Methods and systems for initiating application processes by data capture from rendered documents

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods for implementing transaction applications using a handheld document data capture device are described herein. The handheld device captures information from a rendered document. The captured information is processed to identify an electronic document corresponding to the rendered document. Information captured from the rendered document by the handheld capture device is used to perform a transaction. In one embodiment, a portable scanner is used to select items from a catalog. Information scanned from the catalog is used to identify the catalog, the items to be purchased, and complete an order via the Internet.

1 . A method of placing an order for an item from a rendered document containing a human-readable indication of an orderable item, the method comprising: 
 obtaining a captured fragment of the rendered document containing a human-readable indication of an orderable item; and    communicating a representation of said captured fragment along with an identifier to a remote computer to order said item.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a document context from the rendered document.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising confirming that at least one of said document context and said representation was obtained.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein obtaining said document context comprises searching for an electronic version of the rendered document and determining the context of the captured fragment in the electronic version of the rendered document.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said document context comprises a location of the rendered document.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said document context comprises a time of obtaining said captured fragment.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the order for an item comprises at most a single optical or voice capture from the rendered document.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein placing the order comprises at most two optical or voice captures from the rendered document.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising displaying a representation of the rendered document on a display device.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the order is placed via at least one selected from the group of an optical capture device, a wireless mobile phone, a vendor server, an e-mail and a document server.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating fulfillment data to said remote computer.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said fulfillment data comprises at least one selected from the group of an identifier, payment data and a delivery address.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said fulfillment data comprises an identifier selected from: a user identifier, customer identifier, an optical or voice capture device identifier, a catalog identifier, a vendor identifier, and aggregation identifier, an account identifier and a payment method identifier.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising confirming the placement of the order.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein confirming comprises capturing a predetermined symbol or phrase.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein confirming comprises gesturing with an optical capture device.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising priming a capture device to order at least one item.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein priming comprises capturing a predetermined symbol or phrase.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the rendered document has a mailing label.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein obtaining said document context comprises capturing said mailing label.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein capturing said mailing label provides fulfillment data.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said rendered document is selected from the group consisting of: a magazine, a book, a catalog, a postcard, a dynamic display, a newspaper, an ad, a sign and a paper document.  
     
     
         23 . A capture device comprising: 
 a sensor;    a memory including an identifier;    a communications interface; and    a processor coupled to said sensor, memory and said communications interface; and operative to: 
 establish a document context by capturing, through said sensor, a document fragment of a rendered document;  
 capture, through said sensor, a human-readable indication of an orderable item from said rendered document; and  
 communicate said identifier, a representation of said document context and a representation of said orderable item to a remote computing device via said communications interface.  
   
     
     
         24 . A method of processing an order request from a document capture device, the method comprising: 
 obtaining an identifier, a representation of a document context and a representation of an orderable item;    identifying the orderable item from said representation of the orderable item in relation to said document context;    processing a payment associated with said identifier for the orderable item; and    fulfilling said order in accordance with fulfillment data associated with said identifier.    
     
     
         25 . A computer comprising: 
 a memory containing computer executable instructions for processing an order request from a document capture device by:    obtaining an order comprising an identifier, a representation of a document context and a representation of a captured indication of an orderable item;    identifying the orderable item from said representation of the a captured indication of the orderable item in relation to said document context;    requesting fulfillment of said order in accordance with fulfillment data associated with said identifier; and    a processor coupled to said memory operative to execute said computer executable instructions.    
     
     
         26 . A computer system comprising: 
 an optical or voice capture device;    a computing device coupled to said capture device and operative to:    obtain a representation of a document context of a rendered document from said document capture device;    determine from said document context an electronic counterpart of said rendered document;    obtain an indication of a desired item from said capture device;    locate the desired item in said electronic counterpart of said rendered document; and    generate an order for the desired item, including fulfillment data.    
     
     
         27 . A method of ordering an item from a rendered document, the method comprising: 
 establishing a document context of the rendered document;    capturing a human-readable document fragment of the rendered document containing an indication of an orderable item; and    generating an order for said orderable item comprising said document context, a representation of said document fragment and an identifier associated with a purchaser.    
     
     
         28 . An electronic order placement system comprising: 
 a means for capturing a portion of a rendered document;    a means for obtaining a representation of a document context of a rendered document from said capturing means;    a means for determining from said representation of a document context an electronic counterpart of said rendered document;    a means for obtaining an indication of a desired item from said capturing means;    a means for locating the desired item in said electronic counterpart of said rendered document; and    a means for generating an order for the desired item.