System and method for extraction of data from documents for subsequent processing
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method of electronically processing data from one or more documents to facilitate user interaction with the data, comprising:
- a) generating a plurality of first output signals representing electronic images of said documents, said output signals being generated by feeding a series of documents associated together as a transaction sequentially through an optical scanning device whereby transaction integrity is maintained;
b) generating an electric signal at the beginning and end of the transaction for separating the images of one transaction from those of another;
c) identifying at least one of the documents by reference to identification areas or identification words found on the documents, the identification occurring by reference to geographical location or pel pattern techniques;
d) extracting data fields from at least one of the documents by generating a plurality of second output signals representing said data fields;
e) storing said first and second output signals for subsequent processing; and
f) managing the processing of transactions to support adjudication processes and customer inquiries.
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Abstract
The present invention comprises an image based document processing and information management system and apparatus. It provides a more efficient method and apparatus for handling large volumes of form based business transactions using a digital image-based system for the capture, identification and processing of images, statistics and business data. The system converts documents, such as forms and supporting pages, into digital data which can be used to update computer records and to manage and support the adjudicative processing of business transactions by human operators at computer terminals.
590 Citations
92 Claims
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1. A method of electronically processing data from one or more documents to facilitate user interaction with the data, comprising:
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a) generating a plurality of first output signals representing electronic images of said documents, said output signals being generated by feeding a series of documents associated together as a transaction sequentially through an optical scanning device whereby transaction integrity is maintained; b) generating an electric signal at the beginning and end of the transaction for separating the images of one transaction from those of another; c) identifying at least one of the documents by reference to identification areas or identification words found on the documents, the identification occurring by reference to geographical location or pel pattern techniques; d) extracting data fields from at least one of the documents by generating a plurality of second output signals representing said data fields; e) storing said first and second output signals for subsequent processing; and f) managing the processing of transactions to support adjudication processes and customer inquiries.
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2. A method of electronically processing data to facilitate user interaction with the data, comprising:
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(a) feeding documents through an optical scanning device; (b) recording electronic images of documents; (c) identifying document formats and transaction boundaries using identification areas or identification words; (d) extracting data fields from identified document images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (e) recording electronic data; and (f) transmitting recorded images and data to digital storage for subsequent processing. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of electronically processing data from documents to electronic images to facilitate user interaction with the data, comprising:
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(a) feeding documents through an optical scanning device, said documents proceeding through said optical scanning device in either a properly justified or inverted orientation, said documents being of varying size and different formats; (b) printing item sequence numbers upon said documents as said documents pass through said optical scanning device; (c) recording electronic images of documents; (d) identifying document formats using identification areas or identification words, the identification of document formats occurring by reference to geographic location; (e) extracting data fields from identified document images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (f) correcting for document skew resulting from document misalignment during scanning, (g) recording electronic data; and (h) transmitting recorded images and data to digital storage for subsequent processing. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical disc-based transaction processing system for performing business transactions by user interaction with electronically stored data comprising:
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(a) a local area network for managing interaction of separate components of said transaction processing system; (b) an image acquisition subsystem operatively connected to said local area network, said image acquisition subsystem providing digital image data input to said local area network, said image acquisition subsystem coordinating the capture and transfer of electronic images; (c) a capture management subsystem operatively connected to said local area network, said capture management subsystem functioning to carve data fields from digital document images; (d) an application subsystem operatively connected to said local area network, said security and control subsystem operating to direct transaction processing events in sequence; (e) application support workstation for user interaction with said local area network; and (f) a storage management subsystem for storing electronic digital data, said stored data being available for user interaction.
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18. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data used electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning intermixed documents of various size and different formats; (b) means to separate checks from other pages; (c) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words, said means for identification of document formats occurring by automatic recognition techniques; (d) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction to record electronic data; (e) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (f) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; (g) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; and (h) means for indexing and cross-referencing stored data and electronic images. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A combination for optically capturing, storing and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning intermixed documents of various size and different formats to maintain transaction integrity in the processing of business transactions; (b) means to separate checks from other pages; (c) means for printing item sequence numbers upon said documents at or near the time when said documents pass through said optical scanning device; (d) recording electronic images of documents; (e) identifying document formats using identification areas or identification words, the identification of document formats occurring by automatic recognition techniques; (f) extracting data fields from identified document images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (g) correcting for document skew resulting from document misalignment during scanning; (h) recording electronic data; and (i) transmitting recorded images and data to digital storage for subsequent processing. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method of converting graphics to character data, comprising the steps of:
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producing a graphics image of a document; identifying the graphics image by comparing portions of the image against a series of identifiers for a match; extracting at least one graphical data area from a selected portion of the graphics image a vector distance from the matched portion; converting the graphical data area to a character string by processing individual graphical portions of the data area and converting each portion to a character positioned in the string at a location associated with the location of the graphical portion from which it is derived; displaying the graphical data area along with the character string; and displaying an unconverted portion of the graphical data area as a universal character intermixed in the character string and located within the character string at a position associated with its location in the graphical data area. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A combination, comprising:
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means for sequentially scanning a series of documents associated together as a transaction and producing a sequential series of graphical images of the documents, said means for scanning and producing for supplying a graphical image of each document; means for generating a signal to identify the end of the transaction; and means for producing a unique data key responsive to the reception of the signal for locating each sequential series of graphical images representing a transaction. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of improving the efficiency of entry of data from pages included in a plurality of transactions into a data processing system, the paper having intermixed document types, the method wherein a transaction comprises one or more pages reducing the amount of labor involved with handing of the documents, the method comprising steps of:
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acquiring on a transaction by transaction basis an electronic image of a page in each transaction without pre-sorting pages according to page type; and automatically comparing with a computer each electronic image to predefined document types for identifying the page type for facilitating subsequent data extraction form the image of the page. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of data extraction from images of pages having multiple numbers of different types of data fields comprising the steps of:
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identifying an electronic image of a page as having a known format; electronically carving form the electronic image a portion thereof based on the identified known format of the page, the image portion being a graphical representation of a data field on the document from which data is to be extracted; and distributing electronically the carved image portion to means for extracting data from the graphical representation of the data field. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of automated entry of data relating to a transaction into a data processing system from pages having intermixed page types while maintaining transaction integrity and reducing the amount of labor involved with handing of the documents, the method comprising the steps of:
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capturing electronic images of pages having intermixed page types on a transaction by transaction basis; identifying automatically with a computer a page type of at least one of the electronic images of the pages; carving a portion of the identified electronic image containing a graphical data field based on a known format of the page type; and distributing carved image portion to means for reading data from the graphical data field. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A method of manually correcting unreadable characters from an automated character recognition device comprising the steps of:
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concurrently displaying a plurality of image portions from at least one electronic page image, each portion having at least one graphical character that cannot be read by the automated character recognition process and that is presented in a predetermined relationship to the other portions, the display and relationship of the plurality of image portions tending to make more efficient the rate of correction of unreadable characters with a manual key entry means; and providing operator entry means associated with the electronic display for entering characters that are not readable. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. An image capture and data extraction system comprising:
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an image acquisition system for electronically capturing page images of intermixed types on a transaction by transaction basis while maintaining transaction integrity; data processing system for identifying a page image as having a known format, carving from an identified page image a portion of the image containing a data field based on its identified format, extracting character data from the carved image of the data field, and assembling extracted data into a data record for the transaction for storage. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) mean for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for optically scanning documents includes means to separate checks from other pages.
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82. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; and (g) means for indexing and cross-referencing stored data and electronic images.
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83. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for recording electronic images of documents includes means for identifying document formats by pel pattern techniques. - View Dependent Claims (84)
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85. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for optically scanning documents further includes means for printing item sequence members upon said documents as said documents pass through said optical scanning means to permit a contiguous document filling and retrieval system.
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86. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a hostcomputer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for optically scanning documents includes means for correcting document skew resulting from document misalignment during scanning.
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87. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for extracting data fields further includes means for producing whether machine printed or pen printed data resides in said data field.
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88. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for extracting data fields further includes means for circulating or re-routing data in a logical error reduction sequence to reduce keying errors.
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89. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; and (g) means for recording statistical summaries of data key operator errors for evaluation of operator performance.
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90. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for optically scanning documents includes a wand and a related switch mechanism associated with the document feeder to permit the definition of a transaction boundary.
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91. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for optically scanning documents further includes means for separating checks from other documents.
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92. A system for optically capturing, storing, and retrieving data using electronic images, which system comprises:
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(a) means for optically scanning documents; (b) means for recording electronic images of documents to facilitate document identification using identification areas or identification words; (c) means for extracting data fields from said electronic images using automatic character recognition techniques and key correction; (d) means to record electronic data extracted from said data fields; (e) means for transmitting said recorded electronic data to a host computer; and (f) means for selectively retrieving data as necessary in performing business transactions; wherein the means for optically scanning documents further includes means for maintaining transaction integrity in the processing of said business transactions.
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Specification