OPERATOR INTERACTIVE DOCUMENT IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20090147317A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Burroughs Incorporated (Terreno Realty Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Burroughs Incorporated (Terreno Realty Corp.)
• Inventors: Huston, Sammy C., Bakker, Johan P., Kiplinger, Michael John, Spray, George T., Tratar, David Brian, Spall, Michael James
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm

Abstract

Methods and systems for operator intervention in a document processing system are disclosed. One possible method includes capturing images of documents within a document processing system. The method further includes executing computerized analysis of the images to establish an acceptability determination regarding the images. The method further includes manually reviewing the computer analysis of the images to confirm or override the acceptability determination.

Claims

1. A method of processing documents comprising:

capturing images of documents within a document processing system;

executing computerized analysis of the images to establish an acceptability determination regarding the images; and

manually reviewing the computer analysis of the images to confirm or override the acceptability determination.

2. The method of processing documents of claim 1, wherein executing computerized analysis includes classifying the images based on the computer image quality analysis.

3. The method of processing documents of claim 1, wherein executing computerized analysis includes classifying the images into two or more categories.

4. The method of processing documents of claim 2, wherein executing computerized analysis includes classifying image quality using a Boolean operator.

5. The method of processing documents of claim 2, wherein the computer classification is chosen to be acceptable if the image meets predetermined quality standards and unacceptable if it fails to meet the predetermined quality standards.

6. The method of processing documents of claim 1, wherein manually reviewing includes reviewing only the images confirmed to be unacceptable by manual review.

7. The method of processing documents of claim 1, further comprising mechanically extracting physical documents from a document processing system, the physical documents corresponding with the images confirmed as unacceptable by manual review.

8. A document processing system comprising:

a control system;

a document imaging device, controlled by the control system, the document imaging device configured to create digital images of documents;

an image analyzing device, controlled by the control system, the image analyzing device configured to analyze the digital images created by the document imaging device;

a document receiving apparatus, controlled by the control system, the document receiving apparatus configured to receive the imaged documents in a plurality of pockets; and

an operator override device configured to allow manual input into the control system to override the analysis of the image analyzing device.

9. The document processing system of claim 8, further comprising an image display device controlled by the control system and configured to display images of documents.

10. The document processing system of claim 8, further comprising at least one status annunciator device, controlled by the control system, wherein the status annunciator device indicates system status.

11. The document processing system of claim 8, wherein the status annunciator device is used to indicate whether or not a particular document receiving apparatus contains any documents with associated images of an unacceptable quality.

12. The document processing system of claim 8, wherein the image analyzing device determines, based on defined image quality standards, whether a particular image is acceptable or unacceptable.

13. The document processing system of claim 8, wherein the operator override device comprises a keyboard.

14. The document processing system of claim 8, wherein the operator override device comprises at least one button.

15. The document processing system of claim 8, wherein the operator override device allows operator selection of a document'"'"'s image quality.

16. The document processing system of claim 8, wherein the operator override device operates using a computer system communicatively connected to the control system.

17. The document processing system of claim 8, wherein the control system includes a computer system.

18. A document processing system for creating images of documents conforming to defined image quality standards and using system operator intervention and override to decrease processing time, wherein the system comprises:

means for controlling the various components of the system;

means for imaging documents;

means for automatically analyzing images to decide, based on defined image quality standards, whether an image is acceptable or unacceptable;

means for temporarily storing imaged documents;

means for allowing a system operator to override automatic image quality analysis decisions.

19. The document processing system of claim 18, further comprising means for displaying images to the system operator.

20. The document processing system of claim 18, further comprising means for indicating system status to the system operator.