Unformatted scanning in a character-recognition system

Claim 2

In a recognition system, a scan-control apparatus for causing a beam control to move a scanning beam in a sequence of scans located relative to a predetermined area, and a data processor for transmitting to said scan-control apparatus at least one command and a format word specifying a plurality of arbitrarily assignable boundaries defining said area, said scan-control apparatus comprising: a decoder unit responsive to said format word for producing representations of said plurality of boundaries of said predetermined area; a detection unit responsive to said decoder unit and to said beam control for sensing the location of the scanning beam relative to said boundaries; a scan-selection unit responsive to said detection unit and to said data processor for producing signals representing said scans and for transmitting selected ones of said signals to said beam control, said scan-selection unit including a seek generator responsive to a first command from said data processor for positioning said beam relative to at least one of said boundaries, a line-search generator responsive to said seek generator for producing a scan for black video in said predetermined area, and a strike generator responsive to said line-search generator for positioning said beam relative to said black video; and a storage unit responsive to said strike generator for recording a representation related to a coordinate of said black video.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said boundary representations indicate a vertical boundary, a horizontal beginning boundary and a horizontal terminating boundary of said predetermined area.

Claim 4

In a recognition system, a scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for causing a beam control to move a scanning beam in a sequence of scans located relative to a predetermined area, said scan-control apparatus comprising: a decoder unit responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing representations of a plurality of boundaries of said predetermined area; a scan-selection unit responsive to said detection unit and to said data processor for producing signals representing said scans and for transmitting selected ones of said signals to said beam control, said scan-selection unit including a seek generator responsive to a first command from said data processor for positioning said beam relative to at least one of said boundaries, a line-search generator responsive to said seek generator for producing a scan for black video in said predetermined area, a strike generator responsive to said line-search generator for positioning said beam relative to said black video a latch having a set state responsive to a second command from said data processor and having a reset state responsive to said strike generator, means responsive to said seek generator and to said set state for activating said line-search generator, and means responsive to said seek generator and to said reset state for producing a recognition scan in said area; and a storage unit responsive to said strike generator for recording a representation related to a coordinate of said black video.

Claim 5

In a recognition system, a scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for causing a beam control to move a scanning beam in a sequence of scans located relative to a predetermined area, said scan-control apparatus comprising: a decoder unit responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing representations of a plurality of boundaries of said predetermined area; a scan-selection unit responsive to said detection unit and to said data processor for producing signals representing said scans and for transmitting selected ones of said signals to said beam control, said scan-selection unit including a seek generator responsive to a first command from said data processor for positioning said beam relative to at least one of said boundaries, a line-search generator responsive to said seek generator for producing a scan for black video in said predetermined area, a strike generator responsive to said line-search generator for positioning said beam relative to said black video a latch having a set state responsive to a second command from said data processor and having a reset state responsive to said strike generator, means responsive to said seek generator and to said set state for activating said line-search generator, and means responsive to said seek generator and to said reset state for producing a recognition scan in said area; and a storage unit responsive to said strike generator for recording a representation related to a coordinate of said black video.

Claim 6

In a recognition system, a scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for causing a beam control to move a scanning beam in a sequence of scans located relative to a predetermined area, said scan-control apparatus comprising: a decoder unit responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing representations of a vertical boundary, a horizontal beginning boundary and a horizontal terminating boundary of said predetermined area; a detection unit responsive to said decoder unit and to said beam control for sensing the location of said scanning beam relative to said boundaries; a scan-selection unit responsive to said detection unit and to said data processor for producing signals representing said scans and for transmitting selected ones of said signals to said beam control, said scan-selection unit including a seek generator responsive to a first command from said data processor for positioning said beam relative to at least one of said boundaries, a line-search generator responsive to said seek generator for producing a scan for black video in said predetermined area, and a strike generator responsive to said line-search generator for positioning said beam relative to said black video; and a storage unit responsive to said strike generator for recording a representation related to a coordinate of said black video, wherein said storage unit includes means responsive to said strike generator for causing said seek generator to position said beam at the intersection of said vertical boundary and said horizontal beginning boundary when said strike generator has not been activated within said area, and for causing said seek generator to position said beam at the intersection of said horizontal beginning boundary and the representation recorded in said storage means when said strike generator has been activated within said area.

Claim 7

In a recognition system, a scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for causing a beam control to move a scanning beam in a sequence of scans located relative to a predetermined area, said scan-control apparatus comprising: a decoder unit responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing representations of a vertical boundary, a horizontal beginning boundary and a horizontal terminating boundary of said predetermined area; a detection unit responsive to said decoder unit and to said beam control for sensing the location of said scanning beam relative to said boundaries; a scan-selection unit responsive to said detection unit and to said data processor for producing signals representing said scans and for transmitting selected ones of said signals to said beam control, said scan-selection unit including a seek generator responsive to a first command from said data processor for positioning said beam relative to at least one of said boundaries, a line-search generator responsive to said seek generator for producing a scan for black video in said predetermined area, and a strike generator responsive to said line-search generator for positioning said beam relative to said black video; and a storage unit responsive to said strike generator for recording a representation related to a coordinate of said black video, wherein said storage unit includes means responsive to said strike generator for causing said seek generator to position said beam at the intersection of said vertical boundary and said horizontal beginning boundary when said strike generator has not been activated within said area, and for causing said seek generator to position said beam at the intersection of said horizontal beginning boundary and the representation recorded in said storage means when said strike generator has been activated within said area.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 4 wherein said detection unit includes means responsive to said strike generator for terminating said line-search scan at a predetermined distance from said vertical boundary when said strike generator has not been activated within said area.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 4 wherein said detection unit includes means responsive to said strike generator for terminating said line-search scan at said vertical boundary when said strike generator has been activated within said area.

Claim 10

In a recognition system, a scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for causing a beam control to move a scanning beam in a sequence of scans located relative to a predetermined area, said scan-control apparatus comprising: a decoder unit responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing representations of a plurality of boundaries of said predetermined area; a detection unit responsive to said decoder unit and to said beam control for sensing the location of said scanning beam relative to said boundaries; a scan-selection unit responsive to said detection unit and to said data processor for producing signals representing said scans for transmitting selected ones of said signals to said beam control, said scan-selection unit including a seek generator responsive to a first command from said data processor for positioning said beam relative to at least one of said boundaries, a line-search generator responsive to said seek generator for producing a scan for black video in said predetermined area, a strike generator responsive to said line-search generator for positioning said beam relative to said black video, a generator responsive to said strike generator for producing a character-search scan within said area; and a storage unit responsive to said strike generator for recording a representation related to a coordinate of said black video.

Claim 11

In a recognition system, a scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for causing a beam control to move a scanning beam in a sequence of scans located relative to a predetermined area, said scan-control apparatus comprising: a decoder unit responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing representations of a plurality of boundaries of said predetermined area; a detection unit responsive to said decoder unit and to said beam control for sensing the location of said scanning beam relative to said boundaries; a scan-selection unit responsive to said detection unit and to said data processor for producing signals representing said scans for transmitting selected ones of said signals to said beam control, said scan-selection unit including a seek generator responsive to a first command from said data processor for positioning said beam relative to at least one of said boundaries, a line-search generator responsive to said seek generator for producing a scan for black video in said predetermined area, a strike generator responsive to said line-search generator for positioning said beam relative to said black video, a generator responsive to said strike generator for producing a character-search scan within said area; and a storage unit responsive to said strike generator for recording a representation related to a coordinate of said black video.

Claim 12

The combination according to claim 7 wherein said scan-selection unit includes a generator responsive to said character-search generator for producing a normalizing scan over said black video, and for producing signals denoting that said black video has a valid height and a valid width.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 8 wherein said scan-selection unit includes means responsive to the absence of said valid-height signal for activating said character-search generator, and means responsive to the absence of said valid-width signal for activating said line-search generator.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 8 wherein said scan-selection unit includes an initialization generator responsive to said valid-height and said valid-width signal for positioning said beam relative to said black video.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 10 wherein said scan-selection unit includes a generaTor responsive to said initialization generator for producing a recognition scan over said black video.

Claim 16

The combination according to claim 11 wherein said detection unit includes means for sensing the absence of said black video over a first predetermined interval during said recognition scan; and wherein said scan-selection unit includes a generator responsive to said sensing means for producing a high-speed scan within said area.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 12 wherein said detection unit includes means for sensing the absence of said black video over a second predetermined interval; and wherein said scan-selection unit includes means responsive thereto for activating said normalizing generator upon the presence of black video before the expiration of said second interval, and for activating said line-search generator upon the absence of black video before said expiration.

Claim 18

In a scan-control apparatus for a character-recognition system having a transport apparatus and having a read window for a scanning beam, the combination comprising: a generator for producing a line-search scan within a predetermined area of said read window; a strike generator responsive to a video detector for positioning said scanning means relative to black video detected during said line-search scan; means for producing a test scan over an area relative to said black video; means for sensing the presence of black video over a predetermined portion of said area and means responsive to said sensing means for producing an ''''end-of-document'''' signal; means for sensing the position of said beam relative to a boundary of said read window; means responsive thereto for causing said transport apparatus to move a document relative to said read window; and a generator for producing a line-ride scan causing said beam to follow the movements of said document.

Claim 19

In a scan-control apparatus for a character-recognition system having a transport apparatus and having a read window for a scanning beam, the combination comprising: a generator for producing a line-search scan within a predetermined area of said read window; a strike generator responsive to a video detector for positioning said scanning means relative to black video detected during said line-search scan; means for producing a test scan over an area relative to said black video; means for sensing the presence of black video over a predetermined portion of said area and means responsive to said sensing means for producing an ''''end-of-document'''' signal; means for sensing the position of said beam relative to a boundary of said read window; means responsive thereto for causing said transport apparatus to move a document relative to said read window; and a generator for producing a line-ride scan causing said beam to follow the movements of said document.

Claim 20

The combination according to claim 14 including means for sensing a ''''last window'''' condition of said document, and means responsive thereto for inhibiting said line-ride generator and form producing said ''''end-of-document'''' signal.

Claim 21

The combination according to claim 14 including means responsive to a ''''document-in-place'''' signal from said transport apparatus during said line-ride scan for activating said line-search generator.

Claim 22

In a recognition system scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for controlling a scanning beam, the combination comprising: a generator responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing search scans over a predetermined area of a document to be read; means for sensing the presence of data in said area during said search scan; and a storage unit responsive to said sensing means and to the position of said scanning beam for recording a digital representation of a coordinate related to the position of said data, and for causing said generator to be further responsive to said digital representation, said storage unit including a clocked counter activated by said sensing means; a register cycled by said counter and responsive to a comparison signal for producing said digital representation; a converter for producing said digital representation; a converter for producing an analog signal indicative of said digital representation; and a comparator responsive to said analog signal and to the position of said scanning beam for producing said comparison signal.

Claim 23

In a recognition system scan-control apparatus responsive to a data processor for controlling a scanning beam, the combination comprising: a generator responsive to a format word from said data processor for producing search scans over a predetermined area of a document to be read; means for sensing the presence of data in said area during said search scan; and a storage unit responsive to said sensing means and to the position of said scanning beam for recording a digital representation of a coordinate related to the position of said data, and for causing said generator to be further responsive to said digital representation, said storage unit including a clocked counter activated by said sensing means; a register cycled by said counter and responsive to a comparison signal for producing said digital representation; a converter for producing said digital representation; a converter for producing an analog signal indicative of said digital representation; and a comparator responsive to said analog signal and to the position of said scanning beam for producing said comparison signal.

Claim 24

The combination according to claim 17 wherein said storage unit further includes: a latch having a set state responsive to said counter and to said sensing means; and switching means responsive to said set state for coupling said comparator to said generator.