Scannable form and system

• US 5,085,587 A
• Filed: 08/07/1990
• Issued: 02/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Scantron Corporation (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scantron Corporation (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Inventors: Prutz, Michael, DesForges, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US07/563,443
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 434/325, 434/353, 434/355, 434/356, 434/358, 434/362, 434/363, 382/48, 382/59, 358/96, 358/75, 340/706, 340/707, 340/708
• US Class Current: 434/355
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/066 with answer indicating cards, blocks

Abstract

A scannable form and system, the form containing a plurality of response control marks including response control marks for controlling the input of numeric values, and other mode selection indicia. A specific teaching of the invention is the use of numeric value blocks to input a numeric value, such as the result of a related test, which is then mathematically combined with the tallied result of a set of multiple response inputs, such as a multiple choice test, to obtain a total. The numeric value can also be used to weight different responses.

Claims

1. A scannable form combining multiple response inputs and numeric value inputs, the form having:

a. an elongate rectangular shape with first and second generally straight longitudinal edges;

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

c. a single 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 length of the response control marks; and

(4) an end-of-form mark having a third length different from the length of the response control marks and from the length of the start-of-form mark;

the first set of response control marks being column aligned with 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 response row corresponding to each response control mark, each response row being row aligned with the corresponding response control mark perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge, each response row containing at least one response receiving space, and each response receiving space being aligned in said at least one response column;

wherein the first set of response control marks and associated response rows are organized into at least one numeric value block for indicating a numeric value, and wherein each numeric value block includes at least one response control mark and associated response row.

2. The form of claim 1, wherein all of the lengths are measured in a direction parallel to the first longitudinal edge, and the start-of-form mark is longer than the end-of-form mark, and the end-of-form mark is longer than the response control marks.

3. The form of claim 1 wherein each response row of a numeric value block contains a plurality of response receiving spaces each designated to correspond to a different numeric value.

4. The form of claim 3 wherein the numeric value for a numeric value block is designated to correspond to the sum of the numeric values of all selected response receiving spaces within the numeric value block.

5. The form of claim 4 further including means for designating a form as a "key" form such that each numeric value of each numeric value block on the "key" form indicates that the associated numeric value block on subsequent forms should contain a numeric value and indicates the maximum value for the associated numeric value.

6. The form of claim 1 wherein each response row associated with the response control marks of the second set of response control marks contains a plurality of response receiving spaces designated to correspond to selectable answers of a multiple choice question.

7. The form of claims 4 and 6 further including means for designating a mathematical operation to be performed between the numeric value of a numeric value block and the sum of the response receiving spaces.

8. The form of claim 7 wherein the designated mathematical operation is the operation of addition in the absence of a selected operation.

9. The form of claim 1 wherein the end-of-form mark is aligned with a corresponding response row.

10. The form of claim 1 wherein each response row associated with the response control marks of the second set of response control marks contains only one response receiving space in a corresponding response column, at least one group of successive response rows being allocated to correspond to selectable responses, and further comprising an end-of-response column parallel to the first longitudinal edge but spaced from both the control mark column and the response column and containing marks row aligned with the last response space associated with each group of response rows.

11. The form of claim 1 further comprising a set of mode indicating indicia row aligned with the start-of-form mark and column aligned with at least one of the response columns.

12. A form scanning system including:

a. a scannable form having;

(1) an elongate rectangular shape with first and second generally straight longitudinal edges;

(2) at least one response column parallel to the first longitudinal edge;

(3) a single 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;

(i) a first set of response control marks;

(ii) a second set of response control marks;

(iii) a start-of-form mark; and

(iv) an end-of-form mark;

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

(4) a response row corresponding to each response control mark, each response row being row aligned with the corresponding response control mark perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge, each response row containing at least one response receiving space, and each response receiving space being aligned in said at least one response column;

wherein the first set of response control marks and associated response rows are organized into at least one numeric value block for indicating a numeric value, and wherein each numeric value block includes at least one response control mark and associated response row; and

b. scanning apparatus, for use with the scannable form, for scanning a numeric value block and interpreting response in the response rows of the numeric value block as a numeric value.

13. The form scanning system of claim 12, wherein the scanning apparatus is programmed by a key sheet to interpret the response rows associated with the first set of response control marks as a numeric value.

14. The form scanning system of claim 12, wherein the scanning apparatus is programmed to tally responses in the response rows associated with the second set of response control marks, and to mathematically combine the numeric value with the tally results.

15. The form scanning system of claim 12, wherein the scanning apparatus is programmed to mathematically combine the numeric value with selected responses in the response rows associated with the second set of response control marks.

16. A method for tallying data by using a scannable form combining multiple response inputs and numeric value inputs, the form having an elongate rectangular shape with first and second generally straight longitudinal edges, at least one response column parallel to the first longitudinal edge, a single control mark column parallel to the first longitudinal edge and parallel to the at least one response column but spaced therefrom in a direction parallel to the first longitudinal edge, the control mark column having a first set of response control marks being column aligned with a start-of-form mark and before a second set of response control marks, and the second set of response control marks being column aligned after the start-of-form mark and being column aligned before a end-of-form mark, and a response row being row aligned with a corresponding response control mark and perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge, each response row containing at least one response receiving space, and each response receiving space being aligned in said at least one response column, wherein the first set of response control marks and associated response rows are organized into at least one numeric value block for indicating a numeric value;

wherein said method includes the steps of;

a. marking selected response inputs of the scannable form with data to be tallied;

b. marking selected numeric value inputs of the scannable form to represent at least one numeric value;

c. scanning the scannable form to detect responses to the response inputs;

d. scanning the scannable form to detect the value of at least one numeric value input; and

e. providing the result of a mathematical operation between selected response and the at least one numeric value input.

17. The method for tallying data of claim 16, further including the step of:

a. providing key data indicating acceptable responses for the response inputs.

18. The method for tallying data of claim 16 further including the steps of:

a. scanning the scannable form to detect the total number of responses to the response inputs; and

b. providing the result of a mathematical operation between the total number of responses and the at least one numeric value input.

19. The method for tallying data of claim 18, further including the step of:

a. providing key data indicating acceptable responses for the response inputs.