Document and image processing

A computer implemented expense tracking and recording method, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a portable electronic, handheld device that operates in a plurality of different operational modes that use optical character recognition, and which comprises one or more computing devices, a selection that executes an expense tracking application, with the expense tracking application being one of the plurality of operational modes that use optical character recognition:
• capturing images of a plurality of documents that are receipts using an image capturing component of the portable electronic, handheld device;
• performing, by the one or more computing devices of the portable electronic, handheld device, optical character recognition to recognize text and provide a template that the receipt matches, to extract information from the plurality of images of the receipts according to the template that matches the receipt;
• storing in a storage device of the portable electronic, handheld device information extracted from the receipts as separate entries in the expense summary record for the particular trip;
• calculating, by the one or more computing devices of the portable electronic device, a total of expenses based on the stored information extracted from the plurality of receipts;
• packaging by the computer images corresponding to the plurality of receipts and the expense summary record in a file;
• generating by the device from the extracted data a trip summary upon completion of the trip;
• and
• uploading by the one or more computing devices of the portable electronic device, the file and the trip summary to a computer system that processes accounts payable.

A portable, handheld electronic device comprises:

• an image capture device for capturing images;
• one or more processor devices in communication with the image capture device, the one or more processor devices configured to:
• receive a selection to execute an expense tracking application on the portable handheld electronic device that operates in a plurality of different operational modes that use optical character recognition, with the expense tracking application being one of the plurality of operational modes that use optical character recognition;
• capture images of a plurality of documents using the image capture device;
• perform by the one or more processor devices of the portable electronic device, optical character recognition to recognize text and determine that the documents are receipts and provide a template that the receipts match and to extract information from the images of the plurality of receipts according to the template that matches the receipt;
• store in storage of the portable device information extracted from the receipts as separate entries in the expense summary record for the particular trip;
• calculate by the one or more processor devices of the portable electronic device, a total of expenses based on the stored information extracted from the plurality of receipts;
• package images corresponding to the plurality of receipts and the expense summary record in a file;
• generate a trip summary from the extracted data upon completion of the trip;
• and
• upload by the one or more processor devices of the portable electronic device, the file and the trip summary to a computer system that processes accounts payable.

A computer program product tangibly stored on a computer readable storage device, the computer program product comprises instructions for causing a processor to:

• receive a selection to execute an expense tracking application on the portable handheld electronic device that operates in a plurality of different operational modes that use optical character recognition, with the expense tracking application being one of the plurality of operational modes that use optical character recognition;
• receive an image captured from an image capture device, the received image being of a document;
• perform optical character recognition to recognize text and determine that the documents are receipts and provide a template that the receipts match and to extract information from the images of the plurality of receipts according to the template that matches the receipt;
• store information extracted from the receipts as separate entries in the expense summary record for the particular trip;
• calculate, a total of expenses based on the stored information extracted from the plurality of receipts;
• package images corresponding to the plurality of receipts and the expense summary record in a file;
• generate a trip summary from the extracted data upon completion of the trip;
• and
• upload the file and the trip summary to a computer system that processes accounts payable.