Automatic extraction of filled information from bankchecks

Automatic extraction of filled information from bankchecks

Koerich, Alessandro L. and Lee, Luan Ling

Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics 1997

Abstract : This paper presents a technique for extracting the filled information from bankchecks. We have analyzed the bankchecks characteristics and propose a model that can be used to locate and extract the filled information of any bankcheck. This model is based on prior knowledge about check layout structure and in check identification through reading the MICR line. The redundant information, such as the background pattern, and printed lines and characters, is eliminated from check image. We maintain a sample of check’s background pattern stored and use it in order to eliminate the original background pattern from digitized checks. Next, the areas where the filled information is supposed to appear are extracted through a template. The baselines are eliminated using an approach based on projection profiles, while the printed characters are eliminated through a subtraction operation. Experimental results from testing real Brazilian bankchecks show that the proposed method is capable of extracting the filled items from bankchecks as an accuracy rate of 88.7-98.3%.