Patent EP0177461A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0177461A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus for reading graphic information displayed on a substrate
Assignee: Olivetti SpA
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Filing: 1985-09-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A device for reading graphic symbols impressed on a sheet, comprising light sources (16) for illuminating the sheet, an optical reading system (17) and an array of photo-electric sensors (18) for generating electrical reading signals. The device is compact in structure and of small dimensions, so as to allow it to be mounted upon the head-carrying carriage (8) of a printing machine or typewriter. The device makes it possible to create, in a particularly simple form, reading apparatus for facsimiles or for optical character recognition (OCR) reading apparatus for memorising signatures, graphical symbols and drawings or mathematical symbols, or apparatus for copying documents.
Inventors
- 👤 Ugo Carena
- 👤 Giuseppe Coli
- 👤 Giuseppe Fogaroli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:45
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/04; H04N1/06; H04N1/0671; H04N1/024; H04N1/028; H04N1/03; H04N1/19; H04N1/191; H04N1/1911; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/024; H04N2201/02406; H04N2201/02427; H04N2201/02429; H04N2201/02431; H04N2201/02452; H04N2201/02454; H04N2201/02462; H04N2201/02479; H04N2201/02485; H04N2201/04; H04N2201/0402; H04N2201/0442
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
Device for reading graphic information on a substrate, characterised in that it comprises: - a housing (11) which is able, in use, to effect a scanning movement relative to the said substrate (F) whereby the reading device (10) scans sequentially successive surface portions of the substrate (F), - light sources (16) mounted within the said housing (11) and able to generate beams of light directed towards that portion of the surface of the substrate which the reading device (10) is for the time being scanning, - an optical system (17) mounted within the housing (11) closely adjacent the said sources (16) and designed to frame the said surface portion of the substrate (F) being scanned and to form an image of the said portion in a predetermined plane (B) located within the housing, and - photoelectric sensors (18) mounted within the housing in the said predetermined plane (B) and able to generate electrical signals indicative of the distribution of luminosity of the said image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
Device for reading graphic information on a substrate, characterised in that it comprises: - a housing (11) which is able, in use, to effect a scanning movement relative to the said substrate (F) whereby the reading device (10) scans sequentially successive surface portions of the substrate (F), - light sources (16) mounted within the said housing (11) and able to generate beams of light directed towards that portion of the surface of the substrate which the reading device (10) is for the time being scanning, - an optical system (17) mounted within the housing (11) closely adjacent the said sources (16) and designed to frame the said surface portion of the substrate (F) being scanned and to form an image of the said portion in a predetermined plane (B) located within the housing, and - photoelectric sensors (18) mounted within the housing in the said predetermined plane (B) and able to generate electrical signals indicative of the distribution of luminosity of the said image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that it includes an array (18) of sensors (19), assembled within the housing (11) in the said predetermined plane (B) and each able to generate an electrical signal, the level of which indicates the level of luminosity of the image of a respective elemental area of the surface portion of the substrate (F) at that moment being scanned by the reading device (10).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
Device according to Claim 2, characterised in that the said sensors (19) are arranged in a linear array.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
Device according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised in that the distances between the sensors (19) of the said array (18) are so selected, in combination with the magnification factor of the said optical system (17), that the luminosity level of the image of each elemental area of the surface portion of the substrate (F) being scanned by the reading device (10) at that moment is picked up by at least one of the said sensors (19).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
113 words
Device according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised in that the distances between the sensors (19) of the said array (18) are so selected, in combination with the magnification factor of the said optical system (17), that the luminosity level of the image of each elemental area of the surface portion of the substrate (F) being scanned at that moment by the reading device (10) is picked up by only one of the said sensors (19) and in that each sensor (19) has a photosensitive zone of smaller area than the area of the image of the corresponding elemental area formed in the said predetermined plane (B) of the optical system (17).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
Device according to any one of the Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the said housing (11) has walls (20) which define a tubular duct extending between the said optical system (17) and the said photoelectric sensors (18).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
Device according to Claim 6, characterised in that the internal surface of the said duct (20) is provided with corrugations (120) for the purpose of eliminating phenomena of light reflections at the said internal surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
Device according to any one of the Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said housing (11) comprises a body integral with profiled parts (14, 15, 21) which constitute mounting seats and clamping elements for the said light sources (16) and the said optical system (17).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
Device according to Claim 8, characterised in that the said fixed body consists of moulded non-transparent plastics and has non-reflecting outer surfaces.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
132 words
Device according to any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 9, incorporated into an apparatus for reading graphic information upon a sheet, consisting of a cylindrical drum (1) for supporting and advancing the sheet (F), which can be controlled to effect rotation in successive steps so as to effect a progressive longitudinal advance of the sheet (F) applied to it, and a carriage (8) movable in the direction of the axis of the said drum (1), and able to carry out, at each rotational step of the said drum (1), a transverse scanning movement of the sheet (F); the said reading device (10) being mounted upon the carriage (8) so that, in use, the reading device (10) scans sequentially successive surface portions of the sheet (F) applied to the drum (1).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
Device according to Claim 10, characterised in that the said sensors (19) are arranged in a linear array (18) oriented in a direction orthogonal to the direction of transverse scanning movement of the sheet (F) effected by the said carriage (8).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
130 words
Device according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, incorporated into an apparatus for reading graphic information upon a sheet which can moreover effect the reproduction of the graphic information read from the said sheet (F) onto another sheet subsequently fed to the said apparatus, characterised in that with the reading device there are further associated: - a memory unit (26) for storing the electrical signals generated by the said photoelectric sensors (18), and - a printing device (27) mounted upon the said carriage (8) and controlled, in a manner known per se, by the said memory unit (26) in such a manner that the electrical signals stored in the memory unit (26) are reproduced in the form of graphic signs upon the said other sheet subsequently fed to the apparatus.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
85 words
Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that it is mounted upon the carriage (8) which supports the writing head of an electronic typewriter having a memory and a control unit (26) designed to control the positioning of the sheet (F) in relation to the carriage (8) and the storing of the data read by the device (10), so that the said device (10) uses in reading the same movement mechanisms (1) of the sheet and of the printing head.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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