Apparatus for producing optical patterns

Claim 2

Apparatus for producing a selective optical pattern matrix presentation of coded digital data at a surface having illumination impinging thereon comprising: said surface having a plurality of apertures defining an optical pattern matrix presenting area on said surface and within the illumination impinging area of said surface, an individual chamber means in optical communication with each said aperture, each chamber means comprising a nonreflective chamber portion defined by wall members at least some of which are substantially nonreflective to minimize reflection out of said aperture of any surface impinging illumination which enters said aperture, and illumination means contained in each chamber means within a lamp chamber portion in optical communication with said chamber means nonreflective portion to selectively supply illumination thereto which is visible at said surface through said aperture when said illumination is lit, said selective supply of illumination and lack thereof at said surface for each chamber means enabling the selective optical pattern to be presented at said surface.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said surface is substantially reflective of illumination which impinges thereon.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1, whErein said lamp chamber portion is separated from said nonreflective chamber portion by an illumination transmissive member.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said nonreflective chamber portion is disposed beneath said surface in optical alignment with said aperture; and said lamp chamber portion is disposed beneath said nonreflective chamber portion in optical alignment with said aperture.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for making a record of data together with a selective pattern matrix of digital code elements and including a reflective surface for receiving data to be recorded along with said digital code matrix, a camera located a distance spaced from the reflective surface and directed toward the reflective surface for record making purposes, and a source of illumination directed toward the surface to illuminate the data, the improvement comprising: said reflective surface having a plurality of apertures therein at a location corresponding to the matrix of digital code elements to be recorded by the camera from said reflective surface; each said aperture being in optical communication with an individual chamber means disposed beneath the reflective surface; and an individual digital code element illumination means in a lamp chamber portion of each chamber means to selectively supply to each said chamber means illumination which is visible to the camera through said aperture; each said chamber means having a nonreflective chamber portion defined by wall members at least some of which are substantially nonreflective so as to be substantially nonreflective of any said surface directed illumination which enters said chamber means through said aperture so that each said aperture appears to the camera as a dark digital code element in contrast with the reflective surface when said digital code element illumination means for that aperture is inoperative and so that said aperture appears to the camera as a lighted digital code substantially nondiscernible in contrast with the reflective surface when the digital code element illumination means for that aperture is operative to supply illumination to said chamber means.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for making a record of data together with a selective pattern matrix of digital code elements and including a reflective surface for receiving data to be recorded along with said digital code matrix, a camera located a distance spaced from the reflective surface and directed toward the reflective surface for record making purposes, and a source of illumination directed toward the surface to illuminate the data, the improvement comprising: said reflective surface having a plurality of apertures therein at a location corresponding to the matrix of digital code elements to be recorded by the camera from said reflective surface; each said aperture being in optical communication with an individual chamber means disposed beneath the reflective surface; and an individual digital code element illumination means in a lamp chamber portion of each chamber means to selectively supply to each said chamber means illumination which is visible to the camera through said aperture; each said chamber means having a nonreflective chamber portion defined by wall members at least some of which are substantially nonreflective so as to be substantially nonreflective of any said surface directed illumination which enters said chamber means through said aperture so that each said aperture appears to the camera as a dark digital code element in contrast with the reflective surface when said digital code element illumination means for that aperture is inoperative and so that said aperture appears to the camera as a lighted digital code substantially nondiscernible in contrast with the reflective surface when the digital code element illumination means for that aperture is operative to supply illumination to said chamber means.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein: said nonreflective chamber portion is disposed beneath said reflective surface in optical alignment with said aperture; said lamp chamber portion is disposed beneath said nonreflective chamber portion in optical alignment with said aperture; and said nonreflective chamber portion is separated from said lamp chamber portion by an illumination transmissive member.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein: said illumination transmissive member is disposed beneath said surface a distance which is sufficient to cause rays of any surface directed illumination and entering said nonreflective chamber portion through said aperture to strike said nonreflective walls and not said illumination transmissive member in at least sufficient measure that said aperture appears to the camera to be without illumination when said digital code element illumination means in said lamp chamber is inoperative.