SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ROUTING A FACSIMILE CONFIRMATION BASED ON CONTENT

• US 20080273221A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tungsten Automation Corp.
• Original Assignee: Kofax Incorporated
• Inventors: Couchman, Roy, Borrey, Roland G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2247 Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00122 of text or character information only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32 Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device H04N1/38, H04N1/387 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32438 Informing the addressee of reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3218 of a confirmation, acknowledgement or receipt

Abstract

A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing text of a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the analysis. A method for routing one or more confirmations according to another embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing a pattern of light and dark areas of a facsimile; correlating the pattern to one or more forms; and routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the correlation Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Claims

1. A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof, comprising:

analyzing text of a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text, and

routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the analysis.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes determining one or more keywords in the text.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein more than one keyword is determined by the analysis and said keywords are not adjacent in the facsimile text.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the one or more keywords comprise one or more letters or symbols.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the facsimile text does not contain confirmation destination information.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the confirmation destination information not contained in the facsimile text includes one or more of names of intended facsimile recipients and destination data.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes comparing one or more keywords in the text to other elements in the text.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the elements include words, symbols, keywords, and graphic elements.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes matching one or more keywords in the text to data stored in memory.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes determining the position of one or more keywords in the text.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes classifying the text as a specific document type.

12. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the analysis includes classifying at least one of the keywords in the text as a specific word type.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the text is produced by converting the facsimile to a computer-readable format.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the text is produced by converting a source to text in a human language other than a language of the source.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the confirmation is selected from a group consisting of:

an email message, an audible message, a fax, a text message, and a multimedia message.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the confirmation includes a request for additional information.

17. A method for routing one or more confirmations, comprising:

analyzing a pattern of light and dark areas of a facsimile;

correlating the pattern to one or more forms; and

routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the correlation.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the form relates to one or more of a certain document type.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the analyzing determines one or more document features of the pattern.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the correlating includes comparing at least one of the document features to features of the form.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the correlating includes determining the position of one or more of the document features within the pattern.

22. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the correlating includes comparing at least one of the document features to other features of the pattern.

23. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the confirmation is selected from a group consisting of:

an email message, an audible message, a fax, a text message, and a multimedia message.

24. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the confirmation includes a request for additional information.

25. A method for routing a confirmation, comprising:

converting a facsimile to a computer-readable document;

identifying one or more keywords in the document;

analyzing the document by determining at least one of a;

relation of one or more words in the document to the one or more keywords,

relation of one or more symbols in the document to the one or more keywords,

relation of one or more keywords in the document to the one or more other keywords,

relation of graphic elements to the one or more keywords,

position of the one or more keywords in the document,

a classification of the text of the document as a specific document type,

a classification of one or more keywords in the document as a specific word type, and

text of the one or more keywords;

determining a confirmation destination based on the analysis; and

routing the confirmation to the facsimile destination based on the determination.

26. A method for routing a confirmation, comprising;

obtaining a pattern of light and dark areas of a facsimile;

determining one or more document features from the pattern;

determining a confirmation destination based on at least one of the following;

comparing the one or more document features to features of one or more forms, said forms relating to one or more of a certain document type;

determining the position of one or more of the document features within the pattern; and

comparing at least one of the document features to other features of the pattern; and

routing the facsimile to the confirmation destination based on the determination of the destination.

27. The method in claim 26, wherein multiple confirmation destinations are determined;

wherein the facsimile is routed to the multiple confirmation destinations.

28. The method in claim 26, wherein the computer-readable document is routed to the confirmation destination based on the determination.

29. The method in claim 28, wherein multiple confirmation destinations are determined;

wherein the facsimile Is routed to the multiple confirmation destinations.

30. A system for routing a confirmation, comprising:

logic for converting a facsimile to a computer-readable document;

logic for identifying one or more keywords in the document;

logic for analyzing the document by determining at least one of a

relation of one or more words in the document to the one or more keywords,

relation of one or more symbols in the document to the one or more keywords,

relation of one or more keywords in the document to the one or more other keywords,

relation of graphic elements to the one or more keywords,

position of the one or more keywords in the document,

classification of the text of the document as a specific document type,

classification of one or more keywords in the document as a specific word type, and

text of the one or more keywords;

logic for determining a confirmation destination based on the analysis; and

logic for routing the facsimile to the confirmation destination based on the determination.

31. A system for routing a confirmation, comprising:

logic for obtaining a pattern of light and dark areas of a facsimile;

logic for determining one or more document features from the pattern;

logic for determining a confirmation destination based on at least one of the following;

logic for comparing the one or more document features to features of one or more forms, said forms relating to one or more of a certain document type;

logic for determining the position of one or more of the document features within the pattern; and

logic for comparing at least one of the document features to other features of the pattern; and

logic for routing the facsimile to the confirmation destination based on the determination of the confirmation destination.

32. The method in claim 31, wherein multiple confirmation destinations are determined;

wherein the facsimile is routed to the multiple confirmation destinations.

33. The method in claim 31, wherein the computer-readable document is routed to the confirmation destination based on the determination.

34. The method in claim 33, wherein multiple confirmation destinations are determined;

wherein the facsimile is routed to the multiple confirmation destinations.

35. A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof comprising:

analyzing a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the facsimile;

attempting to initiate a business process based on the analysis; and

routing one or more confirmations relating to the business process to one or more destinations based on the analysis.

36. The method in claim 35, wherein one of the confirmations is sent upon completion of the business process.

37. The method in claim 35, wherein one of the confirmations is sent upon encountering a problem with the business process.