Apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium for recognition of a digital document

1. An apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

extract a textual content included within a digital document,

perform a text search using the extracted textual content on an indexed master document database to identify one or more master documents that are similar, within a pre-determined threshold, to the digital document,

generate, after performing the text search, a candidate master document list using the one or more master documents identified based on the text search,

extract, after performing the text search, a plurality of features of the digital document,

perform a comparison, after performing the text search, of the plurality of features of the digital document with features of the one or more master documents in the candidate master document, and

identify, after performing the text search and after performing the comparison, a master document of the one or more master documents that matches the digital document based on the comparison of the features.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

rank the one or more master document in the candidate master document list,

align the digital document with the identified master document having a highest rank, and

extract data from the digital document including typed and handwritten text.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

determine a location of the textual content within the digital document, and

perform the text search using the textual content specific to the location on the indexed master document database to identify one or more master documents having similar textual content at the location.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the location is a section within the digital document.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the location is a Cartesian coordinate within the digital document.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry performs the comparison by first converting the plurality of features to a text format and using the plurality of features in the text format to compare with features in a text format of the one or more master documents in the candidate master document.

7. A method comprising:

extracting, via processing circuitry, a textual content included within a digital document;

performing, via the processing circuitry, a text search using the extracted textual content on an indexed master document database to identify one or more master documents that are similar, within a pre-determined threshold, to the digital document;

generating, via the processing circuitry, after performing the text search, a candidate master document list using the one or more master documents identified based on the text search;

extracting, via the processing circuitry, after performing the text search, a plurality of features of the digital document;

performing, via the processing circuitry, a comparison, after performing the text search, of the plurality of features of the digital document with features of the one or more master documents in the candidate master document list; and

identifying, via the processing circuitry, after performing the text search and after performing the comparison, a master document of the one or more master documents that matches the digital document based on the comparison of the features.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

ranking, via the processing circuitry, the one or more master document in the candidate master document list;

aligning, via the processing circuitry, the digital document with the identified master document having a highest rank; and

extracting, via the processing circuitry, data from the digital document including typed and handwritten text.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining, via the processing circuitry, a location of the textual content within the digital document; and

performing, via the processing circuitry, the text search using the textual content specific to the location on the indexed master document database to identify one or more master documents having similar textual content at the location.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the location is a section within the digital document.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the location is a Cartesian coordinate within the digital document.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the performing of the comparison includes first converting the plurality of features to a text format and using the plurality of features in the text format to compare with features in a text format of the one or more master documents in the candidate master document.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

extracting a textual content included within a digital document;

performing a text search using the extracted textual content on an indexed master document database to identify one or more master documents that are similar, within a pre-determined threshold, to the digital document;

generating, after performing the text search, a candidate master document list using the one or more master documents identified based on the text search;

extracting, after performing the text search, a plurality of features of the digital document;

performing a comparison after performing the text search, of the plurality of features of the digital document with features of the one or more master documents in the candidate master document list; and

identifying, after performing the text search and after performing the comparison, a master document of the one or more master documents that matches the digital document based on the comparison of the features.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

ranking the one or more master document in the candidate master document list;

aligning the digital document with the identified master document having a highest rank; and

extracting data from the digital document including typed and handwritten text.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining a location of the textual content within the digital document; and

performing the text search using the textual content specific to the location on the indexed master document database to identify one or more master documents having similar textual content at the location.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the location is a section within the digital document.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the location is a Cartesian coordinate within the digital document.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the performing of the comparison includes first converting the plurality of features to a text format and using the plurality of features in the text format to compare with features in a text format of the one or more master documents in the candidate master document.