Formless forms and paper web using a reference-based mark extraction technique

A method comprising the steps of:

• providing a processor with a first document image comprising digital image data including a first plurality of pixels, the first document image representing an instance of a reference document to which instance a mark has been added, the reference document having a plurality of elements;
• generating an image-based index from the first document image without recognition of any symbolic content of the first document image;
• selecting a second document image from among a plurality of document images according to the generated index, the second document image comprising digital image data including a second plurality of pixels, the second document image representing the reference document without the mark;
• providing the processor with the second document image;
• with the processor, automatically extracting from the first document image a set of pixels representing the mark by performing a reference-based mark extraction technique wherein the second document image serves as a reference image and wherein substantially the entirety of the first document image is compared with substantially the entirety of the second document image by computing a robust difference of the first and second images;
• providing the processor with information about a set of active elements of the reference document, each active element being one element among the plurality of elements of the reference document, the reference document having at least one such active element, each active element being associated with at least one action;
• interpreting with the processor the extracted set of pixels representing the mark by determining whether any of the active elements of the reference document is indicated by the mark;
• and
• if an active element is indicated by the mark, facilitating with the processor the action with which such active element is associated.

A method comprising the steps of:

• converting a first document instance into a first document image comprising digital image data including a first plurality of pixels, the first document instance being an instance of a reference document to which instance a mark has been added, the reference document having a plurality of elements, the reference document being a document other than a form;
• converting a second document instance into a second document image comprising digital image data including a second plurality of pixels, the second document instance being an instance of the reference document without the mark;
• annotating the second document image with a set of annotations comprising at least one annotation, each annotation establishing an association between an element of the reference document and at least one action, each element for which such an association is thus established being termed an "active element";
• providing the processor with the first and second document images and the set of annotations;
• with the processor, automatically extracting from the first document image a set of pixels representing the mark by performing a reference-based mark extraction technique wherein the second document image serves as a reference image;
• interpreting with the processor the extracted set of pixels representing the mark by determining, with reference to the set of annotations, whether any of the active elements of the reference document is indicated by the mark;
• and
• if an active element is indicated by the mark, facilitating with the processor the action with which such active element is associated.

A method comprising the steps of:

• providing a processor with a first document image comprising digital image data including a first plurality of pixels, the first document image representing an instance of a reference document to which instance a mark has been added, the reference document including a plurality of elements, the mark indicating a selection of a preferred element of the reference document, the preferred element whose selection is thus indicated being an element other than a form element;
• providing the processor with a second document image comprising digital image data including a second plurality of pixels, the second document image being selected from among a plurality of document images and representing the reference document without the mark;
• with the processor, automatically extracting from the first document image a set of pixels representing the mark by performing a reference-based mark extraction technique wherein the second document image serves as a reference image, the technique comprising at least one image-domain operation for comparing the first and second document images, the image-domain operation being an image processing operation carried out without recognition by the processor of any symbolic content in either of the first or second document images;
• providing the processor with information about a set of active elements of the reference document, each active element being one element among the plurality of elements of the reference document, the reference document having at least one such active element, each active element being associated with at least one action;
• interpreting with the processor the extracted set of pixels representing the mark, thereby determining whether the preferred element whose selection is indicated by the mark is an active element of the reference document;
• and
• if the preferred element is thus determined to be an active element, facilitating with the processor the action with which the preferred element is associated.

A method comprising the steps of:

• scanning a hardcopy instance of a first document with a digital scanning device to produce a first document image comprising digital image data including a first plurality of pixels, the hardcopy instance being an instance of a reference document to which instance a mark has been added, the reference document having a plurality of elements, the reference document being a hypertext document having an associated set of active elements, each active element being associated with at least one action;
• providing a processor with the first document image;
• providing the processor with a second document image comprising digital image data including a second plurality of pixels, the second document image being selected from among a plurality of document images and representing the reference document without the mark;
• providing the processor with the set of active elements for the reference document;
• with the processor, automatically extracting from the first document image a set of pixels representing the mark by performing a reference-based mark extraction technique wherein the second document image serves as a reference image and wherein substantially the entirety of the first document image is compared with substantially the entirety of the second document image;
• interpreting with the processor the extracted set of pixels representing the mark by determining whether any of the active elements of the reference document is indicated by the mark;
• and
• if an active element is indicated by the mark, facilitating with the processor the action with which such active element is associated.

An article of manufacture comprising an information storage medium wherein is stored information comprising a software program for facilitating the steps of:

• providing a processor with a first document image comprising digital image data including a first plurality of pixels, the first document image representing an instance of a reference document to which instance a mark has been added, the reference document having a plurality of elements;
• providing the processor with a second document image comprising digital image data including a second plurality of pixels, the second document image being selected from among a plurality of document images and representing the reference document without the mark;
• with the processor, automatically extracting from the first document image a set of pixels representing the mark by performing a reference-based mark extraction technique wherein the second document image serves as a reference image and wherein substantially the entirety of the first document image is compared with substantially the entirety of the second document image;
• providing the processor with information about a set of active elements of the reference document, each active element being one element among the plurality of elements of the reference document, the reference document having at least one such active element, each active element being associated with at least one action;
• interpreting with the processor the extracted set of pixels representing the mark by determining whether any of the active elements of the reference document is indicated by the mark;
• and
• if an active element is indicated by the mark, facilitating with the processor the action with which such active element is associated.