Process for Electronic Document Redaction

• US 20080204788A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Objective Corporation Solutions NZ Limited
• Original Assignee: Onstream Systems Ltd. (Objective Corp. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kelly, David George, Foster, Brent Russell
• Granted Patent: US 8,456,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A redaction process (10) to enable a user to redact an electronic document on a computer. The redaction process (10) includes the steps of converting a copy of the original electronic document file (14) from its native format into the format of an electronic image file. The user may redact sections of the electronic image file, and save the redacted electronic image file in electronic file format.

Claims

1. A redaction process to enable a user to redact an electronic document on a computer, said process including converting a copy of the original electronic document file from its native format into the format of an electronic image file redacting sections of the electronic image file, and saving the redacted electronic image file in electronic file format.

2. The redaction process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the redaction process includes an application software component, a document conversion component, and the redaction software component.

3. The redaction process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the document conversion component includes a redact print driver, redact print monitor, and utilizes the computer operating systems print spooler.

4. The redaction process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the document conversion component is a software application that operating independently of the computer operating systems printing functionality.

5. The redaction process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the document conversion component includes the steps of scanning by electronic means an original document, saving said scanned document as an electronic image file, using optical character recognition software to recognise text contained in the image file, and a software application that embeds the document text and the text location data into the electronic image file.

6. The redaction process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the document conversion component converts the original electronic application file to an electronic image file including, but not restricted to TIFF format.

7. The redaction process as claimed in claim 6 wherein text within the electronic image file is redacted with electronic redaction markings.

8. The redaction process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the redaction markings are translucent or solid shade.

9. The redaction process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the redaction software is capable of altering pixel values within the electronic image file corresponding to locations of the redaction markings from their original value to that of the value of the redaction markings.

10. The redaction process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the redacted electronic image file may be saved in electronic file format including but not limited to PDF format.

11. The redaction process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the final redaction output file is an electronic image file including redaction markings that cannot be further edited by a user.

12. The redaction process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the redaction review output file is an electronic image file including redaction markings that can be further edited by a user.

13. A computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document including means to convert a copy of the original electronic document file from its native format into the format of an electronic image file, means by which to redact the electronic image file, and means to save the electronic image file in electronic file format.

14. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 13, wherein the computer includes an application software component, a document conversion component, and the redaction software component.

15. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 13, wherein the document conversion component includes a redact print driver, redact print monitor, and utilizes the computer operating systems print spooler.

16. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 13, wherein the document conversion component is a software application that operating independently of the computer operating systems printing functionality.

17. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 13, wherein the document conversion component includes the steps of scanning by electronic means an original document, saving said scanned document as an electronic image file, using optical character recognition software to recognise text contained in the image file, and a software application that embeds the document text and the text location data into the electronic image file.

18. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 14, wherein the document conversion component converts the original electronic application file to an electronic image file including, but not restricted to TIFF format.

19. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 18, wherein text within the electronic image file is redacted with electronic redaction markings.

20. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 18 wherein the redaction markings are translucent or solid shade.

21. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 18 wherein the redaction software is capable of altering pixel values within the electronic image file corresponding to locations of the redaction markings from their original value to that of the value of the redaction markings.

22. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 14, wherein the redacted electronic image file may be saved in electronic file format including but not limited to PDF format.

23. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 13, to wherein the final redaction output file is an electronic image file including redaction markings that cannot be further edited by a user.

24. The computer programmed to enable a user to redact an electronic document as claimed in claim 13, wherein the redaction review output file is an electronic image file including redaction markings that can be further edited by a user.

25-26. -26. (canceled)