Hardware: Input Devices

Saint Louis
University
 INPUT DEVICES
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Define input and differentiate among a program, command, and user

response
2 . Identify the keys and buttons commonly found on desktop computer
keyboards, and describe how keyboards for mobile computers and devices
differ from desktop computer keyboards
3. Describe different mouse types and explain how to use a mouse
4. Describe various types of touch screens and explain how a touch-sensitive
pad works.
5. Describe various types of pen input, and identify other types of input for
smart phones
6. Summarize the purpose of various game controllers: gamepads, joysticks
and wheels, light guns, dance pads, and motion-sensing game controllers
INPUT DEVICES
7. Explain how resolution affects the quality of a picture captured on a digital
camera
8. Describe the uses of voice recognition, Web cams, and video conferencing
9. Discuss how various scanners and reading devices work: optical scanners,
optical readers, bar code readers, RFID readers, magnetic stripe card
readers, MICR readers, and data collection devices
10. Summarize the various biometric devices: fingerprint reader, face
recognition system, hand geometry system, voice verification system,
signature verification system, and iris recognition system
11. Discuss how POS terminals, automated teller machines, and DVD kiosks
work
12. Identify alternative input devices for physically challenged users
Terminology
Input is any data and instructions entered into
the memory of a computer.
data is a collection of unprocessed items,
including text, numbers, images, audio, and
video. Once data is in memory, the computer
interprets and executes instructions to process
the data into information.
Instructions entered into the computer can
be in the form of programs, commands,
and user responses.
Terminology
A program is a series of related instructions that tells
a computer what tasks to perform and how to perform
them. When a programmer writes a program:
enter the program into the computer by using a
keyboard, mouse, or other input device.
store the program in a file that a user can execute
(run).
when a user runs a program, the computer loads the
program from a storage medium into memory.
Programs respond to commands that a user issues.
Terminology
A command is an instruction that causes a
program to perform a specification.
Users issue commands by pressing keys on
the keyboard, clicking a mouse button,
speaking into a microphone, or touching an
area on a screen.
Terminology
A user response is an instruction a user issues
by replying to a question displayed by a
program.
A response to the question instructs the
program to perform certain actions.
Example: Assume the program asks the
question, Is the time card correct? If you
answer Yes, the program processes the time
card. If you answer No, the program gives
you the opportunity to modify the time card
entries.
What are Input Devices?
An input device is any hardware
component that allows users to enter
data and instructions (programs,
commands, and user responses) into a
computer.
Depending on the application and your
particular requirements, the input device
selected may vary.
Input Devices
Used by a person to communicate to a computer.

Person to
computer
What’s available for input…
 touch - fingers, feet, breath
 sound - voice, other sounds
 gesture
 gaze
 brainwaves…
 Input Devices

Keyboard
Mouse
Touch Screen
Touch sensitive pad
Biometric device
Microphone
Magnetic Stripe
Card reader
RFID Reader
Data Collection Device
 Input Devices

Stylus
Graphics tablet
Game controller
Bar code reader
Microphone
Optical mark
recognition
Scanner
Web Cam
1. The Keyboard
The most commonly used input device is the
keyboard on which data is entered by
manually keying in or typing certain keys. A
keyboard typically has 101 or 105 keys.
Keyboards for PC
• QWERTY keyboard, the first letters on the top alphabetic
line spell QWERTY.
– originally were arranged to reduce the frequency of key
jams on old mechanical typewriters.
• A Dvorak keyboard, places frequently typed letters in the
middle of the typing area.
– Despite the Dvorak keyboard's logical design, most
people and computers use a QWERTY keyboard.
• An ergonomic keyboard has a design that reduces the
chance of wrist and hand injuries called repetitive strain
injuries (RSI). The goal of ergonomics is to incorporate
comfort, efficiency, and safety in the design of the
workplace.
 Keyboard

 The keyboard allows the computer user to enter words,

numbers, punctuation, symbols, and special function
commands into the computer’s memory.
Parts of the keyboard
1. Alphanumeric Keys
- area of the keyboard that looks like a typewriter’s keys.
- also called QWERTY layout
- along with the keys that produce letters and numbers, the
alphanumeric key group includes four keys having specific
functions. (Tab, Caps Lock, Backspace and Enter keys)
2. Modifier Keys
- Shift, Alt, and Ctrl keys
- modify the input of other keys
3. Numeric Keypad
- usually located on the right side of the keyboard.
- looks like a calculator’s keypad
Parts of the keyboard
4. Function keys
- arranged in a row along the top of the keyboard
- allow you to input commands without typing long strings of
characters or navigating menus or dialog boxes.
- Each function key’s purpose depends on the program you are using.
5. Cursor Movement Keys
- let you move around the screen without using a mouse.
Cursor or insertion point
- a mark on the screen that indicates where the characters you type
will be entered.
- appears as a blinking vertical line, a small box, or some other
symbol to show your place in a document or command line.
6. Special-Purpose Keys
a. Start- sometimes called the Windows logo key, opens the Windows
Start menu on most computers
b. Shortcut - features an image of a menu, opens an on-screen
shortcut menu in Windows-based application programs
Keyboards for PC
Keyboards have toggle keys
- is a key that switches between two states each
time a user presses the key.
When you press the NUM LOCK key, for
example, it locks the numeric keypad so that you
can use the keypad to type numbers. When you
press the NUM LOCK key again, the numeric
keypad unlocks so that the same keys can serve to
move around a document.
Many keyboards have status lights that light up
when you activate a toggle key.
Keyboards for PC
Most of today's desktop keyboards are
enhanced keyboards.
An enhanced keyboard has 12 or more
function keys along the top; two CTRL keys,
two ALT keys, and a set of arrow and
additional keys between the typing area and
the numeric keypad.
 Enhanced, Ergonomic Keyboard
Internet

controls

NUM lock

wrist rest APPLICATION key

Keyboards for PC
 Keyboards with media control buttons allow control of your media
player program, access the computer's optical disc drive, and adjust
speaker volume.
 Internet control buttons allow you to open an e-mail program, start a
Web browser, and search the Internet.
 Some keyboards have USB ports so that you can plug a USB device
directly in the keyboard instead of in the system unit.
 Some keyboards include a fingerprint reader and/or smart card
reader.
 A gaming keyboard is a keyboard designed specifically for users who
enjoy playing games on the computer.
Include programmable keys so that gamers can customize the
keyboard to the game being played.
The keys on gaming keyboards light up so that the keys are visible in
all lighting conditions.
Some have small displays that show important game statistics, such
as time or targets remaining.
Keyboards for PC
 Desktop computer keyboards often attach via a cable to a USB
port or a keyboard port on the system unit.
 A wireless keyboard, or cordless keyboard, is a battery-powered
device that transmits data to the system unit using wireless
technology, such as radio waves (Bluetooth) or infrared light
waves (IrDA, InfraRed Data Association).
 The IR (Infra Red) Wireless Keyboard requires line of sight
between the keyboard and the receiver.
 The RF (Radio Frequency) Wireless Keyboard does not require
line of sight (the keyboard does not have to point toward the
receiver).
Infrared eye angle within
45 degrees
Frequency 38 KHz
Transmission up to 23
feet
Ethics & issues: Keyboard Monitoring - Privacy Risk?
 KEYLOGGER: a keyboard monitoring software which
records every keystroke in a hidden file, which later
can be accessed by supplying the correct password.
 With keyboard monitoring software, you can see
everything that was typed on a computer keyboard.
Some programs also store a record of software used,
Web sites visited, user logons, and periodic screen
shots. The software can run completely undetected
can discover that an employee is providing sensitive
information to a competitor
recognize that a teenager has made a potentially
dangerous contact in a chat room.
Businesses use keyboard monitoring software to
analyze the efficiency of data entry personnel.
Ethics & issues: Keyboard Monitoring - Privacy Risk?
KEYLOGGER
 Recently computer hackers have installed keyloggers
in a malicious attempt to capture people's user
names and passwords as they sign on to banking
and financial Web sites.
 Courts ruled that law-enforcement agencies secretly
can install keyboard monitoring software on
suspects' computers if a proper search warrant is
obtained.
 Many maintain, however, that keyboard monitoring
software is an invasion of privacy, even in the
workplace, and some states have outlawed the secret
installation of such software.
 Keyboards for Mobile Devices
A typical notebook computer keyboard usually has
only about 85 keys.
 manufacturers design many of the keys to serve
two or three purposes.
Many can display an on-screen keyboard, where you
press the on-screen keys using a stylus or your finger.
 Keyboards for Mobile Devices
 Some smart phones have one key for each letter of the
alphabet, often called a mini-keyboard.
 Other phones have keypads that represent multiple characters
on one key like the 2 key on the phone's keypad displays the
letters a,b,c on the key's face.
 On many phones, you cycle through the number, letters, and
other symbols associated with a particular key by pressing a
key on the keypad multiple times.
 Some phones use predictive text input, where you press one
key on the keypad for each letter in a word, and software on
the phone predicts the word you want saving users time when
entering text.
Keyboards for Mobile and Mobile Devices
2. Pointing Devices
• A pointing device is an input device that allows a
user to control a pointer on the screen.
• Used to move the insertion point; select text, graphics,
and other objects; and click buttons, icons, links, and
menu commands.
• In a graphical user interface, a pointer is a small
symbol on the screen whose location and shape
change as a user moves a pointing device.
• Various Pointing Devices: mouse, trackball,
touchpad, pointing stick, touch screen, touch-
sensitive pads, stylus, pen, signature capture pad,
and graphics tablet
2.1 The Mouse
Is a pointing device which is used to control the
movement of a mouse pointer on the screen to make
selections from the screen. A mouse has one to five
buttons. The bottom of the mouse is flat and contains
a mechanism that detects movement of the mouse.
 Mouse Operations
OPERATION MOUSE ACTION

Point Move the mouse until the pointer on the desktop is positioned on
the item of choice.
Click Press and release the primary mouse button, which usually is the
left mouse button.
Right-click Press and release the secondary mouse button, which usually is
the right mouse button.
Double-click Quickly press and release the left mouse button twice without
moving the mouse.
Triple-click Quickly press and release the left mouse button three times
without moving the mouse.
Drag Point to an item, hold down the left mouse button, move the item
to the desired location on the screen, and then release the left
mouse button.
Right-drag Point to an item, hold down the right mouse button, move the item
to the desired location on the screen, and then release the right
mouse button.
Rotate wheel Roll the wheel forward or backward.
 Mouse Operations
OPERATION MOUSE ACTION

Rotate wheel Roll the wheel forward or backward.

Free-spin wheel Whirl the wheel forward or backward so that it spins freely on
its own
Press wheel Press the wheel button while moving the mouse.
Nit wheel Press the wheel toward the right or left.
Press thumb on Press button on side of mouse with your thumb.
 Variations of Cordless Mice
optical mouse - uses devices that emit and sense light to
detect the mouse's movement.
can place an optical mouse on nearly all types of flat
surfaces.
Some newer models combine both optical sensors and
laser, enabling users to
place the mouse on rougher
surfaces such as carpeting
and park benches.
 Variations of Cordless Mice
air mouse - a motion-sensing mouse that, in addition to the
typical buttons, allows you to control objects, media
players, and slide shows by moving the mouse in
predetermined directions in the air

This air mouse works on a

desk like a laser mouse or
in the air by detecting hand
motions.
2.2 Trackball
A trackball is a stationary
pointing device with a ball on
its top or side
• The ball in most trackballs is
about the size of a Ping-Pong ball.
• To move the pointer using a
trackball, you rotate the ball with
your thumb, fingers, or the palm of
your hand.
• In addition to the ball, a trackball
usually has one or more buttons
that work just like mouse buttons.
2.3 Touchpad
A touchpad is a small,
flat, rectangular
pointing device that is
sensitive to pressure
and motion
 2.4 Pointing Stick
A pointing stick is a pressure-sensitive
pointing device shaped like a pencil
eraser that is positioned between keys
on a keyboard
• To move the pointer you push the
pointing stick with a finger. By
pressing buttons below the keyboard,
users can click and perform other
mouse-type operations
• A pointing stick does not require any
additional desk space.

Ergonomic mouse touchpad

Advantages of Tracker
ball, track pad, track point

Less space on desktop

Good in moving
environments, e.g. car,
train
2.5 Touch screens
Often used for applications with occasional use
example: Bank ATMs, Information Kiosks
No extra hardware - used for input and for output
Can be precise to 1 pixel
Good for menu choice Intuitive to use
Tiring if at wrong angle (needs to be 30-45% from
horizontal)
Get greasy, jammy
Finger can obscure screen
Alternative - use stylus to touch screen, or lightpen
 2.5 Touch screens

Desktop computers and mobile This traveler checks in

devices have touch screens using an airport kiosk
 2.5 Touch screen
Touch screens that recognize multiple points
of contact at the same time are known as multi-
touch.
Require a lot of arm or hand movements, so
does not enter large amounts of data
Some touch screens also respond to finger
motions such as sliding your finger to drag an
object or pinching your fingers to zoom in or
out.
A kiosk, is a freestanding computer with a
touch screen.
2.5 Touch screen
Guests explore
photos of hotel
amenities by
touching and
dragging them
across the
Microsoft
Surface
display, a
3D tabletop
display.
 2.6 Touch-Sensitive Pads
Portable media players have a
touch-sensitive pad
An input device that enables
users to scroll through and
play music, view pictures,
watch videos or movies,
adjust volume, and/or
customize settings. DJ Controller

Touch- sensitive pads typically

contain buttons and/or wheels
that are operated with a thumb
or finger.
3. Pen Input  A stylus is a small metal or plastic
device that looks like a tiny ink pen.
 A digital pen, which is slightly larger
than a stylus, featuring electronic
erasers and programmable buttons.
 Stylus & digital pens are pressure-
sensitive.
 Signature capture pad is attached to a
stylus or pen. Handwriting recognition
software then transmits the signature via
a cable connected to a port on the
computer.
 Signature capture pads often include a
magnetic stripe card reader and work
with POS terminals
 A graphics tablet is a flat, rectangular,
electronic, plastic board.
 Large-scale applications some-
times refer to the graphics tablet as a
digitizer.
 3.1 Light Pen
• A light pen is a small ‘pen-
shaped’ wand, which contains
light sensors.
• A signal is sent to the
computer, which then works
out the light pen’s exact
location on the screen.
• The advantage of a light pen is
that it doesn’t need a special
screen or screen coating.
 3.1 Input for Smart Phones
obtain maps and directions on the phone by attaching speak into the
this navigation receiver to your vehicle's window microphone
use one end of the stylus that wirelessly
to write on the phone's communicates
screen and the other end with the phone
as a ballpoint pen
enter text-based messages
via a wireless keyboard

Take a picture using digital

camera built into the back of
the phone

transfer data and instructions to

and from the computer and phone
by connecting it to the computer
with a cable
 3.1 Input for Smart Phones
The characters you type on this
full-sized optical
keyboard appear on your smart
phone.
Mobile computers and mobile
devices are susceptible to virus
threats when you download
infected Web pages or open
infected
e-mail messages.
Once users connect to your
computer or device, they may be
able to add to, change, or
remove your data.
 4. Game Controllers
Balance Board

Users running game

software or flight and
A gamepad, which is driving simulation software
held with both hands, A wheel is a steering-wheel- often use a joystick or
controls the movement type input device. wheel to control an
and actions of players airplane, vehicle, or
Users turn the wheel to
or objects in video simulate driving a car, truck, or player.
games or computer other vehicle. Most wheels also A joystick is a handheld
games. include foot pedals for
acceleration and braking vertical lever mounted on
actions. a base. You move the
On the gamepad, users
press buttons with their Joysticks and wheels typically lever in different directions
attach via a cable to a personal to control the actions of
thumbs or move sticks computer or game console.
in various directions to the simulated vehicle or
trigger events. player.
4. Game Controllers
Other popular game A light gun is used to shoot targets
controllers include musical and moving objects after you pull the
instruments, balance boards, trigger on the weapon.
Instead of emitting light, most light
musical instruments, such as
guns work by detecting light.
guitars, drums, and keyboards, Light guns typically attach via a cable
that enable game players to to a game console or personal computer.
create sounds and music by
playing the instrument.

A dance pad is a flat electronic

device divided into panels that
users press with their feet in
response to instructions from a
music video game.
Dance pads communicate with
a game console or a personal
computer via wired or wireless
technology.
 4.1 Motion-Sensing Game Controllers
 Allow the user to guide on-screen elements
by moving a hand- held input device in
predetermined directions through the air.
 Sports games, for example, use motion-
sensing game controllers, such as baseball
bats and golf clubs, as their input device.
 A popular general-purpose, motion-sensing
game controller is Nintendo's Wii Remote.
5. Audio Input: Speech Recognition
 Speech recognition is a type of
input in which the computer
recognizes words spoken into a
microphone.
Latest technology uses continuous
speech recognition where the user
does not have to pause between
words.
 Users enter sound via devices such
as microphones,
tape players, CD/DVD/Blu-ray
Disc players, or radios, each of
which plugs in a port on the sound
card.
 5. Voice Input
 Uses of voice input include instant messaging
that supports voice conversations, chat rooms
that support voice chats, VoIP, and voice
recognition.
 Recall that VoIP (Voice over IP) enables users
to speak to other users over the Internet.
 Popular voice recognition programs for
personal computers include IBM Via Voice
and Dragon Naturally Speaking
 Voice recognition programs recognize a
vocabulary of preprogrammed words, which
can range from two words to millions of
words.
 Create Your Vocal Accompaniment Automatically
Microsoft's MySong software
This ground-breaking program selects
piano chords automatically to
accompany vocal melodies.
Soloists and composers will hear full
musical arrangements for their
creations without having to write one
note.
MySong was developed in Microsoft's
research lab and at the University of
Washington.
A user sings a melody and an algorithm
is used to match chords with fragments
of the melody.
Several chord sequences are generated
so that the singer can choose the style
of accompaniment, such as jazzy or
happy.
Video Input

Video input is the process of capturing

full-motion images and storing them on
a computer's storage medium such as a
hard disk or optical disc.
6. Video input
 Some video devices record video using analog signals. Computers,
by contrast, use digital signals.
 An adapter card that has a video capture port is a video capture card,
which converts an analog video signal into a digital signal for the
computer to process.
 Most new computers are not equipped with a video capture card
because not all users have the need for this type of adapter card.
 A digital video (DV) camera, by contrast, records video as digital
signals instead of analog signals.
6. Video input
 Ports that connect music devices to the system unit
include USB, FireWire, MIDI(Musical Instrument Digital
Interface) , and S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
 6.1 Digital camera
A digital camera can store more pictures than
an ordinary camera. Pictures taken using a
digital camera are stored inside its memory
and can be transferred to a computer by
connecting the camera to it. A digital camera
takes pictures by converting the light passing
through the lens at the front into a digital
image.

61
 6.1 Digital Video camera

video camera
connected to
 Home users can computer's
USB port
transfer videos to
their computers and
then use video editing
software to edit the
video.
 Digital Camera Photo Quality
 One factor that affects the quality of digital camera photos
is its resolution.
 Resolution is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels
in a display device.
 A pixel (short for picture element) is the smallest element
in an electronic image
 The greater the number of pixels the camera uses to
capture a picture, the better the quality of the picture, but
the more expensive the camera.
 Digital camera resolutions range measured as million
pixels (MP). approximately 4 million to more than 16
million pixels (MP).
 As a general rule, a 4 MP camera is fine for photos sent
via e-mail or posted on the Web.
 For good quality printed photos,
a 5 MP camera for 4 X 6 inch photos,
a 6 MP camera for 8 X 10 photos, 7
MP or greater camera for larger size prints or more
professional results.
 Pixels per inch (ppi) is the number of pixels in one inch of
screen display
Digital Camera Photo Quality
 The actual photographed resolution is known as the optical
resolution.
 Some manufacturers state enhanced resolution, instead of, or in
addition to, optical resolution.
 The enhanced resolution usually is higher because it uses a special
formula to add pixels between those generated by the optical
resolution.
 Another measure of a digital camera's photo quality is the number
of bits it stores in a pixel.
 For multiple colors and shades of gray, each pixel requires more
than one bit of data.
 A point-and-shoot camera should be at least 24 bits.
 The acronym dpi, which stands for dots per inch, is a measure of a
print resolution. For screen resolution, the measurement term is ppi,
(pixels per inch).
Digital Camera Photo Quality
 Each pixel consists of one or more bits of data.
 The more bits used to represent a pixel, the more colors and shades
of gray that can be represented.
 One bit per pixel is enough for simple one-color images.
 6.2 Web Cams
 A Web cam, or PC video camera, is a type of
digital video camera that enables a user to
capture video and still images, send e-mail
messages with video attachments, add live
images to instant messages, broadcast live
images over the Internet, and make video
telephone.
 Some Web sites have live Web cams that
display still pictures and update the displayed
image at a specified time or time intervals,
such as 15 seconds.
 A streaming cam has the illusion of moving
images because it sends a continual stream of
still images.
 6.3 Video Conferencing
 A video conference is a meeting between two or
more geographically separated people who use a
network or the Internet to transmit audio and video
data
 You need video conferencing software or use a
video conferencing Web application, along with a
microphone, speakers, and a video camera attached
to or built in to a computer.
 Examples of video conferencing software include
CUworld, Live Meeting, and WebEx.
 A iobiteboard is another window on the screen that
displays notes and drawings simultaneously on all
participants' screens. This window provides
multiple users with an area on which they can write
or draw.
7. Scanners and Reading Devices
Some input devices save users time by eliminating manual
data entry. These devices capture data from a source
document.
Examples of source documents include timecards, order
forms, invoices, paychecks, advertisements, brochures,
photos, inventory tags, or any other document that
contains data to be processed.

Devices that can capture data directly from a source

document include optical scanners, optical readers, bar
code readers, RFID readers, magnetic stripe card
readers, and magnetic-ink character recognition
readers.
 7.1 Scanners
Optical Scanners
usually called a scanner, is a light-sensing input
device that reads printed text and graphics and then
translates the results into a form the computer can
process.
Four types of scanners are flatbed, pen, sheet-
fed, and drum.

69
 Types of Scanners •I•

Flatbed • Similar to a copy machine • Single-sheet documents

• Scanning mechanism • Bound material
passes under the item • Photos
to be scanned, which is • Some models include trays
placed on a glass surface for slides, transparencies,
and negatives
Pen or Handheld • Move pen over text to be • Any printed text
scanned, then transfer
data to computer
• Ideal for mobile users,
students, and researchers
• Some connect to a smart
phone
Sheet-Fed • Item to be scanned is • Single-sheet documents
pulled into a stationary • Photos
scanning mechanism • Slides (with an adapter)
• Smaller than a flatbed • Negatives
scanner
• A model designed
specifically for photos is
called a photo scanner
Drum • Item to be scanned • Single-sheet documents
rotates around stationary • Photos
scanning mechanism • Slides
• Very expensive • Negatives
Optical Readers
An optical reader is a device that uses a light source
to read characters, marks, and codes and then
converts them into digital data that a computer can
process.
 Two technologies used by optical readers are
optical character recognition
and optical mark recognition.
7.2 Optical Character Recognition
 Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology
that involves reading typewritten, computer-printed, or hand-
printed characters from ordinary documents and translating the
images into a form that the computer can process.
 OCR devices include a small optical scanner for reading
characters and sophisticated software to analyze what is read.
 Range from large machines that can read thousands of
documents per minute to handheld wands that read one
document at a time.
 OCR devices read printed characters in an OCR font. A widely
used OCR font is called OCR-A
 ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 -I·' / -
- , ,.
 Defined by ANSI, the American National Standards Institute.
 How OCRs work?
An OCR device determines the shapes of
characters by detecting patterns of light and
dark.
OCR software then compares these shapes with
predefined shapes stored in memory and
converts the shapes into characters the
computer can process.
Many companies use OCR characters on
turnaround documents.
A turnaround document is a document
that you return turn around) to the company
that creates and sends it.
For example, when consumers receive a bill,
they often tear off a portion of the bill and
send it back to the company.
 How OCRs work?
 Data Entry through OCR is faster, more accurate, and generally
more efficient than keystroke data entry.
 Desktop OCR scanners can read typewritten data into a computer
at rates up to 2400 words per minute!
 Two basic methods used for OCR: Matrix matching
1. Matrix Matching compares what the OCR scanner sees as a
character with a library of character matrices or templates. When an
image matches one of these prescribed matrices of dots within a
given level of similarity, the computer labels that image as the
corresponding ASCII character.
2. Feature Extraction is OCR without strict matching to prescribed
templates. Also known as Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR),
or Topological Feature Analysis, this method varies by how much
"computer intelligence" is applied by the manufacturer. The
computer looks for general features such as open areas, closed
shapes, diagonal lines, line intersections, etc
Elements of a Successful OCR
Application
Proper Media
Forms Design
Data Integrity and Output Processing
OCR Reader
Reasons for Using OCR
To reduce Data Entry Errors
To Consolidate Data Entry
To Handle Peak Loads
Human Readable
Can Be Used with Many Printing Techniques
Scanning Corrections
 7.3 Optical Mark Recognition
Optical mark recognition (OMR) is a
technology that reads hand-drawn
marks such as small circles or
rectangles.
A person places these marks on a
form, such as a test, survey, or
questionnaire answer sheet.
With a test, the OMR device first
scans the answer key sheet to record
correct answers based on patterns of
light.
The OMR device then scans the
remaining documents and matches
their patterns of light against the
answer key sheet.
 7.4 Bar Code Readers
• A bar code is a set of lines of different thicknesses that
represent a number or a two-dimensional pattern of dots,
squares, and other images.

• Bar Code Readers are used to input data from bar codes.

• Bar code readers work by shining a beam of light on the

lines that make up the bar code and detecting the amount
of light that is reflected back

78
 Bar Code Readers
 Also called a bar code scanner, is an optical reader that uses laser
beams to read bar codes by using light patterns that pass through
the bar code lines.
 A newer type of bar code, called a 2-D bar code, can store much
more data than the traditional linear bar code.
 Each industry uses its own type of bar code. The United States
Postal Service (USPS) uses a POSTNET bar code.
 Retail and grocery stores use the UPC (Universal Product Code)
bar code.
7.5 RFID Readers

 RFID (radio frequency identification) is a technology that uses

radio signals to communicate with a tag placed in or attached to
an object, an animal, or a person.
 RFID tags, which contain a memory chip and an antenna, are
available in many shapes and sizes and sometimes are embedded
in glass, labels, or cards.
 Some RFID tags are as small as a grain of sand; others are the
size of a luggage tag.
 An RFID reader reads information on the tag via radio waves.
7.5 RFID Readers

 RFID readers can be handheld devices or mounted in a stationary

object such as a doorway.
 Many retailers see RFID as an alternative to bar code
identification because it does not require direct contact or line-
of-site transmission.
RFID Readers
 Each product in a store would contain a tag that identifies the
product
As consumers remove products from the store shelves and
walk through a checkout area, an RFID reader reads the tag(s)
and communicates with a computer that calculates the amount
due, eliminating the need for checking out each item.
Uses of RFID:
 tracking times of runners in a marathon;
 tracking location of soldiers, employee wardrobes, airline
baggage, and misplaced or stolen goods;
 checking lift tickets of skiers;
 managing inventory; gauging pressure and temperature of
tires on a vehicle;
 checking out library books; and tracking payment as
vehicles
 pass through booths on tollway systems.
 7.6 Magnetic Stripe Card Readers
 A magnetic stripe card reader, often called a magstripe reader; reads
the magnetic stripe on the back of credit cards, entertainment cards,
bank cards, and other similar cards.
 The stripe, which is divided in three horizontal tracks, contains
information identifying owner and the card issuer.
 Some information stored in the stripe includes name, account
number, the card's expiration date, and a country code.
 Information on magnetic card stripes is used
to make payments, authenticate users, record
attendance, and provide access to secure areas.
 When a consumer swipes a credit card through
a magstripe reader, for example, it reads the
information stored on the magnetic stripe on
the card. If the magstripe reader rejects the
card, it is possible that the magnetic stripe on
the card is scratched, dirty, or erased.
 Exposure to a magnet or magnetic field can erase the contents of a
card's magnetic stripe
 7.7 MICR Readers
 MICR (magnetic-ink character recognition) devices read text printed
with magnetized ink. This technology uses magnetically chargeable
ink or toner to print the numbers and special characters on the bottom
of checks or other financial transaction documents
 An MICR reader converts MICR characters into a form the computer
can process.
 The banking industry almost exclusively uses MICR for check
processing.
 Each check in your check- book has precoded MICR characters
beginning at the lower-left edge
 The MICR characters represent the bank routing number, the
customer account number, and the check number.
 These numbers may appear in a different order than the ones shown.

bank routing account number check number check amount

 7.8 Data Collection Devices
 a data collection device obtains data
directly at the location where the
transaction or event takes place.
 For example, employees use bar code
readers, handheld computers, or other
mobile devices to collect data wirelessly
 These types of data collection devices are
used in restaurants, grocery stores,
factories, warehouses, the outdoors, or
other locations where heat, humidity, and
cleanliness are not easy to control.
 For example, factories and retail stores
use data collection devices to take
inventory and order products.
BIOMETRICS
Biometrics - the technology of authenticating a
person's identity by verifying a personal characteristic.
Biometric devices grant users access by analyzing
some biometric identifier.
A biometric identifier is a physiological (related to
physical or chemical activities in the body) or
behavioral characteristic.
Examples: fingerprints, hand geometry, facial features,
voice, signatures, and eye patterns.
A biometric device translates a personal characteristic
(the input) into a digital code that is compared with a
digital code stored in the computer.
8.1 Biometric Input:Fingerprint
 The most widely used biometric device
today
is a fingerprint reader.
 A fingerprint reader, or scanner,
captures curves and indentations of a
fingerprint
 External fingerprint readers usually
plug into a USB port.
 To save on desk space, some newer
keyboards and notebook computers
have a fingerprint reader attached to
them, which allows users to log on to
programs and Web sites via their
fingerprint instead of entering a user
name and password
8.1 Biometric Input:Fingerprint
Measure the shape and size of a
person's hand using a hand
geometry system
Cost is more than $1,000
Uses
-Large companies for time and
attendance devices security
devices.
-Colleges use them to verify
students' identities.
-Day-care centers and hospital
nurseries use them to verify
parents who pick up their
children.
 8.2 Biometric Input: Face
 Face recognition system captures a live
face image and compares it with a stored
image to determine if the person is a
legitimate user.
 USES:
For buildings: to secure access to rooms.
Law enforcement: surveillance systems
Airports: to protect the public.
Notebook computers: to safe-
guard a computer.
 Become more sophisticated and can
recognize people with or without glasses,
makeup, or jewelry, and with new
hairstyles

 facial recognition methods are: feature analysis, neural network,

eigenfaces, automatic face processing
 8.3 Biometric Input: Iris

High security areas use iris

recognition systems.
The camera read patterns in the
iris of the eye
 Expensive and are used by
government security
organizations, the military, and
financial institutions that
deal with highly sensitive data.
Some organizations use retinal
scanners, scan patterns of
blood vessels in the back of the
retina.
Input Devices for Physically
Challenged Users
 Input Devices for Physically
Challenged Users
 The Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) requires any company with 15 or
more employees to make reasonable
attempts to accommodate the needs of
physically challenged workers.
 Voice recognition is ideal for blind or
visually impaired users
 A keyguard is a metal or plastic plate
placed over the keyboard that allows
users to rest their hands on the keyboard
without accidentally pressing any keys.
 A keyguard also guides a finger or
pointing device so that a user presses only
one key at a time.
 Input Devices for Physically
Challenged Users
Keyboards with larger
keys also are available.
Still another option is the
on-screen keyboard, in
which a graphic of a
standard keyboard is
displayed on the user's
screen.
 Input Devices for Physically
Challenged Users
 Pointing devices are available for users with motor disabilities.
 Small trackballs that the user controls with a thumb or one
finger can be attached to a table, mounted to a wheelchair, or
held in the user's hand.
 For people with limited hand movement is a head-mounted
pointer to control the pointer or insertion point
 To simulate the functions of a mouse button, a user works with
switches that control the pointer.
 The switch might be a hand pad, a foot pedal, a receptor that
detects facial motions, or a pneumatic instrument controlled
by puffs of air.
Input Devices for Physically
Challenged Users

A camera/receiver mounted on
the monitor tracks the position
of the head-mounted pointer,
which is reflective material that
this user is wearing on the brim
of her hat.

As the user moves her head,

the pointer on the screen also
moves.
 Input Devices for Physically
Challenged Users
 Prototype stages of gesture
recognition have the potential to
recognize sign language, read lips,
track facial movements, or follow
eye gazes.
For paralyzed or speech impaired
individuals, a doctor will implant a
computerized device into the brain.
This device will contain a
transmitter. As the user thinks
thoughts, the transmitter will send
signals to the computer.
A blind accountant can tell screen-reading
software to read spreadsheet data aloud to her,
while a paralyzed programmer can write code by
controlling his computer with the subtle movement
of his neck muscles.
END