Form Mapping Mechanism for Accurate Electronic Field Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing form filling software often fails to accurately and reliably identify the purpose of fields in electronic forms, leading to incorrect or incomplete form filling, which can result in additional costs for organizations due to errors.
Innovation Solution
A form mapping mechanism that uses hidden tags in HTML or XHTML markup to describe the purpose of fields, or a standalone form mapping service that provides downloadable mappings to enable accurate form filling, along with a user interface for generating and updating form mappings based on user interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard HTML or XHTML markup is used to compose forms, then forms can be rendered correctly in browsers, but the form filling software cannot determine the purpose of fields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces form mapping files as an intermediary between the form markup and the form filling software. These mapping files contain metadata that describes the purpose and structure of form fields, enabling the software to understand and accurately fill forms without modifying the original HTML/XHTML markup. The mapping files serve as a bridge that transfers field purpose information from the form designer's intent to the automated filling software.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining form mappings that describe the layout and purpose of fields before the form filling process begins. The form mapping files are created in advance and stored, containing information about field locations, purposes, and relationships. This preliminary preparation enables the form filling software to accurately identify and populate fields without requiring real-time analysis or user intervention during form completion.
2Productivity
If form filling software automatically fills forms without accurate field identification, then user time is saved, but errors increase and additional costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The form mapping files act as an intermediary that provides the form filling software with accurate field purpose information, enabling both high speed and high accuracy. The mapping files contain structured metadata that allows the software to quickly identify field purposes without manual intervention, maintaining productivity while eliminating errors through reliable field identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the form filling software can verify its actions against the form mapping information. The mapping files provide a reference framework that allows the software to check whether it is populating fields correctly, enabling error detection and correction while maintaining automated operation and high productivity.
3Reliability
If users manually review and correct forms, then accuracy improves, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The form mapping files contain pre-defined information about field purposes and layouts that enable the software to accurately fill forms without requiring user review. This preliminary preparation of mapping information allows completely automated form filling with high accuracy, eliminating the time-consuming manual review process while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables self-service by allowing the form filling software to autonomously and accurately populate forms using the form mapping information. The software can independently identify field purposes, determine correct values to enter, and complete forms without human intervention, achieving both high accuracy and fast processing times through automated self-service operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement for increasing the accuracy in determining the purpose of fields in electronic forms is disclosed in which a form mapping mechanism describes the layout of a form, for example, by identifying the location of objects on a form—such as text-entry fields, drop-down menus and the like that are used to record user data—and further by specifying the purpose of those objects to a form filling client. Form mapping enables the form filling client to locate and understand the purpose of fields in a form so that it may automatically fill out forms for users in an accurate and reliable manner. Illustrative examples include a form mapping that utilizes hidden tags to describe a form layout, a form mapping service provided to a form filling client over a network, and a user interface that enables form mapping creation through user action.