DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM HAVING BOOKMARKING FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20070283288A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TractManager, Inc. (VCS Holdco LLC)
• Original Assignee: TractManager, Inc. (VCS Holdco LLC)
• Inventors: Rizk, Thomas, Jeffery, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/842,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283288A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for storing, organizing and providing remote electronic access to documents. A cover sheet including a standard set of identification data characterizing each document is developed and stored. A digital version of each document is created and stored by scanning each contract. Each digital version includes a scanned image and a searchable text file, wherein the text is overlaid with the image. An index of bookmarks identifying sections of the digital version of each document is generated. Selected fields of information are captured from the digital version of the document. The documents are organized and cross-referenced in a database that includes the captured information and additional information related to each document. Designated parties are alerted of critical dates associated with each document. Remote electronic access to the documents is provided over the internet.

Claims

1-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A system for automatically generating one or more bookmarks linked with elements of interest in a digitally-stored document that is scanned from a physical document, the system comprising:

a receiving component for receiving a plurality of digitally-encoded images generated by optically scanning a physical document;

an optical character recognition component to analyze the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document and generate searchable text corresponding to the document;

a bookmarking component to programmatically analyze the searchable text to identify one or more elements of interest in the document, create one or more bookmarks each linked to one of the identified one or more elements of interest in the document, and store the one or more bookmarks in association with the document; and

a presentation component for displaying to a user one or more of the stored bookmarks in conjunction with the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document, wherein the user is directed to an element of interest in the document when the user selects the bookmark linked with the element of interest.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the document is a contractual document.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the document includes a coversheet.

58. The system of claim 55, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on predetermined text in the searchable text.

59. The system of claim 55, wherein the one or more elements of interest comprise definitions contained in the document.

60. The system of claim 55, wherein the optical character recognition component further analyzes the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to identify typeface information associated with the text in the document, and wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on the typeface information.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font size.

62. The system of claim 60, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font style.

63. The system of claim 60, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font type.

64. The system of claim 55, wherein the optical character recognition component further analyzes the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to identify formatting conventions in the contractual document, and wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on the formatting conventions.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on paragraph breaks.

66. The system of claim 64, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on section breaks.

67. The system of claim 55, further comprising an editing component that allows the user to delete a bookmark.

68. The system of claim 55, further comprising an editing component that allows the user to modify a bookmark.

69. A method in a computing system of automatically generating one or more bookmarks linked with elements of interest in a digitally-stored document that is scanned from a physical document, the method comprising:

optically scanning a physical document to generate a plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document;

performing optical character recognition on the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to generate searchable text corresponding to the document;

programmatically analyzing the searchable text to identify one or more elements of interest in the document;

creating and storing one or more bookmarks each linked to one of the identified one or more elements of interest in the document; and

displaying one or more of the stored bookmarks in conjunction with the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to a user, wherein the user is directed to an element of interest in the document when the user selects the bookmark linked with the element of interest.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the document is a contractual document.

71. The method of claim 69, wherein the document includes a coversheet.

72. The method of claim 69, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on predetermined text in the searchable text.

73. The method of claim 69, wherein the one or more elements of interest comprise definitions contained in the document.

74. The method of claim 69, further comprising analyzing the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to identify typeface information associated with the text in the document, and wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on the typeface information.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font size.

76. The method of claim 74, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font style.

77. The method of claim 74, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font type.

78. The method of claim 69, further comprising analyzing the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to identify formatting conventions in the contractual document, and wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on the formatting conventions.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on paragraph breaks.

80. The method of claim 78, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on section breaks.

81. The method of claim 69, further comprising allowing the user to delete a bookmark.

82. The method of claim 69, further comprising allowing the user to modify a bookmark.

83. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for execution on a computer that automatically generate one or more bookmarks linked with elements of interest in a digitally-stored document that is scanned from a physical document by:

receiving a plurality of digitally-encoded images generated by optically scanning a physical document;

performing optical character recognition on the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to generate searchable text corresponding to the document;

programmatically analyzing the searchable text to identify one or more elements of interest in the document;

creating and storing one or more bookmarks each linked to one of the identified one or more elements of interest in the document; and

causing one or more of the stored bookmarks to be displayed in conjunction with the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to a user, wherein the user is directed to an element of interest in the document when the user selects the bookmark linked with the element of interest.

84. The computer-readable medium of claim 83, wherein the document is a contractual document.

85. The computer-readable medium of claim 83. wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on predetermined text in the searchable text.

86. The computer-readable medium of claim 83, wherein the one or more elements of interest comprise definitions contained in the document.

87. The computer-readable medium of claim 83, further comprising analyzing the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to identify typeface information associated with the text in the document, and wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on the typeface information.

88. The computer-readable medium of claim 87, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font size.

89. The computer-readable medium of claim 87, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font style.

90. The computer-readable medium of claim 87, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified by a change in font type.

91. The computer-readable medium of claim 83, further comprising analyzing the plurality of digitally-encoded images of the document to identify formatting conventions in the contractual document, and wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on the formatting conventions.

92. The computer-readable medium of claim 91, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on paragraph breaks.

93. The computer-readable medium of claim 91, wherein the one or more elements of interest are identified based on section breaks.