Dynamic response form symbology processing

A method of using at least one response bubble on a response form to indicate one or more responses, the response form having (i) an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) key definition area that includes one or more response bubbles corresponding to one or more intended responses, and (ii) an OMR response area distinct from the OMR key definition area that includes one or more response bubbles for indicating intended responses, the method comprising:

• (a) defining an unambiguous symbology of one or more marks in the OMR key definition area of the response form;
• (b) filling in the OMR response area of the response form using the defined unambiguous symbology;
• (c) electronically imaging the filled in response form including the OMR key definition area of the response form;
• (d) automatically interpreting the unambiguous symbology from the OMR key definition area of the response form that is electronically imaged in step (c);
• and
• (e) automatically determining the indicated intended responses of the one or more response bubbles of the filled in response form using:
• (i) the interpreted unambiguous symbology, and
• (ii) the electronically imaged filled in response form.

A method of using at least one response bubble on a response form to indicate one or more responses, the response form having an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) response area that includes one or more response bubbles for indicating intended responses, the method comprising:

• (a) completing the response form by filling in the OMR response area;
• (b) electronically imaging the completed response form;
• (c) automatically inferring an unambiguous symbology of a plurality of different non-empty intended responses from the filled-in OMR response area;
• and
• (d) automatically determining the indicated intended responses of the one or more response bubbles of the completed response form using:
• (i) the inferred unambiguous symbology, and
• (ii) the electronically imaged completed response form.

An automated method of processing responses on one or more response forms using (i) a batch header, and (ii) the one or more response forms, wherein the batch header has an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) key definition area that includes one or more response bubbles corresponding to one or more intended responses, and wherein each of the response forms includes one or more response bubbles distinct from the OMR key definition area for indicating intended responses, the method comprising:

• (a) defining an unambiguous symbology of one or more marks by completing the OMR key definition area of the batch header;
• (b) completing the one or more response forms by filling in the one or more response bubbles of the one or more response forms using the defined unambiguous symbology;
• (c) electronically imaging the batch header and the one or more completed response forms;
• (d) automatically interpreting the unambiguous symbology from the OMR key definition area that is completed on the electronically imaged batch header;
• and
• (e) automatically determining the indicated intended responses of the one or more response bubbles on the one or more completed response forms using:
• (i) the interpreted unambiguous symbology, and
• (ii) the electronically imaged one or more completed response forms.