US3568178A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic photocomposition system
Assignee: RCA Corp
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Filing: 1967-12-08
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Granted: 1971-03-02
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Expires: 1987-12-08
Abstract
Abstract An electronic photocomposition system forms patterns, including characters, on an imaging device, such as a cathode ray tube, and focuses the patterns onto a photosensitive surface for recording thereon. The characters formed include ascender characters that ascend from a predetermined character baseline and descender characters that descend below the character baseline. Each character is formed by a plurality of successive vertical scans that create individual character slices. The start of each scan is positioned at the character baseline for each ascender character and is displaced to the bottommost portion of the character for each descender character. Each scan of each character is retraced immediately upon traversing the outer periphery of a character during the scan so that the length of the scans corresponds to the contour of the characters. The scans are stepped across the character as the character is scanned and, at the end of scanning a character, the scans are jumped to the position where the next character begins with no intercharacter space being scanned.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert F Day
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 06:10
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G1/00; G09G1/06; G09G1/08; G09G1/10; G09G1/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
An electronic composition system for forming patterns including ascender characters that ascend from a predetermined character baseline and descender characters that include regions which descend below said predetermined baseline, comprising in combination: an imaging device; means for providing a plurality of coded signals that define said characters, said coded signals including; character-determining signals that correspond to linear portions of said character: and displacement signals that determine the position of the start of said linear portions with respect to a reference position; means for utilizing said displacement signals to position the start of the linear portions of said characters at variable character positions that are located at the outermost points of the outer periphery of said characters; and means for scanning and selectively blanking said imaging device in response to said character determining signals to form said linear portions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
An electronic composition system for forming patterns including ascender characters that ascend from a predetermined character baseline and descender characters that include regions which descend below said predetermined baseline, comprising in combination: an imaging device; means for providing a plurality of coded signals that define said characters, said coded signals including; character-determining signals that correspond to linear portions of said character: and displacement signals that determine the position of the start of said linear portions with respect to a reference position; means for utilizing said displacement signals to position the start of the linear portions of said characters at variable character positions that are located at the outermost points of the outer periphery of said characters; and means for scanning and selectively blanking said imaging device in response to said character determining signals to form said linear portions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reference position for each of said ascender characters comprises said predetermined character baseline.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The combination in accordance with claim 2 wherein said reference position for said descender characters differs from said predetermined character baseline.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said characters are separated from preceeding and succeeding characters in a line of print by leading and trailing side bearings respectively; that further includes means for jumping the position of the start of scanning a succeeding character, at the end of scanning a preceeding character, a distance substantially equal to the sum of the leading side bearing of said succeeding character and the trailing side bearing of said preceeding character.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said linear portions are formed by a plurality of substantially vertical scans of said imaging device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The combination in accordance with claim 5 wherein said means for scanning includes: a sweep generator for vertically scanning said imaging device in a continuous sweep; and which combination further includes a horizontal counter for moving said scans horizontally in discrete steps.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
The combination in accordance with claim 6 wherein said means for scanning further includes: means for unblanking said imaging device during a vertical sweep to form a black segment of a character in a scan; and means for blanking said imaging device during a vertical sweep to form a whIte segment of a character in a scan.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The combination in accordance with claim 6 that further includes means for terminating a scan of a character after creating a linear portion of said character and upon reaching the outer periphery of said character.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
The combination in accordance with claim 1 that further includes: means for storing said coded signals of each of said characters, with each coded signal including at least one coded number for each scan of a character; and said one coded number including a digit designating the start and end of a scan and a digit designating the blanking and unblanking of said device during said scan.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
104 words
The combination in accordance with claim 9 wherein said means for storing said coded signals comprises; a memory including a primary portion having a plurality of locations each successively representing a different character with each having an address corresponding to a different character code, and a secondary portion having a plurality of successive locations with each storing a coded number corresponding to a segment of said scans of said character; and the locations in said primary portions each storing a different address of said secondary portion with said address corresponding to the beginning of the secondary portion locations that relate to a single character.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said outermost points comprise the lowermost edges of said characters.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-01 | 1974-08-31 | 1975-03-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-01 | 1978-08-31 | 1979-03-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-01 | 1982-08-31 | 1983-03-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |