EXTRACTING DATA FROM SEMI-STRUCTURED ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

• US 20140348396A1
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Laaser, William T., Cook, Scott D., Molotsi, Hugh N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that processes data. During operation, the system obtains a first electronic document associated with a user. Next, the system obtains one or more locations of data elements in the first electronic document from the user and uses the one or more locations to extract a first set of data from the first electronic document. Finally, the system enables, for the user, use of the first set of data with an application without requiring manual input of the first set of data into the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing data, comprising:

obtaining a first electronic document associated with a user;

obtaining one or more locations of data elements in the first electronic document from the user;

using the one or more locations to extract a first set of data from the first electronic document; and

enabling, for the user, use of the first set of data with an application without requiring manual input of the first set of data into the application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the one or more locations in a template associated with the first electronic document;

using the template to extract a second set of data from a second electronic document; and

enabling use of the second set of data with the application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a selection of the template for use with the second electronic document prior to extracting the second set of data from the second electronic document.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein obtaining the selection of the template for use with the second electronic document involves at least one of:

providing a set of possible templates;

enabling the selection of the template from the set of possible templates; and

enabling filtering of the set of possible templates.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the set of templates is filtered based on at least one of:

a type of the second electronic document;

a data element in the second electronic document;

one or more keywords;

a graphical element in the second electronic document; and

a source of the second electronic document.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

matching the template to the second electronic document prior to extracting the second set of data from the second electronic document.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein matching the template to the second electronic document involves at least one of:

selecting the template from a set of possible templates for the second electronic document; and

reducing the set of possible templates based on a layout of the second electronic document.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the second electronic document is associated with at least one of:

the user; and

one or more other users of the application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the one or more locations of data elements in the first electronic document from the user involves at least one of:

obtaining a region comprising a location in the first electronic document;

obtaining a subset of a table in the first electronic document as the location;

obtaining a selection of one or more characters in the first electronic document as the location; and

including adjacent characters to the one or more characters in the location.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each location from the one or more locations is associated with at least one of:

a data type; and

a data element.

11. A system for processing data, comprising:

a template-creation apparatus configured to;

obtain a first electronic document associated with a user; and

obtain one or more locations of data elements in the first electronic document from the user;

an extraction apparatus configured to use the one or more locations to extract a first set of data from the first electronic document; and

a management apparatus configured to enable, for the user, use of the first set of data with an application without requiring manual input of the first set of data into the application.

12. The system of claim 11,

wherein the template-creation apparatus is further configured to save the one or more locations in a template associated with the first electronic document,

wherein the extraction apparatus is further configured to use the template to extract a second set of data from a second electronic document, and

wherein the management apparatus is further configured to enable use of the second set of data with the application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the extraction apparatus is further configured to:

obtain a selection of the template for use with the second electronic document prior to extracting the second set of data from the second electronic document.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the extraction apparatus is further configured to:

match the template to the second electronic document prior to extracting the second set of data from the second electronic document.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the second electronic document is associated with at least one of:

the user; and

one or more other users of the application.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein obtaining the one or more locations of data in the first electronic document from the user involves at least one of:

obtaining a region comprising a location in the first electronic document;

obtaining a subset of a table in the first electronic document as the location;

obtaining a selection of one or more characters in the first electronic document as the location; and

including adjacent characters to the one or more characters in the location.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein each location from the one or more locations is associated with at least one of:

a data type; and

a data element.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising:

obtaining a first electronic document associated with a user;

obtaining one or more locations of data elements in the first electronic document from the user;

using the one or more locations to extract a first set of data from the first electronic document; and

enabling, for the user, use of the first set of data with an application without requiring manual input of the first set of data into the application.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

saving the one or more locations in a template associated with the first electronic document;

using the template to extract a second set of data from a second electronic document; and

enabling use of the second set of data with the application.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the method further comprising:

obtaining a selection of the template for use with the second electronic document prior to extracting the second set of data from the second electronic document.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein obtaining the selection of the template for use with the second electronic document involves at least one of:

providing a set of possible templates to the user;

enabling selection of the template from the set of possible templates; and

enabling filtering of the set of possible templates by the user.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the method further comprising:

matching the template to the second electronic document prior to extracting the second set of data from the second electronic document.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein matching the template to the second electronic document involves at least one of:

selecting the template from a set of possible templates for the second electronic document; and

reducing the set of possible templates based on a layout of the second electronic document.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein obtaining the one or more locations of data in the first electronic document from the user involves at least one of:

obtaining a region comprising a location in the first electronic document;

obtaining a subset of a table in the first electronic document as the location;

obtaining a selection of one or more characters in the first electronic document as the location; and

including adjacent characters to the one or more characters in the location.