US 7,606,422 B2Granted

System, method and computer program for an integrated digital workflow for processing a paper form

OwnerMichael James Elder, Robert N. Smith +1inventors

InventorsMichael James Elder, Robert N. Smith, Andrew Lewis Maxwell

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Abstract

A method, system and computer program for creating a digital workflow associated with the completion of a paper form is provided. An electronic clipboard includes a panel for receiving a paper form, a computer including a clipboard computer application, and an input device that completes the paper form with handwritten input data and also created digital signals corresponding to the handwritten input data. The computer application interprets the digital signal data so as to define digital input data, which corresponds to the handwritten input data. The electronic clipboard also includes verification/correction facility that enables the display of the digital input data and verification and correction thereof using a series of input devices provided on the electronic clipboard. The electronic clipboard is linked to a remote computer. The remote computer includes a forms creation and management application for the creation of the electronic forms, and definition of rules for processing digital input data includes in the various fields of the electronic forms. In a server implementation of the invention, the remote computer is an application server that provides access to a plurality of software utilities for processing the digital input data included in the electronic forms. The application server enables processes such as financial transactions associated with electronic forms, transmission of selected digital input data to other computer systems, and field level encryption. Another aspect of the invention is a point of sale device that include the electronic clipboard.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method of capturing smart form data associated with a user, said smart form data comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing one or more identification means operable to associate one or more ID data with individual users;
b) providing an electronic clipboard having:
(i) data memory;
(ii) a marking means,
(iii) a digital display;
and
(iv) a link to at least one identification means for identifying one or more users based on interaction of one or more of the one or more users with the at least one identification means;
(c) making a smart form available to one or more users on an electronic clipboard, said smart form being generated by a positive position verification means whereby positions on the electronic clipboard are identified as aligned with positions on a paper form and whereby one or more data fields corresponding to one or more fields on the paper form are defined on the electronic clipboard, including one or more signature fields, to create a smart form;
(d) utilizing a marking means to produce marks upon the electronic clipboard within the one or more data fields and a character recognition and conversion means to convert the marks upon the electronic clipboard to generate text data associated with the one or more data fields so as to enable the user to make entries to the smart form;
(e) displaying the text data in a digital display whereby the one or more users may view the text data to verify and confirm the accuracy of the text data;
(f) facilitating interaction by the one or more users interacting with the at least one identification means so as to provide the one or more ID data associated with the one or more users;
(g) assembling smart form data, to include the text data, the one or more ID data and authentication data associated with the smart form;
(h) storing the smart form data in one or more of the data memory and remote storage;
and
(i) transferring all or a portion of the smart form data to one or more remote servers and the one or more remote servers being operable to authenticate the smart form.

12 more elements

A electronic clipboard apparatus comprising:

(a) data memory;
(b) a link to at least one use means operable to produce use data corresponding to particular uses of the electronic clipboard;
(c) a positive position verification means whereby a paper form is aligned with positions upon the electronic clipboard to produce a smart form having one or more data fields;
(d) a marking means configured to produce markings on the paper form and markings on the electronic clipboard whereby the markings correspond to the one or more data fields is generated so as to enable the one or more users to make entries to the smart form;
(e) a character recognition and conversion means whereby the markings upon the electronic clipboard may be converted to text data;
(f) a digital display for the purpose of verifying and confirming the text data,
(g) one or more data memory means wherein smart form data, including text data and use data may be stored;
and
(h) a transfer means whereby all or a portion of the smart form data is transferable to one or more of:
(i) one or more remote servers operable to authenticate the smart form;
and
(ii) one or more remote storage means.

9 more elements

A forms manager computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium for producing one or more smart forms comprising:

(a) a smart form generator operable to:
(i) generate a plurality of electronic forms corresponding to underlying paper forms whereby the position of fields on the paper form correspond to locations upon an electronic clipboard and the locations on the electronic clipboard are defined as one or more smart data field definitions;
(ii) define one or more data rules for each of the plurality of electronic forms, said data rules including at least the following:
(A) processing of markings made upon the electronic form by a marking means to produce text data;
and
(B) authenticating a user or a computer associated with the smart form;
and
(iii) store the plurality of electronic forms in data memory;
whereby a smart form is generated;
and
(b) a forms manager operable to:
(i) select a smart form generated by the smart form generator for use upon the electronic clipboard whereby smart form data is generated;
and
(ii) enable a traffic manager to facilitate routing of all or a portion of the smart form data from the electronic clipboard to one or more of the following:
(A) one or more servers operable to authenticate the smart form;
and
(B) one or more storage means;
whereby the routing occurs in accordance with one or more communication rules defined as corresponding to the one or more smart forms, such communication rules being operable to establish the requisite path for authentication of the smart form.

15 more elements

An electronic clipboard workflow method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating one or more smart forms for use with an electronic clipboard using a forms manager involving the following steps:
(i) generating a unique identification number for each one or more smart forms;
(ii) choosing a paper size for the smart form;
(iii) creating a scanned image of a paper form and matching the scanned image to an alignment grid corresponding to the electronic clipboard;
(iv) using an authoring tool to drag and drop one or more pre-defined fields to be smart form fields utilized by the smart form and to adjust the size and location of the one or more smart form fields;
(v) setting the properties of the smart form fields;
and
(vi) storing the smart form in data memory;
(b) providing an electronic clipboard operable for one or more users to choose one of the one or more smart forms;
(c) completing the smart form performed by the one or more users by marking the electronic clipboard utilizing a marking means;
(d) converting the markings to text data utilizing a character recognition application;
(e) displaying the text data in a digital display whereby the text data may be verified and corrected;
(f) encrypting smart form data that includes the text data, and saving the data to the data memory;
(g) routing all or a portion of the smart form data to one or more servers or one or more desktop computers;
and
(h) verifying the successful routing of the smart form data.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/352,261Filed 12 Jan 2009 · division
Priority: 24 May 2004
Published: US 2009/0173552 A19 Jul 2009
Granted: 20 Oct 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G06F 40/174
Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting: form filling; Merging
G06F 40/171
Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting: by use of digital ink
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application10/851,133Parent of this division · filed 24 May 2004
US 2009/0173552 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Jul 2009
US 7,492,946 B2Parent of this division
US 2005/0262429 A1Published application
US 7,606,422 B2This patent

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