The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 25, 2006
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2003
Eugene M. Cummings, Lake Forest, IL (US);
Eugene M. Cummings, Lake Forest, IL (US);
AutoMARK Technical Systems, LLC, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A terminal for marking a paper ballot which lists a plurality of candidates and which includes a marking space for each candidate which can be either hand-marked by a voter, or machine-marked by the terminal. The terminal scans the ballot to determine the ballot format, and then presents candidate selection options to the voter visually utilizing an LCD touch screen and aurally utilizing a synthesized speech menu. Candidate selections entered utilizing the touch screen menu or utilizing the audio menu are marked on the front and back sides of the ballot in marking spaces corresponding to the selected candidates, and the ballot is returned to the voter in a form which enables the voter to visually confirm that his or her selections have been marked. The ballot, whether hand-marked or machine-marked, is inserted in a ballot scanning device, wherein the ballot is tallied and deposited in a ballot box.