Lawrence E Mitchell

US Patent:

53612000, Nov 1, 1994

Filed:

Sep 2, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/939450

Inventors:

Kenneth N. Weybright - Cincinnati OH
Thomas M. Forde - Cincinnati OH
Lawrence H. Mitchell - Athens OH

Assignee:

Parker Marketing Research, Inc. - Milford OH

International Classification:

G06F 300
G06F 1500
G06K 710

US Classification:

364401

Abstract:

A data collection system is disclosed for use with a panel of human respondents who answer a series of questions, and their answers are analyzed and displayed on video monitors in real time. The respondents use "smart" keypads to enter their answers using a numerical value from zero (0) through ten (10), inclusive. The numerical values from up to twenty (20) of the keypads are communicated to an intelligent junction box, at which time the numerical values are temporarily stored in memory, retaining the identity of the keypad from which each answer was derived. Up to ten (10) intelligent junction boxes can be connected to a central computer, which is a standard DOS-based personal computer, thereby allowing up to two hundred (200) keypads to be in use in a single data collection system. The numerical values from the junction boxes are communicated to the central computer and analyzed, using statistical techniques. The results of each question are displayed on a video monitor before the next question is asked of the panel.