Abstract:
The present invention contemplates a hybrid printer having printing capabilities at its back end and imagining capabilities at its front end. A conventional receipt printer with a MICR read head has been modified by replacing its front cover with a cover having the same platform but that incorporates a pair of opposed imagers, a second MICR read head, a diverter, and rollers for moving media therethrough.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to Applicant&#39;s U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/628,039, filed Nov. 15, 2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to hybrid printers, such as printers that print text on media, such as a receipt, and also scan an image of media, such as a check. Check processing is fast progressing from methods that require transportation from the place of payment to the account holder&#39;s mailbox, including numerous intermediate physical handlings. The driving force is cost, since it is much less expensive to send electronic data than it is to move physical items. This transition has been on-going for several years and the latest inducement is in the Check 21 Act, which gives legal status to recreating a check from image data if paper is still required at any point to complete the journey.  
         [0003]     Transitioning to processing in digital form is based on acquisition of electronic equipment for this, and because this is a costly change and requires significant logistical and training support, it is occurring over a period of time, even within small stores and bank branches.  
         [0004]     A consideration in planning for document digitization is where that digitization should be done; and if that target is at the point of first presentment of (financial) documents whether to replace devices with new ones that already have the needed features or with devices that can be upgraded at the actual start-of-use time with the needed features.  
         [0005]     There already exists in the point-of-sale (POS) industry printers that have built-in MICR read heads as well as an additional print station to print on “slip” (including checks) media and on “receipt” media. These hybrid printers have been recently redesigned to include a scanning element that can digitize check sized documents. These have provided for one-sided scanning, thus restricting usage to financial payment Electronic Check Conversion, which only needs an image for dispute resolution purposes. Newer peripherals, largely targeting the banking industry, have provided for dual sided imaging as required by the Check 21 Act for recreation of a legal document at points distant from the original check paper. This contingent of devices was designed from the basic concepts of relatively high volume check sorting transports by dropping many of the transport features, including document speed and sorting. However, that approach still leaves a rather expensive checks-only device, and some of these models also have limited slip printing capabilities.  
         [0006]     In addition to expense, there is the question of footprint—the more it is like a document transport, the more room is needed. But the human factors need is to fit at “points of first presentment”, where the document volume is low but also varied. Thus the ideal device must be inexpensive, have a paper traversing path that minimizes footprint, and be able to image a variety of documents.  
         [0007]     The problem of being able to handle a variety of documents has so far been solved by building separate devices, geared to handle limited ranges of thickness and size and thus not being very cost-effective in their target market.  
         [0008]     If a device is to be designed for upgrade in the field, then simplicity of upgrade task also becomes an issue, in order to minimize technician work time as well as the disruption to normal usage activities. If the upgrade is too complex, then the savings from delaying purchase until the time the rest of the upgraded processing system is in place would be lost.  
         [0009]     Thus what has been lacking is the innovation to overcome these problems—a device that fits, at reasonable cost, and can handle the document types that need to be captured at the point of presentment.  
         [0010]     In addition to these major physical concerns is one of multiple transitions over the equipment lifetime of system processing by using the device features in different sequences, depending on the system capabilities of the moment and the type of document being handled. For instance, the relationship between which side of a check requires printing and which side is inserted for MICR reading may need to be changed. Such changes may require the use of an automatic check flipper or manual flipping, increasing the clerk time spent on handling transaction. Thus novel device flexibility is needed to match evolving system processing.  
         [0011]     It is an object of the present inventions to reveal a design for a hybrid printer that overcomes the above mentioned concerns.  
         [0012]     It is another object of the present inventions to build a single device that is applicable to both the POS markets and the financial counter market.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides a hybrid printer having printing capabilities at its back end and imaging capabilities at its front end. A conventional receipt printer with a MICR read head has been modified by replacing its front cover with a cover having the same planform but that incorporates a pair of opposed imagers, a second MICR read head, and rollers for moving media therethrough. A printed circuit board embedded with the firmware needed to operate the imagers is plugged into the existing control board of the printer and is hard wired to the instructional hardware driving the imagers and MICR read head. Various combination of connector options can be included on the upgraded board and control board, such as RS232, USB, or Ethernet. Thus, the retrofitting of an exiting receipt printer with an imaging module reduces the costs associated with adding the imaging functionality for entities that have already made an investment in the base receipt printer.  
         [0014]     The imager cover includes a media introduction point formed in its front surface, in addition to maintaining the traditional bottom and side/top media introduction points. The front introduction point accommodates media of varying thickness and rigidity, and passes the media presented therethrough directly past the imagers and second MICR read head. Media such as paper checks, plastic cards, credit card slips, and the like may be presented to the unit through this front presentment point. Due to the relatively straight path this presentment point follows, more rigid media, such as the plastic cards, can be effectively processed, as opposed to the curved path the media follows when presented through either the bottom or side/top presentment points.  
         [0015]     The top of the cover includes a pair of opposed imagers mounted in vertically spaced relation to one another and separated by a predetermined distance that is sufficient to accommodate media of varying thicknesses therebetween but that is not so great as to lose image quality of any media having an acceptable thickness. Two sets of vertically opposed rollers are positioned laterally adjacent to the outer edges of the two imagers for purposes of frictionally engaging the media and moving it through the imagers. A pair of media sensors are positioned adjacent the outer edges of the roller sets to sense the leading and trailing edges of the media as it passes through the imaging module, and communicate this positional information to the motors driving the rollers, thus ensuring the media will fully pass through the imager module at a desired rate of speed.  
         [0016]     The imager module is equipped with a MICR read head that is positioned on the opposite side of the media path as the MICR read head present in the base printer, thus providing the retrofit printer with the ability to read MICR code present on either side of the media. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0018]      FIGS. 1A-1D  are perspective views of a prior art hybrid transaction printer;  
         [0019]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are both perspective views of the present invention taken along different orthogonal angles and with the scanner module cover open;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view thereof;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation view thereof;  
         [0022]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are opposite side elevation views thereof;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6A-6C  are cross-sectional side elevation views of the imaging module, and  FIG. 6D  is a bottom perspective view of the imaging module;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along section line ZZ-ZZ of  FIG. 6C ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a schematic representation of the imaging module; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  is a schematic representation of the printed circuit board structure associated with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in  FIGS. 2-8  a hybrid printer, designated generally by reference numeral  10 , generally comprising an imaging module  12  positioned at the printer&#39;s front end, and a receipt printer portion  14  positioned at the printer&#39;s rear end. Imaging module  12  is adapted to scan media, such as a check, and produce a digital image thereof that can be stored in memory and electronically transmitted for further processing or storage. Printer portion  14  is conventional in the transaction printer industry and is adapted to print text, graphics, or combinations of the two on media, such as receipt paper. Printer portion  14  is identical to the printer portion of the model number A776 hybrid printer manufactured by TPG, Inc. of Ithaca, N.Y.  
         [0028]     With specific reference to  FIGS. 6A-6C , as well as generally to  FIGS. 2-5  and  8 , imaging module  12  comprises a cover assembly  16  hingedly interconnected to the body  18  of printer  10 . Assembly  16  serves as housing for an upper imager  20  for digitally scanning the upwardly facing surface of media passing through module  12 , a lower imager  22  for digitally scanning the downwardly facing surface of the media and that is positioned in laterally and vertically spaced relation to upper imager  20  when assembly  16  is closed relative to body  18 , a pair of vertically opposed media feed rollers  24 ,  26  positioned adjacent the outwardly facing edge of imager  20 , a pair of vertically opposed media feed rollers  28 ,  30  positioned adjacent the outwardly facing edge of imager  22 , a media senor  32  positioned outwardly adjacent vertically aligned roller pairs  24 ,  26  at the inlet of the front slip path  34 , and a media sensor  36  positioned outwardly adjacent vertically adjacent roller pairs  28 ,  30  adjacent the exit of slip path  34 . Also included in module  12  is a conventional MICR readers  38 , while integrated printer MICR reader  40  is positioned on opposing sides of slip path  34  for purposes of reading the opposing side of a slip passing through these paths. In addition, a printer head  43 , such as an impact print head, is positioned in the side/top and bottom slip paths, adjacent MICR reader  41 , in order to print a predetermined item on the media, such as a limited endorsement on the back of a check. Sensors  32  and  36  electrically sense the presence of the leading and trailing edges of media, sending electrical signals to the motors driving rollers  24  and  28 , such that the rollers move the media past the imagers  20  and  22 , and MICR readers  38  and  40 , and out of the slip path through which it is traveling. For instance, sensor  32  senses the presence of media when it is inserted in slip path  34  and sends an electrical signal to the motors driving rollers  24  and  28 , thereby actuating the motors for a predetermined period of time and causing the opposed roller sets to grasp and advance the media past imagers  20  and  22  and MICR readers  38  and  40 . Sensor  36  senses the presence of the media and, more importantly, the lack of media, thus determining when the media has full passed imagers  20  and  22 . Thus, sensor  36  sends an electrical signal to the motors driving rollers  24  and  28  that will result in the motors turning off, thereby stopping the rollers after a predetermined period of time after the signal has been sent.  
         [0029]     Imaging module  12  includes standard bottom entrance and side/top entrance slip paths  42 ,  44 , respectively, and further includes front entrance slip path  34 . Slip paths  42  and  44  each require the media to travel through a curved path in order to be fully imaged and MICR scanned, but front load slip path  34  provides an essentially straight travel path for the media. Due to this relatively straight path, media that is more rigid than paper, such as plastic cards, can be processed through this path. Furthermore, because the relative thickness of more rigid media is generally greater than the traditional paper media, slip path  34  is of a dimension that accepts a range of media thicknesses without compromising the quality of the image captured by imagers  20  and  22 .  
         [0030]     To ensure that media with a variable thickness range, and in particular a thickness range that includes media that is greater than the typical paper media processed by a conventional printer, cantilevered springs  45  and  47  are mounted at opposing ends of, and positioned vertically below, thereby exerting an upward bias force on roller  26 , and cantilevered springs  49  and  51  are mounted at opposing ends of, and positioned vertically below, thereby exerting an upward bias force on roller  30 . Springs  45 ,  47 ,  49 , and  51  collectively permit rollers  26  and  30  to flex a sufficient amount to maintain frictionally engaged relation to media passing thereover. In addition, the spring constant associated with springs  45 ,  47 ,  49 , and  51  is sufficiently low, preferably about 4 pounds/inch, to prevent over-stressing the motor driving rollers  24  and  28 .  
         [0031]     In order to ensure that media passing through the side/top or bottom load slip paths do pass by imagers  20  and  22 , a deflector assembly  50  is provided. Deflector assembly  50  includes a curved media deflector body  52  that is mounted to the body of printer  10  for pivotal movement about an axis X-X that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the printer. Media that passes through the top/side and bottom load slip paths are directed by curved body  52  into the slip path  34  that will cause the media to become engaged by roller pairs  24 ,  26  and  28 ,  30 , and pass by imagers  20  and  22 , and MICR readers  38 ,  40 .  
         [0032]     With reference to  FIG. 9 , the firmware and circuitry associated with imaging module  12  is preferably contained on its own printed circuit board  42 , although it is possible to accommodate the firmware necessary to operate imaging module on the same PCB that contains the firmware and circuitry for driving receipt portion  14 . In order to make efficient use of the space available in the housing for printer  10 , interconnecting PCB  42  to the printed circuit board  44  containing the printer&#39;s control circuitry via a conventional interconnect module in a mezzanine arrangement is preferred. To enhance the types of connectors printer  10  is adapted to receive, PCBs  42  and  44  can contain any combination of RS232, Ethernet, and USB connectors.  
         [0033]     Imaging module  12  can be originally provided with printer  10 , or it may be retrofit into pre-existing printers that contain less functionality than that offered by module  12 . For instance, the hybrid printer model number A776 manufactured and sold by TPG, Inc. of Ithaca, N.Y., illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-1D , identified by reference numeral  100  is identical to printer  10  except that its front cover  102  does not contain any imaging capabilities, nor a front loading slip path (and consequently does not have an imaging PCB since it does not perform imaging.) Instead, printer  100  contains the same printer portion  14  as contemplated by printer  10 , a cover  104  for a slip processing portion having a MICR reader  106  positioned adjacent the exit of the slip path. Imaging media may be processed through one of two available slip paths; either a bottom loading path  106  or a top/side path  108 . In this invention, printer  10  adds the front loading slip path  34  which permits processing of more rigid imaging media due to its relatively straight travel path versus the curved paths through which the media must travel in order to be processed through printer  100 .  
         [0034]     To retrofit imaging module  12  to printer  100 , module  12 /cover assembly  16  is simply substituted for cover  102 , PCB  42  is connected to PCB  44 , and cabling electrically interconnects imaging module  12  to PCB  42 . Because cover assembly  16  is virtually identical in scale to cover  102  and in the manner it hingedly connects to the body of printer  10 / 100 , no other structural modification is necessary to complete the retrofit. Ribbon cable or other common data transfer cabling is then extended between module  12  and PCB  42  to provide the necessary instruction to imagers  20 ,  22  and other associated hardware in module  12  in a manner that is readily apparent to one skilled in the art.