Mobile image quality assurance in mobile document image processing applications

Abstract

Techniques for assuring the quality of mobile document image captured using a mobile device are provided. These techniques include performing one or more tests to assess the quality of images of documents captured using the mobile device. The tests can be selected based on the type of document that was imaged, the type of mobile application for which the image quality of the mobile image is being assessed, and/or other parameters such as the type of mobile device and/or the characteristics of the camera of the mobile device that was used to capture the image. The image quality assurance techniques can also be implemented on can be implemented on a mobile device and/or on a remote server where the mobile device routes the mobile image to the remote server processing and the test results are be passed from the remote server to the mobile device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising using at least one hardware processor to:
 extract a document subimage from an image of a document captured by a camera of a mobile device;   select a subset of image quality assurance (IQA) tests from a datastore of available IQA tests based on one or more processing parameters;   select one or more test parameters based on the one or more processing parameters;   configure the selected subset of IQA tests according to the selected one or more test parameters;   apply the selected subset of IQA tests to the document subimage to assess a quality of the image; and   approve or reject the image based on the assessment of the quality of the image.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing parameters comprise a type of the mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing parameters comprise a type of mobile application on the mobile device that will be used to process contents of the document. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the selected subset of IQA tests, when applied to the document subimage, outputs a score, and wherein selecting the one or more test parameters comprises selecting a threshold to be compared to the score, output by each of the selected subset of IQA tests, to determine whether or not the document subimage passes that IQA test. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the selected subset of IQA tests to the document subimage comprises pre-processing the document subimage to produce at least one document snippet that is used by one or more of the selected subset of IQA tests. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pre-processing comprises converting the document subimage into a grayscale or bitonal image. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pre-processing is different for a first IQA test in the selected subset of IQA tests than for a second IQA test in the selected subset of IQA tests. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected subset of IQA tests comprises one or more critical tests, and wherein approving or rejecting the image comprises rejecting the image if the document subimage fails any of the one or more critical tests. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the document is a check, and wherein the one or more critical tests comprise a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line test that assesses a quality of a MICR line in the document subimage. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the selected subset of IQA tests comprises one or more non-critical tests, and wherein the method comprises using the at least one hardware processor to flag the image for review by a user if the document subimage fails any of the one or more non-critical tests. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is comprised in the mobile device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising using the at least one hardware processor to, when the image is rejected, display a message indicating a reason for the rejection on a display of the mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected subset of IQA tests comprises a Check  21  test. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the at least one hardware processor to, when the image has been rejected a predetermined number of times, reconfigure at least one IQA test in the selected subset of IQA tests, and reapply the at least one IQA test to the document subimage to assess the quality of the image. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one IQA test, when applied to the document subimage, outputs a score, and wherein reconfiguring the at least one IQA test comprises adjusting a threshold that the score is required to satisfy in order for the image to pass the at least one IQA test. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 at least one hardware processor; and   one or more software modules that are configured to, when executed by the at least one hardware processor,
 extract a document subimage from an image of a document captured by a camera of a mobile device, 
 select a subset of image quality assurance (IQA) tests from a datastore of available IQA tests based on one or more processing parameters, 
 select one or more test parameters based on the one or more processing parameters, 
 configure the selected subset of IQA tests according to the selected one or more test parameters, 
 apply the selected subset of IQA tests to the document subimage to assess a quality of the image, and 
 approve or reject the image based on the assessment of the quality of the image. 
   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 extract a document subimage from an image of a document captured by a camera of a mobile device;   select a subset of image quality assurance (IQA) tests from a datastore of available IQA tests based on one or more processing parameters;   select one or more test parameters based on the one or more processing parameters;   configure the selected subset of IQA tests according to the selected one or more test parameters;   apply the selected subset of IQA tests to the document subimage to assess a quality of the image; and   approve or reject the image based on the assessment of the quality of the image.