Electronic document processing method and device

• US 8,854,675 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: St. Jacques, Robert Jr., Moore, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baker, Charlotte M
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRISHAM, RURY L
• Application Number:
  US13/852,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.18, 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358/1.14, 358/474, 271/213, 715/273, 715/243, 715/251, 382/112
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00074 Indicating or reporting details of user-machine interface H04N1/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00331 with an apparatus performing optical character recognition character recognition G06V30/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

In the method and device, electronic documents are created from a batch of physical documents of varying lengths. The batch comprises sub-batches of groups of multiple multi-page physical documents with separator sheets on each group. Each separator sheet is marked with a page count for any physical documents in its group. The batch is scanned-in and the resulting image pages are used to form the electronic documents. Specifically, the image pages are analyzed in sequence to identify document sheet image pages and separator sheet image pages. When a separator sheet image page is identified, the page count on that separator sheet image page is read and electronic document(s) is/are created from sequential set(s) of document sheet image pages, which follow the separator sheet image page and have the specific page count, until the next separator sheet image page is identified. This is repeated for all separator sheet image pages identified.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic documents processor of a computerized device, multiple image pages produced by scanning a batch of media sheets,

said batch comprising a plurality of sub-batches,

said sub-batches comprising;

groups of physical documents comprising document sheets, wherein at least some of said groups comprise multiple physical documents and each of said multiple physical documents in a given group have a same page count; and

separator sheets on top of said groups, said separator sheets having markings indicating page counts associated with said groups, and

said multiple image pages comprising document sheet image pages corresponding to said document sheets and separator sheet image pages corresponding to said separator sheets; and

forming, by said electronic documents processor, multiple electronic documents corresponding to all physical documents in said batch, said forming being performed by analyzing each of said multiple image pages in sequence to identify page type and, during said analyzing, performing the following;

when a separator sheet image page is identified, reading a specific page count from a marking on said separator sheet image page;

creating an electronic document having said specific page count from each sequential set of document sheet image pages following said separator sheet image page and having said specific page count, said creating being performed until a subsequent separator sheet image page is identified; and

repeating said reading and said creating for all separator sheet image pages identified.

2. The method of claim 1, said multiple physical documents each comprising multi-page physical documents.

3. The method of claim 1, said page counts being different on each of said separator sheets.

4. The method of claim 1, said markings being any one of pre-printed markings and handwritten markings.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically communicating, by an output of said computerized device, said multiple electronic documents to an electronic records system over a network connected to both said computerized device and said electronic records system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a memory of said computerized device, said multiple electronic documents;

receiving, by said computerized device from a software agent of an electronic records system, a polling request for any new electronic documents; and

after said receiving of said polling request, allowing, by said computerized device, said software agent to download said multiple electronic documents to said electronic records system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically performing job integrity checks by performing any one of the following;

verifying that each image page placed in a new electronic document is a document sheet image page; and

determining that a number of image pages between said separator sheet image page and said subsequent separator sheet image page is divisible by said specific page count.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic documents processor of a computerized device, multiple image pages produced by scanning a batch of media sheets using a single page template,

said batch comprising a plurality of sub-batches,

said sub-batches comprising;

groups of physical documents comprising document sheets, wherein at least some of said groups comprise multiple physical documents and each of said multiple physical documents in a given group have a same page count; and

separator sheets on top of said groups, said separator sheets having barcodes indicating page counts associated with said groups, and

said multiple image pages comprising document sheet image pages corresponding to said document sheets and separator sheet image pages corresponding to said separator sheets; and

forming, by said electronic documents processor, multiple electronic documents corresponding to all physical documents in said batch, said forming being performed by analyzing each of said multiple image pages in sequence, as said multiple image pages are received by said electronic documents processor, to identify page type and, during said analyzing, performing the following;

when a separator sheet image page is identified, reading a specific page count from a barcode on said separator sheet image page;

creating an electronic document having said specific page count from each sequential set of document sheet image pages identified following said separator sheet image page and having said specific page count, said creating being performed until a subsequent separator sheet image page is identified; and

repeating said reading and said creating for all separator sheet image pages identified.

9. The method of claim 8, said multiple physical documents each comprising multi-page physical documents.

10. The method of claim 8, said page counts being different on each of said separator sheets.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically communicating, by an output of said computerized device, said multiple electronic documents to an electronic records system over a network connected to both said computerized device and said electronic records system.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing, in a memory of said computerized device, said multiple electronic documents;

receiving, by said computerized device from a software agent of an electronic records system, a polling request for any new electronic documents; and

after said receiving of said polling request, allowing, by said computerized device, said software agent to download said multiple electronic documents to said electronic records system.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically performing job integrity checks by performing any one of the following;

verifying that each image page placed in a new electronic document is a document sheet image page; and

determining that a number of image pages between said separator sheet image page and said subsequent separator sheet image page is divisible by said specific page count.

14. A computerized device comprising:

an input receiving multiple image pages; and

an electronic documents processor operatively connected to said input,

said multiple image pages produced by scanning a batch of media sheets,

aid batch comprising a plurality of sub-batches,

said sub-batches comprising;

groups of physical documents comprising document sheets, wherein at least some of said groups comprise multiple physical documents and each of said multiple physical documents in a given group have a same page count; and

separator sheets on top of said groups, said separator sheets having markings indicating page counts associated with said groups, and

said multiple image pages comprising document sheet image pages corresponding to said document sheets and separator sheet image pages corresponding to said separator sheets,

said electronic documents processor further forming multiple electronic documents corresponding to all physical documents in said batch by analyzing each of said multiple images pages in sequence to identify page type and, during said analyzing, performing the following;

when a separator sheet image page is identified, reading a specific page count from a marking on said separator sheet image page;

creating an electronic document having said specific page count from each sequential set of document sheet image pages following said separator sheet image page and having said specific page count, said creating being performed until a subsequent separator sheet image page is identified; and

repeating said reading and said creating for all separator sheet image pages identified.

15. The computerized device of claim 14, said multiple physical documents each comprising multi-page physical documents.

16. The computerized device of claim 14, said page counts being different on each of said separator sheets.

17. The computerized device of claim 14, said markings being any one of pre-printed markings and handwritten markings.

18. The computerized device of claim 14, further being connected by a network to an electronic records system and further comprising an output automatically communicating said multiple electronic documents to said electronic documents processor over said network.

19. The computerized device of claim 14, further comprising a memory,

said electronic documents processor storing said multiple electronic documents in said memory, and

said computerized device receiving a polling request for any new electronic documents from a software agent of an electronic records system and, after said receiving of said polling request, allowing said software agent to download said multiple electronic documents to said electronic records system.

20. A computerized device comprising:

an input receiving multiple image pages; and

an electronic documents processor operatively connected to said input,

said multiple image pages produced by scanning a batch of media sheets using a single page template,

said batch comprising a plurality of sub-batches,

said sub-batches comprising;

groups of physical documents comprising document sheets, wherein at least some of said groups comprise multiple physical documents and each of said multiple physical documents in a given group have a same page count; and

separator sheets on top of said groups, said separator sheets having barcodes indicating page counts associated with said groups, and

said multiple image pages comprising document sheet image pages corresponding to said document sheets and separator sheet image pages corresponding to said separator sheets,

said electronic documents processor further forming multiple electronic documents corresponding to all physical documents in said batch by analyzing each of said multiple image pages in sequence, as said multiple image pages are received by said electronic documents processor, to identify page type and, during said analyzing, performing the following;

when a separator sheet image page is identified, reading a specific page count from a barcode on said separator sheet image page;

creating an electronic document having said specific page count from each sequential set of document sheet image pages identified following said separator sheet image page and having said specific page count, said creating being performed until a subsequent separator sheet image page is identified; and

repeating said reading and said creating for all separator sheet image pages identified.

21. The computerized device of claim 20, said multiple physical documents each comprising multi-page physical documents.

22. The computerized device of claim 20, said page counts being different on each of said separator sheets.

23. The computerized device of claim 20, further being connected by a network to an electronic records system and further comprising an output automatically communicating said multiple electronic documents to said electronic documents processor over said network.

24. The computerized device of claim 20, further comprising a memory,

said electronic documents processor storing said multiple electronic documents in said memory, and

said computerized device receiving a polling request for any new electronic documents from a software agent of an electronic records system and, after said receiving of said polling request, allowing said software agent to download said multiple electronic documents to said electronic records system.