Auto-classification of PDF forms by dynamically defining a taxonomy and vocabulary from PDF form fields

• US 8,392,472 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Shashank, Baweja, Ramandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Cheryl
• Application Number:
  US12/612,930
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760, 715/864, 715/200, 715/222, 715/208, 715/223, 707/763, 707/719, 707/737, 707/803, 707/804, 707/805, 711/206, 358/486
• US Class Current: 707/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation

Abstract

Embodiments herein include a content manager that constructs vocabulary from the PDF form fields to classify documents. The content manager can associate a PDF form with a markup language schema (such as an XML Schema) so that PDF form fields are semantically bounded with XML schema elements. The XML schema elements can define semantics of form fields and specify other constraints on XML elements and attributes. The content manager then associates selected form fields from the PDF form with a content folder to construct a set of properties to apply to inbound PDF form data to classify documents.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

associating form fields of a Portable Document Format (PDF) file with a markup language schema, the markup language schema specifying semantic constraints on attributes of the form fields within the PDF file, the form fields for receiving data;

creating a content folder representing a specific classification, the specific classification based on attributes of form fields from the PDF file;

receiving a selection of a subset of the form fields from the PDF file;

associating the selection of the subset of the form fields with the content folder including creating metadata describing the selected form fields, the content folder configured for storing corresponding individual data entries received within the selected form fields of PDF files;

extracting data from form fields of submitted PDF files, the submitted PDF files having data input into form fields associated with the content folder, the extracted data and metadata describing the form fields stored separately from the submitted PDF files; and

automatically classifying the submitted PDF files based on attributes of the selected form fields and the extracted data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a rule to data stored within the content folder, the rule identifying corresponding submitted PDF files satisfying the rule.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to modifying the selection of form fields that are associated with the content folder, updating the metadata and data stored in the content folder to update the specific classification.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to modifying attributes of one or more form fields of the PDF file, updating the metadata and data stored in the content folder.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein updating the metadata and data stored in the content folder includes analyzing submitted PDF files received prior to the modification, and analyzing submitted PDF files received subsequent to the modification for automatically classifying submitted PDF files.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the submitted PDF files in a content repository separate from the content folder, the data and metadata extracted and stored in the content folder being mapped to the submitted PDF files in the content repository.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein automatically classifying the submitted PDF files based on attributes of the selected form fields and the extracted data includes automatically classifying the submitted PDF files based on rules applied to data stored within the content folder.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein receiving a selection of a subset of the form fields from the PDF file includes selecting form fields from multiple different PDF files.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein receiving the selection of form fields includes:

receiving a selection of a form template; and

displaying a list of form fields for selection from the form template.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein creating the content folder representing the specific classification, the specific classification based on attributes of form fields from the PDF file, includes attributes of form fields from the PDF file specifying field names of form fields.

11. A computer program product including a computer-storage medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform the operations of:

associating form fields of a Portable Document Format (PDF) file with a markup language schema, the markup language schema specifying semantic constraints on attributes of the form fields within the PDF file, the form fields for receiving data via a graphical user interface;

creating a content folder representing a specific classification, the specific classification based on attributes of form fields from the PDF file;

receiving a selection of a subset of the form fields from the PDF file;

associating the selection of the subset of the form fields with the content folder including creating metadata describing the selected form fields, the content folder configured for storing corresponding individual data entries received within the selected form fields of PDF files;

extracting data from form fields of submitted PDF files, the submitted PDF files having data input into form fields associated with the content folder, the extracted data and metadata describing the form fields stored separately from the submitted PDF files; and

automatically classifying the submitted PDF files based on attributes of the selected form fields and the extracted data.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

applying a rule to data stored within the content folder, the rule identifying corresponding submitted PDF files satisfying the rule.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to modifying the selection of form fields that are associated with the content folder, updating the metadata and data stored in the content folder to update the specific classification; and

wherein creating the content folder representing the specific classification, the specific classification based on attributes of form fields from the PDF file, includes attributes of form fields from the PDF file specifying field names of form fields.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to modifying attributes of one or more form fields of the PDF file, updating the metadata and data stored in the content folder.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein updating the metadata and data stored in the content folder includes analyzing submitted PDF files received prior to the modification, and analyzing submitted PDF files received subsequent to the modification for automatically classifying submitted PDF files.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

storing the submitted PDF files in a content repository separate from the content folder, the data and metadata extracted and stored in the content folder being mapped to the submitted PDF files in the content repository.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein automatically classifying the submitted PDF files based on attributes of the selected form fields and the extracted data includes automatically classifying the submitted PDF files based on rules applied to data stored within the content folder.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein receiving a selection of a subset of the form fields from the PDF file includes selecting form fields from multiple different PDF files; and

wherein receiving the selection of form fields includes;

receiving a selection of a form template; and

displaying a list of form fields for selection from the form template.

19. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to perform the operations of;

generating a Portable Document Format (PDF) file having form fields for receiving data via a graphical user interface;

associating the form fields with a markup language schema, the markup language schema specifying semantic constraints on attributes of the form fields within the PDF file;

creating a content folder representing a specific classification, the specific classification based on attributes of form fields from the PDF file;

receiving a selection of a subset of the form fields from the PDF file;

associating the selection of the subset of the form fields with the content folder including creating metadata describing the selected form fields, the content folder configured for storing corresponding individual data entries received within the selected form fields of PDF files;

extracting data from form fields of submitted PDF files, the submitted PDF files having data input into form fields associated with the content folder, the extracted data and metadata describing the form fields stored separately from the submitted PDF files; and

automatically classifying the submitted PDF files based on attributes of the selected form fields and the extracted data.

20. The computer system of claim 19, the memory storing further instructions that when executed by the processor causes the system to perform the operations of:

applying a rule to data stored within the content folder, the rule identifying corresponding submitted PDF files satisfying the rule.