Check boxes for identifying and processing stored documents

• US 7,552,381 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Barrus, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Quoc A
• Application Number:
  US10/816,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715201-204, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00363 Bar codes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00366 Marks in boxes or the like, e.g. crosses or blacking out H04N1/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00374 on the same page as at least a part of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2179 Interfaces allowing access to a plurality of users, e.g. connection to electronic image libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32 Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device H04N1/38, H04N1/387 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32042 with reading of job-marks on a page

Abstract

A user selects one or more check boxes on a collection coversheet to identify, by location on the coversheet, target documents within a previously stored collection of documents. The check boxes also specify actions to be performed on the target documents. The coversheet is scanned and the check boxes are located and read to determine which have been marked. The specified actions are then performed on the target documents. If the specified actions change the organization or architecture of the document collection, an updated version of the collection may be generated and stored, and a new coversheet may be printed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

scanning a coversheet having an overview of a collection;

receiving an image of the overview of the collection that comprises a first plurality of indication areas associated with a plurality of documents and a second plurality of indication areas associated with a plurality of actions, wherein the plurality of actions includes printing, faxing, sending by electronic mail, and grouping;

identifying at least one action from the plurality of actions set forth in the image;

identifying at least one document from the plurality of documents for the at least one action identified from the plurality of actions, wherein the identifying the at least one action from the plurality of actions set forth in the image is performed based on the second plurality of the indication areas in the image, the identifying the at least one document from the plurality of documents is performed based on the first plurality of the indication areas in the image, wherein the at least one action from the plurality of actions and the at least one document from the plurality of documents are identified by scanning the image; and

performing the at least one action on the at least one document in response to the identifying the at least one action from the fourth plurality of actions set forth in the image and the identifying the at least one document from the third plurality of documents from the image.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein identifying the at least one document comprises:

identifying a location on the image of at least one indication area having a mark therein, the at least one indication area being associated with the at least one document; and

identifying the at least one document based on the location of the at least one indication area having the mark therein.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the at least one indication area comprises one of a plurality of check boxes in the image, wherein each of the plurality of check boxes is associated with one of a plurality of graphics in the image, wherein each of the plurality of graphics is associated with one or more documents.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of representations of documents, and wherein identifying at least one document based on the location of the at least one indication area comprises identifying the at least one document corresponding to a document representation indicated by the mark in the at least one indication area.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of representations of documents;

and further

wherein identifying the at least one document based on the location of the at least one indication area having the mark therein comprises;

determining a coordinate location for the at least one indication area having the mark therein;

determining a coordinate location for at least one of the document representations; and

identifying a first document by comparing the coordinate location for at least one indication area having the mark therein with the coordinate location for the at least one document representation.

6. The method defined in claim 2 wherein each of the at least one indication area comprises a check box.

7. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the indication area is located on top of a portion of a graphic representing at least one document in a collection.

8. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the image includes a machine readable pointer to identify the collection.

9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein the machine readable pointer comprises a 2-D barcode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the machine readable identifier comprises an identifier specifying a storage location, and the method further comprising, prior to performing the at least one action, retrieving the at least one document from the storage location.

11. The method defined in claim 1 wherein receiving an image of an overview of the collection comprises capturing an image of the sheet and identifying at least one document by reading an RFID tag embedded in the sheet, the data on the RFID tag identifying the collection containing a document.

12. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising scanning a sheet having an identifier and having graphical content representing a collection of one or more media objects, wherein scanning the sheet results in creating the image.

13. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of actions comprise two or more of a group consisting of printing, faxing, sending by electronic mail, deleting, grouping, ungrouping, and playing.

14. The method defined in claim 1 wherein identifying at least one action set forth in the image comprises identifying a location of a mark in an action indication area on the image.

15. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one documents comprises a collection of documents.

16. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one document is part of a stored collection, and further wherein the collection overview comprises a collection coversheet.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of thumbnail depictions of documents.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the collection coversheet comprises a machine-readable collection identifier specifying a storage location for the collection, the method further comprising, prior to performing at least one action, retrieving the at least one document from the storage location.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection overview comprises a list of documents.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of thumbnail depictions of documents.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of icons representing documents.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action specifies a grouping action, and wherein the at least one document comprises two or more documents, and wherein performing the at least one action comprises grouping the two or more documents.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein grouping the two or more documents comprises forming a sub-collection comprising the two or more documents.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action comprises transmitting the at least one document to a destination, the method further comprising determining a destination.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein determining a destination comprises receiving user input specifying a destination.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein determining a destination comprises reading an indicator of a destination from the image.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining a destination comprises reading an indicator of a destination from an action indication area in the image.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein determining a destination comprises determining at least one selected from the group consisting of an e-mail address;

a fax number;

a uniform resource locator;

a telephone number; and

a mailing address.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the image of a document index comprises receiving an e-mail message containing the image of the document index.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the image of a document index comprises receiving a fax message containing the image of the document index.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the at least one action by performing optical character recognition on an action indication area.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to performing the at least one action, retrieving the at least one document from a storage device.

33. A computer-implemented method comprising:

scanning a coversheet having a document index to provide a document index image;

receiving the document index image that includes an overview of a collection of document that comprises a first plurality of check boxes associated with a plurality of documents, a machine readable pointer identifying the collection, and an action indication area that includes a second plurality of check boxes associated with a plurality of action, wherein the plurality of actions includes printing, faxing, sending by electronic mail, and grouping;

locating, on the document index image, at least two marked check boxes, wherein a first marked check box out of the first plurality of check boxes is associated with a document out of the plurality of document and a second check box out of the second plurality of check boxes is associated with an action out of the plurality of actions;

identifying the action from the plurality of actions from the document index image for the second marked check box;

identifying the document from the plurality of document for the first marked check box based on location of the first marked check box on the document index image, wherein the document is identified for the action identified from the plurality of actions from the document index image, wherein the action and the document are identified by scanning the coversheet having the document index; and

performing the action on the documents in response to the identifying the action and the document, wherein each of the action and the document is identified for each of the marked check boxes on the document index image.

34. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

scanning a coversheet having an overview of a collection;

receiving an image of the overview of the collection that comprises a first plurality of indication areas associated with a plurality of documents and a second plurality of indication areas associated with a plurality of actions, wherein the plurality of actions includes printing, faxing, sending by electronic mail, and grouping;

identifying at least one action from the plurality of actions set forth in the image;

identifying at least one document from the plurality of document for the at least one action identified from the plurality of actions, wherein the identifying the at least one action is performed based on the second plurality of the indication areas in the image and the identifying the at least one document is performed based on the first plurality of the indication areas in the image, wherein the at least one action and the at least one document are identified by scanning the image; and

performing the at least one action on the at least one document in response to the identifying the at least one action from the fourth plurality of actions set forth in the image and the identifying the at least one document from the third plurality of document from the image.

35. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein identifying the at least one document comprises

identifying a location on the document index image of at least one indication area having a mark therein, the at least one indication area being associated with the at least one document;

and

identifying the at least one document based on the location of the at least one indication area having the mark therein.

36. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 35 wherein the at least one indication area comprises one of a plurality of check boxes in the image, wherein each of the plurality of check boxes is associated with one of a plurality of graphics in the image, wherein each of the plurality of graphics is associated with one or more documents.

37. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein each of the at least one indication area comprises a check box.

38. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein the indication area is located on top of a portion of a graphic representing at least one document in a collection.

39. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 where identifying at least one document comprises obtaining information about a collection containing the at least one document using an RFID tag.

40. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein the method further comprises scanning a sheet having an identifier and having graphical content representing a collection of one or more media objects, wherein scanning the sheet results in creating the image.

41. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein the plurality of actions comprise two or more of a group consisting of printing, faxing, sending by electronic mail, deleting, grouping, ungrouping, and playing.

42. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein identifying at least one action set forth in the image comprises identifying a location of a mark in an action indication area on the image.

43. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein the at least one documents comprises a collection of documents.

44. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 34 wherein the at least one document is part of a stored collection, and further wherein collection overview comprises a collection coversheet.

45. The computer readable storage medium defined in claim 44 wherein the collection coversheet comprises a collection overview.

46. The computer readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of thumbnail depictions of documents.

47. The computer readable storage medium of claim 44, wherein the collection coversheet comprises a machine-readable collection identifier specifying a storage location for the collection, the method further comprising, prior to performing at least one action, retrieving the at least one document from the storage location.

48. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the collection overview comprises a list of documents.

49. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of thumbnail depictions of documents.

50. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of icons representing documents.

51. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the at least one action comprises transmitting the at least one document to a destination, the method further comprising determining a destination.

52. The computer readable storage medium of claim 51 wherein determining a destination comprises receiving user input specifying a destination.

53. The computer readable storage medium of claim 51, wherein determining a destination comprises reading an indicator of a destination from the image of the document index.

54. The computer readable storage medium of claim 53, wherein determining a destination comprises reading an indicator of a destination from an action indication area in the image of the document index.

55. The computer readable storage medium of claim 54, wherein determining a destination comprises determining at least one selected from the group consisting of an e-mail address;

a fax number;

a uniform resource locator;

a telephone number; and

a mailing address.

56. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein receiving an image of a collection overview comprises receiving an e-mail message comprising the image of the collection overview.

57. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein receiving an image of a collection overview comprises receiving a fax message comprising the image of the collection overview.

58. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising determining the at least one action by performing optical character recognition on an action indication area.

59. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the document index comprises an identifier specifying a storage location, and the method further comprising, prior to performing the at least one action, retrieving the at least one document from the storage location.

60. The computer readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising, prior to performing the at least one action, retrieving the at least one document from a storage device.

61. A computer system for processing a stored document, comprising:

a document index input device including a scanner to scan a coversheet having a document index to provide an image of the document index;

a marked check box locator, coupled to the document input index device, to identify at least one action from a plurality of actions set forth in the image by identifying a location of a ark in an action indication area on the image, wherein the plurality of actions includes printing, faxing, sending by electronic mail, and grouping, wherein the action indication area is associated with the plurality of actions, to identify a location on the document index image of at least one indication area having a mark therein, the at least one indication area being associated with at least one document out of a plurality of document set forth in the image;

a document identifier, coupled to the marked check box locator, to identify the at least one document from the plurality of document set forth in the image based on the location of the at least one indication area having the mark therein, wherein the at least one action and the at least one document are identified by scanning the coversheet; and

a document processor, coupled to the document identifier, to perform the at least one action identified from the plurality of action presented on the document index on the at least one document identified from the plurality of documents presented on the document index.

62. The computer system of claim 61 wherein each of the at least one indication area comprises a check box.

63. The computer system of claim 61 wherein the indication area is located on top of a portion of a graphic representing at least one document in a collection.

64. The computer system of claim 61 further comprising a scanner to scan a sheet having an identifier and having graphical content representing a collection of one or more media objects, wherein the scanner outputs the image.

65. The computer system defined in claim 61 wherein the at least one documents comprises a collection of documents.

66. The computer system defined in claim 61 wherein the at least one indication area comprises one of a plurality of check boxes in the image, wherein each of the plurality of check boxes is associated with one of a plurality of graphics in the image, wherein each of the plurality of graphics is associated with one or more documents.

67. The computer system defined in claim 61 wherein the at least one document is part of a stored collection, and further wherein the index comprises a collection coversheet.

68. The computer system defined in claim 67 wherein the collection coversheet comprises a collection overview.

69. The computer system of claim 68, wherein the collection overview comprises a plurality of thumbnail depictions of documents.

70. The computer system of claim 67, wherein the collection coversheet comprises a machine-readable collection identifier specifying a storage location for the collection, the method further comprising, prior to performing at least one action, retrieving the at least one document from the storage location.

71. The computer system of claim 61, wherein the document index comprises a plurality of representations of documents, and wherein the document locator identifies at least one document based on the location of the at least one indication area by identifying the at least one document corresponding to a document representation indicated by the mark in the at least one indication area overlapping a portion of at least one document image representation.

72. The computer system of claim 61, wherein the document index comprises a list of documents.

73. The computer system of claim 61, wherein the document index comprises a plurality of thumbnail depictions of documents.

74. The computer system of claim 61, wherein the document index comprises a plurality of icons representing documents.

75. The computer system of claim 61, wherein the at least one action comprises transmitting the at least one document to a destination, the method further comprising determining a destination.

76. The computer system of claim 61, wherein receiving an image of a document index comprises receiving an e-mail message comprising the image of the document index.