JP2021114040A - Information processing equipment, information processing systems and programs - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device, an information processing system and a program capable of specifying an unfilled part without registering an entry part of an electronic document in advance.
In an information processing system in which a plurality of image forming devices, a plurality of terminal devices, and a management server are connected via a network, the management server 30 as the information processing device is based on the similarity of electronic documents. , A sorting unit 32 that groups electronic documents processed in the past, a determination unit 34 that accepts electronic documents and the received electronic documents correspond to any of the grouped groups, and the received electronic documents. The identification unit 35 is provided to identify an unfilled part in the received electronic document by comparison with the electronic document belonging to the determined group.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 4

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, and a program.

Conventionally, an entry place is prepared in a paper document, and the document entered in the entry place is submitted to a predetermined person in charge or the like. Then, the person who receives the submission of the paper document needs to confirm the entries. As an example of this confirmation work, there is a work of confirming the presence or absence of an unfilled part. At this time, conventionally, the person in charge has to visually confirm the presence or absence of an unfilled part, which requires a great deal of labor for the confirmation work. On the other hand, when an electronic document is used as a document, the labor required for delivering the document is reduced, but similarly, it is necessary to visually confirm the presence or absence of an unfilled part.

Patent Document 1 discloses an image processing apparatus. In this image processing device, the first image receiving means receives an image of a document that has not been filled in, and the entry area extracting means extracts an entry area from the image received by the first image receiving means. Further, the first feature amount extracting means extracts the feature amount of the image received by the first image receiving means. Then, the storage means stores the information about the entry area extracted by the entry area extraction means and the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction means.

Patent Document 2 discloses an information processing device connected to a feature database that stores feature data related to the appearance features of a form for each form type. This information processing device has an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data of the form to be processed, a feature data acquisition unit that acquires feature data related to the form to be processed from the image data, and feature data stored in the feature database. From, the estimation unit that estimates the form type of the processing target form by specifying the feature data that matches or is similar to the feature data related to the processing target form, and the case where the estimation unit does not estimate the form type of the processing target form. It also includes a feature data addition unit that adds feature data related to the form to be processed to the feature database.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-65511 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-198684

As a method of confirming the presence or absence of unfilled parts, there is a method of registering the filled-in parts of the electronic document in advance and specifying the unfilled parts based on the registered information. Work is required. Further, when the electronic document is delivered by the flow of a plurality of steps, the entry location is different for each step even if it is the same electronic document, and the work of registering the entry location for each step is complicated.
An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus or the like capable of identifying an unfilled part without registering an entry part of an electronic document in advance.

The invention according to claim 1 includes a processor, which groups electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of electronic documents, accepts electronic documents, and groups the received electronic documents. It is characterized by determining which of the received electronic documents corresponds to, and identifying the unfilled part in the accepted electronic document by comparing the accepted electronic document with the electronic document belonging to the determined group. It is an information processing device.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the processor identifies an unfilled portion by a difference between each image of an electronic document belonging to a determined group and an image of an received electronic document. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.
The invention according to claim 3, wherein when the amount of the difference is within a predetermined range, the processor sets the place where the difference exists as an unfilled place. Information processing device.
The invention according to claim 4 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor changes the amount of the difference depending on the type of electronic document.
The invention according to claim 5 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor changes the amount of the difference with respect to an electronic document in which the place to be entered changes.
The invention according to claim 6 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is an unfilled electronic document when the electronic document is print data.
According to the invention of claim 7, when the electronic document is not print data, it is assumed that the electronic document is an electronic document with an entry, and there is a difference between the image of the print data and the image of the accepted electronic document. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the specified portion is a portion entered by the user.
The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that, when the electronic document is print data, the processor further uses the information of the file name given to the electronic document to group the electronic document. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.
The invention according to claim 9 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor further groups electronic documents for each step of a flow in which the same electronic document is delivered.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is the same electronic document when predetermined items match as the similarity. Is.
The invention according to claim 11 is an information processing device that performs processing for identifying an unfilled portion that has not been filled in by an image processing device that processes an image and an electronic document used when using the image processing device. The information processing apparatus includes a device, and the processor groups electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of electronic documents, receives electronic documents, and receives electronic documents. Decide which of the grouped groups corresponds to, and identify the blank part in the accepted electronic document by comparing the accepted electronic document with the electronic document belonging to the determined group. It is a characteristic information processing system.
The invention according to claim 12 is a sorting function for grouping electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of electronic documents, a reception function for accepting electronic documents, and an electronic document received by the reception function. Accepted by comparing the accepted electronic document with the electronic document belonging to the group determined by the determination function and the determination function for determining which of the groups grouped by the distribution function the document corresponds to. It is a program to realize a specific function to identify an unfilled part in an electronic document.

According to the invention of claim 1, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus capable of identifying an unfilled part without registering an entry part of an electronic document in advance.
According to the invention of claim 2, it becomes easier to identify the unfilled part.
According to the invention of claim 3, the unfilled portion can be specified more accurately.
According to the invention of claim 4, a more suitable amount of difference can be set according to the type of the electronic document.
According to the invention of claim 5, even if the entry location differs depending on the user, it can be dealt with.
According to the invention of claim 6, it becomes easier to specify the entry area which is the area to be entered by the user in the electronic document.
According to the invention of claim 7, it becomes easier to identify the area filled in by the user in the electronic document.
According to the invention of claim 8, the accuracy of group determination is further improved.
According to the invention of claim 9, it is possible to prevent an electronic document having an unfilled portion from being passed to the next step.
According to the invention of claim 10, the accuracy of group determination is further improved.
According to the invention of claim 11, it is possible to provide an information processing system that can reduce the work of confirming the entries in the electronic document.
According to the invention of claim 12, it is possible to realize a function of identifying an unfilled part by a computer without registering an entry part of an electronic document in advance.

It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the information processing system in this embodiment. It is a figure which showed the hardware configuration example of the image forming apparatus. It is a figure which showed the example of the schematic operation of an information processing system. It is a block diagram explaining the functional structure example of the management server of 1st Embodiment. (A) to (c) are diagrams comparing the image of the received electronic document with the image of the electronic document belonging to the determined group. (A) to (c) are diagrams comparing before and after the user writes. It is a figure which showed the schematic operation of the information processing system in the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the operation of the management server in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which showed an example of group information. It is a flowchart explaining the operation of the management server in 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<Explanation of the entire information processing system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, in the information processing system 1 of the present embodiment, the image forming devices 10a and 10b, the terminal devices 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d, and the management server 30 are connected via the network 40. It is configured. When each of the image forming apparatus 10a and 10b is not distinguished, it may be simply referred to as the image forming apparatus 10 below. Further, when each of the terminal devices 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d is not distinguished, it may be simply referred to as the terminal device 20 below.
In FIG. 1, only two image forming devices 10 and four terminal devices 20 are shown, but the number of each may be any number.

The image forming apparatus 10 is an example of an image processing apparatus that processes an image. The image forming apparatus 10 has a printer function. That is, the image forming apparatus 10 can form an image on a recording medium such as paper and output it as a printing medium. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 has other image processing functions such as a scanner function and a facsimile function in addition to the printer function.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the image forming apparatus 10.
As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 14, and an operation panel 15. The image reading unit 16, the image forming unit 17, and the communication I / F 18 are provided. Then, these exchange necessary data via the bus B.

The CPU 11 realizes each function described later by loading and executing various programs stored in the ROM 13 or the like into the RAM 12.

The RAM 12 is a memory used as a working memory of the CPU 11.
The ROM 13 is a memory that stores various programs and the like executed by the CPU 11.
The HDD 14 is, for example, a magnetic disk device that stores image information read by the image reading unit 16 and image information used in image formation in the image forming unit 17.
The operation panel 15 is, for example, a touch panel that displays various information and accepts operation input from the user. Therefore, the display mechanism includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel that displays contents (information contents) as an image in a predetermined area, and when a contact object represented by a human finger or a stylus pen comes into contact with the liquid crystal panel. In addition, it has a function to detect the position where the contact object comes into contact with the liquid crystal panel. In the present embodiment, the touch panel is not particularly limited, and various types such as a resistance film type and a capacitance type can be used.

The image reading unit 16 reads the image recorded on the original. Here, the image reading unit 16 is, for example, a scanner, and a CCD method in which the reflected light with respect to the light emitted from the light source to the document is reduced by a lens and received by a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices), or the LED light source irradiates the document in order. It is preferable to use a CCD (Contact Image Sensor) that receives the reflected light with respect to the light.

The image forming unit 17 is an example of a printing mechanism that forms an image on a recording medium. Here, the image forming unit 17 is, for example, a printer, and is an electrophotographic method in which toner attached to a photoconductor is transferred to a recording medium such as paper to form an image, or an image is ejected by ejecting ink onto a recording medium. It is preferable to use an inkjet method for forming the above.
The communication I / F 18 transmits and receives various information to and from other devices via a network.

Further, in the present embodiment, the CPU 11, the RAM 12, and the ROM 13 constitute a control unit 100 that controls each mechanical unit of the image forming apparatus 10 which is its own device.

The terminal device 20 creates and authorizes an electronic document as a process of the electronic document.
In the present embodiment, the "electronic document" is an electronic version of character information and image information. The electronic document is not particularly limited in terms of format, data structure, and the like as long as it can be handled by each of the image forming apparatus 10, the terminal apparatus 20, and the management server 30. Further, here, the user can write by hand on the electronic document displayed on the terminal device 20 or on the printed matter of the electronic document. Examples of the electronic document of the present embodiment include a form. Specific examples of forms include quotations, invoices, final statements, approval documents, and application forms.

The terminal device 20 is, for example, a general-purpose personal computer (PC). The terminal device 20 is managed by an OS (Operating System) to operate various application software to create, view, and the like electronic documents.

The management server 30 is an example of an information processing device, and is a server computer that manages the entire information processing system 1. The management server 30 authenticates the user of the terminal device 20, for example, and transmits an electronic document to the terminal device 20. In addition, an electronic document is received from the terminal device 20 and the received electronic document is stored. Then, as will be described in detail later, the management server 30 performs a process of identifying an unfilled portion that the user has not filled in the electronic document used when using the image forming apparatus 10.

The terminal device 20 and the management server 30 include a CPU as a calculation means, a main memory as a storage means, and storage such as an HDD and an SSD (Solid State Drive). Here, the CPU is an example of a processor, and executes various software such as an OS (basic software) and application software (application software). The main memory is a storage area for storing various software and data used for executing the software, and the storage is a storage area for storing input data for various software and output data from various software.
Further, the terminal device 20 and the management server 30 include a communication interface for communicating with the outside (hereinafter referred to as "communication I / F"), a display mechanism including a video memory, a display, and the like, a keyboard, and a mouse. , Touch panel, stylus pen and other input devices. This display mechanism functions as a display means for displaying an electronic document when the electronic document is viewed.

The network 40 is a communication means used for information communication between the image forming apparatus 10, the terminal apparatus 20, and the management server 30, and is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

<Outline explanation of the operation of the information processing system 1>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic operation of the information processing system 1.
First, the user A who operates the terminal device 20a creates an electronic document. At this time, the user A can create an electronic document by using, for example, application software such as document creation software or spreadsheet software. That is, this user A is the creator of the electronic document. Then, the user A uploads the created electronic document to the management server 30 (1A). At this time, the user A may scan the electronic document with the image forming apparatus 10a and use the captured image as the electronic document (1B).

The electronic document uploaded by the user A is sent to the management server 30 via the network 40. Then, the management server 30 stores the electronic documents and groups the electronic documents by a method described in detail later (1C).

The electronic document stored in the management server 30 is downloaded by the user B who operates the terminal device 20b, if necessary (1D).
Then, the user B prints the downloaded electronic document using the image forming apparatus 10b and makes it a printed matter (1E). Then, the user B writes the necessary items by hand on the printed matter.
The user B scans the printed matter on which the necessary items are written by using the image forming apparatus 10b, and captures the image of the written printed matter (1F). Then, the user B uploads the captured image as an electronic document to the management server 30 (1G).
At this time, the user B may display the downloaded electronic document on the terminal device 20b without printing it, and write on the displayed screen by using the input device. At this time, writing can be performed by hand using a mouse or a stylus pen.

The electronic document uploaded by the user B is sent to the management server 30 via the network 40. Then, the management server 30 stores the electronic document and compares it with the electronic document stored in the past by a method described in detail later. Then, it is detected whether or not there is an unfilled portion (1H). Here, the “unfilled part” means a part in the electronic document that the user did not fill in even though it should be filled in.
Then, if there is an unfilled part, a notification or a warning is given to the terminal device 20b (1I). The user B fills in the unfilled parts according to the procedure described above, and uploads the corrected electronic document to the management server 30 again (1J). Then, the modified electronic document is stored in the storage of the management server 30 (1K).

In the above example, the user A creates the electronic document, but the electronic document does not necessarily have to be created by the user who uses the information processing system 1. For example, an electronic document published on the Internet may be used. This corresponds to, for example, the case where an application form handled by an administrative agency is downloaded from the homepage of the administrative agency and used. In that case, the above-mentioned processes 1A and 1B are not necessary.

[First Embodiment]
Next, the management server 30 will be described in detail. Here, first, the first embodiment of the management server 30 will be described. In the first embodiment, the management server 30 identifies an unfilled portion from the electronic document filled in by the user.

<Explanation of the functional configuration of the management server 30>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the management server 30 of the first embodiment.
Here, among various functions of the management server 30, those related to the present embodiment are selected and illustrated.

The management server 30 includes a transmission / reception unit 31 that transmits / receives information to / from an external device, a distribution unit 32 that groups electronic documents, a storage unit 33 that stores electronic documents, and a determination unit that determines the group to which the electronic document belongs. 34 and a specific unit 35 for identifying an unfilled part of an electronic document are provided.

The transmission / reception unit 31 transmits / receives an electronic document to / from the terminal device 20. That is, the transmission / reception unit 31 is an example of a reception unit that accepts electronic documents. The transmission / reception unit 31 corresponds to, for example, a communication I / F or a CPU.

The distribution unit 32 groups the electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of the electronic documents, and stores the electronic documents in the storage unit 33. That is, the distribution unit 32 divides the electronic documents processed in the past into a plurality of groups in advance. The electronic document belonging to each of the plurality of groups is, for example, an electronic document based on the same form. That is, in the example given in FIG. 3, the electronic document created by the user A and the electronic document in which the user B writes necessary items based on the electronic document are grouped into the same group. On the other hand, different forms are grouped into other groups.

The range of electronic documents to be grouped by the distribution unit 32 can also be predetermined. For example, it can be all electronic documents accepted by the management server 30. In addition, it can be a range of electronic documents handled by a predetermined department or user. Further, it can be an electronic document generated by scanning with a predetermined image forming apparatus 10. In this case, one image forming apparatus 10 may be targeted, or a plurality of image forming devices 10 may be targeted. Further, in addition to the scan data generated by scanning with the image forming apparatus 10, the printing data printed by the image forming apparatus 10 can also be an electronic document to be targeted.

The storage unit 33 stores the electronic documents grouped by the distribution unit 32. In addition, the storage unit 33 may store the history of creation and submission of the electronic document. The storage unit 33 corresponds to, for example, a main memory or storage.
Further, the storage unit 33 can assign a group ID to each group. As a result, the electronic documents to be saved are managed for each group. The group ID is stored as group information together with the electronic document. Further, as will be described in detail later, other information can also be saved as group information.

The determination unit 34 determines which of the groups grouped by the distribution unit 32 corresponds to the electronic document received by the transmission / reception unit 31. That is, when the electronic document is received by the transmission / reception unit 31, the determination unit 34 determines which of the groups previously grouped by the distribution unit 32 the electronic document belongs to.

The determination unit 34 can use an existing match determination technique to determine the similarity of electronic documents. The determination unit 34 determines, for example, from the similarity of the structure of the format of the electronic document.
Specifically, there is a method of determining the similarity of the positions of tables, drawings, and sentences. Then, when the positions of the table, the drawing, and the text are almost the same, it is determined that the electronic document belongs to the same group. There is also a method of determining the similarity based on the ruled lines of the table. That is, the ruled lines described in the electronic document are extracted. Then, when the number of intersections of the ruled lines is the same and the coordinates of the intersections in the electronic document are substantially the same, it is determined that the electronic document belongs to the same group.

Further, OCR (Optical Character Reader) processing is performed on a predetermined portion of the electronic document, and if the character strings at this portion substantially match, it may be determined that the electronic document belongs to the same group. This predetermined part is, for example, the upper part or the upper right of the electronic document, and is predetermined such as "quotation", "invoice", "final statement", "approval form", "application form", etc. Select the place where the item is described.

At this time, the determination unit 34 determines the degree of similarity between the received electronic document and the electronic document processed in the past. Then, when the similarity is high, it is determined that the received electronic document and the electronic document processed in the past belong to the same group. The electronic document processed in the past for determining the similarity can be a representative one among a plurality of electronic documents belonging to each group. Further, it may be a part of a plurality of electronic documents and may be compared with all of them.

The determination unit 34 uses, for example, the difference between images to determine the degree of similarity. That is, an image of the difference between the image of the received electronic document and the image of the electronic document processed in the past is created. In the images of this difference, regions different from each other are extracted from these images. When the amount of difference is within a predetermined range, the similarity is high, and it is determined that these electronic documents belong to the same group. If the amount of difference is out of a predetermined range, it is determined that these electronic documents belong to different groups.

The amount of this difference is, for example, the number of pixels in different parts or the ratio of the number of pixels in different parts to the total number of pixels. For example, the determination unit 34 determines that these electronic documents belong to the same group if the ratio of the number of pixels as the amount of difference is within ± 5%. Further, if it is out of this range, that is, if the ratio of the number of pixels as the amount of difference is less than -5% or more than 5%, it is determined that these electronic documents belong to different groups.
When a plurality of groups satisfy this condition, the determination unit 34 can select the group whose difference amount is closer to 0%. Further, the determination unit 34 can select a group depending on whether or not the predetermined items in the electronic document match. This item is, for example, a wording indicating the type of an electronic document, and specifically, a wording such as "quotation", "invoice", "final statement", "approval form", "application form" is applicable. do.

Further, when the electronic document is print data, the determination unit 34 can further use the information of the file name given to the electronic document to determine which group corresponds to the electronic document. For example, when the electronic document is print data and the original electronic document is the same, the same or similar file name is often given. For example, the file name is "○ × △", "○ × △ 1", "○ × △ correction", "○ × △ final version", or the like. In this case, the part of "○ × △" is common. Therefore, based on this, the determination unit 34 can find a group in which an electronic document having a file name including "○ × △" exists, and it can be estimated that the received electronic document corresponds to this group. On the other hand, in many cases, the image forming apparatus 10 automatically assigns a file name to the electronic document generated by scanning by the user. The automatically assigned file name is often very different from the original electronic document file name. For example, the file name may be date + time. Therefore, when the electronic document is print data, it is possible to determine which group the electronic document corresponds to based on the information of the file name of the electronic document.

The identification unit 35 identifies an unfilled part in the received electronic document by comparing the received electronic document with the electronic document belonging to the group determined by the determination unit 34.
As this comparison, the identification unit 35 identifies the unfilled portion by the difference between each image of the electronic document belonging to the group determined by the determination unit 34 and the image of the received electronic document. That is, the difference between the image of the received electronic document and each image of the electronic document belonging to the determined group is created. This difference extracts regions that differ from each other in these images. Then, in the received electronic document, the area where the difference is negative is set as an unfilled part. Here, "the difference becomes negative" means that there is a description in the past electronic document, but there is no description in the accepted electronic document. That is, if there is an unfilled part in the received electronic document, this part can be specified by detecting a negative difference. Actually, when the amount of the difference is within a predetermined range, the specific unit 35 sets the place where the difference exists as an unfilled place. For example, a place where the difference amount X is, for example, −5% ≦ X ≦ 0% is set as an unfilled place in the specific unit 35. On the contrary, if there is no description in the past electronic document but there is a description in the accepted electronic document, it can be said that "the difference becomes positive". This applies, for example, when the electronic document has been changed and the items to be described have increased.

5 (a) to 5 (c) are diagrams comparing the images of the received electronic documents with the images of the electronic documents belonging to the determined group.
Of these, FIG. 5 (a) is an image of the received electronic document, and FIG. 5 (b) is an image of the electronic document belonging to the determined group. Further, FIG. 5 (c) shows an unfilled area extracted based on the image of FIG. 5 (a) and the image of FIG. 5 (b).
Here, as shown in FIG. 5A, the received electronic document includes an unfilled portion M1 and an filled-in portion K1 filled in by the user. Further, in FIG. 5B, the unfilled portion M1 is entered as the entered portion K2. In addition, in FIG. 5 (b), the entry point K1 of FIG. 5 (a) is similarly filled in and is shown as the entry point K3. Then, by obtaining the difference between these images, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the unfilled portion M1 in FIG. 5 (a) is extracted as a region where the difference becomes negative. The blank portion M1 can be presented to the user by, for example, being surrounded by a frame and being displayed in red or highlighted.

Further, when the electronic document is print data, the specific unit 35 can make it an unfilled electronic document. On the other hand, when the electronic document is not print data, the specific unit 35 can be regarded as an electronic document with an entry. The print data is, for example, an electronic document created by application software such as document creation software or spreadsheet software. Further, when the electronic document is not print data, it is, for example, an electronic document of scan data generated by scanning with the image forming apparatus 10 or photographic data taken with a camera.

That is, when the electronic document is print data, it is often the electronic document before the user writes the necessary items. In the above-described example in FIG. 3, the user A corresponds to the created electronic document, and the user B prints the electronic document using the image forming apparatus 10b. On the other hand, the electronic document generated by scanning with the image forming apparatus 10 is often an electronic document after the user has written necessary items. In the example described above in FIG. 3, the user B corresponds to an electronic document generated by scanning a printed matter in which necessary items are written by using the image forming apparatus 10b.

6 (a) to 6 (c) are diagrams comparing before and after the user writes.
Of these, FIG. 6A is an image of print data, showing a state before the user writes. Further, FIG. 6B is an image of scan data and shows a state after the user writes the data. Further, FIG. 6 (c) is an image of the difference between the image of FIG. 6 (a) and the image of FIG. 6 (b).
Here, as shown in FIG. 6A, the image of the print data occupies the range of the area R1. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, the user fills in the entry area R2. Then, the image of the difference between these images is as shown in FIG. 6C, and the user's entry area R2 is extracted.

In this case, when the electronic document is accepted, the specific unit 35 first obtains the difference from the print data. Then, it is assumed that the specific unit 35 is a place where the user has entered a place where there is a difference between the print data and the received electronic document. Thereby, the entry area R2, which is the area to be filled by the user, can be specified. Then, after that, by performing the process as described with reference to FIG. 5, the accuracy of identifying the unfilled portion is improved.
The distribution unit 32, the determination unit 34, and the specific unit 35 correspond to, for example, a CPU.

<Modification example>
Next, a modified example of the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic operation of the information processing system 1 in the modified example of the first embodiment.
First, the user A who operates the terminal device 20a creates an electronic document. Then, the user A submits the created electronic document (2A).

The electronic document is sent to the management server 30. Then, the management server 30 sends the electronic document to another user in a predetermined order. In this case, the electronic document is sent to user B (2B). The user B operates the terminal device 20b and inspects the electronic document created by the user A. That is, this user B is an electronic document reviewer. Then, if there is no problem with the contents of the electronic document, the user B performs the authorization.

When the electronic document is approved by the user B, the electronic document is sent to the management server 30. Further, the management server 30 sends an electronic document to the user C (2C). User C operates the terminal device 20c and further approves the electronic document reviewed by User B. That is, this user C is an approver of the electronic document. Then, if there is no problem in the content of the electronic document, the user C performs the authorization.

When the electronic document is approved by the user C, the electronic document is sent to the management server 30. Further, the management server 30 sends an electronic document to the user D (2D). The user D operates the terminal device 20d, and further performs the final approval of the electronic document approved by the user C. That is, this user D is the final approver of the electronic document. Then, if there is no problem in the content of the electronic document, the user D performs the authorization.

When the electronic document is approved by the user D, the electronic document is sent to the management server 30 and stored in the storage of the management server 30 (2E).
As described above, here, the electronic documents are delivered by the users A to D. Then, this flow includes four steps of 2A to 2D in which the users A to D process the electronic document.
The electronic document created and approved by each user may be scan data scanned by the image forming apparatus 10 or print data.

In the present embodiment, the management server 30 identifies unfilled parts in the electronic documents sent from each of the user B, the user C, and the user D. As a result, the management server 30 checks each step of the flow in which the same electronic document is delivered, and it is possible to prevent the electronic document having an unfilled portion from passing to the next step.

Further, in this case, the distribution unit 32 needs to group the electronic documents for each step of the flow in which the same electronic document is delivered. However, in this case, the amount of writing added to each electronic document in each step may be small. For example, user B, user C, and user D may only differ in whether or not the seal stamp at the time of authorization is stamped.

In this case, in order for the determination unit 34 to determine the group, the determination unit 34 changes the amount of difference depending on the type of the electronic document. That is, the determination unit 34 sets to reduce the amount of difference for determining whether or not the electronic documents to be delivered by such a flow belong to the same group. As a result, the group can be determined even if there is only a difference in whether or not the seal stamp at the time of approval is stamped. Further, the determination unit 34 may consider the same electronic document as the degree of similarity when predetermined items match. For example, since it is based on the same electronic document, the wording such as "quote", "invoice", "final statement", "approval form", and "application form" does not change. Therefore, the determination unit 34 can determine the group by looking at this item. However, in this case, the administrator who manages the management server 30 needs to set the items in advance.
The modified example described above is particularly effective when the number of types of electronic documents to be handled is small.

Further, the determination unit 34 may change the amount of difference for the electronic document in which the place to be entered changes. An electronic document in which the place to be filled in changes is an electronic document in which the place to be filled differs depending on the state of the user. This is, for example, an electronic document that describes the parents column. In this case, both the father and the mother may be listed, but in the case of one parent, only one may be listed. In this case, the place to be filled in and the amount to be filled in will change. By setting the amount of difference to a more suitable amount even for such an electronic document, the determination unit 34 can accurately determine which group the received electronic document corresponds to. can.

<Explanation of operation of management server 30>
Next, the description of the operation of the management server 30 in the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the management server 30 in the first embodiment.
First, the transmission / reception unit 31 receives an electronic document from the terminal device 20 (step 101).
Next, the determination unit 34 determines which group the electronic document received by the transmission / reception unit 31 belongs to (step 102). As described above, this is determined by determining the degree of similarity from the difference between the image of the received electronic document and the image of the electronic document belonging to the group and the file name of the electronic document.

Further, the specifying unit 35 identifies an unfilled part of the received electronic document (step 103). As described above, as the difference between the image of the received electronic document and the image of each electronic document belonging to the group determined by the determination unit 34, the portion where the negative difference occurs is regarded as the unfilled portion. do.

Then, the specific unit 35 determines whether or not there is an unfilled portion (step 104).
As a result, when there is no unfilled part (No in step 104), the distribution unit 32 distributes the received electronic document to the group determined by the determination unit 34 and stores it in the storage unit 33 (step 105). ). Further, at this time, the distribution unit 32 stores the above-mentioned group ID and the like as group information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of group information.
The group information shown is group information for one group, and in reality, there are as many group information as there are groups.
This group information includes a group ID, a number of intersections, an OCR result, coordinates of intersections, a number of saved data, saved data 1 to n, and coordinates of an entry area.
Of these, the number of intersections is the number of intersections of the ruled lines described above. The coordinates of the intersections are the coordinates of the intersections of the ruled lines. The OCR result is the result of the OCR of a predetermined portion in the above-mentioned electronic document, and is, for example, an item such as a quotation or an invoice. The number of stored data is the number of electronic documents belonging to this group. Further, the stored data 1 to n are electronic document data. Here, n electronic documents belong to the group. The saved data 1 to n may be included in the group information and saved, or may be saved separately from the group information. The entry area coordinates are the coordinates of the entry area R2 (see FIG. 6) in these electronic documents, and are the coordinates of the points to be entered by the user.

Returning to FIG. 8, if there is an unfilled portion in step 104 (Yes in step 104), a warning is issued to the terminal device 20 (step 106). This warning notifies the user of the blank part. As a warning, for example, an electronic document may be displayed, and an unfilled portion may be displayed by coloring it in red or enclosing it in a red frame.
Then, the transmission / reception unit 31 determines whether or not the modified electronic document has been accepted (step 107).
As a result, if it is not accepted (No in step 107), the process returns to step 106.
On the other hand, if it is accepted (Yes in step 107), the process returns to step 103.

When the management server 30 performs such an operation, the received electronic document is distributed to the group determined by the determination unit 34 by the distribution unit 32 and stored in the storage unit 33. Therefore, when one electronic document is accepted, the number of electronic documents belonging to any group increases by one. As a result, the processed electronic documents are grouped and accumulated. If the received electronic document is a new electronic document different from the past electronic document, the distribution unit 32 creates a new group and distributes the document.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the management server 30 will be described. In the second embodiment, the management server 30 not only identifies the unfilled part of the user for the received electronic document h, but also detects whether or not the electronic document is a modified version.

<Explanation of the functional configuration of the management server 30>
The functional configuration example of the management server 30 of the second embodiment is the same as that in FIG. That is, the management server 30 includes a transmission / reception unit 31, a distribution unit 32, a storage unit 33, a determination unit 34, and a specific unit 35. Of these, the functions of the transmission / reception unit 31, the distribution unit 32, the storage unit 33, and the specific unit 35 are the same as those in the first embodiment. On the other hand, the determination unit 34 has a function for the second embodiment in addition to the function for the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will be centered on the determination unit 34.

Similar to the first embodiment, the determination unit 34 determines which of the groups grouped by the distribution unit 32 corresponds to the received electronic document.
Further, in the second embodiment, in addition to this, the determination unit 34 determines that the received electronic document is a modified version in which the electronic document belonging to the determined group is partially modified. Here, the "modified version" is an electronic document in which a part is modified from the original electronic document. It can also be said that the "modified version" is an electronic document in which minor changes have been made to the original electronic document.

That is, small changes to electronic documents occur on a daily basis. For example, the date, the ordering party, the name of the person in charge, the address of the company, etc. may be changed for the invoice, the quotation, and the like. In addition, for example, when the application form for admission to a nursery school is changed in the new year, or when the item for a newly established nursery school is added. Furthermore, for example, in a financial institution, the format may change due to the revision of the law. An example of this is when a new signature line for enhanced security is added to prevent international money laundering. In addition, when the text of the contract is changed.

In this way, when the electronic document is changed, when the determination unit 34 determines the group, the similarity of the other group may be higher than the similarity of the group of the original electronic document. Then, the determination unit 34 may determine that the modified version belongs to another group different from the original electronic document group before the modification. Therefore, if it is possible to determine whether or not the received electronic document is a modified version, the accuracy of grouping will be further improved.
Therefore, in the second embodiment, the determination unit 34 determines whether or not the received electronic document is a modified version.
Specifically, the determination unit 34 obtains the difference between each image of the electronic document belonging to the determined group and the image of the accepted electronic document, as in the first embodiment. Then, based on this difference, it is determined whether or not the received electronic document is a modified version.

Hereinafter, a more specific example of this matter will be described.
The determination unit 34 estimates that the received electronic document is a modified version when the tendency of the difference is different from the conventional one. That is, the determination unit 34 is a modified version when the difference generated in the received electronic document has a predetermined change as compared with the difference generated in the electronic document that belongs to the group and has been processed in the past. presume.
"When the difference changes in a predetermined manner" is, for example, the following case.

(Change in the amount of difference)
The amount of difference in the conventional electronic document is, for example, -2%, but in the received electronic document, when it becomes -4%, the amount of difference has changed. This happens, for example, when a modified version with an increased number of columns to fill is accepted. As an example of the case where the number of columns increases, the case where the number of approvers increases corresponds to.

(Positive / negative change in the amount of difference)
When the amount of difference in the conventional electronic document is, for example, -2%, but in the accepted electronic document, the difference becomes 2%, the positive / negative of the difference changes from negative to positive. This happens, for example, when a modified version with more choices for the user is accepted. An example of an increase in user choices is when the number of nursery schools that can be selected has increased in the modified version of the original electronic document for the application form for the nursery school admission application.

(Change in the location where the difference occurred)
This is a case where the place where the difference of the accepted electronic document occurs is changed as compared with the place where the difference of the conventional electronic document occurs. This corresponds to, for example, the case where the place where the seal is pressed has moved.
In addition, the type of electronic document can be clearly specified by items such as invoices and quotations, and there is no difference in this, but in the modified version, this corresponds to cases where changes occur in other parts.
In addition, when a large positive difference occurs only in a part of the region, it means that a matter that was not found in the conventional electronic document is added in the accepted electronic document. For example, it is the same except for the terms and conditions of the contract, but in the modified version, this applies when new terms and conditions to be confirmed are added.

(Color change)
Compared to the conventional electronic document, the accepted electronic document has a difference in consideration of color, but if it is binarized to black and white, the difference may not occur. This means that in the modified version, the color has changed. For example, in the modified version, the case where the color of the seal is changed from red to blue is applicable.

Next, the determination unit 34 makes a predetermined determination on the electronic document presumed to be the modified version, and determines whether or not the received electronic document is the modified version.
The "predetermined determination" is a modified version when the determination unit 34 finds a feature point of the difference and the feature point satisfies the predetermined condition. This is the case, for example, as follows.
(Inquiry to user)
If, as a result of inquiring to the user, there is a reply that it is a modified version, it will be considered as a modified version. At this time, the determination unit 34 may display, for example, the conventional electronic document and the received electronic document side by side, and present the location where the difference occurs to the user. As a result, even if the person in charge is changed, the user can determine whether or not the version is changed. In this case, the feature point of the difference is the user's answer to the place where the difference occurs, and the determination unit 34 determines that the difference is the modified version when the user's answer is the modified version. do.

(Amount of difference)
When the amount of difference of the conventional electronic document is, for example, -2%, the amount of difference of the accepted electronic document is within ± 1% from the amount of difference of the conventional electronic document of -2%. When (that is, when it is -1% or less and -3% or more), the determination unit 34 determines that it is a modified version. In this case, the feature point of the difference is the amount of the difference, and the determination unit 34 assumes that the difference is a modified version when the amount of the difference is within a predetermined range. Here, the reference amount of the difference is the amount of the difference of the conventional electronic document, but the reference may be 0% with no difference.

(Time of reception)
If electronic documents having a similar amount of difference are received in a predetermined number or more within a predetermined period, the determination unit 34 determines that these are modified versions. In this case, the feature points of the difference are the time when the similar difference occurred, the amount of the difference, and the number of electronic documents accepted. Further, in this case, the feature point is an example in which a plurality of received electronic documents are in the same group and have the same difference. Then, the determination unit 34 determines that the electronic documents having the amount of difference within the predetermined range are received in a predetermined number or more within the predetermined period, and that the electronic documents are modified versions. do.

(Reception from multiple people)
When an electronic document having a similar amount of difference is received from a plurality of people, the determination unit 34 determines that it is a modified version. In this case, the feature points of the difference are the number of users and the amount of the difference. Further, in this case, the feature point is an example in which a plurality of received electronic documents are in the same group and have the same difference. Then, when an electronic document having a difference amount within a predetermined range is received from a plurality of persons, the determination unit 34 considers these to be modified versions.

(Confirmation of change)
When a change is confirmed on the Internet, a database, or the like with respect to the location where the difference has occurred, the determination unit 34 determines that it is a changed version. For example, an address change due to the relocation of the head office or branch office can be confirmed by inquiring about the Internet or a database. In this case, the characteristic point of the difference is that the change is confirmed for the part where the difference occurs, and the determination unit 34 uses the changed version when the change is confirmed for the part where the difference occurs. Suppose there is.

(Changed target)
If the place where the difference occurs is a change of a predetermined type such as a change in the form of the electronic document or an addition of a number, the determination unit 34 determines that it is a changed version. In this case, the characteristic point of the difference is that the place where the difference occurs is a predetermined type. For example, the determination unit 34 discriminates between the printed portion and the handwritten portion of the electronic document, and if the portion where the difference occurs is the printed portion, it determines that it is a modified version. That is, the determination unit 34 distinguishes between the entry part, which is the part to be described by the user, and the other part, and finds the feature point. In this case, in anticipation of the registration of the modified version, the user may create an instruction or mode indicating that the form or number can be changed or added in advance.

(Changes other than predetermined items)
If the place where the difference occurs is other than the items such as the quotation, the invoice, the final statement, the approval form, and the application form, the determination unit 34 determines that it is a modified version. In this case, the characteristic point of the difference is that the place where the difference occurs is other than a predetermined item. The feature point is an example in which a plurality of received electronic documents are in the same group and predetermined parts are not changed. The determination unit 34 determines a predetermined item, and if the place where the difference occurs is other than this, it determines that it is a modified version.

If there are a plurality of groups corresponding to the received electronic documents, the determination unit 34 selects the group determined to be the modified version. Further, when it is determined that both are modified versions, or when both are determined not to be modified versions, the determination unit 34 can select the group whose difference amount is closer to 0%.

Further, the determination unit 34 may divide the electronic document into predetermined divisions and compare each division to determine whether or not the electronic document is a modified version. That is, when the above difference is obtained, assuming a method of taking the total difference, when the total difference is taken, it may appear as a large difference. For example, when the number of lines in the written document changes, there is a slight difference when viewed partially, but when the image shifts, it appears as a large difference. That is, even a minor change may result in a large difference.

To suppress this, the determination unit 34 divides the division by a predetermined symbol in the electronic document. This symbol is, for example, "I", "II", "III", (1), (2), (3) representing a unit, a space described at the beginning of a paragraph, a ruled line of a table, and the like. That is, the determination unit 34 divides the division using this symbol as a mark. Then, the determination unit 34 extracts the difference for each division. Then, if the number of divisions is the same, but the difference appears only in some divisions, it can be determined that this electronic document is a modified version.

<Explanation of operation of management server 30>
Next, the description of the operation of the management server 30 in the second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the management server 30 in the second embodiment.
Of these, steps 201 to 202 are the same as steps 101 to 102 in FIG. 8, so description thereof will be omitted.
After step 203, the determination unit 34 determines whether or not the difference generated in the received electronic document has a predetermined change (step 203). The predetermined change corresponds to the case where the amount of difference described above or the part where the difference occurs in the electronic document changes.
As a result, when the difference has a predetermined change (Yes in step 203), the determination unit 34 finds the feature point of the difference and determines whether or not the feature point satisfies the predetermined condition. Determine (step 204). As the characteristic points of the difference, the amount of the difference and the timing of acceptance described above correspond.
Then, when the feature points satisfy the predetermined conditions (Yes in step 204), the determination unit 34 determines that the received electronic document is a modified version (step 205).
On the other hand, if the difference does not change in advance (No in step 203) and the feature point does not satisfy the predetermined condition (No in step 204), the determination unit 34 accepts. It is determined that the electronic document is not a modified version (step 206).

The next steps 207 to 211 are the same as steps 103 to 107 in FIG. However, in step 209, the distribution unit 32 distributes the received electronic document into groups and saves the received electronic document in the storage unit 33, and also uses information indicating that the received electronic document is a modified version as group information. save.

In the first embodiment, it is possible to provide an information processing device or the like capable of identifying an unfilled portion without registering an filled-in portion of an electronic document in advance. As a result, the burden on the administrator who manages the information processing system 1 can be reduced. In addition, the user can be made to fill in the blank parts. Furthermore, the accuracy of grouping is further improved by replenishing the unfilled parts and eliminating the unfilled parts.
Further, in the second embodiment, in addition to this, it is possible to determine whether or not the received electronic document is a modified version, and the accuracy of grouping is further improved.

In the above-mentioned example, the management server 30 identifies the unfilled portion and determines the modified version, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it can be performed by the terminal device 20. Further, it can be performed by the image forming apparatus 10.
Further, although not mentioned in the above-mentioned example, the management server 30 not only identifies the unfilled part and causes the user to correct it, but also performs other processing such as the processing specified by the user after that. May be good. An example of another process is, for example, a process of transferring a scanned electronic document to another device. Further, when the user is requested to confirm the unfilled part and the user determines that the unfilled part is not an unfilled item, the unfilled part may not be treated as the unfilled part.

Further, the distribution unit 32 extracts the entry area R2 (see FIG. 6) in the group, and if there is an electronic document different from the others, deletes these electronic documents from the group and puts them in a new group. It can also be sorted. As a result, the accuracy of grouping is further improved.
Further, when a large number of electronic documents are accumulated in the group and the entry area R2 in the electronic document becomes clearer, the specific unit 35 uses the entry area coordinates shown in FIG. May be specified. That is, since the coordinates of the place to be described by the user can be known from the coordinates of the entry area, if there is no entry in this place, it is specified as an unfilled place.
Then, the user may be asked to confirm the entry area R2 to improve the accuracy of the entry area R2.

<Program description>
Here, the process performed by the management server 30 of the present embodiment described above is prepared as, for example, a program such as software. And it is realized by the cooperation of software and hardware resources.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, the program that executes the processing performed by the management server 30 receives the electronic document and the distribution function for grouping the electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of the electronic documents to the computer. The reception function, the decision function that determines which of the groups grouped by the distribution function corresponds to the electronic document received by the reception function, and the group determined by the received electronic document and the decision function. By comparing with the electronic document to which it belongs, it can be regarded as a program for realizing a specific function of identifying an unfilled part in the received electronic document.

Further, in the second embodiment, the program that executes the processing performed by the management server 30 has a distribution function for grouping the electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of the electronic documents on the computer, and the received electronic documents. Accepted as a decision function to determine which of the groups the document corresponds to by the sorting function and to determine that the electronic document belonging to the group is a partially modified version. By comparing the electronic document with the electronic document belonging to the determined group, it can be regarded as a program for realizing a specific function of identifying an unfilled part in the received electronic document.

The program that realizes the present embodiment can be provided not only by communication means but also by storing it in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

Although the present embodiment has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear from the description of the claims that the above-described embodiment with various modifications or improvements is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 ... Information processing system, 10 ... Image forming device, 20 ... Terminal device, 30 ... Management server, 31 ... Transmission / reception unit, 32 ... Distribution unit, 33 ... Storage unit, 34 ... Decision unit, 35 ... Specific unit, M1 ... Blank part

Claims (12)

Equipped with a processor
The processor
Group electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of electronic documents.
Accepts electronic documents,
Determine which of the grouped groups the received electronic document corresponds to,
An information processing device characterized in that an unfilled part in an accepted electronic document is identified by comparing an accepted electronic document with an electronic document belonging to a determined group. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies an unfilled portion by a difference between each image of an electronic document belonging to a determined group and an image of an received electronic document. .. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the amount of the difference is within a predetermined range, the processor sets a place where the difference exists as an unfilled place. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor changes the amount of the difference depending on the type of electronic document. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the processor changes the amount of the difference with respect to an electronic document whose entry location changes. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is an unfilled electronic document when the electronic document is print data. When the electronic document is not print data, the processor considers the electronic document to be filled in, and the user fills in the place where there is a difference between the image of the print data and the image of the received electronic document. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the information processing apparatus is provided. The information according to claim 6, wherein when the electronic document is print data, the processor further uses the information of the file name given to the electronic document to group the electronic documents. Processing equipment. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor further groups electronic documents for each step of a flow in which the same electronic document is delivered. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is the same electronic document when predetermined items match as the degree of similarity. An image processing device that processes images and
An information processing device that performs processing to identify unfilled parts that the user did not fill in the electronic document used when using the image processing device.
With
The information processing device includes a processor.
The processor
Group electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of electronic documents.
Accepts electronic documents,
Determine which of the grouped groups the received electronic document corresponds to,
An information processing system characterized in that an unfilled part in an accepted electronic document is identified by comparing an accepted electronic document with an electronic document belonging to a determined group. On the computer
A sorting function that groups electronic documents processed in the past based on the similarity of electronic documents,
Reception function for accepting electronic documents and
A determination function for determining which of the groups grouped by the distribution function corresponds to the electronic document received by the reception function, and
By comparing the received electronic document with the electronic document belonging to the group determined by the determination function, a specific function for identifying an unfilled part in the accepted electronic document and a specific function
A program to realize.

Images