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US 9,177,303 B2Granted
Methods for monitoring and processing batches of documents
AssigneeMavro Imaging, LLC
InventorsGeorge L. Hayduchok, Eric P. Minbiole, Michael W. Vasey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for tracking documents. The documents are tracked by simultaneously monitoring each document's electronic processing status and physical location. Determinations are made whether specific combinations of electronic processing states and physical locations are valid and whether specific movements of documents are permitted. Invalid combinations or movements are reported to a reporting station. The preparation of batches of documents prior to scanning may be monitored and operator metrics related to the batch prep process may be tracked. Exception documents rejected during document processing may be monitored to enable retrieval of such documents.
Claims22
A method for monitoring batches of documents extracted from envelopes, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. assigning a unique identifier to a tracking document;
- b. scanning a batch of documents including the tracking document having the unique identifier to produce a batch of electronic document images;
- c. electronically reading the unique identifier and electronically tagging the batch of electronic document images with the unique identifier;
- d. inputting the unique identifier into a set of unique identifiers;
- e. classifying the electronic document images in the batch by document type based on features on the electronic document images;
- f. processing the batch of electronic document images with one or more electronic processes to capture information from the classified electronic images in the batch wherein the information captured varies by document type;
- g. physically transporting the batch of documents to a staging location;
- h. correlating the batch of documents with the staging location by reading the unique identifier at the staging location;
- i. separating electronic document images for the batch of electronic document images into sub-batches of electronic document images;
- j. tracking the sub-batches of electronic document images during processing, and further comprising at least one or more of
- i. identifying the batch of documents as being processed once all of the sub-batches are completely processed;
- and
- ii. correlating a physical location of the batch of documents with the processing of the sub-batches of electronic document images;
- k. checking that the unique identifier associated with the batch of documents at the staging location matches the inputted unique identifier that is provided in the set of unique identifiers;
- and
- l. detecting whether an error condition is associated with the batch of documents or batch of electronic images and reporting the error condition to the user.
13 more elements
A method for monitoring batches of documents, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. forming batches of documents comprising one or more tracking documents and associating a unique identifier with one or more tracking documents;
- b. scanning the batches of documents to produce batches of electronic images;
- c. electronically reading the unique identifiers and electronically tagging each batch of electronic images with one of the corresponding unique identifiers;
- d. inputting each unique identifier into a set of unique identifiers;
- e. classifying the batches of electronic images by document type based on features on the electronic document images;
- f. processing the batches of electronic images with one or more electronic processes to capture information from the batch of documents wherein the information captured varies by document type;
- g. separating electronic document images for the batch of electronic document images into sub-batches of electronic document images;
- h. tracking the sub-batches of electronic document images during processing;
- and further comprising at least one or more of
- i. identifying the batch of documents as being processed once all of the sub-batches are completely processed;
- and
- ii. correlating a physical location of the batch of documents with the processing of the sub-batches of electronic document images;
- i. detecting a reject condition on individual documents within the batches of documents and marking the individual documents having a reject condition for reject pulling;
- j. physically transporting the batch of documents to a staging location;
- k. reading the unique identifiers associated with the one or more tracking documents at the staging location and determining whether any batch of documents comprising the one or more tracking documents includes individual documents marked for reject pulling;
- and
- l. reporting the individual documents marked for reject pulling to a user.
14 more elements
A method for monitoring a batch of documents extracted from envelopes, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. imaging a batch of documents that comprises a tracking document having a unique identifier to produce a batch of electronic images;
- b. electronically reading the unique identifier from an electronic image of the tracking document having the unique identifier and electronically tagging the batch of electronic images with the unique identifier;
- c. preparing a register configured to store and associate a physical location status and an electronic processing status for the batch of documents and the corresponding batch of electronic images, respectively;
- d. classifying the batch of electronic images by document type based on features of the electronic document images;
- e. processing the batch of electronic images with one or more electronic processes to capture information from the batch of documents wherein the information captured varies by document type and updating the electronic processing status in the register;
- f. physically transporting the batch of documents to one or more locations and reading the unique identifier at each of the one or more locations and updating the physical location status in the register;
- g. providing a set of conditions for allowable combinations of the physical location status and electronic processing status associated with the batch of documents and the corresponding batch of electronic images, respectively;
- h. determining whether a current physical location status and current electronic status for the batch of documents and the corresponding batch of electronic images are in at least one of the allowable combinations provided by the set of conditions;
- and
- i. reporting at least one of the current physical location status and current electronic status to a user where the current physical location status and current electronic status for the batch of documents are not one of the allowable combinations provided by the set of conditions;
- wherein the method comprises at least one of
- a. separating electronic document images for the batch of electronic document images into sub-batches of electronic document images;
- and
- b. tracking the sub-batches of electronic document images during processing;
- and further comprising at least one or more of
- i. identifying the batch of documents as being processed once all of the sub-batches are completely processed;
- and
- ii. correlating a physical location of the batch of documents with the processing of the sub-batches of electronic document images.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.