International Business Machines Corporation

Robert William Kruppa

Robert Andrew Myers

Ravinder Prakash

Michael J Kinney

Richard Hunter Harris

Rodney Gene Moon

Madhura Sathe

Robert Dean Yoder

Sharon Corinne Freedman

David Francis Fritz

Robert Daniel Love

Jeffrey Paul Rutigliano

James W Cullen

A gray scale image cleaning algorithm for improved check code line OCR. An image processing system for processing a gray scale image is provided that includes: a system for generating a first thresholded black white image from the gray scale image; a system for generating a second thresholded black white image from the gray scale image, wherein the second thresholded black white image is generated with a higher threshold value than the first thresholded black white image; and a system for logically combining the first and second thresholded black white images to generate a composite image.

Gray scale image cleaning system and method

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for detecting fraud. A first optical character recognition module optically recognizes a character imprinted with a magnetic ink on a medium using a first optical character recognition algorithm. A second optical character recognition module also optically recognizes the character using a second optical character recognition algorithm. In addition, a magnetic ink character recognition module magnetically recognizes the character using a magnetic recognition algorithm. A voting module determines if the character is potentially fraudulent based on the recognition results of the first optical character recognition module, the second optical character recognition module, and the magnetic ink character recognition module. If the character is potentially fraudulent, a results module communicates a fraud indicator.

Apparatus, system, and method for fraud detection using multiple scan technologies

An optical reader includes a housing which may environmentally protect the optical path between a light source and a sensor array to reduce dust and debris interfering with transmission of light. The housing may further provide for alignment of the light path by positioning a focusing axis in alignment with the optical sensor array. The housing further acts as a light pipe to reflect transmitted light from a light source toward a focusing axis where the light may be reflected off of a document containing coded information back through the chamber defined by the housing to an optical sensor array. Point of sale devices incorporating an optical reader are also provided.

Optical reader with combined housing and light pipe

A printer using a power reduction logic based upon reducing the speed of printing when the dot utilization calculation exceeds a particular power level for that printer. There is also provided a method for printing information at a given power supply capacity level, comprising the steps of: examining the a group of rows of dots to be printed; calculating the maximum dot utilization value for the group; selecting a print speed based on the maximum dot utilization value; printing the first row of the group of rows; and repeating above steps until the information is printed.

Variable power thermal printer

An optical reader having a housing which may environmentally protect the optical path between light source and a sensor array to reduce dust and debris interfering with transmission of light. The housing may further provide for alignment of the light path by positioning a focusing axis in alignment with the optical sensor array. The housing further acts as a light pipe to reflect transmitted light from a light source toward a focusing axis where the light may be reflected off of a document containing coded information back through the chamber defined by the housing to an optical sensor array. Point of sale devices incorporating an optical reader are also provided.

An integrated character recognition system for providing high-accuracy detection of a magnetic ink character string of a printed medium. The character recognition system includes a magnetic ink character recognition system for reading and decoding the magnetic ink character string. An optical character recognition system is also included performing the integrated character recognition system thereby overcoming many of the limitations presented by conventional technologies. A system and method for performing complete processing of a printed media having a magnetic ink character string utilizes both the optical and magnetic ink character recognition systems to perform virtually error-free character recognition of the magnetic ink character string.

Integrated magnetic ink character recognition system and method therefor

This apparatus and method controls and limits the flow of in-rush current and maintains a supply voltage to a peripheral device during power surges. The apparatus and method essentially isolate and limit in-rush current flow to an in-rush circuit comprising a capacitive load and series resistor connected directly to the power bus at one end and to a reference potential at the other end. A switching device is coupled to the series resistor. A current sensing circuit is coupled to the series resistor. During initial start-up or 'hot plugging' of the device, a control circuit turns 'off' the switching device causing the load to be charged from the power bus through the resistive device for a pre-selected time interval, after which the switching circuit is turned 'on' to bypass the resistive device and connect the load and the peripheral device to the power bus. The current sensing circuit detects when current flow is out of the load at which time the sensing circuit send a discharge signal to turn on the switching circuit and bypass the resistor which maintains the supply voltage of the device during the power surge.

Circuit and method of operation to control in-rush current and maintain

A point of sale printer includes a magnetic reader for processing transactions and payment by check at a checkout point of a retail establishment. The printer includes a magnetic or MICR reader located at a predetermined point on the printer's document travel path and a print head located at the same point on the document travel path but laterally offset from the MICR reader to allow the printer to print customer receipts and a journal as well as reading MICR information from checks and endorsing the check after it is cleared. A pressure pad is used with the magnetic read head of the MICR reader which utilizes a pressure film which flexes when a document is inserted between the magnetic read head and the pressure film to provide a spring loading force on the magnetic read head while still allowing the document to be moved smoothly past the magnetic read head. A method for processing checks using the printer utilizes bidirectional motion of the check along the document travel path to magnetize the MICR information, read the MICR information and print the endorsement on the check.

Point of sale printer with magnetic reader

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture is disclosed for eliminating periodic noise detected by a magnetic read head. In particular a time varying signal electrical signal is provided by a magnetic read head. The signal is sampled and stored in memory. Samples known not to contain a desired signal are used to extract a waveform representative of a single period of periodic noise. The representative waveform is synchronized with samples containing the desired signal and used to compensate the samples containing the desired signal in order to minimize, reduce, cancel or remove the effects of the periodic noise on samples containing the periodic noise. The compensated samples are then processed to obtain information from the desired signals.

Method, and apparatus and article of manufacture for filtering periodic

A circuit for controlling multiple input voltages to produce a given output voltage using only a single DC-to-DC converter. Sensing of the input voltages supplied to the circuit effect automatic switching to route the applied voltages between input terminals and output terminals, and configure the feedback network selecting the output voltage of the DC-to-DC converter. The DC-to-DC converter thus configured provides required output voltages not appearing in the input supply.

DC-to-DC auto switch circuit

Magnetic reader with a flexible pressure film pressure pad

An apparatus which controls a plurality of motors and/or print heads, such as motors used in printers or the like, includes a microprocessor which outputs selection signals on one of its output pins. The signal is multiplexed through a plurality of frequency response switches to select one of the motors. Thereafter, the selected motor is energized by a common set of drivers which are activated by control signals that are outputted on other output pins of the microprocessor.

Growing community of inventors

Bluffton, SC, United States of America

Robert William Kruppa