Production environment CRM information gathering system for VI applications

• US 20080301549A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Czudak, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/274
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method for gathering CRM information in a variable imaging application utilize keywords which are associated with each image of a number of digital images. A variable imaging job stream is generated containing one or more of the digital images. Keyword metadata may also be inserted into the variable imaging job stream, and the variable imaging job stream is received by a VI production system. The variable imaging job stream is processed by the VI production system, thereby identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained images, and also extracting the inserted keyword metadata. A CRM output is generated containing the identified keywords and the extracted keyword metadata.

Claims

1. A method for gathering CRM information in a variable imaging application, the method comprising:

associating keywords with each image of a plurality of digital images;

generating a VI job stream containing one or more of the plurality of digital images;

receiving the VI job stream by a VI production system; and

processing the VI job stream by the VI production system, the processing including;

for each digital image contained in the VI job stream, identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image; and

generating a CRM output containing the identified keywords.

2. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the associated keywords in an image header portion of the image, wherein the image header portion of the image includes image metadata, wherein the step of identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image includes extracting the stored keyword from the image header portion.

3. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the associated keywords as metadata in the VI job stream, wherein the step of identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image includes extracting the keyword metadata from the VI job stream.

4. The method set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the associated keywords in a database; and

linking each of the plurality of digital images to the stored associated keywords, wherein the step of identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image includes extracting the stored associated keywords linked to the contained image.

5. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the VI job stream includes variable information for a plurality of entities, the variable information for each of the plurality of entities segregated by entity metadata, the step of generating a CRM output further including:

generating a CRM output for each of the plurality of entities containing the identified keywords for the entity.

6. The method set forth in claim 1, the step of processing the VI job stream further including:

performing a raster image processing of the VI job stream to produce electronic output document images;

reviewing the electronic output document images for accuracy; and

performing finishing operations for the output document images.

7. The method set forth in claim 1, the step of processing the VI job stream further including:

sending the generated CRM output to at least one recipient.

8. A method for gathering CRM information in a variable imaging application, the method comprising:

associating keywords with each image of a plurality of digital images;

generating a VI job stream, including;

inserting one or more of the plurality of digital images into the VI job stream; and

inserting keyword metadata into the VI job stream;

receiving the VI job stream by a VI production system; and

processing the VI job stream by the VI production system, the processing including;

for each digital image inserted into the VI job stream, identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image;

extracting the inserted keyword metadata; and

generating a CRM output containing the identified keywords and the extracted keyword metadata.

9. The method set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

storing the associated keywords in an image header portion of the image, wherein the image header portion of the image includes image metadata, wherein the step of identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image includes extracting the stored keyword from the image header portion.

10. The method set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

storing the associated keywords as image metadata in the VI job stream, wherein the step of identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image includes extracting the image metadata from the VI job stream.

11. The method set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

storing the associated keywords in a database; and

linking each of the plurality of digital images to the stored associated keywords, wherein the step of identifying the keywords previously associated with the contained image includes extracting the stored associated keywords linked to the contained image.

12. The method set forth in claim 8, wherein the VI job stream includes variable information for a plurality of entities, the variable information for each of the plurality of entities segregated by entity metadata, the step of generating a CRM output further including:

generating a CRM output for each of the plurality of entities containing the identified keywords for the entity and the extracted keyword metadata.

13. The method set forth in claim 8, the step of processing the VI job stream further including:

performing a raster image processing of the VI job stream to produce electronic output document images;

reviewing the electronic output document images for accuracy; and

performing finishing operations for the output document images.

14. In a VI production system receiving a VI job stream, a VI interpreter system comprising:

a CRM processor configured to perform CRM information gathering, the CRM information gathering including;

for each digital image contained in the VI job stream, identifying keywords previously associated with the contained image; and

generating a CRM output containing the identified keywords;

a raster image processor configured to produce electronic output document images based on a variable imaging job included in the received VI job stream;

a user interface for receiving instructions from an operator of the VI interpreter and for displaying messages and images to the operator; and

a finishing system configured to produce a final product based on the electronic output document images.

15. The VI interpreter system set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

extracting keyword metadata inserted into the VI job stream; and

wherein the step of generating a CRM output includes generating a CRM output containing the identified keywords and the extracted keyword metadata.

16. The VI interpreter system set forth in claim 15, wherein the VI job stream includes variable information for a plurality of entities, the variable information for each of the plurality of entities segregated by entity metadata, the step of generating a CRM output further including:

generating a CRM output for each of the plurality of entities containing the identified keywords for the entity and the extracted keyword metadata.

17. The VI interpreter system set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of identifying keywords previously associated with the contained image further includes:

extracting the associated keywords from keywords previously stored in an image header portion.

18. The VI interpreter system set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of identifying keywords previously associated with the contained image further includes:

extracting image metadata from the VI job stream, wherein the associated keywords were previously stored as image metadata in the VI job stream.

19. The VI interpreter system set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of identifying keywords previously associated with the contained image further includes:

extracting previously associated keywords linked to the contained image from a keyword database.

20. The VI interpreter system set forth in claim 14, wherein the VI job stream includes variable information for a plurality of entities, the variable information for each of the plurality of entities segregated by entity metadata, the step of generating a CRM output further including:

generating a CRM output for each of the plurality of entities containing the identified keywords for the entity.