Efficient checking of key-in data entry

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the character codes comprises receiving a sequence of codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the group, and wherein segmenting the image comprises dividing the image of the field into a number of segments equal to the number of codes in the sequence.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1 , wherein segmenting the image comprises dividing the image of the field into the areas such that the character in each of the areas has an appearance that accords with the corresponding one of the character codes.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 4 , wherein the documents comprise form documents having fields that are filled in with the characters, and wherein receiving the images comprises receiving an image of one of the fields containing one or more of the characters at a known location on one of the form documents, and wherein identifying the respective areas comprises finding the areas containing the characters in the field at the known location.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 4 , wherein receiving the character codes comprises receiving an operator-generated string of the codes corresponding to a group of the characters in one of the documents, and wherein identifying the respective areas comprises finding the group of characters responsive to the string.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 6 , wherein finding the group of characters comprises applying optical character recognition to the characters in the group so as to produce a machine-generated string of character codes, and matching the operator-generated string to the machine-generated string.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 4 , and comprising receiving an input from the verifying operator indicating that the character in one of the displayed areas does not accord with the selected character code.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 8 , and comprising correcting the character code corresponding to the indicated character.

Claim 12

Apparatus for data key-in, comprising: a verification processor, arranged to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, and further arranged to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters; and a display, coupled to the verification processor so as to present together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, in order to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the documents comprise form documents having fields that are filled in with the characters, and wherein the images comprise an image of one of the fields containing a group of the characters, and wherein the processor is arranged to segment the image of the field responsive to the keyed-in character codes corresponding to the characters in the field.

Claim 13

Apparatus for data key-in, comprising: a verification processor, arranged to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, and further arranged to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters; and a display, coupled to the verification processor so as to present together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, in order to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the documents comprise form documents having fields that are filled in with the characters, and wherein the images comprise an image of one of the fields containing a group of the characters, and wherein the processor is arranged to segment the image of the field responsive to the keyed-in character codes corresponding to the characters in the field.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the character codes comprise a sequence of codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the group, and wherein the processor is arranged to segment the image by dividing the image of the field into a number of segments equal to the number of codes in the sequence.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is arranged to segment the image by dividing the image of the field into the areas such that the character in each of the areas has an appearance that accords with the corresponding one of the character codes.

Claim 16

Apparatus for data key-in, comprising: a verification processor, arranged to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, and further arranged to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters; and a display, coupled to the verification processor so as to present together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, in order to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the processor is arranged to select the group of areas for display such that all of the areas in the group are identified with a selected one of the character codes.

Claim 17

Apparatus for data key-in, comprising: a verification processor, arranged to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, and further arranged to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters; and a display, coupled to the verification processor so as to present together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, in order to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the processor is arranged to select the group of areas for display such that all of the areas in the group are identified with a selected one of the character codes.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the documents comprise form documents having fields that are filled in with the characters, and wherein the images comprise an image of one of the fields containing one or more of the characters at a known location on one of the form documents, and wherein the processor is arranged to identify the areas by finding the areas containing the characters in the field at the known location.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the character codes comprise an operator-generated string of the codes corresponding to a group of the characters in one of the documents, and wherein the processor is arranged to identify the areas by finding the group of characters responsive to the string.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the processor is arranged to find the group of characters responsive to the string by applying optical character recognition to the characters in the group so as to produce a machine-generated string of character codes, and to match the operator-generated string to the machine-generated string.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the processor is arranged to receive an input from the verifying operator indicating that the character in one of the displayed areas does not accord with the selected character code.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the processor is arranged to correct the character code corresponding to the indicated character.

Claim 23

A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters, and to display together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, so as to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the documents comprise form documents having fields that are filled in with the characters, and wherein the images comprise an image of one of the fields containing a group of the characters, and wherein the instructions cause the computer to segment the image of the field responsive to the keyed-in character codes corresponding to the characters in the field.

Claim 24

A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters, and to display together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, so as to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the documents comprise form documents having fields that are filled in with the characters, and wherein the images comprise an image of one of the fields containing a group of the characters, and wherein the instructions cause the computer to segment the image of the field responsive to the keyed-in character codes corresponding to the characters in the field.

Claim 25

A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters, and to display together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, so as to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the instructions cause the computer to select the group of areas for display such that all of the areas in the group are identified with a selected one of the character codes.

Claim 26

A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive images of documents containing characters and to receive character codes entered by one or more key-in operators, the codes corresponding respectively to the characters in the documents, to identify, for at least some of the character codes, respective areas of the images that contain the corresponding characters, such that each of the areas contains one of the characters, and to display together a group of the areas of the images responsive to the corresponding character codes, so as to facilitate verification of the codes by a verifying operator, wherein the instructions cause the computer to select the group of areas for display such that all of the areas in the group are identified with a selected one of the character codes.