, based on the check retrieval activity, a storage location for the image; and store the image at the storage location.

Abstract: The recognition rate is improved and recognition errors are suppressed when recognizing magnetic ink characters. A character recognition unit calculates a total difference by calculating the total of the differences between the character waveform data and the reference waveform data for each magnetic ink character within the area of one character; calculates a partial difference by summing the differences between character waveform data and reference waveform data in a target area, which is the area corresponding to a stroke that is 2 mesh or more wide in the area of one character; executing a correction process that reduces the value of the partial difference; and recognizing the candidate character as the magnetic ink character that was read when the total difference after the correction process is less than or equal to a threshold value.

Abstract: A recording device and a control method for a recording device improve the accuracy of reading MICR information while also shortening the time required for recording media processing. A dot impact printer 10 has a magnetic head 34 that magnetically reads MICR information recorded on a recording medium S, a recording head 18 that is mounted on a different carriage than the magnetic head 34 and records images on the recording medium S, and a back scanner 112 that optically reads MICR information recorded on the recording medium S, disposed sequentially to the transportation path P of the recording medium S. When reading the MICR information by means of the magnetic head 34 does not succeed, the recording medium S is conveyed to the back scanner 112, the MICR information is read by the back scanner 112, the reading results are compared, and the MICR information is identified.

Abstract: A media processing device enables reading second media that do not bend easily from the device front with the same ease of use as processing first media that bend easily. The media processing device has a media conveyance path that guides first media inserted from a media insertion opening toward the back and then again toward the front on the front-back axis to the media exit. A straight conveyance path that angles to the inside on the device width axis is formed at a part connected to the media exit, and a second media insertion path that extends straight to the front from the straight conveyance path is connected to the media exit.

Abstract: An input receptacle receives currency bills and checks. A transport mechanism transports the bills and checks along a transport path to an output receptacle. An image scanner, adjacent the transport path, is configured to generate one or more electrical signals from which image data can be derived. The image data is reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of each of the plurality of documents. A controller is configured to determine a denomination of each of the currency bills. In response to the controller not determining a denomination of one of the currency bills, the controller flags the currency bill as a no-call document by causing at least a portion of the image data to be displayed as a visually readable image of the flagged currency bill on the display.

Abstract: A first prompt is displayed to insert a deposit slip that includes declared information. The deposit slip is received, transported at a first speed, and imaged. A total declared cash-in amount and a total declared check amount are extracted from image data associated with the deposit slip. The total declared cash-in amount is determined to be a non-zero number. A second prompt is displayed to insert currency bills. The currency bills are received, transported at a second speed, and imaged. Deposit information is generated from image data associated with each of the currency bills. The deposit information at least includes a calculated total cash deposit amount. The deposit information is compared with the declared information to determine if the deposit transaction is balanced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for comparing information contained on at least two documents belonging to an entity. The present invention includes at least one device configured to receive information from at least one first document and at least one second document; then, compare at least one first document information and at least one second document information; and determine whether at least one second document contains at least one first document information. The present invention then outputs a result of whether the at least one second document contains at least one first document information.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for accelerating machine reading of text. In one embodiment, the system comprises at least one processor device. The processor device is configured to receive at least one image of text to be audibly read. The text includes a first portion and a second portion. The processor device is further configured to initiate optical character recognition (OCR) to recognize the first portion. The processor device is further configured to initiate an audible presentation of the first portion prior to initiating OCR of the second portion, and simultaneously perform OCR to recognize the second portion of the text to be audibly read during presentation of at least part of the first portion. The processor device is further configured to automatically cause the second portion of the text to be audibly presented immediately upon completion of the presentation of the first portion.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a method and system for capturing and utilizing item attributes are described. Various embodiments may include a mobile image capture apparatus, which may include a computer system configured to execute an image capture application. The image capture application may instruct an agent to capture an image of an item label. A data extraction component may be configured to process the images captured by the mobile image capture apparatus. For a given captured image, the data extraction component may in various embodiments be configured to perform OCR to determine one or more strings of characters from the image. The data extraction component may be further configured to determine whether one or more patterns match a determined string of characters. In response to the detection of a particular pattern matching a particular string of characters, the data extraction component may extract and store an attribute of the corresponding item.

Abstract: Digital images of account related items, such as credit cards, membership cards, ATM cards, checks, etc., are captured. The digital image of the account related items is then converted into electronic account data that is used to auto-fill add account information data fields of add account forms and semi-automatically add the accounts associated with the account related items to a data management system.

Abstract: The REMOTE DEPOSIT IMAGE INSPECTION APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (hereinafter “ImageInspector”) transforms uploaded check images and check deposit information inputs via ImageInspector components image into deposit confirmation outputs. For example, in one embodiment, a user may employ a personal computer connected to a web camera, and/or a smartphone with a built-in camera to initiate the remote deposit by holding a check in front of the camera, and the ImageInspector may capture images of the check and send them to a financial institution for deposit processing.

Abstract: A bank-note processing apparatus includes a debanding station and an image capturing device by which first and second information items applied to the band can be optically captured and digitally stored. The image capturing device includes at least one mirror, preferably two symmetrically arranged mirrors, in order for information items on the band that lie on different sides of the bank-note stack on the banded bank-note stack to be able to be optically captured simultaneously. The image capture can be effected before or after the removal of the band from the bank-note stack.

Abstract: A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing text of a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the analysis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for routing a facsimile in a computer readable format includes receiving text of a facsimile in a computer readable format; ascertaining one or more of a significance and a relevance of at least a portion of the text by locating one or more keywords in the text, wherein at least two of the keywords are not adjacent in the text; analyzing the text of the facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and routing the facsimile or text thereof to one or more destinations based on the analysis. Additional disclosed embodiments include systems and computer program products configured to similarly route a facsimile in a computer readable format.

Abstract: Embodiments of a computer system, a method and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments allow a user to provide an image of a document for use with software, such as an image of a financial document for use with financial software. In particular, the user can provide the image of the document, for example, by taking a picture of the document using a cellular telephone. This image may be converted into an electronic format that is suitable for text and numerical processing using a character-recognition technique, such as optical character recognition or intelligent character recognition. Errors in the electronic version of the document, if present, may be identified and corrected by comparing the electronic version to information maintained by a third party. This information may be accessed based at least on one or more items in the electronic version of the document.

Abstract: A first prompt is displayed to insert a deposit slip that includes declared information. The deposit slip is received, transported at a first speed, and imaged. A total declared cash-in amount and a total declared check amount are extracted from image data associated with the deposit slip. The total declared cash-in amount is determined to be a non-zero number. A second prompt is displayed to insert currency bills. The currency bills are received, transported at a second speed, and imaged. Deposit information is generated from image data associated with each of the currency bills. The deposit information at least includes a calculated total cash deposit amount. The deposit information is compared with the declared information to determine if the deposit transaction is balanced.

Abstract: A binarization device for payment or accounting documents including sensitive data located in respective data window provides a primary binarized document file of the document; a memory stores identification files including identifying images and location information associated to given types of documents; the data window can be identified and localized as comparison with the identification files of the memory; the contribution of the background is subtracted from the window file, the window file is binarized and filtered for spurious pixels obtaining a binarized window file; the binarized document file and the binarized window file are merged to provide the binarized window file in the data window; the evidence of the significant pixel is obtained by sequential analysis on groups of pixels, applying morphological expansion operators on each group of pixels and following erosion of said group of pixels.

Abstract: Machine-readable storage media having instructions stored therein that, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, configure the mobile device to capture a check image for funds to be deposited into a recipient account. The mobile device configured to display a request to a user of the mobile device to provide one or more portions of a MICR line for the received check image and receive user inputs from the user specifying the one or more portions of the MICR line. The mobile device configured to transmit a message to a bank account computer system associated with the recipient account, the message including data specifying the one or more portions of the MICR line.

Abstract: A method of identifying individual silicon substrates, and particularly solar cells, is disclosed. Every solar cell possesses a unique set of optical properties. The method identifies these properties and stores them in a database, where they can be associated to a particular solar cell. Unlike conventional tracking techniques, the present method requires no dedicated space on the surface of the silicon substrate. This method allows substrates to be tracked through the manufacturing process, as well as throughout the life of the substrate.

Abstract: A method is provided of operating an image-based check processing system to detect a double feed condition of checks. The method comprises attempting to read a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline from front of a check item. The method also comprises electronically by a rear imaging camera, capturing image data which is representative of a rear image of the check item as the check item is transported from an upstream end of the document feed path to a downstream end of the document feed path. The method further comprises alerting an operator when information from the attempted read of a MICR codeline from front of the check item and information from the rear image of the check item meet predetermined criteria which is indicative the check item comprising two overlapping checks.

Abstract: An input receptacle receives currency bills and checks. A transport mechanism transports the bills and checks along a transport path to an output receptacle. An image scanner, adjacent the transport path, is configured to generate one or more electrical signals from which image data can be derived. The image data is reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of each of the plurality of documents. A controller is configured to determine a denomination of each of the currency bills. In response to the controller not determining a denomination of one of the currency bills, the controller flags the currency bill as a no-call document by causing at least a portion of the image data to be displayed as a visually readable image of the flagged currency bill on the display.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for comparing information contained on at least two documents belonging to an entity. The present invention includes at least one device configured to receive information from at least one first document and at least one second document; then, compare at least one first document information and at least one second document information; and determine whether at least one second document contains at least one first document information. The present invention then outputs a result of whether the at least one second document contains at least one first document information.

Abstract: An improved automatic image capture system for an intelligent mobile device having a camera guides a user to position the camera so only a single image needs to be automatically captured. Syntactic features, using a view finder on a display of the intelligent mobile device, are used to guide a user to maximize the occupancy of the view finder with the document so that the document is maximized within the view finder based upon detected corners of the document. When occupancy is maximized, the camera automatically captures the image of the document for post-processing using semantic knowledge of the document. A confidence level is computed based on the semantic knowledge to qualify an image with greater accuracy, and without user intervention, prior to transmission to a remote site.

Abstract: An optical image of a check is obtained at the approximate time of a check-based financial transaction and the approximate time of the check-based financial transaction is recorded. Geographical position/location data and/or voice memo data is then obtained at, or about, the time the optical image of the check is obtained. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology is then used to extract image-based financial transaction data from the optical image of the check and the geographical position/location data, and/or voice memo data, is also transformed into financial transaction data associated with the check and the check-based financial transaction. The extracted and/or transformed financial transaction data is then used, at least in part, to automatically assign a financial category to the check-based financial transaction and/or transform the category status of the check-based financial transaction.

Abstract: Method for validating a single waveform or series of waveforms that are intended for evaluating signals within an automated testing environment. Test signal data is supplied by an external source. The method creates a golden template from a known, good instance of the waveform under test and algorithmically applies it to other waveforms under test to determine compliance. In the application to video waveforms, timing parameters, deflection parameters and image content parameters are simultaneously tested resulting in efficient concrete and tangible results. Instead of providing the known, good instance of the waveform under test to a processor that implements the method, descriptive parameters of the known, good instance of the waveform may be provided to the processor that calculates data points of the expected video waveforms and then determines rules for the waveform based on the calculated data points.

Abstract: A method for detecting motion quality error of printed documents having text in a printing system includes: printing a document having text lines, each text line comprising a plurality of characters; scanning the printed document to generate a scanned image; detecting positions in a process direction of the printing system of one of text lines and characters in the scanned image; determining position errors in the process direction in the printed document based on the detected positions in the scanned image; determining at least one motion quality defect of the printing system in the process direction based on the determined position errors; and initiating an activity associated with said printing system in response to a motion quality error having been determined. A system for detecting motion quality error of printed documents is also disclosed.

Abstract: The recognition rate is improved and recognition errors suppressed when recognizing magnetic ink characters. The character recognition unit 80 of a check reader 1 recognizes a magnetic ink character 101 by performing magnetic recognition based on comparing reference waveform data with character waveform data acquired by reading the magnetic ink character 101 with a magnetic head 54, and optical recognition based on comparing reference image data with image data acquired by reading the magnetic ink character 101 with a front contact image sensor 52; selects a plurality of candidates for the magnetic ink character 101 by magnetic recognition; and when plural candidates are characters with mutually similar character waveform data, determines that the one plural candidate character that matches the character recognized by optical recognition with reliability exceeding a specific threshold is the magnetic ink character 101.

Abstract: A method is provided of operating an image-based check processing system to detect a double feed condition of carrier envelopes. An example method includes attempting to read a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline from a first predefined area of an image of a document item, determining if the document item is a carrier envelope, concluding that the document item is not a double-fed item when a determination is made that the document item is a carrier envelope, and concluding that the document item is potentially a double-fed item when a determination is made that the document item is not a carrier envelope.

Abstract: A method of locating a check image region within a document image comprising the steps of locating a magnetic ink character recognition region of the check and calculating the top of the check relative to the magnetic ink character recognition region by detection of string literals having a historical and/or contextual relationship to the upper check boundary.

Abstract: The method may be used in the devices for banknote detecting, counting or sorting; it may be used to determine the banknote main characteristics: its currency type and denomination. The method is based on a computational processing of the banknote digital image formed in the device during scanning. Increase in the banknote processing speed is the technical result. The first variant of the method envisages a preliminary classification and further checking of correspondence to selected possible classes according to several criteria typical for each particular class. For checking of correspondence, an admissibility of the value of interrelation characteristic for two areas is validated. According to the second variant, there is made classification on the base of a banknote digital image and for each possible class the measure of the banknote correspondence to the image is calculated and used for ranking, the banknote is referred to the class closest to it by the measure of correspondence.

Abstract: A method for routing a facsimile according to one embodiment includes receiving or generating text of a facsimile in a computer-readable format; routing the facsimile or text thereof to an intended recipient identified by recognizing at least one of a name, an email address and contact information of the intended recipient in the facsimile; analyzing the text of the facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and routing the facsimile or text thereof to one or more other destinations based on the analysis. A method according to another embodiment includes analyzing a pattern of light and dark areas of a facsimile in a computer-readable format; correlating the pattern to one or more forms; and routing the facsimile to one or more destinations based on the correlation, with the proviso that the analyzing, correlating and routing are performed without optical character recognition.