Identification and Separation of Form and Feature Elements from Handwritten and Other User Supplied Elements

• US 20130177246A1
• Filed: 01/10/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DST Technologies, Inc. (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: DST Technologies, Inc. (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stokes, Kevin W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/153 using recognition of characters or words
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/155 Removing patterns interfering with the pattern to be recognised, such as ruled lines or underlines
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables

Abstract

A system and methods for progressive feature evaluation of an electronic document image to identify user supplied elements is disclosed. The system includes a controller in communication with a storage device configured to receive and accessibly store a generated plurality of candidate images. The controller is operable to analyze the electronic document image to identify a first feature set and a second feature set, wherein each of the first and second feature sets represent a different form feature, compare the first feature set to the second feature set, and define a third feature set based on the intersection of the first and second feature sets, wherein the third feature sets represents the user provided elements.

Claims

1. A system for progressive feature evaluation of an electronic document image to identify user supplied elements, the system comprising:

a controller in communication with a storage device configured to receive and accessibly store a generated plurality of candidate images, wherein the controller is operable to;

analyze the electronic document image to identify a first feature set and a second feature set, wherein each of the first and second feature sets represent a different form feature;

compare the first feature set to the second feature set;

define a third feature set based on the intersection of the first and second feature sets, wherein the third feature sets represents the user provided elements.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to:

associate the user provided elements with a form field defined by one or more of the first and second feature sets.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further operable to:

perform an optical character recognition process on the user provided elements.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further operable to:

store user data determined by the optical character recognition process in the form fields of a database.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first feature set is elected from the group consisting of:

characters, words, and text lines.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second feature set is elected from the group consisting of:

checkboxes, dark blocks, smudges and small characters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second feature set includes checkboxes comprising first and second vertical lines and first and second horizontal lines.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first feature set constitutes a first heat map layer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second feature set constitutes a second heat map layer.

10. A computer-implemented method for progressive feature evaluation of an electronic document image to identify user supplied elements, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic document image comprising a plurality of pixels arranged to define a plurality of features;

analyzing each of the plurality of pixels to define a first feature set based on one of the plurality of features;

analyzing each of the plurality of pixels to define a second feature set based on one of the plurality of features;

comparing the plurality of pixels associated with the first feature to the plurality of pixels associated with the second feature;

isolating a user provided element based on the intersection of the pixels associated with the first feature set and the pixels associated with the second feature set.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining a form field based on the comparison of the first and second features sets.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

associating the user provided element with a corresponding form field.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

converting the user provided element into one or more alphanumeric characters.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

saving groups of the alphanumeric characters in retrievable storage locations corresponding to the form field.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein analyzing each of the plurality of pixels to define the first feature set includes defining a boundary rectangle around each individual feature of the first feature set.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the individual feature is selected from the group consisting of:

characters, words, and text lines, checkboxes, dark blocks, smudges and small characters.

17. A computer-implemented method for progressive feature evaluation of an electronic document image to identify user supplied elements, the method comprising:

defining a plurality features within an electronic document image representing a form, wherein each of the features within the electronic document image is composed of a plurality of pixels;

performing a pixel-by-pixel analysis of the plurality of pixels based on a first form characteristic to define boundary rectangles around each of the plurality of features;

grouping the plurality of features into a first feature set based on the defined boundary rectangles;

performing a pixel-by-pixel analysis of the plurality of pixels based on a second form characteristic to define boundary rectangles around each of the plurality of features;

grouping the plurality of features into a second feature set based on the defined boundary rectangles;

comparing the first feature set to the second feature set to identify a third feature set within the electronic document image.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the third feature set represents at least one user provided element.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

identifying at least one form field within the plurality of pixels.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

associating the at least one user provided element with a corresponding at least one form field.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first form characteristic corresponds to characters.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the first form characteristic corresponds to words.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

identifying each of the four line components representing comprising a checkbox within the features of the electronic document image.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

identifying each of a dark space within the features of the electronic document image.

25. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

identifying a text line within the features of the electronic document image.