John P Lebrun

US Patent:

48092207, Feb 28, 1989

Filed:

Mar 23, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/029359

Inventors:

Kenneth A. Carlson - Sterling MA
John F. LeBrun - Lowell MA
Salvatore Giacomazzo - Stow MA
Jonathan D. Saperia - East Pepperell MA

Assignee:

Wang Laboratories, Inc. - Lowell MA

International Classification:

G06F 312
G06F 1500

US Classification:

364900

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for operating with pre-printed forms on electronic office processing equipment by using a printer under control of a video terminal keyboard to identify the location and length of blanks on a pre-printed form and then displaying lines on the video display having the same length and relative position as on the form. Editing functions are used to add captions adjacent to the lines to indicate what information is to be entered on each blank line in the corresponding form. The displayed lines and captions are a form template for the particular pre-printed form and is stored. When the processing equipment is to be used to enter data for the pre-printed form, the associated form template is displayed on the video display and the appropriate information is entered onto the blank lines and then stored. When there is need for a hard copy, a pre-printed form is placed in the printer and the stored information is typed into the blanks. The system locates the blanks to fill them in using the location and length information stored when creating the form template.