System and method for document processing

• US 8,910,870 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Jingquan, Hnatow, Justin, Meier, Timothy, Deloge, Stephen Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Mikels, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/852,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20120031962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to document processing, and more particularly to systems and methods that can utilize relative positions between the content of the document and a decodable indicia affixed to the document. In one embodiment, indicia reading terminals are provided that include an imaging module for capturing a frame of image data of a document. The document can include one or more decodable indicia such as a form barcode and various content fields, which delineate particular content of the document. The form barcode can include information respecting the form design and form design data. This information can be used to process the content of the document such as by providing coordinates or similar location and positioning metrics for use in processing the content of the document. In one example, the frame of image data is analyzed to identify the form barcode, from which the relative location of the content fields can be discerned without extensive processing of the frame of image data.

Claims

1. A system for processing a document comprising, an indicia reading terminal comprising a two dimensional image sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels extending along an image plane, an optical assembly for use in focusing imaging light rays onto the plurality of pixels of said two dimensional image sensor array, and a housing encapsulating the two dimensional image sensor array and the optical assembly,

wherein the system is operative in a mode in which the system, in response to an operator initiated command, captures a frame of image data and processes the frame of image data for attempting to decode a form barcode on the document,

wherein the system is further operative to identify a coordinate system on an image plane from information stored in the form barcode, wherein the system is yet further operative to identify relative to the form barcode and in the coordinate system the position of a content field located on the document,

wherein processing of the frame of image data on a first document having the form barcode disposed thereon is faster than processing of the frame of image data on a second document without the form barcode;

wherein the system is operative to identify at least one corner of the form barcode; and

wherein the coordinate system is located relative to the identified corner.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operative to identify a form ID encoded in the form barcode, and wherein the form ID identifies an entry in a table.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operative to locate and decode the form barcode before other content fields of the document.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the system is further operative to identify a pre-assigned geometric pattern encoded in the form barcode.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operative to identify information in the content field from the form barcode.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operative to locate at least one corner of the form barcode, wherein the system is operative to locate a reference on the form barcode relative to the at least one corner, and wherein the system is operative to locate the content field relative to the reference.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operative to establish a grid having horizontal and vertical grid lines on the image plane, wherein the system is further operative to locate the content field on the grid, and wherein the grid is associated with the coordinate system.

8. A system for automatedly handling documents, said system comprising:

an indicia reading terminal comprising a two dimensional image sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels extending along an image plane, an optical assembly for use in focusing imaging light rays onto the plurality of pixels of said two dimensional image sensor array, and a housing encapsulating the two dimensional image sensor array and the optical assembly;

an external server in communication with the indicia reading terminal, the external server external to the indicia reading terminal;

wherein the system is operative in a mode in which the system, in response to an operator initiated command, captures a frame of image data and processes the frame of image data for attempting to decode a form barcode on the document, wherein the system is operative to form an image plan on which is located a grid respecting a coordinate system,

wherein the grid has grid points established from at least one corner of the form barcode, wherein the system is further operative to identify on the grid a content field with coordinates in the coordinate system that correspond to information encoded in the form barcode, and

wherein processing of the frame of image data on a first document having the form barcode disposed thereon is faster than processing of the frame of image data on a second document without the form barcode.

9. A method of processing a document comprising:

capturing a frame of image data corresponding to the document;

processing the frame of image data to locate a form barcode affixed to the document;

establishing a coordinate system on an image plane respecting the captured image data;

locating relative to the form barcode and on the coordinate system a content field on the document; and

locating at least one corner of the form barcode;

wherein processing of the frame of image data on a first document having the form barcode disposed thereon is faster than processing of the frame of image data on a second document without the form barcode; and

wherein the coordinate system is established relative to the at least one corner.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising identifying from the form barcode a form design, wherein the form design includes information respecting one or more of the location and content of the content fields of the document.

11. A method according to claim 9 further comprising:

decoding the form barcode; and

identifying an entry in a table,

wherein the entry corresponds to information in the form barcode.

12. A method according to claim 9 further comprising computing a transform and using the transform to compute the offset for the content field in the frame of image data.

13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising cropping the frame of image data about the content field.

16. A method according to claim 9 further comprising receiving the first document and the second document via automated feeding mechanism.

17. A method according to claim 9 wherein the position of the content area is embedded in the form barcode.

18. A method according to claim 9 wherein the processing is completed on an external server external to an indicia reading terminal for capturing the frame of image data.

14. A method according to 9 further comprising finding a reference from the form barcode, wherein the position of the content field is relative to the reference.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising:

attempting to decode the form barcode; and

identifying the reference from the decoded form barcode.