Systems and methods for data indexing and processing

• US 20070013967A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indxit Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Indxit Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Morvant, Matthew, Ebaugh, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/448
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/31 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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: G06V 30/418 Document matching, e.g. of document images
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that allow for indexing, processing, or both of information from physical media or electronic media, which may be received from a plurality of sources. In embodiments, a document file may be matched using pattern matching methods and may include comparisons with a comparison reference database to improve or accelerate the indexing process. In embodiments, information may be presented to a user as potential matches thereby improving manual indexing processes. In embodiments, one or more additional actions may occur as part of the processing, including without limitation, association additional data with a document file, making observations from the document file, notifying individuals, creating composite messages, and billing events. In an embodiment, data from a document file may be associated with a key word, key phrase, or word frequency value that enables adaptive learning so that unindexed data may be automatically indexed based on user interaction history.

Claims

1. A method for indexing a document file comprising:

receiving the document file, wherein the document file comprises a plurality of characters;

organizing the plurality of characters into an array of strings;

comparing a first set of strings from the array of strings against a comparison reference database comprising a plurality of records wherein each record comprises at least one data field element; and

responsive to at least a portion of the first set of strings exceeding a threshold match with at least a portion of a record in the comparison reference database, associating the document file with the record.

2. The method claim 1 wherein the first set of strings is the array of strings.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises the step of:

applying a string array filter to the array of strings to obtain the first set of strings, wherein the first set of strings is a subset of the array of strings.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the string array filter comprises a set of filtering operations.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the string array filter filters the array of strings according to at least one specified characteristic to create the first set of strings.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one specified characteristic is selected from the group comprising:

string position within the array, string value, value of a portion of the string, string format, a property of one or more characters within the string, string length, and a set of any of the foregoing.

7. The method claim 1 further comprises the steps of:

applying a database filter to a reference database to obtain the comparison reference database.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the comparison reference database is the reference database.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the database filter comprises a set of filtering operations.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

associating additional data with the document file that is matched to a record wherein the additional data associated with the document file is identified by instructions associated with the matched record.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating the document file with the record further comprises:

entering the document file into an indexed file system.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

extracting the plurality of characters from the document file.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

responsive to the first set of strings matching a plurality of records in the comparison reference database, providing at least a portion of the plurality of records to a user for selection.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

providing match information with the at least a portion of the plurality of records.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

responsive to receiving matching information from a user related to the document file, store the matching information for use with a subsequent matching operation.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

receiving at least a portion of the reference database from a client.

17. A computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform at least the steps of claim 1.

18. A method for indexing a document file comprising:

receiving a document file, wherein the document file comprises a plurality of characters;

organizing the plurality of characters into an array of strings;

receiving at least a portion of a reference database from a client, wherein the reference database comprise a plurality of records wherein each record comprises at least one data field element;

comparing a first set of strings from the array of strings against a comparison reference database obtained from the reference database;

responsive to at least a portion of the first set of strings exceeding a threshold match with at least a portion of a record in the comparison reference database, generating a structure message that associates the document file with the record.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprises the steps of:

applying a database filter to a reference database to obtain the comparison reference database.

20. The method claim 19 further comprises the steps of:

applying a string array filter to the array of strings to obtain the first set of strings.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

extracting the plurality of characters from the document file.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

responsive to the first set of strings matching a plurality of records in the comparison reference database, providing at least a portion of the plurality of records to a user for selection.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of:

responsive to receiving matching information from a user related to the document file, store the matching information for use with a subsequent matching operation.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

communicating the structured message to the client.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

forming an observation based upon identifying a set of characters within the plurality of characters.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

associating a billing event based upon identifying a set of characters within the plurality of characters.

27. A computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform at least the steps of claim 18.

28. A system for indexing a document file comprising:

a communications services module coupled to receive a document file;

an extraction services module, communicatively coupled to the communications services module, that obtains from the document file a plurality of characters arranged into an array of strings;

indexing services module, communicatively coupled to the extraction services module, that compares a first set of strings from the array of strings against a comparison reference database comprising a plurality of records wherein each record comprises at least one data field element, and responsive to at least a portion of the first set of strings exceeding a threshold match with at least a portion of a record in the comparison reference database, associates the document file with the record.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the communications services module also receives the comparison reference database.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising:

an observation services module, communicatively coupled to the indexing services module, that takes an action based upon an observation made within a document file.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the indexing services module further comprises, responsive to the first set of strings matching a plurality of records in the comparison reference database, providing match information to a user for selection.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the document file is associated with the record by a structured file for indexing the document file and wherein the communications services module transmits the structured file to a user.