Method and system for labeling a document for storage, manipulation, and retrieval

A document storage, manipulation and retrieval system, comprising:

• a processor;
• memory connected to the processor such that the processor may store and retrieve electronic data therefrom;
• document imaging circuitry connected to the processor, for acquiring images of printed documents and converting an acquired image of a document into a data representation of the document;
• image processing software under control of which the processor identifies at least one selected region of a document from the data representation of the document;
• a software product communicationally connected to said processor under control of which the processor assigns a first file name to a first file containing a data representation of a first document acquired by said document imaging circuitry, assigns a second file name to a second file containing data representing a selected region of a second document identified by the processor under control of the image processing software from a data representation of the second document acquired by said document imaging circuitry, and establishes a relationship between the first and second file names such that identification of the contents of the second file may be interpreted by the processor as identification of the contents of the first file.

A method comprising:

• storing a data file in a data processing system;
• obtaining and storing label data defining a label image;
• the label image identifying the stored data file to a user;
• obtaining associating data that associate the data file stored in the data processing system and the label data so that the stored data file can be accessed in the data processing system in response to a signal selecting the label image;
• using the label data to present the label image to a user so that the user can provide a signal selecting the label image;
• receiving the signal selecting the label image from the user;
• and
• in response to the signal selecting the label image, accessing the stored data file.

A method comprising:

• storing a data file in a data processing system;
• obtaining data representing an image of a form;
• the form showing a user modifiable field that has been modified to show a label image that identifies the stored data file to a user;
• using the data representing the image of the form to obtain label data defining the label image and storing the label data;
• obtaining associating data that associate the data file stored in the data processing system and the label data so that the stored data file can be accessed in the data processing system in response to a signal from a user selecting the label image;
• using the label data to present the label image to the user so that the user can provide a signal selecting the label image;
• receiving the signal selecting the label image from the user;
• and
• in response to the signal selecting the label image, accessing the stored data file.