HIERARCHICAL SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING AND DISPATCHING TASK ORDERS INTO A USER NETWORK AND METHOD

Task order system 10 processes task orders through processing conditions, and dispatches the task orders concerning user record documents throughout user network 10N. Task order 10T is carried on an input medium suitable for scanning such as ordinary paper, and specifies both the dispatch task and the record document The task order contains process codes 10P and dispatch images 10D. Scanner 10S receives the input medium and scans the task order thereon to obtain pixel images of the process codes and dispatch images. Process code detector 12D detects the process codes which initiate the processing of the task order. Dispatch decoder 14D receives the pixel images from the scanner for decoding the dispatch images to provide dispatch codes. Dispatcher 16D is responsive to the dispatch codes for dispatching the task order throughout the user network.