Depth Sensing Camera for Hand-Held Document Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image-capturing mechanisms at self-service terminals, such as automated teller machines, face challenges in being compact, robust, and flexible enough to handle hand-held documents of varying sizes while avoiding image degradation and security concerns.
Innovation Solution
A system employing a depth sensing camera on the terminal's fascia captures synchronized video and depth map streams, allowing users to hold documents for imaging, with a processor that determines optimal positioning and captures high-quality images by processing depth data to create a virtual mask and crop the document, ensuring it remains within a specified distance range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a document slot is used for image capture, then the terminal can process documents, but the device complexity increases and security concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical document slot and moving parts with a depth-sensing camera system that uses optical fields and depth mapping to detect and capture documents. The depth sensor creates a virtual mask to identify document boundaries and positioning, eliminating the need for physical document handling mechanisms while maintaining reliable document processing capability.
2Reliability
If a document slot is used, then documents can be processed, but the terminal size increases and robustness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical document slot is replaced with a compact depth-sensing camera assembly that fits within the terminal's fascia. The system uses optical sensing and depth mapping algorithms to detect documents without requiring physical insertion slots, reducing the terminal's size and improving robustness while maintaining document processing capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the terminal captures images of hand-held documents, then flexibility increases for different document sizes, but image degradation may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a depth-sensing camera to capture both color and depth information simultaneously. The depth data creates a virtual mask that accurately segments the document from the background, enabling precise cropping and positioning. This optical approach maintains high image quality across various document sizes without the mechanical constraints of fixed slots or moving parts.
4Reliability
If the document is held by the user, then security improves, but the device complexity increases due to depth sensing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a depth-sensing camera module that integrates depth mapping technology to detect document boundaries and positioning. The processor uses the depth information to create a virtual mask, automatically segmenting the document from the user's hands and background. This approach enhances security by keeping documents in user possession while using automated optical processing to eliminate manual handling complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the need for moving parts, minimizes image degradation, enhances security by keeping the document in user possession, and allows for flexible imaging of different document sizes without the need for a document slot, improving the robustness and efficiency of image capture.
Implementation Method 1
A depth sensing camera positioned on a fascia of a self-service terminal captures a video stream and a depth map stream of a hand-held document
Data Source
AI summary
A self-service terminal, such as an automated teller machine, can have a fascia, a display positioned on the fascia, and a depth sensing camera positioned on the fascia. The camera can capture a video stream of a hand-held document, such as a check, and capture a depth map stream of the hand-held document. A processor positioned in the self-service terminal can sequentially: determine, from the depth map stream, that the document is outside a specified range of distances away from the camera; present, on the display, instructions to reposition the document to be within the specified range of distances away from the camera; determine, from the depth map stream, that the document is within the specified range of distances away from the camera; and automatically capture an image of the document from the video stream.