BSCAN Capture systems consist of one or more personal computers,
usually networked, each running a single copy of BSCAN software.
A single station can perform one, several or all of the capture
functions required for the application. These functions include
high-speed scanning, QC, image processing, re-scanning, automatic,
semi-automatic and manual indexing and releasing to another
BSCAN station, formatting for archive or distribution on CD/DVD
or exporting to an image management or archival system.
BSCAN's
Production-Level User Interface
BSCAN provides two general interface styles: 1) a pre-defined
graphical interface; and 2) a customizable interface. The pre-defined
interface is typically used to perform administrative functions
such as configuration, setup and monitoring while the production
scanning and post-processing workers normally use an interface
that is stripped of unused functions and optimized for the tasks
being performed.
The pre-defined interface allows navigation between projects,
applications and jobs, configuration and setup of applications,
job management and scanning, QC, image processing and indexing
functions. Certain classes of functions can be disabled.
The customizable interface can either enhance or completely
replace the pre-defined interface. Buttons and keys, menus,
dialog boxes, window and desktop layout and scripts for both
control and image and index processing can be built without
a special development environment. A typical configuration for
scanning and image cleanup can be built from scratch in less
than an hour. Unique and unusual indexing schemes can be built
using BSCAN's rapid data correlation facility.
BSCAN's
'Open Architecture'
The term 'open architecture' can mean many things. For image
capture systems, a product that interfaces with more than one
type of scanner and outputs more than one format of image and
index information can be called 'open'. BSCAN designers use
the following definition.
An open system should offer as many points as is reasonably
possible to modify the data being processed by the system and
as many points as is reasonably possible to initiate, modify,
terminate and replace elements of the system. These access points
should be compatible with operating system facilities and as
many independent software applications as is reasonably possible
and should not duplicate existing operating system facilities
except when significant added value can be realized.
Flagship
Technologies
From the time of its initial release in early 1994 to today,
as new image reading and processing engines have become available,
selected engines have been added to the BSCAN products. In the
same period, new engines have been developed by Image Access
to enhance or replace existing engines. Among the automated
indexing engines most often used are BSCAN's barcode and trained
text readers and its pattern recognition engine. It appears
at this writing that the barcode engine is the best available
barcode reader for damaged and out-of-specification barcodes
in the document imaging industry. It reads forward, backward,
horizontal, vertical, diagonal barcodes, including barcodes
that are very damaged.
The trained text reader specializes in reading difficult to
read text with a high success rate and a virtually infallible
confidence factor. Once the engine is trained, small and damaged
dot matrix text is often read with a 99.5% success rate. If
reading a six digit invoice number printed through the first
part of a 2 part form with a dot matrix printer, two in one
hundred may be reported as suspect with one in one hundred actually
requiring correction. For documents with tight registration
requirements (e.g. a small box in which the text appears), form
registration can be performed at numerous points on a page to
remove the distortion that can be introduced at scan time. For
applications that don't require training, several general text
reading engines can be used.
BSCAN's pattern recognition engine will automatically identify
forms and determine their orientation and register them as well.
In addition, it will recognize document separation marks on
the first page of each document, thus eliminating the need for
distinct separator pages.
For image cleanup and processing, Image Access has augmented
existing technologies including a crop and deskew function that
handles images produced from microfilm and from scanners that
produce a black background around the document.
Production
Customizations
While a completely pre-defined (i.e. non-customizable) software
package is not likely to offer the highest performance operation
for a typical capture application, building the ideal system
from a toolkit can be a very difficult task. No matter how much
time is spent on the drawing board, changes will be likely.
If those changes can often be made while working with a scan
or post-processing operator, the immediate feedback can ensure
optimum performance. The result is dramatically reduced design
time.
The first level of customization simply involves specifying
screen layout (e.g. location and number of document view areas
and location and content of control, status and data entry areas.
This involves little more than specifying index field setup
and which commands and functions are to be used.
The second level of customization typically includes some special
scripting to improve the speed of indexing and/or the selection
of high-speed image cleanup functions.
Beyond the second level, complex applications with many screens
and modes of operation can be configured. The more sophisticated
user can leverage his talents with the scripting facility and
its rich set of index and image manipulation functions and a
full compliment of conditional logic. There is no need to learn
a new development environment or carry one from station to station
when working on enhancements.
BSCAN scripts are built from a library of powerful functions
that eliminate most of the discrete logic and algorithms that
a C++ or VB application normally includes. For example, a single-line
function is used to perform a correlation of an index field
with a database and return numerous values. With the addition
of a single parameter to a dialog box definition, a correlation
is performed with every keystroke, offering immediate feedback
to the data entry operator.
Batch
Scanning with BSCAN
BSCAN is optimized for scanning and processing in batches,
although it can be configured to release a document or even
a page at a time. While live performance statistics can be monitored,
BSCAN promotes monitoring and management by batches. The operator
has the opportunity to take as long as necessary to check a
batch before passing it to the next station or final release.
Scanning in batches affords opportunities to minimize the load
on a central control program such as the BSCAN Project Manager.
While BSCAN is managing the images, they are stored on standard
operating system mass storage volumes, thus taking advantage
of the low cost of high capacity, high performance hard disk
drives for PCs. Raid storage is typically not necessary, since
the most that can be lost is a single batch, and in the unlikely
event of a system or disk crash, the batch can be rescanned
and processed.
Large-Scale
Image Capture Applications
Configurations requiring multiple BSCAN stations for scanning
and processing can be setup to run independently, in a coordinated
fashion or centrally controlled by the BSCAN Project Manager.
Through the BSCAN Project Manager, the production stations can
be configured to notify the Manager upon completion and release
of a batch of scanned and/or processed images and then request
the next work to do. While scanning a batch, the station can
operate independently of servers or other stations and a virtually
unlimited number of stations can be installed and managed from
a single PC.
Versatile
Workflow Options for Optimal Performance
Each BSCAN station is fully capable of performing any or all
BSCAN functions, whether it is dedicated to scanning, indexing,
QC or post-processing. Essentially, the only difference between
the various scanning and non-scanning modules is price. Hence,
if it makes sense to perform an indexing or image processing
function at scan-time, it can easily be moved from a post-processing
station to a scan-station.
Once a system has been in use for a few days or weeks, it may
become apparent that one station is overloaded while another
is running below capacity. It is a simple matter to reconfigure
the stations so that they can swap or even share a process.
Production
Management, Statistics and Reporting
All project, application, job, user, image and index data as
well as performance statistics associated with any image capture
process are available to BSCAN's scripting facility. Reporting
can be performed periodically and/or triggered by an event such
as starting and ending batches, documents, etc. Data can be
graphically represented in real time using standard spreadsheet
programs.
System administrators and technicians can retrieve hardware
utilization statistics while production managers can receive
operator performance information. If a performance problem is
suspected and the standard reporting information is insufficient
to pinpoint the problem, a temporary report can be created.
BSCAN Project Manager, a separate BSCAN module, provides a
central point for setting up projects, assigning users and tasks
and managing workloads.
