Embedded form extraction definition to enable automatic workflow configuration

1. A method for a generating a workflow configuration for processing a document executed via a processor of a computer system with a memory that stores executable instructions having the method, comprising:

receiving the document with user input filled within data fields;

extracting form data including rules and zoning information associated with the documents from metadata contained in a barcode on the document;

dynamically generating a workflow to process the document using the form data, the generating including:

using the zoning information, determining a location of each data field within the document,

in response to the user-input in a select data field meeting a condition defined in a rule, performing one of expanding and skipping a processing of a same or different data field based on the rule,

for the select data field being expanded, dynamically connecting and ascertaining relationships between global and local anchors at the location of the select data field to accommodate additional user-information,

extracting the user input from at least the data fields not associated with the skipping, and

routing the extracted user-input based on the workflow; and,

caching the workflows in the memory to process documents that have substantially similar field definitions in the metadata extracted from the barcode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing an additional document with the workflow cached based on whether the document has definitions according to handwritten data, type print data, digital data for the data fields encoded in the barcode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating workflows based upon the metadata extracted from the barcode includes:

determining the user input within the data fields of the document; and

extracting field definition information with the user input from a configured barcode.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating workflows further includes:

upon analyzing the field definitions of the configuration information in the metadata extracted, determining what the data fields in the document are processed with an intelligent character recognition (ICR) engine and/or an optical character recognition engine (OCR) engine and determining what the data fields are operator processed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracting the metadata from the barcode includes extracting configuration information embedded in the barcode comprising a two dimensional barcode and processing the document based on the configuration information.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the configuration information further includes the field definitions for document pre-processing, the data fields and alignment anchors that are extracted from the barcode.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the configuration information extracted further includes configuration of extraction zones, types and the rules for the data fields associated with the document.

8. A method for generating a workflow configuration for processing forms with a two dimensional barcode executed via a processor of a computer system with a memory that stores executable instructions having the method, comprising:

receiving a document with user input filled within data fields;

extracting form data including rules and zoning information associated with the document from metadata contained in a barcode on the document; and,

dynamically generating a workflow to process the document using the form data, the generating including:

using the zoning information, determining a location of each data field within the document,

in response to the user-information in a select data field meeting a condition defined in a rule, performing one of expanding and skipping a processing of a same or different data field based on the rule,

for a data field being expanded, dynamically connecting and ascertaining relationships between global and local anchors at the location of the data field, and

extracting the user input from the expanded data field; and,

routing the extracted user input based on the workflow.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the form data further includes structural information including degree of structure based on field definitions for the data fields, wherein a data field defined as a static field does not change among other similar forms and the data field defined as a dynamic field varies among similar forms.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the dynamically connecting and ascertaining relationships between global and local anchors includes:

providing a variable relationship between a global image anchor and a local image anchor, wherein the local image anchor includes a fixed anchor and the global image anchor changes based on content filled therein.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the variable relationship between the global image anchor and local image anchor includes hiding local image anchors according to an amount of content within the global image anchor.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

setting up an output delivery document having a barcode with embedded user input therein to be extracted by a client workflow.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the configuring the workflow comprises:

processing the documents based on the field definitions embedded in the barcode that indicate whether user information is embedded in the barcode;

upon determining that no user information is embedded in the barcode, providing recognition algorithms to identify user information or signal an operator;

wherein generating the workflow includes configuring the workflow to provide services for processing the document that include creation of index fields, the definitions for pre-processing and alignment anchors, extraction zones, types and rules for each field, support for re-flowable printed documents, and setup of output delivery and formatting services.

14. A computer system that generates a workflow for processing forms with a two dimensional barcode having a processor with a memory, comprising:

an extraction engine that, after receiving a document with user input filled within data fields, extracts form data including rules and zoning information associated with the document from metadata contained in a barcode on the document;

a workflow engine that dynamically generates a workflow to process the document using the form data, the workflow engine configured to:

using the zoning information, determine a location of each data field within the document,

in response to the user-information in a select data field meeting a condition defined in a rule, perform one of expanding and skipping a processing of a same or different data field based on the rule,

for the select data field being expanded, dynamically connect and ascertain relationships between global and local anchors at the location of the select data field to accommodate additional user-information, and

route the user input extracted from at least the data fields not associated with the skipping based on the workflow; and

a caching component that caches the workflow in the memory to process forms that have substantially similar field definitions in the metadata extracted from the barcode within a certain time period.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

a look up table having different workflows cached in the memory for processing forms that have substantially similar field definitions, wherein the forms include printed forms and electronic forms received by the processor.

16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

an intelligent character recognition (ICR) engine that recognizes hand written fields;

an optical character recognition engine (OCR) engine that recognizes type print fields; and

a dynamic barcode generator that configures a barcode for a processed form based on configuration information and user data entered into the data fields of the form.

17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

a re-flow component that supports forms that dynamically alter according to content within a data field of the form by altering global image anchors and local image anchors therein.