Verification and correction method and system for optical character recognition

Claim 3

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of performing an automatic context analysis includes identifying characters which satisfy a first predetermined threshold of confidence that the characters are correctly recognized.

Claim 4

A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of performing an automatic context analysis further includes performing a dictionary lookup on characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 5

A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of performing an automatic context analysis further includes performing a fuzzy search based on the characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 6

A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of performing an automatic context analysis further includes performing a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold of confidence, so that results satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 7

A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising the step, executed prior to the step of performing a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold, of determining that confusion is possible between two possible solutions, both of which may be correct results of verification and correction of the characters which satisfy the second predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 8

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of performing an automatic context analysis includes identifying characters which satisfy a first predetermined threshold of confidence that the characters are correctly recognized.

Claim 9

A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of performing a user-assisted verification and correction further includes performing a dictionary lookup on characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 10

A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of performing a user-assisted verification and correction further includes performing a fuzzy search based on the characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 11

A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of performing a user-assisted verification and correction further includes performing a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold of confidence, so that results satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 12

A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the step, executed prior to the step of performing a user-assisted verification and correction, of determining that confusion is possible between two possible solutions, both of which may be correct results of verification and correction of the characters which satisfy the second predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 13

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of repeating includes temporarily storing intermediate results, between iterations, in a workspace storage medium.

Claim 14

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating the results of the automatic context analysis includes: identifying distinct fields within a form; and marking as ACCEPTED those of the fields which satisfy a confidence threshold.

Claim 15

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of performing a user-assisted verification and correction includes: identifying a field whose results are uncertain; and identifying a subset of characters of the identified field whose identification would resolve the ambiguity.

Claim 16

A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the step of identifying a subset of characters includes: identifying two possible valid values for the field which have characters in common; and identifying the subset as those characters which the two possible valid values do not have in common.

Claim 17

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of performing a user-assisted verification and correction includes: presenting the user with a selection of possible choices for characters within a field; and allowing the user the options of: (i) ratifying a choice selected as the best choice by the system, (ii) selecting one of the selection of choices other than the choice selected by the system as the best, and (iii) entering a choice different from those within the selection.

Claim 20

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for performing an automatic context analysis includes means for identifying characters which satisfy a first predetermined threshold of confidence that the characters are correctly recognized.

Claim 21

A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the means for performing an automatic context analysis further includes means for performing a dictionary lookup on characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 22

A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the means for performing an automatic context analysis further includes means for performing a fuzzy search based on the characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 23

A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the means for performing an automatic context analysis further includes means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold of confidence, so that results satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 24

A system as recited in claim 21, further comprising means, operable prior to operation of the means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold, for determining that confusion is possible between two possible solutions, both of which may be correct results of verification and correction of the characters which satisfy the second predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 25

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for performing an automatic context analysis includes means for identifying characters which satisfy a first predetermined threshold of confidence that the characters are correctly recognized.

Claim 26

A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction further includes means for performing a dictionary lookup on characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 27

A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction further includes means for performing a fuzzy search based on the characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 28

A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction further includes means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold of confidence, so that results satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 29

A system as recited in claim 26, further comprising means, operable prior to operation of the means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction, for determining that confusion is possible between two possible solutions, both of which may be correct results of verification and correction of the characters which satisfy the second predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 30

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for repeating includes means for temporarily storing intermediate results, between iterations, in a workspace storage medium.

Claim 31

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for evaluating the results of the automatic context analysis includes: means for identifying distinct fields within a form; and means for marking as ACCEPTED those of the fields which satisfy a confidence threshold.

Claim 32

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction includes: means for identifying a field whose results are uncertain; and means for identifying a subset of characters of the identified field whose identification would resolve the ambiguity.

Claim 33

A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the means for identifying a subset of characters includes: means for identifying two possible valid values for the field which have characters in common; and means for identifying the subset as those characters which the two possible valid values do not have in common.

Claim 34

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for performing a user-assisted verification and correction includes: means for presenting the user with a selection of possible choices for characters within a field; and means for allowing the user the options of: (i) ratifying a choice selected as the best choice by the system, (ii) selecting one of the selection of choices other than the choice selected by the system as the best, and (iii) entering a choice different from those within the selection.

Claim 35

A computer program product, for use with a computer system, for causing the computer system to correct and verify results of an optical character recognition process, the computer program product comprising: a) a computer-readable medium; b) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform said optical character recognition on an image including characters to be recognized; c) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform an automatic context analysis on said image; d) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to evaluate results obtained by said automatic context analysis performing means, to identify characters requiring further processing; e) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a user-assisted verification and correction of less than all of said characters identified as requiring further processing, thereby producing a partially recognized image, wherein said user-assisted verification and correction means is bypassed if a predetermined level of confidence of recognition of said image is reached by said evaluating means; and f) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to repeat processing performed by means c-e on said partially recognized image until said predetermined level of confidence of recognition of said image is reached by said evaluating means.

Claim 36

A computer program product, for use with a computer system, for causing the computer system to correct and verify results of an optical character recognition process, the computer program product comprising: a) a computer-readable medium; b) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform said optical character recognition on an image including characters to be recognized; c) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform an automatic context analysis on said image; d) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to evaluate results obtained by said automatic context analysis performing means, to identify characters requiring further processing; e) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a user-assisted verification and correction of less than all of said characters identified as requiring further processing, thereby producing a partially recognized image, wherein said user-assisted verification and correction means is bypassed if a predetermined level of confidence of recognition of said image is reached by said evaluating means; and f) means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to repeat processing performed by means c-e on said partially recognized image until said predetermined level of confidence of recognition of said image is reached by said evaluating means.

Claim 37

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the means for directing to perform an automatic context analysis includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to identify characters which satisfy a first predetermined threshold of confidence that the characters are correctly recognized.

Claim 38

A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the means for directing to perform an automatic context analysis further includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a dictionary lookup on characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 39

A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the means for directing to perform an automatic context analysis further includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a fuzzy search based on the characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 40

A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the means for directing to perform an automatic context analysis further includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold of confidence, so that results satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 41

A computer program product as recited in claim 37, further comprising means, provided on the computer-readable medium, operable prior to operation of the means for directing to perform a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold, for directing the computer system to determine that confusion is possible between two possible solutions, both of which may be correct results of verification and correction of the characters which satisfy the second predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 42

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the means for directing to perform an automatic context analysis includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to identify characters which satisfy a first predetermined threshold of confidence that the characters are correctly recognized.

Claim 43

A computer program product as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for directing to perform a user-assisted verification and correction further includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a dictionary lookup on characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 44

A computer program product as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for directing to perform a user-assisted verification and correction further includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a fuzzy search based on the characters which satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 45

A computer program product as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for directing to perform a user-assisted verification and correction further includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to perform a user-assisted verification and correction of characters which satisfy a second predetermined threshold of confidence, so that results satisfy the first predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 46

A computer program product as recited in claim 42, further comprising means, provided on the computer-readable medium, operable prior to operation of the means for directing to perform a user-assisted verification and correction, for directing the computer system to determine that confusion is possible between two possible solutions, both of which may be correct results of verification and correction of the characters which satisfy the second predetermined threshold of confidence.

Claim 47

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the means for directing to repeat includes means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to temporarily store intermediate results, between iterations, in a workspace storage medium.

Claim 48

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein means for directing to evaluate the results of the automatic context analysis includes: means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to identify distinct fields within a form; and means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to mark as ACCEPTED those of the fields which satisfy a confidence threshold.

Claim 49

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the means for directing to perform a user-assisted verification and correction includes: means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to identify a field whose results are uncertain; and means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to identify a subset of characters of the identified field whose identification would resolve the ambiguity.

Claim 50

A computer program product as recited in claim 46, wherein the means for directing to identify a subset of characters includes: means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to identify two possible valid values for the field which have characters in common; and means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to identify the subset as those characters which the two possible valid values do not have in common.

Claim 51

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the means for directing to perform a user-assisted verification and correction includes: means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to present the user with a selection of possible choices for characters within a field; and means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for directing the computer system to allow the user the options of: (i) ratifying a choice selected as the best choice by the system, (ii) selecting one of the selection of choices other than the choice selected by the system as the best, and (iii) entering a choice different from those within the selection.

Claim 52

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said repeating step alternates said user assisted verification and said automatic context analysis on a given field of said image.

Claim 53

A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of performing a user-assisted verification comprises a step of requiring user input on critical characters of said characters.

Claim 54

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein said repeating means alternates said user assisted verification and said automatic context analysis on a given field of said image.

Claim 55

A system as recited in claim 17, wherein said means for performing a user-assisted verification comprises means for requiring user input on critical characters of said characters.

Claim 56

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein said means for directing the computer system to repeat steps alternates said user assisted verification and said automatic context analysis on a given field of said image.

Claim 57

A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein said means for directing the computer system to perform a user-assisted verification and correction comprises means, provided on the computer-readable medium, for requiring user input on critical characters of said characters.