the camera also has a very narrow scope to read...the check amount is 
written in the same place, or close to it, each time...the software will 
account for differences in writing style, but I would think when writing 
numbers, there isn't nearly as much variety in style as there is with hand 
writing.
I think most people print numbers fairly consistently over hand written 
text.
that said, this is a pretty cool development with ATM's...now, if only the 
ATM's around here with onboard speech were settup for the speech.  That is, 
nearly all of them have the head phone jack on the front and claim they 
speak, but many of them don't actually work.
and most of them have braille on them as well, but not for all buttons...so 
you have to guess as to which buttons do what...they are mostly universal, 
but occasionally one particular bank will alter the sequence of the buttons.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 11:20 AM
Subject: Re: scanning operation


> I'm told the problem is the hardware not so much the software, so Steve,
> you're right on most likely.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Steve Dresser" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 12:28 PM
> Subject: Re: scanning operation
>
>
>> Harvey,
>>
>> Your bank's ATM may be using a camera instead of a flatbed scanner, which
>> may partially account for the higher accuracy.  It will be interesting to
>> see whether the software can read handwriting reliably as well as
>> perfectly.
>> In the case of your bank's ATM, , the software only has to deal with
>> numbers.  In the case of our reading software, the software has to 
>> analyze
>> a
>> much broader range of text, which requires more resources, and may be 
>> much
>> more prone to errors.  For your sake, I hope your bank's ATM can get the
>> numbers right every time.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Harvey Heagy" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 10:37
>> Subject: scanning operation
>>
>>
>>> In this message I am speaking of scanning for reading purposes not 
>>> public
>>> service band scanning.
>>>
>>> My bank now offers ATM deposits without the use of envelopes or deposit
>>> slips.  You simply insert all checks at one time into the receptacle for
>>> checks, or all cash at once into a separate receptacle for cash.  Since
>>> it
>>> also offers talking ATM's, I decided to try it to see if it could be 
>>> done
>>> by
>>> a blind person.  I found out happily that it could.  You can deposit
>>> checks,
>>> cash or a combination thereof.  What further amazed me is that you don't
>>> have to enter the deposit amount.  The ATM reads the cash, checks or
>>> whatever and totals the deposit amount itself.  The check I deposited 
>>> was
>>> handwritten, and the machine read it perfectly.  My question is, if we
>>> can
>>> have a bank ATM that can read handwritten checks perfectly, why can't we
>>> have scanning software such as Kursweil or OpenBook that can also read
>>> handwriting perfectly?
>>> Harvey
>>>