IP Library Granted Patent US 12,340,612
Granted Patent B2
US 12,340,612 · App. 17/156,148 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Document identification and splitting in an online document system

Inventor: John William Asermely (Saint Charles, IL)
Assignee: Docusign, Inc.
G06V30/416G06F3/0483G06N20/00G06V30/414G06V30/418
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,340,612
App. No.
17/156,148
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An online document system can allow users to upload a document packages containing multiple individual document files. The online document system then automatically identifies and separates the component documents within an uploaded document package based on a package template for that type of document package. Based on the documents included in the document package, the online document system can automatically take action on the identified documents. The online document system may recognize component documents within a document package using a set of rules defining potential component documents that may appear within the received document package and one or more methods of recognizing each type of component document. In some embodiments, the online document system can improve package templates and recognition of component documents over time using feedback from the importing users through updates to the document identification rules and/or a supplementary probabilistic recognition system.

Claims (53)

1. A method comprising:

accessing, by a document system, a document package comprising a plurality of digital documents combined into a document file;

determining, by the document system, a package template based on the document package;

determining, by the document system, a first plurality of pages of the document file corresponding to a first digital document of the plurality of digital documents;

determining, by the document system, one or more second pages of the document file corresponding to a second digital document of the plurality of digital documents;

determining, by the document system and based on one or more rules of the package template, that the first digital document and the second digital document are assigned to a document group;

and

in response to determining that the first digital document and the second digital document are assigned to the document group:

assigning, by the document system and based on a set of defined rules specified by the package template, one or more permissions to a user; and

sending, by the document system and based on assigning the one or more permissions to the user, the first digital document and the second digital document, wherein sending comprises refraining from sending a third digital document of the plurality of digital documents.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

combining, by the document system, one or more document groups in a predetermined order to produce a completed document package.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display determining the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document is based on a text identifier within the page content of the page.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display and wherein determining the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document is based on a barcode within the page content of the page.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display and wherein determining the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document is based on a proximity of the page to one or more pages already associated with the first digital document.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display and wherein determining the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document is based further on a page number within the page content of the page.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning, by the document system and based on user input, one or more unrecognized pages of the document package to a digital document of the plurality of digital documents.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

updating, based on the user input and by the document system, a set of document identification rules for determining the first plurality of pages of the document file corresponding to the first digital document.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

updating, based on the user input and by the document system, a machine learning model for determining the first plurality of pages of the document file corresponding to the first digital document.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more rules of the package template comprises one or more of a first rule indicating a document package source, a second rule indicating a filename of the document file, or a third rule indicating a user selection of the package template at a time the document package was imported to the document system.

11. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computing system to:

access a document package comprising a plurality of digital documents combined into a document file;

determine a package template based on the document package;

determine a first plurality of pages of the document file corresponding to a first digital document of the plurality of digital documents; and

determine one or more second pages of the document file corresponding to a second digital document of the plurality of digital documents;

determine, based on one or more rules of the package template, that the first digital document and the second digital document are assigned to a document group;

and

in response to determining that the first digital document and the second digital document are assigned to the document group:

assign, based on a set of defined rules specified by the package template, one or more permissions to a user; and

send, based on assigning the one or more permissions to the user, the first digital document and the second digital document, wherein to send, the instructions cause the computing system to refrain from sending a third digital document of the plurality of digital documents.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to combine one or more document groups in a predetermined order to produce a completed document package.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display and wherein the instructions cause the computing system to determine the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document based on a text identifier within the page content of the page.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display and wherein the instructions cause the computing system to determine the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document based on a barcode within the page content of the page.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display and wherein the instructions cause the computing system to determine the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document based on a proximity of the page to one or more pages already associated with the first digital document.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein a page of the first plurality of pages comprises page content for display and wherein the instructions cause the computing system to determine the first plurality of pages corresponding to the first digital document based further on a page number within the page content of the page.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to assign, based on user input, one or more unrecognized pages of the document package to a digital document of the plurality of digital documents.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to update a set of document identification rules for determining the first plurality of pages of the document file corresponding to the first digital document.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to update, based on the user input, a machine learning model for determining the first plurality of pages of the document file corresponding to the first digital document.

20. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

access a document package comprising a plurality of digital documents combined into a document file;

determine a package template based on the document package;

determine a first plurality of pages of the document file corresponding to a first digital document of the plurality of digital documents;

determine one or more second pages of the document file corresponding to a second digital document of the plurality of digital documents;

determine, based on one or more rules of the package template, that the first digital document and the second digital document are assigned to a document group;

and

in response to determining that the first digital document and the second digital document are assigned to the document group:

assign, based on a set of defined rules specified by the package template, one or more permissions to a user; and

send, based on assigning the one or more permissions to the user, the first digital document and the second digital document, wherein to send, the instructions cause the one or more processors to refrain from sending a third digital document of the plurality of digital documents.

Assignments (2)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 23, 2025
From: DOCUSIGN, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 071337/0240 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: ASERMELY, JOHN WILLIAM
To: DOCUSIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 055007/0116 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220237398A1 · Jul 28, 2022
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