Apparatus for reading randomly positioned data

Claim 2

In a device for reading information in a data field having at least one straight marker track and including a recognition marking with a straight contrasting edge extending parallel to the track in particular relation thereto, the data field having random position and/or random orientation when presented for reading in a particular area, the combination comprising: data reading means disposed for reading information as recorded in the track of a data field; first means positioned in relation to the particular area and producing an image of at least a portion of the particular area, including an image of a marker track and an image of a recognition marking of a data field when in the portion of the particular area; second means disposed in relation to the first means and responsive to position of the images of the recognition marking and of the marker track in relation to the data reading means and including detector means arranged along a straight line; third means operated by the second means and controlling the first means to adjust the relative position of the data reading means and of the image of the recognition marking, and including means (a) to provide a rotational adjustment and means (b) for providing lateral shift so that the image of the contrasting edge of the recognition marking extends along said straight line, parallel to a line through the data reading means, further including means operated by the second means and controlling the means (b) for the first means to provide a linear reversing relative displacement between the data track image and the data reading means along said line, colinear with the extension of the track image; means (c) first circuit means connected to the data reading means for processing readout signals as provided by the data reading means during relative movement between track image and data reading means under control of the means, (c); and second means connected to the first circuit means to test the validity of the data read, and to control repetition of data reading by the data reading means due to repeated passes of the data field image across the data reading means by operation of directional reversal as controlled by the means (c).

Claim 3

In a device as set forth in claim 1, at least one of the means (a), (b) and means (c) operating to provide oscillating movement of the image of the portion of the particular area relative to the second means and respectively transverse to and/or along said lines prior to detection of a recognition marking image by the second means.

Claim 4

In a device as in claim 2, the means (a) providing continuous rotation of the image of the portion of the particular area across the second means prior to detection of the recognition marking image by the second means.

Claim 5

In a device as in claim 1, the third means providing search motion to progressively couple the image of the particular area to the second means for detection of absence and presence of a data field therein.

Claim 6

In a device as in claim 4, the means (a) providing continuous rotational image sweep and oscillatiNg lateral motion to detect the absence or presence of a data field in the particular area.

Claim 7

In a device as in claim 4, the third means providing continuous lateral motion between the second means and the image of the particular area by operation of the means (b) and providing continuous transverse motion by operation of the means (c) at different frequencies.

Claim 8

In a device as in claim 1, the means (c) operating to cause relative oscillation of the data field image across the data reading means to obtain bidirectional readout.

Claim 9

In a device as in claim 7, the circuit means including first and second register means respectively for storing the readout signals separately for the two different directions of movement of the data field image across the data reading means.

Claim 10

In a device as in claim 8, the circuit means including data test means, and means for shifting the contents of the first and second register means in the same direction at different shift speeds so that comparable information characters appear at the end of each register to be compared in the test means as to agreement.

Claim 11

In a device as in claim 7, the recognition marking additionally identifying the approximate end of the track, the second means operating to restrict the oscillating amplitude to the approximate length of the track image.

Claim 12

In a device as in claim 1, the data field having particular marking identifying the direction of data recording on the track, the circuit means including circuit means(a) responsive to signals representing the distinguishing marking to obtain a correctly assembled data sequence.

Claim 13

In a device as in claim 11, the means (c) providing bidirectional oscillation between data track image and data read means, the circuit means including shift register means coupled to the data read means, the circuit means further including circuit means (b) connected to the farthest end of the shift register means to test presence of absence of signals representing the distinguishing marking.

Claim 14

In a device as in claim 12, the circuit means including second register means coupled to the data read means, and circuit means (c) connected to the farthest end of the second shift register means to detect absence or presence of the signals representing the distinguishing marking, to obtain read results in the two register means pursuant to reading in both directions.

Claim 15

In a device as in claim 1, the data field including at least two tracks, the data read means including correspondingly two read detectors, the circuit means including registers for separately receiving the read signals from the detectors, further including means to alternate the connection between the registers and the detectors in dependence upon the direction of motion as provided by the means (c).

Claim 16

In combination for reading, from a data carrier movable along a conveyor line, information in a data field having data markings for selectively identifying the data carrier and where the direction of disposition of data in the data field is identified by a straight recognition marking extending as a constrasting line along the data field and having length larger than the individual data marking on the data field: means for identifying data in the particular field; first means defining an optical path between the identifying means and a particular area along the conveyor line to optically relate the area, including the data field therein, to the identifying means; recognition means included in the optical path and responsive to the recognition marking for providing signals in accordance with the optical disposition of the recognition means relative to the recognition marking, and including a plurality of individual detectors arranged spaced-apart and along a straight line; second means responsive to the signals produced by the recognition means for adjusting the disposition of the recognition means relative to the recognition marking to provide and maintain a particular disposItion between the recognition means and the recognition marking, wherein the recognition marking as optically related, extends along said line, the second means including means to provide selective rotational adjustment of the optical relationship between the recognition means and the recognition marking so that the direction as optically related is colinear with the particular line as defined by the detectors of the recognition means; third means responsive to the signal produced by the recognition means for providing a linear, oscillatory relative displacement between the identifying means and the recognition means, on the one hand, and the recognition marking on the other hand, and along said line the displacement being effective along said direction colinear with said line as optically related by the first means, the identifying means operating for identifying data in the particular data field as optically related to the identifying means during said linear displacement.

Claim 17

In combination for reading, from a data carrier movable along a conveyor line, information in a data field having data markings for selectively identifying the data carrier and where the direction of disposition of data in the data field is identified by a straight recognition marking extending as a constrasting line along the data field and having length larger than the individual data marking on the data field: means for identifying data in the particular field; first means defining an optical path between the identifying means and a particular area along the conveyor line to optically relate the area, including the data field therein, to the identifying means; recognition means included in the optical path and responsive to the recognition marking for providing signals in accordance with the optical disposition of the recognition means relative to the recognition marking, and including a plurality of individual detectors arranged spaced-apart and along a straight line; second means responsive to the signals produced by the recognition means for adjusting the disposition of the recognition means relative to the recognition marking to provide and maintain a particular disposItion between the recognition means and the recognition marking, wherein the recognition marking as optically related, extends along said line, the second means including means to provide selective rotational adjustment of the optical relationship between the recognition means and the recognition marking so that the direction as optically related is colinear with the particular line as defined by the detectors of the recognition means; third means responsive to the signal produced by the recognition means for providing a linear, oscillatory relative displacement between the identifying means and the recognition means, on the one hand, and the recognition marking on the other hand, and along said line the displacement being effective along said direction colinear with said line as optically related by the first means, the identifying means operating for identifying data in the particular data field as optically related to the identifying means during said linear displacement.

Claim 18

The combination as in claim 15, the recognition marking defining additionally the approximate length of the data field, the third means operating to restrict the linear displacement to a distance similar to the length as optically related by the first means.

Claim 19

The combination as in claim 15, the recognition means including a detector outside of said line for particularly controlling the rotational adjustment.

Claim 20

In combination for reading from a data carrier in a data field selectively identifying the data carrier, where the data field is identified by a recognition marking and is disposed in substantially rectangular boundaries: means for identifying information in the data field; first means defining an optical path between the identifying means and a particular area to optically relate the area, including the data field therein, to the identifying means; recognition means included in the optical path and responsive to the recognition marking and including a plurality of detectors arranged along a line, and an additional detector positioned in relation to said line but outside of that line and at a distance therefrom smaller than the long side of the rectangular data field but larger than the small side thereof and as optically related by the first means; second means for providing an adjustment of the optical relationship between the recognition marking and the first means to obtain a particular relationship in accordance with the relative characteristics of the signals produced on the recognition means by the recognition marking, the particular relationship defined by alignment of one long side of the rectangular boundaries with the line of the detectors, and including rotational adjustment in particular response to the additional detector; third means operating in response to the recognition means for providing a linear displacement of the optical relationship between the recognition means and the recognition marking along said line to obtain corresponding colinear displacement of the optical relationship between the identifying means and the data field; and fourth means connected to the identifying means for recovering the information selectively disposed in the data field on the data carrier during the linear movement of the optically related data field and identifying means.

Claim 21

In combination for reading from a data carrier in a data field selectively identifying the data carrier, where the data field is identified by a recognition marking and is disposed in substantially rectangular boundaries: means for identifying information in the data field; first means defining an optical path between the identifying means and a particular area to optically relate the area, including the data field therein, to the identifying means; recognition means included in the optical path and responsive to the recognition marking and including a plurality of detectors arranged along a line, and an additional detector positioned in relation to said line but outside of that line and at a distance therefrom smaller than the long side of the rectangular data field but larger than the small side thereof and as optically related by the first means; second means for providing an adjustment of the optical relationship between the recognition marking and the first means to obtain a particular relationship in accordance with the relative characteristics of the signals produced on the recognition means by the recognition marking, the particular relationship defined by alignment of one long side of the rectangular boundaries with the line of the detectors, and including rotational adjustment in particular response to the additional detector; third means operating in response to the recognition means for providing a linear displacement of the optical relationship between the recognition means and the recognition marking along said line to obtain corresponding colinear displacement of the optical relationship between the identifying means and the data field; and fourth means connected to the identifying means for recovering the information selectively disposed in the data field on the data carrier during the linear movement of the optically related data field and identifying means.

Claim 22

The combination as in claim 18, the data field defined by a plurality of data tracks, the identifying means comprising a corresponding plurality of read detectors, the fourth means including means responsive to signals provided by the read detectors to distinguish direction of data field reading, the third means providing oscillatory linear displacement.

Claim 23

The combination as in claim 18, the recognition means including a plurality of detectors arranged along a line, and an additional detector disposed adjacent said line but outside thereof and at a distance therefrom smaller than the small side of the rectangular data field as optically related by thE first means, the third means providing oscillatory displacement of the optical relationship between the recognition means and the recognition marking along said line of detectOrs and between positions as defined when one or the other small side of the rectangle as optically related by the first means is about tangent with the additional detector.

Claim 24

The combination as in claim 18, the fourth means including means to derive from the signals as provided by the identifying means, representation of the data field orientation, and to provide for particular control of repetition of reading.

Claim 25

A combination as set forth in claim 21, the reading being repeated during linear displacement of the optical relationship between the recognition means and the recognition marking as well as the data field, in opposite direction as compared with previous direction.

Claim 26

The combination as set forth in claim 21, and including means to reorient the data field as optically related by the first means to the recognition means and the identifying means, to obtain repetition of reading in relatively opposite direction as compared to the direction or reading prior to the reorienting step.

Claim 27

In a device for reading information in a data field having at least one marker track and including a recognition marking extending parallel to the track in particular relation thereto, the data field having random position and/or random orientation when presented for reading in a particular area, the combination comprising: data reading means disposed for reading information as recorded in the track of a data field; first means positioned in relation to the particular area and producing an image of at least a portion of the particular area, including an image of a marker track and an image of a recognition marking of a data field when in the portion of the particular area; second means disposed in relation to the first means and response to position of the images of the recognition marking and of the marker track in relation to the data reading means; third means operated by the second means and controlling the first means to adjust the relative position of the data reading means and of the image of the recognition marking, and including forth means to provide a rotational adjustment and lateral shift so that the image of the recognition marking extends colinear with or parallel to a line through the data reading means, further including fifth means operated by the second means and controlling the first means to provide a linear, reversing, relative displacement between the data track image and the data reading means colinear with the extension of the track image and of the recognition marking image along said line; circuit means connected to the data reading means for processing readout signals as provided by the data reading means during relative movement and in opposite directions between track image and data reading means under control of the fifth means, the circuit means including first and second register means respectively for storing the readout signals separately for the two different directions of movement of the data field image across the data reading means; and data test means included in the circuit means, and there being means for shifting the contents of the first and second register means in the same direction at different shift speeds so that comparable information characters appear at the end of each register to be compared in the test means as to agreement.

Claim 28

In a device for reading information in a data field having at least one marker track and including a recognition marking extending parallel to the track in particular relation thereto, the data field having random position and/or random orientation when presented for reading in a particular area, the combination comprising: data reading means disposed for reading information as recorded in the track of a data field; first means positioned in relation to the particular area and producing an image of at least a portion of the particular area, including an image of a marker track and an image of a recognition marking of a data field when in the portion of the particular area; second means disposed in relation to the first means and response to position of the images of the recognition marking and of the marker track in relation to the data reading means; third means operated by the second means and controlling the first means to adjust the relative position of the data reading means and of the image of the recognition marking, and including forth means to provide a rotational adjustment and lateral shift so that the image of the recognition marking extends colinear with or parallel to a line through the data reading means, further including fifth means operated by the second means and controlling the first means to provide a linear, reversing, relative displacement between the data track image and the data reading means colinear with the extension of the track image and of the recognition marking image along said line; circuit means connected to the data reading means for processing readout signals as provided by the data reading means during relative movement and in opposite directions between track image and data reading means under control of the fifth means, the circuit means including first and second register means respectively for storing the readout signals separately for the two different directions of movement of the data field image across the data reading means; and data test means included in the circuit means, and there being means for shifting the contents of the first and second register means in the same direction at different shift speeds so that comparable information characters appear at the end of each register to be compared in the test means as to agreement.