Using labels in a document processing system

A computer system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor;
• a document processing system residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the document processing system comprising:
• a plurality of system-defined functions;
• a plurality of user-defined functions that each corresponds to one of a plurality of users of the document processing system;
• and
• a label processing tool that receives a scan of a document that includes a label that includes:
• a machine-readable portion that includes an identifier that identifies the document to the document processing system;
• a first defined region having corresponding text adjacent the first defined region, wherein the first defined region corresponds to the plurality of system-defined functions;
• and
• a second defined region that does not have corresponding text, wherein the second defined region corresponds to at least one of the plurality of user-defined functions;
• in response to receiving the scan of the document that includes the label, the document processing system performs the following processing:
• when the first defined region of the label has a hand-written mark, the document processing system performs character recognition to determine whether the mark comprises a character, and when the mark comprises a character that corresponds to one of the plurality of system-defined functions, the document processing system performs the one system-defined function corresponding to the character;
• and
• when the second defined region of the label has a hand-written mark, the document processing system performs character recognition to determine whether the mark comprises a character, and when the mark comprises a character that corresponds to one of the plurality of user-defined functions that corresponds to one of the plurality of users, the document processing system performs the one user-defined function corresponding to the character.

A system comprising:

• (A) a label on a document that includes:
• a machine-readable portion that includes an identifier that identifies the document;
• a first defined region having corresponding text adjacent the first defined region;
• and
• a second defined region that does not have corresponding text adjacent the second defined region;
• (B) a computer system comprising:
• at least one processor;
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor;
• a document processing system residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the document processing system comprising:
• a system-defined function that corresponds to the first defined region of the label;
• a user-defined function that corresponds to the second defined region of the label for one of a plurality of users of the document processing system;
• a label processing tool that receives a scan of the document that includes the label;
• in response to receiving the scan of the document that includes the label, the label processing tool:
• determines the machine-readable portion corresponds to the one of the plurality of users;
• determines when the first defined region of the label has a hand-written mark, and when the first defined region of the label has the hand-written mark, the document processing system performs the system-defined function corresponding to the first defined region to process the document;
• and
• determines when the second defined region of the label has a hand-written mark, and when the second defined region of the label has the hand-written mark, the document processing system performs the user-defined function corresponding to the second defined region to process the document.

A method for processing a document that includes a label, the method comprising:

• scanning the document that includes the label, the label comprising:
• a machine-readable portion that includes an identifier that identifies the document;
• a first defined region;
• and
• a second defined region;
• determining whether the first region of the label has a hand-written mark;
• determining whether the second region of the label has a hand-written mark;
• when the first region of the label has a hand-written mark, determining a system-defined function corresponding to the first region, and performing the system-defined function for the document;
• when the second region of the label has a hand-written mark, determining a user-defined function corresponding to the second region, and performing the user-defined function for the document;
• and
• when neither the first region of the label nor the second region of the label has a hand-written mark, not performing the system-defined function corresponding to the first region and not performing the user-defined function corresponding to the second region.