Systems and methods for mobile image capture and processing

• US 10,146,795 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kofax Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kofax Incorporated
• Inventors: Macciola, Anthony, Amtrup, Jan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAHEED, KHALID W
• Application Number:
  US14/804,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20021 Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30176 Document
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/143 involving probabilistic approaches, e.g. Markov random field [MRF] modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/243 by compensating for image skew or non-uniform image deformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/28 Quantising the image, e.g. histogram thresholding for discrimination between background and foreground patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3872 Repositioning or masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3878 Skew detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence

Abstract

In various embodiments, methods, systems, and computer program products for processing digital images captured by a mobile device are disclosed. The exemplary image processing techniques are coupled with inbound and outbound communications protocols and workflows configured to facilitate closed-loop processing, such that a method includes initiating a workflow; providing one or more of case information and raw data to the workflow; processing one or more of the case information and the raw data to generate a processing result; storing at least some of the case information in association with the processing result, wherein the associated case information acts as an identifier of the processing result; transmitting at least the processing result and the identifier; receiving, in response to the transmitting, a reply comprising the identifier; and retrieving at least the processing result using the identifier.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating a workflow;

providing one or more of case information and raw data to the workflow;

processing one or more of the case information and the raw data to generate a processing result;

storing at least some of the case information in association with the processing result, wherein the associated case information acts as an identifier of the processing result;

transmitting at least the processing result and the identifier;

receiving, in response to the transmitting, a reply comprising the identifier;

retrieving at least the processing result using the identifier;

wherein the processing comprises performing a lookup operation using some or all of the case information as a query;

wherein the processing result comprises identifying information retrieved via the lookup operation;

wherein the reply comprises a request for additional information, and the method further comprising;

performing a second lookup operation using a different portion of the case information as a different query; and

wherein the additional information comprises identifying information retrieved via the second lookup operation.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reply further comprises identifying information retrieved using the lookup operation, and

wherein the lookup operation further utilizes the processing result as a query.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the reply further comprises a request for user authentication of the identifying information retrieved using the lookup operation.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the user authentication comprises:

capturing a user signature;

associating the user signature with the identifier; and

transmitting the user signature in association with the identifier.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the lookup operation utilizes a third party service or a third party data source to retrieve the identifying information.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the raw data comprises image data depicting a digital representation of a document,

wherein processing the raw data comprises performing one or more image processing operations on the image data;

and

wherein the processing result comprises the processed image and image processing parameters employed in the processing.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the reply comprises a request to perform one or more additional image processing operations.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein performing the one or more additional image processing operations comprises:

retrieving one or more of the image processing parameters and the processed image using the identifier;

determining additional image processing parameters for the additional image processing operation(s) based on one or more of the image processing parameters and the processed image; and

performing the additional image processing operations using the additional image processing parameters.

9. A system, comprising a processor configured to execute logic;

and logic configured to cause the processor to;

initiate a workflow;

provide one or more of case information and raw data to the workflow;

process one or more of the case information and the raw data to generate a processing result;

store at least some of the case information in association with the processing result, wherein the associated case information acts as an identifier of the processing result;

transmit at least the processing result and the identifier;

receive, in response to the transmitting, a reply comprising the identifier;

retrieve at least the processing result using the identifier;

wherein the processing comprises performing a lookup operation using some or all of the case information as a query;

wherein the processing result comprises identifying information retrieved via the lookup operation;

wherein the reply comprises a request for additional information, and the logic is configured to cause the processor to;

perform a second lookup operation using a different portion of the case information as a different query; and

wherein the additional information comprises identifying information retrieved via the second lookup operation.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the reply further comprises identifying information retrieved using a lookup operation, and

wherein the lookup operation utilizes the processing result as a query.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the reply further comprises a request for user authentication of the identifying information retrieved using the lookup operation, and wherein the user authentication comprises:

capturing a user signature;

associating the user signature with the identifier; and

transmitting the user signature in association with the identifier.

12. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the raw data comprises image data depicting a digital representation of a document,

wherein processing the raw data comprises performing one or more image processing operations on the image data;

and

wherein the processing result comprises processed image and image processing parameters employed in the processing.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the reply comprises a request to perform one or more additional image processing operations selected from:

retrieving one or more of the image processing parameters and the processed image using the identifier;

determining additional image processing parameters for the additional image processing operation(s) based on one or more of the image processing parameters and the processed image; and

performing the additional image processing operations using the additional image processing parameters.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable program instructions configured to cause a processor to:

initiate a workflow;

provide one or more of case information and raw data to the workflow;

process one or more of the case information and the raw data to generate a processing result;

store at least some of the case information in association with the processing result, wherein the associated case information acts as an identifier of the processing result;

transmit at least the processing result and the identifier;

receive, in response to the transmitting, a reply comprising the identifier;

retrieve at least the processing result using the identifier;

wherein processing the one or more of the case information and the raw data comprises performing a lookup operation using some or all of the case information as a query;

wherein the processing result comprises identifying information retrieved via the lookup operation;

wherein the reply comprises a request for additional information, and the computer readable program instructions are further configured to cause the processor to;

perform a second lookup operation using a different portion of the case information as a different query; and

wherein the additional information comprises identifying information retrieved via the second lookup operation.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the raw data comprises image data depicting a digital representation of a document,

wherein processing the raw data comprises performing one or more image processing operations on the image data;

and

wherein the processing result comprises a processed image and image processing parameters employed in the processing.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the reply comprises a request to perform one or more additional image processing operations;

and

wherein performing the one or more additional image processing operations comprises;

retrieving one or more of the image processing parameters and the processed image using the identifier;

determining additional image processing parameters for the additional image processing operation(s) based on one or more of the image processing parameters and the processed image; and

performing the additional image processing operations using the additional image processing parameters.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the reply further comprises identifying information retrieved using the lookup operation, and

wherein the lookup operation further utilizes the processing result as a query.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the reply further comprises a request for user authentication of the identifying information retrieved using the lookup operation.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein the user authentication comprises:

capturing a user signature;

associating the user signature with the identifier; and

transmitting the user signature in association with the identifier.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the lookup operation utilizes a third party service or a third party data source to retrieve the identifying information.