FACSIMILE/MACHINE READABLE DOCUMENT PROCESSING AND FORM GENERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

A multiple server computer system generates standard documents, after receiving customer order requests, invoices of disparate design via a facsimile transmission or via the Internet in machine readable form. When a facsimile-related end user purchase order form is received, an image is placed into a database without initially attempting to read the image content. Thereafter, the fax image is retrieved, and the system determines what kind of document has been received (164). An appropriate template for that received form is then retrieved(166). The end user purchase order form is then read, data is extracted (170) therefrom and placed into the standard document template format for review and possible error correction. After a correct form is obtained and accepted, the document is converted, for example, to XML and stored and used to generate standard documents as EDI documents.