Information processing methodology

• US 20040070793A1
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eon-Net LP (Mitchell A. Medina)
• Original Assignee: Millennium LP (VINCI SA)
• Inventors: Elias, Catherine B., Medina, Mitchell A., Lech, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/403
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1444 Selective acquisition, locating or processing of specific regions, e.g. highlighted text, fiducial marks or predetermined fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1452 based on positionally close symbols, e.g. amount sign or URL-specific characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225

Abstract

An information processing methodology gives rise to an application program interface which includes an automated digitizing unit, such as a scanner, which inputs information from a diversity of hard copy documents and stores information from the hard copy documents into a memory as stored document information. Portions of the stored document information are selected in accordance with content instructions which designate portions of the stored document information required by a particular application program. The selected stored document information is then placed into the transmission format required by a particular application program in accordance with transmission format instructions. After the information has been transmission formatted, the information is transmitted to the application program. In one operational mode, the interface interactively prompts the user to identify, on a display, portions of the hard copy documents containing information used in application programs or for storage.

Claims

1. A method of processing information from a diversity of hard copy documents, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving output representing a diversity of hard copy documents from an automated digitizing unit and storing information from said diversity of hard copy documents into a memory, said information not fixed from one document to the next;

(b) identifying portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to a first variable; and

(c) storing information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable into memory locations for said first variable.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step (b) includes displaying an image of a hard copy document on a display based on the contents of said memory.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to a second variable, said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable being different from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable; and

storing information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into memory locations for said second variable.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step (b) includes prompting identification of said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step (c) includes storing image information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable into said memory locations for said first variable.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step (c) includes storing textual information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable into said memory locations for said first variable.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of detecting and correcting errors resulting from said inputting.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of utilizing a template to associate portions of said hard copy documents with specific variables.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising receiving instructions identifying at least one character or symbol, located on said hard copy documents, which identifies a location on said hard copy documents containing a value of a specific variable.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising receiving instructions identifying at least one character or symbol, located on said hard copy documents, which identifies a relative location on said hard copy documents containing a value of a specific variable.

11. A method as set fourth in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

identifying portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to a second variable, said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable being different from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable; and

storing information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into memory locations for said second variable.

12. A method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising the step of storing image information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into said memory locations for said second variable.

13. A method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising the step of storing textual information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into said memory locations for said second variable.

14. A method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising the step of prompting identification of said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable.

15. A method of processing information from a diversity of hard copy documents, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) scanning a diversity of hard copy documents and storing information from said diversity of hard copy documents into a memory, said information not fixed from one document to the next;

(b) identifying portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to a first variable; and

(c) storing information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable into memory locations for said first variable.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein step (b) includes displaying an image of a hard copy document on a display based on the contents of said memory.

17. A method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

identifying portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to a second variable, said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable being different from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable; and

storing information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into memory locations for said second variable.

18. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein step (b) includes prompting identification of said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable.

19. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein step (c) includes storing image information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable into said memory locations for said first variable.

20. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein step (c) includes storing textual information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable into said memory locations for said first variable.

21. A method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the steps of detecting and correcting errors resulting from said scanning.

22. A method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the step of utilizing a template to associate portions of said hard copy documents with specific variables.

23. A method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising receiving instructions identifying at least one character or symbol, located on said hard copy documents, which identifies a location on said hard copy documents containing a value of a specific variable.

24. A method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising receiving, instructions identifying at least one character or symbol, located on said hard copy, documents, which identifies a relative location on said hard copy documents containing a value of a specific variable.

25. A method as set forth in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

identifying portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to a second variable, said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable being different from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said first variable; and

storing information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into memory locations for said second variable.

26. A method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising the step of storing image information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into said memory locations for said second variable.

27. A method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising the step of storing textual information from said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable into said memory locations for said second variable.

28. A method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising the step of prompting identification of said portions of said hard copy documents corresponding to said second variable.

29. A method of processing data extracted from a diversity of hard copy documents, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving output representing a diversity of hard copy documents from an automated digitizing unit and storing information from said diversity of hard copy documents into a memory as stored document information;

(b) selecting portions of said stored document information in accordance with content instructions defining portions of said stored document information required by an application unit;

(c) formatting selected stored document information into a transmission format used by said application unit based on transmission format instructions; and

(d) transmitting formatted selected stored document information to said application unit.

30. A method as set forth in claim 29, wherein step (a) includes storing textual information representing characters on said hard copy documents.

31. A method as set forth in claim 29, wherein step (a) includes storing digitized image information representing the actual appearance of said hard copy documents.

32. A method as set forth in claim 29, further comprising detecting and correcting errors in said stored document information resulting from said inputting.

33. A method as set forth in claim 29, wherein step (a) includes the step of utilizing a template to associate portions of said hard copy documents with specific variables.

34. A method as set forth in claim 29, wherein step (a) includes receiving instructions identifying at least one character or symbol, located on said hard copy documents, which identifies a location on said hard copy documents containing a value of a specific variable.

35. A method as set forth in claim 29, wherein step (a) includes receiving instructions identifying at least one character or symbol, located on said hard copy documents, which identifies a relative location on said hard copy documents containing a value of a specific variable.

36. A method as set forth in claim 29, further comprising the step of printing textual copies of said hard copy documents based on said stored document information.

37. A method as set forth in claim 29, wherein step (a) includes receiving output representing a diversity of hard copy documents from a scanner.

38. A method, as set forth in claim 31, further comprising the step of printing copies of said hard copy documents based on said digitized image information.

39. An application program interface, comprising:

an automated digitizing unit which extracts information from a diversity of hard copy documents and stores said information from said diversity of hard copy documents in a memory as stored document information;

a processor selecting portions of said stored document information in accordance with content instructions, said content instructions designating portions of said stored document information required by an application unit;

a formatter formatting selected stored document information into a transmission format used by said application unit based on transmission format instructions; and

an output unit transmitting formatted selected stored document information to said application unit.

40. An interface as set north in claim 39, wherein said stored document information includes textual information representing characters on said hard copy documents.

41. An interface as set forth in claim 39, wherein said stored document information includes digitized image information representing the actual appearance of said hard copy documents.

42. An interface as set forth in claim 39, further comprising an error correcting unit detecting and correcting errors resulting from extracting by said automated digitizing unit.

43. An interface as set forth in claim 39, further comprising:

a template definition unit for defining a template which associates locations on said hard copy documents with specific variables.

44. An interface as set forth in claim 39, further comprising a search unit for searching for at least one character or symbol, located on said hard copy documents, which identifies a location on said hard copy documents containing a value for a specific variable.

45. An interface as set forth in claim 39, wherein said automated digitizing unit includes a scanner.

46. An interface as set forth in claim 41, further comprising a printer which prints out copies of the actual appearance of said hard copy documents based on said digitized image information.