DE4300589A1 - - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce the cost of transmitting by facsimile documents to remote stations the invention splits the document into fixed data 2 which is common to all documents of a particular class and variable data 3 which is specific to the particular document. The area of application described is the processing of proof of delivery notes for parcel delivery services, the fixed data 2 being held at a remote terminal and the variable data, 3, being transmitted to it as required for combination to produce a copy of the original document. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to improvements in the field of data transmission and storage, especially but not from finally in the transfer, storage and replay elongation of document images.

The storage and transfer of data ceases growing problem in many business areas. As Example is the storage of a data carrier from Liefer sticking out for a parcel or for the delivery of goods richly mentioned. It is in such business areas important to have a copy of the original disc from the customer to keep signed delivery notes and everyone to have time available regardless of which opening drawing system is used for the presentation later. For example, a signed disk can be one Delivery note can be conclusive proof that goods in were indeed delivered and this can also be useful to prove which complaints the customer has about Had delivery time.

Currently, data carriers from delivery notes from re regional supply depots to a central data carrier office transported where they are microfilmed on cassettes.  

A computer recording track system is used to track the Illustration of any selected data carrier of a lie ferscheines in position on a display device for visual inspection and / or for enlarged photocopy bring. The paper printout of the requested da The carrier of a delivery note will then relate to that sent the delivery depot and can be used to ei solve a problem.

The method described above is expensive because that manual insertion or removal of the microfilm cassettes is labor intensive and because the central processing of the Microfilm disk creates a bottleneck in the control system. The delay in making a photocopy of the data carrier of a delivery note to the regional delivery depot also not desirable.

It is known to digitize images and these store electronically in a computer memory or optically on CD's. Fully automatic computer cassettes again Acquisition systems can also save time and effort reduce for the recovery process, however centralized research processes Bottleneck and printouts of delivery note media still have to reach the regional supply depot.  

It would be possible to have access terminals in the delivery depot but this requires an electronic transmission of the di gitalized images of the data carrier from Lieferschei to the delivery depots. It is expensive to tele data transmission lines and the cost of operation from terminals can be high. There is currently one ongoing development to compress data into short Bundle bit transfers over telephone lines. The kompri The bundled bit bundle can then be stretched to its actual length be expanded, which reduces the transmission costs.

An object of the present invention is the data improve transmission and / or storage.

This object is achieved with a method for Transfer of a data carrier from a first location to an egg solved in a second place via transmission means, the The method is applicable for data carriers which are fixed in the always available data and variable data in the data carrier instruct which from an individual disk to their individual data carriers of this type vary. The The method is characterized by the invention Steps of providing reproductive means for fixed data at the second location, which stores the fixed data and transferring the variable data to the second Place over the transmission means without transmitting any  cher fixed data or at least without transferring a we considerable part of the fixed data.

Accordingly, less data has to be transmitted than if the whole of the data carrier would have to be transferred. This makes the process cheaper, especially if the Transmission means are a telephone line.

The method preferably also includes scanning the data carrier and extracting only the variable data (or essentially only the variable data). The ex traced variable data can be saved at the first location together with those not backed up at the first location fixed dates. Alternatively, the variable data can also be saved on second place can be saved after this to the second Have been transferred. The variable data can electronically (e.g. in the memory of a microchip or a Magnetic disk), optical (e.g. in a CD) or on others stored appropriately.

The second location is preferably out with combination means equips which the fixed and the transmitted variable Merge data for the reproduction of the original data carrier The combination of fixed and variable data can electronically (e.g. with a computer). Alternatively the fixed and variable data could be visible  Screen can be reproduced separately, however visible at the same time. The original disk will preferably reproduced in a paper printout at the second location graces.

The fixed dates could in turn be pre-printed on a form prints and the variable data could be added.

The combination means preferably include alignment tel one, which is an alignment of the images of the va Execute reliable data with the images of the fixed data ren, so the two sets of data are not against each other are misaligned if they reproduce in a visible form be decorated.

According to a second aspect of the invention, this consists in a method of reducing the storage capacity of a Data storage device which is used to store the content tes a variety of media is required, where the procedure the steps of scanning the in the Spei Storage device to be stored, the separation of the Data carriers in fixed, all data carriers a special one Type or class of common data and in variable data, which from disk to disk within the same Chen type vary, and the storage of the variable data different data carriers at the respective memory addresses  sen without storing the fixed data on it Memory addresses where the variable data are stored.

The fixed dates of a special type of are preferred Data carrier once stored in a fixed data address or at least the fixed dates become less often than that variable data stored.

So a smaller storage capacity may be required as if the entirety of the data for each data carrier would save.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a data separating device proposed which scanner means for Scanning a data carrier, data storage means for storage Save the variable data and files transferred to them which includes some of the scanners used by the scanners filter out the data and some of the data from the scan Data presented for the data storage means transmitted, the arrangement being such that all or at least a substantial part of all data media like a common kind of fixed data not to the data storage means during a recording operation Data carrier are transferred.  

The filter means can be designed so that these do not recognize the fixed dates or they cannot Recognize data, but this from the data that goes to the Da memory are transferred, disconnect. The filter media can have release agents which are suitable for solid To separate data from the data of a data carrier. The Release agents can have a comparator.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a data Carrier display device proposed that a repro producible data carriers of fixed data, which all data carriers ger of a special kind, receiving means for emp catch variable data of this kind from a remote Source and display means for displaying the fixed and varia blen data in a combined and complete form.

The device can combine means for combining the fixed and variable data of a data carrier before the arrival show the data carrier in the display means. Be The device preferably has pressure means for printing or for the otherwise reproduction of a paper printout of the complete original data carrier.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a system with a data separator in accordance with the proposed third aspect of the invention, little  least one disk display device in accordance with the fourth aspect of the invention removed from the Da separating device and transmission means for connection the data separator with the volume display direction are provided, the arrangement being made so is that the system is in accordance with the first and / or second aspect of the invention works.

The system preferably has a plurality of data carriers pointing devices based on a shared memory facility for variable data is network-linked.

The system can use visible data carriers, preferably permanent ones Print-out data medium in the medium display Get directions. Pressure media can be provided for this be. A variety of data separators can also be used lines are provided which allow variable Data from a variety of locations can be input data.

The stored or transferred data after any aspects of the invention are preferably visual images gene, such as document images, the images be act as a fixed mapping component and variable Mapping component.  

Of course, it is provided that two or more different types or classes of media are available are. Suitable means of identification would then be based on the Disks provided to un the different types to be able to distinguish and it would become a means of identification provided which identify the disk To run. The variable data would then be a special one on the type of data carrier identifying label sen so that the correct one of the (different) fixed dates carrier with the variable data after the transmission of the va reliable data could be merged.

The invention is below with reference to the drawing explained in more detail, for example. This shows in

Fig. 1 is a full volume of a delivery certificate,

Fig. 2, the fixed data of each data carrier of a delivery note of the type according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, the variable data of a data carrier of a delivery certificate according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 schematically shows a system for data carrier transmission to a remote station and

FIG. 5 shows another operational network system similar to that according to FIG. 4.

The main principle of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. Most, or at least a very large number, of documents that need to be recorded have two types of data: fixed data, which are contained on all similar documents, and variable data, which vary from document to document within a particular class or type. In the example shown, the document to be recorded is a data carrier of a delivery note or form 1 , which has fixed data 2 , such as lines on the form, instructions for completing the form, etc., and variable data 3 , which are specific for the delivery of a special package such as the customer's address 4 , customer signature 5 , and any additional information 6 contained on the blank form. The form also has an alignment mark 8 , which is included in the fixed and variable data for reasons described below.

Fig. 4 shows schematically a system for the transmission of data carriers corresponding to the data carrier from delivery sheets to remote stations at regional delivery depots. A central storage unit 9 is provided at a first location and connected to a scanner 10 . The scanner 10 can be arranged in the vicinity of the storage unit 9 or it can be remote from it and connected to it by transmission lines or via radio communication or other suitable means. The scanner 10 is equipped with a filter 16 . Remote data display devices 11 are provided at second and third locations away from the location of the storage device 9 and connected to corresponding data carrier generation or combination units 12 , which are connected to the storage unit 9 by telephone lines 13 . The data display devices 11 have a VDU 14 and a printer 15 .

The memory unit 9 has a classifier 17 and a large number of memory addresses 18 to which data to be stored are sent.

Each combination unit 12 has memories 19 and 20 for fixed data for two different types of forms 1 and a combiner 21 .

The fixed data on the data carrier of delivery notes are printed on it with a special ink, which is invisible to the scanner 10 because the filter 16 removes it from the light reaching the scanner. The filter 18 is a narrow bandwidth stop filter, which filters only a very special color. Thus, only information stored in the data carrier of a delivery note 1 reaches the scanner 10 in ink, which is different from that which is used for the fixed data. This is the variable data, which typically requires half or a third of the storage capacity of the storage unit 9 for storage, in relation to the amount of data that is formed from the totality of the fixed and variable data.

The classifier 17 checks the variable data of the form 1 and identifies which class or type of data carrier they belong to, and identifies the variable data that are sent to a specific one of the memory addresses 18 with an appropriate "class" label. It should be noted that the alignment mark is also part of the variable data. The alignment mark 8 is used for the first time when the customer address 4 and the invoice number are printed on the empty original form. This is done automatically when using a printer and the registration mark ensures that the details are correctly centered on the form. The alignment mark can also be used to identify the class or type of form.

If a user at a remote display device 11 wants to have a copy of a special data carrier of a delivery note 1 , he requests it using an online terminal, not shown, and the memory unit 9 transmits the information in the appropriate address 18 (variable Data) via lines 13 to unit 12 . The variable data is then fed to combiner 21 , which identifies which class of variable data has been sent from the label, and adds the fixed data (from memory 19 or 20 ) of the appropriate class to the variable data. The combiner 21 also ensures that the alignment mark of the variable data matches that of the fixed data, so that it is ensured that the data carrier of the delivery note is appropriately recombined and is not misaligned. The combined complete data carrier is then presented in the VDU 14 and / or on the printer 15 , depending on the user's command.

It should be noted that not all of the variable data shown on the data carrier of the delivery note need to be transmitted, in fact, because some of them can be regarded as fe data, e.g. B. the customer addresses will have an exact match with the customer invoice numbers, so that once the shorter invoice number has been transmitted, the combination unit 12 could include the address itself from its own local storage unit.

It should also be noted that if each delivery depot has its own scanner 10 , the variable information input to the central storage unit 9 could be from remote networked locations as well as it could be output.

Although a way to separate the fixed from the variable Data has been described and referred to as filtering , it should be noted that "filtering" itself understandable other ways of separating data into one to be recorded and transmitted and one to removing part. The filtering could be elec tronically run when the scanner is an informa tion about how a blank form (fixed dates) looks. This could e.g. B. simply an empty form leaf characterizing pixels from the current se separate to see the variable data sen. In fact, electronic filtering is preferred for Print forms with a special ink.

Another network system is shown in FIG. 5. This has a central system CS, a document storage system DS, various regional offices RO and a communication network that connects them. The central system incorporates the document storage system.

A control computer, such as. B. an AS 400, designated by 100 in FIG. 5, is connected directly to double axial connections 102 , each with a plurality of workstations 101 . Workstations 101 allow the user to view delivery note slips (after recombination) and also customer service applications.

The central system CS has a data acquisition unit 103 , such as. B. a Trace 4000. This can hold 25,000 receipts from delivery notes per day and leads them directly to a database queue server. There is also a unit that has a control unit 114 and a scanner 113 to pick up any documents that cannot pass through the pickup unit 103 to ensure that all documents are picked up.

Figure 5 also shows a central system print and fax control station 117 with a laser printer 115 17 pages per minute. This receives requests for printing or faxing a receipt for a delivery note from customers from all distant places. Only the data required for insertion in standard documents is taken, and the images are combined with the standard letters and then sent in a combined form for printing or faxing.

Unit 118 is a fax machine under central control which receives fax requests from 117 and transmits them on request.

The central system has a database queue server 119 (database queue server) which monitors access to all data carriers of the system, be they magnetic disks 105 or optical disks 120 . The jukebox can hold 50 optical disks, which covers twelve months of data media. The document storage side of the central system is labeled DS. Magnetic storage can store approximately 3.5 million media or approximately 6 months of work. Magnetic back up 106 and 121 is provided to copy all of the disks in the event of failure of the database recovery facility. The data stored on the magnetic disks are also copied to optical disks and stored in the jukebox 120 , and the magnetic disk disks are erased daily under the control of the remotely connected application computers at any remote location. The recovery mechanism first looks for a magnetic image and if it cannot find it, then looks for an image on an optical disk 120 . Because all active data are held on the remote control computer (AS / 400), they are used to control the image data in the magnetic memory 105 . Although there is a capacity of a 6-month value of data carriers, these span 12 months and represent the largest used 6-month value of data carriers and correspond exactly to the application system data stored remotely.

Reference number 122 represents bridge connections to a regional office. For example, 20 connections to 20 regional offices can be provided.

The overall system has a 10 second response time if it is is connected to a regional office. The receipt from delivery can shine on the screen in different units (shown in the drawings) in the recombined format are sought, d. H. these look like the original receipt the delivery notes. Of course, the Printer the recombined receipt of the delivery note, which exactly matches the original.

Another advantage of the network system described is that the Central Office standard letters all over the world ter using the network. This can also in addition to a certain saving in transmission costs lead when standard sales in regional stations  stores and only instructions on how to combine them are transferred, or maybe new ones will be Non-standard paragraphs each transmitted via fax or te telephone lines, standard paragraphs being fixed data to be sought.

The data recording unit 103 can be provided in regional offices and enable them to record the data from regional documents of delivery notes in the regional offices, the data being transmitted electronically to the central storage system. This avoids a backlog of data acquisition work in the central office and avoids postal delays.

It's easy with an electronic storage system cher, a receipt of a delivery note with its receipt more to look for.

For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the Estimated database needs in this particular example about 24 gigabytes are required for 7 million data carriers. The Database queue server is 4 Gb Have floppy disks.

Index information for each optical cartridge is stored in the database queue server 119 and on the individual optical cartridges. Even this makes it easy to find if the cassette is ever off-line.

The estimated time to archive optical indexing and storage of receipts from delivery notes in each lei exercise should be about two hours a day. The Archi Crossing can later take place outside of working hours if the system is used too heavily during the day is.

It is envisaged that a document can be found within 2 1/2 seconds by a user at the central site 101 and in about 10 seconds for a user in a regional office.

Claims (13)

1. A method of transferring a data carrier from a first location to a second location via transmission means, where the method can be used for data carriers, which has fixed data, which are always present in the data carrier, and variable data, which are determined by individual data Vary carriers to individual data carriers of this type, characterized by the provision of reproducing means ( 12 ) for the fixed data at the second location, which store the fixed data ( 2 ), and transferring the variable data ( 3 ) to the second location the transmission means ( 13 ) without transmitting any fixed data ( 2 ) or at least without transmitting a substantial part of the fixed data ( 2 ), and combining the fixed data ( 2 ) from the reproducing means ( 12 ) for the fixed data with the transmitted variable data ( 3 ) in order to reproduce the data carrier ( 1 ). 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized by scanning the data carrier ( 1 ) and extracting only the variable data ( 3 ) (or essentially the variable data). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second location is equipped with recombination means ( 21 ) which have the fixed data ( 2 ) available and the fixed and transmitted variable data for the reproduction of the original data carrier ( 1 ) recombine . 4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the original data carrier ( 1 ) is reproduced at the second location in the form of egg paper extract by printer means ( 15 ). 5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the layout of the fixed and variable data is aligned by the combination means ( 21 ). 6. Document data carrier display device, characterized by a reproducible data carrier ( 19 , 20 ) with fixed data ( 2 ), which all document data carriers ( 1 ) have a special type, receiving means for receiving variable data ( 3 ) from data carriers of this particular type from a remote source and display means ( 14 , 15 , 115 , 117 ) for displaying the fixed and variable data in a combined full data carrier form. 7. The device according to claim 6, characterized by combination means ( 21 ) for combining the fixed and variable data of a data carrier before displaying the data carrier in the display means. 8. The device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by pressure means ( 15 , 112 , 115 ) for reproducing the original data carrier ( 1 ) as a paper extract, the data carrier ( 1 ) being formed by recombination of the fixed and variable data ( 2 and 3 ) . 9. Data separating device characterized by scanner means ( 10 , 113 ) for scanning a data carrier ( 1 ), data storage means ( 9 , 109 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 105 , 108 , 110 , 111 ) for storing variable data and filter means transmitted to these ( 16 ) for filtering out some of the data supplied by the scanner means and transferring some of the data transmitted by the scanner means to the data storage means, the arrangement being such that all or a substantial part of the fixed data common to all data carriers of a particular type is provided ( 2 ) not transferred to the data storage means during a recording operation of a volume. 10. A method for producing a copy of an original document, characterized by scanning the document ( 1 ) and dividing its content into documents of this known class ( 2 ) and variable data ( 3 ), which can vary between documents of the same class, Sending a signal containing the variable data ( 3 ) but not the fixed data ( 2 ) to a remote station ( 11 , 101 , 114 , 116 , 118 ), providing a data carrier ( 19 , 20 ) of the fixed data ( 2 ) at the remote station, recombining the fixed and variable data at that remote station and producing a paper printout of an original paper document at the remote station. 11. System with a data separation device according to claim 9, at least one document volume display device Claim 6, removed from the data separation device and with Transmission means which the data separation device with the disk display device, the An is such that the system is in accordance with the The method of claim 10 works.   12. A method for reducing the storage capacity of a data storage device for storing the contents of a large number of data carriers, characterized by scanning the data carrier to be stored in the memory of the device ( 1 ), separating the data carriers into fixed data carriers of a particular type or class common to all data carriers ten ( 2 ) and variable data ( 3 ) differing from data carrier to data carrier of the same type and storing the respective variable data of different data carriers in the respective memory addresses without storing the fixed data in these memory addresses, which store the variable data . 13. Procedure for reducing the cost of retrieval a document from a document store and ready make a hard copy of this document on one distant place marked by Saving the document in accordance with claim 12 and transferring it to a remote location and repro reducing it in accordance with claim 10.