Apparatus and method for automatically analysing a filled in questionnaire

• US 20060088812A1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Jager, Jodocus F., Slijp, Dion F., Kruizinga, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0032 Apparatus for automatic testing and analysing marked record carriers, used for examinations of the multiple choice answer type teaching apparatus working with questions and answers G09B7/00

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer software for automatically analysing a filled in questionnaire, are provided. The method includes automatically analysing a filled in questionnaire, the method comprising the steps of: providing a questionnaire having answer locations; scanning at least two copies of the questionnaire with the answer locations filled in differently and complementarily in a predetermined way, to produce a first scan and a second scan; automatically determining answer locations by comparing the first and second scans; providing a filled in questionnaire having certain answers; scanning the provided filled in questionnaire as a third scan; and automatically judging the certain answers with the determined answer locations.

Claims

1. A method for automatically analysing a filled in questionnaire, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a questionnaire having answer locations;

(b) scanning at least two copies of the questionnaire with the answer locations filled in differently and complementarily in a predetermined way, to produce a first scan and a second scan

(c) automatically determining answer locations by comparing the first and second scans;

(d) providing a filled in questionnaire having certain answers;

(e) scanning the provided filled in questionnaire as a third scan; and

(f) automatically judging the certain answers with the determined answer locations.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

automatically determining answer locations by comparing the first scan and the second scan, where one of the first and second scans is made from the questionnaire with all correct answers filled in and the other of the first and second scans is made from the questionnaire with all wrong answers filled in, and

automatically labelling every answer location as a correct answer or a wrong answer.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step (c) further comprises the step of selecting a label based upon the number of answer locations on the first scan and the number of answer locations on the second scan.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step (f) comprises the steps of:

finding all answers on the third scan by using the answer locations, deciding per answer whether the answer is a wrong answer or a correct answer based upon the label of the answer location, and

creating a corrected questionnaire.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step (f) further comprises the step of presenting an improper filled in question to an operator for corrective actions.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step (f) further comprises the step of displaying the third scan with a correction symbol.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step (f) further comprises the step of displaying the third scan with a test result.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step (f) further comprises the steps of:

providing a relation between a test result and a test mark,

determining the test mark based upon the relation, and

displaying the third scan with the test mark.

9. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step (f) further comprises the step of automatically creating a test summary, wherein the test summary comprises test results and/or test marks of a plurality of third scans.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step (f) further comprises the step of displaying the test summary with a part of at least one of the third scans.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises the step of automatically determining answer locations by comparing the first scan and the second scan, where one of the first and second scans is made from the questionnaire with all answers filled in and the other of the first and second scans is made from the questionnaire with no answers filled in.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step (f) comprises the steps of:

finding all answers on the third scan by using the answer locations, and

creating an overview of a plurality of third scans comprising a distribution of answers.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step (f) further comprises the step of displaying at least one of the third scans with the distribution of answers.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step (f) further comprises the step of presenting an improper filled in question to an operator for corrective actions.

15. A computer program embodied on at least one computer-readable medium, the program comprising code means that when executed on a computer carry out the steps in the method of claim 1.

16. An apparatus for automatically analysing a filled in questionnaire, the apparatus comprising a processing unit including means for:

(a) obtaining first and second scanned images of at least two copies, respectively, of a questionnaire having answer locations, with the answer locations filled in differently and complementarily in a predetermined way;

(b) automatically determining answer locations by comparing the first and second scans;

(c) obtaining a third scanned image of a filled in questionnaire having certain answers; and

(d) automatically judging the certain answers with the determined answer locations.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means (b) comprises means for:

automatically determining answer locations by comparing the first scanned image and the second scanned image, where one of the first and second scanned images is made from the questionnaire with all correct answers filled in and the other of the first and second scanned images is made from the questionnaire with all wrong answers filled in, and

automatically labelling every answer location as a correct answer or a wrong answer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means (d) comprises means for:

finding all answers on the third scanned image by using the answer locations,

deciding per answer whether the answer is a wrong answer or a correct answer based upon the label of the answer location, and

creating a corrected questionnaire.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means (b) comprises means for automatically determining answer locations by comparing the first scanned image and the second scanned image, where one of the first and second scanned images is made from the questionnaire with all answers filled in and the other of the first and second scanned images is made from the questionnaire with no answers filled in.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means (d) comprises means for:

finding all answers on the third scan by using the answer locations, and

creating an overview of a plurality of third scans comprising a distribution of answers.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is incorporated in a digital copier.