Response form processing system

Claim 1

A system or processing response forms, comprising: a group code disposed on each response form; a response scanner operable to discern the information contained in each of said group codes and to read responses placed on the response forms at particular active locations on the response forms; said group cods comprising form format information as to which locations on each response form are active locations, said response scanner responsive to aid form format information received from said group codes to scan said active locations such that the system is operable to sequentially process response forms comprising responses located in different locations on said response forms; and said group codes further comprising information as to which particular questions selected from a large group of questions are present on each response form in order that forms comprising different questions from said large group of questions are operable to solicit answers to said large group of questions.

Claim 2

A system or processing response forms, comprising: a group code disposed on each response form; a response scanner operable to discern the information contained in each of said group codes and to read responses placed on the response forms at particular active locations on the response forms; said group cods comprising form format information as to which locations on each response form are active locations, said response scanner responsive to aid form format information received from said group codes to scan said active locations such that the system is operable to sequentially process response forms comprising responses located in different locations on said response forms; and said group codes further comprising information as to which particular questions selected from a large group of questions are present on each response form in order that forms comprising different questions from said large group of questions are operable to solicit answers to said large group of questions.

Claim 14

A system for reading responses recorded on response forms, comprising: a group code present on each response form, said group code indicating the presence of a particular group of questions on a particular response form in order that forms comprising different questions selected from a large group of questions are operable to solicit answers to said large group of questions; an optical scanner for reading said group codes and responses from eh response forms at active locations on the response forms, said group codes comprising from format information as to which locations on each response form are active locations, said optical scanner responsive to said form format information received from said group codes to scan said active locations such that the system is operable to sequentially process response forms comprising responses located in different locations on said response forms; a processor coupled to said response scanner and operable to tabulate the responses responsive to the values of said group codes and the responses, said processor further operable to output selected ones of said tabulated responses in a report; a printer for printing the response forms, the response forms each comprising a selected group code, a particular group of questions associated said selected group code and a particular group of response prompts associated with each question; selection circuitry coupled to said processor operable to receive input from a user to enable the user to select particular ones of said tabulated responses for a particular report, said printer further operable to print said reports; and storage system coupled to said processor for storing said tabulated responses.

Claim 15

A system for reading responses recorded on response forms, comprising: a group code present on each response form, said group code indicating the presence of a particular group of questions on a particular response form in order that forms comprising different questions selected from a large group of questions are operable to solicit answers to said large group of questions; an optical scanner for reading said group codes and responses from eh response forms at active locations on the response forms, said group codes comprising from format information as to which locations on each response form are active locations, said optical scanner responsive to said form format information received from said group codes to scan said active locations such that the system is operable to sequentially process response forms comprising responses located in different locations on said response forms; a processor coupled to said response scanner and operable to tabulate the responses responsive to the values of said group codes and the responses, said processor further operable to output selected ones of said tabulated responses in a report; a printer for printing the response forms, the response forms each comprising a selected group code, a particular group of questions associated said selected group code and a particular group of response prompts associated with each question; selection circuitry coupled to said processor operable to receive input from a user to enable the user to select particular ones of said tabulated responses for a particular report, said printer further operable to print said reports; and storage system coupled to said processor for storing said tabulated responses.

Claim 18

A method for processing response forms, comprising the steps of: reading a group code disposed on each repose from to discern the information contained in each of the group codes; reading responses placed on the response forms at particular active locations on the response forms using a response scanner, the group code comprising form format information as to which locations on each response form are active locations, the response scanner responsive to the form format information received from the group codes to scan the active locations such that the system is operable to sequentially process response forms comprising responses located in different locations on the response forms, the group codes further comprising information as to which selected questions of a large group of selectable questions are present on a particular response from in order that forms comprising different questions from the large group of questions are operable to solicit answers to the large group of questions; and tabulating the responses using a processor coupled to the response scanner.

Claim 19

A method for processing response forms, comprising the steps of: reading a group code disposed on each repose from to discern the information contained in each of the group codes; reading responses placed on the response forms at particular active locations on the response forms using a response scanner, the group code comprising form format information as to which locations on each response form are active locations, the response scanner responsive to the form format information received from the group codes to scan the active locations such that the system is operable to sequentially process response forms comprising responses located in different locations on the response forms, the group codes further comprising information as to which selected questions of a large group of selectable questions are present on a particular response from in order that forms comprising different questions from the large group of questions are operable to solicit answers to the large group of questions; and tabulating the responses using a processor coupled to the response scanner.