Self-timing encoded tag reader

Claim 2

Apparatus for reading a tag having photosensible markreceiving positions arranged in at least one circular pattern symmetrically relative to an aligner formed on the tag, said apparatus comprising: a support, means mounted on said support and cooperable with said aligner for properly locating a tag in a read position, sensing means mounted to said support in photosensing relationship to said circular pattern of a tag located at said read position for sequentially photosensing the mark-receiving positions of said pattern, clock signal generating means for generating clock signals at a rate substantially in excess of the rate at which said markreceiving positions are sequentially photosensed by said sensing means, means responsive to said clock signals and to the sensing of a specified mark on said tag for generating an output correlated to the width of said specified mark, and sampling means responsive to said width-correlated output and to said clock signals for generating sampling signals at intervals of clock signals and in synchronism with the sensing by said sensing means of the approximate midpoint of said markreceiving positions.

Claim 3

Apparatus for reading a tag having photosensible mark-receiving positions arranged in at least one circular pattern symmetrically relative to an aligner formed on the tag, said apparatus comprising: a support, means mounted on said support and cooperable with said aligner for properly locating a tag in a read position, sensing means mounted to said support in photosensing relationship to said circular pattern of a tag located at said read position for sequentially photosensing the mark-receiving positions of said pattern, clock signal generating means for generating clock signals at a rate substantially in excess of the rate at which said mark-receiving positions are sequentially photosensed by said sensing means, means for monitoring the width of a mark on said tag for generating an output correlated to said mark width, and sampling means responsive to said clock signals and to the sensing of a specified mark on said tag for producing sampling signals at intervals of clock signals and in synchronism with the sensing by said sensing means of the approximate midpoint of said mark-receiving positions.

Claim 4

Apparatus for reading a tag having photosensible mark-receiving positions arranged in at least one circular pattern symmetrically relative to an aligner formed on the tag, said apparatus comprising: a support, means mounted on said support and cooperable with said aligner for properly locating a tag in a read position, sensing means mounted to said support in photosensing relationship to said circular pattern of a tag located at said read position for sequentially photosensing the mark-receiving positions of said pattern, clock signal generating means for generating clock signals at a rate substantially in excess of the rate at which said mark-receiving positions are sequentially photosensed by said sensing means, means for monitoring the width of a mark on said tag for generating an output correlated to said mark width, and sampling means responsive to said clock signals and to the sensing of a specified mark on said tag for producing sampling signals at intervals of clock signals and in synchronism with the sensing by said sensing means of the approximate midpoint of said mark-receiving positions.

Claim 5

Apparatus for reading a tag having photosensible mark-receiving positions arranged in a pattern, said apparatus comprising: a support, sEnsing means mounted to said support and movable in photosensing relationship to said pattern of a tag for sequentially photosensing said mark-receiving positions of said pattern, clock signal generating means for generating clock signals at a rate substantially in excess of the rate at which said mark-receiving positions are sequentially photosensed by said sensing means, means for monitoring the width of a mark on said tag for generating an output correlated to said mark width, and sampling means responsive to said clock signals and to the sensing of a specified mark on said tag for producing sampling signals at intervals of clock signals and in synchronism with the sensing by said sensing means of the approximate midpoint of said mark-receiving positions.

Claim 6

Apparatus for reading a tag having photosensible mark-receiving positions arranged in a pattern, said apparatus comprising: a support, sEnsing means mounted to said support and movable in photosensing relationship to said pattern of a tag for sequentially photosensing said mark-receiving positions of said pattern, clock signal generating means for generating clock signals at a rate substantially in excess of the rate at which said mark-receiving positions are sequentially photosensed by said sensing means, means for monitoring the width of a mark on said tag for generating an output correlated to said mark width, and sampling means responsive to said clock signals and to the sensing of a specified mark on said tag for producing sampling signals at intervals of clock signals and in synchronism with the sensing by said sensing means of the approximate midpoint of said mark-receiving positions.

Claim 7

Apparatus for reading a tag having photosensible mark-receiving positions arranged in at least one circular pattern symmetrically relative to an aligner formed on the tag, said apparatus comprising: a support, means mounted on said support and cooperable with said aligner for properly locating a tag in a read position, sensing means mounted to said support in photosensing relationship to said circular pattern of a tag located at said read position for sequentially photosensing the mark-receiving positions of said pattern, clock signal generating means for initiating generation of, and generating, clock signals concurrently with the initiation of photosensing, and photosensing, by said sensing means, said clock signal generating being at a rate substantially in excess of the rate at which said mark-receiving positions are sequentially photosensed by said sensing means, sampling means for generating sampling signals at intervals of clock signals and in synchronism with the sensing by said sensing means of the approximate midpoint of said mark-receiving positions, said sampling means including a. a first counter responsive only to clock signals generated during the sensing of a specified mark for providing an output correlated with the width of said mark, b. a second counter responsive to all clock signals generated after initiation of the sensing of said specified mark for periodically providing at intervals of clock signals a plurality of outputs coincident with the approximate midpoints of different width marks, and c. means responsive to the outputs of said first and second counters for generating said sampling signals.

Claim 8

Apparatus for reading a tag having photosensible mark-receiving positions arranged in at least one circular pattern symmetrically relative to an aligner formed on the tag, said apparatus comprising: a support, means mounted on said support and cooperable with said aligner for properly locating a tag in a read position, sensing means mounted to said support in photosensing relationship to said circular pattern of a tag located at said read position for sequentially photosensing the mark-receiving positions of said pattern, clock signal generating means for initiating generation of, and generating, clock signals concurrently with the initiation of photosensing, and photosensing, by said sensing means, said clock signal generating being at a rate substantially in excess of the rate at which said mark-receiving positions are sequentially photosensed by said sensing means, sampling means for generating sampling signals at intervals of clock signals and in synchronism with the sensing by said sensing means of the approximate midpoint of said mark-receiving positions, said sampling means including a. a first counter responsive only to clock signals generated during the sensing of a specified mark for providing an output correlated with the width of said mark, b. a second counter responsive to all clock signals generated after initiation of the sensing of said specified mark for periodically providing at intervals of clock signals a plurality of outputs coincident with the approximate midpoints of different width marks, and c. means responsive to the outputs of said first and second counters for generating said sampling signals.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said clock signal generating means and said sensing means concurrently initiate clock signal generation and sequential mark position photosensing, respectively, and wherein said sampling means includes means for counting during the sensing of said specified mark on said tag only alternate clock signals, and for thereafter counting all clock signals to thereby generate said sampling signals.