USO0RE38637E1

(19) United States (12) Reissued Patent

(10) Patent Number: US RE38,637 E (45) Date of Reissued Patent: Oct. 26, 2004

Willard (54)

DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM

5,497,464 A 5,543,589 A

* *

3/1996 Yeh .......................... .. 710/303 8/1996 Buchana et a1.

(75) Inventor: Jim Paul Willard, Olney, MD (US)

272607221 A * 9/1996 vookket 411-1 , 87, 60 A * 12/1996 Croo s eta.

(73)

5,630,168 A *

Assigneez ipaper, LLC, Richmond, VA (Us)

(21)

APPI- NO-I 09/590,070

(22)

Flled'

.

_

Jun‘ 9’ 2000

......... .. 178/1803

5/1997 Rosebrugh et a1. .......... .. 710/5

5,666,495 A

*

9/1997

Yeh .......................... .. 710/303

5,744,789

*

4/1998

Kashi

A

.....

. . . ..

8/1998 Yabuki ............. .. 340/825.69

5,808,903

9/1998

A

*

Schiltz et a1.

.....

5,838,302 A * 11/1998 Kuriyama et a1.

(Under 37 CFR 147)

5,999,908 A

*

12/1999

6,462,733 B1 * 10/2002

Related US. Patent Documents

235/46245

5,796,351 A *

AbeloW

.: . . . . . . . . . .

. . . ..

702/56

345/173 . . . . ..

705/1

Murakami ................ .. 345/173

4 Cited by examiner

Reissue of:

(64) patent No;

5,764,221

Primary Examiner—Steven Saras

Issued;

Jun_ 9, 1998

Assistant Examiner—A1ecia D. Nelson

App1_ No;

08/619,457

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Jacobson Holman PLLC

7

.

(51) Int. Cl. .......................... .. G06G~ 5/00, G06F 17/60

An electronic data Collection device Con?gured in a Sub_

(52) (58)

US. Cl. ...................... .. 345/173, 345/169, 235/386 Field Of Search ............................... .. 345/ 173, 179,

stantiauy two_dimensional arrangement is disclosed The data Collection device uses inexpensive ?exible Sheet mate_

345/157> 85> 175> 169; 178/18; 235/375> 380> 384> 386

rials to provide a ?at framework in Which to situate an interconnected combination of electronic components. The

_

(56)

components provide an interactive function to supply input

References Clted

output, control, and poWer functions. Components can

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

include an information display, switches for responding to

4,377,870 A

*

3/1983 Anderson et 81.

4,851,654 A 4,912,640 A

* *

7/1989 3/1990

4,916,441 A 5,049,862 A 5,243,149 A

* * *

4/1990 Gombrich 9/1991 DaO et 81. 9/1993 Comerford et 81.

5,278,673 A

*

1/1994 Scapa et a1. .............. .. 358/473

Nitta ........................ .. 235/492 Tsugei ....................... .. 700/90

data accumulation device, such as a computer, having a

5,313,051 A *

5/1994 Brigida et 81.

5,351,186 A

9/1994 Bullock et a1. .............. .. 705/1

*

questions displayed on the information display, memory for storing responses to the questions, and a controller for controlling the operation of the data collection device. In addition, the device is provided With a data transfer interface that permits stored responses to be gathered by a response

corresponding interface. 42 Claims, 18 Drawing Sheets

404 \J/—\The Product performed as promised. 400

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408

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U.S. Patent

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2

DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM

are then collected and visually inspected by operators who manually enter the answers, or ?ll in the respondent’s intended answer(s) and re-scan re-marked form. However, as with completely manual data gathering and collection,

Matter enclosed in heavy brackets [ ] appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue speci? cation; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

this too requires expensive and time-consuming manual intervention to complete the data collection process. Another problem with machine readable media is the dif?culty involved in collecting handwritten text. Handwrit

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a system for collecting data, and in particular to a low cost electronic data collection device. Data collection processing has experienced numerous advances in the areas of equipment, software, and processes. However, the medium used to collect data has seen little or no improvement. The collection medium of choice remains paper. Accordingly, most if not all data collected in the form

10

15

of applications, tax returns, surveys, ballots, tests, and the like, begins with ?lling out paper forms. Subsequent pro cessing to collect the data off of the paper is manually intensive, error prone, time consuming, and costly. Consider the simplest data collection process wherein a collection instrument comprising one or more sheets of

paper, or a booklet, contains questions that a respondent is invited to answer. There may be an answer space next to

each question wherein the respondent is to write in their

25

to transcribe the data into a log or computer database. Such a system is very cumbersome due, in part, to the

tion algorithms and optical imaging systems, designed for commercial scale operation are generally very expensive.

such systems is great because they typically involve com plex combinations of paper sorting/routing machines and

labor intensive nature of manually transcribing data from

transcribing the data. In addition, manual transcription is

readable form by ?lling in a corresponding of oval for each letter (i.e., A through Z) from among a group of ovals that are respectively arranged below contiguous letter boxes in a handwritten entry portion of the answer form (e.g., see FIG. 1). Another technique involves using a scanner in combina tion with a character recognition algorithm to interpret handwriting appearing in the contiguous boxes, or in an answer space. Both of these solutions, however, remain susceptible to machine reading errors. Consequently, visual review and manual entry are still required to complete data collection. Systems, such as the aforementioned character recogni Such systems can be utilized in data collection scenarios to process forms where a question may solicit a lengthy, handwritten, answer requiring a subjective response, or wherein a “Comments” section is provided. The costs of

response. After completion, the forms are collected and are

manually inspected to collect response data. If the data is to be compiled, a data entry clerk or operator may be enlisted

responses into a collective log or database. Indeed, a large cost component associated with conventional data collection processes of this sort, is the expense of labor dedicated to

ten text can be collected and inspected in a machine readable media system in several ways. One way is to solicit a respondent to translate the handwritten text into a machine

automatic scanners that operate in concert with sophisticated 35

software programs running on customized computer plat forms. Acompany or institution considering the purchase of a data collection system with any level of sophistication

susceptible to errors because of transcriber fatigue, misinterpretation, and human error. Turn around time also is

must contend with the fact that procurement of such a

slow because of the delays involved by manual transcrip

equipment is only used on an occasional basis, e.g., to perform an annual survey or to scan voting ballots, it

tion. The solution proposed, and now widely adopted, is to reduce the collection medium (e.g., the answer portion of the

system involves a signi?cant up-front investment. If the 40

represents non-performing idle capital equipment. Even with these systems, however, there remains the aforemen tioned accuracy problems that require manual intervention

survey) to a machine readable form.

Amachine readable collection medium involves reducing

to overcome. Another problem with machine readable form answers on a form to a selection of, for example, small ovals, systems is that the automated mechanisms designed to fold wherein each oval corresponds to an answer choice. The 45

and stuff envelopes, open and unfold returned responses, and

collection medium can consist of one or more sheets

another. Alternatively, the collection medium can be in the

route and scan responses are prone to jamming. One solution that moves away from paper forms is to

form of a separate answer sheet. In either case an answer

enlist an electronic notepad that has a manually interactive

choice is indicated by ?lling in, or even punching out (if

display designed in accordance with data collection needs

wherein questions and answers are arranged next to one

answer form is a punch card), a de?ned space corresponding

(e.g., inpatient medical chart notebook computer). Such

to an answer choice. The answer form(s) is collected and fed

systems, however, are merely special purpose notebook

into a scanning device that interprets answer indications.

computers that remain relatively expensive. Furthermore,

Asimple answer scanning system may involve a specially designed optical scanner that interprets machine readable forms by sensing which answer selection has been ?lled-in.

operation of such a data collection device usually requires training. In addition, such a device cannot be readily handed

55

The scanner may operate in combination with a computer having a software program that operates the scanner to and

gathers information sensed by the scanner. The information gathered by the system is then formatted and reported as desired.

the foregoing disadvantages. SUMMARY

A problem remains, however, in that optical scanner systems have been known to mis-read poorly entered answers (e.g., the answer space not suf?ciently blackened

in). This impacts not only the accuracy of the collected data, but also the costs of completing data collection. The system must be required to identify mis-marked forms. These forms

out in the manner that a test form, application form, survey, or the like, can be. Additionally, such a device cannot be easily mailed or folded. What is needed is a data collection system that overcomes

65

The present invention overcomes the foregoing disadvan tages by providing an electronic data collection device that completely replaces conventional paper forms in the data collection process. An electronic data collection device in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention is