Information processing methodology Number:7,075,673 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Title: Information processing methodology

Abstract: An information processing methodology gives rise to an application program interface which includes an automated digitizing unit, such as a scanner, which inputs information from a diversity of hard copy documents and stores information from the hard copy documents into a memory as stored document information. Portions of the stored document information are selected in accordance with content instructions which designate portions of the stored document information required by a particular application program. The selected stored document information is then placed into the transmission format required by a particular application program in accordance with transmission format instructions. After the information has been transmission formatted, the information is transmitted to the application program. In one operational mode, the interface interactively prompts the user to identify, on a display, portions of the hard copy documents containing information used in application programs or for storage.

Patent Number: 7,075,673 Issued on 07/11/2006 to Lech,   et al.

---

Inventors:	Lech; Robert (Jackson, NJ); Medina; Mitchell A. (New York, NY); Elias; Catherine B. (Plainsboro, NJ)
Assignee:	EON-Net L.P. (Tortola, VG)
Appl. No.:	704484
Filed:	November 6, 2003

---

Related U.S. Patent Documents

---

	Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
	09458162	Dec., 1999	6683697
	09044159	Mar., 1998	6094505
	08487150	Jun., 1995	5768416
	08348224	Nov., 1994	5625465
	08143135	Oct., 1993	5369508
	07672865	Mar., 1991	5258855

---

Current U.S. Class:	358/1.15 ; 382/175
Current International Class:	H04N 1/40 (20060101)
Field of Search:	358/1.15 382/175,177,180,282,287,306,317

---

References Cited [Referenced By]

---

U.S. Patent Documents

	3013718		December 1961		Shepard et al.
	3200372		August 1965		Hamburgen
	3303463		February 1967		Hamburgen
	3434110		March 1969		Bucklin, Jr. et al.
	3492653		January 1970		Fosdick et al.
	3582883		June 1971		Shepard
	3582884		June 1971		Shepard
	3584144		June 1971		Shepard et al.
	3631396		December 1971		Spertus
	3832682		August 1974		Brok et al.
	3848228		November 1974		MacNeill
	3903517		September 1975		Hafner
	RE29104		January 1977		Shepard
	4021777		May 1977		Shepard
	4034343		July 1977		Wilmer
	4041454		August 1977		Shepard et al.
	4047154		September 1977		Vitols et al.
	4132978		January 1979		Mercier
	4387964		June 1983		Arrazola et al.
	4553261		November 1985		Froessl
	4564752		January 1986		Lepic et al.
	4572962		February 1986		Shepard
	4593367		June 1986		Slack et al.
	4659940		April 1987		Shepard
	4667248		May 1987		Kanno
	4672678		June 1987		Koezuka et al.
	4760246		July 1988		Shepard
	4760606		July 1988		Lesnick et al.
	4776016		October 1988		Hansen
	4782509		November 1988		Shepard
	4802104		January 1989		Ogiso
	4802231		January 1989		Davis
	4803734		February 1989		Onishi et al.
	4931957		June 1990		Takagi et al.
	4933979		June 1990		Suzuki et al.
	4974260		November 1990		Rudak
	5017763		May 1991		Shepard
	5031121		July 1991		Iwai et al.
	5034990		July 1991		Klees
	5052038		September 1991		Shepard
	5095445		March 1992		Sekiguchi
	5140139		August 1992		Shepard
	5140650		August 1992		Casey et al.
	5153927		October 1992		Yamanari
	5159667		October 1992		Borrey et al.
	5191525		March 1993		LeBrun et al.
	5218539		June 1993		Elphick et al.
	5228100		July 1993		Takeda et al.
	5245166		September 1993		Shepard
	5251268		October 1993		Colley et al.
	5257328		October 1993		Shimizu
	5258855		November 1993		Lech et al.
	5282267		January 1994		Woo, Jr. et al.
	5307424		April 1994		Kuehl
	5367619		November 1994		Dipaolo
	5404294		April 1995		Kamik
	5416849		May 1995		Huang
	5444840		August 1995		Froessl
	5448738		September 1995		Good et al.
	5452379		September 1995		Poor
	5455875		October 1995		Chevion et al.
	5506697		April 1996		Li et al.
	5511135		April 1996		Rhyne et al.
	5526447		June 1996		Shepard
	5550930		August 1996		Berman et al.
	5555325		September 1996		Burger
	5696854		December 1997		Shepard
	5734761		March 1998		Bagley
	5852685		December 1998		Shepard
	5923792		July 1999		Shyu et al.
	5933531		August 1999		Lorie
	6067517		May 2000		Bahl et al.
	6094505		July 2000		Lech et al.

Foreign Patent Documents

	0 107 083		Jul., 1988		EP
	64-38883		Feb., 1989		JP
	3-161886		Jul., 1991		JP

Other References

PC Magazine, vol. 5, No. 16, Sep. 30, 1986. cited by other . TopScan Professional User's Guide, Calera Recognition Systems, pp. v-vii, xi-xiii, and 1-6, 1989. cited by other . Que's Computer user's Dictionary, 2.sup.nd Ed., Bryan Pfaffenberger (author); 1991; p. 144. cited by other . "Kurzwell 5200 Intelligent Scanning System", Xerox Imaging Systems, Inc., 1990. cited by other . Edward O. Welles, Decisions, Decisions, Inc., Aug. 1990, pp. 80-90. cited by other . Palantir PagePro User's Guide, Rev. A, Dec. 1986, sections 1 and 4 and Appendix C. cited by other . PageRead Library Developer's Guide, Rev. B, Aug. 1989, pp. PRL1-3, SHC25-26, TUT9-10. cited by other . With AutoClass there is no more to Indexing than OCR, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Nov.-Dec. 1990, p. 46. cited by other . Daniel Borrey, Machine Recognition and Classification of Documents, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Nov.-Dec. 1990, pp. 20-23. cite- d by other . The Very Best in Optical Character Recognition, IMAGING, Mar. 1992, pp. 43-47. cited by other . Why Insurance Companies Take the Risk on Document Imaging, IMAGING, Mar. 1992, pp. 48-54. cited by other . "OCR for Forms" (advertisement), IMAGING, Apr. 1992. cited by other . David Black, The Right and The Wrong Ways to Index, IMAGING, May 1992, pp. 47-50. cited by other . Greg Bartels, How to Successfully Convert Your Backfiles, IMAGING, May 1992, pp. 55-56. cited by other . But, Is It a Boy or Girl? IMAGING, Oct. 1992, p. 10. cited by other . Gerry Frieser, Suddenly, OCR is a "Must Buy", IMAGING, Dec. 1992, pp. 22-25. cited by other . 14 of the Hottest OCR Software Packages and Systems, IMAGING, Dec. 1992, pp. 26-31, 33, 35. cited by other . How Form Processing Works, Plus Pros and Cons, IMAGING, Dec. 1992, p. 36. cited by other . Forms Processing Products Meet the Challenge of OCRing Forms, IMAGING, Dec. 1992, p. 38-40. cited by other . Herbert F. Schantz, Forms Automation and Integrated Imaging (OCR) Systems, Remmittance and Document Processing Today, Mar. -Apr. 1991, pp. 9-11. cit- ed by other . Don Merz, OCR: A Health Insurance Application, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Jul.-Aug. 1989, pp. 18-20. cited by other . Industry News, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Jul.-Aug. 1989, p. 22. cited by other . Industry News and New Products, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Oct. 1984, pp. 17-18. cited by other . R. C. Gonzalez, Designing Balance Into An OCR System, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Mar. 1988, pp. 7, 10-11. cited by other . Ambrose R. Rightler, OCR Qualtiy Control Procedures for Remittance Processing: Can You Afford to be Without It? Remittance and Document Processing Today, Mar. 1988, pp. 12-15. cited by other . Product Watch, MACWEEK, Oct. 3, 1989, pp. 32, 34, 38, 40, 42. cited by oth- er . Industry News, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Jan. 1989, p. 9. cited by other . Scott Beamer, Mac OCR Takes a Big Step Forward, MACWEEK, Jun. 13, 1989. cited by other . Matthew Lake, Strength of Character (Recognition), PUBLISH, Jan. 1991, pp. 62-67. cited by other . R. David Nelson and Karen A. Hamill, Optical Scanning at Chemical Abstracts Service for Building Computer Files From Printed Index Data, Recognition Technologies Today, Feb. 1985, pp. 1-6, 15. cited by other . Gerald Farmer, HNC IDEPT9 and Recognition Enhanced Data Entry: The Cost-Cutting Approach to Automaated Data Entry, Remittance and Document Processing Today, Jan.-Feb. 1991, pp. 24-26. cited by other . David Gertler, Automated Data Entry, Seybold Report on Desktop Publishing, Jan. 15, 1990, pp. 3-17. cited by other . Eric Aas and Peter Davidoff, Teaching Your Scanner to Read, Personal Publishing, May 1990, pp. 28, 31, 33. cited by other . Phillip Robinson et al., Character Witnesses, MACUSER, Jul. 1990, pp. 120-136. cited by other . Brita Meng, Text Without Typing, MACWORLD, Oct. 1990, pp. 177-183. cited by other . Jim Heid, Getting Started with Optical Character Recognition, MACWORKD, Oct. 1990, pp. 297-301. cited by other . Stanford Diehl and Howard Eglowstein, Tame the Paper Tiger, BYTE, Apr. 1991, pp. 220-238. cited by other . Alan Joch and Rich Graham, Voices of Experience, BYTE, Apr. 1991, pp. 239-241. cited by other . Gregory Boleslavsky and Roman Tutunikov, The New Generation of OCR, INFORM, Jan. 1990, pp. 34-37. cited by other . Calera Recognition Systems, Inc., TopScan Professional User's Guide: Complete Document Recognition for PCs and Compatibles (1989). cited by other . Calera Recognition Systems, Inc., TopScan Professional Installation Notes for Scanners, Fax Cards, and System Configuration (1989). cited by other . Calera Recognition Systems, Inc., TopScan Professional Troubleshooting Guide (1989). cited by other . Xerox Imaging Systmes, Inc., Datacopy AccuText User's Guide (1989). cited by other . Invoice from Corporate Intelligence Corporation to Workman, Nydegger & Seeley, dated Sep. 21, 1999. cited by other . Examiner Interview Summary Record, Jan. 25, 1996, and related Amendment, for U.S. Appl. No. 08/097,131. cited by other . Jane B. Newman, Formstar Ad; "Stack the Facts, Not the Forms"--May 24, 1987; "Stack and Send Just the Facts--and Improve the Efficiency of your Forms Application". cited by other . TeleImage Systems Document and Image Database Systems User's Manual- Ramat Gan, Israel; Table of Contents and pp. 2-1 through 5-20. cited by other . Form Out! Programmer's Manual; TeleImage Systems, Ramat Gan Israel; published Feb. 1991 pp. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII; 1.1-6.29 and A.1-G.11. cited by other . IPLEXUS, "The Extended Data Processing Concept", Plexus Computers, Ltd., 1988. cited by other . Laserfiche United, Capabilities and Functional Specifications, 2002 Compulink Management Center, Inc. cited by other . The LaserFiche.TM. System, LF00007-LF00010, Copyright 1998 Compulink Management Center. cited by other . LaserFiche.TM., Integrated Document Imaging and Text Processing Systems, Compulink Management Center, Inc. cited by other . Compulink Management Center, Copyright 1989, LF-00006. cited by other . PC Week, Document-Archival System Combines DOS with CD ROM, LF00011-LF-00032. cited by other . LASERFICHE, Zone OR Plug-in, 2002 Compulink Management Center, Inc. cited by other . LASERFICHE, Efficient Integration, http://www.laserfiche.com/products/techadmin/integration.html, Jul. 2, 2004. cited by other . LASERFICHE, Inteator's Toolkit, Compulink Management Center, Inc. 2003. cited by other . LASERFICHE, LaserFiche Integration Express-GIS.TM., http://www.laserfiche.com/products/integrationexpress-gis.html, Jul. 2, 2004. cited by other . OCR Texiris, Texiris User's Guide, Version 2.1, Image Recognition Integrated systems S.A. cited by other . Texiris User's Guide, 13. Interfacing Data Base Management Systems. cited by other . Texiris User's Guide, 5. Correction Tools. cited by other.

Primary Examiner: Lee; Thomas D.
Assistant Examiner: Brinich; Stephen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Foley & Lardner LLP

---

Parent Case Text

---

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/458,162, filed Dec. 9, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,697 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/044,159, filed Mar. 19, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,505), which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/487,150, filed Jun. 7, 1995 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,416), which is a divisional of Ser. No. 08/348,224, filed Nov. 28, 1994 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,465), which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/143,135, filed Oct. 29, 1993 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,508), which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/672,865, filed Mar. 20, 1991 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,855).

---

Claims

---

What is claimed is:

1. A system configurable to input information from an electronic document template displayed on a display of a first computer into a plurality of application programs operable on another computer in which said template automatically generates content instructions to extract data and to transmit said data to at least one field in at least one of said plurality of application programs according to customizable transmission format instructions which are dependent upon and compatible with said at least one application program, operating on said other computer, that is receiving said transmitted data.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 in which said system is a distributed computing system.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said content instructions automatically parse said data to said at least one field in said application program.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated interactively with said user.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said extracted data comprises billing information.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said extracted data comprises financial information.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said extracted data comprises personal information.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said extracted data comprises customer information.

11. A method of doing business utilizing a computer system configurable to input information from an electronic document template displayed on a display of a first computer into a plurality of application programs operable on another computer comprising the steps of: displaying an image of the electronic document on the first computer; utilizing the image of the electronic document of said first computer as said template; utilizing said template to automatically generate content instructions; extracting data corresponding to said information from the image of the electronic document utilizing said content instructions; transmitting said extracted data to at least one field in said at least one of said plurality of application programs on said other computer; said transmitting being done in accordance with customizable transmission format instructions which are transmission format instructions customizable to be dependent upon and compatible with said at least one of said plurality of application programs operating on said other computer that is receiving said transmitted data.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of executing the application program on said other computer.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said extracted data comprises billing information.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said extracted data comprises financial information.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said extracted data comprises personal information.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said extracted data comprises customer information.

17. An interface of a computer system configurable to input information from an electronic document template displayed on a display of a first computer into a plurality of application programs operable on another computer, said interface for inputting and transmitting information comprising: means for displaying an image of the electronic document on the first computer; means for utilizing the image of the electronic document of said first computer as said template; means, utilizing said template, to automatically generate content instructions; means for extracting data corresponding to said information from the image of the electronic document utilizing said content instructions; means for transmitting said extracted data to at least one field in said at least one of said plurality of application programs on an other computer, different from said first computer and in accordance with customizable transmission format instructions which are transmission format instructions customizable to be compatible with said at least one of said plurality of application programs, operating on said other computer, that is receiving said transmitted data.

18. The interface as recited in claim 17 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated interactively with said user.

19. The interface as recited in claim 17 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

20. The interface as recited in claim 17 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

21. The interface as recited in claim 17 wherein said extracted data comprises billing information.

22. The interface as recited in claim 17 wherein said extracted data comprises financial information.

23. The interface as recited in claim 17 wherein said extracted data comprises personal information.

24. The interface as recited in claim 17 wherein said extracted data comprises customer information.

25. A method utilizing a computer system configurable to input information from an electronic document template displayed on a display of a first computer into a plurality of application programs operable on another computer, said method comprising the steps of: displaying an image of the electronic document on the first computer; utilizing the image of the electronic document of said first computer as the template; utilizing said, template to automatically generate content instructions; extracting data corresponding to said information from the image of the electronic document utilizing said content instructions; transmitting said extracted data to at least one field in said at least one of said plurality of application programs operable on said other computer; said transmitting being done in accordance with customizable transmission format instructions which are transmission format instructions customizable to be dependent upon and compatible with said at least one of said plurality of application programs, operating on said other computer that is receiving said transmitted data.

26. The method as recited in claim 25 further comprising the step of executing the application program on said other computer.

27. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said extracted data comprises billing information.

28. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said extracted data comprises financial information.

29. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said extracted data comprises personal information.

30. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said extracted data comprises customer information.

31. An application program interface for use in data processing in a computer system configurable to input information from an electronic document template displayed on a display of a first computer into a plurality of application programs operable on another computer, said interface comprising: utilities for enabling automatic generation of content instructions using the electronic document template, said content instructions designating data portions of said electronic document template required by at least one of said plurality of application programs; utilities for enabling formatting of said data portions used by said at least one of said plurality of application programs based on customizable transmission format instructions which are transmission format instructions customizable to be dependent upon and compatible with said at least one of said plurality of application programs; and utilities for automatically enabling transmission of formatted selected data portions to said at least one of said plurality of application programs, operating on said other computer that is receiving said transmitted data.

32. The application program interface as recited in claim 31, wherein said content instructions automatically parse said data to said at least one field in said application program.

33. The application program interface as recited in claim 31, wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

34. The application program interface as recited in claim 31, wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

35. The application program interface as recited in claim 31, wherein said content instructions are automatically generated interactively with said user.

36. The application program interface as recited in claim 31, further comprising utilities for enabling storage of said content instructions.

37. The application program interface as recited in claim 31, wherein said interface operates in a distributed computing system.

38. The application program interface as recited in claim 31, further comprising utilities for enabling definition of said electronic document template for associating portions of said electronic document template with specific variables.

39. The application program as recited in claim 31 wherein said designated data comprises billing information.

40. The application program as recited in claim 31 wherein said designated data comprises financial information.

41. The application program as recited in claim 31 wherein said designated data comprises personal information.

42. The application program as recited in claim 31 wherein said designated data comprises customer information.

43. A method of processing information utilizing a computer system configurable to input information from an electronic document template displayed on a display of a first computer into a plurality of application programs operable on another computer, said method comprising the steps of: displaying an image of an electronic document on the first computer for inputting information into at least one of said plurality of application programs stored on an other computer according to transmission format instructions; processing the information by automatically generating content instructions to parse at least a portion of the image to at least one field of information required by said at least one of said plurality of application programs; and transferring said at least one field of information to said at least one of said plurality of application programs utilizing customizable transmission format instructions which are transmission format instructions customizable to be dependent upon and compatible with said at least one of said application programs, operating on said other computer that is receiving said transmitted data.

44. The method as recited in claim 43 wherein said information comprises billing information.

45. The method as recited in claim 43 wherein said information comprises financial information.

46. The method as recited in claim 43 wherein said information comprises personal information.

47. The method as recited in claim 43 wherein said information comprises customer information.

48. An information processing system configurable to input information from a first computer into a plurality of application programs operable on another computer in which a template document transmitted by said first computer to said other computer includes content instructions to automatically extract data and to transmit said data to at least one field in at least one of said plurality of application programs according to customizable transmission format instructions which are transmission format instructions dependent upon and customizable to be compatible with said at least one of said plurality of applications programs, operating on said other computer that is receiving said transmitted data.

49. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 in which said system is a distributed computing system.

50. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 wherein said content instructions automatically parse said data to said at least one field in said application program.

51. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using a mouse function.

52. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated using speech recognition.

53. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 wherein said content instructions are automatically generated interactively with said user.

54. The method as recited in claim 48 wherein said extracted data comprises billing information.

55. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 wherein said extracted data comprises financial information.

56. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 wherein said extracted data comprises personal information.

57. The information processing system as recited in claim 48 wherein said extracted data comprises customer information.

---

Description

---

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a system for efficiently processing information originating from hard copy documents. More specifically, the invention is directed to a hard copy document to application program interface which minimizes the need to manually process hard copy documents.

In the past, information contained on hard copy documents was manually entered into a computer via the input controller of a particular computer. The original document was then filed away for future reference. Automatic input of data was limited to the input of Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) data and to Optical Character Recognition (OCR) data. This fixed-position data was forwarded directly to a dedicated computer application specifically designed to accommodate the input format. In more recent years typewritten text has been mechanically inputted into a computer via a text file. Examples of this latter type of system are word processors and photo-typesetters.

These conventional systems have limitations which decrease the efficiency of processing information from a hard copy document. For example, the systems discussed above are limited in their application to MICR, OCR, or typewritten data. Parsing and processing data is limited to the particular requirements of the particular computer application which requires the input data. In addition, in these conventional systems, the actual hard copy document must be retained for future reference at great expense.

In a sophisticated computer network, different users may require different portions of the information contained on a hard copy document. For example, if the hard copy document is an invoice returned with payment of a bill, the accounting department may need all of the monetary information contained on the bill while the mailroom may need only customer address information, to update a customer's address. Therefore, there is a need for a system in which specific information from a hard copy document can be selectively distributed to various users.

Another problem with conventional systems is that users, even within the same company, may require that the information extracted from a hard copy document be transmitted to a particular application program in a specific transmission format. For example, one department in a company may use a particular application program which must receive information using a particular character as a delimiter and other departments may require the information in a different format using different delimiters.

Another problem, particularly for small businesses, is that current systems can not efficiently accommodate the inputting of information from a diversity of hard copy documents. A large business which receives many forms in the same format can afford a system which inputs a high volume of information in that format into memory. For example, it is cost-effective for a bank which processes hundreds of thousands of checks a month to buy a dedicated machine which can read information off of checks having a rigidly defined, or fixed, format. However, as the diversity of forms received by a business increases relative to the number of forms that must be processed, it becomes less cost-effective to design a dedicated machine for processing each type of form format. This problem is particularly significant in small businesses which may, for example, receive fifty invoices a month, all in different, non-fixed, formats. It is frequently not cost-effective for a small business to design dedicated systems for inputting information in each of these various formats. This leaves a small business with no other practical alternative than to manually input the information off of each invoice each month.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide an application program interface which allows a user to select specific portions of information extracted from a diversity of hard copy documents and allows the user to direct portions of this information to several different users in accordance with the needs of the particular user.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cost-effective system for inputting hard copy documents which can accommodate hard copy documents in a diversity of formats.

It is another object of the invention to provide an application program interface which allows a user to put information, which is to be transmitted, into a particular transmission format, based upon the needs of the receiver of the information.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an application program interface which will allow the extraction, selection, formatting, routing, and storage of information from a hard copy document in a comprehensive manner such that the hard copy document itself need not be retained.

It is another object of the invention to provide a system which reduces the amount of manual labor required to process information originating from a hard copy document.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the time required to process information originating from a hard copy document so that a higher volume of transactions involving hard copy documents can be processed.

The invention provides an application program interface which inputs a diversity of hard copy documents using an automated digitizing unit and which stores information from the hard copy documents in a memory as stored document information. Portions of the stored document information are selected in accordance with content instructions which define portions of the stored document information required by a particular application unit. Selected stored document information is then formatted into the transmission format used by the particular application program based on transmission format instructions. The transmission formatted selected stored document information is then transmitted to the particular application program. The hard copy documents may contain textual information or image information or both.

The interface operates in three different modes.

In a first mode, the interface extracts all of the information from hard copy documents and stores this information in memory. Parsing of various portions of the extracted information is performed in accordance with content instructions.

In a second mode, the user operates interactively with the interface by use of a display and an input device, such as a mouse. In this second mode, a hard copy document is inputted and displayed on the display. The interface then prompts the user to identify the location of various information. For example, the interface can ask the user to identify the location or address information on the hard copy document. In response, the user positions the mouse to identify address information using a cursor. The identified information is then stored as address information in memory. Subsequently, the interface again prompts the user to identify other pieces of information, which are then stored in the appropriate locations in memory. This process proceeds until all of the information which is desired to be extracted off of the hard copy document is stored in memory.

In a third mode of operation, selected portions of information are extracted off of hard copy documents in accordance with predetermined location information which has been specified by the user. For example, the user can define a template which specifies the location of information on hard copy documents. Templates can be formed in conjunction with second mode operation. Alternatively, the user can instruct the interface to search hard copy documents for a particular character or symbol, located on the hard copy documents. The information desired to be extracted off of the hard copy documents is specified relative to the location of this character or symbol.

The interface can also prompt or receive from an applications program or another information processing system, required information, content instructions, and format instructions.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates hardware for implementing a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hard copy document containing information to be processed by the instant invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are enlarged views of the computer of FIG. 1 used to explain how the invention interactively prompts a user to identify information;

FIG. 4 is an overall data flow diagram for the FIG. 1 preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a detailed input data flow diagram for the FIG. 1 preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a detailed information processing data flow diagram for the FIG. 1 preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a more detailed information processing data flow diagram for the maintain library module of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a more detailed information processing data flow diagram for the maintain definitions module of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a more detailed information processing data flow diagram for the process document module of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a detailed output data flow diagram for the FIG. 1 preferred embodiment;

FIG. 11 lists data corresponding to the hard copy document of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C illustrate examples of data which can be selected from the extracted data of FIG. 11 in accordance with content instructions;

FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C illustrate examples of the data of FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C formatted in accordance with various transmission format instructions to form input files; and

FIG. 14 illustrates another example of a hard copy document containing information to be processed by the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hardware

The invention provides an interface between information originating from a hard copy document and a computer application unit which uses the information. The computer application unit can be a particular computer application program or a device which is controlled in accordance with instructions or information from the hard copy document. The invention also allows storing a copy of the hard copy document in a memory and retrieving the copy of the hard copy document. By providing a comprehensive and integrated system which can accommodate almost all of the possible uses of information contained on a hard copy document, the instant invention allows for a paperless office.

The invention includes hardware and software necessary to extract, retrieve, and process information from the hard copy document. A copy of the actual image of the hard copy document is stored in memory. Textual information extracted from the hard copy document is also stored in memory. Textual information is information, such as alphanumeric characters, which is recognized on the hard copy document and which is stored in a form which corresponds to the particular recognized character. For example, the extracted characters can be stored in the ASCII format in an electronic memory.

The user can have all of the information extracted from the hard copy document and stored in memory. Alternatively, the interface can interactively prompt the user to identify specific pieces of information for storage. The interface can also extract specific pieces of information using a predefined template. The interface can also prompt or receive from another information processing system or an applications program desired information, content instructions, and format instructions.

The instant invention also provides for parsing information extracted from the hard copy document and for directing this parsed information to specific users or application programs as an input file.

The invention also permits the user to define the transmission format of the input file for a particular computer application unit.

FIG. 1 illustrates hardware for implementing a preferred embodiment of a hard copy document to application program interface according to the instant invention. The interface 200 processes information extracted off of hard copy document 100 and provides information to application units 270 in a form required by each particular application unit. The interface extracts information off of a hard copy document 100 utilizing a scanner 210. The scanner 210 can be any type of scanner which extracts information off of hard copy documents, for example, an Optical Reader.

The scanned information is stored in a scanner memory 220 or in main memory 250, as will be described in greater detail below. If main memory 250 or another memory is, available to store the scanned information, then scanner memory 220 can be omitted.

The information from scanner memory 220 or main memory 250 is transmitted to computer 230. In the preferred embodiment, computer 230 includes a display 232, a keyboard 234, and a mouse 236. The display 232 displays an image of the hard copy document itself and/or information necessary to process the information extracted off of the hard copy document.

The computer 230 is used to select portions of the stored document information contained in memory in accordance with content instructions which define portions of the stored document information required by an application unit. These content instructions may be provided by the application program. Alternatively, the content instructions can be inputted via an input device such as a keyboard, a touch screen, a mouse, a notepad, a voice recognition device, or the like.

The computer 230 is also used to format selected stored document information into the transmission format used by an application unit based on transmission format instructions. The transmission format instructions may be provided by the application program. Alternatively, the transmission format instructions can be inputted via a keyboard, a touch screen, a mouse, a notepad, a voice recognition device, or the like.

Thus, the computer 230 is used to generate an input file for a particular application unit. The computer 230 is connected to scanner memory 220, main, or permanent, memory 250, a printer 260, and application units 270, via a bus 240. Although FIG. 1 illustrates use of a bus to connect components together, it is understood that any routing or connecting link, implemented in hardware or software or both, can be employed instead of, or in addition to, a bus. Instructions to or in the computer 230 control the main memory 250, the printer 260, the application units 270, and the bus 240. Instructions to or in computer 230 can also control exchanges of information with scanner memory 220.

When the computer 230 generates an input file for a particular document, the computer 230 can send this input file directly to an application unit or can store this input file in the main memory 250 until required by an application unit. The main memory 250 may also optionally store a copy of the image information for the hard copy document and the textual information for the hard copy document. Thus, the image information and textual information from the hard copy document can be retrieved and printed out on printer 260. In addition, image and textual information stored in scanner memory 220 or in main memory 250 can be used to form additional input files at the time of input or at a later time, based on content instructions and transmission format instructions. Thus, the invention can, at the discretion of the user, eliminate the need to retain copies of hard copy documents, permitting a paperless office.

The application units 270 include particular application programs and devices which are controlled in accordance with information contained on hard copy document 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hard copy document 100 which contains information to be processed by the instant invention. The document illustrated in FIG. 2 is a bill from XYZ Corporation to customer ABC Corporation. FIG. 2 is only an example of a type of document that can be processed by the instant invention.

In a first operational mode, the scanner 210 stores all of the information extracted off of hard copy document 100 in the scanner memory 220 or, alternatively, in main memory 250. The extracted information is stored in two forms. The actual image of the hard copy document 100 is stored as image information in the scanner memory 220. In addition, the scanner memory 220 stores textual information recognized on the hard copy document 100 by, for example, employing standard character recognition software. In the preferred embodiment, the textual information is stored in ASCII format. The scanner memory 220 can be, for example, an electronic, magnetic, or optical