Automating form transcription

• US 8,380,690 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Jeffrey Kenneth, Naick, Indran
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOFMAN, ALEX N
• Application Number:
  US10/650,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,463 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 715/222
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A system, computer program and method for automating form transcription. Data and meta data may be retrieved from a selected input form, e.g., W2 form. Data may refer to information, e.g., gross income, contained in a field in the input form. Meta data may refer to information, e.g., identifying fields in the input form, that describes or characterizes the data. The retrieved data and meta data may be correlated and stored in a database. Correlating may refer to identifying particular information in particular fields in the input form. The stored correlated data and meta for a selected input form may be mapped to a selected target form, e.g., 1040 form. Mapping may include mapping the data and meta data associated with particular fields in the input form to corresponding fields in the target form.

Claims

1. A method for performing form transcription comprising:

receiving input to select one of a plurality of input forms to be transcribed;

receiving said selected one of said plurality of input forms using a selected input method from a list of a plurality of input methods;

retrieving data and meta data from said selected one of said plurality of input forms;

correlating said data and meta data, wherein said correlating said data and meta data comprises;

separating said data and meta data from said selected one of said plurality of input forms; and

parsing said meta data;

storing said correlated data and meta data;

receiving input to select one of a plurality of target forms; and

mapping said correlated data and meta data to fields in said selected one of said plurality of target forms, wherein said mapping said correlated data and meta data to fields in said selected one of said plurality of target forms comprises;

retrieving field location information for said selected one of said plurality of target forms;

retrieving input form data required to complete said selected one of said plurality of target forms;

mapping each field from said selected one of said plurality of input forms to a corresponding field on said selected one of said plurality of target forms;

generating said selected one of said plurality of target forms using said input form data;

inserting said meta data in said selected one of said plurality of target forms, wherein said meta data contains information to allow for easier processing of said selected one of said plurality of target forms by including a form type and all of the data on said selected one of said plurality of target forms;

encoding said meta data; and

printing said encoded meta data on said selected one of said plurality of target forms in a bar code format.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of input methods comprises one or more of the following:

scanning, reading a magnetic stripe, reading a bar code, and taking a picture with a digital camera.