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Abstract

A method for merging data from at least two data capture devices (12, 14) includes capturing data from a plurality of documents at a first data capture device (12). The captured data is stored in a first plurality of records. Within each of the plurality of records, the time the data was captured for the corresponding one of the plurality of documents is also stored. A calculation is made to determine the time elapsing between successive data captures using the time stored in the first plurality of records and an inter-document time is generated. Data is further captured from the plurality of documents at a second data capture device (14). The data captured from the second data capture device (14) is stored in a second plurality of records. Within the second plurality of records, the time the data was captured for the corresponding one of the plurality of documents is also stored. A calculation is made to determine the elapsed time occurring between successive data captures using the time stored in the second plurality of records. An inter-document time for the documents captured at the second data capture device is generated. The inter-document times for successive documents of the first plurality of records are compared with the inter-document times for the successive documents of the second plurality of records and a time variance signal is generated. The data stored in the first plurality of records is merged with the data stored in the second plurality of records if the time variance signal is within a predetermined range.

First Claim