Business form handling method and system for carrying out the same

• US 6,801,658 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Morita, Masahiro, Itou, Tadahiro, Teramoto, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KANJIBHAI B
• Application Number:
  US10/314,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20030076995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/190, 382/173, 382/115, 382/305, 382/137, 382/139, 382/140, 715/505, 715/522, 715/523, 235/383, 235/379, 705/35, 705/40, 705/42, 705/45
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables

Abstract

A business form handling system includes an image reading device for reading a business form and a terminal apparatus installed at the window for discriminatively deciding whether a read image corresponds to a first species of business form by referencing form species identifying definition information stored previously in a file. When the read image corresponds to the first species of business form, the terminal apparatus cuts an image from a field corresponding to a format inherent to the first species of business form to thereby recognize contents of statement from the cut image and executes processing in accordance with result of the recognition. Unless the read image corresponds to the first species of business form, the terminal apparatus decides discriminatively whether the read image corresponds to a second species of business form by referencing the form species identifying definition information. When the correspondence is found, the terminal apparatus cuts an image from a field corresponding to a format inherent to the second species of business form to thereby recognize contents of statement from the cut image.

Claims

1. A method of recognizing contents of statement of a business form according to species of the business form, comprising the steps of:

a) reading by an image reading device business forms of plural species which differ from one another in respect to a field of the image to be cut and deciding discriminately whether or not the read image is relevant to a business form of a first species by referencing form species identifying definition information stored previously in a file;

b) when said read image is irrelevant to said business form of the first species, deciding discriminately whether or not the read image is relevant to a business form of a second species by referencing the form species identifying definition information stored previously in the file;

c) when said read image is irrelevant to both said business form of the first species and said business form of the second species, deciding discriminately whether or not the read image is relevant to a business form of a next species among plural species of business forms to be discriminated in a predetermined order by referencing the form species identifying definition information stored previously in the file;

d) when the read image is relevant to the business form of said first species, said second species or said next species, determining a subordinate attribute of the business form having been decided to be relevant; and

e) recognizing contents of statement of the business form having been decided to be relevant based on the subordinate attribute thus determined.

2. A method of recognizing contents of statement of a business form according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

when the specie of the business form is determined as a prescribed-type business form, obtaining business form format definition information from an identification number contained in the subordinate attribute of the prescribed-type business form, and cutting an image of a region designated by the business form format definition information from an image of the prescribe-type business form to recognize the contents of statement of the business form.

3. A method of recognizing contents of statement of a business form according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

reading whether or not a mark exists in a check box contained in the subordinate attribute of the prescribed-type business form, and determining whether the prescribed-type business form is an ordinary account or a checking account based on the mark in the check box.

4. A method of recognizing contents of statement of a business form according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

when the specie of the business form is determined as a barcode-affixed business form, obtaining business form format definition information from an enterprise code of barcode data contained in the subordinate attribute of the barcode-affixed business form, and cutting an image of a region designated by the business form format definition information from an image of the prescribed-type business form to recognize the contents of statement of the business form.

5. A method of recognizing contents of statement of a business form according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

when the specie of the business form is determined as a MT-type business form, obtaining a transaction code from an account number of an OCR-oriented character contained in the subordinate attribute of the MT-type business form, and obtaining and displaying confirmation-dedicated screen image data corresponding to the transaction code thus obtained.

6. A method of recognizing contents of statement of a business form according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

when the business form is determined to have a MICR-oriented character and a size of the business form is suitable thereby to determine the specie of the business form as a check, determining whether the check is a check or a promissory note from specie code of a draft of the MICR-oriented character contained in the subordinate attribute of the check.

7. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to species of a business form, comprising the steps of:

reading an image of a business form;

determining based on the image of the business form thus read that the species of the business form is an identifier-affixed business form;

a) cutting an image of a first region containing an identifier and a check box from the image of the business form thus read;

b) reading the identifier and contents of a check box from the image of the first region;

c) obtaining business-form format definition information corresponding to the identifier thus read;

d) cutting an image of a second region designated by the business-form format definition information thus obtained from the business form;

e) recognizing field data described in the second region thus cut;

f) reading contents of the check box from the image of the first region;

g) determining a transaction code corresponding to the identifier and the contents of the check box thus read;

h) obtaining confirmation-dedicated screen image data corresponding to the identifier thus read and the contents of the check box; and

i) displaying the confirmation dedicated screen image data thus obtained.

8. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to claim 7, wherein

said check box includes a quadrangle and said contents includes a tick as a mark in said check box.

9. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining a transaction code corresponding to the identifier thus read and the contents of the check box; and

obtaining the confirmation dedicated screen image data based on the transaction code thus determined.

10. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the transaction code is a transaction code for payment or a transaction code for money reception based on the identifier thus read.

11. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the transaction code is a transaction code for transaction with respect to an ordinary account or a transaction code for transaction with respect to a checking account based on the contents of the check box.

12. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining business form format definition information corresponding to the identifier thus read;

cutting an image of a second region designated by the business form format definition information thus read, from the image of the business form thus read;

recognizing a field data contained in the image of the second region thus cut; and

displaying the field data thus recognized at a designated display position of the confirmation-dedicated screen image data.

13. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to claim 12, wherein the field data includes an amount of payment of money and an account number.

14. A method of displaying a confirmation dedicated screen according to species of a business form, comprising the steps of:

reading an image of a business form;

recognizing an account number from the image of the business form thus read;

determining confirmation-dedicated screen image data corresponding to the account number thus recognized;

displaying the confirmation-dedicated screen image data thus determined;

discriminating that the business form thus read is an MT-type business form including an OCR-oriented character based on the image of the business form thus read;

determining a transaction code of a transaction with respect to an enterprise corresponding to the account number thus recognized from the OCR-oriented character;

obtaining the confirmation-dedicated screen image data based on the transaction code thus determined; and

pasting the account number thus recognized on the confirmation-dedicated screen image data.