One-screen reconciliation of business document image data, optical character recognition extracted data, and enterprise resource planning data

• US 8,094,976 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Esker Incorporated (Esker SA)
• Original Assignee: Esker Incorporated (Esker SA)
• Inventors: Berard, Jean-Jacques, Perotin, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jayesh A
• Application Number:
  US11/866,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090092318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 382/321
• US Class Current: 382/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator

Abstract

Systems and methods of reconciling data from an imaged document. In one embodiment, a business document is scanned to create a business document image. A set of extracted data is extracted from the business document image via optical character recognition (OCR). The set of OCR extracted data is then compared with data in business information management or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. A set of ERP data is retrieved from the ERP system that relates to the set of OCR extracted data. The retrieved ERP data is than assigned to the set of OCR extracted data to create a set of assigned data. The business document image is then displayed in a business document image pane, the set of OCR extracted data is displayed in the OCR data pane, and the retrieved ERP data is displayed in the ERP data pane. The set of assigned data is validated, and the ERP system is updated with the set of validated, assigned data. In other embodiments, data is extracted from text files without using OCR.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method of reconciling data from an imaged business document, the method comprising:

scanning a business document with a scanner to create a business document image;

extracting a set of data from the business document image using optical character recognition to create a set of optical character recognition extracted data, the set of optical character recognition extracted data including at least one optical character recognition extracted data field;

comparing the at least one optical character recognition extracted data field with data from a business information management system;

automatically matching, based on the comparison, a set of business information management data to the at least one optical character recognition extracted data field to create a set of matched business information management data;

retrieving the set of matched business information management data from the business information management system;

assigning, based on the automatic matching, the retrieved set of matched business information management data to the at least one optical character recognition extracted data field to create a set of assigned data, the set of assigned data including the at least one optical character recognition extracted data field and the retrieved set of matched business information management data;

displaying the business document image in a business document image pane generated on a display;

displaying the set of optical character recognition extracted data in an optical character recognition data pane generated on the display;

displaying the retrieved set of matched business information management data in a business information management data pane generated on the display;

moving the set of assigned data from the business information management data pane to the optical character recognition data pane,

wherein the business document image, the optical character recognition extracted data, and the business information management data are displayed simultaneously in a window of the display;

validating the assignment of the set of business information management data to the at least one optical character recognition extracted data field to create a validated set of assigned data; and

updating the business information management system with the validated set of assigned data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

checking for one or more missing optical character recognition extracted data fields;

checking for one or more incorrect optical character recognition extracted data fields;

checking for one or more missing business information management data fields; and

checking for one or more incorrect business information management data fields.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying each of the document image pane, the optical character recognition data pane, and the business information management data pane in the window of the display.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

graphically displaying irreconcilable optical character recognition extracted data fields; and

extracting additional optical character recognition extracted data from the document image.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

extracting additional optical character recognition extracted data in response to a user input.

6. A system for reconciling data from a business document with data in a business information management system, the system comprising:

a user input device;

a monitor;

a computer connected to the user input device and the monitor, the computer configured to communicate with the business information management system;

receive a business document;

extract a set of data from the business document to create a set of extracted data, the set of extracted data including at least one extracted data field;

compare the at least one extracted data field with data from the business information management system;

automatically match, based on the comparison, a set of business information management data to the at least one extracted data field to create a set of matched business information management data;

retrieve the set of matched business information management data;

assign, based on the automatic matching, the retrieved set of matched business information management data to the at least one extracted data field to create a set of assigned data, the set of assigned data including the at least one extracted data field and the retrieved set of matched business information management data;

generate one or more signals to display the business document in a document image pane;

generate one or more signals to display the set of extracted data in an extracted data pane;

generate one or more signals to display the retrieved set of matched business information management data in a business information management data pane;

move the set of assigned data from the business information management data pane to the extracted data pane;

validate the assignment of the retrieved set of matched business information management data to the at least one extracted data field to create a validated set of assigned data; and

update the business information management system with the validated set of assigned data,

wherein the computer is configured to display the document image pane, the extracted data pane, and the business information management data panes simultaneously in a single window of the monitor.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the computer is configured to extract the set of data using optical character recognition extraction.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the computer is configured to:

graphically display irreconcilable extracted data fields; and

extract additional extracted data from the business document.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the computer is configured to extract additional extracted data in response to a user input.

10. A method of reconciling data from a business document, the method comprising:

extracting a set of data from a business document to create a set of extracted data, the set of extracted data including at least one extracted data field;

comparing the set of extracted data with data from a business information management system;

automatically matching a set of business information management data to the at least one extracted data field to create a set of matched business information management data;

retrieving the set of matched business information management data;

assigning the retrieved set of matched business information management data to the at least one extracted data field to create a set of assigned data, the set of assigned data including the at least one extracted data field and the retrieved set of matched business information management data;

displaying the business document in a document image pane located within a window;

displaying the set of extracted data in an extracted data pane located within the window simultaneously with the document image pane;

displaying the retrieved set of matched business information management data in a business information management data pane located within the window simultaneously with the document image pane and the extracted data pane;

validating the assignment of the retrieved set of matched business information management data to the at least one extracted data field to create a validated set of assigned data;

updating the business information management system with the validated set of assigned data;

moving the set of assigned data from the business information management data pane to the extracted data pane;

graphically displaying irreconcilable extracted data fields; and

extracting additional extracted data from the business document.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

checking for one or more missing extracted data fields;

checking for one or more incorrect extracted data fields;

checking for one or more missing business information management data fields; and

checking for one or more incorrect business information management data fields.