Patent ID: 8430309

Claim:
Apparatus comprising: an automated banking machine that operates responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records to cause financial transfers, wherein the automated banking machine includes a plurality of hardware devices including: a card reader operative to read card data from user cards, wherein the card data corresponds to financial accounts; a check acceptor, wherein the check acceptor is configured to receive and scan financial checks that include thereon magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) symbols, wherein the check acceptor includes: at least one magnetic sensor, at least one transport, wherein the at least one transport is operative to move a check adjacent to the at least one magnetic sensor, wherein the at least one magnetic sensor is operative to generate electrical signals corresponding to the presence of magnetic indicia on the check; at least one data store including a plurality of predetermined sets of values for MICR symbols of at least one MICR font; at least one processor in operative communication with the card reader, the check acceptor, and the at least one data store, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause: a processor determination to be made that card data read from a card corresponds to a financial account concerning which financial transfers are authorized to be conducted through machine operation; and a financial transfer at least one of to and from the financial account responsive at least in part to the determination; wherein responsive at least in part to the electrical signals corresponding to the presence of magnetic indicia on the check, the at least one processor is operative to: determine a first magnetic signal portion corresponding to a MICR symbol on the check; identify a plurality of minimum and maximum peaks of the first magnetic signal portion, wherein a center of each peak corresponds to a peak amplitude of each peak, wherein opposed sides of each peak correspond to the portions of the first magnetic signal portion adjacent each side of the center of each peak; determine the peak amplitude of each peak; determine data representative of one of the sides of each peak responsive at least in part to a comparison between portions of the first magnetic signal portion corresponding to the opposed sides of each peak; determine which MICR symbol of the at least one MICR font corresponds to the first magnetic signal portion responsive at least in part to the sets of values included in the at least one data store, the determined peak amplitude of each peak, and the data representative of one of the sides of each peak.