DOCUMENT HANDLING

• US 20080062472A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. (Morgan Stanley)
• Original Assignee: Morgan Stanley
• Inventors: Chambers, Mark, Logan-Rabb, Debra, Pulzello, Fred, Garg, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition

Abstract

Methods of processing incoming documents. The methods may comprise receiving a plurality of documents in electronic form and classifying each of the plurality of documents into at least one of a plurality of document classifications. The methods may also comprise extracting metadata from the plurality of documents. In addition, the methods may comprise executing a first workflow for processing documents classified in a first document classification selected from the plurality of document classifications and executing a second workflow for processing documents classified in a second document classification selected from the plurality of document classifications.

Claims

1. A method of processing incoming documents, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of documents in electronic form;

classifying each of the plurality of documents into at least one of a plurality of document classifications;

extracting metadata from the plurality of documents;

executing a first workflow for processing documents classified in a first document classification selected from the plurality of document classifications; and

executing a second workflow for processing documents classified in a second document classification selected from the plurality of document classifications.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the plurality of documents in paper form; and

scanning the plurality of documents to the electronic form.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the scanning occurs at a first location, and further comprising transmitting electronic forms of the documents corresponding to the first portion of the scanning to a central location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second workflows are executed at the central location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing optical character recognition (OCR) on at least one of the plurality of documents.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the classifying comprises considering an envelope associated with at least one of the plurality of documents.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying an image enhancement algorithm to the plurality of documents.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the classifying comprises considering at least one document attribute selected from the group consisting of shape, a bar code present on a document, a position of text on a document, and a position of symbols on a document.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least one unclassified document to an operator;

receiving from the operator an indication of at least one of the plurality of document classifications that corresponds to the document.

10. The method of claim 1, where the extracting metadata comprises extracting metadata from a first location on a first document selected from the plurality of documents and where the first location is determined considering a classification of the first document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document classification includes returned mail documents and wherein the first workflow is for processing returned mail.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document classification includes legal documents and wherein the first workflow is for processing legal documents.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first workflow comprises:

sorting the documents classified into the first document classification into types, wherein each type corresponds to a type of legal document; and

assigning a first type to at least one member of a legal department for review.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document classification includes client correspondence and wherein the first workflow is for processing client correspondence.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document classification includes documents including requests to open client accounts with a service provider.

16. A method of processing returned mail documents, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of returned mail documents in electronic form;

extracting metadata from the returned mail documents;

correlating a returned mail document selected from the plurality of returned mail documents to a first client account considering the extracted metadata;

if the returned mail document comprises a forwarding address, generating instructions for re-sending the returned mail document to the forwarding address; and

updating a status of the first client account.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the returned mail document was sent prior to the last address change associated with the first client account; and

if the returned mail document was sent prior to the last address change associated with the first client account, generating instructions for resending the returned mail document to a new address associated with the first client account.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising, if the returned mail document includes a forwarding address:

updating an indicator associated with the first client account to indicate that the existing address associated with the first client account is undeliverable;

generating instructions for resending the first returned mail to the forwarding address.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether the first client account is open.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein updating the status of the first client account comprises:

determining whether any other mail documents correlated to the first client account have been returned;

updating the number of returned mail documents correlated to the first client account considering the mail document.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the plurality of mail documents in paper form;

scanning the plurality of mail documents to electronic form; and

storing the paper form documents for a predetermined amount of time.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the correlating comprises searching the metadata from the returned documents for an indication of the first client account.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the metadata comprises indications of at least one datum selected from the group consisting of an addressee, a mailing address, a forwarding address, a type of document;

a corresponding client account.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying the returned mail document to a user when the correlating fails.