Method and system for transferring data from a scanned document into a spreadsheet
AssigneeThe Neat Company, Inc.
InventorsDavid A. Gitlin, Philip Enny, Harris G. Romanoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method that transfers data from scanned documents and document images directly into a spreadsheet. The user can construct a map that associates data types in the input scanned document with an area in the spreadsheet. The user can also use pre-stored maps that have previously been constructed by the user or by someone else. The map may be stored as an XML file in a hidden sheet of the spreadsheet or in a separate file. During use, the user selects a map, scans the document, parses the document to extract the data types and associated data, and transfers the parsed data to the spreadsheet in accordance with the selected mapping.
Claims26
A method for transferring data from a receipt image directly into a spreadsheet, comprising:
- selecting an XML map that maps types of expense data and associated expense data from the receipt to one or more cells in the spreadsheet in accordance with pre-designated mapping preferences of the user that map the types of expense data and associated expense data to XML data elements based on the types of expense data in the receipt;
- a scanner acquiring the receipt image;
- optical character recognition software acquiring textual data from the receipt image and storing the textual data;
- parsing software parsing the textual data to identify the types of expense data and associated expense data for each type of expense data and to extract the types of expense data and associated expense data of each type of expense data from the textual data;
- and
- for each type of expense data extracted, a processor determining if the each type of expense data is mapped in the selected XML map to one or more cells in the spreadsheet and, for each type of expense data found in the selected XML map, using the selected XML map to automatically transfer the extracted associated expense data to the cells in the spreadsheet designated for the types of extracted expense data with which the extracted associated expense data is associated.
A system for transferring data from a receipt image directly into a spreadsheet, comprising:
- a scanner adapted to acquire the receipt image;
- a document memory;
- optical character recognition software that acquires textual data from the receipt image and stores the textual data in the document memory;
- and
- a processor programmed to:
- enable a user to select an XML map that maps types of expense data and associated expense data from the receipt to one or more cells in the spreadsheet in accordance with pre-designated mapping preferences of the user that map the types of expense data and associated expense data to XML data elements based on the types of expense data in the receipt;
- parse the textual data to identify the types of expense data and associated expense data for each type of expense data and to extract the types of expense data and associated expense data of each type of expense data from the textual data;
- and
- for each type of expense data extracted, determine if the each type of expense data is mapped in the selected XML map to one or more cells in the spreadsheet and, for each type of expense data found in the selected XML map, using the selected XML map to automatically transfer the extracted associated expense data to the cells in the spreadsheet designated for the types of extracted expense data with which the extracted associated expense data is associated.
A nontransitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when used to instruct a processor cause the processor to implement a method for transferring data from a receipt image directly into a spreadsheet, the instructions causing the processor to perform the steps of:
- selecting an XML map that maps types of expense data and associated expense data from the receipt to one or more cells in the spreadsheet in accordance with pre-designated mapping preferences of the user that map the types of expense data and associated expense data to XML data elements based on the types of expense data in the receipt;
- acquiring textual data from the receipt image and storing the textual data;
- parsing the textual data to identify the types of expense data and associated expense data for each type of expense data and to extract the types of expense data and associated expense data of each type of expense data from the textual data;
- and
- for each type of expense data extracted, determining if the each type of expense data is mapped in the selected XML map to one or more cells in the spreadsheet and, for each type of expense data found in the selected XML map, using the selected XML map to automatically transfer the extracted associated expense data to the cells in the spreadsheet designated for the types of extracted expense data with which the extracted associated expense data is associated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.