Data capture and verification system

• US 6,434,547 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: QENM.com
• Original Assignee: QENM.com
• Inventors: Mishelevich, David J., Lanpher, Ted W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US09/429,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 707/507, 707/3, 704/235, 704/270, 704/278
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and system for capturing data and verifying the data accuracy, includes a structured document having defined regions dealing with different categories. Dictionaries specific to the categories are included to check the accuracy. of words and phrases in the various regions. Points are allocated to the entered data to facilitate subsequent decision making, and a facility is provided to maximize the accumulation of points by visually indicating regions that could potentially be filled in to increase points most effectively. Preferably data is entered orally by a user into a computer system, and transcribed using speech-recognition software. The user is prompted for data entry, and the prompting mechanism may follow a predefined pattern and speed, or be adjustable by the user, or be adjusted by the computer by monitoring past user behavior.

Claims

1. A method of recording and evaluating data comprising:

receiving data on a computer into at least one data entry location in a computer generated document having a pre-defined structure with defined data entry locations;

allocating a point value to each data entry location based on the effort and skill involved in obtaining the data that is supplied to the data entry location, and

performing mathematical manipulations on the point values to obtain a resultant number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting a user for further data input to certain data entry locations based on the resultant number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mathematical manipulations comprise adding the point values to obtain a total number of points.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein entering data on a computer includes voice input and the use of speech-recognition software to generate text data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating of the point values and the performing of mathematical manipulations is performed by a computer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising comparing the resultant number to at least one predefined value and determining potential data entry locations for further data entry to achieve one of the at least one predefined value.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising leading users through the document from one data entry location to the next by means of a visual prompt.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the next data entry location is the next data entry location in the same row or column as the previous data entry location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the next data entry location is selected by the user.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the next data entry location is selected by the computer based on a user data entry pattern determined from prior data entry activity.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual prompt is moved to the next location once the user has indicated completion of data entry into the previous location.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the visual prompt moves to the next location after a predefined time interval.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the visual prompt moves to the next data entry location after a system determined time interval based on the user'"'"'s prior data entry timing pattern.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the entered data is compared to a dictionary of terms to identify potential errors.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the entered data is compared to a dictionary of desired terms to determine which terms of the data entry fall outside the terms of the dictionary of desired terms.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes comparing the entered data to a dictionary of undesired terms that includes terms unlikely to be found in an area of interest to the user, for determining the terms of entered data likely to be incorrect.

17. The method of claim 15 which includes the step of indicating to the user whenever a term likely to be incorrect is detected in the entered data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the user is presented with alternative words or phrases from which to select, whenever a term likely to be incorrect is detected in the entered data.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein Soundex codes or extended Soundex codes are used to identify potentially incorrect data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the extended Soundex codes are used to identify potentially incorrectly transcribed words and phrases.

21. A method of claim 20, wherein alternatives are presented when potentially incorrectly transcribed data is identified.

22. A method of claim 14, wherein the document has predefined regions dealing with different categories of information, each region being associated with a dictionary tailored to said region.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein data is entered orally using speech-recognition software to transcribe the oral input, and wherein potentially incorrectly transcribed input is identified and alternatives are generated based on Soundex codes or speech-recognition segments.

24. The method of claim 4, wherein the data is stored as objects that include positional information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the data is stored in a database.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of proofreading the data entered into the document.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the entering of data includes entering predefined data which is entered by downloading the predefined data from a memory location.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the predefined data occupies more than one data entry location.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the predefined data entry locations are each allocated at least one point.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of data entry locations define the complexity of the document, and the complexity is selectable.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data is stored in a database having rows and columns, and wherein the complexity of the document chosen determines the number of rows pulled up for data entry.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the data for each of the rows is allocated at least one point.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the predefined data is entered by specifying a keyword associated with the data.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the proofreading is done by a proofreader who is presented with a sound file of the oral data input, and a text file resulting from the conversion by the speech-recognition software.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the sound file and the text file are synchronized with each other to facilitate moving forward or backward in either file and having the position in the other file automatically adjusted.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the proofreader corrects mistakes in the text data and returns at least the corrected data and associated positional information to allow the stored data to be corrected.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the returned data is used to teach the speech-recognition software.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the entered data is compared to a dictionary of desired terms to determine which terms of the data entry fall outside the terms of the dictionary of desired terms, and wherein the proofreader is presented with a visual indicator indicating potentially incorrect terms and phrases in the text file.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein alternatives to the words and phrases that fall outside the terms of the dictionary of desired terms, are presented for selection.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the entering of data includes entering predefined data which is entered by calling the predefined data from a memory location.

41. A method of claim 40, wherein the proofreader is presented with indicators defining the beginning and end of the predefined data.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the user identifies the predefined data to be entered into the document, and marks the location where the data is to be inserted, and the data corresponding to the predefined data is inserted automatically by the computer or by the user or proofreader at any time thereafter.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of proofreading the data entered into the document, wherein a proofreader is presented with a sound file of the oral data input, and uses speech-recognition software to transcribe the oral data into text data, and uses the sound file to assist in proofreading the text data.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the proofreader uses more powerful sound recognition software to more accurately transcribe the oral data input.

55. The method of claim 6, wherein determining potential data entry locations for further data entry includes the computer providing at least one visual depiction of the data entry locations that have data in them and the points associated with such data entry locations, and all or selected data entry locations or groups of data entry locations that do not have data in them but if filled with data would provide the opportunity for scoring additional points.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the at least one visual depiction is a tree structure.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein a plurality of visual depictions are provided by the computer and a user can select from the depictions.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the visual depictions show different amounts of detail.

59. The method of claim 55, wherein the computer selects which data entry locations or groups of data entry locations without data, to depict, based on predetermined score threshold levels and a determination of those data entry locations or groups of data entry locations that are most likely to lead to the next higher score threshold level.

45. A method of doing business comprising:

providing users with an electronic data entry facility that includes a user interface defining a data entry document for data entry on a computer, wherein the document has pre-defined data entry locations with a predefined value associated with each of the data entry locations; and

mathematically manipulating the values to arrive at least at one accumulated point total for use in a subsequent decision making process.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein data. is entered using oral commands and speech-recognition software.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising providing a proofreading facility to verify and edit the data input.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein a proofreading facility is located at a different geographical location to the user and is linked to the user by means of a network.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the mathematical manipulation comprises adding the points for predefined data entry locations of the document or for the entire document.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the accumulated points are transmitted by means of a computer network to a third party.

51. A method of verifying the accuracy of orally recorded data, comprises:

saving oral input into an audio file;

transcribing the oral input data into text data and saving the text data in a text file;

synchronizing the sound file and text file;

comparing at least a term or a phrase of at least the oral input data or the text data to at least a pre-defined term or phrase; and

indicating terms or phrases that are potentially incorrect, wherein the step of comparing includes comparing the term or phrase to at least a dictionary of desired terms and a dictionary of undesired terms, wherein the dictionary of desired terms includes at least a term or phrase likely to be found in a field of use of the orally recorded data, and the dictionary of undesired terms includes at least a term or phrase not likely to be found in the field of use of the orally recorded data.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of indicating terms or phrases includes a visual or oral indicator.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of synchronizing involves using tags in the sound and text files.

62. A method of claim 51, wherein at least one of the dictionaries includes multiple word phrases.

54. A system for recording data comprising:

with defined software for generating an electronic document having a pre-defined structure with defined data entry locations, and

means for entering data into the data entry locations;

wherein each of the data entry locations has a point value associated with it, the system further comprising

means for performing mathematical manipulations on the point values to obtain a resultant number.

60. A method of verifying the accuracy of orally recording data that is recorded for entry into a document having a plurality of fields dealing with different subject matters, comprising

saving oral input into an audio file;

transcribing the oral input data into text data and saving the text data in a text file;

synchronizing the sound file and text file;

comparing each word or phrase to predefined words or phrases in a dictionary that is specific to the field.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein each field is associated with a dictionary of desired terms and a dictionary of undesired terms.

63. A method of claim 60, wherein at least one of the dictionaries includes multiple word phrases.