Electronic pattern recognition

Claim 2

A real time repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames; means for selectively storing the digital signature of a predetermined plurality of scan lines in a predetermined frame; means for correlating the stored digital signature signal with the digital signature signal of a plurality of scan lines of a subsequent frame, and said last named means including means for averaging the correlation result to ascertain the degree of similarity between the stored digital signature signal and the digital signature signal of scan lines of subsequent frames.

Claim 3

A real time repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames, means for selectively storing the digital signature signals of a predetermined plurality of scan lines in a predetermined frame, and means for correlating said stored digital signature signals with the digital signature signals of a plurality of scan lines of a subsequent frame, said correlating means including means for averaging the correlation of each of said stored digital signature signals.

Claim 4

A real time repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames, means for selectively storing the digital signature signals of a predetermined plurality of scan lines in a predetermined frame, and means for correlating said stored digital signature signals with the digital signature signals of a plurality of scan lines of a subsequent frame, said correlating means including means for averaging the correlation of each of said stored digital signature signals.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2 including early/late coincidence detecting means for bit-by-bit comparison of said stored digital signature signal with the digital signature signal of a family of corresponding scan lines of a subsequent frame.

Claim 6

The system of claim 2 wherein said source comprises: a television camera for generating an analog video image signature signal; and means for processing said analog video signature signal to remove horizontal and vertical sync signals and to convert said analog video image signature signal into a digital signature signal.

Claim 7

The system of claim 2 including gating means for limiting the storing and correlating of said digital signature signals to a selected portion of said repetitive scan pattern.

Claim 8

The system of claim 2 wherein said correlation means includes means for generating a first signal having an amplitude related to the bit-by-bit coincidence of said stored digital signature signal and each of the digital signature signals of a predetermined plurality of scan lines within a subsequent frame symmetrically positioned about the scan line corresponding to the scan line of said stored digital signature signals.

Claim 9

A real time repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames, said source comprising a television camera for generating an analog video image signature signal, means for procesSing said analog video signature signal to remove horizontal and vertical sync signals and to convert said analog video image signature signal into a digital signature signal, said processing means including means in series circuit for identifying the leading and trailing edges of a contrast level change in said analog video image signature signal, bandpass filtering means, and pulse width discrimination means, means for selectively storing the digital signature of a predetermined scan line in a predetermined frame, and means for correlating said stored digital signature signal with the digital signature signal of a plurality of scan lines of a subsequent frame.

Claim 10

A real time repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames, said source comprising a television camera for generating an analog video image signature signal, means for procesSing said analog video signature signal to remove horizontal and vertical sync signals and to convert said analog video image signature signal into a digital signature signal, said processing means including means in series circuit for identifying the leading and trailing edges of a contrast level change in said analog video image signature signal, bandpass filtering means, and pulse width discrimination means, means for selectively storing the digital signature of a predetermined scan line in a predetermined frame, and means for correlating said stored digital signature signal with the digital signature signal of a plurality of scan lines of a subsequent frame.

Claim 11

A real time repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames, means for selectively storing the digital signature of a predetermined scan line in a predetermined frame, means for correlating said stored digital signature signal with the digital signature signal of a plurality of scan lines of a subsequent frame, said correlation means including means for generating a first signal having an amplitude related to the bit-by-bit coincidence of said stored digital signature signal and each of the digital signature signals of a predetermined plurality of scan lines within a subsequent frame symmetrically positioned about the scan line corresponding to the scan line of said stored digital signature signals, said correlation means further comprising means for generating a second signal responsively to the favorable comparison of each of said first signals with the greatest amplitude of the preceding ones of said generated first signals, and means for determining the number of unfavorable comparisons subsequent to the generation of the last of said second signals.

Claim 12

A real time repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames, means for selectively storing the digital signature of a predetermined scan line in a predetermined frame, means for correlating said stored digital signature signal with the digital signature signal of a plurality of scan lines of a subsequent frame, said correlation means including means for generating a first signal having an amplitude related to the bit-by-bit coincidence of said stored digital signature signal and each of the digital signature signals of a predetermined plurality of scan lines within a subsequent frame symmetrically positioned about the scan line corresponding to the scan line of said stored digital signature signals, said correlation means further comprising means for generating a second signal responsively to the favorable comparison of each of said first signals with the greatest amplitude of the preceding ones of said generated first signals, and means for determining the number of unfavorable comparisons subsequent to the generation of the last of said second signals.

Claim 13

The system of claim 8 wherein said second signal generating means comprises: a voltage comparator, storage means, means for applying said first signal to one terminal of said voltage comparator, and first gate means for applying said first signal to said storage means when enabled, said first gate means being enabled in response to a favorable comparison in said voltage comparator of the amplitude of said first signal to the amplitude of the signal stored in said storage means.

Claim 14

The system of claim 8 wherein said unfavorable comparison determining means comprises: a shift register having a capacity equal to said predetermined plurality of comparisons, circuit means responsive to the first favorable comparison for loading a signal having a first amplitude into said shift register upon each subsequent favorable comparison and for loading a signal of a second amplitude into said shift register upon each unfavorable comparison, and second gate means for detecting the absence of signals of said first amplitude in said shift register.

Claim 15

The system of claim 8 including means for processing said analog video signature signals to remove horizontal and vertical sync signals and to convert said analog video image signature signal into a digital signature signal; early/late coincidence detecting means for bit-by-bit comparison of said stored digital signature signal with the digital signature signal of the corresponding scan line of a subsequent frame; and gating means for limiting the storing and correlation of said digital signature signals to a selected portion of said repetitive scan pattern; said determining means comprising a shift register having a capacity equal to said predetermined plurality of said comparisons, circuit means for loading a signal of a first amplitude into said shift register upon each favorable comparison and for loading a signal of a second amplitude into said shift register upon each unfavorable comparison, and second gate means for detecting the absence of signals of said first amplitude in said shift register; said source comprising a television camera for generating an analog video image signature signal.

Claim 16

A repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames; means for selectively storing the digital signature signal of a predetermined plurality of scan lines in a predetermined frame; early/late coincidence detecting means for bit-by-bit comparison of the stored digital signature signal of each of said predetermined plurality of scan lines with the digital signature signal of the corresponding scan line in a subsequent frame; and means for averaging the early/late coincidence of said scan line comparisons.

Claim 17

A repetitive scan pattern recognition system comprising: a source of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames; means for selectively storing the digital signature signal of a predetermined plurality of scan lines in a predetermined frame; early/late coincidence detecting means for bit-by-bit comparison of the stored digital signature signal of each of said predetermined plurality of scan lines with the digital signature signal of the corresponding scan line in a subsequent frame; and means for averaging the early/late coincidence of said scan line comparisons.

Claim 18

The system of claim 12 wherein said source comprises: a television camera for generating an analog video image signature signal, and means for removing sync signals from said analog video image signature signal and for converting said analog video image signature signal into a digital video signature signal; and including means for limiting the storing and comparison of the digital video signature signal to a selected position of said repetitive scan pattern.

Claim 19

The real time method of pattern recognition comprising the steps of: a. generating a plurality of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames; b. selectively storing the digital signature signals of a predetermined plurality of scan lines within a predetermined frame; c. comparing the digital signature signals of each of the stored scan lines with the digital signature signal of a plurality of scan lines in predetermined relative positions in a subsequent frame; and d. averaging the displacement in position from the corresponding scan line of the best of the comparisons of each of the stored digital signature signals.

Claim 20

The real time method of pattern recognition comprising the steps of: a. generating a plurality of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames; b. selectively storing the digital signature signals of a predetermined plurality of scan lines within a predetermined frame; c. comparing the digital signature signals of each of the stored scan lines with the digital signature signal of a plurality of scan lines in predetermined relative positions in a subsequent frame; and d. averaging the displacement in position from the corresponding scan line of the best of the comparisons of each of the stored digital signature signals.

Claim 21

The method of claim 14 wherein the stored digital signature signal of each scan line is compared with the generated digital signature signals of the corresponding scan line in a subsequent frame and with the generated digital signature signals of a plurality of scan lines disposed symmetrically thereto.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15 wherein the degree of coincidence of each comparison is measured against the highest degree of coincidence of the previous comparisons of the stored digital signature signal of the same scan line, and wherein the number of unfavorable comparisons subsequent to a favorable comparison are counted to determine the displacement of maximum coincidence of the stored digital signature signal and the digital signature signal of the plurality of scan lines with which it is compared.

Claim 23

The real time method of pattern recognition comprising the steps of: a. generating a plurality of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames; b. selectively storing the digital signature signal of a predetermined plurality of scan lines within a predetermined frame; c. detecting the bit-by-bit early/late coincidence of each of the plurality of stored digital signature signals with the digital signature signal of the corresponding scan line in a subsequent frame; and d. averaging the early/late coincidence of each of the detections.

Claim 24

The real time method of pattern recognition comprising the steps of: a. generating a plurality of digital signature signals over a plurality of scan lines in successive frames; b. selectively storing the digital signature signal of a predetermined plurality of scan lines within a predetermined frame; c. detecting the bit-by-bit early/late coincidence of each of the plurality of stored digital signature signals with the digital signature signal of the corresponding scan line in a subsequent frame; and d. averaging the early/late coincidence of each of the detections.