A Tablet PC is a complete computer running Windows XP with the additional capabilities for collecting ink and
providing handwriting recognition. When the stylus (pen) is not being
used for drawing or writing, it is simply a replacement for the mouse.
As a result, collecting data in check boxes, radio buttons, and pull down buttons
is practically identical to your desktop computer.
Going beyond these simple data types, data collected on the Tablet PC needs
to be thought out. Survey System is the result of thinking through
the different data collection scenarios and solving each.
The efficiency of collecting data on a Tablet PC rests in
minimizing the number of steps required to write, recognize, and potentially
correct handwritten answers.
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Data Collection Scenarios
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Collecting numbers, dates, and written answers with a pen adds opportunities,
obstacles, and decisions. The obstacles are due to the need to convert handwriting
to your final data type. The decisions include:
- Should the conversion be automatic, manual, or automatic with a
correction interface?
- Should the conversion be at the time the data was collected or after
the "interview" (perhaps when a keyboard is available)?
- Can conversion accuracy be improved by limiting the set of valid
responses?
Since the answers to these questions vary greatly depending on your
needs, Survey System provides several different methods to handle the
obstacles of data collection.
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Post Processing
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When
the data collection time (interview phase) must be minimized, we offer a "note card" type
answer that allows collecting an unlimited amount of handwritten notes
that can be interpreted after the interview once a keyboard is attached.
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Drawing on Images
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While any image can be embedded in the Survey and drawn on, Survey
System can also grab an image from a web cam and then annotate it..
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Sketches
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Sketches
can also be collected in the field as part of any Survey.
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Immediate Recognition
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With immediate recognition, the architect of a survey decides what are
valid answers and what format they want the data to be entered in.
The system then instantly translates the handwritten notes to text as
they are being entered and provides an interface to choose alternative
recognitions in the event the chosen interpretation was not correct.
Prior to implementing any data collection effort on the Tablet PC, you
should understand the difference between our in place
instant recognition interface and the Pen Input
Panel that non Tablet PC based applications must use. The basic
difference is our interface will save many steps per field. However,
for long text answers that should not have a post processing phase, we
support and recommend the Pen Input Panel. |
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Configuration
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Survey System provides tight control over the recognition process including control over:
- Layout
- Format
- Recognized Letters
- Recognized Words
- Word Entry / Letter Entry
- Custom Formats
- Post processing recognition
This tight control increases recognition accuracy and data collection
speed. |
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Dates and Numbers
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Numbers and dates can also be recognized in a variety of formats and is
fully customizable by the architect.
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