Abstract: A controller that provides tactile feedback to an operator comprises a base having force-sensing elements disposed thereon, the base defining a sensing plane having first and second orthogonal axes therein, and a force-transmitting member orthogonally disposed with respect to the base, the force-transmitting member defining a third axis mutually orthogonal with the first and second axes. The force transmitting member moves at least along the third axis in response to an applied force, both to generate an electrically discernible indication and to provide tactile feedback to an operator.

Abstract: An integrated system for image processing of documents generated in shipping transactions includes a central transaction processing facility, which receives images of shipping transaction documents. The document images may be captured by scanners at a plurality of remote stations or they may be telefaxed directly to the processing facility by the individual shippers. A central shipping transaction database is maintained on a host computer, for example, along with appropriate applications for processing the transaction data and invoicing the transactions. The system includes a plurality of image processing stations, at which key operators may view the images of shipping documents according to predetermined workflow queues and, based on the images of the documents, enter transaction data into the shipping transaction database. The system allows for printing of transaction invoices from the data in the database along with a hard copy of any shipping document images which are to accompany the invoices.