Abstract: A sheet scanner that scans an input document to generate a scan image that is communicated to a selected scan destination via a wireless communications port of the sheet scanner includes a touch screen display having a swipe screen interface including at least one icon for selecting a scan destination by selecting the icon on the touch screen display, and at least one icon that the user may access by swiping the swipe screen interface and that, when selected, enables the user to select a different scan destination. An outbox icon may also be selected to enter the sheet scanner into a mode for viewing activity status and history of the sheet scanner and for resending the scan image to the same or a new scan destination.

Abstract: A portable document scanner (PDS) is provided that need not be in communication with a local computer. The PDS includes an image scanner for scanning an input document to generate a scan image, a processor, a wireless communications port that enables wireless communications with remote computing services, and a memory that stores instructions for execution by the processor to locally process the scan image. Such processing includes, for example, extracting identity, position, and/or orientation of one or more optical semaphores from the scan image, where the extracted semaphores include (1) optical characters including letters, numerals, and/or punctuation, (2) informational indicia including bar codes, data graphs, pictures, and/or icons, and (3) document formatting indicators including lines, bars, arrows, and/or grids. The extracted semaphore data is communicated to a remote computing service via the wireless communications port.

Abstract: A sheet scanner that scans an input document to generate a scan image that is communicated to a selected scan destination via a wireless communications port of the sheet scanner includes a touch screen display having a swipe screen interface including at least one icon for selecting a scan destination by selecting the icon on the touch screen display, and at least one icon that the user may access by swiping the swipe screen interface and that, when selected, enables the user to select a different scan destination. An outbox icon may also be selected to enter the sheet scanner into a mode for viewing activity status and history of the sheet scanner and for resending the scan image to the same or a new scan destination.

Abstract: A portable document scanner (PDS) is provided that need not be in communication with a local computer. The PDS includes an image scanner for scanning an input document to generate a scan image, a processor, a wireless communications port that enables wireless communications with remote computing services, and a memory that stores instructions for execution by the processor to locally process the scan image. Such processing includes, for example, extracting identity, position, and/or orientation of one or more optical semaphores from the scan image, where the extracted semaphores include (1) optical characters including letters, numerals, and/or punctuation, (2) informational indicia including bar codes, data graphs, pictures, and/or icons, and (3) document formatting indicators including lines, bars, arrows, and/or grids. The extracted semaphore data is communicated to a remote computing service via the wireless communications port.

Abstract: A document input device having a gravity feed paper tray is adapted such that the separator pad is mounted on the base, as opposed to the cover, so that when the cover is opened to access the paper path (as during clearing of a paper jam), paper in the paper tray is held in place by the force of the separator pad against the pick roller, even though the cover is open. The separator pad may be attached to a rod that is attached to the base so as to permit the rod and separator pad to remain in place when the cover is in the open position. A leaf spring may be placed between the rod and the separator pad for biasing the separator pad against the pick roller. Also, the cover may include a spring for biasing the separator pad against the pick roller when the cover is in the closed position.

Abstract: A system and method that transfers data from scanned documents and document images directly into a spreadsheet. The user can construct a map that associates data types in the input scanned document with an area in the spreadsheet. The user can also use pre-stored maps that have previously been constructed by the user or by someone else. The map may be stored as an XML file in a hidden sheet of the spreadsheet or in a separate file. During use, the user selects a map, scans the document, parses the document to extract the data types and associated data, and transfers the parsed data to the spreadsheet in accordance with the selected mapping.

Abstract: The invention relates to a slot assembly for a scanner for feeding multiple-sized sheets. The scanner has an input tray for holding a plurality of sheets, a feed path which receives sheets fed from the input tray, and a sheet feeder located in the teed path for feeding sheets. The slot assembly has a first slot for accepting sheets having a first size, the first slot being complementarily sized with respect to the first-sized sheets such that the first-sized sheets are fed by the sheet feeder substantially without being skewed. The slot assembly also has a second slot for accepting sheets having a second size, the second slot being complementarily sized with respect to the second-size sheets such that the second-size sheets are fed by the sheet feeder substantially without being skewed.

Abstract: This invention describes a post-recognition procedure to group text recognized by an Optical Character Reader (OCR) from a document image into zones. Once the recognized text and the corresponding word bounding boxes for each word of the text are received, the procedure described dilates (expands) these word bounding boxes by a factor and records those which cross. Two word bounding boxes will cross upon dilation if the corresponding words are very close to each other on the original document. The text is then grouped into zones using the rule that two words will belong to the same zone if their word bounding boxes cross upon dilation. The text zones thus identified are sorted and returned.