Data verification using text messaging

• US 7,333,658 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nisenboim, Alexander, Walach, Eugene, Karnin, Ehud, Navon, Yaakov, Chevion, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): MARIAM, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US10/978,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20060093220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 382/137, 382/181, 382186-187, 382/190, 382/209, 382/218, 382/311, 382/313, 382/321, 709/203, 715/507, 715/530, 715/541
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator

Abstract

A method for computerized processing of paper forms includes receiving an electronic image of a paper form containing text information from a client having a telephone. The text information is extracted from the form using an optical character recognition (OCR) process. A field of the extracted text information that is suspected of containing an error is identified, and a first text message is automatically communicated to the telephone asking the client to verify the identified field. A second text message is received in response to the first text message, and the text information in the field is validated or corrected according to the response.

Claims

1. A method for computerized processing of paper forms, comprising:

receiving an electronic image of a paper form containing text information from a client having a telephone;

extracting the text information from the form using an optical character recognition (OCR) process;

identifying a field of the extracted text information that is suspected of containing an error;

automatically communicating a first text message to the telephone asking the client to verify the identified field; and

receiving a second text message in response to the first text message, and validating or correcting the text information in the field according to the response.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the electronic image comprises receiving a graphical electronic version of the form over a communication line.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the first text message to the client comprises sending the first text message using a Short Message Service (SMS) over a wireless cellular telephone network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the first text message comprises determining whether the client has authorized being contacted by text messaging, and sending the first text message only if authorized by the client.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the second text message comprises verifying an identity of the client before validating or correcting the text information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein extracting the text information comprises extracting a telephone number from the form, and wherein communicating the first text message comprises sending the first text message to the extracted telephone number.

7. Apparatus for computerized processing of paper forms, comprising:

an OCR processor, which is coupled to receive an electronic image of a paper form containing text information from a client having a telephone, and is arranged to extract the text information from the form using an optical character recognition (OCR) process and to identify a field of the extracted text information that is suspected of containing an error; and

a data validation processor, which is arranged to automatically communicate a first text message to the telephone asking the client to verify the identified field, and upon receiving a second text message in response to the first text message, to validate or correct the text information in the field according to the response.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the OCR processor is coupled to receive the electronic image over a communication line.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the data validation processor is coupled to send the first text message using a Short Message Service (SMS) over a wireless cellular telephone network.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the data validation processor is arranged to determine whether the client has authorized being contacted by text messaging, and to send the first text message only if authorized by the client.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the data validation processor is arranged to verify an identity of the client responsively to the second text message before validating or correcting the text information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the OCR processor is arranged to extract a telephone number from the form, and wherein the data validation processor is arranged to send the first text message to the extracted telephone number.

13. A computer software product, for processing of text information that has been extracted using an optical character recognition (OCR) process from a paper form containing the text information that has been received from a client having a telephone, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by the computer, cause the computer to identify a field of the extracted text information that is suspected of containing an error, to automatically communicate a first text message to the telephone asking the client to verify the identified field, and upon receiving a second text message in response to the first text message, to validate or correct the text information in the field according to the response.

14. The product according to claim 13, wherein the electronic image is received from the client over a communication line.

15. The product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the computer to send the first text message to the client using a Short Message Service (SMS) over a wireless cellular telephone network.

16. The product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the computer to determine whether the client has authorized being contacted by text messaging, and to send the first text message only if authorized by the client.

17. The product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the computer to verify an identity of the client responsively to the second text message before validating or correcting the text information.

18. The product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the computer to extract a telephone number from the form and to send the first text message to the extracted telephone number.