EP0465818A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mass document storage and retrieval system
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1991-05-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-05-31
Abstract
Abstract A sequence of documents is delivered to an optical scanner in which each document is scanned to form a digital image representation of the content of the document. In one embodiment, the image representation is converted into code (ASCII) and is automatically examined by data processing apparatus to select search words which meet predetermined criteria and by which the document can subsequently located. In another embodiment, the image is not converted. The search words are stored in a non-volatile memory in code form and the entire document content is stored in mass storage, either in code or image form. Techniques for selecting the search words are disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Horst Froesel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 20:05
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/93; G06F16/50; G06F16/58; G06F16/583; G06F16/5846; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/20; G06V10/22; G06V10/225
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising optically scanning the documents to form a digital representation of the images on the documents; automatically assigning an identification to each document and to the image representation of each document; automatically machine-selecting search words from each document to be used in locating the document from mass storage; converting the selected search words to code; correlating the converted search words with the identification of the document from which the search words were selected, storing the converted search words in code in a non-volatile memory; and storing in mass storage the image representation of each document.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said identification of the document is a unique identification number.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method according to claim 2 and further comprising searching for a document by the steps of selecting a search word, entering into volatile memory the search word in code, comparing the search word with search words stored in the non-volatile memory until a match is found, recalling from mass storage the image representations of those documents having identification numbers associated with the matched search word in the non-volatile memory, and displaying an image thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
139 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein images imprinted on at least some of said documents include logo designs which identify organizations originating the documents, including the steps of forming a logo table of stored images of logo designs identifying the organizations together with information in code form about the sender employing each such design, when a document having a design is scanned, conducting a pattern search of the stored images in the logo table to seek a match between the scanned design and a stored image, when a pattern match is found, retrieving and correlating with the identification of the document the identifying organization information associated with the matched pattern from the logo table, and when a match is not found, flagging the document for manual addition of the design and identifying company information to the logo table.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method according to claim 3 and further comprising defining a search word partial match as a match between a predetermined percentage of characters in the search word and the word stored in the non-volatile memory, and recalling documents associated with stored words located in the search by a partial match.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 3 and further comprising converting the content of a selected document located in the search into code.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein the step of storing in mass storage is performed immediately following the step of scanning, and the steps of selecting search words and converting the selected search words are performed at a subsequent time to efficiently utilize character recognition and conversion machine capability.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 2 and further comprising recalling from non-volatile memory into volatile memory and displaying a list of search words stored in the memory, manually editing the list of search words.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 8 including the step of recalling from mass storage and displaying a selected document, and wherein the list of search words recalled and displayed includes words associated only with the displayed selected document.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 2 and further comprising manually marking selected words of documents before the step of scanning so that marked words are chosen as search words.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 2 and including, in the step of automatically selecting search words, determining the existence and location of addressee information on documents containing addressee information, and including that addressee information among the selected search words.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 11 and including, in the step of automatically selecting search words, determining the existence and location of sender identifying information on documents containing sender identifying information, and including that sender identifying information among the selected search words.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising optically scanning the documents to form a digital representation of the images on the documents; automatically assigning an identification to each document and to the image representation of each document; immediately converting to code those portions of the images which are convertible text; automatically machine-selecting search words from the converted code for each document to be used in locating the document from mass storage; correlating the converted search words with the identification of the document from which the search words were selected, storing the converted search words in code in a non-volatile memory; and storing in mass storage the code representation of each document.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 13 wherein said identification of the document is a unique identification number.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method according to claim 14 and further comprising searching for a document by the steps of selecting a search word, entering into volatile memory the search word in code, comparing the search word with search words stored in the non-volatile memory until a match is found, recalling from mass storage the code representations of those documents having identification numbers associated with the matched search word in the non-volatile memory, and forming a display thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
139 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein images imprinted on at least some of said documents include logo designs which identify organizations originating the documents, including the steps of forming a logo table of stored images of logo designs identifying the organizations together with information in code form about the sender employing each such design, when a document having a design is scanned, conducting a pattern search of the stored images in the logo table to seek a match between the scanned design and a stored image, when a pattern match is found, retrieving and correlating with the identification of the document the identifying organization information associated with the matched pattern from the logo table, and when a match is not found, flagging the document for manual addition of the design and identifying company information to the logo table.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method according to claim 15 and further comprising defining a search word partial match as a match between a predetermined percentage of characters in the search word and the word stored in the non-volatile memory, and recalling documents associated with stored words located in the search by a partial match.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of storing in mass storage is performed immediately following the step of converting, and the step of selecting search words is performed at a subsequent time to efficiently utilize character recognition and conversion machine capability.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 14 and further comprising recalling from non-volatile memory into volatile memory and displaying a list of search words stored in the memory, manually editing the list of search words.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 19 including the step of recalling from mass storage and displaying a selected document, and wherein the list of search words recalled and displayed includes words associated only with the displayed selected document.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 14 and further comprising manually marking selected words of documents before the step of scanning so that marked words are chosen as search words.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 14 and including, in the step of automatically selecting search words, determining the existence and location of addressee information on documents containing addressee information, and including that addressee information among the selected search words.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 22 and including, in the step of automatically selecting search words, determining the existence and location of sender identifying information on documents containing sender identifying information, and including that sender identifying information among the selected search words.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising optically scanning the documents to form a digital representation of the images on the documents and temporarily storing each said image; automatically assigning an identification to each document and to the image representation of each document; converting to code those portions of the images which are convertible text; automatically machine-selecting search words from the converted code for each document to be used in locating the document from mass storage; correlating the converted search words with the identification of the document from which the search words were selected, storing the converted search words in code in a non-volatile memory; and storing in mass storage the image representation of each document.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
127 words
An apparatus for retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising means for feeding and optically scanning a series of documents to form a digital image representation of the images on said documents; means for automatically assigning an identification to each document and to said image representation of each document; means for automatically selecting search words from each said document for subsequent use in locating the document from mass storage; means for converting the selected search words to code, correlating the converted search words with said identification of the document from which the search words were selected, and storing the converted search words in code in a non-volatile memory; and means for storing in mass storage the image representation of each document.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
135 words
An apparatus for retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising the combination of means for feeding and optically scanning a series of documents to form a digital image representation of the images on said documents; means for automatically assigning an identification to each document and to said image representation of each document; means for converting to code those portions of the images which are convertible text; means for automatically selecting search words from each said document for subsequent use in locating the document from mass storage; means for correlating the search words with said identification of the document from which the search words were selected, and storing the search words in code in a non-volatile memory; and means for storing in mass storage the code representation of each document.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
142 words
An apparatus for retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising the combination of means for feeding and optically scanning a series of documents to form a digital image representation of the images on said documents and for temporarily storing each said image; means for automatically assigning an identification to each document and to said image representation of each document; means for converting to code those portions of the images which are convertible text; means for automatically selecting search words from each said document for subsequent use in locating the document from mass storage; means for correlating the search words with said identification of the document from which the search words were selected, and storing the search words in code in a non-volatile memory; and means for storing in mass storage the image representation of each document.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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