Information processing methodology

• US 20050185218A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eon-Net LP (Mitchell A. Medina)
• Original Assignee: Eon-Net LP (Mitchell A. Medina)
• Inventors: Elias, Catherine B., Medina, Mitchell A., Lech, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,184,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• 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

1-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A method of doing business by automatically extracting information from a template displayed on a first computer and transmitting said information to at least one field requiring data in an application program on a second computer to enable a commercial transaction between a buyer and a seller.

48. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein the transaction involves a physical good.

49. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein the transaction involves a service.

50. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein the transaction involves copyrighted material.

51. The method as recited in claim 47 in which said first computer and second computer are part of a distributed computing system.

52. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein said automatically extracting step automatically parses said information to said at least one field in said application program.

53. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein content instructions are automatically generated during said automatically extracting step.

54. The method as recited in claim 53 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

55. The method as recited in claim 53, wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

56. The method as recited in claim 53 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated based on interaction by the user with at least one of said first and second computer.

57. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein said extracted information comprises billing information.

58. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein said extracted information comprises financial information.

59. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein said extracted information comprises personal information.

60. The method as recited in claim 47 wherein said extracted information comprises customer information.

61. A method of doing business by automatically extracting information according to content instructions from a template displayed on a first computer and transmitting said information according to format instructions to at least one field requiring data in an application program on a second computer to enable a commercial transaction between a buyer and a seller.

62. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein the transaction involves a physical good.

63. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein the transaction involves a service.

64. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein the transaction involves copyrighted material.

65. The method as recited in claim 61 in which said first computer and second computer are part of a distributed computing system.

66. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein said automatically extracting step automatically parses said information to said at least one field in said application program.

67. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein content instructions are automatically generated during said automatically extracting step.

68. The method as recited in claim 67 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

69. The method as recited in claim 67, wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

70. The method as recited in claim 67 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated based on interaction by the user with at least one of said first and second computer.

71. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein said extracted information comprises billing information.

72. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein said extracted information comprises financial information.

73. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein said extracted information comprises personal information.

74. The method as recited in claim 61 wherein said extracted information comprises customer information.

75. A method of doing business by automatically extracting information from a template displayed on a computer and transmitting said information to at least one field requiring data in an application program to enable a commercial transaction between a buyer and a seller.

76. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein the transaction involves a physical good.

77. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein the transaction involves a service.

78. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein the transaction involves copyrighted material.

79. The method as recited in claim 75 in which said first computer and second computer are part of a distributed computing system.

80. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein said automatically extracting step automatically parses said information to said at least one field in said application program.

81. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein content instructions are automatically generated during said automatically extracting step.

82. The method as recited in claim 81 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

83. The method as recited in claim 81, wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

84. The method as recited in claim 81 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated based on interaction by the user with at least one of said first and second computer.

85. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein said extracted information comprises billing information.

86. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein said extracted information comprises financial information.

87. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein said extracted information comprises personal information.

88. The method as recited in claim 75 wherein said extracted information comprises customer information.

89. A method of doing business by automatically extracting information according to content instructions from a template displayed on a computer and transmitting said information according to format instructions to at least one field requiring data in an application program to enable a commercial transaction between a buyer and a seller.

90. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein the transaction involves a physical good.

91. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein the transaction involves a service.

92. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein the transaction involves copyrighted material.

93. The method as recited in claim 89 in which said first computer and second computer are part of a distributed computing system.

94. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein said automatically extracting step automatically parses said information to said at least one field in said application program.

95. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein content instructions are automatically generated during said automatically extracting step.

96. The method as recited in claim 95 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

97. The method as recited in claim 95, wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

98. The method as recited in claim 95 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated based on interaction by the user with at least one of said first and second computer.

99. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein said extracted information comprises billing information.

100. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein said extracted information comprises financial information.

101. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein said extracted information comprises personal information.

102. The method as recited in claim 89 wherein said extracted information comprises customer information.