Method and apparatus for identifying characters printed on a document which cannot be machine read

Claim 1

A document handling system for processing documents having characters encoded thereon comprising: read station means for machine reading the characters encoded on each of said documents as said documents travel in a serial flow therethrough; first transporting means for transporting said documents to said read station means in said serial flow; means responsive to said read station means for generating a "can't read" signal when an encoded character on one of said documents cannot be machine read by said read station means; marking station means for printing a mark on said one of said documents in a predetermined position with respect to said encoded character that could not be machine read by said read station means, without interruption in said serial flow; second transporting means for transporting said documents from said read station means to said marking station means in said serial flow; means responsive to said "can't read" signal for controlling said marking station means in time correlation with the passage of said one of said documents from said read station means to said marking station means for ensuring that said printed mark uniquely identifies said encoded character that could not be machine read by said read station means; viewing station means for positioning said one of said documents having at least one printed mark thereon such that both the printed mark and the uniquely identified character associated therewith are visible to an operator; and third transporting means for transporting said documents from said marking station to said viewing station, said third means comprising, a first transport path feeding said viewing station means; a second transport path bypassing said viewing station means; gating means including a gating element positionable to a first position for diverting said documents into said first transport path and positionable to a second position for diverting said documents into said second transport path; and means for controlling said gating means and responsive to the presence of at least one of said "can't read" signals for positioning said gating element in said first position and responsive to the absence of said "can't read" signal for positioning said gating element in said second position.