Label for a mark sensing system

Claim 2

A label for use in a mark sensing system including: an array of parallel stripes including reflective stripes of a first color, a second color, and a third color, the stripes of the third color having a greater reflectivity than stripes of the first color or stripes of the second color, said stripes being arranged in selected paired combinations, each of the stripes of the third color paired with a stripe of the first color or a stripe of the second color being partially masked with a plurality of nonreflective elements to reduce the reflectivity of the stripe of the third color to approximate that of the stripe of the first color or second color paired therewith; an additional first pair of reflective stripes at one end of said array for initiating processing of the data content of the label, said additional first pair being distinguishable from the other pairs of stripes; and an additional second pair of reflective stripes at the other end of said array for terminating processing of the data content of the label, said additional second pair being distinguishable from the other pairs of stripes.

Claim 3

For use in a mark sensing system, a label comprising, a vertical array of parallel horizontally-disposed retroreflective stripes of equal vertical width and equal horizontal length, said stripes being of four different colors and arranged in paired combinations in a two-position base-four code to define alphanumeric data, predetermined ones of said stripes of four different colors having a greater reflectivity than predetermined other ones of said stripes of four different colors, each of said predetermined ones of said stripes of four different colors being partially masked with a plurality of nonreflective elements to reduce the reflectivity thereof to approximate that of the predetermined other oneS of said stripes of four different colors, each two-stripe combination by a nonreflective spacer, an additional first pair of retroreflective stripes at one end of a said array of stripes for initiating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional for first pair being of equal horizonatal length and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional first pair extending inwardly from opposite edges of the label and contiguous with each other at a central portion of the label, and an additional second pair of retroreflective stripes at the other end of said array of stripes for terminating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional second pair being of equal horizontal length and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional second pair extending inwardly from opposite edges of the label and contiguous with each other at the central portion of said label.

Claim 4

For use in a mark sensing system, a label comprising, a vertical array of parallel horizontally-disposed retroreflective stripes of equal vertical width and equal horizontal length, said stripes being of four different colors and arranged in paired combinations in a two-position base-four code to define alphanumeric data, predetermined ones of said stripes of four different colors having a greater reflectivity than predetermined other ones of said stripes of four different colors, each of said predetermined ones of said stripes of four different colors being partially masked with a plurality of nonreflective elements to reduce the reflectivity thereof to approximate that of the predetermined other oneS of said stripes of four different colors, each two-stripe combination by a nonreflective spacer, an additional first pair of retroreflective stripes at one end of a said array of stripes for initiating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional for first pair being of equal horizonatal length and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional first pair extending inwardly from opposite edges of the label and contiguous with each other at a central portion of the label, and an additional second pair of retroreflective stripes at the other end of said array of stripes for terminating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional second pair being of equal horizontal length and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional second pair extending inwardly from opposite edges of the label and contiguous with each other at the central portion of said label.

Claim 5

For use in a mark sensing system, a label comprising, a vertical array of parallel horizontally-disposed retroreflective stripes of equal vertical with and equal horizontal length, said stripes being arranged in selected paired combinations of orange, blue, white and black stripes to provide a two-position base-four code, said white stripes being partially masked with black nonreflective dots to reduce the reflectivity of the white stripes to approximate that of the orange and blue stripes, an additional first pair of retroreflective stripes at one end of said array of stripes for initiating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional first pair being orange and blue and of equal horizontal length, the stripes of said additional first pair being shorter than the stripes of the array and extending inwardly from opposite edges of said label to a point beyond the center of said label so as to be contiguous in the central portion of the label, an additional second pair of retroreflective stripes at the other end of said label for terminating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional seocnd pair being blue and orange and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional second pair extending inwardly from opposite edges of said label to a point beyond the center of said label so as to be contiguous in the central portion of the label, and a white retroreflective element for clearing the mark sensing system to allow the content of the label to be processed, said white retroreflective element having a vertical width greater than the vertical width of the stripes of the label and disposed adjacent said additional first pair of stripes.

Claim 6

For use in a mark sensing system, a label comprising, a vertical array of parallel horizontally-disposed retroreflective stripes of equal vertical with and equal horizontal length, said stripes being arranged in selected paired combinations of orange, blue, white and black stripes to provide a two-position base-four code, said white stripes being partially masked with black nonreflective dots to reduce the reflectivity of the white stripes to approximate that of the orange and blue stripes, an additional first pair of retroreflective stripes at one end of said array of stripes for initiating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional first pair being orange and blue and of equal horizontal length, the stripes of said additional first pair being shorter than the stripes of the array and extending inwardly from opposite edges of said label to a point beyond the center of said label so as to be contiguous in the central portion of the label, an additional second pair of retroreflective stripes at the other end of said label for terminating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional seocnd pair being blue and orange and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional second pair extending inwardly from opposite edges of said label to a point beyond the center of said label so as to be contiguous in the central portion of the label, and a white retroreflective element for clearing the mark sensing system to allow the content of the label to be processed, said white retroreflective element having a vertical width greater than the vertical width of the stripes of the label and disposed adjacent said additional first pair of stripes.

Claim 7

For use in a mark sensing system, a label comprising, a vertical array of parallel horizontally-disposed retroreflective stripes of equal vertical width and equal horizontal length, said stripes being arranged in selected paired combinations of orange, blue, white and black stripes to provide a two-position base-four code, said white stripes being partially masked by black dots arranged thereon in a checkered pattern to reduce the reflectivity of the white stripes to approximate that of the orange and blue stripes, each paired combination of stripes being separated from the adjacent paired combination by a black nonreflective spacer having a vertical width approximately equal to the vertical width of the stripes, said stripes being bounded on their vertical edges by a black nonreflective border for isolating the stripes of the label from the background on which the label is disposed, an additional first pair of retroreflective stripes disposed at one end of said array for initiating the processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional first pair being orange and blue and of equal horizontal length, the stripes of said additional first pair being shorter than the stripes of the array and extending inwardly from opposite vertical edges of said label to a point beyond the cenTer of said label so as to contiguously overlap in the central portion of the label, an additional second pair of retroreflective stripes disposed at the other end of said array for terminating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional second pair being blue and orange and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional second pair extending inwardly from opposite vertical edges of the label to a point beyond the center of said label so as to contiguously overlap in the central portion of the label, and a wide white retroreflective element having a greater vertical width than the stripes of the label disposed adjacent said additional first pair of stripes, said wide stripe being adapted for clearing the mark-sensing system to allow the content of the label to be processed.

Claim 8

For use in a mark sensing system, a label comprising, a vertical array of parallel horizontally-disposed retroreflective stripes of equal vertical width and equal horizontal length, said stripes being arranged in selected paired combinations of orange, blue, white and black stripes to provide a two-position base-four code, said white stripes being partially masked by black dots arranged thereon in a checkered pattern to reduce the reflectivity of the white stripes to approximate that of the orange and blue stripes, each paired combination of stripes being separated from the adjacent paired combination by a black nonreflective spacer having a vertical width approximately equal to the vertical width of the stripes, said stripes being bounded on their vertical edges by a black nonreflective border for isolating the stripes of the label from the background on which the label is disposed, an additional first pair of retroreflective stripes disposed at one end of said array for initiating the processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional first pair being orange and blue and of equal horizontal length, the stripes of said additional first pair being shorter than the stripes of the array and extending inwardly from opposite vertical edges of said label to a point beyond the cenTer of said label so as to contiguously overlap in the central portion of the label, an additional second pair of retroreflective stripes disposed at the other end of said array for terminating processing of the data content of the label, the stripes of said additional second pair being blue and orange and shorter than the stripes of the array, the stripes of the additional second pair extending inwardly from opposite vertical edges of the label to a point beyond the center of said label so as to contiguously overlap in the central portion of the label, and a wide white retroreflective element having a greater vertical width than the stripes of the label disposed adjacent said additional first pair of stripes, said wide stripe being adapted for clearing the mark-sensing system to allow the content of the label to be processed.