Method and system for exception processing of micr documents

Abstract

System and method for exception processing of MICR documents. MICR documents are read and sorted to a destination pocket for processing subject to a determination that an exception does not prevent the routing of the document. In example embodiments, for example, an error does not prevent the routing of the document if it is not related to the routing/transit field. In the case of digit errors, an optical character recognition (OCR) process is performed on the stored, electronic image of the document to correct digit errors in the stored data read from the documents. If a determination is made that correction or other exception processing cannot be handled through the OCR process, the image and corresponding MICR data is displayed on a user terminal, for manual verification or correction by reference to an image of the document, rather than the document itself.

1 . A method of processing at least an image of magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) encoded document subject to an exception, the method comprising: 
 receiving an image of the document, the document being routed to a destination subject to a determination that the exception does not prevent the routing of the document;    performing a verification process on at least one portion of an image of the document, wherein the at least one portion substantially corresponds to a stored data field related to the exception; and    applying a correction to the stored data field based at least in part on the verification process.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the verification process comprises accessing a master file during a subpass of the document; and    the applying of the correction comprises updating the stored data field from the master file.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the exception comprises a dollar amount that is greater than a pre-set threshold parameter and the stored data field corresponds to the dollar amount.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the exception comprises an error in the stored data field read from the MICR document and wherein: 
 the verification process comprises performing an optical character recognition (OCR) process on the at least one portion of the image; and    the applying of the correction is based at least in part on a comparison of at least one result of the OCR process and the stored data field, wherein the correction is applied subject to having been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the performing of the OCR process on the at least one portion of the image of the document further comprises: 
 determining if at least two portions of the image of the document correspond to the stored data field; and    performing the OCR process on the at least two portions of the image of the document, wherein each of the at least two portions corresponds to the stored data field.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the at least one result of the OCR process further comprises at least two results of the OCR process.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the stored data field corresponds to an amount and wherein the at least two results comprise a result from an OCR of a MICR amount and a result of an OCR of a written amount.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the verification process comprises routing the image to an operator for verification of the dollar amount of the document.  
   
   
       13 . A computer program product to enable at least a portion of the processing of magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) encoded documents, a plurality of the MICR encoded documents being subject to an exception, the computer program product comprising: 
 instructions for receiving images of the MICR encoded documents, the documents being routed to a destination when the exception does not prevent the routing of a document;    instructions for performing a verification process on at least one portion of an image of the document, wherein the at least one portion substantially corresponds to a stored data field related to the exception; and    instructions for enabling the application of a correction to the stored data field based at least in part on the verification process.    
   
   
       14 . The computer program product of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 instructions for accessing a master file as part of the verification process during a subpass of the document; and    instructions for updating the stored data field from the master file as at least a part of the application of the correction.    
   
   
       15 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the exception comprises a dollar amount that is greater than a pre-set threshold parameter and the stored data field corresponds to the dollar amount.  
   
   
       16 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the exception comprises an error in a stored data field read from the MICR document and further comprising: 
 instructions for performing an optical character recognition (OCR) process on the at least one portion of the image as part of the verification process; and    instructions for applying a correction based at least in part on a comparison of at least one result of the OCR process and the stored data field, wherein the correction is applied subject to having been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.    
   
   
       17 . The computer program product of  claim 16  wherein the instructions for performing the OCR process on the at least one portion of the image of the document further comprise: 
 instructions for determining if at least two portions of the image of the document correspond to the stored data field; and    instructions for performing the OCR process on the at least two portions of the image of the document, wherein each of the at least two portions corresponds to the stored data field.    
   
   
       18 . The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein the at least one result of the OCR process further comprises at least two results of the OCR process.  
   
   
       19 . The computer program product of  claim 18  wherein the stored data field corresponds to an amount and wherein the at least two results comprise a result from an OCR of a MICR amount and a result of an OCR of a written amount.  
   
   
       20 . The computer program product of  claim 16  further comprising instructions for routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       21 . The computer program product of  claim 17  further comprising instructions for routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       22 . The computer program product of  claim 18  further comprising instructions for routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       23 . The computer program product of  claim 19  further comprising instructions for routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       24 . The computer program product of  claim 15  wherein the verification process comprises routing the image to an operator for verification of the dollar amount of the document.  
   
   
       25 . Apparatus for processing magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) encoded documents, a plurality of the MICR encoded documents being subject to an exception, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for receiving images of the MICR encoded documents, the documents being routed to a destination when the exception does not prevent the routing of a document;    means for performing a verification process on at least one portion of an image of the document, wherein the at least one portion substantially corresponds to a stored data field related to the exception; and    means for enabling the application of a correction to the stored data field based at least in part on the verification process.    
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 25  further comprising: 
 means for accessing a master file as part of the verification process during a subpass of the document; and    means for updating the stored data field from the master file as at least a part of the application of the correction.    
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein the exception comprises a dollar amount that is greater than a pre-set threshold parameter and the stored data field corresponds to the dollar amount.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein the exception comprises an error in a stored data field read from the MICR document and further comprising: 
 means for performing an optical character recognition (OCR) process on the at least one portion of the image as part of the verification process; and    means for applying the correction based at least in part on a comparison of at least one result of the OCR process and the stored data field, wherein the correction is applied subject to having been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.    
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 28  further comprising means for routing the image to an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the verification process comprises routing the image to an operator for verification of the dollar amount of the document.  
   
   
       31 . A system for processing magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) encoded documents comprising: 
 a sorter to sort and read the MICR encoded documents, wherein reading each of a plurality of the MICR encoded documents results in an association therewith of an exception related to a stored data field, and wherein a MICR encoded document is routed to a destination pocket when the exception does not prevent the routing of the document and after an image of the document is stored; and    a computing platform operatively connected to the sorter, the computing platform operative to enable a verification process on at least one portion of an image of the document, wherein the at least one portion substantially corresponds to the stored data field and to enable the application of a correction to the stored data field based at least in part on the verification process.    
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31  further comprising a master file which can be accessed and used to update the stored data field as part of the verification process during a subpass of the document.  
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the exception comprises a dollar amount that is greater than a pre-set threshold parameter and the stored data field corresponds to the dollar amount.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the exception comprises an error in the stored data field and wherein the computer platform is further operative to: 
 perform an optical character recognition (OCR) process on the at least one portion of the image as part of the verification process; and    apply a correction based at least in part on a comparison of at least one result of the OCR process and the stored data field, wherein the correction is applied subject to having been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.    
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34  further comprising an operator terminal connected to the computing platform to enable an operator to apply the correction if the correction has not been substantially, successfully determined by the comparison.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 33  further comprising an operator terminal connected to the computing platform to enable an operator to verify the dollar amount of the document.