System and method for tracking the fulfillment status of requirements for completing an objective

• US 9,311,581 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel W Shinn
• Original Assignee: Daniel W Shinn
• Inventors: Shinn, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hillery, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US11/975,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,098 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00331 with an apparatus performing optical character recognition character recognition G06V30/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00366 Marks in boxes or the like, e.g. crosses or blacking out H04N1/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00371 on a separate sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00379 Means for enabling correct scanning of a mark sheet or area, e.g. registration or timing marks

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for entering into a computer in an automated manner the fulfillment status of requirements for completing an objective, such as an award offered by an organization. A computer-readable form includes a form identifier and a separate set of response fields for each person whose requirement fulfillment status is contained on the form, with the response fields adapted to receive a scanably detectable mark indicating completion of a requirement. The form can further include an indicator of each requirement for the objective and a name or identifier for each person seeking to complete the objective. A completion schema may be employed to determine whether a person had completed the objective. The invention enables the completion status of an award or other objective to be entered into a computer without typing and thereby saves personnel time, improves recordkeeping, and better facilitates reporting.

Claims

1. Within a youth scouting organization, a computerized method for processing a multi-person paper award form containing thereon a form identifier to obtain an individual award completion status for each of at least two persons whose requirement fulfillment status toward individual completion of the award is contained on the form in a respective separate and identical set of response fields printed on the form, comprising:

scanning the multi-person paper award form using an electronic scanner to produce a scan result, wherein each said separate and identical set of response fields printed on the form contains a corresponding response field for recording the fulfillment status of each of the requirements toward individual completion of the award by each said at least two persons, respectively;

obtaining the form identifier contained on the form from the scan result;

obtaining from the scan result a mark state for each response field printed on the form in said each of at least two persons'"'"' respective said separate and identical set of response fields;

validating the fulfillment status of requirements for said each of at least two persons based on the mark state for each response field in said each of at least two persons'"'"' respective said separate and identical set of response fields;

obtaining from a database an individual form row number for said each of at least two persons, wherein the form row number identifies the respective row number of the separate and identical set of response fields for said each of at least two persons contained on the multi-person paper award form having the form identifier obtained from the scan result;

storing the form identifier and the mark state of each response field in said each of at least two persons'"'"' said separate and identical set of response fields with the respective individual form row number so that the stored mark states indicate the fulfillment status of requirements for individual completion of the award by said each of at least two persons; and

comparing the stored mark states for said each of at least two persons contained on the multi-person paper award form with a completion schema to obtain the resulting individual award completion status for said each of at least two persons.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said completion schema comprises:

identifying at least one response field common to each said separate and identical set of response fields, the mark state of which response field signifies the completion status of the award; and

accessing the stored mark state of each response field correspondingly identified in the completion schema to thereby determine the completion status of the award for the respective person.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the completion schema is defined as a predesignated response field that, when marked, signifies completion of the award and, when not marked, signifies lack of completion of the award.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the completion schema is defined as a first predesignated response field that, when marked, signifies completion of the award and a second predesignated response field that, when marked, signifies lack of completion of the award.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the completion schema is defined as a combination of response fields, each containing the fulfillment status of a requirement for completing the award, that, when each response field in the combination is in the marked state, signifies completion of the award.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for processing a multi-person paper award form containing thereon a form identifier to obtain an individual award completion status for each of at least two persons whose requirement fulfillment status toward individual completion of the award is contained on the form in a respective separate and identical set of response fields printed on the form, said method comprising:

scanning the multi-person paper award form using an electronic scanner to produce a scan result, wherein each said separate and identical set of response fields printed on the form contains a corresponding response field for recording the fulfillment status of each of the requirements toward individual completion of the award by each said at least two persons, respectively;

obtaining said form identifier contained on the form from the scan result;

obtaining from the scan result a mark state for each response field printed on the form in said each of at least two persons'"'"' respective said separate and identical set of response fields;

validating the fulfillment status of requirements for said each of at least two persons based on said the mark state for each response field in said each of at least two persons'"'"' respective said separate and identical set of response fields;

obtaining from a database an individual form row number for said each of at least two persons, wherein the form row number identifies the respective row number of the separate and identical set of response fields for said each of at least two persons contained on the multi-person paper award form having the form identifier obtained from the scan result;

storing the form identifier and the mark state of each response field in said each of at least two persons'"'"' said separate and identical set of response fields with the respective individual form row number so that the stored mark states indicate the fulfillment status of requirements for completing the award by said each of at least two persons; and

comparing the stored mark states for said each of at least two persons contained on the multi-person paper award form with a completion schema to obtain the resulting individual award completion status for said each of at least two persons.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said completion schema comprises:

identifying at least one response field common to each said separate and identical set of response fields, the mark state of which said response field signifies the completion status of said award; and

accessing said stored mark state of each said response field correspondingly identified in said completion schema to thereby determine the completion status of the award for the respective person.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the completion schema is defined as a predesignated response field that, when marked, signifies completion of the award and, when not marked, signifies lack of completion of the award.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said the completion schema is defined as a first predesignated response field that, when marked, signifies completion of the award and a second predesignated response field that, when marked, signifies lack of completion of the award.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the completion schema is defined as a combination of response fields, each containing the fulfillment status of a requirement for completing the award, that, when each said response field in the combination is in the marked state, signifies completion of the award.