ecopy Barcode Recognition Service

Transcription

1 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Version 4.3 for ShareScan Administrator's Guide Part Number: (3/2009)

2 Licensing, Copyright, and Trademark Information The information in this document is subject to change and does not represent a commitment on the part of ecopy, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specified in the license agreement. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, or translated into any language for any purpose other than the purchaser s personal use, without the written permission of ecopy, Inc ecopy, Inc. ecopy, the ecopy logo, ecopy Fax, the Simplify logo, the MailRoom logo, ecopy ShareScan, ecopy RightFax, ecopy ScanStand, ecopy Desktop, ecopy Quick Connect, ecopy Xpert Compression, UniDoc, SpeedFax, and SpeedPrint are trademarks of ecopy, Inc. ShareScan, Simplify, and MailRoom are registered trademarks of ecopy, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Outlook, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows Server and Windows Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the USA and in other countries. All other terms and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.

3 Table of Contents Introduction 1 About this guide 2 Further information 2 Registering your software 2 Customer Support services 3 Contact information 4 Installing and configuring the Service 5 Installation procedures 6 Installation prerequisites 6 Installing the Service 6 Configuring the Service 8 Associating a Service profile with a Connector profile 10 Configuring barcode index values 11 Barcode splitting settings 13 Understanding barcode splitting 14 Using barcodes to name files 15 Improving barcode quality 18 Barcode option settings 19 Performance enhancement tools 25 The Router utility 26

4 iv Contents List of Tables Table 1: File naming settings 16 Table 2: Barcode types 19 Table 3: Barcode enhancements 19 Table 4: Barcode Search Order settings 20 Table 5: Barcode Splitting settings 21 Table 6: Barcode Delimiter settings 23

5 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 1 Introduction The ecopy Barcode Recognition Service is an ecopy Document Service designed to enhance the scanning and image capture process. The Service enables you to split files at barcodes and use the barcode data to rename the file. Also, if your business workflow demands it, the Service can pass scanned files to legal applications. The Barcode Recognition Service is one of two separate ecopy Business Automation Services that you can purchase individually or together. The Image Enhancement Service is the other Service. In this chapter: About this guide 2 Further information 2 Registering your software 2 Customer Support services 3 Contact information 4

6 2 Introduction About this guide This guide is intended for administrators responsible for the installation and configuration of the ecopy Barcode Recognition Service. It provides an overview of the Service and how it works with ecopy Connectors as well as system requirements, installation instructions and configuration options, and procedures. Further information The ecopy Barcode Recognition Service documentation set consists of the following documents: ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator s Guide: This document. ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Help: Provides configuration and how-to information. To access Help, select the Service in the ShareScan Administration console tree and then click the Service Help button. Registering your software You must register your software to receive customer support. You can access the Registration web site by using the following link:

7 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 3 Customer Support services Customer Support services include the following components: Customer support for licensing, registration, and other nontechnical issues Technical support ecopy-provided services are available to registered users of ecopy software during the warranty period or for the duration of your software maintenance and support agreement. Contact your supplier for details. The services are available to registered users of ecopy software during the warranty period or for the duration of your software maintenance and support agreement. Contact your supplier for details, as described in the Maintenance and Support Agreement (M&S). As described in the maintenance and support agreement, your dealer or distributor will provide you with Level 1 support (Helpline telephone or other assistance) for operating the covered products during the hours established by your dealer or distributor. If you require technical support after your dealer or distributor has provided Level 1 support, the dealer or distributor will escalate the support issue to ecopy for resolution and will manage all related communications with you. (If you acquired your covered product directly from ecopy, then ecopy will provide you with Level 1 support.) If you purchased your software directly from ecopy, check the Ask ecopy Knowledge Base ( ) for solutions to your technical problems. If necessary, open a ticket at Ask ecopy provides 24x7 access to a knowledge base that includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), product service packs, product support matrices, product information, and other information.

8 4 Introduction In addition to support provided by your dealer or distributor, the Ask ecopy online resource provides 24x7 access to a knowledge base that includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), product service packs, product support matrices, product information, and other information. Contact information US/North America Please visit the Ask ecopy Web site for Customer Support Services hours of operation, contact information, policies, and process descriptions. ecopy Corporate Headquarters Telephone: ecopy Customer Support Services Telephone: Outside North America Please contact your local dealer or national sales organization.

9 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 5 Installing and configuring the Service The ShareScan Administration console enables you to configure and administer ShareScan Services Managers, Connectors, Services, and scanning devices. ShareScan enables administrators to create profiles for the Service and associate them with Connector profiles.when a user at the device scans a document using a Connector with an associated Service, the document is scanned, processed by the Document Service, and then passed to the Connector workflow. In this chapter: Installation procedures 6 Installation prerequisites 6 Installing the Service 6 Configuring the Service 8 Associating a Service profile with a Connector profile 10 Configuring barcode index values 11

10 6 Installing and configuring the Service Installation procedures The Service is installed from a CD or by on-line download. Both methods use auto-installer software. The Router utility is also included with the installation of the Service. Installation prerequisites The Service requires: 10 MB of free disk space ecopy ShareScan 4.3 Installing the Service Important! Before installing the Service, make sure that the Share- Scan software is installed and functioning correctly. Refer to the ecopy ShareScan Installation and Setup Guide for details. To install the Service: 1. Double click the Setup.exe file. 2. Click Install Service to start the installation. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions. 4. When the installation is complete, click Finish.

11 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 7 To reinstall the Service: 1. To avoid losing any profiles you have created, copy the file BusinessAutomationProfiles.xml from the directory C:\Program Files\eCopy\ShareScan OP\ShareScanOP Manager\Connectors\BusinessAutomation\Data to another location on your computer. 2. Use the Windows Control Panel > Add or Remove programs option to uninstall the current version of the Service software. The application is labeled ecopy Barcode Recognition Service. 3. Install the new version of the software. 4. Copy the file BusinessAutomationProfiles.xml back to the C:\Program Files\eCopy\ShareScan OP\ShareScanOP Manager\Connectors\BusinessAutomation\Data directory.

12 8 Installing and configuring the Service Configuring the Service The Barcode Recognition Service enables you to save a collection of settings as a profile. You can then associate a Service profile with Connector profiles, which allows the Connector to use the functionality of the Service. The Service is installed with a default profile that you can modify. However, if you plan to use the service with multiple Connector profiles, you may find it easier to create custom Service profiles that match the requirements of the Connector profiles. To create a Service profile: 1. In the console tree, select Document Services >Business Automation. 2. Select the Barcode Splitting tab and select the barcodes that you want to use to name your scanned documents (see page 15). 3. Click Barcode Options to specify the barcode detection settings and splitting rules (see page 19). 4. Click OK to save your settings and return to the Barcode Splitting tab. 5. If you are creating a profile that will be used by a Connector that supports the capture of indexing information, select the Indexing tab and specify the indexing information (seepage 11). 6. At the top of the pane, below ecopy Business Automation Services Properties, click Save, select or specify the profile name in the Save Profile window, then click Save. The system saves your settings as part of the Service profile, or creates a new profile.

13 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 9 7. After creating a Service profile you must associate it with a Connector profile to enable the Service functionality to be used by the Connector (see page 10).

14 10 Installing and configuring the Service Associating a Service profile with a Connector profile After creating a Service profile, you associate it with a Connector profile so that the Service's functionality is available to the user at the device. For more information on creating Connector profiles, see the ecopy ShareScan Installation and Setup Guide, the ecopy ShareScan Help, or the Help for any individual Connector. To associate Service and Connector profiles: 1. In the console tree, select Devices > device name > Properties. The Device Properties window opens and displays all the Connectors associated with the device. 2. Select the Connector with which you want to associate the Service and click Edit. The Select Connector Profiles window opens and displays all the profiles for the Connector. 3. Select the profile that you want to associate with the Service profile. 4. In the Select a Document Service Profile list, select the Service profile and then click OK to return to the Device Properties window. 5. Click Save. The Service profile is now associated with the Connector profile. When a user at the device scans a document using the Connector with the associated Document Service profile, the document is scanned, processed by the Document Service, and then passed to the Connector workflow for processing.

15 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 11 Configuring barcode index values The Barcode Recognition Service enables you to use information contained in barcodes to populate the index fields used by some Connectors. When you use the Service with the appropriate ecopy Connector, users can capture the information at the scanner and include it with the scanned file. Other applications can then use the information. Indexing takes place before the document is split. The Service calculates the barcode index number based on the sequential position of the barcode in the document. The first barcode has an index value of 1, the second has an index value of 2, and so on. There are three pre-configured Publishing names that correspond to fields used by particular Connectors (the ecopy Connectors for Captaris RightFax, edocs DM, and Interwoven Worksite). If you plan to use this Service with one of these Connectors you should enter the Barcode index number that corresponds to the barcode that contains the information. This enables the Connector that uses the Service to take the barcoded information and place it in the correct field during scanning. To link a barcode to an index field: 1. Select the Indexing tab. 2. Click New. The Publish barcode window opens. 3. Enter the Publishing name of the barcode. This is generally the name by which the information is recognized in the Connector application.the Publishing name is case-sensitive.

16 12 Installing and configuring the Service 4. Enter the Barcode index number. this is the sequential number of the barcode as it appears in the document before it is split. 5. Save the settings as part of the Service profile.

17 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 13 Barcode splitting settings This section describes the Barcode Recognition Service settings that enable you to use barcodes to split and name files. In this chapter: Understanding barcode splitting 14 Using barcodes to name files 15 Improving barcode quality 18 Barcode option settings 19

18 14 Barcode splitting settings Understanding barcode splitting The Barcode Recognition Service uses barcodes to split the scanned pages of a single file into multiple files. The Service also enables you to use barcode information to name the files that are created as a result of the splitting process. This grouping and naming information can then be used by a Connector as part of the scanning process. The Barcode Splitting tab enables you to set the following rules: Specify the file naming syntax for the scanned files. For example, the file name may include a barcode, a date, a time, and a page number. format how date and time information appears in the formatted file names. The Barcode Options window enables you to set up barcode options, including: Types of barcodes to detect Settings to improve barcode detection Search order Separator page removal Separator page selection Delimiter selection Use of barcode values to split multi-page scanning jobs Note: When a barcode is defined in the File Name field, a new file is created each time that barcode is detected in a new page.

19 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 15 Using barcodes to name files On the Barcode Splitting tab, the file naming functions enable you to specify the information used by the Service to name the multiple files created from a single file. To specify a file name format: 1. Select a field name from the File Name Fields list and click Add. The field name appears in the File Name list. 2. Add all the fields you require to the File Name list. 3. If you want to use date and time fields in your file names, select the format for this information. For more information on the detection of barcodes and how the use of separator pages affects file names, see page 19.

20 16 Barcode splitting settings Table 1: File naming settings Field File Name Fields Description Contains the components that you use to create the file name format: Barcodes: You can select up to 10 barcodes. The Service reads barcodes in numerical order beginning on the first page following a split in the document. However, Windows restricts the maximum length of a file name to 260 characters. The Barcode Recognition Service uses approximately 200 characters for the file name. If the number of characters exceeds the limit, the file name will be truncated to a length that permits a valid file name. Date and Time: The date and time that the file is created. Page #: The page number of the original document at which the split that began the new document occurred. -directory-: A marker used by the Router utility (see page 26). If you place the marker between two elements in the File Name field, the Router tool uses the first element as the file name and the second one to name the subfolder into which it puts the file. For example: <file name>-directory-<subfolder> creates <subfolder>\<file name> The dash character "-": Used to separate field values.

21 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 17 Field File Name Date and time formats Description Contains the list of elements that you select for the file name format. When you have added all of the file name elements, you use the Move Up, Move Down, and Delete buttons to configure the list into the order in which you want it to appear in the file name. Notes: If the File Name list is empty, the file will not be split at barcodes and the file name will default to Device-Connector-Date-Time-Page#.tif (or pdf). If the File Name list contains barcodes, but no barcodes are detected during scanning, the processed file is not split and the file name will default to Device-Connector-Date-Time-Page#.tif (or pdf). If the File Name list contains multiple barcodes and one of them is not found, the section of the file name where the barcode should appear is named Barcode X not found." If you include date and time information in a file name, you can select the format in which they appear. Notes: Illegal characters are automatically replaced with an underscore "_" to accommodate Windows file name conventions and internal programming conventions. The list of illegal characters is: \ / : *? " < > (Windows) =. ; (internal). The Service never overwrites an existing file. If it detects a file with the same name, it adds a unique number to the new file name, for example filename.1, filename.2. The scanned file is then saved to the specified destination.

22 18 Barcode splitting settings Improving barcode quality In the ecopy environment, the print quality of the original document as well as the scanner settings can have a significant impact on the ability of the software to read barcode data. ShareScan then passes control of the scanned document to the Service, which extracts the barcode information. The Service passes the barcode information to ShareScan, which uses the information to split the document and name each of the resulting files. The Service does not alter the image; therefore, if the original document is of poor quality, or if the scanning quality is poor, the Service's ability to recognize the scanned barcodes will be less accurate. ecopy suggests the following steps to increase the quality of scanned barcodes: Visually inspect the barcodes in the original document. Look for bars that are touching each other or that are full of dots. Use an image processing tool to zoom in on or to magnify the barcodes. Print barcode pages on a laser printer at a resolution of at least 600 dots per inch (DPI). Increase the resolution of your scanning device to 300 DPI or higher. Use the ecopy Image Enhancement Service to improve the quality of the image. For more information about this Service, contact ecopy (see page 3).

23 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 19 Barcode option settings The Barcode Options button on the Barcode Splitting tab opens the Barcode Options window. In this window you can specify the types of barcodes, the search order, barcode enhancement settings, and separator page handling for scanned documents. Table 2: Barcode types Setting Barcode Types Description Select the barcode types that you want the Service to detect. If you know which types of barcodes your documents use, selecting a limited number of types speeds up barcode detection. Table 3: Barcode enhancements Setting Reduce Noise Skew Tolerance Description Before the Service scans the scanned image file for barcodes, the noise reduction filter removes marks that are unlikely to be part of a barcode. The filter removes marks from an image that are unlikely to be part of a barcode. A larger value will remove larger marks from the image. This improves the chances of finding a barcode, even in a poor quality image, but also increases the time required to process an image.a typical value for this option is 10. Controls the maximum angle, from either the horizontal or vertical orientation, at which a barcode is recognized. Select a value that tells the Service to read from one of the following approximate maximum angles: 0 = up to 5 degrees 1 = 13 degrees 2 = 21 degrees 3 = 29 degrees 4 = 37 degrees 5 = 45 degrees

24 20 Barcode splitting settings Setting White Dot Tolerance Description White dots in the barcode bars can affect the space between the bars and make it difficult for the Service to read the barcodes. ecopy recommends that you start with a value of one and increase to a value as high as four, depending on your needs. Table 4: Barcode Search Order settings Setting Barcode Search Order Description The direction in which you want the Service to scan for barcodes. The options are: Top to Bottom Left to Right Right to Left

25 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 21 The service supports three ways in which you can separate pages using barcodes: Barcode page separation (the default), barcode value separation, and ecopy separator page separation. By default, the Service separates the original document file at any page that contains a barcode. The Barcode Splitting settings enable you to configure the other options. Table 5: Barcode Splitting settings Remove Setting Barcode Page Description This option removes the first page from the group if the page contains a barcode. If you select this option you can also select the If double-sided scan, remove next page option. this second option assumes that the reverse side of the barcoded page is blank and should also be removed. The Remove Barcode Page option applies when you configure the Service to use barcoded separator pages. These pages usually contain only barcodes that identify the data pages that follow them in the stack. The Service names the files using the file naming information configured on the Barcode Splitting tab and then removes the separator page. Because the Remove Barcode Page option removes all pages on which it detects a barcode, you should only use it when there are no barcodes on the data pages that you want to preserve in the split files. The exception to this is when you use ecopy separator pages. When you use the ecopy separator page, the Service removes ONLY the barcode page that follows directly after the separator page. It does not affect any other barcoded pages.

26 22 Barcode splitting settings Setting Description Use ecopy Separator Page: Uses separator pages that contain only the barcode value of "ecopy separator". Users scan documents with a barcoded ecopy separator page inserted before every barcoded page where they want to create a new file. If you select this option, the Service takes the page following the ecopy separator barcode, splits the file, renames it based on that page s barcodes, and automatically removes the page containing the ecopy separator barcode. If double sided scanning is enabled, the Service assumes that the reverse side of the separator page is blank and removes that page as well. For your convenience a Barcode 128 standard barcode image is available in the directory where the Barcode Recognition Service is installed (generally C:\Program Files\eCopy\ShareScan OP\ShareScanOPManager\Connectors\ BusinessAutomation\Data). The file is named ecopyseparator.tif. You can use this image to print ecopy separator pages. Selecting this option disables the "Split if barcode value contains:" option.

27 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 23 Setting Description Split if barcode value contains Enter the barcode text string that you want to use to initiate a file split.the text string is not case-sensitive. If you enter a string, documents will be split only at barcodes that contain that string. The barcode containing the text string must be one of the barcodes specified in the File Name section of the Barcode Splitting tab. Example: If a stack of scanned documents contains many multipage invoices, that have been barcoded with the invoice number, invoice xxx on the first page of every invoice, a practical application of this option would be to enter invoice as the string. The Service will split the stack into multiple files at the first page of every invoice. Selecting this option disables the Use ecopy Separator Page option. Table 6: Barcode Delimiter settings Setting Use a Delimiter Value Description If your company creates barcodes that contain multiple discrete data elements, separated by a delimiter, the Service can distinguish the barcodes based on the delimiting character. The only character that cannot be used is "_". Example: A medical invoice contains a single barcode with the patient ID, last name, first name, and date of birth, each data element divided by the "-" character. The invoice also contains a barcode with the date of service and a barcode with the invoice number. If you enter "-" in the Value field, the Service detects six separate barcodes that you can use to name the file, either separately or in combination.

28

29 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 25 Performance enhancement tools The Router utility is an add-on tool that is included with the ecopy Barcode Recognition Service. The Router utility is a Microsoft Windows Service that allows you to create folders in your Windows system for the automatic storage of documents you create when they are split during scanning. In this chapter: The Router utility 26

30 26 Performance enhancement tools The Router utility The Router utility is an add-on tool included with the ecopy Barcode Recognition Service. The Router utility is a Microsoft Windows Service that allows you to create folders in your Windows system. The tool monitors a user-defined folder and moves files from that folder into sub-folders. It creates these subfolders based on a file-naming convention that you set during installation and configuration of the tool. To configure, install and start the Router utility: 1. In the OpenArchiveServices directory, double-click the ecopyrouter.exe file. This installs the software in the default directory C:\program files\openarchiveservices\oa Router unless you specify a different location. 2. Browse to the directory where Service is installed. This is usually the default directory C:\program files\ OpenArchiveServices\OA Router 3. In the directory file list, double click OARouterSettings.exe. The configuration window opens. 4. Click the Click to Add button for the Directory To Monitor and specify the folder that you want the tool to monitor. This should match the destination folder defined in your ecopy Connector. For example, in ecopy Quick Connect, this is specified on the Properties > Destinations tab. 5. Click on Click to Add button for the Directory to Send To and specify a root folder. 6. Use the Time Milliseconds field to specify how often the

31 ecopy Barcode Recognition Service Administrator's Guide 27 Router utility checks the directory you are monitoring. The field contains a default value of milliseconds. This is equivalent to 30 seconds. 7. If you want to create XML and CSV files containing the data used to name the file, select Generate XML/CSV. The tool creates both types of files in the directory specified in the Directory to Send To field. The files contain the date and time, the path to the image file, and the individual barcode values that are used to name the file. 8. Click Save to save your settings. The settings are saved only if the directories you have configured are valid. 9. To start the utility, go to the Windows Control Panel and select Administrative Tools > Services. 10. Select the Router utility and then, in the left pane, click Start the Service. Note: You must restart the Router utility if you restart your system or make any changes to the options in the Directory Options window.

32 28 Performance enhancement tools To specify the file naming settings for the Router utility: 1. Open the Barcode Recognition Service and select the Barcode Splitting tab. 2. Set up a file name using the format: barcode # -directory- barcode #. The Service uses the value that precedes the "-directory-" to name the file and the value after "-directory-" to create a folder. If you configured the Router utility to generate XML and CSV files, the barcodes used to name the files are indexed in those files. Note: If there are multiple barcodes, you must use the dash (-) separator to separate the barcode values when naming the CSV or XML files. If you do not use the dash separator, all the barcode values are displayed in a single barcode string.