Intermediate Data Structure for Print Stream Parsing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Businesses face challenges in accessing and utilizing customer data stored in voluminous print streams, as these are difficult to interpret for report generation due to their format, leading to data being periodically deleted and becoming unavailable for analysis.
Innovation Solution
The system identifies and parses electronic documents in various print formats, generating an intermediate data structure that allows for the extraction and storage of specific regions' data, enabling report generation through a virtual data source that appears as a single data source, facilitating data retrieval and storage in a format suitable for reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If businesses store customer data for limited periods and purge it, then storage costs are reduced, but data becomes unavailable for report generation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary parsing and extraction of data from print stream documents before they are purged from storage. By converting documents to intermediate data structures in advance, the system ensures data remains available for reporting even after original documents are deleted, thus resolving the contradiction between limited storage and data availability.
2Reliability
If print stream documents are stored in various print formats, then document fidelity is maintained, but data extraction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediate data structure as a mediator between the original print stream documents and the reporting system. This intermediate format standardizes data representation across different print formats (PDF, PostScript, PCL, etc.), allowing complex format-specific parsing to be separated from the reporting logic. The parser converts various print formats into this unified intermediate structure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining document fidelity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple parsers are used to handle different print formats, then format compatibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal parser architecture where a single parsing framework can handle multiple print formats through format-specific handlers or plugins. Rather than requiring separate complete parsing systems for each format, the universal parser can be configured or extended to process different print streams, reducing the number of independent components needed while maintaining broad format compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for accessing data from electronic documents stored as print streams are disclosed. In one embodiment, an electronic document conforming to one of a plurality of print formats is obtained. The electronic document is parsed according to the one of the plurality of print formats to generate an intermediate data structure conforming to an intermediate format such that the electronic document is converted to the intermediate format, wherein the intermediate format is different from the plurality of print formats. One or more rules are applied to obtain data for a plurality of regions of the electronic document from the intermediate data structure. The data for the plurality of regions of the electronic document that has been obtained from the intermediate data structure is stored or provided, thereby enabling a report to be generated using at least a portion of the data for the plurality of regions that has been stored or provided.