Abstract:
A method that allows one to mark information with a pencil or ball point pen on a material and have the marked information represent answers to questions or responses to queries that may be read while the material is contained in an envelope. The material may be any cellulose type product, i.e., paper, cardboard, chipboard, wood or plastic, fabric, animal hide, etc. The marked entered information may be corrected by erasing the written information with an eraser and writing new information on the paper with a pencil or ball point pen.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Reference is made to commonly assigned co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/430,922 filed May 7, 2003, entitled “METHOD FOR FIELD PROGRAMMABLE RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION DEVICES TO PERFORM SWITCHING FUNCTIONS” in the names of Thomas J. Foth, Brian M. Romansky, Andrei Obrea, Jeffrey D. Pierce, and Anand V. Chhatpar; and Ser. No. 10/430,925 filed May 7, 2003, entitled “METHOD FOR FIELD PROGRAMMABLE RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TESTING DEVICES FOR TRANSMITTING USER SELECTED DATA” in the names of Thomas J. Foth, Brian M. Romansky, Jeffrey D. Pierce, Andrei Obrea, and Anand V. Chhatpar  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention pertains to electronic circuits and, more particularly, to connecting electronic circuits with a pencil or ball point pen to answer questions or queries.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     From the invention of paper thousands of years ago to the present date, paper has been used as the preferred medium by individuals and societies for the recording, processing and storing of information. With the introduction of computers into society, many of the functions previously performed exclusively with paper are now being accomplished by writing information on paper and entering the written information into a computer. Typically, the information written on paper is entered into computers by optically scanning the paper. Often the paper is contained in an envelope that has to be opened before the paper is scanned. Thus, the foregoing method of entering information into computers is inconvenient and time consuming.  
         [0004]     Another method utilized by the prior art for entering information contained in an envelope into a computer without opening the envelope involved the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The RFID tags were programmed to contain digital information either during the manufacturing of the read-only memory portion of the RFID integrated circuit, or in the field using electromagnetic radio frequency signals to store information in the nonvolatile memory portion of the RFID tag. One of the difficulties involved in the utilization of RFID tags is that the RFID tags are relatively expensive.  
         [0005]     A method utilized by the prior art for the scoring of multiple-choice and/or true or false tests, i.e., Scholastic Aptitude Tests, involves depositing graphite information by a pencil on specific portions of the card that is electrically read, based upon the conductivity of the deposited graphite. The prior art also uses card readers to electrically and optically read punched cards to enter information into systems. The prior art also optically read markings on a page. A disadvantage of the foregoing is that the tests could not be read if they were contained in envelopes.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method that allows one to mark information with a pencil or ball point pen on a material and have the marked information represent answers to questions or responses to queries that may be read while the material is contained in an envelope. The material may be any cellulose type product, i.e., paper, cardboard, chipboard, wood or plastic, fabric, animal hide, etc. The marked entered information may be corrected by erasing the written information with an eraser and writing new information on the paper with a pencil or ball point pen.  
         [0007]     This invention accomplishes the foregoing by placing electrical contacts at or near one of the edges of a material; placing a conductor on the material; applying by the user drawn lines with a pencil or ball point pen on the material in a manner that the drawn lines will connect one or more contacts to the conductor so that the contacts will indicate answers to questions or queries that have been proposed to the user; and covering the material so that the drawn lines will not be exposed and at least a portion of the contacts will be exposed. The material may be covered by an envelope in a manner that the envelope exposes at least a portion of the contacts through an opening that is in the envelope so that the answers to the questions or queries may be read by a device.  
         [0008]     In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the material is folded in a manner that at least a portion of the contacts will be exposed, and the conductor and drawn lines will be covered by the material. The edges of the material may be sealed to conceal the answers to questions or queries. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a drawing showing how a circuit may be drawn on a material to allow a user to answer questions;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a drawing of the material described in  FIG. 1  in an envelope;  
         [0011]      FIGS. 3A-3C  is an alternate embodiment of this invention showing a material having a circuit that allows a user to answer questions being folded to form a mail piece;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a drawing showing the circuit of  FIG. 1  being covered with insulating material  70 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a drawing showing an alternate embodiment of  FIG. 1  in which a user may answer various types of questions;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a drawing showing how the circuit of  FIG. 5  stores information in the circuit and how the circuit forms a bar code;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a drawing of a front view of a graphic contact reading device; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a drawing of a device that is used to determine if the bar code entered by a user in  FIG. 6  represents the same answers to the questions or queries indicated by the electrical indications on the graphite contacts. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , the reference character  11  represents a material, i.e., cellulose type product, paper, cardboard, plastic, etc. A standard computer printer like the model Desk Jet 880C printer manufactured by Hewlett Packard using a Hewlett Packard 45 black ink cartridge prints graphite contacts  21 - 37 , lines,  40 - 55 ,  70 - 85 , and conductor  38  on material  11 .  
         [0018]     If the user decides to answer question number A in the affirmative, the user would use a graphite pencil, i.e., number 2, HB, etc., or a Paper Mate® black ballpoint pen to connect line  70  to line  40  with line  7 . If the user decides to answer question number B in the negative, the user would use a graphite pencil, i.e., number 2, HB, etc., or a Paper Mate® black ballpoint pen to connect line  73  to line  43  with line  6 . Graphite contacts  21 - 37 , lines  40 - 55 , and  70 - 85 , conductor  38  and any lines drawn to contacts  22 - 37  from lines  70 - 85  will form circuit  60 . The description of  FIG. 7  will describe how contacts  21 - 37  may be electrically read at high speeds.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a drawing of the material described in  FIG. 1  in an envelope. Material  11  is placed in an envelope  10  having a flap  9  in a manner that a portion of contacts  21 - 37  will be accessible through slot  8 . The description of  FIG. 7  will describe how contacts  21 - 37  may be electrically read through slot  8  at high speeds.  
         [0020]      FIGS. 3A-3C  is an alternate embodiment of this invention showing a material having a circuit that allows a user to answer questions by completing circuit  60  as described in  FIG. 1  being folded to form a mail piece. Material  111  is a cellulose type product, stiff paper, cardboard, etc. that contains circuit  60 . A standard computer printer like the model Desk Jet 880C printer manufactured by Hewlett Packard using a Hewlett Packard 45 black ink cartridge prints the components of circuit  60  which is described in the description of  FIG. 1 . Material  111  has an adhesive  155 , i.e., glue strips, along three of its edges and a fold line  156 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 3B  illustrates material  111  being folded along line  156 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 3C  illustrates material  111  folded along line  156  to form a mail piece  157  with a portion of contacts  21 - 37  being covered with material  111 . The back of mail piece  157  is shown. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the sender&#39;s and recipient&#39;s name and address as well as the proper postage will be placed on the front (not shown) of mail piece  157 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a drawing showing the circuit of  FIG. 1  being covered with insulating material  90  with a portion of contacts  21 - 37  being exposed. Insulating material  90  may be a non conductive paint, plastic material, non-conductive tape, non-conductive label. The description of  FIG. 7  will describe how contacts  21 - 37  may be electrically read at high speeds.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a drawing showing an alternate embodiment of  FIG. 1 , in which a user may answer various types of questions. Graphite contacts:  467 - 484  and  504 , lines  485 - 503  are printed on material  465 , i.e., cellulose type product, paper, cardboard, plastic, etc., by a standard computer printer like the model Desk Jet 880C printer manufactured by Hewlett Packard using a Hewlett Packard 45 black ink cartridge.  
         [0025]     Rectangle “A” appears on line  485 , which is connected to contact  467 , and rectangle “B” appears on line  486  which is connected to contact  468 . Rectangle “C” appears on line  487 , which is connected to contact  469 , and rectangle “D” appears on line  488 , which is connected to contact  470 . Rectangle “E” appears on line  489 , which is connected to contact  471 , and rectangle F is connected to line  490  which is connected to contact  472 . Rectangle “G” appears on line  491 , which is connected to contact  473 , and rectangle “H” appears on line  492 , which is connected to contact  474 . Rectangle “I” appears on line  493 , which is connected to contact  475 , and rectangle “J” appears on line  494 , which is connected to contact  476 . Rectangle “K” appears on line  495 , which is connected to contact  477 , and rectangle “L” is connected to line  496  which is connected to contact  478 . Rectangle “M” appears on line  497 , which is connected to contact  479 , and rectangle “N” appears on line  498 , which is connected to contact  480 . Rectangle “O” appears on line  499 , which is connected to contact  481 , and rectangle “P” appears on line  500 , which is connected to contact  482 . Rectangle “Q” appears on line  501 , which is connected to contact  483  and rectangle R is connected to line  502  which is connected to contact  484 . Line  503  is connected to contact  504 . Rectangles A through R are printed by a standard computer printer like the DeskJet 880C printer manufactured by Hewlett Packard using a Hewlett Packard 78 tri-color cartridge and any combination of the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks.  
         [0026]     If the user is a male, the user uses a graphite pencil, i.e., number 2, HB, etc., or a Paper Mate® black ball point pen to fill in rectangle “A”. If the user has blue eyes and weighs 160 pounds, the user uses a graphite pencil, i.e., number 2, HB, etc., or a Paper Mate® black ball point pen to fill in rectangles “C” and “H”. If the user is forty-two years old and earns over $100,000 a year, the user uses a graphite pencil, i.e., number 2, HB, etc., or a Paper Mate® black ball point pen to fill in rectangles “L” and “O”. If the user is reporting a two-door sedan vehicle, the user uses a graphite pencil, i.e., number 2, HB, etc., or a Paper Mate® black ball point pen to fill in rectangle ‘P’.  
         [0027]     If the user changes his/her mind regarding the answer to one of the questions or makes a mistake in filling in one of the rectangles, the user could erase the penciled marking in the rectangle with a pencil.  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  is a drawing showing how the circuit of  FIG. 5  stores information in the circuit and how the circuit forms a bar code. If someone decides to use a graphite pencil, i.e., number 2, HB, etc., or a Paper Mate® black ballpoint pen to fill in rectangles A, C, H, L, O and P, a barcode will be formed. Rectangle A would represent a binary one of a bar code, and a closed circuit will exist between contact  467 , line  485 , line  503 , and contact  504 . Rectangle C would represent a binary one of a bar code, and a closed circuit will exist between contact  469 , line  487 , line  503 , and contact  504 . Rectangle H would represent a binary one of a bar code, and a closed circuit will exist between contact  474 , line  492 , line  503 , and contact  504 . Rectangle L would represent a binary one of a bar code, and a closed circuit will exist between contact  478 , line  496 , line  503 , and contact  504 . Rectangle O would represent a binary one of a bar code, and a closed circuit will exist between contact  481 , line  499 , line  503 , and contact  504 . Rectangle P would represent a binary one of a bar code, and a closed circuit will exist between contact  482 , line  500 , line  503 , and contact  504 .  
         [0029]     It would be obvious to one skilled in the art if rectangles B, D, E, F, G, I, J, K, M, N, Q and R and were filled in with a graphite pencil, rectangles B, D, E, F, G, I, J, K, M, N, Q and R would represent binary ones; and, if rectangles A, C, H, L, O and P were not filled in with a graphite pencil, rectangles A, C, H, L, O and P would represent binary zeros. The lines and contacts connecting rectangles B, D, E, F, G, I, J, K, M, N, Q and R would be closed circuits, and the contacts connecting rectangles A, C, H, L, O and P would be open circuits. Thus, a standard bar code imager, such as Symbol Technologies model P3001MG, can scan the filled and empty rectangles and interpret them as a bar code. Therefore, the answers to queries posed to the person who completes the form can be read optically.  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is a drawing of a front view of a graphite contact reading device  200 . Copper spring contacts or fine comb wires  212 - 228  are spaced in housing  251  of device  200  in a manner that, when material  11  ( FIGS. 1 and 4 ), and/or envelope  10  ( FIG. 2 ) and/or material  111  ( FIG. 3C ) are inserted into device  200 , contacts  21 - 37  ( FIGS. 1, 2  and  4 ), respectively, will be engaged with copper spring contacts  212 - 228  and/or contacts  37 - 21  ( FIG. 3C ) respectively, will be engaged with copper spring contacts  212 - 228 . Copper spring contact  212  is connected to ground and to processor  250  by wire  230 , and copper spring contacts  212 - 228  are respectively connected to the binary inputs of processor  250  via wires  230 - 239 ,  340 - 346 . It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that processor  250  may be a micro-processor, micro-controller or a general purpose computer. It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that a device similar to device  200  that has additional contacts will be used for reading information entered on material  465  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Thus, the answers to the queries posed to the person who completes the form can be read electrically by processor  250 .  
         [0031]     The binary inputs of processor  250  are pulled “logic high” to positive +5 volts by internal pull up resistors (not shown) which are contained in processor  250 . When a person completes part of circuit  60  by using a graphite pencil number 2, HB, etc. or Paper Mate black ball point pen, the corresponding processor  250  binary input is at logic low (0 volts). When the person does not complete part of circuit  60  with a graphite pencil number 2, HB, etc. or Paper Mate black ball point pen, the processor&#39;s  250  corresponding binary input is at logic high (+5 volts).  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  is a drawing of a device  350  that is used to determine if the bar code entered by a user in  FIG. 6  represents the same answers to the questions or queries indicated by the electrical indications on the graphite contacts of  FIG. 6 . Graphite contact reading device  200  ( FIG. 8 ) will read the electrical signals on contacts  467 - 484  and  504  ( FIG. 6 ) and transmit the readings to comparator  301 . Optical imager  300 , which may be Symbol Technologies P3001MG, will scan and read the bar code formed on material  465  of  FIG. 6  and transmit the readings to comparator  301 . Comparator  301  will compare the information obtained from device  200  with scanner  300  and indicate or verify the different readings if any.  
         [0033]     The above specification describes a new and improved circuit that utilizes printed lines to perform the function of wires so that connections may be switched in the circuit by having an individual connect different printed wires by drawing a penciled or inked lines between the printed lines. It is realized that the above description may indicate to those skilled in the art additional ways in which the principles of this invention may be used without departing from the spirit. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.