Data merge document processing method

• US 4,855,580 A
• Filed: 11/20/1987
• Issued: 08/08/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bantec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Recognition Equipment Incorporated
• Inventors: Van Maanen, Paul F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAFTON, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/123,381
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 235/436, 235/440, 235/462, 235/463, 235/487, 235/454, 382/7, 382/12
• US Class Current: 235/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/016 Synchronisation of sensing process

Abstract

A method for merging data from at least two data capture devices (12, 14) includes capturing data from a plurality of documents at a first data capture device (12). The captured data is stored in a first plurality of records. Within each of the plurality of records, the time the data was captured for the corresponding one of the plurality of documents is also stored. A calculation is made to determine the time elapsing between successive data captures using the time stored in the first plurality of records and an inter-document time is generated. Data is further captured from the plurality of documents at a second data capture device (14). The data captured from the second data capture device (14) is stored in a second plurality of records. Within the second plurality of records, the time the data was captured for the corresponding one of the plurality of documents is also stored. A calculation is made to determine the elapsed time occurring between successive data captures using the time stored in the second plurality of records. An inter-document time for the documents captured at the second data capture device is generated. The inter-document times for successive documents of the first plurality of records are compared with the inter-document times for the successive documents of the second plurality of records and a time variance signal is generated. The data stored in the first plurality of records is merged with the data stored in the second plurality of records if the time variance signal is within a predetermined range.

Claims

1. A method for merging data from at least two data capture devices including the steps of:

capturing data from a plurality of documents at a first data capture device;

storing the data captured by the first data capture device in a first plurality of records, each one of the first plurality of records corresponding to one of the plurality of documents;

storing in the first plurality of records the time the data was captured for the corresponding one of the plurality of documents;

calculating the time elapsing between successive data captures using the time stored in the first plurality of records and generating an inter-document time for documents captured at the first data capture device;

capturing data from the plurality of documents at a second data capture device;

storing the data captured by the second data capture device in a second plurality of records, each of the second plurality of records corresponding to one of the plurality of documents;

storing in the second plurality of records the time the data was captured for the corresponding one of the plurality of documents;

calculating the time elapsed between successive data captures using the time stored in the second plurality of records and generating an inter-document time for documents captured at the second data capture device;

comparing the inter-document time for successive documents of the first plurality of records with the interdocument time for successive documents of the second plurality of records and generating a time variance signal; and

merging the data stored in the first plurality of records with the data stored in the second plurality of records when the time variance signal is within a predetermined range.