DATA COLLECTION AND TRANSFER TECHNIQUES FOR SCANNABLE FORMS

• US 20110189647A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scantron Corporation (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scantron Corporation (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Inventors: Watson, Hugh Eugene, Sprenger, Jason Lee, Radtke, Todd Nelson
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/363
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition

Abstract

Implementations feature scannable form techniques and systems. Some aspects feature a scannable form including at least one response column parallel to a first longitudinal edge of the scannable form, and a broken ladder having two substantially parallel lines with locations for multiple rungs corresponding to encoded information that identifies a person assigned to the scannable form. A top rung is positioned on the scannable form so that the top rung can be a first rung that is scanned by a test scoring machine for the broken ladder, and a bottom rung is positioned so that the bottom rung can be a last rung that is scanned by the test scoring machine for the broken ladder. Other aspects feature a method to determine correct scoring key data in the test scoring machine for a test, and a method of transmitting information between the test scoring machine and a portable memory device.

Claims

1. A scannable form comprising:

at least one response column parallel to a first longitudinal edge of the scannable form; and

a broken ladder comprising locations along two substantially parallel lines for a plurality of rungs corresponding to encoded information that identifies a person assigned to the scannable form,

wherein a top rung is positioned on the scannable form so that the top rung is a first rung that is scanned by a test scoring machine for the broken ladder, and a bottom rung is positioned so that the bottom rung is a last rung that is scanned by the test scoring machine for the broken ladder.

2. The scannable form of claim 1, wherein the encoded information comprises an offset value to at least one student identification (ID) number in a class roster.

3. The scannable form of claim 1, wherein a number of offset values in the broken ladder is represented by a number of rungs between a top rung and a bottom rung in the broken ladder.

4. A scannable form comprising:

a. an elongated rectangular shape with first and second substantially straight longitudinal edges;

b. at least one response column parallel to the first longitudinal edge;

c. a control mark column, parallel to the first longitudinal edge and parallel to the response column but spaced therefrom, the control mark column containing, in a direction parallel to the first longitudinal edge;

(1) a first set of response control marks having a first length;

(2) a second set of response control marks having the first length;

(3) a start-of-form mark having a second length different from the first length; and

(4) an end-of-form mark having a third length different from the first length and the second length;

the first set of response control marks being column aligned with the start-of-form mark and before the second set of response control marks, the start-of-form mark being column aligned before the second set of response control marks, and the second set of response control marks being column aligned before the end-of-form mark; and

d. a broken ladder comprising locations along two substantially parallel lines for a plurality of rungs corresponding to encoded information that identifies a person assigned to the scannable form.

5. The scannable form of claim 4, wherein the broken ladder comprises a plurality of unconnected rungs, wherein the unconnected rungs in broken ladder are configured to be connected with a mark in an unconnected location between the rungs.

6. The scannable form of claim 4, wherein two or more of the rungs in the broken ladder represents a number of bits for the encoded information.

7. The scannable form of claim 4, wherein one or more rungs represent a binary number, wherein a value of the binary number for each of the one or more rungs depends on whether the rung is connected or unconnected.

8. The scannable form of claim 4, wherein the broken ladder is configured to be read with a test scoring machine that reads the broken ladder and determines the encoded information from the broken ladder.

9. The scannable form of claim 8, wherein the broken ladder is positioned at a leading edge of the scannable form that is at area of the scannable form that is fed into the test scoring machine upon scanning.

10. The scannable form of claim 9, wherein a top rung and a bottom rung are connected rungs, wherein the top rung defines an area for the test scoring machine to recognize that scanning has commenced for the broken ladder, and wherein the bottom rung defines an area for the test scoring machine to recognize that data for the broken ladder has been completely scanned.

11. The scannable form of claim 9, wherein a top rung is positioned on the scannable form so that the top rung is a first rung that is scanned by the test scoring machine for the broken ladder, and a bottom rung is positioned so that the bottom rung is a last rung scanned by the test scoring machine for the broken ladder.

12. The scannable form of claim 11, wherein a number of rungs between the top and bottom rungs represent a number of bits of the encoded information.

13. The scannable form of claim 4, wherein the encoded information represents an offset number corresponding to student identification numbers in a class roster.

14. The scannable form of claim 13, wherein the scannable form further comprises an offset area on the scannable form for printing the offset number on the scannable form.

15. A test scoring machine configured for reading a scannable form having a broken ladder, the test scoring machine comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) for receiving user data, wherein the broken ladder comprises a plurality of rungs corresponding to encoded information that identifies a person assigned to the scannable form;

a scanner bed path for receiving the scannable form;

a sensor for reading the broken ladder on the scannable form and producing image data for the broken ladder;

a memory unit to store information corresponding to the broken ladder; and

a processor to process the image data and information from the memory unit to generate information that identifies the person assigned to the scannable form.

16. The test scoring machine of claim 15, wherein a top rung and a bottom rung on the broken ladder are connected rungs, wherein the top rung defines an area for the test scoring machine to recognize that scanning has commenced for the broken ladder, and wherein the bottom rung defines an area for the test scoring machine to recognize that data for the broken ladder has been completely scanned.

17. The test scoring machine of claim 15, wherein the top rung is positioned on the scannable form so that the top rung is a first rung that is scanned by the test scoring machine for the broken ladder, and the bottom rung is positioned so that the bottom rung is a last rung scanned for the broken ladder.

18. A method to determine correct scoring key data in a test scoring machine, the method comprises:

accessing data for a first scoring key with the test scoring machine;

reading, with the test scoring machine, two or more scannable test forms;

scoring, with the test scoring machine, data read from the two or more scannable test forms using data from the first scoring key;

determining, with the test scoring machine, if a threshold number of scannable test forms have been read; and

based upon a condition that the threshold number of scannable forms have been read, determine if the first scoring key was a correct scoring key for the two or more scannable forms.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining, with the test scoring machine, a percentage of incorrect answers for each form;

comparing, with the test scoring machine, the percentage of incorrect answers for each form with a pre-determined percentage of incorrect answers; and

determining, with the test scoring machine, if a percentage of the read scannable test forms comprises the percentage of incorrect answers that is greater than the pre-determined percentage of incorrect answers.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, if the test scoring machine determines that the percentage of the read scannable test forms comprises the percentage of incorrect answers that is greater than the pre-determined percentage of incorrect answers, presenting a message on a graphical user interface of the test scoring machine to ask a user of the test scoring machine if the first scoring key is a correct scoring key for scoring a test corresponding with the read scannable test forms.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, through the graphical user interface on the test scoring machine, a user input regarding whether the user elects to enter data for a second scoring key in the test scoring machine or whether to read additional scannable test forms using the data from the first scoring key.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

accessing data for the second scoring key in the test scoring machine if the user input is received into the graphical user interface of the test scoring machine to use another scoring key.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising reading additional scannable test forms into the test scoring machine using the data from the first scoring key if the user input is received to read additional scannable test forms using the data from the first scoring key.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising reading additional scannable test forms into the test scoring machine using the data from the first scoring key if the percentage of the read scannable test forms does not have the percentage of incorrect answers that is greater than the pre-determined percentage of incorrect answers.

25. A method of transmitting information between a test scoring machine and a portable memory device, the method comprising:

processing instructions to receive information from a port on the test scoring machine, where the portable memory device is coupled with the port;

processing instructions to receive selected data from a test scoring machine memory, wherein the test scoring machine memory is configured to store the selected data, the selected data comprising any of one or more test scoring keys, class roster information, student information, and test results or statistics for one or more tests; and

sending the selected data from the test scoring machine memory through the port and to the portable memory device,

wherein test scoring machine is configured to read data from scannable test forms, and wherein the test scoring machine is a standalone apparatus.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

processing instructions to receive new firmware from the portable memory device; and

updating the firmware on the test scoring machine with the new firmware.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the new firmware enables the test scoring machine to recognize data and images for a broken ladder on a scannable test form, wherein the broken ladder comprises a plurality of rungs corresponding to encoded information that identifies a person assigned to the scannable test form.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the received information comprises a scoring key, and the method further comprises storing the scoring key in the test scoring machine memory.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving a user input on a user interface of the test scoring machine for a selection of one scoring key from a plurality of scoring keys stored on the portable memory device.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving and storing the class roster information in the test scoring machine memory.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a user input on a user interface of the test scoring machine for a selection of information for one class from a plurality of classes in the class roster information from the portable memory device.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a user input on a user interface of the test scoring machine for a selection of one scoring key from a plurality of scoring keys in the test scoring machine memory for the selected data to send to the portable memory device.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a user input on a user interface of the test scoring machine for a selection of at least one test result stored in the test scoring machine memory for the selected data to send to the portable memory device.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a user input on a user interface of the test scoring machine for a selection of one scoring key stored in the test scoring machine memory to score data read from scannable test forms.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the test scoring machine is detached and disconnected from another computer or a network.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the portable memory device comprises a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick.

37. A scannable form comprising:

at least one response area to receive a response mark on the scannable form for reading by a test scoring machine; and

a broken ladder comprising locations along two substantially parallel lines for a plurality of rungs corresponding to encoded information that associates the scannable form with a unique identifier that identifies a person assigned to the scannable form.

38. The scannable form of claim 37, wherein the response area is to be completed by the person assigned to the scannable form.

39. The scannable form of claim 37, wherein the unique identifier comprises binary information associated with an identification number for the person assigned to the scannable form.

40. A test scoring machine comprising:

a transport mechanism for receiving a scannable form having a broken ladder and at least one response area to receive a response mark on the scannable form;

an optical mechanism for reading data from the scannable form, including data from the broken ladder and the at least one response area;

a processor for processing the data read from the scannable form; and

a memory unit to store the processed data,

wherein the broken ladder comprises locations along two substantially parallel lines for a plurality of rungs corresponding to encoded information that associates the scannable form with a unique identifier that identifies a person assigned to the scannable form.

41. The test scoring machine of claim 40, wherein when reading data from the broken ladder, the test scoring machine is configured to first read a top rung of the broken ladder and last read a bottom rung of the broken ladder.

42. The test scoring machine of claim 40, wherein when reading data from the broken ladder, the test scoring machine is configured to simultaneously read data from all rungs from the broken ladder.

43. The test scoring machine of claim 40, wherein the encoded information comprises an offset value to at least one student identification (ID) number in a class roster.

44. A scannable test form comprising:

at least one response column parallel to a first longitudinal edge of the scannable test form; and

a broken ladder diagram comprising two substantially parallel lines separated by a first distance, wherein the two parallel lines are configured to be connected at substantially equidistance locations along the lines with one or more rungs that are perpendicular to the two parallel lines,

wherein the broken ladder diagram corresponds to encoded information that associates the scannable test form with an identifier that identifies a person assigned to the scannable form.

45. The scannable test form of claim 44, wherein the broken ladder diagram is configured to have a maximum number of rungs that corresponds to a number of encoded bits.

46. The scannable test form of claim 44, wherein the identifier is configured to have information relating to a number of connected rungs and a number of unconnected rungs on the broken ladder diagram.

47. The scannable test form of claim 44, wherein the identifier is configured to have information relating to relative locations of connected rungs and unconnected rungs on the broken ladder diagram with respect to encoded bits.

48. The scannable test form of claim 44, wherein the broken ladder diagram is configured to have the rungs to be connected via a pencil mark to be read by a test scoring machine.

49. The scannable test form of claim 44, wherein the broken ladder diagram is configured to have the rungs to be connected via an ink mark to be read by a test scoring machine.

50. The scannable test form of claim 44, further comprising a top rung positioned on the scannable test form so that the top rung is a first rung that is scanned by a test scoring machine for the broken ladder, and a bottom rung is positioned so that the bottom rung is a last rung that is scanned by the test scoring machine for the broken ladder diagram.

51. The scannable test form of claim 50, wherein between the top and bottom rungs, the broken ladder diagram is configured to have the one or more rungs to connect to the parallel lines at the locations by a user of the form.

52. The scannable test form of claim 50, wherein between the top and bottom rungs, the broken ladder diagram is configured to have the one or more rungs to connect to the parallel lines at the locations by a printing device.

53. The scannable test form of claim 44, wherein the broken ladder diagram is configured to have the one or more rungs to connect to the parallel lines at the locations by a user of the form.

54. The scannable test form of claim 44, the broken ladder diagram is to have the one or more rungs to connect to the parallel lines at the locations by a printing device.

55. The scannable test form of claim 44, wherein the encoded information represents an offset number corresponding to student identification numbers in a class roster.