Abstract: An audio frequency based data capture tablet (26) includes a working surface (210) upon which a data collection document having marked responses is placed. A movable cursor (212, 222), which is mechanically disposed above the working surface (210), produces an audio signature indicating both its position and relative motion orthogonally. shaded bars (214, 216) along the top and sides of the tablet (26) which comprise binary encoded sections, cause a composite of audio frequencies to be produced. The intersecting members (212, 222) of the movable cursor are orthogonally disposed with the x-axis member including seven phototransistors (220) as does the y-axis member (225), with each of the phototransistors (220, 223) being uniquely associated with an audio frequency oscillator (330-342, 334-356) whose outputs are mixed and combined (400) to provide a composite audio signature; and optically alignable with the shaded bars (214, 216).

Abstract: A method for independently electronically collecting related market survey data from a plurality of diverse locations (6,6') for temporary storage at each of the independent diverse locations (6,6') where the data is collected for subsequent transmission thereof from these locations (6,6') over a telephone type link (30,36,42) for accumulative processing thereof at a remote central electronic data processor. An interactive interchangeable prompt message display is displayed on a visual display device (32) indicating one of a plurality of market survey categories in a predefined sequence. An actual data input signal may be provided via a keyboard (70) or barboard (29) and/or wand (18,28) in response to the prompt message display with this input being stored in a memory (16) for subsequent transmission. Prior to storage in the memory (16), the data is stored in a buffer and is displayed on the display device (32) to enable confirmation prior to transfer to the bulk memory (16).