METHOD FOR SORTING DOCUMENTS

A system for sorting documents is provided. The system first automatically determines the physical orientation of each document. Each document may have one of the following four orientations: face-forward and right-side-up, face-forward and up-side-down, face-backward and right-side-up and face-backward and up-side-down. Once the physical orientation of each document is determined, each document is sorted by orientation to one of four document bins corresponding to each of the four orientations described above. Preferably, a digital image of each document is captured before being sorted to the appropriate bin, and most preferably, the digital image of each document is automatically oriented to a preferred orientation. Preferably, each document includes visually readable markings, and the physical orientation of each document is automatically determined based upon the visually readable markings. Alternately, it is preferable that each document includes magnetically readable markings, and the physical orientation of each document is automatically determined based upon the magnetically readable markings. The method is particularly well suited to be used with checks and bill heads. In such a case, the physical orientation of the check is determined, and then the check is sorted to an appropriate bin based upon this orientation. The bill head accompanying the check is also sorted to an appropriate bin based upon the check's orientation.