Paper interface to an electronic record system

• US 7,936,925 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kehoe, Michael P., St. Jacques, Robert Jr., Sharma, Naveen, Martin, Nathaniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US12/048,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20090232398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 382/175, 382/176, 382/179, 382/305, 382/317
• US Class Current: 382/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1448 based on markings or identifiers characterising the document or the area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00355 Mark-sheet input sensing record carriers G06K7/00; character recognition G06V30/10; document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/40
• 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 2201/3243 of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information

Abstract

After markings have been placed on a pre-printed form by a user who interacted with an entity, the form is scanned to produce a scan file. The scan file is analyzed to identify whether user added markings are present on machine readable selection items. The method can take a number of automated actions, depending upon which pre-printed machine readable selection items were checked by the user. For example, in response to checkbox selections, the method can obtain (read) some form of electronically storable data relating to the entity based on which of the machine readable selection items the user checked. Alternatively, in response to other checkbox selections, the method can ignore the user added markings on the machine readable selection items. In addition, in response to the checkmarks, the system can maintain only an image of the user added handwritten text. Alternatively, the system can be instructed to not only maintain an image of the user added handwritten text, but to automatically forward the image of the user added handwritten text to a transcription center.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

preparing a form relating to an entity, wherein said form comprises machine readable metadata identifying said entity and form processing instructions;

machine readable selection items relating to data to be captured by said form; and

spaces for handwritten text;

providing said form on a medium that is capable of being marked;

after markings have been placed on said form by a user who interacted with said entity, scanning said form to produce an image file;

analyzing said image file to identify whether user added markings are present on said machine readable selection items;

obtaining electronically storable data relating to said entity based on said user added markings on said machine readable selection items;

determining whether user added handwritten markings are present in said spaces for handwritten text;

if said user added handwritten markings are present and in response to said user added markings on said machine readable selection items, one of;

maintaining only an image of said user added handwritten markings; and

maintaining an image of said user added handwritten text markings, automatically forwarding said image of said user added handwritten text markings to a transcription center, and transcribing said user added handwritten markings into said electronically storable data relating to said entity; and

outputting said electronically storable data relating to said entity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputting of said electronically storable data comprises outputting said electronically storable data to a database that maintains information regarding said entity.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transcribing of said user added handwritten markings comprises at least one of performing manual transcription and performing automated handwriting recognition.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said forwarding of said image of said user added handwritten markings comprises transmitting said image of said user added handwritten markings over a network to said transcription center.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising destroying said form after said form is scanned.

6. A method comprising:

printing a form relating to an entity, wherein said form comprises machine readable data identifying said entity, machine readable selection items relating to data to be captured by said form, and spaces for handwritten text;

after markings have been placed on said form by a user who interacted with said entity, scanning said form to produce a scan file;

analyzing said scan file to identify whether user added markings are present on said machine readable selection items;

in response to said user added markings on said machine readable selection items, one of;

obtaining electronically storable data relating to said entity based on said user added markings on said machine readable selection items; and

ignoring said user added markings on said machine readable selection items;

determining whether user added handwritten text is present in said spaces for handwritten text;

if said user added handwritten text is present and in response to said user added markings on said machine readable selection items, one of;

maintaining only an image of said user added handwritten text; and

maintaining an image of said user added handwritten text, automatically forwarding said image of said user added handwritten text to a transcription center, and transcribing said handwritten text into said electronically storable data relating to said entity; and

outputting said electronically storable data relating to said entity.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said outputting of said electronically storable data comprises outputting said electronically storable data to a database that maintains information regarding said entity.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said transcribing of said handwritten text comprises at least one of performing manual transcription and performing automated handwriting recognition.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said forwarding of said image of said user added handwritten text comprises transmitting said image of said user added handwritten text over a network to said transcription center.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising destroying said form after said form is scanned.

11. A system comprising:

a processor;

a printer operatively connected to said processor;

an electronic memory operatively connected to said processor, said electronic memory maintaining a form repository and a database;

an electronic record system operatively connected to said processor, said electronic record system having a capability to manage said database and direct said printer to print a form from said form repository, where said form relates to an entity, and wherein said form comprises machine readable data identifying said entity, machine readable selection items relating to data to be captured by said form, and spaces for handwritten text; and

a scanner operatively connected to said processor, wherein after markings have been placed on said form by a user who interacted with said entity, said scanner scans said form to produce a scan file;

wherein said electronic record storage system;

analyzes said scan file to identify whether user added markings are present on said machine readable selection items;

obtains electronically storable data relating to said entity based on said user added markings on said machine readable selection items;

determines whether user added handwritten text is present in said spaces for handwritten text;

if said user added handwritten text is present and in response to said user added markings on said machine readable selection items, one of;

maintain only an image of said user added handwritten text; and

maintain an image of said user added handwritten text, automatically forwarding said image of said user added handwritten text to a transcription center that transcribes said handwritten text into said electronically storable data relating to said entity; and

outputs said electronically storable data relating to said entity.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said electronic record storage system outputs said electronically storable data to said database.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said transcription center comprises at least one of a manual transcription station and an automated handwriting recognition station.

14. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a network operatively connected to said electronic records storage system, wherein said image of said user added handwritten text is transmitted over said network to said transcription center.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a shredder that destroys said form after said form is scanned.

16. A computer storage device comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising;

printing a form relating to an entity, wherein said form comprises machine readable data identifying said entity, machine readable selection items relating to data to be captured by said form, and spaces for handwritten text;

after markings have been placed on said form by a user who interacted with said entity, scanning said form to produce a scan file;

analyzing said scan file to identify whether user added markings are present on said machine readable selection items;

obtaining electronically storable data relating to said entity based on said user added markings on said machine readable selection items;

determining whether user added handwritten text is present in said spaces for handwritten text;

if said user added handwritten text is present and in response to said user added markings on said machine readable selection items, one of;

maintaining only an image of said user added handwritten text; and

maintaining an image of said user added handwritten text, automatically forwarding said image of said user added handwritten text to a transcription center, and transcribing said handwritten text into said electronically storable data relating to said entity; and

outputting said electronically storable data relating to said entity.

17. The computer storage device according to claim 16, wherein said outputting of said electronically storable data comprises outputting said electronically storable data to a database that maintains information regarding said entity.

18. The computer storage device according to claim 16, wherein said transcribing of said handwritten text comprises at least one of performing manual transcription and performing automated handwriting recognition.

19. The computer storage device according to claim 16, wherein said forwarding of said image of said user added handwritten text comprises transmitting said image of said user added handwritten text over a network to said transcription center.

20. The computer storage device according to claim 16, further comprising destroying said form after said form is scanned.