How good are handheld scanners ?

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Phil

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Jan 21, 2001
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

Just wondering if a cheap little handheld would accommodate something I
would like to do at work...

I have orders at work that have a handwritten five digit number in the
top right hand corner of an A4 page. I'd like be able to automatically
scan that number and possibly output it in a format that I can integrate
into my own program, so that they can be tracked from department to
department.

I've never used a handheld before tho, and know nothing about them. Are
they easy to use ? Basically I just want to be able to wave it over
the top of the page and it read the number.

Any suggestions / recommendations ?




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Phil W.
 
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

fOn Thu, 05 May 2005 19:43:09 GMT in alt.comp.periphs.scanner, Phil
<spam@recycle.com> wrote:

>Just wondering if a cheap little handheld would accommodate something I
>would like to do at work...
>
>I have orders at work that have a handwritten five digit number in the
>top right hand corner of an A4 page. I'd like be able to automatically
>scan that number and possibly output it in a format that I can integrate
>into my own program, so that they can be tracked from department to
>department.
>
>I've never used a handheld before tho, and know nothing about them. Are
>they easy to use ? Basically I just want to be able to wave it over
>the top of the page and it read the number.
>
>Any suggestions / recommendations ?

Hand printed five digit numbers might be recognizable by a specialized
OCR program; hand *written* unlikely. Interfacing the scanned input to
your program is likely to be difficult, unless you purchase an OCR
SDK, which will probably cost a lot. Why not just use the numeric
keypad to type the number into the program? That would take about the
same time as swiping the writing with an OCR wand.

--
Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Brian.Inglis@CSi.com (Brian[dot]Inglis{at}SystematicSW[dot]ab[dot]ca)
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Phil

Distinguished
Jan 21, 2001
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

> Hand printed five digit numbers might be recognizable by a
> specialized OCR program; hand *written* unlikely.

Arse :(

> Interfacing the scanned input to your program is likely to
> be difficult, unless you purchase an OCR SDK, which will
> probably cost a lot.

Double arse :(

(I was talking about my own program here btw, not a commercial package).

> Why not just use the numeric keypad to type the number into
> the program?

Because it's hundreds of numbers that would get repeatedly scanned
across several departments (to track progress).

> That would take about the same time as swiping the writing with
> an OCR wand.

Are they that slow ?


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Phil W.
 
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

On Fri, 06 May 2005 21:00:08 GMT in alt.comp.periphs.scanner, Phil
<spam@recycle.com> wrote:

>> Hand printed five digit numbers might be recognizable by a
>> specialized OCR program; hand *written* unlikely.
>
>Arse :(
>
>> Interfacing the scanned input to your program is likely to
>> be difficult, unless you purchase an OCR SDK, which will
>> probably cost a lot.
>
>Double arse :(
>
>(I was talking about my own program here btw, not a commercial package).
>
>> Why not just use the numeric keypad to type the number into
>> the program?
>
>Because it's hundreds of numbers that would get repeatedly scanned
>across several departments (to track progress).
>
>> That would take about the same time as swiping the writing with
>> an OCR wand.
>
>Are they that slow ?

They used to require a steady hand for scanning: perhaps better now?

Alternate suggestion: preprint a barcode number on the form, which can
be scanned quickly and correctly?

--
Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Brian.Inglis@CSi.com (Brian[dot]Inglis{at}SystematicSW[dot]ab[dot]ca)
fake address use address above to reply
 
P

Phil

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Jan 21, 2001
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

> >> That would take about the same time as swiping the writing with
> >> an OCR wand.
> >
> >Are they that slow ?
>
> They used to require a steady hand for scanning: perhaps better now?

That was sort of my question :)

> Alternate suggestion: preprint a barcode number on the form,
> which can be scanned quickly and correctly?

That idea had actually crossed my mind, but again I have no experience
on it and wouldn't know where to start...




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Phil W.
 
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

"Phil" <spam@recycle.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1ce70ec0516dfb7e98977a@news.ntlworld.com...
>> >> That would take about the same time as swiping the writing with
>> >> an OCR wand.
>> >
>> >Are they that slow ?
>>
>> They used to require a steady hand for scanning: perhaps better now?
>
> That was sort of my question :)
>
>> Alternate suggestion: preprint a barcode number on the form,
>> which can be scanned quickly and correctly?
>
> That idea had actually crossed my mind, but again I have no experience
> on it and wouldn't know where to start...
>
>
>
>
> --
> Phil W.

Start here. There are lots of barcode software available.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=barcode+printing&btnG=Google+Search

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CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
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chris_doran

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Jan 23, 2005
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

Phil wrote:
> Just wondering if a cheap little handheld would accommodate something
I
> would like to do at work...
>
> I have orders at work that have a handwritten five digit number in
the
> top right hand corner of an A4 page. I'd like be able to
automatically
> scan that number and possibly output it in a format that I can
integrate
> into my own program, so that they can be tracked from department to
> department.
>
> I've never used a handheld before tho, and know nothing about them.
Are
> they easy to use ? Basically I just want to be able to wave it over

> the top of the page and it read the number.
>
> Any suggestions / recommendations ?

I've just tried my Topscan single-line scanner pen which is pretty good
on printed text. It's hopeless on my scrawled digits, no matter how
carefully I print. You might make some printed sticky labels, but if
you're going to do that you may as well use barcode labels. With any
kind of OCR, you have to weigh the consequences of errors, and I would
guess barcodes are more reliable. But finding and sticking a label is
bound to be slower than writing.

If the result only has to be human-readable, an alternative possibility
is that your software could include as graphics the little picture the
TopScan saves. But from your posts it doesn't sound as if that would be
acceptable.

Chris
 
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Phil

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Jan 21, 2001
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

> I've just tried my Topscan single-line scanner pen which is pretty good
> on printed text. It's hopeless on my scrawled digits, no matter how
> carefully I print.

I guess that's that plan out of the window then :/

> you're going to do that you may as well use barcode labels.

Looks fairly expensive tho, and I have no idea whether I could easily
program the hardware into a department tracking program of my own design
(Visual C++). Unfortunately it would be out of my own pocket to setup
and test it...

Cheers for the info anyway.



--
Phil
 
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

"Phil" <spam@recycle.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1ceb1306e05dacad989784@news.ntlworld.com...
>> I've just tried my Topscan single-line scanner pen which is pretty good
>> on printed text. It's hopeless on my scrawled digits, no matter how
>> carefully I print.
>
> I guess that's that plan out of the window then :/
>
>> you're going to do that you may as well use barcode labels.
>
> Looks fairly expensive tho, and I have no idea whether I could easily
> program the hardware into a department tracking program of my own design
> (Visual C++). Unfortunately it would be out of my own pocket to setup
> and test it...
>
> Cheers for the info anyway.
>
>
>
> --
> Phil
Printing Bar Codes in C/C++
http://www.azalea.com/C/

There is Barcode label Printing Software. Not too expensive.
http://idautomation.com/idlabel/

Barcodes in .NET-centric Apps
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/03/03/NewStuff/default.aspx

Barcode Source Code for Visual Basic.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/01/04/stuff/default.aspx


Barcodes for the .NET Framework
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/03/05/NewStuff/default.aspx

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http://www.carlmcmillan.com
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P

Phil

Distinguished
Jan 21, 2001
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0
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

> >> you're going to do that you may as well use barcode labels.
> >
> > Looks fairly expensive tho
>
> There is Barcode label Printing Software. Not too expensive.
> http://idautomation.com/idlabel/

$129 is pretty expensive when it's coming out of my own pocket :)

> Barcodes for the .NET Framework
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/03/05/NewStuff/default.aspx

Cheers.



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Phil
 
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