Method, system and data structure for processing documents and kit for finding and reading markings on a document

Abstract

A method for processing a document, including performing one or more processing steps with the document, such as printing, franking, assembling mail pieces, or opening received mail pieces. The method further includes defining a first possible location of a marking on a document; and searching a first part of a document for the marking, the first part corresponding to the first possible location. When the marking is not found in the first part a further possible location of a marking on a document is defined and a further part of the document for the marking is searched. The further part corresponds to the further possible location. The location of the marking with respect to the document is stored in the memory in case the marking is found in the first part or the further part. Information about the document is derived from the found marking. The derived information is presented at an output, for further processing of the information.

1 . A method for processing a document, said method comprising:
 performing one or more processing steps with the document;   defining a first possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from a memory a location of a marking and setting the possible location in accordance with the selected location;   searching a first part of a document for the marking, said first part corresponding to the first possible location;   
     if the marking has not been found in said first part repeatedly until the marking has been found or all the marking locations stored in the memory have been selected:
 defining a further possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from a memory a further location of a marking and setting the further possible location in accordance with the further selected location; and 
 searching a further part of the document for the marking, said further part corresponding to the further possible location; 
 
     if the marking has been found in the first part or the further part:
 storing the location of the marking with respect to the document; 
 deriving information concerning the document from the marking found; and 
 presenting the derived information at an output, for further processing of the information; or 
 
     if, after all parts of the document corresponding to possible locations of the marking stored in the memory have been searched, the marking has not been found:
 searching a part of the document larger than the searched parts of the document for the marking. 
 
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said searching the first part of the document and/or searching the second part of the document includes:
 scanning at least the respective part of the document; and   processing scan data obtained during said scanning to find marking data representing the marking.   
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein in said processing scan data only data obtained from scanning the first part and/or the second part of the document is processed, and, optionally, wherein a part of the document larger than the first part and/or the second part, such as substantially the whole document area, is scanned. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein only the first part and/or the second part is scanned. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said scanning includes generating an image of at least the respective part of the document. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said searching a second part is at least partially performed during processing of scan data obtained from the first part, and said method further including:
 storing the scan data obtained from said searching the second part in a buffer memory until the data obtained from the first part are processed.   
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 2 , further including defining a document area to be scanned. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further including:
 determining a scan window;   determining a position of a document to be scanned within the scan window; and defining a document area within the scan window corresponding to the determined position of the document.   
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first possible location is defined as the whole searchable part of the document, the method further including:
 storing the location of the marking in the memory; and   selecting the stored location as a possible location for marking on a following document and performing the method with said following document.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the document and the following document are of a different type. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the document is a physical document or an electronic document. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the document is an electronic document, and wherein said scanning includes:
 receiving document data representing the electronic document; and   rendering from the document data an image of at least a part of the document corresponding to the defined first part and/or the second part.   
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1 , further including: receiving document processing instructions, and determining from the processing instructions information about the document and selecting the first possible location and/or second possible location taking the determined document information into account. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , including determining from the processing instructions a maximum size of the document, and wherein the first possible location and/or second possible location are selected taking the determined document size into account. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the document includes at least two markings, and said searching includes, in case a marking is found, determining whether or not said found marking is of a desired type, and, in case the found marking is not of a desired type, determining that the marking is not found. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further including: searching data represented by the marking for a predefined type-identifying code. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking includes one or more of the group: 1D-barcode, 2-D barcode, optical mark recognition marking, text, postal codes, zip code, a planet code, or a 4-state code. 
   
   
       18 . A system for processing a document, said system including:
 at least one processing unit for performing one or more processing steps with a document, such as printing, franking, assembling to mail pieces or opening a received mail piece;   a search unit having an input connected to a memory for selecting a location of a marking from the memory; the search unit being arranged for:
 defining a first possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from the memory a location of a marking and setting the possible location in accordance with the selected location; and 
 searching a first part of a document for the marking, said first part corresponding to the first possible location; 
   the search unit further being arranged for, if the marking has not been found in said first part, repeatedly until the marking has been found or all the marking locations stored in the memory have been selected:
 defining a further possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from the memory a further location of a marking and setting the further possible location in accordance with the further selected location; and 
 searching a further part of the document for the marking, said further part corresponding to the further possible location; 
   the search unit further having an output connected to the memory, for storing the location of a found marking in the memory;   a processor connected to the search unit, for deriving information concerning the document from the marking found, which processor has a processor output at which data representing the derived information can be outputted for further processing of the information.   
   
   
       19 . A kit for finding and reading markings on a document, said kit including:
 a memory in which data representing at least one prospective location of a marking on a document can be stored;   a search unit having an input connected to the memory for selecting a location of a marking from the memory; the search unit being arranged for:
 defining a first possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from the memory a location of a marking and setting the possible location in accordance with the selected location; and 
 searching a first part of a document for the marking, said first part corresponding to the first possible location; 
   the search unit further being arranged for, if the marking has not been found in said first part, repeatedly until the marking has been found or all the marking locations stored in the memory have been selected:
 defining a further possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from the memory a further location of a marking and setting the further possible location in accordance with the further selected location; and 
 searching a further part of the document for the marking, said further part corresponding to the further possible location; 
   the search unit further having an output connected to the memory, for storing the location of a found marking in the memory;   a processor connected to the search unit, for deriving information concerning the document from the marking found, which processor has a processor output at which data representing the derived information can be outputted for further processing of the information.   
   
   
       20 . The kit of  claim 19 , further including a sensor for perceiving a physical document. 
   
   
       21 . The kit of  claim 20 , further including a housing in which said memory, said search unit, said processor and said sensor are present. 
   
   
       22 . A memory in which a data structure for access by a data processing system is stored, the data structure comprising computer program code for, when run on a programmable data processing system:
 causing one or more processing steps with the document, such as printing, franking, assembling to mail pieces, or opening received mail pieces to be performed;   defining a first possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from a memory a location of a marking and setting the possible location in accordance with the selected location;   causing a first part of a document to be searched for the marking, said first part corresponding to the first possible location;   
     if the marking has not been found in said first part, repeatedly until the marking has been found or all the marking locations stored in the memory have been selected:
 defining a further possible location of a marking on a document by selecting from a memory a further location of a marking and setting the further possible location in accordance with the further selected location; and 
 causing a further part of the document to be searched for the marking, said further part corresponding to the further possible location; 
 
     if the marking has been found in the first part or the further part:
 storing the location of the marking with respect to the document; 
 deriving information concerning the document from the marking found; and 
 presenting the derived information at an output, for further processing of the information; or 
 
     if, after all parts of the document corresponding to possible locations of the marking stored in the memory have been searched, the marking has not been found:
 causing a part of the document larger than the searched parts of the document to be searched for the marking.