Systems and methods for routing a facsimile confirmation based on content

• US 8,451,475 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kofax Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kofax Incorporated
• Inventors: Couchman, Roy, Borrey, Roland G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cato, Miya J
• Application Number:
  US11/743,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20080273221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2247 Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00122 of text or character information only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• 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 1/32438 Informing the addressee of reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3218 of a confirmation, acknowledgement or receipt

Abstract

A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing text of a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the analysis. A method for routing one or more confirmations according to another embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing a pattern of light and dark areas of a facsimile; correlating the pattern to one or more forms; and routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the correlation. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Claims

1. A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof, comprising:

analyzing, using a processor, text of a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and

routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the analysis,

wherein routing the one or more confirmations comprises routing the one or more confirmations to one or more destinations other than a sender of the facsimile for communicating information to a human other than the sender of the facsimile,

wherein the analysis does not include utilizing any optical character recognition (OCR) techniques, and

wherein the analysis comprises using one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of;

naï

ve Bayes classification;

tf-idf weighting;

latent semantic analysis;

support vector machine analysis;

k-nearest neighbor algorithmic analysis; and

decision tree analysis.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes determining one or more keywords in the text.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein more than one keyword is determined by the analysis and said keywords are not adjacent in the facsimile text.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the one or more keywords comprise one or more letters or symbols.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the analysis includes classifying at least one of the keywords in the text as a specific word type.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the facsimile text does not contain confirmation destination information.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the confirmation destination information not contained in the facsimile text includes names of intended facsimile recipients and destination data.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes comparing one or more keywords in the text to other elements in the text.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the elements include words, symbols, keywords, and graphic elements.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes matching one or more keywords in the text to data stored in electronic memory.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes determining the position of one or more keywords in the text.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the analysis includes classifying the text as a specific document type.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the text is produced by converting the facsimile to a computer-readable format.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the text is produced by converting a source to text in a human language other than a language of the source.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the confirmation is selected from a group consisting of:

an email message, an audible message, a fax, a text message, and a multimedia message.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the confirmation includes a request for additional information.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more confirmations is routed to a destination other than one associated with an intended recipient of the facsimile,

wherein the destination other than one associated with an intended recipient of the facsimile comprises one or more of:

a litigation department;

a sales department;

a human resources department;

a marketing department;

a billing department;

a bookkeeping department;

a product development team;

a purchasing department;

an accounting department; and

a hiring department.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the confirmation is routed to a sender of the facsimile as well as a destination other than one associated with a sender of the facsimile.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the confirmation is routed to multiple destinations.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the facsimile text does not contain confirmation destination information, wherein the analysis includes classifying the text as a specific document type.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the text is produced by converting a source to text in a human language other than a language of the source.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the confirmation is routed to a sender of the facsimile as well as a destination other than destinations associated with a sender and an intended recipient of the facsimile.

23. A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof, comprising:

determining an intended recipient of a facsimile;

sending the facsimile to the intended recipient;

analyzing the facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the facsimile;

and

routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations selected based on the analysis,

wherein the facsimile text does not contain confirmation destination information about the one or more destinations selected based on the analysis,

the analysis comprising;

digitizing an image of the facsimile;

segmenting the digitized image into one or more of physical areas of significance and logical areas of significance;

labeling at least one of;

the one or more of the physical areas of significance; and

the one or more of the logical areas of significance;

matching at least one of the one or more of the physical areas of significance and the one or more of the logical areas of significance to one or more objects described in a knowledge base;

wherein the objects described in the knowledge base comprise at least one of;

one or more expected structural characteristics of one or more document classes;

one or more relational characteristics of one or more document classes; and

one or more expected content characteristics of one or more document classes; and

dynamically modifying one or more of the expected structural characteristics, the expected relational characteristics and the expected content characteristics in the knowledge base,

wherein the modifying improves a decision making capability of the analysis.

24. The method in claim 23, further comprising attempting to initiate a business process based on the analysis;

wherein the one or more destinations relate to the business process,

wherein one of the confirmations is sent upon completion of the business process.

25. The method in claim 23, further comprising attempting to initiate a business process based on the analysis;

and

wherein the one or more destinations relate to the business process,

wherein one of the confirmations is sent upon encountering a problem with the business process.

26. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the analysis does not include utilizing any optical character recognition (OCR) techniques.

27. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the confirmation is routed to a destination other than one associated with an intended recipient of the facsimile, wherein a second confirmation is sent to a sender of the facsimile.

28. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the confirmation is routed to a destination other than one associated with a sender of the facsimile, wherein the confirmation is routed to a destination other than one associated with an intended recipient of the facsimile.

29. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the labeling comprises:

assigning at least one object label to at least one of;

one or more of the physical areas of significance and one or more of the logical areas of significance, the assigning comprising one or more of;

matching one or more structural characteristics of the one or more physical areas of significance to one or more expected structural characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more structural characteristics of the one or more logical areas of significance to one or more expected structural characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more relational characteristics of the one or more physical areas of significance to one or more expected relational characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more relational characteristics of the one or more logical areas of significance to one or more expected relational characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more content characteristics of the one or more physical areas of significance to one or more expected content characteristics of one or more document classes; and

matching one or more content characteristics of the one or more logical areas of significance to one or more expected content characteristics of one or more document classes.

30. A system for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor being configured for;

analyzing text of a facsimile for determining a context of the facsimile; and

routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations selected based on the analysis,

wherein routing the one or more confirmations comprises routing the one or more confirmations to one or more destinations other than a sender of the facsimile for communicating information to a human other than the sender of the facsimile,

wherein the analysis does not include utilizing any optical character recognition (OCR) techniques, and

wherein the analysis comprises using one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of;

naï

ve Bayes classification;

tf-idf weighting;

latent semantic analysis;

support vector machine analysis;

k-nearest neighbor algorithmic analysis; and

decision tree analysis.

31. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the analysis includes determining one or more keywords in the text.

32. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein more than one keyword is determined by the analysis and said keywords are not adjacent in the facsimile text.

33. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the one or more keywords comprise one or more letters or symbols.

34. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the analysis includes classifying at least one of the keywords in the text as a specific word type.

35. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the facsimile text does not contain confirmation destination information.

36. A system as recited in claim 35, wherein the confirmation destination information not contained in the facsimile text includes one or more of names of intended facsimile recipients and destination data.

37. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the analysis includes comparing one or more keywords in the text to other elements in the text.

38. A system as recited in claim 37, wherein the elements include words, symbols, keywords, and graphic elements.

39. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the analysis includes matching one or more keywords in the text to data stored in the memory.

40. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the analysis includes determining the position of one or more keywords in the text.

41. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the analysis includes classifying the text as a specific document type.

42. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the text is produced by converting the facsimile to a computer-readable format.

43. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the text is produced by converting a source to text in a human language other than a language of the source.

44. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the confirmation is selected from a group consisting of:

an email message, an audible message, a fax, a text message, and a multimedia message.

45. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the confirmation includes a request for additional information.

46. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the confirmation is routed to multiple destinations.

47. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the confirmation is routed to a sender of the facsimile as well as a destination other than one associated with a sender of the facsimile.

48. A method for routing a confirmation of receipt of a facsimile or portion thereof, comprising:

analyzing text of a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text, the analysis comprising;

digitizing an image of the facsimile;

segmenting the digitized image into one or more of;

physical areas of significance and logical areas of significance;

labeling at least one of;

one or more of the physical areas of significance and one or more of the logical areas of significance, the labeling comprising;

assigning at least one object label to at least one of;

one or more of the physical areas of significance and one or more of the logical areas of significance, the assigning comprising one or more of;

matching one or more structural characteristics of the one or more physical areas of significance to one or more expected structural characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more structural characteristics of the one or more logical areas of significance to one or more expected structural characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more relational characteristics of the one or more physical areas of significance to one or more expected relational characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more relational characteristics of the one or more logical areas of significance to one or more expected relational characteristics of one or more document classes;

matching one or more content characteristics of the one or more physical areas of significance to one or more expected content characteristics of one or more document classes; and

matching one or more content characteristics of the one or more logical areas of significance to one or more expected content characteristics of one or more document classes; and

classifying the facsimile using one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of;

naï

ve Bayes classification;

tf-idf weighting;

latent semantic analysis;

support vector machine analysis;

artificial neural network analysis;

k-nearest neighbor algorithmic analysis; and

decision tree analysis; and

attempting to initiate a business process based on the analysis; and

routing one or more confirmations to one or more destinations based on the analysis,

wherein the one or more confirmations is routed to a destination other than one associated with an intended recipient of the facsimile,

wherein the one or more destinations relate to the business process,

wherein the one or more destinations comprises one or more of;

a litigation department;

a sales department;

a human resources department;

a marketing department;

a billing department;

a purchasing department;

a bookkeeping department;

a product development team;

an accounting department; and

a hiring department, and

wherein the analysis does not include any optical character recognition (OCR).