Patent ID: 8141774

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) operating at least one computer during a check processing operation involving a check accepting device including optical sensors operative to generate appearance data corresponding to appearance of at least a portion of checks received by the check accepting device, at least one data store, wherein the at least one computer includes check area selection software and character recognition software, wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive at least in part to the check area selection software, to select first area appearance data corresponding to at least one first area of a check received by the check accepting device, wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive at least in part to operation of the character recognition software, to determine if the first area appearance data includes within a predetermined level of character identity assurance, character data corresponding to at least one visible micr character, wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive at least in part to determining that the first area appearance data does not include the character data, to select responsive at least in part to the check area selection software, second area appearance data corresponding to at least one second area of the check, wherein the at least one second area differs from the at least one first area, wherein the at least one computer is operative responsive at least in part to operation of the character recognition software, to determine if the second area appearance data includes within the predetermined level of character identity assurance, character data corresponding to the at least one visible micr character; to select first area appearance data corresponding to at least one first area of a financial check; (b) operating the at least one computer to determine that the first area appearance data selected in (a) does not include within the predetermined level of character identity assurance, character data corresponding to at least one visible micr character on the check, wherein (b) includes use of the character recognition software; (c) responsive at least in part to (b), operating the at least one computer to select second area appearance data corresponding to at least one second area of the check, wherein the at least one second area differs from the at least one first area, wherein (c) includes use of the check area selection software; and (d) operating the at least one computer to determine whether the second area appearance data selected in (c) includes within the predetermined level of character identity assurance, character data corresponding to at least one visible micr character on the check, wherein (d) includes use of the character recognition software.