Information processing device, business form registration system, and business form registration method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, etc. capable of improving work efficiency related to business form registration.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: a generation part for generating an input screen which has a display area displaying a business form image and receives input of an item value of an item included in a business form; and a control part which controls the display of the generated input screen to assist the input of the item value and registers the business form on the basis of the received item value. The control part, when acquiring one or a plurality of character candidates as the item value by character recognition processing to the business form image, displays an identifier, representing that the character candidate is acquired, in association with the item.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to comply with the new input tax credit system, there is a demand for electronic registration of forms. However, inputting the item values ​​included in the forms requires a huge amount of work.

[0003] A technique is known for performing optical character recognition (OCR) processing on an image file obtained by digitizing a form (hereinafter referred to as a form image file) to extract character candidates as item values ​​of items included in the form, with the aim of improving the efficiency of form registration. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device that aims to improve the accuracy of extracting character strings from a form image file. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-149336 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device and the like that can improve the efficiency of work related to form registration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the information processing device of the present disclosure has a display area for displaying a form image, and is equipped with a generation unit that generates an input screen that accepts input of item values ​​of items included in the form, and a control unit that assists in input of the item values ​​by controlling the display of the generated input screen and registers the form based on the accepted item values, and is characterized in that when the control unit obtains one or more character candidates as the item values ​​through character recognition processing of the form image, it displays an identifier indicating that the character candidates have been obtained in association with the item.

[0007] In addition, the document registration system of the present disclosure is a document registration system having an information processing device and a terminal device, wherein the information processing device has a display area for displaying a document image, and is equipped with a generation unit that generates an input screen that accepts input of item values ​​of items included in the document, and a control unit that assists in input of the item values ​​by controlling the display of the generated input screen and registers the document based on the accepted item values, wherein when the control unit obtains one or more character candidates as the item value through character recognition processing of the document image, it displays an identifier indicating that the character candidates have been obtained in association with the item, and the terminal device is equipped with a display unit that displays the input screen based on the control of the control unit.

[0008] In addition, the form registration method disclosed herein is characterized in that it has a display area for displaying a form image, generates an input screen for accepting input of item values ​​for items included in the form, assists in input of the item values ​​by controlling the display of the generated input screen, registers the form based on the accepted item values, and, when one or more character candidates are obtained as the item value through character recognition processing of the form image, displays an identifier indicating that the character candidates have been obtained in association with the item. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing device and the like that can improve the efficiency of work related to form registration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a document registration system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 19]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example according to the first embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a form registration system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to a second embodiment. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present disclosure, and the technical content of the description described in the claims is not limited to the following description.

[0012] A known existing technology for registering forms is a list of business partner names and registration numbers of qualified invoice issuers. A user who is registering a form can select a business partner or registration number from the list by selecting the input field for "business partner" or "registration number of qualified invoice issuer" via the input screen.

[0013] Here, consider displaying the character candidates obtained as the recognition results of character recognition processing (hereinafter sometimes referred to as OCR processing) in a list in the same way as the client list. In this case, if the registration candidates related to the client list and the character candidates obtained by OCR processing are combined into one list as a user interface (UI), it becomes difficult for the user to distinguish whether the character (character string) is registered in the client list or the character (character string) obtained by OCR processing, which may result in the user selecting / entering the wrong information.

[0014] In addition, when checking customer information during form registration, it was difficult to determine whether the information entered was entered by the user or obtained by OCR processing, and it was also difficult to determine which item's item value character candidates were obtained by OCR processing. In such cases, the user had to search for and confirm the relevant characters (character strings) in, for example, the preview image of the form or the form (body). This kind of action was a burden for the user and led to a significant decrease in the efficiency of work related to form registration.

[0015] In the present disclosure, an information processing device and the like capable of improving the efficiency of work related to form registration is realized in the following embodiments.

[0016] [1 First embodiment] [1.1 Overall structure] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a document registration system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0017] The document registration system 100 includes an information processing device 10 and a terminal device 30. The information processing device 10 and the terminal device 30 are connected via a network NW and are configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other. In FIG. 1, the number of connected terminal devices 30 is one, but multiple terminal devices 30 may be connected.

[0018] In the first embodiment, the functions performed by the information processing device 10 are implemented by one information processing device. However, the functions performed by the information processing device 10 may be implemented by a plurality of information processing devices.

[0019] [1.2 Functional configuration] [1.2.1 About the information processing device 10] 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 provides services related to form registration in response to a request from the terminal device 30, and also functions as a management database that manages the registered forms as a client list. The information processing device 10 can be configured as a computer that operates under the control of a specific OS (Operating System). Such information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11, an operation input unit 13, a communication unit 15, and a storage unit 17.

[0020] The control unit 11 controls the entire information processing device 10. The control unit 11 is configured with, for example, one or more arithmetic units (CPU (Central Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), etc.). The control unit 11 realizes its functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 17.

[0021] The operation input unit 13 is an input device that accepts information input by a user, etc. The operation input unit 13 may be, for example, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel.

[0022] The communication unit 15 includes a wired / wireless interface or both for communicating with other devices (such as the terminal device 30) via, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, a telephone line, etc. The communication unit 15 may include an interface related to (short-distance) wireless communication technology, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), IrDA, wireless USB, etc.

[0023] The storage unit 17 is one or more storage devices that store various programs and various data necessary for the operation of the information processing device 10. The storage unit 19 can be configured with a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), an HDD (Hard disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0024] In the first embodiment, the storage unit 17 stores a control program 171, a character recognition processing program 173, and a form registration service program 175, and reserves a form image storage area 177 and a form item value storage area 179.

[0025] The control program 171 is a program that is read by the control unit 11 when performing overall control of the information processing device 10. The control unit 11 that reads the control program 171 functions as an OS, and controls the operation of hardware such as the operation input unit 13 and the communication unit 15, starts and ends applications that run on the OS, manages files, and so on.

[0026] The character recognition processing program 173 is a program that the control unit 11 reads out when performing OCR processing on a data file of a form image (hereinafter referred to as a form image file). When the control unit 11 reads out the character recognition processing program 173 and determines that it is possible to obtain character candidates as item values ​​(hereinafter simply referred to as item values) of items included in the form as a result of character recognition, the control unit 11 obtains the character candidates.

[0027] The form registration service program 175 is a program that is read by the control unit 11 when providing a service related to form registration. The form registration service program 175 includes an input screen generation program 1751, an input assistance program 1753, and a form registration program 1755.

[0028] The input screen generating program 1751 is a program that the control unit 11 reads out when generating an input screen for accepting input of an item value. The control unit 11 that reads out the input screen generating program 1751 generates an input screen having a display area for displaying a preview image of the form, for example, based on an uploaded form image file or a form image file stored in the form image storage area 177. In addition, when the control unit 11 that reads out the input screen generating program 1751 acquires one or more character candidates as an item value by OCR processing, it generates an input screen in which an identifier (hereinafter, referred to as an OCR result button) indicating that the character candidates have been acquired is associated with an item included in the form. The control unit 11 transmits the input screen generated via the input screen generating program 1751 to the terminal device 30 as input screen information. The form of the input screen will be described later.

[0029] The input assistance program 1753 is a program that the control unit 11 reads out when assisting the user in inputting and selecting an item value via an input screen. When the control unit 11 that reads out the input assistance program 1753 receives an operation related to the user's inputting and selecting an item value as an input (selection) command, the control unit 11 transmits a response command for assisting the input and selection of the item value to the terminal device 30. For example, when the control unit 11 receives the selection of an OCR result button, the control unit 11 can transmit a command for displaying a list of character candidates acquired by OCR processing as a response command to the terminal device 30. A specific embodiment of the control unit 11 that reads out the input assistance program 1753 will be described later.

[0030] The form registration program 1755 is a program that the control unit 11 reads out when a form registration request (command) is received from the user. The control unit 11 that reads out the form registration program 1755 registers the form based on the item values ​​input / selected by the user. The control unit 11 that reads out the form registration program 1755 also functions as a management unit that manages forms, and manages forms (images) in association with item values. The control unit 11 that reads out the form registration program 1755 can also manage a supplier list, which is a list that registers combinations of supplier names and registration numbers of qualified invoice issuers.

[0031] The form image storage area 177 is a storage area for storing form image files uploaded from the terminal device 30 and form image files acquired by other acquisition means (for example, transfer from another terminal device (not shown) or an external storage device such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus)). The form image files stored in the form image storage area 177 are used for OCR processing, generation of a preview image of the form on the input screen, etc.

[0032] The form item value storage area 179 is a storage area that stores a form (image) and an item value in association with each other. The control unit 11 that reads out the form registration program 1755 manages the item values ​​stored in the form item value storage area 179 in a predetermined management method such as a table format or a database format. The item values ​​stored in the form item value storage area 179 can be used, for example, as registered forms for displaying a list of registration candidates, which will be described later.

[0033] [1.2.2 Terminal device 30] 3 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the terminal device 30. The terminal device 30 is used when a user requests to register a form and when managing a registered form. The terminal device 30 can be configured as a computer that operates under the control of a specific OS. Such a terminal device 30 includes a control unit 31, a display unit 33, an operation input unit 35, a communication unit 37, and a storage unit 39.

[0034] The control unit 31 controls the entire terminal device 30. The control unit 31 is configured with, for example, one or more arithmetic units (CPU, SoC, etc.). The control unit 31 realizes its functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 39.

[0035] The display unit 33 is a display device that displays various information to the user, etc. The display unit 33 can be configured, for example, by an LCD, an organic EL display, or the like.

[0036] The operation input unit 35 is an input device that accepts information input by a user, etc. The operation input unit 35 may use, for example, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel.

[0037] The communication unit 37 includes a wired / wireless interface or both for communicating with other devices (such as the information processing device 10) via, for example, a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, a telephone line, etc. Note that the communication unit 37 may include an interface related to (short-distance) wireless communication technology, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), IrDA, wireless USB, etc.

[0038] The storage unit 39 is one or more storage devices that store various programs and various data necessary for the operation of the terminal device 30. The storage unit 39 can be configured with a storage device such as a RAM, an HDD, an SSD, or a ROM.

[0039] In the first embodiment, the storage unit 39 stores a control program 391 and a display control program 393 , and reserves a form image storage area 395 .

[0040] The control program 391 is a program that is read by the control unit 31 when performing overall control of the terminal device 30. The control unit 31 that has read the control program 391 functions as an OS, and controls the operation of hardware such as the display unit 33, the operation input unit 35, and the communication unit 37, starts and ends applications that run on the OS, manages files, and so on.

[0041] The display control program 393 is a program that is read by the control unit 11 when performing display control of the display unit 33. The control unit 31 that reads the display control program 393 performs display control of the display unit 33 based on input image information and response commands received from the information processing device 10.

[0042] The form image memory area 395 is a memory area for storing form image files to be uploaded to the information processing device 10, and form image files acquired by other acquisition means (for example, transfer from another terminal device not shown, or an external storage device such as a USB, etc.).

[0043] [1.3 Processing flow] Next, a process flow according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining the exchange of information and commands between the information processing device 10 and the terminal device 30. In the sequence diagram of Fig. 4, a form image file uploaded from the terminal device 30 to the information processing device 10 will be described.

[0044] When a form image file is uploaded from the terminal device 30 (S10), the information processing device 10 performs processing for generating an input screen based on the uploaded form image file.

[0045] The information processing device 10 transmits the generated input screen information to the terminal device 30 (S12).

[0046] In the terminal device 30, the user inputs and selects item values ​​via an input screen based on the input screen information received from the information processing device 10. An operation related to the input and selection of item values ​​by the user is transmitted to the information processing device 10 as an input (selection) command (S14).

[0047] The information processing device 10 transmits a response command (eg, a command to display a list of character candidates based on the selection of an OCR result button) to the terminal device 30 in response to the input (selection) command received from the terminal device 30 (S16).

[0048] The transmission of the input (selection) command via the terminal device 30 and the transmission of a response command by the information processing device 10 based on the received input (selection) command continue until the user completes input (selection) of the item value.

[0049] When the user completes input (selection) of the item value, the terminal device 30 transmits a registration request command to the information processing device 10 based on the user's request (S18). The information processing device 10 that has received the registration request command performs processing related to form registration, and the series of processing is completed.

[0050] Next, the generation process of the input screen in the information processing device 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the process executed by the control unit 11, in particular, by reading out the character recognition processing program 173 and the input screen generation program 1751 of the form registration service program 175.

[0051] First, the control unit 11 accepts a form image file uploaded from the terminal device 30 (step S100).

[0052] Next, the control unit 11 performs OCR processing on the received form image file (step S110). The control unit 11 determines whether or not character candidates have been acquired as a result of the OCR processing (step S120).

[0053] When the control unit 11 determines that the character candidates have been acquired, it adds an OCR result button to the input screen generated in step S140 (step S120; Yes→step S130). On the other hand, when the control unit 11 determines that the character candidates have not been acquired, it shifts the process to step S140 without adding the OCR result button (step S120; No→step S140).

[0054] The control unit 11 generates an input screen for receiving the item values ​​(step S140), and transmits the generated input screen to the terminal device 30 as input screen information, and ends the process (step S150).

[0055] Incidentally, the input screen is not limited to the generation timing described in the flowchart of Fig. 5, and even during OCR processing (before OCR processing is completed), it is possible to generate the input screen at a timing in response to a display request of the input screen from the terminal device 30 and transmit it to the terminal device 30. In this case, it is preferable to display the OCR processing status indicating that OCR processing is in progress (before OCR processing is completed) on the displayed input screen.

[0056] Next, Fig. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of input assistance processing by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10. Fig. 6 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed by the control unit 11, particularly by reading out the character recognition processing program 173 and the input assistance program 1753 of the form registration service program 175. Note that in the processing explained in Fig. 6, it is assumed that character candidates are acquired by OCR processing in step S120 of Fig. 5, and an OCR result button is added to the input screen.

[0057] In addition, in the explanation of the processing flow related to the input assistance processing and the operation examples described later, in order to facilitate understanding of the contents of the invention, explanations of the information and commands transmitted and received between the terminal device 30 and the information processing device 10 are omitted as much as possible, and the explanation will be centered on the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10.

[0058] In a state in which the OCR result button is displayed, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 determines whether or not the user has (manually) input data into the input field for the item value (step S200→step S210).

[0059] If it is determined that the user has not manually input, the control unit 11 automatically sets the character candidates acquired by the OCR process in the item value input field (step S210; No → step S220). On the other hand, if it is determined that the user has (manually) input in the input field, the control unit 11 does not automatically set character candidates in the item value input field and ends the process (step S210; Yes → step S220).

[0060] In this way, even if the OCR result button is displayed, if the user inputs some or all of the item values ​​into the input field, the control unit 11 respects the item value input by the user and restricts the automatic setting of the acquired character candidates, thereby preventing interference with the user's operation.

[0061] Next, Fig. 7 is a flowchart for explaining another example of the input assistance process by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10. Fig. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the process executed by the control unit 11, in particular, by reading out the character recognition process program 173 and the input assistance program 1753 of the form registration service program 175. Note that, in the process explained in Fig. 7, it is assumed that character candidates are acquired by OCR process in step S120 of Fig. 5, and an OCR result button is added to the input screen.

[0062] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 determines whether or not the selection of the OCR result button by the user has been accepted (Step S300).

[0063] When the control unit 11 determines that the user has selected the OCR result button, it displays a character candidate list in which the acquired character candidates are sorted according to the reliability of the item of the form in the input field of the item value (step S300; Yes → step S310). Here, the reliability of the item of the form is an index for extracting the most suitable character candidate for the item included in the form image. The reliability evaluation method is not particularly limited, but for example, the reliability can be evaluated from the correlation between the character (string) of the character candidate obtained by OCR processing from the form image and the item (item value). For example, as an item included in the form image, the registration number of the qualified invoice issuer is a 13-digit number starting with the Roman alphabet "T". When the control unit 11 determines that the character candidate obtained by OCR processing is a string of 13-digit numbers starting with the Roman alphabet "T", it can determine that the character candidate is most correlated with the item (registration number of the qualified invoice issuer). Furthermore, the control unit 11 may evaluate the correlation with the form items, for example, based on a specific keyword (e.g., XX Company, XX Corporation, etc.) contained in the acquired character candidate, a specific number of characters (e.g., a fixed number of digits such as a telephone number or fax number), the similarity of character type, etc. Each character candidate may be weighted according to the correlation so that the character candidate most correlated with the form item has the highest reliability. The reliability of the form items can be improved by learning.

[0064] Meanwhile, when it is determined that the selection of the OCR result button by the user has not been accepted, the control unit 11 waits until the selection of the OCR result button by the user is accepted (step S300; No).

[0065] The control unit 11 judges whether or not a character candidate has been selected by the user from the displayed list of character candidates (step S320). If it is judged that a character candidate has been selected by the user, the control unit 11 judges whether or not the accepted character candidate is included as a character (string) on ​​a page other than the preview image of the form displayed on the input screen (step S320; Yes→step S330). Note that, if it is judged that a character candidate has not been selected by the user, the control unit 11 waits until a character candidate is selected by the user (step S320; No).

[0066] When the control unit 11 determines that the accepted character candidate is included as characters (strings) on a page other than the preview image of the form displayed on the input screen, the control unit 11 transitions the screen related to the display of the preview image to the screen of the other page (step S330; Yes→step S340). On the other hand, when the control unit 11 determines that the accepted character candidate is included as characters (strings) in the preview image of the form displayed on the input screen, the control unit 11 transitions the process to step S350 (step S330; No→step S350).

[0067] The control unit 11 highlights, for example, the characters (strings) corresponding to the accepted character candidates on the preview image, and ends the process (step S350).

[0068] In this way, when the OCR result button is selected by the user, the control unit 11 can display the character candidates acquired by the OCR process according to the reliability. With this configuration, the user can accurately input (select) the item value with a high degree of certainty. Also, when a character candidate is selected by the user, the corresponding character string on the preview image of the form image is highlighted by marking or the like, so that the user can accurately understand the character candidate recognized (extracted) by the OCR process.

[0069] Next, the form registration process in the information processing device 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the process executed by the control unit 11, particularly by reading out the form registration program 1755 of the form registration service program 175.

[0070] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 determines whether or not a command related to a user's request to register a form has been received from the terminal device 30 (step S300). If it is determined that a command requesting registration of a form has been received, the control unit 11 registers the form based on the item values ​​input / selected by the user (step S310). On the other hand, if a command related to a request to register a form has not been received from the terminal device 30, the control unit 11 waits until the command is received (step S300; No).

[0071] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 can receive a request to register a form from the terminal device 30 through input assistance processing related to the registration of the form. Therefore, the user can efficiently perform confirmation / correction work related to the form registration.

[0072] Next, a process flow from receiving input screen information in the terminal device 30 to transmitting a registration request command will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining a process executed by the control unit 31, particularly by reading the display control program 393 and the like.

[0073] The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 judges whether or not input screen information has been received from the information processing device 10 (step S400). If it is judged that input screen information has been received from the information processing device 10, the control unit 31 displays an input screen based on the input screen information on the display unit 33 and accepts input / selection by the user in the input field for the item value (step S400; Yes→step S410). On the other hand, if it is judged that input screen information has not been received from the information processing device 10, the control unit 31 waits until the input screen information is received (step S400; No).

[0074] The control unit 31 transmits an operation relating to the user's input / selection of an item value as an input (selection) command to the information processing device 10, and determines whether or not a response command to the input (selection) command has been received from the information processing device 10 (step S420).

[0075] When the control unit 31 determines that the response command has been received, it displays an input screen reflecting the response command (step S420; Yes→step S430). On the other hand, when it determines that the response command has not been received, the control unit 31 waits until the response command is received (step S420; No).

[0076] Next, the control unit 31 judges whether or not the user has finished inputting and selecting items into the input fields for item values ​​(step S440). If the control unit 31 judges that the user has finished inputting and selecting items into the input fields for item values, it transmits a registration request command for registering a form to the information processing device 10 and ends the process (step S440; Yes -> step S450). On the other hand, if the control unit 31 judges that the user has not finished inputting and selecting items into the input fields for item values, it returns the process to step S410.

[0077] The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 can perform input assistance processing related to the registration of a form and then transmit a registration request for the form to the information processing device 10. Therefore, the user can efficiently perform confirmation / correction work related to the form registration.

[0078] [1.4 Example of operation] Next, an operation example according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display configuration example of a file upload screen W10 that the control unit 31 displays on the display unit 33 when uploading a form image file to the information processing device 10 in the terminal device 30.

[0079] The file upload screen W10 includes an input tray area R10 and a reload button B10.

[0080] The input tray area R10 is a display area for displaying form image files to be uploaded. Fig. 10 shows an example in which three types of form image files, namely, delivery note sample.pdf, order form sample.pdf, and invoice sample.pdf, are displayed as examples of form image files to be uploaded to the information processing device 10.

[0081] The form image file updated in the information processing device 10 is subjected to OCR processing. As shown in the example of FIG. 10, the OCR processing status can be displayed as a label with a simple explanation in the label display area R12. Here, the OCR processing status is expressed by the labels "Waiting for OCR processing (estimated waiting time: about 1 minute)", "OCR processing in progress", and "OCR processing completed". Note that in the first embodiment, even if the OCR processing is not completed, the input screen described in the next figure etc. can be opened and the user can input and select item values.

[0082] The reload button B10 is a button that accepts an instruction to update the file update screen W10. When the user selects the reload button B10, the file update screen W10 is updated. At this time, it is preferable that the OCR processing status displayed in the label display area R12 is also updated.

[0083] 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating an example of the display configuration of an input screen W20 that accepts input of item values. The input screen W20 illustrated in Fig. 11 includes a preview image display area R14 that displays a preview image of a form, an input field display area R16 that accepts input of item values, and a Confirm button B12.

[0084] The preview image display area R14 includes a page display area R141 capable of displaying a preview image of one A4 page, and a display change instruction area R143 for receiving display change instructions such as enlarging / reducing the form displayed in the page display area R141 and page forwarding. The display size of the preview image specified in the page display area R141 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 11 and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the display size of the preview image displayed in the page display area R141 may be reduced to 1 / 2 or 1 / 4 of the display size shown in FIG. 11, and in addition to displaying the preview image of the form related to the form registration, the preview image of the form to be the next OCR target may be displayed. In addition to or instead of the display change instruction area R143, the preview image may be enlarged / reduced by hovering the mouse over the preview image being displayed or by clicking (double-clicking) at a specific point. A gesture operation such as swiping on the preview image may be assigned to the page forward / page back function of the preview image.

[0085] The input field display region R16 includes, as input fields for item values, a transaction information input tab T10 and a file information input tab T12 that accepts input of information related to attributes of a form image file. The transaction information input tab T10 and the file information input tab T12 are configured to be switchable by selecting each tab. The tab selected by the user is underlined to indicate that the tab is in the selected state. On the other hand, tabs not selected by the user are, for example, grayed out, and are configured to disable input / selection via the tab.

[0086] Here, the items (item values) that can be input / selected via the transaction information input tab T10 will be explained using Fig. 11 and Fig. 12(a), and the items (item values) that can be input / selected via the file information input tab T12 will be explained using Fig. 12(b). Fig. 12(a) shows the items from "item 1" onwards in the transaction information tab T10 shown in Fig. 11.

[0087] The transaction information input tab T10 includes items (item values) that can be input or selected by the user, such as “qualified invoice issuer registration number,” “customer,” “transaction date,” “transaction amount,” “document management number,” “category,” “item 1,” “storage period,” “timestamp expiration date,” and “whether or not there is a paper document.”

[0088] The "Registration number of qualified invoice issuer" is an item that accepts the input of the registration number of the issuer of a qualified invoice. The registration number is a 13-digit number beginning with the Roman letter "T." The registration number can also be obtained from the National Tax Agency's system.

[0089] “Customer” is an item that accepts input of the customer. “Transaction date” is an item that accepts input of the date on which the transaction was made. “Transaction amount” is an item that accepts input of the transaction amount (billing amount stated on the qualified invoice) or selection of “no transaction amount.” “Document control number” is an item that accepts input of the control number of the qualified invoice or selection of “no document control number.” “Category” is an item that accepts input / selection of the document category (invoice, delivery note, purchase order, etc.). “Item 1” and “Item 2” are items that accept input of any keyword for searching the form image (qualified invoice). “Retention period” is an item that accepts input of the retention period of the qualified invoice. “Timestamp expiration date” is an item that accepts input of the expiration date of the timestamp that certifies the time when the transaction or procedure was made or the date and time when the qualified invoice existed, or selection of “no timestamp setting.” “Whether or not paper document is present” is an item that accepts input of whether or not the original paper for the form image is present.

[0090] In the transaction information input tab T10, "Customer", "Transaction date", and "Transaction amount" are required fields for registering the form, and the other fields can be changed as desired.

[0091] Items that can be input / selected via the file information tab T12 shown in Fig. 12(b) include "file name," "confirmed date and time," "updated date and time," "registered by," and "file size." These items are attribute values ​​of the form image (file), and can be obtained from the form image file at any time, for example, when the form image file is uploaded or during OCR processing.

[0092] The Confirm button B12 is a button that accepts an instruction to confirm the input / selection of an item value by the user. When the Confirm button B12 is selected by the user, the control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 transmits a form registration request command to the information processing device 10.

[0093] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the display configuration of the input screen W30 before the OCR process is completed. When an instruction to display the input screen is received before the OCR process is completed, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 generates input screen information related to the input screen W30 with the OCR process status display area R18 added, and transmits it to the terminal device 30. The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 displays the input screen W30 on the display unit 33 based on the received input screen information.

[0094] FIG. 14(a) is a diagram for explaining an example of the display configuration of the input screen W40 after OCR processing is completed. When character candidates can be acquired by OCR processing, an OCR result button B14 is displayed in association with the acquired items. FIG. 14(a) also shows an example in which the acquired character candidates are automatically set in the input fields of the items included in the transaction information input tab T10 (within the solid line frame in the figure). FIG. 14(a) also shows an example in which the items of character candidates that can be acquired by OCR processing are five items: "Registration number of qualified invoice issuer," "Customer," "Transaction date," "Transaction amount," and "Category."

[0095] On the other hand, Fig. 14(b) is a diagram for explaining a display configuration example of another input screen W50 after the OCR process is completed. The input screen W50 shown in Fig. 14(b) is different from the input screen W40 according to Fig. 14(a) and is an example of a case where the user inputs some or all of the item values ​​into the input fields of the items included in the transaction information input tab T10 (see Fig. 6). Even if the OCR result button B14 is displayed, if the user inputs some or all of the item values ​​into the input fields, the item value input by the user is respected and the automatic setting of the acquired character candidates is restricted.

[0096] As illustrated in Fig. 14(a) and Fig. 14(b), when character candidates can be acquired by OCR processing, an OCR result button B14 is displayed in association with the acquired item. On the other hand, when character candidates cannot be acquired by OCR processing, the OCR result button B14 is not displayed for the item for which character candidates cannot be acquired, as shown by the solid line frame in the input screen W60 in Fig. 15. By checking whether the OCR result button B14 is displayed or not, the user can easily understand for which item character candidates have been acquired as item values.

[0097] Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation in which, upon receiving a selection instruction of the OCR result button B14, a character candidate list in which the acquired character candidates are sorted according to the reliability for the form item is displayed in the item value input field. When the selection of the OCR result button B14 on the input screen W70 shown in Fig. 16(a) is accepted, the control unit 11 displays, in the item value input field, a character candidate list in which the acquired character candidates are sorted according to the reliability for the form item (Fig. 16(b)).

[0098] For example, up to five acquired character candidates can be displayed. The control unit 11 can automatically set the character candidate with the highest reliability in the input field for the item value. Note that only one character candidate for a category is acquired.

[0099] FIG. 17 shows an example in which, when a user selects a character candidate (XXX Co., Ltd.) from the displayed list of character candidates on the input screen W70, the corresponding character string (XXX Co., Ltd.) is highlighted with marking in the preview image of the form (preview image display area R14).

[0100] Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating how the marking position in the preview image of the form (preview image display area R14) moves to a different corresponding character string when a different character candidate is selected by the user from the displayed character candidate list. Fig. 18(a) is the same as Fig. 17, and Fig. 18(b) is an example in which the marking position in the preview image of the form moves to the corresponding character string (x Telephone Co., Ltd. / 0000-00-0000) in response to the selection of a character candidate (x Telephone Co., Ltd. / 0000-00-0000).

[0101] Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining how, in a form image file consisting of multiple pages, when character candidates based on the OCR processing result exist on another page, the screen transitions to the relevant page and the corresponding character string is marked. In the preview image displayed in the preview image display area R14 of the input screen W80 shown in Fig. 19(a), there is no character string corresponding to the character candidate related to the item "Customer". However, when the OCR result button B14 related to the item "Customer" is selected, the control unit 11 transitions the screen to the preview image shown in the preview image display area R14 in Fig. 19(b) and highlights the corresponding character string by marking it.

[0102] Incidentally, the input screen according to the first embodiment is capable of displaying a list of the registration numbers of qualified invoice issuers or a list of business partners managed as a business partner list even after the OCR process is completed. FIG. 20(a) shows a state in which the input field for the item "Business Partner" in the transaction information input tab T10 on the input screen W90 is selected by the user. When the input field for the item "Business Partner" is selected by the user, the control unit 11 displays a list of business partners managed in the business partner list. FIG. 20(b) shows a state in which, when XXX Corporation is selected by the user as a business partner in FIG. 20(a), the registration number of the qualified invoice issuer managed in association with XXX Corporation is automatically set (within the solid line frame in FIG. 20(b)). At this time, the marking of the character string of the form image corresponding to the business partner candidate selected from the business partner list is restricted.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 21(a), in an input screen according to the present disclosure (e.g., input screen W20), when an input field related to the "Customer" item in the transaction information input tab T10 is selected, a list of suppliers managed in the supplier list is displayed. On the other hand, when the OCR result button B14 corresponding to the "Customer" item in the transaction information input tab T10 is selected, a list of character candidates obtained by OCR processing is displayed (FIG. 21(b)). In this way, by clearly separating the methods of displaying the lists, confusion regarding the input of item values ​​can be avoided.

[0104] As described above, according to the first embodiment, depending on whether the OCR result button is present, it is possible to easily grasp which character candidates for which items have been acquired by OCR processing. In addition, by selecting the OCR result button, it is possible to display a list of acquired character candidates, and by clearly distinguishing the display method from the list display using the client list, it is possible to avoid confusion regarding item value input. Furthermore, by displaying a list of character candidates acquired by OCR processing, it is easy to distinguish whether the character is manually entered by the user or selected / set from the character candidates of OCR processing. Furthermore, by highlighting the character (string) corresponding to the character candidate acquired by OCR processing on the preview image of the form image, it is easy to distinguish whether the character (string) entered in the input field for the item value is a character candidate acquired by OCR processing, and it is possible to prevent the selection / setting of erroneous information.

[0105] [2 Second embodiment] The second embodiment is a form in which the upload source of the form image file is an image processing device in the first embodiment. The same components and functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0106] [2.1 Overall structure] FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a document registration system 200 according to the second embodiment.

[0107] The document registration system 200 includes an information processing device 10, a terminal device 30, and a multifunction device 50 as an image processing device. The information processing device 10, the terminal device 30, and the multifunction device 50 are connected via a network NW and are configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other.

[0108] [2.2 Functional configuration] 23 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the multifunction device 50. The multifunction device 50 reads a form image in response to an instruction to upload the form image (file) from the terminal device 30, and uploads the generated image file to the information processing device 10. Such a multifunction device 50 includes a control unit 51, a display unit 53, an operation input unit 55, a communication unit 57, an image forming unit 59, an image input unit 61, and a storage unit 63.

[0109] The control unit 51 controls the entire multifunction device 50. The control unit 51 is configured, for example, with one or more arithmetic devices (CPU (Central Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), etc.). The control unit 51 realizes its functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 63.

[0110] The display unit 53 is a display device that displays various information to a user, etc. The display unit 53 can be configured, for example, by an LCD, an organic EL (Electro-luminescence) display, or the like.

[0111] The operation input unit 55 accepts information input by a user or the like. The operation input unit 55 can be configured with various input devices such as operation keys such as hard keys or software keys, and buttons. The operation input unit 55 can be configured as a touch panel display that allows input via the display unit 53. In this case, the input method of the touch panel can be a general method such as a resistive film method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, or a capacitive method.

[0112] The communication unit 57 includes a wired / wireless interface or both for communicating with other devices (such as the information processing device 10 and the terminal device 30) via a network (NW) such as a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, a telephone line, a fax line, etc. The communication unit 57 may also include an interface related to (short-distance) wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near field communication), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), Irda, wireless USB, etc.

[0113] The image forming unit 59 feeds paper from a paper feed tray (not shown), forms an image on the paper based on image data, and then discharges the paper to a paper discharge unit (not shown). The image forming unit 59 can be configured, for example, by a laser printer using an electrophotographic method. In this case, the image forming unit 59 forms an image using toner supplied from a toner cartridge (not shown) corresponding to a toner color (for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, black).

[0114] The image input unit 61 generates image data (a form image file) by scanning an original such as a form. The image input unit 61 can be configured as a scanner device having an image sensor such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a contact image sensor (CID) and an automatic document feeder (ADF) or a flatbed for placing and reading an original. There is no particular limitation on the configuration of the image input unit 61 as long as it is capable of generating image data by reading a reflected light image from an original image with an image sensor. The image input unit 61 can also be configured as an interface capable of acquiring image data stored in a portable storage medium such as a USB memory or image data transmitted from an external terminal device (not shown).

[0115] The storage unit 69 stores various programs and various data necessary for the operation of the multifunction device 50. The storage unit 21 can be configured with one or more storage devices such as a RAM, a HDD, an SSD, and a ROM.

[0116] In the second embodiment, the storage unit 63 stores a control program 631 and reserves a form image storage area 633 .

[0117] The control program 631 is a program that is read by the control unit 51 when performing overall control of the multifunction device 50. The control unit 51 that has read the control program 631 functions as an OS, and controls the driving of the display unit 53, the operation input unit 55, the communication unit 57, the image forming unit 59, the image input unit 61, etc., to perform setting, execution, post-processing, etc. of each job such as printing, copying, faxing, and e-mail transmission.

[0118] The form image memory area 633 is a memory area for storing form image files generated by the image input unit 61 and form image files acquired by other acquisition means (for example, transfer from another terminal device not shown in the figure or an external storage device such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus)).

[0119] [2.3 Processing flow] Next, a process flow according to the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 24 is a sequence diagram for explaining the exchange of information and commands between the information processing device 10, the terminal device 30, and the multifunction device 50. The same reference numerals are used for the same parts as those explained in Fig. 4, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0120] A command to read the document image is sent from the terminal device 30 to the multifunction device 50 (S20).

[0121] When receiving the command to read the form image, the multifunction device 50 reads the form via the image input unit 61 and generates a form image file of the form. Then, the multifunction device 50 uploads the generated form image file to the information processing device 10.

[0122] As described above, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, since the form image file generated by the multifunction device is uploaded to the information processing device, it is possible to prevent the storage capacity of the memory unit of the terminal device from being compressed by the storage of the form image file.

[0123] [3 Third embodiment] The third embodiment is an embodiment in which the functions of the form registration system described in the first embodiment can be realized by a single information processing device.

[0124] [3.1 Functional configuration] 25 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of an information processing device 70 according to the third embodiment. The functional configuration of the information processing device 70 according to the third embodiment can include a display unit 71 in addition to the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to the first embodiment. Other configurations can be the same as those of the information processing device 10, so the description here will be omitted.

[0125] The display unit 71 is a display device that displays various information to a user, etc. The display unit 71 can be configured with, for example, an LCD, an organic EL display, etc. The display unit 71 displays an input screen, etc. based on input screen information generated by the control unit 11 that reads out the input screen generating program 1751.

[0126] The process flow by the information processing device 70 can be executed in the same manner as the process flow described in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0127] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the document registration system described in the first embodiment can be realized with the smallest unit of equipment configuration, thereby making it possible to reduce costs associated with maintaining terminal devices, image processing devices, etc., for example.

[0128] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. In other words, the technical scope of the present disclosure also includes embodiments obtained by combining technical means that are appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0129] Although the above-described embodiments are described separately for convenience of explanation, they may be combined and executed within a technically feasible range.

[0130] In addition, the programs that run on each device in the embodiments are programs that control the CPU and the like (programs that make a computer function) so as to realize the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments. Information handled by these devices is temporarily stored in a temporary storage device (e.g., RAM) during processing, and is then stored in various storage devices such as ROMs (Read Only Memories) and HDDs, and is read, modified, and written by the CPU as necessary.

[0131] Here, the computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded in the information processing device may be any of semiconductor media (e.g., ROM, non-volatile memory cards, etc.), optical recording media / magneto-optical recording media (e.g., DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), MO (Magneto Optical Disc), MD (Mini Disc), CD (Compact Disc), BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc, etc.)), magnetic recording media (e.g., magnetic tape, flexible disk, etc.), etc. In this case, the program recorded on the recording medium is read by the computer of the information processing device and executed by the computer to realize the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments, and the functions of the present disclosure are realized by processing in cooperation with an operating system or other application programs, etc. based on instructions from the program.

[0132] In addition, when distributing the program on the market, the program can be stored in a portable recording medium and distributed, or transferred to a server computer connected via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the storage device of the server computer is of course included in the present disclosure.

[0133] Also, each functional block or feature of the device used in the above-mentioned embodiment can be implemented and executed by an electric circuit, for example, an integrated circuit or a plurality of integrated circuits. The electric circuit designed to realize the functions described herein may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or trongistor logic, discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or a conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The electric circuit described above may be composed of a digital circuit or an analog circuit. Also, when an integrated circuit technology that replaces the current integrated circuit appears due to the progress of semiconductor technology, one or more aspects of the present disclosure can use a new integrated circuit according to the technology. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 10. Information processing device 11 Control section 13 Operation input section 15 Communications Department 17 Memory section 171 Control Program 173 Character Recognition Processing Program 175 Document Registration Service Program 1751 Input screen generation program 1753 Input assistance program 1755 Report Registration Program 177 Form image storage area 179 Report Item Value Storage Area 30 Terminal Equipment 31 Control Unit 33 Display section 35 Operation input section 37 Communications Department 39 Memory section 391 Control Program 393 Display Control Program 395 Form Image Storage Area 50 Multifunction device 51 Control section 53 Display section 55 Operation input section 57 Communications Department 59 Image forming section 61 Image input unit 63 Storage section 631 Control Program 633 Form Image Storage Area 100, 200 document registration system

Claims

1. a generation unit that has a display area for displaying a form image and generates an input screen for receiving input of item values ​​of items included in the form; a control unit that controls a display of the generated input screen to assist in input of the item values ​​and registers the form based on the received item values; The control unit is An information processing device characterized in that, when one or more character candidates are obtained as the item value through character recognition processing on a form image, an identifier indicating that the character candidates have been obtained is displayed in association with the item.

2. The control unit is 2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a selection of the identifier by a user is accepted, the acquired character candidates are displayed.

3. The control unit is 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a character string in the form image corresponding to the character candidate selected by a user is highlighted.

4. The control unit is 2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the character candidates are acquired, the character candidate having the highest reliability of character recognition is displayed in the input field for the item value.

5. The control unit is 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when an input by a user into the input field is accepted, display of the acquired character candidates is restricted.

6. A management unit for managing the registered forms, The control unit is 2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a selection of an input field for the item value by a user is accepted, the item value managed by the management unit is displayed in the input field.

7. The control unit is 7. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein when a selection by the user of the item value managed by the management unit is accepted, highlighting of a character string in the form image corresponding to the item value selected by the user is restricted.

8. A document registration system having an information processing device and a terminal device, The information processing device includes: a generation unit that has a display area for displaying a form image and generates an input screen for receiving input of item values ​​of items included in the form; a control unit that controls a display of the generated input screen to assist in input of the item values ​​and registers the form based on the received item values; The control unit is When one or more character candidates are obtained as the item value by character recognition processing of the form image, an identifier indicating that the character candidates have been obtained is displayed in association with the item; The terminal device A form registration system comprising a display unit that displays the input screen based on the control by the control unit.

9. generating an input screen having a display area for displaying a form image and for receiving input of item values ​​of items included in the form; Assisting the input of the item values ​​by controlling a display of the generated input screen, and registering the form based on the received item values; A form registration method characterized in that, when one or more character candidates are obtained as the item value through character recognition processing of a form image, an identifier indicating that the character candidates have been obtained is displayed in correspondence with the item.

Images