Method and apparatus for processing and determining the orientation of documents

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for determining the orientation of documents based upon the acquisition of images of the documents and the detection of barcode images from the documents. A document transport conveys documents along a selected path of movement. A document imaging system is provided along the path of movement for imaging a document conveyed along the path of movement to generate image data representative of the document. A system controller processes the image data to detect the presence of a barcode image. The location and/or orientation of the barcode image is then used to determine the orientation of the document along the path of movement. A document orientor may be provided along the path of movement to orient documents into desired orientations along the path of movement based upon the location and/or orientation of the detected barcode images.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for processing documents comprising the steps of: 
 A) imaging a document to acquire image data representative of the document;    B) storing the image data for the document to provide a document image;    C) scanning the document image along a selected line in selected symmetrical areas of the document until a mark is detected;    D) scanning along a vertical scan line in a selected vertical direction from the mark until a selected light transition point is detected;    E) scanning along a horizontal scan line for a selected distance in a horizontal direction toward the transition point;    F) determining the light transition pattern along the horizontal scan line;    G) determining whether the light transition pattern conforms to a predetermined pattern to detect the presence of a barcode image in a selected symmetrical area; and    H) determining the orientation of a document depending on the selected symmetrical area at which a barcode image is detected.    
     
     
         2 . A method for processing documents including the following steps: 
 A) imaging a document to acquire image data representative of the document;    B) storing the image data for the document to provide a document image;    C) scanning the document image along a selected line until a mark is detected;    D) scanning along a vertical scan line in a selected vertical direction from the mark until a selected light transition point is detected;    E) scanning along a horizontal scan line for a selected distance in a horizontal direction toward the transition point;    F) determining the light transition pattern along the horizontal scan line to detect the existence of a barcode image;    G) determining the orientation of the barcode image; and    H) determining the orientation of the document based on the determined orientation of the barcode image.    
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for processing documents comprising: 
 A) a document transport for conveying documents along a selected path of movement;    B) a document imager for imaging a document conveyed along the selected path of movement to provide a document image;    C) a system controller for scanning the document image along a selected scan line until a mark is detected, scanning the document image along a vertical scan line in a selected vertical direction from the mark until a selected light transition point is detected, scanning the document image along a horizontal scan line for a selected horizontal distance toward the light transition point, determining a light transition pattern along the horizontal scan line to detect the presence of a barcode image, and determining the orientation of the document based on the barcode image.    
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for processing documents comprising: 
 A) a document transport for conveying documents along a selected path of movement;    B) a document imager for imaging a document conveyed along the selected path of movement to provide a document image;    C) a system controller for scanning the document image along a selected scan line in selected symmetrical areas of the document until a mark is detected, scanning the document image along a vertical scan line in a selected vertical direction from the mark until a selected light transition point is detected, scanning the document image along a horizontal scan line for a selected horizontal distance toward the light transition point, determining a light transition pattern along the horizontal scan line, determining whether the light transition pattern conforms to a predetermined pattern to detect the presence of a barcode image in a selected symmetrical area, and determining the orientation of the document based on the selected symmetrical area at which a barcode image is detected.    
     
     
         5 . A method for processing documents, comprising the steps of: 
 A) Scanning a face of a document to acquire image data;    B) Examining the image data to determine the presence of a mark;    C) Analyzing the mark to determine the presence of a bar code;    D) Determining the location of the bar code;    E) Determining the orientation of the bar code; and    F) Determining the orientation of the document in response to the determined location and orientation of the bar code.    
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 5    comprising the step of scanning a second face of the document and examining the image data of the second face to determine the presence of a mark.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 5    wherein the step of determining the orientation of the document comprises the step of determining whether the document is in one of a pre-defined first or second orientation.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 5    wherein the step of determining the orientation of the document comprises the step of determining whether the document is in one of a pre-defined first, second, third or fourth orientation.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 5    wherein the bar code includes an upper edge or a lower edge and the method comprises the step of locating the upper edge or the lower edge.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 5    comprising the step of selectively reorienting the document in response to the determined orientation of the document.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 5    comprising the step of conveying the document along a document path, wherein the document is scanned to acquire image data while the document is conveyed along the document path.  
     
     
         12 . A method for processing documents comprising the steps of: 
 A) Scanning a face of a document to acquire image data;    B) Examining the image data for first and second selected scanning areas of the document to determine the presence of a mark;    C) Analyzing the mark to determine the presence of a bar code;    E) Determining the orientation of the document in response to the scanning area in which the bar code is detected.    
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 12    wherein the scanning areas are symmetric about the center point of the document.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 12    wherein the step of examining the image comprises examining the image data for third and fourth scanning areas of the document to determine the presence of a mark.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 14    wherein the third and fourth scanning areas are symmetric about the center point of the document.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 12    comprising the step of selecting a group of documents for processing wherein the selected documents have a common characteristic.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 12    wherein the bar code has an upper edge or a lower edge and the method comprises the step of locating the upper edge or the lower edge.  
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 12    comprising the step of selectively reorienting the document in response to the determined orientation of the document.  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 12    comprising the step of conveying the document along a document path, wherein the document is scanned to acquire image data while the document is conveyed along the document path.