IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,592,738
Granted Patent B2
US 10,592,738 · App. 15/829,304 · Granted Mar 17, 2020

Cognitive document image digitalization

Inventors: Kevin Northrup (North York, CA); Craig M. Trim (Sylmar, CA); Badr Khamis (Halifax, CA); Karan Sehgal (Bangalore, IN); Abisola Adeniran (Halifax, CA); Chandrashekhar Padole (Thane, IN)
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
G06K9/00456G06K9/6262G06K9/00463G06K2009/00489G06K2209/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,592,738
App. No.
15/829,304
Granted
Mar 17, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The methods include, for instance: obtaining a document image with objects and identifying microblocks corresponding to each object. Analyzing a position of a microblock for collinearity with another microblock based on respective positional characteristics and adjustable collinearity parameters. Collinear microblocks are identified into a macroblock and computational data of a key-value pair is created from the macroblock. A heuristic confidence level is associated with the key-value pair. Also based on data cluster formation, a table may be classified and data extracted.

Claims (35)

1. A computer implemented method for extracting data from a document image comprising:

obtaining, by one or more processor of a computer, the document image, wherein the document image includes a plurality of objects;

identifying a plurality of microblocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of objects, wherein each of the microblocks is associated with a content, a position, and a style;

discovering that a first microblock is collinear with a second microblock based on respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock and adjustable collinearity parameters;

identifying a macroblock with the first microblock and the second microblock, wherein the macroblock constitutes a key-value pair that is computational by computer programs;

associating a confidence level with the key-value pair based on heuristics; and

communicating the key-value pair and the associated confidence level to a user.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , the discovering comprising: ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are immediately adjacent with each other based on analyzing the respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock; ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are either horizontally or vertically aligned; and determining that the first microblock and the second microblock are collinear.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , the discovering comprising: ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are immediately adjacent with each other based on analyzing the respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock; ascertaining that both the first microblock and the second microblock are enclosed in a certain geometric area that does not enclose another microblock; and determining that the first microblock and the second microblock are collinear.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , the discovering comprising: ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are immediately adjacent with each other based on analyzing the respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock; analyzing respective semantic contents of both the first microblock and the second microblock, wherein the semantic contents is a member of the adjustable collinearity parameters; ascertaining that a first semantic content of the first microblock is associated with a key name discovering, from key ontology data corresponding to the key name, that a second semantic content of the second microblock is of a data type corresponding to the key name; and determining that the first microblock and the second microblock are collinear.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the style includes a font type, a font size, a paragraph alignment, and zero or more punctuation delimiter, and wherein the adjustable collinearity parameters include the style.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: ascertaining a document class for the document image; determining that a class key specified in the document class is missing from a set of macroblocks for the document image; searching respective contents of the microblocks from the identified macroblocks for an alias corresponding to the missing class key; selecting another macroblock associated one of the microblocks having the alias as content; and identifying another key-value pair with the selected another macroblock in place of a key-value pair for the missing class key.

7. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by one or more processor and storing instructions for execution by the one or more processor for performing a method for extracting data from a document image comprising:

obtaining the document image, wherein the document image includes a plurality of objects;

identifying a plurality of microblocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of objects, wherein each of the microblocks is associated with a content, a position, and a style;

discovering that a first microblock is collinear with a second microblock based on respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock and adjustable collinearity parameters;

identifying a macroblock with the first microblock and the second microblock, wherein the macroblock constitutes a key-value pair that is computational by computer programs;

associating a confidence level with the key-value pair based on heuristics; and

communicating the key-value pair and the associated confidence level to a user.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , the discovering comprising: ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are immediately adjacent with each other based on analyzing the respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock; ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are either horizontally or vertically aligned; and determining that the first microblock and the second microblock are collinear.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , the discovering comprising: ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are immediately adjacent with each other based on analyzing the respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock; ascertaining that both the first microblock and the second microblock are enclosed in a certain geometric area that does not enclose another microblock; and determining that the first microblock and the second microblock are collinear.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , the discovering comprising: ascertaining that the first microblock and the second microblock are immediately adjacent with each other based on analyzing the respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock; analyzing respective semantic contents of both the first microblock and the second microblock, wherein the semantic contents is a member of the adjustable collinearity parameters; ascertaining that a first semantic content of the first microblock is associated with a key name; discovering, from key ontology data corresponding to the key name, that a second semantic content of the second microblock is of a data type corresponding to the key name; and determining that the first microblock and the second microblock are collinear.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the style includes a font type, a font size, a paragraph alignment, and zero or more punctuation delimiter, and wherein the adjustable collinearity parameters include the style.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising: ascertaining a document class for the document image; determining that a class key specified in the document class is missing from a set of macroblocks for the document image; searching respective contents of the microblocks from the identified macroblocks for an alias corresponding to the missing class key; selecting another macroblock associated one of the microblocks having the alias as content; and identifying another key-value pair with the selected another macroblock in place of a key-value pair for the missing class key.

13. A system comprising:

a memory;

one or more processor in communication with the memory; and

program instructions executable by the one or more processor via the memory to perform a method for extracting data from a document image comprising:

obtaining the document image, wherein the document image includes a plurality of objects;

identifying a plurality of microblocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of objects, wherein each of the microblocks is associated with a content, a position, and a style;

discovering that a first microblock is collinear with a second microblock based on respective positional characteristics of the first microblock and the second microblock and adjustable collinearity parameters;

identifying a macroblock with the first microblock and the second microblock, wherein the macroblock constitutes a key-value pair that is computational by computer programs;

associating a confidence level with the key-value pair based on heuristics; and

communicating the key-value pair and the associated confidence level to a user.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2017
From: NORTHRUP, KEVIN; TRIM, CRAIG M.; KHAMIS, BADR; SEHGAL, KARAN; ADENIRAN, ABISOLA; PADOLE, CHANDRASHEKHAR
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044279/0398 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190171873A1 · Jun 6, 2019
Cited By (8)
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