US 7,467,134 B2Granted

Storing and retrieving the visual form of data

AssigneeNuGenesis Technologies Corporation

InventorEdward L. Bayiates

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Abstract

Data representing a visual form of data is received. The data including content data and format data indicating the manner in which the content data is to be visually represented. At least some of the content data is identified in accordance with a template, which includes one or more extraction instructions. The retrieved data may then be stored in the identified content data. Or, in response to the data, an action may be taken such as initiating a process. A template may be applied to several data files, storing visual forms of data and the information from those files may be stored in a database in association with the visual forms of data. A user may input an extraction instruction by visually identifying a region of a sample visual form of data and selecting a manner to extract the content data in reference to the identified region.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method for extracting content data from a visual form of data comprising:

receiving data representing the visual form of data, the data received comprising content data and format data indicating a manner in which the content data is to be visually represented, wherein said format data is applied to said content data to produce said visual form of data;
receiving a template including at least one extraction instruction for extracting content data included in said visual form of data;
performing normalization processing;
analyzing said visual form of data using said template and identifying a first portion of the content data included in said visual form of data in accordance with said at least one extraction instruction, said visual form of data being characterized by a plurality of dimensions represented using a coordinate system, said extraction instruction identifying a region of said visual form of data using said coordinate system, said first portion of the content data being at least partially included in said region;
searching for said first portion of the content data in said region by comparing coordinates of a first rectangular region of said first portion and coordinates of said region, and selecting text in accordance with said comparing and in accordance with a degree of expected error due to said normalization processing;
and
storing said first portion as a tag value associated with the received data, wherein said first portion is text, and
wherein said extraction instruction extracts text represented in the visual form of data, wherein said visual form of data is analyzed using said template so that even if no text is found in connection with said searching, additional extraction instructions in said template are executed, and wherein the extracted text is modifiable by a user, and
wherein said visual form of data has a first coordinate system prior to said normalization processing and said coordinate system is a second coordinate system associated with a display area, said normalization processing including:
translating first coordinates of said first coordinate system associated with each text string included in said visual form of data to second coordinates of said second coordinate system;
scaling a size of each text string in said visual form of data to correspond to a size of a display device associated with said display area;
and
joining and splitting text strings so that each text string includes a logical unit of text.

10 more elements

A computer implemented method for extracting content data from a visual form of data comprising:

receiving data representing the visual form of data, the data received comprising content data and format data indicating a manner in which the content data is to be visually represented, wherein said format data is applied to said content data to produce said visual form of data;
receiving a template including at least one extraction instruction for extracting content data included in said visual form of data;
performing normalization processing;
analyzing said visual form of data using said template and identifying a first portion of the content data included in said visual form of data in accordance with said at least one extraction instruction, said visual form of data being characterized by a plurality of dimensions represented using a coordinate system, said extraction instruction including a marker and a region of said visual form of data defined using said coordinate system within which to locate said marker, wherein said first portion is identified by searching in a direction relative to said marker, wherein said marker is a text marker and said first portion is a text portion;
searching for said text marker with respect to other text in said region, wherein said other text in said region is determined by comparing coordinates of a first rectangular region of said other text and coordinates of said region, and selecting text in accordance with said comparing and in accordance with a degree of expected error due to said normalization processing;
and
storing said first portion as a tag value associated with the received data,
wherein said extraction instruction extracts text represented in the visual form of data, wherein said visual form of data is analyzed using said template so that even if no text is found in connection with searching, additional extraction instructions in said template are executed, and wherein the extracted text is modifiable by a user, and
wherein said visual form of data has a first coordinate system prior to said normalization processing and said coordinate system is a second coordinate system associated with a display area, said normalization processing including:
translating first coordinates of said first coordinate system associated with each text string included in said visual form of data to second coordinates of said second coordinate system;
scaling a size of each text string in said visual form of data to correspond to a size of a display device associated with said display area;
and
joining and splitting text strings so that each text string includes a logical unit of text.

10 more elements

A computer implemented method for extracting content data from a visual form of data comprising:

receiving data representing the visual form of data, the data received comprising content data and format data indicating a manner in which the content data is to be visually represented, wherein said format data is applied to said content data to produce said visual form of data;
receiving a template including at least one extraction instruction for extracting content data included in said visual form of data;
performing normalization processing;
analyzing said visual form of data using said template and determining, in accordance with said at least one extraction instruction, whether a string is included in said content data, said content data being included in said visual form of data, said visual form of data being characterized by a plurality of dimensions represented using a coordinate system, said extraction instruction including said string and a region of said visual form of data defined using said coordinate system within which to locate said string;
searching for said string with respect to other text in said region, wherein said other text in said region is determined by comparing coordinates of a first rectangular region of said other text and coordinates of said region, and selecting text in accordance with said comparing and in accordance with a degree of expected error due to said normalization processing;
and
storing a boolean value as a tag value associated with the received data, wherein said boolean value is determined in accordance with whether said string is included in said content data,
wherein said extraction instruction extracts text represented in the visual form of data, wherein said visual form of data is analyzed using said template so that even if no text is found in connection with said searching, additional extraction instructions in said template are executed, and
wherein said visual form of data has a first coordinate system prior to said normalization processing and said coordinate system is a second coordinate system associated with a display area, said normalization processing including:
translating first coordinates of said first coordinate system associated with each text string included in said visual form of data to second coordinates of said second coordinate system;
scaling a size of each text string in said visual form of data to correspond to a size of a display device associated with said display area;
and
joining and splitting text strings so that each text string includes a logical unit of text.

10 more elements

A computer-readable recording medium storing code for extracting content data from a visual form of data, the code for performing steps comprising:

receiving data representing the visual form of data, the data received comprising content data and format data indicating a manner in which the content data is to be visually represented, wherein said format data is applied to said content data to produce said visual form of data;
receiving a template including at least one extraction instruction for extracting content data included in said visual form of data;
performing normalization processing;
analyzing said visual form of data using said template and identifying a first portion of the content data included in said visual form of data in accordance with said at least one extraction instruction, said visual form of data being characterized by a plurality of dimensions represented using a coordinate system, said extraction instruction identifying a region of said visual form of data using said coordinate system, said first portion of the content data being at least partially included in said region;
searching for said first portion of the content data in said region by comparing coordinates of a first rectangular region of said first portion and coordinates of said region, and selecting text in accordance with said comparing and in accordance with a degree of expected error due to said normalization processing;
and
storing said first portion as a tag value associated with the received data, wherein said first portion is text, and
wherein said extraction instruction extracts text represented in the visual form of data, wherein said visual form of data is analyzed using said template so that even if no text is found in connection with said searching, additional extraction instructions in said template are executed, and wherein the extracted text is modifiable by a user, and
wherein said visual form of data has a first coordinate system prior to said normalization processing and said coordinate system is a second coordinate system associated with a display area, said normalization processing including:
translating first coordinates of said first coordinate system associated with each text string included in said visual form of data to second coordinates of said second coordinate system;
scaling a size of each text string in said visual form of data to correspond to a size of a display device associated with said display area;
and
joining and splitting text strings so that each text string includes a logical unit of text.

10 more elements

A computer-readable recording medium storing code for extracting content data from a visual form of data, the code for performing steps comprising:

receiving data representing the visual form of data, the data received comprising content data and format data indicating a manner in which the content data is to be visually represented, wherein said format data is applied to said content data to produce said visual form of data;
receiving a template including at least one extraction instruction for extracting content data included in said visual form of data;
performing normalization processing;
analyzing said visual form of data using said template and identifying a first portion of the content data included in said visual form of data in accordance with said at least one extraction instruction, said visual form of data being characterized by a plurality of dimensions represented using a coordinate system, said extraction instruction including a marker and a region of said visual form of data defined using said coordinate system within which to locate said marker, wherein said first portion is identified by searching in a direction relative to said marker, wherein said marker is a text marker and said first portion is a text portion;
searching for said text marker with respect to other text in said region, wherein said other text in said region is determined by comparing coordinates of a first rectangular region of said other text and coordinates of said region, and selecting text in accordance with said comparing and in accordance with a degree of expected error due to said normalization processing;
and
storing said first portion as a tag value associated with the received data,
wherein said extraction instruction extracts text represented in the visual form of data, wherein said visual form of data is analyzed using said template so that even if no text is found in connection with searching, additional extraction instructions in said template are executed, and wherein the extracted text is modifiable by a user, and
wherein said visual form of data has a first coordinate system prior to said normalization processing and said coordinate system is a second coordinate system associated with a display area, said normalization processing including:
translating first coordinates of said first coordinate system associated with each text string included in said visual form of data to second coordinates of said second coordinate system;
scaling a size of each text string in said visual form of data to correspond to a size of a display device associated with said display area;
and
joining and splitting text strings so that each text string includes a logical unit of text.

10 more elements

A computer-readable recording medium storing code for extracting content data from a visual form of data, the code for performing steps comprising:

receiving data representing the visual form of data, the data received comprising content data and format data indicating a manner in which the content data is to be visually represented, wherein said format data is applied to said content data to produce said visual form of data;
receiving a template including at least one extraction instruction for extracting content data included in said visual form of data;
performing normalization processing;
analyzing said visual form of data using said template and determining, in accordance with said at least one extraction instruction, whether a string is included in said content data, said content data being included in said visual form of data, said visual form of data being characterized by a plurality of dimensions represented using a coordinate system, said extraction instruction including said string and a region of said visual form of data defined using said coordinate system within which to locate said string;
searching for said string with respect to other text in said region, wherein said other text in said region is determined by comparing coordinates of a first rectangular region of said other text and coordinates of said region, and selecting text in accordance with said comparing and in accordance with a degree of expected error due to said normalization processing;
and
storing a boolean value as a tag value associated with the received data, wherein said boolean value is determined in accordance with whether said string is included in said content data,
wherein said extraction instruction extracts text represented in the visual form of data, wherein said visual form of data is analyzed using said template so that even if no text is found in connection with said searching, additional extraction instructions in said template are executed, and
wherein said visual form of data has a first coordinate system prior to said normalization processing and said coordinate system is a second coordinate system associated with a display area, said normalization processing including:
translating first coordinates of said first coordinate system associated with each text string included in said visual form of data to second coordinates of said second coordinate system;
scaling a size of each text string in said visual form of data to correspond to a size of a display device associated with said display area;
and
joining and splitting text strings so that each text string includes a logical unit of text.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/387,455Filed 23 Mar 2006 · division
Priority: 5 Jan 2000
Published: US 2006/0248089 A12 Nov 2006
Granted: 16 Dec 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06F 16/58
Of still image data: retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
Y10S 707/918
Applications of a database: location
Y10S 707/99933
Database or file accessing: query processing, i.e. searching
Y10S 707/99943
Database schema or data structure: generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Family

Application09/478,156Parent of this division · filed 5 Jan 2000
US 2006/0248089 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Nov 2006
US 7,082,436 B1Parent of this division
US 7,467,134 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Citations

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