Machine-Readable Code Interoperability for Digital Forms

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies face challenges in accurately detecting and maintaining the interactive qualities of form fields when documents are scanned and digitized, leading to poor user experience and difficulties in data extraction and migration between flat and interactive digital forms.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus using machine-readable codes, such as QR codes, to extract and embed page dimensions and form field properties, enabling interoperability between flat and interactive digital forms by recreating interactive form fields and facilitating data migration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If documents are scanned and digitized, then document digitization is achieved, but form field detection accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedocument digitizationVSAvoidform field detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by embedding machine-readable codes containing form field property data into the document before scanning. This pre-encoding of positional and typological information allows the digitized document to retain accurate form field detection capabilities without relying solely on post-scan analysis, thus resolving the contradiction between digitization efficiency and detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If interactive form fields are scanned, then document digitization is achieved, but interactive qualities are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedocument digitizationVSAvoidinteractive qualities
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses machine-readable codes as an intermediary carrier that bridges the gap between scanned document images and interactive form functionality. The codes contain encoded form field properties that enable software to reconstruct interactive qualities (such as data checking, hints, and feedback) from the digitized document, thus preserving ease of operation while achieving digitization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If data extraction is performed on scanned forms, then data retrieval is achieved, but data migration difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata extractionVSAvoiddata migration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and encodes form field properties (position, dimensions, data types) into machine-readable codes that can be independently retrieved and processed. This extraction of essential form characteristics enables straightforward data migration between different form versions and systems, reducing migration complexity while maintaining data extraction capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9128935B2Method and apparatus for providing interoperability between flat and interactive digital forms using machine-readable codes
Publication Date: 2015.09.08 ADOBE INC
  • US9128935B2 patent drawing
  • US9128935B2 patent drawing
  • US9128935B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A computer implemented method and apparatus for providing interoperability between flat and interactive digital forms using machine-readable codes including accessing an interactive form document, extracting page dimensions for at least one page of the interactive form document, extracting a plurality of form field properties for at least one form field of the interactive form document, and generating a machine-readable code, wherein the machine-readable code comprises the extracted page dimensions and the plurality of form field properties. The method then embeds the machine-readable code into the interactive form document.