Patent ID: 7735721

Claim:
A method comprising: a) moving a check across a magnetic sensor in a cash dispensing automated banking machine, wherein the check has a width, wherein the check has a length in a first direction, wherein the magnetic sensor comprises a plurality of sensor elements arranged along at least one column extending generally transverse of the first direction, wherein the automated banking machine includes at least one processor; b) acquiring magnetic signals from each sensor element as the check moves across the magnetic sensor, wherein the magnetic signals are acquired from a plurality of locations generally spanning the width and the length of the check; c) through operation of the at least one processor in the automated banking machine, generating at least one first matrix, wherein the first matrix comprises a plurality of sensor values included in a plurality of rows and columns, wherein the plurality of sensor values correspond to a plurality of portions of the magnetic signals acquired in (b); d) carrying out through operation of the at least one processor in the automated banking machine at least one predetermined matrix modifying calculation with the first matrix, to produce at least one modified matrix that includes a plurality of modified matrix values, wherein the at least one predetermined matrix modifying calculation includes calculating a modified matrix value for the at least one modified matrix that corresponds to a value in the first matrix, wherein the modified matrix value is calculated with the at least one predetermined matrix modifying calculation responsive to the value in the first matrix and at least one other value in the first matrix adjacent to the value in the first matrix; e) through operation of the at least one processor, identifying a plurality of sets of modified matrix values in the modified matrix, wherein each set respectively corresponds to a different zone on the check; f) through operation of the at least one processor in the automated banking machine, determining that the check is acceptable to be deposited into the automated banking machine responsive to the plurality of sets of modified matrix values identified in (e) for the respective different zones on the check.