Patent ID: 7194677

Claim:
A method for converting a document to an electronic document for storage in a database, the method comprising: storing a customized set of identification data for characterizing a set of documents, wherein each identification data in the customized set of identification data corresponds to document information; converting a specific document and a customized document profile form for the specific document to an electronic file, wherein the electronic file includes an image of the specific document; processing the electronic file, wherein a searchable text file of the specific document is overlaid with the image of the specific document; reading the customized document profile form, wherein the customized document profile form includes the customized set of identification data for selection; determining whether at least one identification data is selected on the customized document profile form; if so, creating a document record for the specific document that includes the specific document information corresponding to the at least one identification data in a database; associating the electronic file with the document record in the database; and limiting user access to the document and the specific document information in accordance with an access levels, wherein the user access is limited based on an amount of information that a user may access, an ability to print at least one of the documents in the set of documents and the specific information for the at least one of the documents, an ability to attach and edit the specific information for the at least one of the documents, and an ability to create, edit or delete a user.