System and method for generating and communicating digital documents

• US 20080294976A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nipendo Limited (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: Nipendo Limited (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Eyal
• Application Number:
  US11/802,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294976A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1297 Printer code translation, conversion, emulation, compression; Configuration of printer parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A document may be sent to a virtual printer which may be a software module configured as a print driver to receive the printer file, retrieve further information from a data repository, and produce a file including both the document image and additional information. The software module may further transmit the document to a central hub, from which it may be further processed and/or transmitted to an intended recipient.

Claims

1. A method for generating a composite document comprising:

receiving a print file containing printer control data and document content data;

creating an image representation of said print file based on printer control data and document content data contained in said print file;

obtaining from a database system data pertaining to said print file; and

creating a composite document including said image representation, said document content data, and said system data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying said image representation, document content data, and said system data to a user for review; and

if said image representation, said document content data, and said system data are acceptable to said user, affixing a signature to said composite document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said database is associated with a back-office application selected from the group consisting of a client relations management system, an enterprise resource planning system, and a Web service interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said composite document is selected from the group consisting of an invoice, a purchase order, and a shipping note.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said system data is obtained based on rules selected based on said document content data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting said composite document to a destination.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising recording said transmission.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving from said destination confirmation of said transmission.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising recording said receipt of said confirmation.

10. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the program code including computer readable program code that when executed causes a computer to:

receive a print file containing printer control data and content data;

create an image representation of said print file based on printer control data and document content data contained in said print file;

obtain from a database system data pertaining to said print file; and

create a composite document including said image representation, said document content data, and said system data.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code when executed causes a computer to further:

display said image representation, said document content data, and said system data to a user for review; and

if said image representation, said document content data, and said system data are acceptable to said user, affix a signature to said composite document.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein said database is associated with a back-office application selected from the group consisting of a client relations management system, an enterprise resource planning system, and a Web service interface.

13. The article of claim 10, wherein said composite document is selected from the group consisting of an invoice, a purchase order, and a shipping note.

14. The article of claim 10, wherein said system data is obtained based on rules selected based on said document content data.

15. The article of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code when executed causes a computer to further transmit said composite document to a destination.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording said transmission.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving from said destination confirmation of said transmission.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising recording said receipt of said confirmation.

19. A method for processing a composite document comprising:

receiving a composite document containing data and an image representation of at least part of said data;

displaying said image representation to a user;

receiving from said user confirmation of said image representation; and

recording in a database information extracted from said data in said composite document.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting a receipt acknowledgment to a sender of said composite document.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising recording information pertaining to said transmission of said receipt acknowledgment of said composite document.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting said user confirmation to said sender of said composite document.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising recording information pertaining to said transmission of said user confirmation of said composite document.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said database is associated with a back-office application selected from the group consisting of a client relations management system, a Web service interface, and an enterprise resource planning system.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein said composite document is selected from the group consisting of an invoice, a purchase order, and a shipping note.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein said extracted information is obtained based on rules selected based on said composite document.

27. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the program code including computer readable program code that when executed causes a computer to:

receive a composite document containing data and an image representation of at least part of said data;

display said image representation to a user;

receive from said user confirmation of said image representation; and

record in a database information extracted from said data in said composite document.

28. The article of claim 27, wherein said computer readable program code when executed further causes said computer to transmit a receipt acknowledgment to a sender of said composite document.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein said computer readable program code when executed further causes said computer to record information pertaining to said transmission of said receipt acknowledgment of said composite document.

30. The article of claim 28, wherein said computer readable program code when executed further causes said computer to transmit said user confirmation to said sender of said composite document.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein said computer readable program code when executed further causes said computer to record information pertaining to said transmission of said user confirmation of said composite document.

32. The article of claim 27, wherein said database is associated with a back-office application selected from the group consisting of a client relations management system, a Web service interface, and an enterprise resource planning system.

33. The article of claim 27, wherein said composite document is selected from the group consisting of an invoice, a purchase order, and a shipping note.

34. The article of claim 27, wherein said extracted information is obtained based on rules selected based on said composite document.