Patent ID: 8083136

Claim:
Apparatus comprising: an automated banking machine, wherein the automated banking machine includes: a reader device operative to read user data that corresponds to a financial account, a check acceptor, wherein the check acceptor is configured to receive financial checks that include thereon visible characters that include magnetic ink character recognition (micr) symbols, wherein the check acceptor includes: at least one optical scanning sensor, 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 optical scanning sensor and the at least one magnetic sensor, at least one processor, at least one data store, wherein the at least one data store is in operative connection with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one data store includes processor executable software instructions operative to identify a plurality of visible characters included on checks, wherein the at least one data store includes processor executable software instructions corresponding to at least one template that corresponds to at least one area on a check in which visible characters may be located, wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the reader device and the check acceptor, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause a financial transfer at least one of to and from a financial account corresponding to read user data, wherein the at least one processor is operative to: cause the at least one optical scanning sensor to scan at least one face of a check, cause image data corresponding to visual appearance of at least a portion of the at least one face of the check to be generated, cause modified image data to be generated, wherein the modified image data corresponds to an imposed coordinate system, cause at least one portion of the image data to be selected responsive at least in part to the at least one template and the modified image data, cause image data in the selected at least one portion to be analyzed to determine at least one visible character within the selected at least one portion, and cause at least one message to be sent that includes data representative of a determined at least one visible character.