1. A system for stabilizing laser output levels comprising:
a laser;
a control circuit connected to said laser for providing drive current to said laser;
an injection circuit connected to an output of said control circuit for injecting a high duty cycle radio frequency waveform into said drive current;
a back facet photodiode sensor for detecting radiation from a back facet of said laser and for providing a feedback signal to said control circuit for maintaining a power level of said laser constant;
wherein said radio frequency waveform causes said drive current to oscillate above and below a DC bias point between a lasing threshold level and an asymmetrical level above the DC bias point; and
wherein said injection circuit injects said radio frequency waveform into said drive current with a duty cycle greater than 50%.
2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said back facet photodiode and said control circuit respond to significant drifts in laser output power.
3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said high duty cycle radio frequency waveform creates a stable output spectrum from said laser.
4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said high duty cycle radio frequency waveform injected into said laser confines inherent laser noise within each pixel of an image.
5. A system as in claim 1, wherein a thermoelectric cooler is affixed to said laser and a controller for said thermoelectric cooler controls a temperature of said thermoelectric cooler such that said laser has additional output stability.
6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said injection circuit is comprised of:
a sine wave oscillator with excess feedback and altered bias to generate an asymmetrical waveform;
a capacitor, wherein said asymmetrical waveform is directed through said capacitor;
a direct current source; and
an inductor, wherein said DC current source is directed through said inductor and drives said laser.
7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said injection circuit is comprised of:
a direct current source capable of providing current;
a signal generator capable of generating a pulsed waveform; and
an active electrical component, wherein said component is capable of shunting said current away from said laser when driven by said pulsed waveform.
8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said injection circuit is comprised of:
a pulse forming circuit;
a direct current source capable of producing current;
a transformer, wherein said transformer is connected to said pulse forming circuit and direct current source; and
a fast clamping diode, wherein said diode shunts said current away from said laser.
9. A system as in claim 1 wherein said radio frequency is at least twice the pixel clock frequency.
10. A method of stabilizing laser output levels comprising the steps of:
forming front and back facets on a laser element of a laser;
injecting said laser with current and a radio frequency signal, wherein said radio frequency signal is a high duty cycle waveform; and
inducing multimode operation of said laser.
11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said duty cycle is greater than 50%.
12. A method as in claim 10, wherein said multimode operation of said laser confines inherent laser noise within each pixel of an image.
13. A method as in claim 10, wherein said radio frequency signal with said high duty cycle waveform is generated by a sine wave oscillator with excess feedback and altered bias.
14. A method as in claim 10, wherein said radio frequency signal with said high duty cycle waveform is generated by inputting a pulsed waveform into an active electrical component to shunt said current away from said laser.
15. A method as in claim 10, wherein said radio frequency signal with said high duty cycle waveform is generated by a pulse forming circuit connected to a transformer and a fast clamping diode, wherein said current is shunted away from said laser.
16. A method for stabilizing laser output levels comprising:
providing a drive current to a laser;
injecting a high duty cycle radio frequency waveform into said drive current;
detecting radiation from a back facet of said laser;
comparing said back facet radiation to a nominal reference level;
providing a feedback signal based on said comparison for maintaining a power level of said laser constant;
wherein said radio frequency waveform causes said drive current to oscillate above and below a DC bias point between a lasing threshold level and an asymmetrical level above the DC bias point; and
wherein an injection circuit injects said radio frequency waveform into said drive current with a duty cycle greater than 50%.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising:
receiving information associated with a deposit item;
determining, using a processor, an actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
determining, using a processor, a payee account to receive the deposit item based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
determining, using a processor, a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
determining, using a processor, a hold limit for the payee account;
determining, using a processor, an adjusted deposit amount for the deposit item based at least partially on: (a) the actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item, and (b) one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account; and
calculating the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by a first amount if the drawer account is held by a business and greater than the actual deposit by a second amount if the drawer account is held by a consumer, wherein the first amount is different from the second amount;
determining, using a processor, a hold decision for the deposit item based at least partially on a comparison of the adjusted deposit amount to the hold limit.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account comprise one or more characteristics associated with a drawer, wherein the drawer is associated with the drawer account.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account comprise one or more characteristics associated with the deposit item.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account comprise at least one of: (a) an account age associated with the drawer account, or (b) an account type associated with the drawer account.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account comprise at least one of: (a) a record that the drawer account has gone to loss due to funds not being available for a transaction, (b) an uncollected funds record associated with the drawer account, (c) a dormantinactive status associated with the drawer account, (d) a record associated with the drawer account of producing unauthorized monetary replicas, (e) an account not located status associated with the drawer account, or (f) a loststolen status associated with the drawer account.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the hold limit for the payee account comprises:
determining the hold limit for the payee account based at least partially on: (a) an account balance associated with the payee account, and (b) one or more other characteristics associated with the payee account.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more other characteristics associated with the payee account comprise at least one of: (a) a total liability balance associated with the payee account, or (b)) a record that the payee account has gone to loss due to funds not being available for a transaction.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, using a communication interface, information associated with the hold decision for the deposit item to at least one of: (a) an automated teller machine (ATM), or (b) a teller interface apparatus operable by a human teller.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the deposit item comprises an item in a single deposit transaction, and wherein receiving the information associated with the deposit item and determining the hold decision for the deposit item are both performed during the single deposit transaction.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
calculating the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by the first amount if the drawer account is held by the business and (i) includes an unavailable fundsaccount gone to loss record or (ii) has a dormant status;
calculating the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by the second amount if the drawer account is held by the consumer and (i) includes an unavailable fundsaccount gone to loss record or (ii) has a dormant status, wherein the first amount is less than the second amount.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
calculating the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by the first amount if the drawer account is (i) held by the business, (ii) has uncollected funds, and (iii) has an account age greater than or equal to 90 days;
calculating the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by the first amount if the drawer account is (i) held by the consumer, (ii) has uncollected funds, and (iii) has an account age greater than or equal to 90 days, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
calculating the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by the first amount if the drawer account is (i) held by the business, (ii) is attached, and (iii) has an account age of less than 90 days;
calculating the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by the first amount if the drawer account is (i) held by the consumer, (ii) is attached, and (iii) has an account age of less than 90 days, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.
13. An apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive information associated with a deposit item; and
a processor configured to:
determine an actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
determine a payee account to receive the deposit item based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
determine a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
determine a hold limit for the payee account;
determine an adjusted deposit amount for the deposit item based at least partially on: (a) the actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item, and (b) one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account; and
calculate the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by a first amount if the drawer account is held by a business and greater than the actual deposit by a second amount if the drawer account is held by a consumer, wherein the first amount is different from the second amount;
determine a hold decision for the deposit item based at least partially on a comparison of the adjusted deposit amount to the hold limit.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account comprise at least one of: (a) an account age associated with the drawer account, or (b) an account type associated with the drawer account.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account comprise at least one of: (a)) a record that the drawer account has gone to loss due to funds not being available for a transaction, (b) an uncollected funds record associated with the drawer account, (c) a dormantinactive status associated with the drawer account, (d) a record associated with the drawer account of producing unauthorized monetary replicas, (e) an account not located status associated with the drawer account, or (f) a loststolen status associated with the drawer account.
16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine the hold limit for the payee account based at least partially on (a) an account balance associated with the payee account, and (b) one or more other characteristics associated with the payee account.
17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the deposit item comprises an item in a single deposit transaction,
wherein the communication interface is configured receive the information associated with the deposit item during the single deposit transaction, and
wherein the processor is configured to determine the hold decision for the deposit item during the single deposit transaction.
18. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises computer-executable program code portions stored therein, wherein the computer-executable program code portions comprise:
a first program code portion configured to receive information associated with a deposit item;
a second program code portion configured to determine an actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
a third program code portion configured to determine a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn based at least partially on the information associated with the deposit item;
a fourth program code portion configured to determine an adjusted deposit amount for the deposit item based at least partially on: (a) the actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item, and (b) one or more negative characteristics associated with the drawer account; and
a fifth program code portion configured to calculate the adjusted deposit amount as greater than the actual deposit amount by a first amount if the drawer account is held by a business and greater than the actual deposit by a second amount if the drawer account is held by a consumer, wherein the first amount is different from the second amount;
a sixth program code portion configured to determine a hold decision for the deposit item based at least partially on a comparison of the adjusted deposit amount to a hold limit.
19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising a seventh program code portion configured to determine the hold limit based at least partially on (a) an account balance associated with a payee account, and (b) one or more other characteristics associated with the payee account, wherein the payee account is held by a payee’identified by the deposit item.