System and method for taking over a document

• US 7,379,056 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kato, Yosuke, Hayashi, Takumi, Fujii, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US10/849,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179, 345/169, 345/182, 705/1, 709/229, 382/187, 178/18.01, 178/19.01, 715/500
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables

Abstract

A document taking-over system includes a terminal device provided with an electronic pen which gets information written by hand on a document prepared to be able to specify a kind thereof together with kind information of the document as electronic data and for transmitting the electronic data, a document taking-over apparatus for processing the electronic data to produce it as document information of XML format, a correspondence retrieval apparatus for transmitting connection information to the document taking-over apparatus to the terminal device, and a system disposed at a latter stage to utilize the document information processed by the document taking-over apparatus, which are connected to one another through a network.

Claims

1. A document taking-over system including an electronic pen terminal device provided with an electronic pen which gets information written by hand on a document prepared to be able to specify a kind thereof together with kind information of said document as electronic data and for transmitting said electronic data, a document taking-over apparatus for processing said electronic data to produce it as document information and a system disposed at a latter stage to utilize said document information, which are connected to one another through a network;

said document taking-over apparatus comprising;

communication means for receiving said electronic data from said electronic pen terminal device through said network and transmitting said document information to said system at the latter stage;

memory means for storing format information which defines specifications for converting said electronic data into a predetermined format utilizable in said system at the latter stage;

recognition means for taking out characters or selection item from said electronic data on the basis of said format information to recognize said taken-out characters or selection item;

preparation means for preparing said document information of said predetermined format on the basis of said characters or selection item recognized by said recognition means and said format information; and

registration means for registering said document information in said memory means and transmitting said document information to said system at the latter stage by means of said communication means.

2. A document taking-over system according to claim 1, wherein

said recognition means comprises a recognition unit connected to said network.

3. A document taking-over system according to claim 1, wherein

said document taking-over apparatus comprises:

preparing a display picture for inputting correspondence information indicating correspondence of said kind information of said document, said format information and said system at the latter stage by means of said preparation means; and

registering said correspondence information inputted by using said display picture in said memory means by means of said registration means and transmitting said document information to said system at the latter stage by means of said communication means on the basis of said correspondence information.

4. A document taking-over system according to claim 3, further comprising

a correction terminal apparatus connected to said network;

and wherein

said document taking-over apparatus comprises;

preparing a list picture for displaying a list of document information by means of said preparation means and transmitting said list picture to said correction terminal apparatus by means of said communication means;

preparing, when document information one wishes to correct is selected from said list picture, a correction picture for correcting said selected document information and transmitting said correction picture to said correction terminal apparatus by means of said communication means; and

registering said document information corrected in said correction picture in said memory means by means of said registration means.

5. A document taking-over system according to claim 1, wherein

said document taking-over apparatus comprises:

preparing a display picture for designating an entering area of said document and an input picture for inputting identification information for specifying at least said entering area for each entering area by means of said preparation means as separate pictures or as the same picture; and

registering specifications inputted by using said display picture as said format information in said memory means by means of said registration means.

6. A document taking-over system according to claim 5, wherein

information inputted in said input picture further contains a name of said entering area, information as to whether information contained in said entering area is transferred to said system at the latter stage or not and information as to whether characters or selection item in said entering area is recognized or not.

7. A document taking-over system according to claim 6, wherein

said predetermined format is an XML format relating data recognized as said electronic data or characters or selection item to said format information.

8. A document taking-over system including a terminal device provided with an electronic pen which gets information written by hand on a document prepared to be able to specify a kind thereof together with kind information of said document as electronic data and for transmitting said electronic data, a document taking-over apparatus for processing said electronic data to produce it as document information, a correspondence retrieval apparatus for transmitting connection information to said document taking-over apparatus to said terminal device, and a system disposed at a latter stage to utilize said document information, which are connected to one another through a network;

said correspondence retrieval apparatus comprising;

first memory means for storing at least correspondence information for causing said kind information of said document to correspond to said connection information to said document taking-over apparatus;

first communication means for communicating with said terminal device through said network; and

retrieval means for searching, when said kind information of said document is received from said terminal device, said correspondence information for said connection information to said document taking-over apparatus corresponding to said kind information of said document to transmit said connection information to said terminal device;

said document taking-over apparatus comprising;

second communication means for receiving said electronic data from said terminal device through said network and transmitting said document information to said system at the latter stage;

second memory means for storing format information which defines specifications for converting said electronic data into a predetermined format utilizable in said system at the latter stage;

recognition means for taking out characters or selection item from said electronic data on the basis of said format information to recognize said taken-out characters or selection item;

preparation means for preparing said document information of said predetermined format on the basis of said characters or selection item recognized by said recognition means and said format information; and

registration means for registering said document information in said memory means and transmitting said document information to said system at the latter stage by means of said communication means.

9. A document taking-over system according to claim 8, wherein

said correspondence retrieval apparatus further comprises

second preparation means for preparing separate display pictures or the same display picture for inputting at least said connection information to said document taking-over apparatus, connection information to said system at the latter stage, said kind information of said document, said format information and information indicative of correspondence of said document taking-over apparatus and said system at the latter stage;

and

second registration means for registering said information inputted by means of said display picture as said correspondence information in said first memory means and transmitting said correspondence information to said document taking-over apparatus by means of said first communication means.

10. A document taking-over system according to claim 9, wherein

said document taking-over apparatus comprises:

preparing a list picture for displaying a list of document information by means of said preparation means and transmitting said list picture to said terminal device by means of said second communication means;

preparing, when document information one wishes to correct is selected from said list picture, a correction picture for correcting said selected document information and transmitting said correction picture to said terminal device by means of said second communication means; and

registering said document information corrected in said correction picture in said second memory means by means of said registration means.

11. A document taking-over system comprising:

a) an electronic pen for getting information written by hand on a document prepared to be able to specify a kind thereof together with kind information of said document as electronic data;

b) an electronic pen terminal device for transmitting said electronic data; and

c) a document taking-over apparatus for processing said electronic data to produce it as document information and including;

c-1) communication means for receiving said electronic data transmitted from said electronic pen terminal device and transmitting said document information;

c-2) memory means for storing format information which defines specifications for converting said electronic data into a predetermined format;

c-3) recognition means for taking out characters or selection item from said electronic data on the basis of said format information to recognize said taken-out characters or selection item;

c-4) preparation means for preparing said document information of said predetermined format by using said characters or selection item recognized by said recognition means and said format information; and

c-5) registration means for registering said document information to be transmitted through said communication means.