Systems and methods for automatically reducing data search space and improving data extraction accuracy using known constraints in a layout of extracted data elements

In a document analysis system that receives and processes jobs from a plurality of users, in which each job may contain multiple electronic documents, to extract data from the electronic documents, a method of automatically narrowing data search space and improving accuracy of data extraction using known constraints in a layout of extracted data elements for classified documented, the method comprising:

• analyzing each document to classify it within a document category, each category having a corresponding set of expected layouts;
• analyzing each electronic document to automatically extract images and text features;
• automatically constructing a data structure including a layout of the extracted features and layout relationships amongst the extracted features, wherein each of the extracted features in the layout maintains a reference to neighboring features and wherein closely related features are merged to form a combined feature;
• automatically narrowing data search space by detecting and removing parts of the layout that are not associated with any data elements using the data structure;
• and
• automatically detecting data using the extracted feature layout and the layout relationships amongst the extracted features.