Touchless mobile applications and context-sensitive workflows

• US 10,643,164 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tungsten Automation Corp.
• Original Assignee: Kofax Incorporated
• Inventors: Macciola, Anthony, Amtrup, Jan W., Ma, Jiyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian, Seyed H
• Application Number:
  US15/910,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20180189695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382103, 382106-107, 382113, 382155, 382162, 382168, 382173, 382181, 382190, 382199, 382209, 382219, 382232, 382254, 382276, 382291-295, 382305, 382312, 382321, 704235, 704275, 704270, 709203, 345156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/07 Target detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence

Abstract

Computer program products for performing workflows using a mobile device, without requiring tactile input from the user. The workflow is thus “touchless” and may utilize input preferably including optical data and/or audio data. Tactile input may be optionally provided in some embodiments, but the workflow is configured to be performed without any tactile input. Accordingly, in one embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable medium having computer readable and/or executable program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being configured to cause a processor to: invoke a mobile application using a mobile device; receive auditory input via the mobile device; and perform a business workflow via the mobile application based on the auditory input. Corresponding systems and computer program product embodiments configured for touchless mobile workflows are also described.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

invoke a mobile application on a mobile device;

receive auditory input via the mobile device; and

perform a business workflow via the mobile application based on the auditory input, wherein the program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the business workflow comprises program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

capture digital image data;

receive auditory input relating to the captured digital image data;

determine a subject of the captured digital image data;

determine information necessary for performing the business workflow, the determination being based on either or both of;

the subject of the captured digital image data; and

the auditory input relating to the captured digital image data; and

extract from the digital image data the information necessary for performing the business workflow.

2. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein performing the business workflow excludes tactile input via the mobile device.

3. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the business workflow comprises program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

capture digital image data;

receive auditory input relating to the captured digital image data; and

determine a subject of the captured digital image data.

4. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, further comprising program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to determine, from the auditory input, information necessary to perform the business workflow.

5. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, further comprising program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to retrieve, based on the auditory input, information necessary to perform the business workflow.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 5, wherein the necessary information is retrieved from a third party data source remote from the mobile device.

7. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the auditory input comprises information necessary to perform the business workflow.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the auditory input further comprises ancillary information.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the auditory input comprises information necessary to perform the business workflow and ancillary information, and

wherein the computer program product further comprises associating the ancillary information with the necessary information.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the auditory input comprises one or more of a user affirmation, a user negation, and a user modification of information necessary to perform the business workflow.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein one or more of the user affirmation, the user negation, and the user modification are received from the user in response to a request to validate the information necessary to perform the business workflow.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the business workflow comprises program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

parse the auditory input;

determine information necessary to perform the business workflow based on the parsing; and

selectively provide the necessary information to the business workflow.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the parsing is based on natural language processing (NLP) techniques.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the parsing imperfectly determines the information necessary to perform the business workflow;

and the computer program product further comprising program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

receive additional auditory input via the mobile device;

parse the additional auditory input;

determine the information necessary to perform the business workflow from the additional auditory input;

compare the information necessary to perform the business workflow as determined from (i) the auditory input; and

(ii) the additional auditory input; and

perfect the information necessary to perform the business workflow based on the comparison.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the parsing imperfectly determines the information necessary to perform the business workflow, and the computer program product further comprising program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

receive optical input via the mobile device;

extract the information necessary to perform the business workflow from the optical input;

compare the information necessary to perform the business workflow as determined from the auditory input with the information necessary to perform the business workflow as extracted from the optical input; and

perfect the information necessary to perform the business workflow based on the comparison.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, further comprising the program code readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the mobile device to verbally request the auditory input.

17. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

invoke a mobile application on a mobile device;

verbally request auditory input, wherein the verbal request is generated via the mobile device using a text-to-speech engine;

receive the requested auditory input via the mobile device; and

perform a business workflow via the mobile application based on the auditory input.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the verbal request identifies information necessary to perform the business workflow.

19. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

invoke a mobile application on a mobile device;

receive auditory input via the mobile device;

verbally request, by the mobile device, a user present one or more documents from which to extract information relevant to a business workflow; and

perform the business workflow via the mobile application based on the auditory input and some or all of the information extracted from the one or more documents, wherein performing the business workflow comprises;

parsing the auditory input, wherein the parsing imperfectly determines the information necessary to perform the business workflow;

receiving additional auditory input via the mobile device;

parsing the additional auditory input;

determining information necessary to perform the business workflow based on parsing;

(i) the auditory input, and (ii) the additional auditory input; and

comparing the information necessary to perform the business workflow as determined from parsing;

(i) the auditory input; and

(ii) the additional auditory input;

perfecting the information necessary to perform the business workflow based on the comparison; and

selectively providing the necessary information to the business workflow.