US3582905A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Character generation by improved scan, storage, and decoding apparatus
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1969-01-13
•
Granted: 1971-06-01
•
Expires: 1989-01-13
Abstract
Abstract Characters are generated in a photoprinter by storing and decoding black and white segments for a raster scan. The raster scan is accomplished by a cathode ray tube. Light from the screen of the tube is focused onto photographic film so that the cathode-ray tube by raster scan can print a character on the film. The cathode-ray beam is controlled in two states of intensity so as to print black on white or white on black characters as desired. A given scan in the raster scan is thus broken into a series of blank or unblank segments for the intensity control of the cathode-ray tube. In the apparatus herein, these segments are defined by segment counts which indicate the length of each segment in a scan. A scan is made up of a sequence of blank and unblank segment counts. These segment counts are loaded into a series of counters. The counters are sequentially counted out as the cathode ray beam is moved along a scan. The counting out is synchronized with movement of the beam so that the time required to count out a segment count will specify the length of a segment printed on the film.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold P Kraatz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 23:53
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G1/00; G09G1/06; G09G1/14; G09G1/18; G09G1/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
In symbol generating apparatus for displaying entire symbols or pieces of symbols wherein a rasteR scanner scans an area with a series of parallel scans, and said scanner marks or does not mark during a scan depending upon whether the scanner is unblanked or blanked, respectively, and wherein the improvement comprises: means for storing a series of segment signals, each segment signal defining the length of a blank or unblank segment in a scan without reference to other segment signals; means for sequentially decoding each stored segment signal to determine the length of each segment in the sequence of segments making up a scan; means for detecting whether a segment signal represents a blank or unblank segment in the scan and generating a blank/unblank signal; means for blanking or unblanking said scanner in accordance with the blank/unblank signal during each segment of a scan for the segment length decoded by said decoding means so that each scan during symbol generation is composed by a serial sequence of decoded segment signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
In symbol generating apparatus for displaying entire symbols or pieces of symbols wherein a rasteR scanner scans an area with a series of parallel scans, and said scanner marks or does not mark during a scan depending upon whether the scanner is unblanked or blanked, respectively, and wherein the improvement comprises: means for storing a series of segment signals, each segment signal defining the length of a blank or unblank segment in a scan without reference to other segment signals; means for sequentially decoding each stored segment signal to determine the length of each segment in the sequence of segments making up a scan; means for detecting whether a segment signal represents a blank or unblank segment in the scan and generating a blank/unblank signal; means for blanking or unblanking said scanner in accordance with the blank/unblank signal during each segment of a scan for the segment length decoded by said decoding means so that each scan during symbol generation is composed by a serial sequence of decoded segment signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The symbol generating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said storing means comprises: a serial array of counters, each counter storing a count indicative of the length of a segment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
The symbol generating apparatus of claim 2 wherein said decoding means comprises: means for advancing the count in each counter so that the length of a segment is defined by counting out the count in said counter; said advancing means operating sequentially on the counters in the serial array so that as one counter is counted out, said advancing means advances the count in the succeeding counter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
149 words
Photoprinting apparatus for printing symbols on radiant energy responsive medium comprising: cathode-ray scanning means for raster scanning an area of the medium with a series of parallel scans, each scan made up of alternate blank and unblank segments; counting means for counting segment counts where each segment count indicates the length of a blank or unblank segment; means for loading a predetermined sequence of segment counts into said counting means where the sequence of segment counts makes up a single scan; clocking means synchronized with said scanning means for advancing said counting means; said counting means sequentially counting out the segment counts according to the predetermined sequence of the segment counts; means for alternately blanking and unblanking said cathode-ray scanning means, where the length of time the scanning means is blanked or unblanked is dependent upon the time required to count out a segment count in said counting means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
149 words
Photoprinting apparatus for printing symbols on radiant energy responsive medium comprising: cathode-ray scanning means for raster scanning an area of the medium with a series of parallel scans, each scan made up of alternate blank and unblank segments; counting means for counting segment counts where each segment count indicates the length of a blank or unblank segment; means for loading a predetermined sequence of segment counts into said counting means where the sequence of segment counts makes up a single scan; clocking means synchronized with said scanning means for advancing said counting means; said counting means sequentially counting out the segment counts according to the predetermined sequence of the segment counts; means for alternately blanking and unblanking said cathode-ray scanning means, where the length of time the scanning means is blanked or unblanked is dependent upon the time required to count out a segment count in said counting means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The photoprinting apparatus of claim 4 wherein said counting means comprises a plurality of serially connected counters, each counter storing a segment count, successive segment counts in the sequence of segment counts being loaded into successive counters by said loading means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The photoprinting apparatus of claim 5 further comprising gating means for gating the advance pulses from said clocking means to the counters in succession as each counter is counted out so that segment counts sequentially loaded into the serially connected counters are sequentially counted out.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The photoprinting apparatus of claim 5 further comprising: means for detecting that all of the serially connected counters contain all zeros; means for gating an end of scan signal to said scanning means when said detecting means detects all counters contain zeros.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
110 words
The photoprinting apparatus of claim 5 further comprising: a second plurality of serially connected counters for storing a second sequence of segment counts; second loading means for loading alternate sequences of segment counts into said second plurality of serially connected counters whereby alternate sequences of segment counts are loaded in said second plurality of serially connected counters while the other sequences are loaded in the other plurality of serially connected counters; said second plurality of serially connected counters being responsIve to said clocking means for counting out the alternate sequences of segment counts whereby the two pluralities of serially connected counters are operating alternately on alternate sequences of segment counts.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3329947A
Cited
US3471848A
Cited
US3400377A
Cited
US3348229A
Cited
US3444319A
Cited
US3480943A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-31 | 1974-11-30 | 1975-06-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-31 | 1978-11-30 | 1979-06-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-31 | 1982-11-30 | 1983-06-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |