METHOD FOR DECODING AN OPTICALLY READABLE SHEET
First Claim
1. A method for decoding an optically readable sheet having one or more regions of choices and a plurality of mark spaces thereon in which one or more selections may be marked for each of one or more choices, each mark space being a space defined for marking a selection therein, the sheet having at least two fiducial marks thereon in respective predetermined locations, the method comprising:
- imaging the sheet having one or more choice regions and a plurality of mark spaces and at least two fiducial marks thereon wherein the image of the sheet includes all of the mark spaces for the choice regions and the at least two fiducial marks thereon and is in a pixelated or bitmapped format including a plurality of pixels;
defining for each sheet the one or more choice regions each containing a plurality of reading regions each including one mark space;
processing the image of the sheet including;
decoding from the image of the sheet the respective locations of the at least two fiducial marks therein;
comparing the decoded respective locations of the at least two fiducial marks from the image of the sheet and the respective predetermined locations of the at least two fiducial marks for scaling the image of the sheet; and
decoding from the scaled image of the sheet the defined one or more choice regions and the plurality of reading regions including the one mark space thereof; and
for each decoded choice region;
counting at least the number of dark pixels for each reading region;
determining from the counts of the dark pixels for each reading region whether the mark space therein is unmarked or is marked as a selection; and
counting each determined marked selection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optically readable sheet has plural mark spaces and has at least two fiducial marks defining the orientation and scaling of the sheet. A method for reading an optically readable sheet may comprise imaging the sheet and decoding the fiducial marks from the image of the sheet for scaling the image of the sheet and decoding the mark spaces therein. Scaling the image may include comparing the locations of the decoded fiducial marks from the image of the sheet and the predetermined locations of the fiducial marks on the sheet.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for decoding an optically readable sheet having one or more regions of choices and a plurality of mark spaces thereon in which one or more selections may be marked for each of one or more choices, each mark space being a space defined for marking a selection therein, the sheet having at least two fiducial marks thereon in respective predetermined locations, the method comprising:
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imaging the sheet having one or more choice regions and a plurality of mark spaces and at least two fiducial marks thereon wherein the image of the sheet includes all of the mark spaces for the choice regions and the at least two fiducial marks thereon and is in a pixelated or bitmapped format including a plurality of pixels; defining for each sheet the one or more choice regions each containing a plurality of reading regions each including one mark space; processing the image of the sheet including; decoding from the image of the sheet the respective locations of the at least two fiducial marks therein; comparing the decoded respective locations of the at least two fiducial marks from the image of the sheet and the respective predetermined locations of the at least two fiducial marks for scaling the image of the sheet; and decoding from the scaled image of the sheet the defined one or more choice regions and the plurality of reading regions including the one mark space thereof; and for each decoded choice region; counting at least the number of dark pixels for each reading region; determining from the counts of the dark pixels for each reading region whether the mark space therein is unmarked or is marked as a selection; and counting each determined marked selection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for decoding an optically readable sheet comprising:
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receiving selections made using any of a keyboard, a touch screen, a button, a switch, voice recognition apparatus, a Braille keyboard, a pen with writing recognition interface; then producing a sheet by printing the selections on a pre-printed form having at least two fiducial marks in predetermined locations on the pre-printed form for defining the orientation and scaling of the preprinted form or by printing a form including the selections and at least two fiducial marks in predetermined locations for defining the orientation and scaling of the sheet, whereby the orientation and scaling of the sheet is defined by the at least two fiducial marks; and
then;imaging the sheet including the selections marked thereon and the at least two fiducial marks; and processing the image of the sheet including; determining the scaling of the image of the sheet using the locations of the at least two fiducial marks, scaling the image of the sheet, and determining the selections on the scaled image of the sheet in accordance with a template to which the imaged sheet corresponds, whereby the selections marked on each sheet are processed in accordance with the corresponding template. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An optically readable sheet comprising:
- a sheet of material having an identifier region thereon wherein a sheet identifier in the identifier region is unique and is not related to the identity of an individual person, said sheet also having a plurality of choice regions thereon, each choice region having two or more mark spaces therein for making selections or having a write-in space for entering a write-in selection therein or having two or more mark spaces therein for making selections and a write-in space for entering a write-in selection therein, said sheet having two or more fiducial marks at respective predetermined locations thereon for defining the orientation and scaling of said sheet, wherein the identifier region and the plurality of choice regions are in defined locations relative to the two or more fiducial marks, and wherein the unique identifier, the mark spaces and the fiducial marks are optically readable.
- View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
Specification