Computer automated system and method for converting source-documents bearing alphanumeric text relating to survey measurements

Claim 2

A computer method of converting an alphanumeric text relating to a length and a direction of a bounding line of an area surveyed from a hard copy source document into a mathematically accurate vector, said method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving digitized output from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program in a computer, said output comprising alphanumeric text relating to a length and a direction of a bounding line of an area surveyed, and in a format usable by said CAD applications program, said CAD applications program including a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text having been scanned from said hard copy source document; (b) recognizing said alphanumerical text in an optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; (c) transporting said alphanumeric text from step (b) in a format usable by said coordinate geometry subroutine into said coordinate geometry subroutine; and (d) converting said alphanumeric text from step (c) into a mathematically accurate vector, said vector having an orientation and a distance corresponding to the length and the direction of said bounding line of the area surveyed, said vector also having a beginning point coordinate and an endpoint coordinate.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes: (i) setting an optical character recognition parameter in said optical character recognition subroutine to recognize numerals from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; and (ii) recognizing said numerals.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes: (i) setting an optical character recognition parameter in said optical character recognition subroutine to recognize numerals from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and alphabet characters from the group consisting of N, S, E, and W; and (ii) recognizing said numerals and said alphabet characters.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes: (i) setting an optical character recognition parameter in said optical character recognition subroutine to recognize numerals from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and alphabet characters from the group consisting of N, S, E, and W, and symbols from the group consisting of °, ', and "; and (ii) recognizing said numerals, said alphabet characters and said symbols.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein step (b) further includes: (iii) setting said optical character recognition to search for said alphanumeric text consisting of a bearing and a distance associated with said bearing, said bearing having an alphanumeric character string from the group consisting of: NDD°MM'SS", NDD°MM'SS"E, NDD°MM'SS"W, SDD°MM'SS", SDD°MM'SS"E, SDD°MM'SS"W, DD°MM'SS"E, or DD°MM'SS"W wherein DD° represents degrees, MM' represents minutes and SS" represents seconds of said bearing and DD is a numeric character ranging from 00 to 90, MM is a numeric character ranging from 00 to 59 and SS is a numeric character ranging from 00 to 59 and such that a character string portion DD'MM'SS" ranges from 00°00'00" to 90°00'00".

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 wherein step (b) further includes: (iii) setting said optical character recognition to search for said alphanumeric text consisting of an alphanumeric text string consisting of an angular indicia and a radius distance, said angular indicia having a character string DDD°MM'SS" wherein DDD° represents degrees, MM' represents minutes and SS" represents seconds and wherein DDD is a numeric character ranging from 000 to 359; MM is a numeric character ranging from 00 to 59; and SS is a numeric character ranging from 00 to 59 such that the numeric character string DDD°MM'SS" ranges between 000°00'00" and 359°59'59".

Claim 8

The method of claim 4 wherein step (b) further includes: setting said optical character recognition to search for said alphanumeric text consisting of a azimuth and a distance associated with said azimuth, said azimuth having a character string DDD°MM'SS" wherein DDD° represents degrees, MM' represents minutes and SS" represents seconds and wherein DDD is a numeric character ranging from 000 to 359; MM is a numeric character ranging from 00 to 59; and SS is a numeric character ranging from 00 to 59 such that the character string DDD°MM'SS" ranges between 000°00'00" and 359°59'59".

Claim 9

The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises receiving said output in a digitized raster file directly from said automated digitizing unit to said computer directly after scanning said hard copy source document.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises receiving said output by loading a saved file of said output representing said alphanumeric text into said computer and opening said saved file in said CAD applications program.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1, wherein said area surveyed is characterized by a plurality of said bounding lines, each said bounding line having associated with it corresponding alphanumeric text relating to said length and said direction of each said bounding line, said method further comprising the steps of: (i) repeating the steps of (b)-(d) for each said bounding line thereby creating a corresponding vector for each said bounding line; and (ii) arranging sequentially each said corresponding vector as it is created so that said corresponding vectors form a graphical representation of said area surveyed.

Claim 12

The method of said claim 10, further comprising the step of saving said corresponding vectors in a vector drawing file in said computer.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of printing said graphical representation.

Claim 14

The method claim 10, wherein said method further includes the step of computing a closure distance between a pair of said corresponding vectors.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10, wherein said CAD applications program further includes a vector labeling subroutine, said method further comprising the step of labeling each corresponding vector with a label by utilizing said CAD applications program's labeling subroutine; said label reciting a direction and a length corresponding to said orientation and said distance of each said corresponding vector.

Claim 16

The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of converting said distance of each said corresponding vector from English units to metric units and vice versa.

Claim 17

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying said converted distances along with said corresponding vectors.

Claim 18

An automated conversion system for converting alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed from a hard copy source document into mathematically accurate vectors, said system comprising in combination an automatic digitizing unit for document scanning and a computer having a CAD applications program, said computer including receiving means and recognition means, said program including conversion means, transport means and vectorization means; said automatic digitizing unit (i) scanning a hard copy document having alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed, (ii) creating a digitized raster file corresponding to said alphanumeric text, and (iii) outputting said digitized raster file; said receiving means operatively associated with said automated digitizing unit, for receiving said digitized raster file into said CAD applications program; said recognition means for recognizing said file and creating an ASCII text file and comprising an optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; said conversion means, operatively associated with said recognition means, for converting said ASCII text file into a converted file useable in said coordinate geometry subroutine; said transport means, responsive to said converted file, for transporting said converted file into said coordinate geometry subroutine; and said vectorization means, operatively associated with said transport means, for converting said converted file into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said surveyed area and comprising a coordinate geometry subroutine.

Claim 19

An automated conversion system for converting alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed from a hard copy source document into mathematically accurate vectors, said system comprising in combination an automatic digitizing unit for document scanning and a computer having a CAD applications program, said computer including receiving means and recognition means, said program including conversion means, transport means and vectorization means; said automatic digitizing unit (i) scanning a hard copy document having alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed, (ii) creating a digitized raster file corresponding to said alphanumeric text, and (iii) outputting said digitized raster file; said receiving means operatively associated with said automated digitizing unit, for receiving said digitized raster file into said CAD applications program; said recognition means for recognizing said file and creating an ASCII text file and comprising an optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; said conversion means, operatively associated with said recognition means, for converting said ASCII text file into a converted file useable in said coordinate geometry subroutine; said transport means, responsive to said converted file, for transporting said converted file into said coordinate geometry subroutine; and said vectorization means, operatively associated with said transport means, for converting said converted file into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said surveyed area and comprising a coordinate geometry subroutine.

Claim 20

The system of claim 17, wherein said hard copy source document is a cartographic document.

Claim 21

The system of claim 18, wherein said hard copy source document is a survey map.

Claim 22

The system of claim 17, wherein said hard copy source document is a legal description of a land parcel.

Claim 23

The system of claim 17, said vectorization means further including means for arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines wherein said arranged vectors form a graphical representation of said area surveyed.

Claim 24

The system of said claim 21, further including prompting means for prompting a user to arrange said vectors into said graphical representation.

Claim 25

The system of claim 21, further comprising means for saving said arranged vectors to a file in said computer.

Claim 26

The system of claim 21, further comprising outputting means for creating output of said arrangement.

Claim 27

A computer method of converting alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of a land parcel from a legal description hard copy source document into mathematically accurate vectors, said method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving digitized output from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said output representing alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text having been scanned from a legal description hard copy source document; (b) recognizing said alphanumerical text using a textual optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; (c) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; and (d) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said land parcel.

Claim 28

A computer method of converting alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of a land parcel from a legal description hard copy source document into mathematically accurate vectors, said method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving digitized output from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said output representing alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text having been scanned from a legal description hard copy source document; (b) recognizing said alphanumerical text using a textual optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; (c) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; and (d) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said land parcel.

Claim 29

The method of claim 25, further comprising step (e) of arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a graphical representation of said land parcel.

Claim 30

The method of claim 25, wherein step (c) includes abstracting said alphanumeric text.

Claim 31

The method of claim 25, wherein step (c) includes formatting said alphanumeric text into a format useable in said coordinate geometry subroutine.

Claim 32

A computer quality control method for a legal description, the method comprising the steps of: (a) scanning a legal description hard copy source document using an automated digitizing unit, said document having alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of a land parcel, (b) receiving digitized output, said output representing said alphanumeric text, from said automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine; (c) recognizing said alphanumerical text using a textual optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; (d) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; (e) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said land parcel; and (f) arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a representation of said land parcel.

Claim 33

A computer quality control method for a legal description, the method comprising the steps of: (a) scanning a legal description hard copy source document using an automated digitizing unit, said document having alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of a land parcel, (b) receiving digitized output, said output representing said alphanumeric text, from said automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine; (c) recognizing said alphanumerical text using a textual optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; (d) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; (e) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said land parcel; and (f) arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a representation of said land parcel.

Claim 34

The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of (g) computing a closure distance between a pair of adjacent said vectors, said closure distance expressed as a distance Delta X and a distance Delta Y, where said distance Delta X is the difference between an X coordinate of the endpoint of one of said adjacent said vectors and the X coordinate of the beginning point of the said adjacent vector and said distance Delta Y is the difference between a Y coordinate of the same said endpoint of said one said adjacent said vector and the Y coordinate of the same said beginning point of the said adjacent vector.

Claim 35

The quality control method of claim 30, further comprising the step of displaying said representation of said land parcel and said closure distance.

Claim 36

A computer method of converting alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed from a cartographic hard copy source document into mathematically accurate vectors, said method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving digitized output from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said output representing alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text having been scanned from a cartographic hard copy source document; (b) recognizing said alphanumerical text using a textual optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; (c) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; and (d) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said area surveyed.

Claim 37

A computer method of converting alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed from a cartographic hard copy source document into mathematically accurate vectors, said method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving digitized output from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said output representing alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text having been scanned from a cartographic hard copy source document; (b) recognizing said alphanumerical text using a textual optical character recognition subroutine operating in said CAD applications program; (c) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; and (d) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said area surveyed.

Claim 38

The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a representation of said area surveyed.

Claim 39

The method of claim 32, step (c) further comprising abstracting said alphanumeric text.

Claim 40

The method of claim 32, step (c) including converting said alphanumeric text into a format useable in said coordinate geometry subroutine.

Claim 41

The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of displaying said digitized output; overlaying said vectors on said digitized output; and displaying same.

Claim 42

The method of claim 32 wherein said cartographic hard copy source document, has a drawing thereon and wherein a graphics recognition subroutine with a graphics drawing vectorizer subroutine is also operating with said CAD applications program, step (b) of said method further comprising recognizing said drawing using said graphics recognition and creating a graphics vectorized drawing.

Claim 43

The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of displaying said digitizing output; overlying said graphics vectorized drawing thereupon; and displaying same.

Claim 44

A computer quality control method for a cartographic document, the method comprising the steps of: (a) scanning a cartographic hard copy source document using an automated digitizing unit, said document having a drawing thereon and alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed recorded thereon; (b) receiving digitized output, said output including said alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed and a digitized drawing from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text and said drawing having been scanned from said cartographic hard copy source document; (c) displaying said digitized drawing; (d) recognizing said alphanumeric text using a conversion system operating in said CAD applications program, said conversion system having a graphics and textual optical character recognition subroutine and having a graphics drawing vectorizer subroutine, and recognizing said alphanumeric text using said textual optical character recognition subroutine; (e) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; (f) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said area surveyed; and (g) arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a representation of said area surveyed and overlaying said vectors on said digitized drawing.

Claim 45

A computer quality control method for a cartographic document, the method comprising the steps of: (a) scanning a cartographic hard copy source document using an automated digitizing unit, said document having a drawing thereon and alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed recorded thereon; (b) receiving digitized output, said output including said alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed and a digitized drawing from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text and said drawing having been scanned from said cartographic hard copy source document; (c) displaying said digitized drawing; (d) recognizing said alphanumeric text using a conversion system operating in said CAD applications program, said conversion system having a graphics and textual optical character recognition subroutine and having a graphics drawing vectorizer subroutine, and recognizing said alphanumeric text using said textual optical character recognition subroutine; (e) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; (f) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said area surveyed; and (g) arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a representation of said area surveyed and overlaying said vectors on said digitized drawing.

Claim 46

The method of claim 39 further comprising the steps of computing a closure distance between a pair of adjacent said vectors, said closure distance expressed as a distance Delta X and a distance Delta Y, where said distance Delta X is the difference between an X coordinate of the endpoint of one of said adjacent said vectors and the X coordinate of the beginning point of the said adjacent vector and said distance Delta Y is the difference between a Y coordinate of the same said endpoint of said one said adjacent said vector and the Y coordinate of the same said beginning point of the said adjacent vector; and (ii) displaying said representation of said vectors overlaid on said digitized drawing file and displaying said closure distance.

Claim 47

A computer quality control method for a textual optical character recognition subroutine program, the method comprising the steps of: (a) scanning a hard copy source document using an automated digitizing unit, said document having a drawing thereon and alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed recorded thereon, said alphanumeric text having been accurately recorded; said drawing having been accurately scaled to said alphanumeric text; (b) receiving digitized output, said output including said alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed and a digitized drawing from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text and said drawing having been scanned from said hard copy source document; (c) recognizing said alphanumerical text using said textual optical character recognition subroutine program operating in said CAD applications program; (d) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; (e) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said area surveyed; and (f) arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a representation of said area surveyed and displaying said representation.

Claim 48

A computer quality control method for a textual optical character recognition subroutine program, the method comprising the steps of: (a) scanning a hard copy source document using an automated digitizing unit, said document having a drawing thereon and alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed recorded thereon, said alphanumeric text having been accurately recorded; said drawing having been accurately scaled to said alphanumeric text; (b) receiving digitized output, said output including said alphanumeric text relating to lengths and directions of bounding lines of an area surveyed and a digitized drawing from an automated digitizing unit into a CAD applications program, said CAD applications program having a coordinate geometry subroutine, said alphanumeric text and said drawing having been scanned from said hard copy source document; (c) recognizing said alphanumerical text using said textual optical character recognition subroutine program operating in said CAD applications program; (d) transporting said alphanumeric text into said coordinate geometry subroutine; (e) converting said alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into mathematically accurate vectors representing said lengths and said directions of said bounding lines of said area surveyed; and (f) arranging sequentially said vectors according to a sequence of said bounding lines to form a representation of said area surveyed and displaying said representation.

Claim 49

The method of claim 41 further comprising the steps of computing a closure distance between a pair of adjacent said vectors, said closure distance expressed as a distance Delta X and a distance Delta Y, where said distance Delta X is the difference between an X coordinate of the endpoint of one of said adjacent said vectors and the X coordinate of the beginning point of the said adjacent vector and said distance Delta Y is the difference between a Y coordinate of the same said endpoint of said one said adjacent said vector and the Y coordinate of the same said beginning point of the said adjacent vector; and displaying said closure distance.

Claim 50

The method of claim 41 further comprising the steps of: (i) displaying said digitized drawing between steps (b) and (c) and (ii) displaying said representation as overlaid on said digitized drawing.