Electrooptical encoding device

Claim 1

A new and improved electro-optical encoding device comprising a plurality of individually moveable members each having disposed thereon a characteristic coded pattern of intermixed light reflecting and nonreflecting stripes representative of data to be electrically encoded, electro-optical monitoring means positioned adjacent the coded moveable members for serially illuminating the coded patterns of light reflecting and nonreflecting stripes with an interrogating light beam as the member moves past the electrooptical monitoring means, and for serially receiving back pulses of light returned by the coded patterns of light-reflecting stripes are deriving serially coded electrical output signals therefrom representative of the data encoded on the moveable members, said electro-optical monitoring means comprising a common source of illumination, first fiber optic light transmitting means having multiple branch paths for directing light from said common source of illumination onto the characteristic coded patterns of light reflecting and nonreflecting stripes of the respective moveable members, second fiber optic light receiving means having multiple branch paths for receiving light pulses reflected from the patterns of light reflecting stripes on the respective members and directing the received light pulses to a common readout point, and a single common electro-optic converting element located at the common readout point and having the light output from the second fiber optic light receiving means directed thereon for converting the intelligence contained in the received pulses of reflected light into coded electrical signals representative of the data encoded on the moveable members.