Patent ID: 7474779

Claim:
A check reader for reading magnetic ink characters on a check, comprising: a check path; a motor configured to move the check along the check path; a magnetic reading head disposed along the check path; a controller configured to control the motor to move the check through the check path in a first pass past the magnetic reading head in a first direction and at a first speed, in a second pass past the magnetic reading head in a reverse direction and at a second speed, and in a third pass past the magnetic reading head in the first direction and at a third speed; wherein the controller is configured to: receive a signal indicative of an output of the magnetic reading head during each pass of the check past the magnetic reading head; decode information from the signal indicative of the output of the magnetic reading head; determine a magnitude of the second speed based on the signal indicative of the output of the magnetic reading head received by the controller during the first pass; and generate an output signal indicative of the decoded information based on a comparison of all information decoded during said three passes of the check past the magnetic reading head.