Apparatus and methods for scanning documents including OMR, bar-code, and image data

• US 6,357,658 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peripheral Dynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Peripheral Dynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilcox, Steven, Hahn, Jeffrey, Garczynski, John S., Hyer, Lawrence, McDevitt, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Larry D
• Application Number:
  US09/300,989
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/454, 235/455, 235/462.01, 235/462.04, 235/470, 235/487, 235/486, 235/485, 382/173, 382/179, 382/180, 382/224, 382/309, 382/321, 382/317
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10574 Multiple sources

Abstract

A multifunctional scanner having a first processor, an image scanner, a laser scanner, and a host interface port is provided. The image scanner scans documents to detect the presence of images imprinted thereon, generates image data based on the detected images, generates mark-sense row/column data based on downloaded data masks, and forwards the image data to the first processor. The laser scanner scans documents to detect the presence of bar-code symbols imprinted thereon, decodes the bar code symbols, generates bar code information based on the decoded bar code symbols, and forwards the bar code information to the first processor. The host interface port electrically couples the first processor to an external host processor. The first processor receives the image data from the image scanner, converts the image data into a host datastream, and forwards the host datastream to the external host processor via the host interface port. The first processor also receives the bar code information from the laser scanner, and forwards the bar code information to the host processor via the host interface port.

Claims

1. A multifunctional scanner comprising:

a first processor;

an image scanner, connected to the first processor, that scans documents to detect the presence of images imprinted thereon, generates image data based on the detected images, and forwards the image data to the first processor;

a laser scanner, connected to the first processor, that scans documents to detect the presence of bar-code symbols imprinted thereon, decodes the bar code symbols, generates bar code information based on the decoded bar code symbols, and forwards the bar code information to the first processor; and

a host interface port, connected to the first processor, that electrically couples the first processor to an external host processor,

wherein, the first processor receives the image data from the image scanner, converts the image data into a host datastream, and forwards the host datastream to the external host processor via the host interface port, and wherein the first processor receives the bar code information from the laser scanner, and forwards the bar code information to the host processor via the host interface port.

2. The multifunctional scanner of claim 1, wherein the laser scanner radiates a laser beam into a laser scanning region, receives a reflected laser beam reflected off of a target located within the laser scanning region, analyzes the reflected laser beam to detect the presence of a bar code symbol located within the laser scanning region, decodes the detected bar code symbol into bar code information, and forwards the bar code information to the first processor.

3. The multifunctional scanner of claim 2, further comprising:

a housing, mechanically coupled to the image scanner, that has an exit window and defines an interior region and an exterior region,

wherein the laser scanner is disposed within the interior region, and radiates the laser beam through the exit window into the exterior region.

4. The multifunctional scanner of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing, mechanically coupled to the image scanner, having a top section and a bottom section defining a scanning region therebetween, wherein the top section and the bottom section are movably coupled to one another to permit access to the scanning region.

5. A scanner for scanning a document having imprinted thereon a form identifier that identifies the document as being one of a plurality of form types, the scanner comprising:

a processor having a memory for storing a set of data masks, wherein each data mask corresponds to one of the form types, and wherein each data mask identifies the location of at least one scanning field on the corresponding form type, and associates a data type with the at least one scanning field, and wherein each data mask includes predetermined data pitch formats for each line of the corresponding form type; and

an image scanner, connected to the processor, that scans the document to extract the form identifier therefrom, retrieves from the memory the stored data mask corresponding to the extracted form identifier, determines from the retrieved data mask the location of the at least one scanning field on the document, sets, for each line of the document being scanned, a data pitch scanning format based on the predetermined data pitch formats included in the corresponding data mask, and scans the at least one scanning field to extract image data of the associated data type.

6. The scanner of claim 5, further comprising:

a document scanning memory connected to the image scanner,

wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes mark sense data, and

wherein the image scanner locates at least one marked box within the scanning field, and stores in the document scanning memory row and column indices representing the location of the marked box on the document.

7. The scanner of claim 5, further comprising:

a document scanning memory connected to the image scanner,

wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes signature image data, and

wherein the image scanner locates the signature image within the scanning field, and stores a digital representation of the signature image in the document scanning memory.

8. The scanner of claim 5, wherein the data mask includes a predefined sensitivity threshold for each scanning field, and wherein the image scanner adjusts, based on the predefined sensitivity threshold, a current sensitivity threshold for each scanning field on the document.

9. The scanner of claim 5, wherein the document has first and second dimensions, and wherein the image scanner scans the document along the first dimension at a first variable scan density, and wherein the image scanner scans the document along the second dimension at a second variable scan density, and wherein the first variable scan density and the second variable scan density vary independently of one another.

10. The scanner of claim 5, wherein a plurality of pixels are combined into single black/white bits before being stored in said memory.

11. The scanner of claim 5, wherein the document includes at least two data types from the group of data types consisting of mark-sense fields, signature fields, and image fields, and wherein the at least two data types have varying densities.

12. The scanner of claim 5, wherein the image scanner retrieves a default data mask corresponding to a default form type if the extracted form identifier does not correspond to one of the stored data masks or if the document does not include a form identifier.

13. A method for scanning a document, the method comprising:

defining a set of data masks, wherein each data mask corresponds to one of a plurality of predefined forms, identifies the location of at least one scanning field on the corresponding form, associates a data type with each identified scanning field, and wherein at least one data mask includes a predetermined data pitch format for each line of the corresponding form;

scanning the document to extract a form identifier therefrom;

determining whether the form identifier corresponds to one of the predefined forms; and

if the form identifier corresponds to one of the predefined forms, determining the location of each identified scanning field from the data mask corresponding to the predefined form, setting, for each line of the document, a data pitch scanning format based on the predetermined data pitch format included in the corresponding data mask, and scanning each identified scanning field to extract data of the associated data type.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the data type associated with the scanning field includes mark sense data, the method further comprising:

locating at least one marked box within the scanning field; and

storing in a document scanning memory, row and column indices representing the location of the marked box on the document.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes signature image data, the method further comprising:

locating a signature image within the scanning field; and

storing a digital representation of the signature image in a document scanning memory.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the data mask includes a predefined sensitivity threshold for each scanning field, the method further comprising:

adjusting a current sensitivity threshold for each scanning field on the document based on the corresponding predefined sensitivity threshold.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the document has first and second dimensions, the method further comprising:

scanning the document along the first dimension at a first variable scan density; and

scanning the document along the second dimension at a second variable scan density.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second variable scan densities vary independently of one another.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

extracting the data from the document in the form ofpixels, wherein each pixel has a value that represents an intensity of light reflected off of the document;

combining a plurality of pixels into a single black/white bit, wherein the value of the black/white bit is determined based on whether the value of each of a predefined subset of the plurality of pixels exceeds a predefined threshold; and

storing the black/white bits in a memory.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the document includes at least two data types from the group of data types consisting of mark-sense data, image data, and bar code data, and wherein the data types have varying densities.

21. A scanner for scanning a document having imprinted thereon a form identifier that identifies the document as being one of a plurality of form types, the scanner comprising:

a processor having a memory for storing a set of data masks, wherein each data mask corresponds to one of the form types, and wherein each data mask identifies the location of at least one scanning field on the corresponding form type, and associates a data type with the at least one scanning field, and wherein the data mask includes predetermined data pitch formats for each line of the corresponding form type; and

an image scanner, connected to the processor, that scans the document to extract the form identifier therefrom, retrieves from the memory the stored data mask corresponding to the extracted form identifier, determines from the retrieved data mask the location of the at least one scanning field on the document, scans the at least one scanning field to extract image data of the associated data type, and adjusts, based on the predefined sensitivity threshold, a current sensitivity threshold for each scanning field on the document.

22. The scanner of claim 21, further comprising:

a document scanning memory connected to the image scanner,

wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes mark sense data, and wherein the image scanner locates at least one marked box within the scanning field, and stores in the document scanning memory row and column indices representing the location of the marked box on the document.

23. The scanner of claim 21, further comprising:

a document scanning memory connected to the image scanner,

wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes signature image data, and wherein the image scanner locates the signature image within the scanning field, and stores a digital representation of the signature image in the document scanning memory.

24. The scanner of claim 21, wherein the document has first and second dimensions, and wherein the image scanner scans the document along the first dimension at a first variable scan density, and wherein the image scanner scans the document along the second dimension at a second variable scan density, and wherein the first variable scan density and the second variable scan density vary independently of one another.

25. The scanner of claim 21, wherein a plurality of pixels are combined into single black/white bits before being stored in said memory.

26. The scanner of claim 21, wherein the document includes at least two data types from the group of data types consisting of mark-sense fields, signature fields, and image fields, and wherein the at least two data types have varying densities.

27. The scanner of claim 21, wherein the image scanner retrieves a default data mask corresponding to a default form type if the extracted form identifier does not correspond to one of the stored data masks or if the document does not include a form identifier.

28. A scanner for scanning a document having imprinted thereon a form identifier that identifies the document as being one of a plurality of form types, the scanner comprising:

a processor having a memory for storing a set of data masks, wherein each data mask corresponds to one of the form types, and wherein each data mask identifies the location of at least one scanning field on the corresponding form type, and associates a data type with the at least one scanning field; and

an image scanner, connected to the processor, that scans the document to extract the form identifier therefrom, retrieves from the memory the stored data mask corresponding to the extracted form identifier, determines from the retrieved data mask the location of the at least one scanning field on the document, scans the at least one scanning field to extract image data of the associated data type, and retrieves a default mask corresponding to a default form type if the extracted form identifier does not correspond to one of the stored data masks or if the document does not include a form identifier.

29. The scanner of claim 28, further comprising:

a document scanning memory connected to the image scanner,

wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes mark sense data, and

wherein the image scanner locates at least one marked box within the scanning field, and stores in the document scanning memory row and column indices representing the location of the marked box on the document.

30. The scanner of claim 28, further comprising:

a document scanning memory connected to the image scanner,

wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes signature image data, and

wherein the image scanner locates the signature image within the scanning field, and stores a digital representation of the signature image in the document scanning memory.

31. The scanner of claim 28, wherein the document has first and second dimensions, and wherein the image scanner scans the document along the first dimension at a first variable scan density, and wherein the image scanner scans the document along the second dimension at a second variable scan density, and wherein the first variable scan density and the second variable scan density vary independently of one another.

32. The scanner of claim 28, wherein a plurality of pixels are combined into single black/white bits before being stored in said memory.

33. The scanner of claim 28, wherein the document includes at least two data types from the group of data types consisting of mark-sense fields, signature fields, and image fields, and wherein the at least two data types have varying densities.

34. A method for scanning a document, the method comprising:

defining a set of data masks, wherein each data mask corresponds to one of a plurality of predefined forms, identifies the location of at least one scanning field on the corresponding form, associates a data type with each identified scanning field, and includes a predefined sensitivity threshold for each scanning field;

scanning the document to extract a form identifier therefrom;

determining whether the form identifier corresponds to one of the predefined forms;

adjusting a current sensitivity threshold for each scanning field on the document based on the corresponding predefined sensitivity threshold; and

if the form identifier corresponds to one of the predefined forms, determining the location of each identified scanning field from the data mask corresponding to the predefined form, and scanning each identified scanning field to extract data of the associated data type.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the data type associated with the scanning field includes mark sense data, the method further comprising:

locating at least one marked box within the scanning field; and

storing in a document scanning memory, row and column indices representing the location of the marked box on the document.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the data type associated with the at least one scanning field includes signature image data, the method further comprising:

locating a signature image within the scanning field; and

storing a digital representation of the signature image in a document scanning memory.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the document has first and second dimensions, the method further comprising:

scanning the document along the first dimension at a first variable scan density; and

scanning the document along the second dimension at a second variable scan density.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first and second variable scan densities vary independently of one another.

39. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

extracting the data from the document in the form of pixels, wherein each pixel has a value that represents an intensity of light reflected off of the document;

combining a plurality of pixels into a single black/white bit, wherein the value of the black/white bit is determined based on whether the value of each of a predefined subset of the plurality of pixels exceeds a predefined threshold; and

storing the black/white bits in a memory.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the document includes at least two data types from the group of data types consisting of mark-sense data, image data, and bar code data, and wherein the data types have varying densities.