Automatic input for business data-processing systems

Synopsis: Computers for business applications are generally input limited and require excessive manpower for data preparation. This can be reduced, and gains can be made in speed and reliability if the data forms for the computer and the human being are compatible. Documents must be prepared for manual use in conjunction with many phases of automatic business or technical data handling, and such documents with suitable format arrangements can be fed directly to the computer input with the techniques described. The numbers and symbols on the document are printed in magnetic ink in conventional form and size, and machine reading can be accomplished at rates exceeding 5,000 characters per second. The documents themselves have been handled at rates up to 50 per second.