Systems and methods for preserving and maintaining document integrity

A computer-readable medium that stores instructions, which when executed by a computer perform steps in a method for preserving and maintaining document integrity, the steps comprising:

• selecting document layer data for encoding, the document layer data corresponding to pages of a document;
• encoding the selected document layer data in a machine-readable format to form machine-readable code associated with the selected document layer data;
• determining an amount of space available on each page of the document to print the machine-readable code associated with document layer data corresponding to that page of the document;
• and
• printing contents of a page of the document together with its associated machine-readable code, if space is available on the page to print the associated machine-readable code;
• or
• printing the associated machine-readable code separately from the contents of the page, if space available on the page is not sufficient to print the associated machine-readable code.

A computer readable memory containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform steps in a method for preserving and maintaining document integrity, the steps comprising:

• selecting document layer data for encoding;
• encoding the selected document layer data in a machine-readable format to form machine-readable code, the document layer data corresponding to pages of a document;
• determining an amount of space available on each page of the document to print a machine-readable code associated with a document layer data corresponding to that page of the document;
• and
• printing contents of a page of the document together with its associated machine-readable code, if space is available on the page to print the associated machine-readable code;
• or
• printing the associated machine-readable code separately from the contents of the page, if space available on the page is not sufficient to print the associated machine-readable code.

A computer processor executing instructions that perform steps in a method for preserving and maintaining document integrity, the steps comprising:

• selecting document layer data for encoding, the document layer data corresponding to pages of a document;
• encoding the selected document layer data in a machine-readable format to form machine-readable code associated with the selected document layer data;
• determining an amount of space available on each page of the document to print the machine-readable code associated with document layer data corresponding to that page of the document;
• and
• printing contents of a page of the document together with its associated machine-readable code, if space is available on the page to print the associated machine-readable code;
• or
• printing the associated machine-readable code separately from the contents of the page, if space available on the page is not sufficient to print the associated machine-readable code.

A system for preserving and maintaining document integrity comprising:

• a selecting component configured to select document layer data for encoding;
• an encoding component configured to encode the selected document layer data in a machine-readable format;
• a determining component configured to determine an amount of space available on each page of a document to print code corresponding to document layer data associated with that page of the document;
• and
• a printing component configured to:
• print contents of a page of the document together with its associated machine-readable code, if space is available on the page to print the machine-readable code;
• or
• print the machine-readable code separately from contents of the page, if space available on the page is not sufficient to print the machine-readable code.

A method of retrieving contents of document pages and meta-data associated with document pages from a printed document containing machine-readable code comprising:

• scanning the printed document containing the machine-readable code to create scanned document data;
• processing the scanned document data to extract document content;
• processing the machine-readable code to extract document meta-data;
• and
• associating the extracted document meta-data with the extracted document content.

A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform steps in a method for retrieving contents of document sections and meta-data associated with document sections from a printed document containing machine-readable code, the steps comprising:

• scanning the printed document containing the machine-readable code to create scanned document data;
• processing the scanned document data to extract document content;
• processing the machine-readable code to extract document meta-data;
• and
• associating the extracted document meta-data with the extracted document content.

A processor executing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform steps in a method for retrieving contents of document sections and meta-data associated with document sections from a printed document containing machine-readable code, the steps comprising:

• scanning the printed document containing the machine-readable code to create scanned document data;
• processing the scanned document data to extract document content;
• processing the machine-readable code to extract document meta-data;
• and
• associating the extracted document meta-data with the extracted document content.

A computer readable memory containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform steps in a method for retrieving contents of document sections and meta-data associated with document sections, from a printed document containing machine-readable code, the steps comprising:

• scanning the printed document containing the machine-readable code to create scanned document data;
• processing the scanned document data to extract document content;
• processing the machine-readable code to extract document meta-data;
• and
• associating the extracted document meta-data with the extracted document content.

A system for retrieving the content of document sections and meta-data associated with document sections from a printed document containing machine-readable code comprising:

• a scanning component configured to scan the printed document containing the machine-readable code to create scanned document data;
• a document processing component to process the scanned document section data to extract document content;
• a code processing component to process the machine-readable code to extract document meta-data;
• and
• an associating component to associate the extracted document meta-data with the extracted document content.