Patent Document ID: 20010033688
Application ID: 09776439
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of aligning a user-marked document for optical mark recognition, wherein is provided a reference document and at least one target document, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting one of said at least one target documents; (b) obtaining a digital representation of said selected target document, thereby obtaining a digital target document; (c) obtaining a digital representation of said reference document at a predetermined digital resolution, thereby obtaining a digital reference document; (d) selecting a reference region within said digital reference document, said reference region (d1) corresponding to a predetermined portion of said reference document, (d2) having a predetermined location within said digital reference document, and, (d3) containing a plurality of reference pixels therein; (e) selecting a target region of said digital target document, said target region (e1) having a location at least approximately corresponding to said predetermined location within said digital reference document, and, (e2) having a plurality of target pixels contained therein; (f) determining from said reference pixels and said target pixels an offset between said reference region and said target region; (g) performing steps (c) through (f) at least once; (h) calculating an image adjustment rule from any offsets so calculated; (i) applying said image adjustment rule, thereby at least approximately aligning said digital reference document and said selected digital target document; (j) performing steps (c) through (i) at least twice using at least two different digital resolutions; and, (k) determining from said digital target document, said digital reference document, and from any adjustment rules so calculated whether said user-marked document contains a user mark within a predetermined region of said user-marked document.