JP6262708B2 - Document detection method for detecting original electronic files from hard copy and objectification with deep searchability - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an object having deep searchability and a document detection method for detecting an original electronic file from a hard copy.

  Native electronic files allow users to easily edit documents with various options and functions. Native files may be converted to different file formats (ie non-native files). In general, however, document editability is reduced in non-native formats. Specifically, when using a native file, the user can edit individual cells in a table of document processing documents. However, if the user is using a non-native file format, the user can only edit the table. For example, the user cannot edit individual cells, and what the user can do can be limited to simply selecting where the entire table can be placed on the page.

  Managing electronic documents is a difficult task regardless of the size of the organization. If the user cannot find the original, thousands of hours and millions of dollars are wasted on the effort used to locate the lost electronic document and recreate the document. In some cases, a user may have a physical copy or other non-native copy of a document, but may be stored somewhere in a network drive or data repository, such as an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) repository. I cannot find an original electronic document. Although the user can create a new document, the newly created document may not be the same as the original electronic document even if the document is newly created with high quality.

  An example of a non-native file is a physical document. Physical documents can be found everywhere—home, office, and other environments. Many physical documents are printouts from electronic documents, such as those from word processing applications on computing devices. A user may wish to edit a physical document using a computing device. To do this, the user first scans a physical document using a scanner or multifunction device, and then analyzes and processes the rasterized image by software that can recognize the scanned document object. For example, general processing such as text recognition and conversion can be performed using optical character recognition (OCR) software. However, non-text objects cannot be recognized or edited. If the text in the image is not properly defined, the text may not be recognized or edited. In either case, the object is generally treated as a bitmap object or converted from an original scan to a vector format and cannot be recognized in its native format.

  To find an electronic document, a user may search a network drive or data repository for a string from the document text. For example, a user may detect a match in a network drive or EC repository by scanning a hard copy and making a comparison using optical character recognition (OCR) software. However, a simple text search is not always sufficient. For example, if there is no text in the document or if the text is not properly defined, the OCR software cannot recognize the non-text object and cannot search the document. As another example, if a document contains only common words, it may return too many search results.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for objectifying non-text content including objects in a non-native file by a computing system comprising a computer processor , wherein the computer processor performs the above processing in a native file format . Determining a tag for recognizing the object, and creating an objected object including the object and the tag to objectify the object of the non-text content, and based on the objectized object by the computer processor , Objectized objects where at least part of the configuration information is text data that can be searched by native applications for native files Comprising the steps of: generating metadata including bets configuration information, by the computer processor, generating a new native file containing the object object obtained by adding the metadata, the.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for converting non-text content including an object in a non-native file into an object, comprising: a computer processor; and an objectification unit executed on the computer processor, The objectification unit determines a tag for recognizing the object in a native file format , creates an objectized object including the object and the tag, thereby converting the object of the non-text content into an object, and the objectized object The meta data containing the configuration information of the object object that is at least part of the configuration information is text data that can be searched by the native application for the native file. It generates data to generate a new native file containing the object object obtained by adding the metadata.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions for object the non-text content containing the object non-native file to a computer, determining the tag to recognize an object in a native file format The object of the non-text content is made into an object by creating an object object including the object and the tag, and at least a part of the configuration information is based on the object object by the native application for the native file. New metadata including the objectized object to which the metadata including the configuration information of the objectized object is generated and the metadata is added is generated as searchable text data. The Restorative file Ru to produce.

In general, according to one aspect, the invention relates to a method for detecting a document with a computing system comprising a computer processor, the computer processor scanning a physical copy of a document having a non-text object. receiving, by the computer processor, determining a first tag for recognizing Oite the non-text object in the original file for said non-text object, by the computer processor, based on the first tag and generating a non-text object metadata including configuration information of the non-text object, by the computer processor, a non-text which is the product Using object meta data, stored in the data repository, retrieving a plurality of electronic documents, each including a searchable metadata associated with the with the object object, by the computer processor, the non-text object meta Comparing data to the searchable metadata; and providing, by the computer processor, a location of the original file to a user if the non-text object metadata matches the searchable metadata; Is provided.

In general, according to one aspect, the present invention relates to a system for detecting a document, comprising: a data repository storing a plurality of electronic documents including an object and searchable metadata associated with the object; and a computer comprising a processor, and a document locator that runs on said computer processor, said document locator receives a scan of a physical copy of a document having a non-text object, recognizing Oite the non-text object in the original file the first tag to determine for said non-text object, based on the first tag, wherein generates the non-text object metadata including the configuration information of the non-text object, the generated Using non-text object metadata, the searching a plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository, wherein the non-text object metadata compared to the searchable metadata, the non-text object metadata the search If it matches the possible metadata, it provides the user with the location of the original file.

In general, according to one aspect, the present invention is a computer program that includes instructions for detecting a document with respect to the following, causing the computer to receive a scan of a physical copy of a document having a non-text object, and to copy the original file . A first tag for recognizing the non-text object is determined for the non-text object, non-text object metadata including configuration information of the non-text object is generated based on the first tag, and the generation is performed. using non-text object metadata, stored in the data repository, thereby respectively retrieved a plurality of electronic documents that contain searchable metadata associated with the object and said object, said non-text objects Metadata is compared with the searchable metadata, if the non-text object meta data matches the searchable metadata, Ru is provided the position of the original file to the user.

  Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a system in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a computing system of one or more embodiments of the invention.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For consistency, like elements in each drawing are given like reference numerals.

  In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, specific details are set forth in order to provide a deeper understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known elements have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily complicated description.

(First embodiment)
Generally, the first embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system for objectification (object definition) for recognizing a non-native document object in its native format. For example, if a user can access a non-native file (eg, a hard copy of an electronic document printed out) but cannot access the native file, the ability of the user to edit and search the document is limited. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the user can edit in the native file format, and can create a new electronic document having deep searchability. Deep searchability allows existing and / or built-in text search capabilities in the operating system and / or document program to search using consecutive descriptions in common with objects such as images, charts, tables, graphs, photographs, etc. Can be executed.

  According to the first embodiment, a non-native file including an object is acquired. An object is objectified by determining the tag of the object and creating an object that is objectified with the object and tag. Metadata may be generated based on the objectified object, and a new native file including the objectized object and metadata may be generated. The objectified object in the new native file can be edited by its native format and the metadata can be retrieved.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, it starts from a non-native file (for example, a printed hard copy format, a PDF (Portable Document Format) electronic document, or a scanned image of a printed hard copy), and deep. Provide a document workflow ending with a new electronic file of objected non-text content containing searchable metadata. For example, according to the first embodiment, a user can scan a hard copy format of an electronic document, convert the scanned content into an object, and generate searchable metadata based on the recognized object. Metadata can be a continuous description embedded as searchable and hidden text associated with a recognized object or placed around. As a result, the user can obtain an electronic document that can be reused for new purposes and / or can be deeply searched by a query in a natural language. In the first embodiment, “non-text content” may include stylized text, graphical text, and other text that cannot be recognized by conventional OCR software. That is, “non-text content” may be content that is not recognized as text content when the content is classified into text and non-text.

  FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a computing device (105), native file (110), content (115), object (120), tag (125), non-native file (130), non-native content (135), non-native The system (100) includes an object (140), a scanner (145), an objectification unit (150), and a server (155). In the first embodiment, any device capable of creating an electronic file can be used as the computing device (105), and includes, for example, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, a tablet, and the like. The arithmetic unit (105) includes various components, and examples thereof include a processor, a memory, and an input device (all not shown). In the first embodiment, the computing device (105) can execute various programs and applications (not shown) that can be used by a user to create an electronic document. Examples of these programs and applications include a word processing program, a slide show program, a spreadsheet application, and a note taking application.

  These electronic documents can be used by computing device users to store, share, store, and retrieve information. These documents are stored temporarily or permanently in a file. There are a variety of different file formats. Each file format defines how the contents of the file are encoded. That is, the file content is read and displayed based on the file format. Some file formats are used primarily for creating and / or editing documents, while others are used primarily for other purposes, such as sharing documents with others. Specific examples of the file format include office open XML (OOXML), PDF, and the like.

  A user may convert a document of a certain file format into another document format, such as conversion from an OOXML document to a PDF document. The user may also print a physical copy of the electronic document. Due to such work, various features of the native file format may be lost. In general, these features are not visible to the user, but can have serious consequences, such as reducing the editability of the file. However, as described in detail below, such a result can be suppressed by the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Still referring to FIG. 1, according to the first embodiment, the native file (110) is an electronic document in the original file format from which the document was created. The native file (110) can be in any file format and can be known or later developed. The native file (110) is stored in the computing device (105) or other suitable location. According to the first embodiment, the native file (110) can be converted into a file of another format such as a non-native file (130). The native file (110) includes data such as content (115) displayed when the user refers to the native file using the program used to create the native file.

  In the first embodiment, content (115) includes any content found in electronic documents, including but not limited to text, photos, tables, charts, images, formulas, and the like. In the first embodiment, the content (115) includes one or more objects (120). The object (120) may be part of text (graphic image) or other displayable content (115). Graphic images can include bitmap images and vector graphic images. For example, the graphic image can be a stylized text (eg, word art), a chart, a photographic image, or other graphic. Since conventional techniques such as bannerization, word segmentation, and OCR techniques are applied to the text object, a detailed description of the case where the content is determined to be a text object is omitted in the following description.

  According to the first embodiment, the object (120) determined to be a non-text object is delimited by one or more hidden tags (125). Specifically, configuration information of one or more objects is set by the tag (125), and the information includes format information and type information. At least a portion of the configuration information may be text data that can be retrieved by a native application of the native file. The format indicates how the object is displayed. The format includes color, size, shading, image file name (eg, ppy.jpg) and other such information. The type indicates what the object is. For example, types may include specific types of charts, word art, images, tables, clip art, bulleted lists, and other types.

  Continuing with tag (125), for example, a pie chart object (ie, an object corresponding to a pie chart) can be separated from the rest of the file by a hidden start tag and a hidden end tag to identify the pie chart. Within the pie chart object, there can be tags that define the size and color of each sector that make up the pie chart. The bar graph object can be separated from the rest of the original file by a hidden start tag and a hidden end tag to identify the bar graph. Text can be delimited by tags that specify font size, font name, font color, and other characteristics of the text. Those skilled in the art will understand from the disclosure herein that various tags may exist and the present invention is not limited to the above examples.

  According to the first embodiment, the non-native file (130) is a copy of the native file (110) whose file format is different from that of the native file (110). The non-native file (130) can be any file format. For example, in the first embodiment, the non-native file (130) is a printout or physical copy of the native file (110), or a scanned image of the printout. In the first embodiment, the non-native file (130) looks the same or nearly the same as the native file (110). However, some data such as the tag (125) may be lost when the native file (110) is printed or converted to a non-native file (130). In FIG. 1, the non-native file (130) and the native file (110) are connected by a dotted line, which indicates that they are “same” files.

  In the first embodiment, the non-native content (135) is a non-native copy of the content (115). Like content (115), non-native content (135) includes any content, including but not limited to photographs, tables, charts, images, and the like. In the first embodiment, the non-native content (135) includes one or more non-native objects (140). Non-native object (140) is a non-native copy of object (120). Importantly, the non-native object (140) is not associated with a tag because the tag is lost due to the conversion process and / or printing.

  In the first embodiment, the scanner (145) is a scanner or other device having a scanning function, such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP). The scanner (145) includes a variety of different components, including but not limited to a processor, memory, display, input device, and the like. The scanner (145) includes all functions commonly associated with the scanner and / or MFP, optically scanning the document, converting the document into a digital image, performing optical character recognition (OCR), For example, rasterizing an image. The scanner (145) can generate documents in a variety of different file formats and / or resolutions. The scanner (145) is communicably connected to the server (155) via a wired and / or wireless connection. The scanner (145) can be arbitrarily connected to other devices, and examples thereof include a personal computer, a tablet, and a smartphone.

  In the first embodiment, the scanner (145) has a function of executing the objectification unit (150). The object converting unit (150) is a program or module for converting an object in a non-native file into an object. As shown in FIG. 1, the objectification unit (150) is executed on the scanner (145) and / or the server (155). Specifically, the objectification unit (150) has a function of determining a tag of an object, generating an objectized object, generating metadata, and generating a new native file.

  In the first embodiment, the objectification unit (150) has a function of determining the tag of the object in any appropriate manner. The object is provided to the objectification unit (150) via a scanner, server, or other computing device, or can be detected by the objectification unit (150) in any manner known or later developed. Once the object is recognized, the objectification unit (150) analyzes the object to determine a tag that was originally associated with or possibly associated with the object when the object was part of the native file. In the first embodiment, the objectification unit (150) can compare various templates with objects. Each template represents one or more tags. If a match or close match is found, the tag associated with the template can be used to object the object. In the first embodiment, the objectification unit (150) can make the most likely guess as to which tag is associated with the object. Alternatively, the objectification unit (150) may use other suitable methods to determine which tag is associated with the object.

  In the first embodiment, the objectification unit (150) has a function of creating an object that has been converted into an object. Objectified objects are similar to or the same as the original object in the native file. Objectified objects can be created by inserting tags at appropriate locations in the electronic file. Alternatively, the objectized object can be created by other known or later developed object recognition methods or pattern matching methods.

  In the first embodiment, the objectification unit (150) has a function of creating metadata relating to an object that has been converted into an object. It is possible to describe how the object is configured in the native file format in the object-formed object metadata. For example, it may include the type of object, the format of the object, the location of the object and / or other characteristics and / or descriptions of the object. For example, the position of each object can be specified by the page number of the page where the object is located and the xy coordinates of the page. In the first embodiment, metadata is not used to render the object for display purposes. That is, metadata can be used only for information purposes such as searching. In the first embodiment, part or all of the metadata is hidden from the user.

  In the first embodiment, the objectification unit (150) has a function of generating a new native file. New native files can be generated by any method known or later developed. Specifically, the new native file contains an object that has been objectified. The new native file may have many or all features (eg, tags) of the original native file that were lost when the native file was converted to a non-native file. In the first embodiment, a new native file may be generated by other components such as other software running on the server (155) or scanner (145). As a result, the user can edit the non-text content in the document without re-creating the non-text content using a program (for example, a Microsoft office program) that generated the original native file.

  In the first embodiment, the server (155) is a server, rack, desktop computer, laptop computer, or other computing device that can implement the objectification unit (150). The server (155) can have a variety of different configurations, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

  FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Although the various steps of the flowchart are illustrated and described in order, those skilled in the art will understand that some or all of the steps may be performed in a different order and that some or all of the steps may be performed in parallel. It will be possible. Also, in the first embodiment of the present invention, one or more steps described below may be omitted, repeated, and / or executed in a different order. Furthermore, additional steps not described below may be performed without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the specific steps described in FIG. 2 should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

  In step 200, a non-native file containing an object is obtained. In the first embodiment, the non-native file is a printout or physical copy of an electronic document. Specifically, users with physical copies may not have access to the document's native electronic original / copy, but want to edit the document on their computer without manually recreating the electronic document. Yes. In the first embodiment, the non-native file can be obtained from a scanner. Alternatively, the non-native file may be an electronic file having a file format different from that of the native file. In the first embodiment, the non-native file may be obtained from memory, a data repository, or other suitable information source.

  In the first embodiment, the user may perform input regarding the inferred native file format. For example, if the user thinks that the physical document was originally created by “Word Processing Program A”, the user may provide that information as additional input. This additional input can assist in determining in step 205 which tags should be associated with the object and what file format should be created.

  In step 205, a tag is determined for the object. A tag defines at least part of an object and can be determined by any suitable method. In the first embodiment, it is possible to determine whether an object is similar to a known tagged object by comparing the object with a template. Alternatively, the tag is determined based on the most probable guessing algorithm, user input, or other suitable method.

  In step 210, an objectified object (eg, an OOXML object) is created. An objectified object includes an object and one or more tags of the object. That is, an object that is made into an object is a reconstruction of part or all of the object in the native file. The objectized object allows the user to edit a functionalized object rather than a “simple” object. For example, without using the present invention, when the object is a circle, when the object is scanned, the circle is stored as a rasterized image, and the user can select a position on the page or perform a simple size change. Only a simple editing function can be used. The object circle allows the user to edit the color of the circle, adjust the line density, add a pattern, etc.

  In step 215, metadata is generated. All objectified content is analyzed by known search algorithms and metadata is added in the vicinity of the object. Such metadata may be generated by any method known or later developed. The metadata may be based on the object that is made into an object. In the first embodiment, the metadata can describe each feature of the object, such as the type, size, color, position, and shape of the object.

  In step 220, a new native file containing the objectified object and metadata is generated. New native files can be generated by any known or later developed method. A new native file is a new electronic document that is created using a non-native file and with the tags and metadata determined for or using the objected object. The advantage is that the objectized object and the metadata attached to it allow the user to use more features with the new native file, for example deeper searchability and improved objectized object. Editability.

  In step 225, a new native file is edited and / or retrieved. As indicated by the dotted lines, step 225 is optional and can be performed at any time using any computing device. Editing and / or searching may be performed by any method known or later developed.

  FIG. 3 shows an example based on the first embodiment of the present invention. The examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a process of converting a paper file (300) into an electronic document having deep searchability and improved editing functions. First, the user has a paper file (300). The paper file (300) is a piece of paper with a large black triangle printed at the center of the page. The user wants to edit the paper file (300) on his computer, but does not want to spend time manually recreating the file. The user knows that the paper file (300) was originally an electronic document created using a computer, but the user does not know where the electronic copy is.

  Therefore, the user places the paper file (300) on the scanner (305), scans the file, and creates a new native file (310). After scanning the paper file (300), the scanner (305) detects the presence of an object, ie a black triangle. The scanner (305) objects the black triangle by determining which tags are associated with the black triangle in the selected native file format. The tag can be confirmed by displaying the new native file format (315). Specifically, the scanner (305) determines that the tag <triangle: black> should be associated with a black triangle. Thus, the tag <triangle: black> is included in the new native file (310), but the tag is not visible to the user. This tag allows the user to edit the black triangle in the new native file (310) with the same features and functions that existed when the black triangle was created in the original native file (which cannot be accessed).

  Further, the scanner (305) generates metadata regarding the object using the objectized content. Specifically, the metadata in this specific example describes the object as follows: triangle, black, equilateral. However, these keywords can be defined arbitrarily, and changing or modifying these keywords can better capture what the user is looking for to find a particular type of object. Details regarding how such keywords are defined and associated with recognized objects are described in US 2014/0258258, which is incorporated herein by reference. This metadata is embedded in the new native file (310) and is not visible to the user. However, users can search for new native files (310) using metadata terms (in general, invisible text can be detected using standard app / OS search tools). Thus, if the user does not know where the new native file (310) is stored, the new native file (310) can be searched by searching all documents on his / her computer using the term “equivalent, black, triangle”. Appears in the search result, and there is a high possibility that such a unique search term becomes the first “search hit”.

(Second embodiment)
In general, the second embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system for document detection. Specifically, according to a second embodiment of the present invention, a user can create searchable metadata about a non-text object in a non-native copy, such as a scanned hard copy of an electronic document, for example. The copy can be used to detect or find the original electronic document. According to the second embodiment, for example, a user can utilize searchable metadata as part of a text query in a term comparison between an electronic document and a hard copy derived from the electronic document. This increases the possibility that the user will find the original electronic document, and it is possible to continue editing, correction, printing, storage and the like. In this specification, physical copy, hard copy, paper copy, printout, and physical file are used interchangeably.

  In a second embodiment, a scan of a physical copy of a document containing a non-text object is received. One or more tags are determined for the non-text object and metadata is generated based on these tags. Subsequently, the data repository storing the electronic document is searched using the non-text object metadata, and the original document is found. Optionally, in addition to the metadata, an existing string can be used, for example, a title, a heading, or other content of an electronic document. Upon detection, the location of the original document is provided to the user.

  FIG. 4 shows a data repository (405), electronic document (410), object (415), tag (420), metadata (425), physical copy (430), non-text object (435), scanner (440), 1 illustrates a system (400) including a document locator (445) and a computing device (450). In the second embodiment, the data repository (405) is a memory, hard drive, database, network drive, and / or one or more storage devices provided in one or more devices. The data repository (405) can be a component of an enterprise content management (ECM) system. The data repository (405) can be of any size and can be accessed by any number of users. In the second embodiment, the data repository may allow the user to execute at various levels, i.e., some users have full access to all files stored in the data repository, while others have access. Possible files are limited. The data repository (405) stores the electronic document (410).

  In the second embodiment, the electronic document (410) is an electronic file stored in the data repository (405). The electronic document (410) is used by users of computing devices that store, share, store, and retrieve information. Such documents are stored temporarily or permanently in a file. There are a variety of different file formats. Each file format defines how the contents of the file are encoded. That is, the content of the file is read and displayed based on the file format. If there is a file format mainly used for creation and / or editing of a document, there is also a file format mainly used for various other purposes such as sharing a document with others. Examples of file formats include office open XML (OOXML), PDF, and the like.

  A user may convert a document in one file format into a document in another file format, for example, convert an OOXML document into a PDF document. The user can also print a physical copy of the electronic document. As a result, the characteristics of the native file format can be lost. In general, such features are not visible to the user, but they can have serious consequences, for example, the ability to edit the file is reduced, or the contents of the file are modified in other ways. The electronic document (410) includes an object (415), a tag (420), and metadata (425). The electronic document (410) may be created by any suitable program, such as a word processing program, a note-taking program, a spreadsheet program, a slide show program.

  In the second embodiment, the object (415) can be text, a graphic image, or other displayable content. Graphic images can include bitmap images and vector graphic images. For example, the graphic image can be stylized text (eg, word art), a chart, a photographic image, or other graphic.

  In the second embodiment, the object (415) is delimited by one or more hidden tags (420). Specifically, configuration information of one or more objects is set by the tag (420), and the information includes format information and type information. The format indicates how the object is displayed. The format includes color, size, shading, image file name (eg, ppy.jpg) and other such information. The type indicates what the object is. For example, types may include specific types of charts, word art, text, images, tables, clip art, bulleted lists, and other types.

  Continuing with tag (420), for example, a pie chart object (ie, an object corresponding to a pie chart) can be separated from the rest of the file by a hidden start tag and a hidden end tag to identify the pie chart. Within the pie chart object, there can be tags that define the size and color of each sector that make up the pie chart. The bar graph object can be separated from the rest of the original file by a hidden start tag and a hidden end tag to identify the bar graph. Text can be delimited by tags that specify font size, font name, font color, and other characteristics of the text. Those skilled in the art will understand from the disclosure herein that various tags may exist and the present invention is not limited to the above examples.

  In the second embodiment, the metadata (425) is data stored in the electronic document regarding the object in the electronic document. The metadata (425) may be in a searchable text format. The object metadata (425) may describe how the object is organized in the file format. For example, the type of object, the format of the object, the position of the object, and / or other features and / or descriptions of the object may be described. For example, the position of each object can be set by the page number of the page where the object is located and the xy coordinates of the page. In the second embodiment, metadata (425) is not used to render the object for display purposes. That is, metadata can be used only for information purposes such as searching. The search may be performed using any text search tool, program and / or method known or later developed. Alternatively, the search can be performed using a dedicated method or application. In the second embodiment, part or all of the metadata is hidden from the user (for example, hidden text). In the second embodiment, the metadata (425) is optional and may be defined based on rules created by a software developer, user, software publisher, or other appropriate entity. For example, blue square metadata may be defined by the software developer as “blue, square”. The user can optionally modify what metadata is associated with the blue square, for example, the term “company logo” may be added.

  In the second embodiment, the physical copy (430) is a paper copy of an electronic document. The physical copy (430) can be printed by any known or later developed method and can be printed as close as possible to the manner in which the corresponding electronic document is displayed on the computing device. Further, the physical copy (430) may have a point that is greatly different from the manner in which the electronic document is displayed on the arithmetic device. For example, the text font used cannot be printed, or the page margin needs to be adjusted. The physical copy (430) includes any content of the original electronic document, and in a second embodiment includes a non-text object (435).

  In the second embodiment, the non-text object (435) is a non-text object that is printed on the page of the physical copy (430). The non-text object (435) can be of any kind described above with respect to the object (415). For example, the non-text object (435) can be a red circle, a blue triangle, a photograph, or the like. Although the non-text object (435) may contain text as a component (eg, a column in a table), the non-text object (435) is not simple text and there are additional formatting and other features.

  In the second embodiment, the scanner (440) is a scanner or other device having a scanning function such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP). The scanner (440) may have a variety of different components, including but not limited to a processor, memory, display, input device, and the like. The scanner (440) includes all functions commonly associated with the scanner and / or MFP, optically scans the document, converts the document into a digital image, performs optical character recognition (OCR), image Including rasterizing the file. The scanner (440) can generate documents in a variety of different file formats and / or resolutions. The scanner (440) is communicably connected to the data repository (405) and / or the computing device (450) via a wired and / or wireless connection such as the Internet.

  In the second embodiment, the scanner (440) has a function of executing a document locator (445). The document locator (445) is a program or module for searching for a document. As shown in FIG. 1, document locator (445) may be implemented in scanner (440), computing device (450), and / or other suitable devices. Specifically, the document locator (445) receives a scan of a physical copy of the document, has the following functions, determines the tag of the object, generates metadata, determines permissions, finds the electronic document, Provide electronic documents to users.

  In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) is capable of receiving a scan of a physical copy of a document of any resolution in any known or later developed format. The document locator (445) may receive a scan of the scanner itself or another computing device. Once the scan is received, the document locator (445) has the function of determining the tag of the object. Objects can be identified within a scanned document by a scanner or other computing device, or by a document locator (445) in any manner known or later developed. Once the object is identified, the document locator (445) analyzes the object to determine which tag was originally associated with, and possibly associated with, the object when it was an electronic file. In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) can compare various types of templates with objects. Each template can indicate one or more tags. If there is a match or close match, the tag associated with the template can be used to objectify the object. In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) may perform a powerful guess as to which tag should be associated with the object. Alternatively, the document locator (445) may use other suitable methods to determine which object the tag should be associated with.

  In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) has a function of generating metadata. The metadata can be generated by any method known or later developed. Specifically, the metadata is based on a tag that the document locator (445) determines to be associated with the object, and the metadata describes all the characteristics of the object such as size, size, color, pattern, position, etc. . In the second embodiment, the metadata is in text format to quickly find an electronic copy of the document using an existing search function.

  In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) has a function of finding an electronic document. Electronic documents can be found by any method known or later developed. For example, an electronic document is found using a text search. The text used in the search is part or all of the metadata about the object. Optionally, the text used for the search may include normal text that exists in the electronic document. If the retrieved electronic document was preprocessed to include metadata about the object, such a text search could match a physical copy, even if the document contains little or no text. A number of electronic documents can be brought. That is, by using metadata as a search term, the document locator (445) replaces text that appears frequently in many other different documents, instead of the objects found in the electronic document (eg, the blue color found in the center of page 3). E-documents can be found efficiently based on pie charts, including green, red).

  In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) has a function of determining permission status. Manage who can view, modify and / or access electronic documents according to permission status. Having a paper copy of a document does not necessarily mean that the user has the authority to access an electronic version of the file. Therefore, before the document locator (445) informs the user where the electronic copy of the document is, the document locator (445) determines the user's permission status and determines whether the user is allowed to access the file. to be certain. In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) may require the user to log in, provide a password, or indicate who he is in order to determine the user's permission status. Alternatively, the document locator (445) may determine and check the permission status by other suitable methods.

  In the second embodiment, the document locator (445) has a function of providing the electronic document found to the user. The found electronic document can be provided to the user in various ways. In a second embodiment, the found electronic document can be emailed to the user. Alternatively, the file name and / or position may be displayed on the scanner, printed, sent to the user by e-mail, or the like. With the disclosure herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there are various ways to provide the found document to the user, and thus the present invention is not limited to the examples described above.

  In the second embodiment, any device capable of creating an electronic file can be used as the computing device (450), and examples include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, and a tablet. The arithmetic device (450) has various different components, and examples thereof include a processor, a memory, and an input device (not shown). In the second embodiment, the computer (450) can execute various programs / applications (not shown) that can be used by a user to create an electronic document. Examples of these programs / applications include a word processing program, a slide show program, a spreadsheet application, and an application for taking notes. In the second embodiment, the computing device (450) may store, modify, or access an electronic document stored in the data repository (405). Further, as described above, the computing device (450) can execute the document locator (445).

  FIG. 5 shows a flowchart according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Although the various steps of the flowchart are illustrated and described in order, those skilled in the art will understand that some or all of the steps may be performed in a different order and that some or all of the steps may be performed in parallel. It will be possible. Also, in the second embodiment of the present invention, one or more steps described below may be omitted, repeated, and / or executed in a different order. Furthermore, additional steps not described below may be performed without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the specific steps described in FIG. 5 should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

  In step 500, an electronic document in the data repository is processed to include metadata about objects in the electronic document. As indicated by the dotted lines, electronic documents can be processed at any suitable time, for example when stored in a data repository, or on a predetermined schedule (eg, processing new documents once a week), or any other Appropriate time points are listed. By performing processing on the electronic document, metadata about an object in the electronic document can be generated and the metadata can be stored in the electronic document. Thus, an electronic copy of a physical document can be retrieved using metadata about the object.

  Specifically, the electronic document can be processed as described in steps 510 and 515. That is, tags are determined for all objects in the electronic document, and metadata is generated based on the objects and tags. The generated metadata is then stored in an electronic document. The metadata is stored, for example, in an invisible text layer or other suitable method. Regardless of whether it is visible to the user or not, the metadata can be searched using an existing text search by storing the metadata in a text format. In the second embodiment, the tag of the object may already exist in the electronic document (that is, the document is in a native format). Metadata is generated using existing tags and stored in an electronic document.

  In step 505, a scanned physical copy of the document containing the object is received. Such a scan may be received at any resolution and / or size in any form known or later developed. The scan may be received by a program or application that is performed on the scanner itself or on other computing devices.

  In step 510, a tag is determined for the object. A tag defines at least a portion of an object and can be determined by any suitable method. In the second embodiment, the object and the template can be compared to determine whether the object is similar to a known tagged object. Alternatively, the tag may be determined based on a powerful guessing algorithm, input from the user, or other suitable method.

  In step 515, metadata is generated based on the objects and tags. Metadata includes object configuration information and can be generated in any manner known or later developed. The metadata can be generated based on the object and its tag. In the second embodiment, the metadata can describe the characteristics of the object such as the type, size, color, position, and shape of the object.

  In step 520, the data repository is searched using the metadata. Specifically, a text search using a search term using a part or all of the metadata is used. A text search may also include text content from documents such as text recognized by OCR or other methods. Thus, the physical copy's metadata is compared with the electronic document's metadata in the data repository so that the electronic document can be found even if the document has little or no text. The text search can be performed in any way known or later developed. In the second embodiment, all documents in the data repository are subjected to a search. Further, it is possible to search a part of electronic documents, for example, it is possible to search only an electronic document that is allowed to be accessed by the user (step 525).

  In step 525, it is determined whether the user has permission to access the electronic document. Optionally, in the second embodiment, step 525 may be performed before or simultaneously with step 520. The user's permission status may specify which electronic documents the user can view, edit or otherwise access. For example, the user's permission status may be determined by having the user enter a username, password, or other identification and verifying that the user has permission to access a portion of the electronic document and / or data repository. . If the user is not authorized to access the electronic document, the process ends. In the second embodiment, when the user is not permitted to access the electronic document, some information regarding the document may be provided to the user based on the setting and / or permission status. For example, the user can be informed whether there is a match or whether there are multiple matches. In addition, the level of permission required, or other appropriate information may be provided. If the user does not have permission to access the electronic document, the process proceeds to step 530.

  In step 530, the found electronic document is provided to the user. The found electronic document is provided to the user in an appropriate manner. Specifically, the location of the electronic document is indicated by a link (eg, a hyperlink), or its name is indicated by a display on the scanner, a voice message, an email, a printout, etc. Also, a copy of the electronic document can be sent to the user by email. From the disclosure herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there are various ways of providing a found electronic document to a user, and thus is not limited to the above illustration of the present invention.

  FIG. 6 shows an example based on the second embodiment of the present invention. The examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 6 shows an example of document discovery. In FIG. 6, the user has a physical copy (600) that is a printout of an electronic document. In the physical copy (600), a small black circle is included in the lower left corner of the document. If the user wants to find an electronic copy of the document, the user places a physical copy (600) on the scanner (605) and scans the document. The user may simply press a button such as “find original” on the scanner and instruct the scanner to look for an electronic copy of the physical copy (600).

  The scanner (605) then processes the physical copy and recognizes that the physical copy (600) has an object, a small black circle. The scanner (605) determines the tag for the small black circle. After determining a tag for a small black circle, metadata based on the object and tag (610) is generated. Specifically, metadata (610) describes the object. The metadata (610) is shown as it would be seen in an electronic file and may not be visible to the user. The metadata generated in this example is as follows: “Circle, Black, Small, Bottom Left”. The metadata and tags generated in this example are based on rules set by any appropriate entity, and when reviewed over time, the rules for the same object generating metadata are changed. If processed after a certain point in time, it may have a different tag. Subsequently, a search (615) is performed using the generated metadata. It is indicated that the search term used in the search (615) is “small black circle, lower left”. The search (615) is performed in or against a data repository (620) that contains a large volume of electronic documents (625). If the electronic document (625) includes a copy of the physical copy (600), the location of the document or the document itself is answered in response to the search. The result (630) of the search (615) is "The electronic copy of the physical document is located in the folder" Presentation "on the network drive Y and has the file name" Marketing Presentation 2012 "." The user can then go to the network drive Y and access the electronic document for editing and other purposes.

  Optionally, in FIG. 6, the user may be prompted by the scanner (605) to log in or enter a password when pressing the “find original” button. Such a login and / or password is used to determine if the user is allowed to access the electronic copy, and if not, the search returns no results when the electronic copy is found.

  One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to non-native hardcopy applications. The second embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to non-native electronic documents. For example, consider the case where there is a user who has a PDF copy of a document originally created in another format. The PDF copy lacks the tags that native documents had, which prevents the user from easily editing the document, so the user may want to find the original document and make some changes to the document. is there. Similar to hard copy scanning, PDF copies are analyzed, object tags are recognized, and metadata is generated. A text search of the electronic document database may then be performed using metadata and optionally other normal text as search terms. If a match or multiple matches are found, the location is displayed and / or provided to the user in an appropriate manner.

  One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the examples described above. As another example, for native electronic files that do not have tagged objects, the benefits can be gained by adding tags and / or metadata. Many file formats, including JPEG, lack tags. Thus, if the native file is simply a JPEG image and subsequently printed, the user may be able to find the original JPEG file by performing the above steps for JPEG. In this example, the user can place a JPEG printout on the scanner and successfully find the original electronic JPEG document using text search by metadata terms, even if the original document is an image.

  Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented on any type of computing system on a virtual, regardless of the platform used. For example, a computing system may include one or more mobile devices (eg, laptop computers, smart phones, electronic notebooks, tablet computers, or other mobile devices), desktop computers, servers, blades in server enclosures, or other types of Arithmetic devices, or devices that can implement one or more embodiments of the present invention, include at least a minimum processing capability, memory, and input and output means. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the computing system (700) includes one or more computer processors (702), associated memory (704) (eg, RAM, cache memory, flash memory, etc.), one or more storage devices. (706) (e.g., optical drives such as hard disks, compact disk (CD) drives or digital multi-purpose disk (DVD) drives, flash memory disks, etc.) and numerous other elements and functions. Computer processor (702) may be an integrated circuit that processes instructions. For example, the computer processor can be one or more cores or microcores of the processor. The computing system (700) includes one or more input devices (710), such as a touch screen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, touchpad, electronic pen, or other type of input device. The computing system (700) also includes one or more output devices (708), such as a screen (eg, a liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display, touch screen, cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, projector, or other Display device), printer, external storage device, or other output device. The one or more output devices can be the same as or different from the input devices. The computing system (700) may be connected to a network (712) via a network interface connection (not shown) (eg, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet), a mobile network, or other type of network. Network). Input and output devices may be connected (706) to a computer processor (702), a memory (704), and a storage device locally or remotely (eg, via a network (712)). There are various different types of computing systems, and the input devices and output devices described above also have various types.

  Software instructions in the form of computer readable program code embodying the present invention may be stored in whole or in part on non-transitory computer readable media, eg, CD, DVD, etc. Storage devices, diskettes, tapes, flash memory, physical memory or other computer-readable storage media. Specifically, the software instructions may correspond to computer readable program code configured to implement embodiments of the present invention when executed by a processor.

  Also, one or more components of the computing system (700) described above may be remotely located and connected to other components on the network (712). Further, the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a distributed system having a plurality of nodes, and each part of the present invention can be arranged at different nodes in the distributed system. In some embodiments of the invention, the nodes correspond to different computing devices. A node can also correspond to a computer processor having an associated physical memory. A node may also correspond to a computer processor or a microcore of a computer processor having shared memory and / or resources.

  Although the present invention has been described in terms of a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will be able to use other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention disclosed herein. It will be understood that it can be devised. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (45)

A method of objectifying non-text content including objects in non-native files by a computing system comprising a computer processor, comprising:
Determining , by the computer processor, a tag for recognizing the object in a native file format , and creating an objectized object including the object and the tag, thereby converting the object of the non-text content into an object;
Generating, by the computer processor, metadata including configuration information of the objectified object, based on the objectized object , wherein at least part of the configuration information is text data searchable by a native application for a native file. When,
Generating a new native file containing the objectified object with the metadata added thereto by the computer processor ;
A method comprising:   The method of claim 1, wherein the non-native file is a physical document and the native file is an OOXML file.   The method of claim 1, wherein the objectified object is editable in a native format and the metadata is searchable.   The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a graphic object, and wherein the metadata describes a graphic type of the object and a position of the object in a page of the non-native file. Receiving , by the computer processor, a file format of the new native file from a user;
The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the tag determination is based on the file format. Determining the tag comprises a step of comparing the object and a plurality of templates, each template of said plurality of templates corresponding to the native tag from the file format of the native file, according to claim 1 the method of.   The method of claim 1, wherein the non-native file is obtained from a scanner. A system for objectifying non-text content including objects in non-native files,
A computer processor;
An objectification unit executed on the computer processor;
With
The objectification unit includes:
Determine a tag for recognizing the object in the native file format , create an object object that includes the object and the tag, and turn the object of non-text content into an object,
Generating metadata including configuration information of the objectified object, wherein at least part of the configuration information is text data searchable by a native application for a native file based on the objectified object;
A system for generating a new native file including the objectized object to which the metadata is added.   The system of claim 8, wherein the non-native file is a physical document and the native file is an OOXML file.   The system of claim 8, wherein the objectified object is editable in a native format and the metadata is searchable.   The system of claim 8, wherein the object is a graphic object, and wherein the metadata describes a graphic type of the object and a position of the object in a page of the non-native file. The objectification unit further receives a file format of the new native file from a user,
The system of claim 8, wherein a portion of the tag determination is based on the file format. Determining the tag further includes comparing said object and a plurality of templates, each template of said plurality of templates corresponding to the native tag from the file format of the native file, to claim 8 The described system.   The system of claim 8, further comprising a scanner that acquires the non-native file. A computer program that includes instructions for objectifying non-text content, including objects in non-native files,
Determine a tag for recognizing the object in the native file format , and create an object object including the object and the tag, thereby converting the object of the non-text content into an object,
Based on the objectified object, generating metadata including the configuration information of the objectified object, wherein at least part of the configuration information is text data searchable by a native application for a native file,
A program for generating a new native file including the objectized object to which the metadata is added.   The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the non-native file is a physical document and the native file is an OOXML file.   The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the objectified object is editable in a native format and the metadata is searchable.   The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the object is a graphic object, and the metadata describes a graphic type of the object and a position of the object in a page of the non-native file. Further comprising receiving a file format of the new native file from a user;
The computer program product of claim 15, wherein a portion of the tag determination is based on the file format. Thereby determining the tag, said method comprising to compare the object and a plurality of templates, each template of said plurality of templates corresponding to the native tag from the file format of the native file, according to claim 15 Computer program.   The computer program according to claim 15, wherein the non-native file is obtained from a scanner. A method for detecting a document by a computing system comprising a computer processor , comprising:
Receiving , by the computer processor, a scan of a physical copy of a document having a non-text object;
By the computer processor, determining a first tag for recognizing Oite the non-text object in the original file for said non-text object,
Generating non-text object metadata including configuration information of the non-text object based on the first tag by the computer processor ;
Retrieving, by the computer processor, a plurality of electronic documents stored in a data repository using the generated non-text object metadata, each including an object and searchable metadata associated with the object; ,
Comparing the non-text object metadata with the searchable metadata by the computer processor ;
Providing, by the computer processor, a location of the original file to a user if the non-text object metadata matches the searchable metadata;
A method comprising: The computer processor extracts a second tag for the object in the electronic document , generates the searchable metadata describing the object based on the second tag, and in the electronic document associated with the object, the electronic document 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising processing electronic documents from the plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository by storing searchable metadata.   23. The method of claim 22, wherein the original file is an OOXML file, and the original file is one of the plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository. Further comprising determining, by the computer processor, whether a user is authorized to access the original file, wherein the location is provided only if it is determined that the user is authorized to access the original file. Item 23. The method according to Item 22.   23. The method of claim 22, wherein the location is provided to the user by email.   23. The method of claim 22, wherein the location is provided by displaying the location on a scanner display.   23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data repository is part of an enterprise content management (ECM) system.   23. The method of claim 22, wherein the searching step further comprises using normal text detected in the document via optical character recognition (OCR). A system for detecting documents,
A data repository for storing a plurality of electronic documents including an object and searchable metadata associated with the object;
A computer processor;
A document locator running on the computer processor;
With
The document locator is:
Receive a scan of a physical copy of a document with non-text objects;
A first tag for recognizing Oite the non-text object in the original file was determined for the non-text object,
Generating non-text object metadata including configuration information of the non-text object based on the first tag;
Using the generated non-text object metadata to retrieve a plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository;
Comparing the non-text object metadata with the searchable metadata;
A system for providing a location of the original file to a user when the non-text object metadata matches the searchable metadata.   The document locator extracts a second tag for the object in an electronic document, generates the searchable metadata describing the object based on the second tag, and in the electronic document associated with the object 32. The system of claim 30, wherein the system processes electronic documents from the plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository by storing searchable metadata.   The system of claim 30, wherein the original file is an OOXML file, and the original file is one of the plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository.   The document locator determines whether a user has authority to access the original file, and the location is provided only if it is determined that the user has authority to access the original file. System.   32. The system of claim 30, wherein the location is provided to the user by email.   32. The system of claim 30, wherein the location is provided by displaying the location on a scanner display.   32. The system of claim 30, wherein the data repository is part of an enterprise content management (ECM) system.   The system of claim 30, wherein the searching further comprises using normal text detected in the document via optical character recognition (OCR). A computer program containing instructions for detecting a document on a computer,
Receive scans of physical copies of documents with non-text objects,
A first tag for recognizing Oite the non-text object in the original file is determined for the non-text object,
Generating non-text object metadata including configuration information of the non-text object based on the first tag;
Using the generated non-text object metadata to search a plurality of electronic documents stored in a data repository, each containing an object and searchable metadata associated with the object;
Comparing the non-text object metadata with the searchable metadata;
A program for causing a user to provide the location of the original file when the non-text object metadata matches the searchable metadata.   A second tag is extracted for the object in the electronic document, the searchable metadata describing the object is generated based on the second tag, and the searchable metadata in the electronic document associated with the object 40. The computer program of claim 38, further comprising processing an electronic document from the plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository by storing.   The computer program according to claim 38, wherein the original file is an OOXML file, and the original file is one of the plurality of electronic documents stored in the data repository.   39. The computer of claim 38, further comprising causing a user to determine whether the user has authority to access the original file, wherein the location is provided only if the user is determined to have authority to access the original file. program.   40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the location is provided to the user by email.   The computer program according to claim 38, wherein the position is provided by displaying the position on a display of a scanner.   40. The computer program of claim 38, wherein the data repository is part of an enterprise content management (ECM) system.   40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the retrieving further comprises using normal text detected in the document via optical character recognition (OCR).

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