Electronic data capture and verification

Apparatus for automatically generating an electronic form for presentation to a user during a data capture process, the apparatus comprising:

• means for generating a self-contained platform-independent data capture definition file in a predetermined format providing a specification of data elements required during data capture, each data element having a type specification and a logical relationship relative to other data elements in a hierarchical structure defined in the data capture definition file, the means for generating the data capture definition file further including means for enabling automatic building of portions of said data capture definition file according to a form definition standard;
• and
• means for receiving as input the self contained platform-independent data capture definition file and automatically generating a plurality of visual displays for presentation to the user, each visual display having an automatically determined form layout including a plurality of user input areas and user prompts relating thereto corresponding to the data elements, in which the form layout and physical positioning of the user input areas on each display are determined, during runtime of the data capture process from information in the data capture definition file, in a manner corresponding to the defined logical hierarchical structure.

A computerized method of automatically building an electronic form for presentation to a user during a data capture process, comprising:

• in a first computer process, generating a self-contained platform-independent data capture definition file specifying data elements required during data capture, each data element having a type specification and a logical relationship relative to other data elements in a hierarchical structure defined in the data capture definition file, wherein generating the data capture definition file includes automatic building of portions of said data capture definition file according to a form definition standard;
• and
• in a second computer process, receiving as input the self-contained platform-independent data capture definition file and automatically generating a plurality of visual displays for presentation to a user during execution of a data capture process, each visual display having an automatically determined form layout comprising a plurality of user input areas corresponding to the data elements, in which the form layout and physical positioning of the user input areas on each display are determined, during runtime of the data capture process from information in the data capture definition file, in a manner corresponding to the defined logical hierarchical structure.

A computerized method of generating an electronic form for presentation to a user during a data capture process, comprising:

• in a first computer process, generating a self contained platform-independent data capture definition file in a predetermined format providing a specification of data elements required during data capture, each data element having a type specification and a logical relationship relative to other data elements in a hierarchical structure defined in the data capture definition file, the means for generating the data capture definition file further including means for enabling automatic building of portions of said data capture definition file according to a form definition standard;
• in a second computer process, receiving as input the self-contained platform-independent data capture definition file and automatically generating a plurality of visual displays for presentation to the user, each visual display having an automatically determined form layout including a plurality of user input areas and user prompts relating thereto corresponding to the data elements, in which the form layout and physical positioning of the user input areas on each display are determined, during runtime of the data capture process from information in the data capture definition file, in a manner corresponding to the defined logical hierarchical structure.

Apparatus for automatically building an electronic form for presentation to a user during a data capture process, comprising:

• a data capture definition file generator for generating a self-contained platform-independent data capture definition file specifying data elements required during data capture, each data element having a type specification and a logical relationship relative to other data elements in a hierarchical structure defined in the data capture definition file, the data capture definition file generator enabling automatic building of portions of said data capture definition file according to a form definition standard;
• and
• a visual display generator coupled to receive the data capture definition file for automatically generating a plurality of visual displays for presentation to a user during execution of a data capture process, each visual display having an automatically determined form layout comprising a plurality of user input areas corresponding to the data elements, in which the form layout and physical positioning of the user input areas on each display are determined, during runtime of the data capture process from information in the data capture definition file, in a manner corresponding to the defined logical hierarchical structure.

Apparatus for generating an electronic form for presentation to a user during a data capture process, the apparatus comprising:

• a data capture definition file generator for generating a self contained platform-independent data capture definition file in a predetermined format providing a specification of data elements required during data capture, each data element having a type specification and a logical relationship relative to other data elements in a hierarchical structure defined in the data capture definition file, the data capture definition file generator enabling automatic building of portions of said data capture definition file according to a form definition standard;
• and
• a visual display generator coupled to receive the data capture definition file for automatically generating a plurality of visual displays for presentation to the user, each visual display having an automatically determined form layout including a plurality of user input areas and user prompts relating thereto corresponding to the data elements, in which the form layout and physical positioning of the user input areas on each display are determined, during runtime of the data capture process from information in the data capture definition file, in a manner corresponding to the defined logical hierarchical structure.