Abstract:
An accounting record and a numbering record are automatically combined to create Bates numbers that are then automatically applied to the pages of input documents to produce Bates numbered documents. A document can be an electronic document or a printed document. A print job or a scanning job can be associated with an account and the account billed for the job. The account is associated with an accounting record. Choosing the account to bill also selects the accounting record to use for Bates numbering. The numbering record is persistent so that it doesn&#39;t change between documents. As such, Bates numbers can be automatically generated and applied to the pages of documents.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    Embodiments relate to the fields of printed documents, electronic documents, printing and scanning. Embodiments also relate to the field of facsimile transmission of electronic documents. Embodiments further relate to the field of Bates Stamping. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Printers and scanners in modern office environments often have access to accounting data so that costs can be properly allocated among users, customers, departments, or otherwise. For example, a person can print a document by accessing the printer either manually or over a communications network, entering an account identifier and/or an optional password, and then commanding the printer to proceed with printing. The printer can then report the details of the print job so that the proper account can be billed. 
         [0003]    Many printers can also scan documents to create an electronic document. The electronic document can then be electronically transmitted or printed. The printer&#39;s accounting features can be used to bill the appropriate account for scanning the document. Those skilled in the art of printers, scanners, and office workflow are familiar with printers and scanners incorporating accounting features. In particular, the Xerox Work Center product line incorporates the Xerox Standard Accounting Features that allow for tracking and invoicing print jobs based on accounting data. 
         [0004]    Some documents require a different kind of tracking called Bates numbering. Bates numbering is often used in the legal realm for tracking evidence. Each page of each document that is evidence in a case can be given a Bates number. Originally, all documents were physical documents and a Bates numbering device was used for Bates numbering. The Bates numbering device is a special stamp that is inked and then pressed against a page. The Bates numbering device then automatically indexes to the next number. As such, a person can Bates number a pile of documents much quicker than would be possible if the stamp had to be manually indexed. For example, Bates numbering three documents of 15 pages each can result in the first document having Bates numbers 1 through 15, the second document having numbers 16 through 30, and the third document having numbers 31 through 45. The Bates numbering device is left indexed to the number 46. Should a fourth document be introduced, the Bates numbering for it begins at 46. 
         [0005]    Refinements of Bates numbering have been introduced. Bates numbers can have a prefix and leading zeros. For example, the prefix “XRX” could be used to number the 46th page with the Bates number “XRX046”. 
         [0006]    Software packages for the Bates numbering of electronic documents exist. The software takes an electronic document as input and applies Bates numbers to produce a Bates numbered electronic document. 
         [0007]    Current technology, however, treats Bates numbering as a separate process that is not related to other office activities. Systems and methods to address the shortcomings of current technology are needed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Aspects of the embodiments address limitations and flaws in the prior art by automatically combining data held in an accounting record with data held in a numbering record to produce a sequence of Bates numbers that are applied to input documents. 
         [0009]    It is therefore an aspect of the embodiments to provide an accounting record. The accounting record contains accounting fields such as an accounting identifier. 
         [0010]    It is also an aspect of the embodiments to provide a numbering record. The numbering record specifies the index from which to continue subsequent Bates numbering. For example, the numbering record can contain the number 1025. In most applications, this indicates that 1024 pages have already received Bates numbers. The number of documents containing those 1024 Bates numbers is not specified. A number updating module changes the numbering record upon receiving a numbering event. A numbering module applies the Bates numbers to the pages. A numbering event occurs each time the Bates numbering module processes a page. 
         [0011]    In most cases, the number updating module increments the numbering record by one. In some applications, a numbering rule can be used to alter the numbering sequence. For example, the numbering field can be incremented by two, or some other number. The numbering field can be incremented every second, third, or Nth page. When every page does not receive a Bates number the Bates numbering module can process a page without applying a Bates number to it and still generate a Bates numbering event. 
         [0012]    It is another aspect of the embodiments to supply an input document. The input document can be a printed document loaded into a scanner, an electronic document passed to a printer, or some other form of document. In the case of a printed document, the scanner scans the printed document to produce an electronic document. A fax data stream is a type of electronic document that is typically passed from one facsimile machine to another. 
         [0013]    It is a further aspect of the embodiments that a Bates numbering module uses the accounting record, the numbering field, and a Bates location specification to apply a Bates number to the pages of the input document such that a Bates numbered document is produced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the present invention and, together with the background of the invention, brief summary of the invention, and detailed description of the invention, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates combining an accounting record and a numbering record to produce a Bates numbered printed document in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates using an accounting record and a numbering record to Bates number a scanned document for faxing in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates a graphical user interface controlling a Bates numbering module in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates a high level flow diagram of using an accounting record and a numbering record when applying a Bates number to a document. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  illustrates combining an accounting record  101  and a numbering record  106  to produce a Bates numbered printed document in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. An accounting record  101  contains a first accounting field  102  and a second accounting field  103 . The second accounting field  103  is illustrated as containing the account identifier “XRX”. Using accounting records with printers and scanners is known to those practiced in the art of enterprise class printing and scanning equipment. 
         [0021]    A number updating module  104  contains a Bates numbering rule  105 . The number updating module changes a numbering record  106  on the occurrence of a Bates numbering event  117 . The numbering record  106  is illustrated outside of the accounting record  101 , although some embodiments can store it within the accounting record  101 . The numbering record  106  is also illustrated as containing the number 1025. The Bates numbering rule  105  can be “increment by 1” in which case the numbering record  106  is incremented to 1026. Many different rules are possible. Other examples include “increment by N” and “wait M numbering events then increment by N”. In the examples, N and M are integers. The numbering record is shown using a decimal (base  10 ) representation. Other representations such as octal (base  8 ) or hexadecimal (base  16 ) can be used. More generally, a base N representation can be used. 
         [0022]    A number updating module  104  can implicitly contain a Bates numbering rule  105 . For example, when using a simple counter as the number updating module  104 , the Bates numbering rule  105  is “increment by 1” and is implicitly contained in the counter&#39;s design. 
         [0023]    A Bates numbering field format  115  is illustrated as containing the “[A][B]” specifier  116 . If, for example, the account identifier  103  is associated with the “A” field and the numbering record  106  is associated with the “B” field, the Bates number XRX1025 is generated. A format with three fields can be specified as “[A][B][C]” or simply as ABC. The number of ways for specifying the number of fields in a format and what those fields contain is limitless. Those familiar with computer programming know of many ways to format data and can easily produce equivalent format specifiers for forming Bates numbers from accounting records and numbering and fields. 
         [0024]    A Bates numbering module  108  can receive an electronic document  107 , an accounting record  101 , a numbering record  106 , a Bates numbering field format  115 , and a Bates location specification  109  and produce a Bates numbered document  110 . Here, the Bates numbered document  110  is a Bates numbered printed document  110  containing many pages such as the top page  111  that has text  112 , a page number  113 , and a Bates number  114 . The Bates number “XRX1024” is placed in the upper left margin in accordance with the Bates location specification  109 . Notice that the numbering record  106  has been incremented by one to change 1024 into 1025 because a Bates numbering event  117  was generated when the Bates numbering module  108  processed the top page  111 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates using an accounting record  101  and a numbering record  106  to Bates number a scanned document for faxing in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The system of  FIG. 1  and that of  FIG. 2  have many common elements. As such, the differences will be discussed. The system of  FIG. 2  accepts a document  201  that is scanned by a scanner  202  to produce an electronic document  203 . The electronic document  203  is passed to the Bates numbering module  108  where the Bates numbers are applied to produce a Bates numbered electronic document  204 . 
         [0026]    The Bates numbered electronic document  204  can be printed to produce a printed document similar to the Bates numbered printed document  110  of  FIG. 1 . The Bates numbered electronic document  204  and the Bates numbered printed document  110  are different types of Bates numbered documents. In  FIG. 2 , a fax transmitter  205  receives the Bates numbered electronic document  204  and encodes it into a fax data stream  206 . Presumably, a fax receiver will receive the fax data stream  206  and produce a copy of the Bates numbered document. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  illustrates a graphical user interface (GUI)  301  controlling a Bates numbering module  108  in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. In one particular embodiment, the GUI  301  can contain five input fields. Such a configuration, however, is not limited to 5 fields. Additional text attributes could be included such as text size, color, font, and so forth in accordance with other embodiments. Thus, the “Location” may have the “Top Left” selected. The Bates Location Specification  109  can thereby be set to specify a top left position for the Bates number as illustrated on the top page  111  of  FIG. 1 . “Bates Rule” has “increment by 1” selected which can be set as the Bates numbering rule  105 . “Fields” is set to “2” indicating the Bates number field format  115  should be set to include 2 fields as is shown in the stored format  116 . 
         [0028]    “Field A” is set to “Accounting 2” indicating the second accounting field  103 . “Field B” is set to “Bates Count” indicating the numbering record  106  containing 1025. As such, the GUI shows a preview of the Bates number as “XRX1025”. Embodiments can use a default Bates numbering field format and the GUI can lack functionality for changing the default. For example, the field format that produced the “XRX1025” Bates number can be an unchangeable default format. 
         [0029]    The GUI  301  is illustrated as using selection boxes to obtain values for the input fields. Other GUI elements can equivalently by used such as menus, radio buttons, dials, or any other GUI input field element. 
         [0030]    The various values, such as the Bates numbering rule  105 , numbering record  106  Bates numbering field format  115 , and Bates location specification  109  can be stored in a non volatile memory, such a disk drive or flash chip, so that they can be used for Bates numbering future documents under the account referenced in the accounting record. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  illustrates a high level flow diagram of using an accounting record  101  and a numbering record  106  when applying a Bates number to a document. After the start  401  a page is obtained from an input document  402 . The input document can be printed or electronic. The accounting record is read  403  and the numbering record is read  404 . A Bates number is automatically generated  405  and applied to the page  406  creating a Bates numbering event. The Bates numbering event can cause the numbering record to be changed  407 . If there are no more pages  408 , then the process is done  409 . Otherwise, the process loops back to obtaining a page  402 . Notice that the pages of numerous input documents can be processed because the process flow continues until the last page of the last document is processed. 
         [0032]    Embodiments can be implemented in the context of modules. In the computer programming arts, a module can be typically implemented as a collection of routines and data structures that performs particular tasks or implements a particular abstract data type. Modules generally can be composed of two parts. First, a software module may list the constants, data types, variable, routines and the like that can be accessed by other modules or routines. Second, a software module can be configured as an implementation, which can be private (i.e., accessible perhaps only to the module), and that contains the source code that actually implements the routines or subroutines upon which the module is based. Thus, for example, the term module, as utilized herein generally refers to software modules, hardware modules, or implementations thereof. Such modules can be utilized separately or together to form a program product that can be implemented through signal-bearing media, including transmission media and recordable media. 
         [0033]    It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.