US3716700A — Instrument for automatically making evaluations f…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 123 words

Apparatus for automatically evaluating different recordings recorded along tracks of a diagram chart, said apparatus comprising carrier means for supporting the diagram chart; scanning means for scanning said recordings along said tracks; drive means for moving at least one of said diagram carrier means and said scanning means relative to the other at a predetermined speed, said scanning means having a plurality of sensing means arranged in a row transversely to said tracks so that each track is sensed by at least some of said plurality of sensing means; and a plurality of electronic circuit means connected to said scanning means and respectively correlated with said different recordings for recognizing and evaluating the same in response to signals received from said scanning means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 123 words

Apparatus for automatically evaluating different recordings recorded along tracks of a diagram chart, said apparatus comprising carrier means for supporting the diagram chart; scanning means for scanning said recordings along said tracks; drive means for moving at least one of said diagram carrier means and said scanning means relative to the other at a predetermined speed, said scanning means having a plurality of sensing means arranged in a row transversely to said tracks so that each track is sensed by at least some of said plurality of sensing means; and a plurality of electronic circuit means connected to said scanning means and respectively correlated with said different recordings for recognizing and evaluating the same in response to signals received from said scanning means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 123 words

Apparatus for automatically evaluating different recordings recorded along tracks of a diagram chart, said apparatus comprising carrier means for supporting the diagram chart; scanning means for scanning said recordings along said tracks; drive means for moving at least one of said diagram carrier means and said scanning means relative to the other at a predetermined speed, said scanning means having a plurality of sensing means arranged in a row transversely to said tracks so that each track is sensed by at least some of said plurality of sensing means; and a plurality of electronic circuit means connected to said scanning means and respectively correlated with said different recordings for recognizing and evaluating the same in response to signals received from said scanning means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 123 words

Apparatus for automatically evaluating different recordings recorded along tracks of a diagram chart, said apparatus comprising carrier means for supporting the diagram chart; scanning means for scanning said recordings along said tracks; drive means for moving at least one of said diagram carrier means and said scanning means relative to the other at a predetermined speed, said scanning means having a plurality of sensing means arranged in a row transversely to said tracks so that each track is sensed by at least some of said plurality of sensing means; and a plurality of electronic circuit means connected to said scanning means and respectively correlated with said different recordings for recognizing and evaluating the same in response to signals received from said scanning means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 56 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising generator means for generating time pulse having a frequency correlated to said predetermined speed of said drive means, said time pulses being selectively transmitted in one of said plurality of electronic circuit means in response to recognition of a corresponding recording associated with said one electronic circuit means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 25 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, the number of electronic circuit means is equal to the number of different types of recordingS to be evaluated.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 47 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein all of said electronic circuit means are connected in parallel with each other and are all commonly connected to said scanning means, whereby the latter is utilized to provide information regarding the recordings to all of said electronic circuit means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scanning means comprises a plurality of photo-sensors, the later being arranged adjacent to one another in a straight row in a direction perpendicular to the tracks, and the length of said row having a dimension greater than any recorded width to be evaluated, whereby each recording is always covered by at least some of said sensors.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 114 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said recordings include wide and narrow beam recordings and wherein one of said electronic circuit means comprises an electronic circuit for recognizing the wide beam recordings, an other of said electronic circuit means comprises an other electronic circuit for recognizing the narrow beam recordings, each of said electronic circuit means further comprising a plurality of counters each of which is connected to a respective electronic circuit, said time pulses being transmitted to a respective counter connected to one of said electronic circuits only in response to recognition of a corresponding beam recording by the latter to thereby record the total time the respective beam recordings are recognized.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said scanning means comprises a plurality of photo-sensors arranged in predetermined positions relative to the tracks and controllable by said beams, said electronic circuits including means for differentiating between wide and narrow beams in response to detection of said beams by said photo-sensors, such differentiation being dependent on the number and relative positions of the controlled photo-sensors.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said recordings include a sawtooth type recording, and wherein one of said electronic circuit means comprises an electronic circuit for recognizing the sawtooth type recordind, said electronic circuit generating a signal at each occurrence of a peak on said recording; and a counter connected to said electronic circuit for counting the number of peaks on said recording.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said scanning means comprises a plurality of photo-sensors, arranged in a row, the two end photo-sensors being utilized to recognize said peaks and transmitting initiating signals to said electronic circuit.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 143 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, further comprising first gate means connected between said one electronic circuit and its respective counter; second gate means connected between said other electronic circuit and its respective counter; standing counter means for counting the total time during which no time pulses are received by said former counters connected to said one and other electronic circuits; and third gate means connected to said standing counter means and having two inputs which are respectively connected to said first and second gate means, said generator means being connected to all said gate means for providing said time pulses thereto, said third gate means being enabled to transmit said time pulses to said standing counter means only when neither said first gate means and said second gate means connected to said electronic circuits transmit said time pulses to said respective counters.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 93 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the diagram chart is a tachograph chart having a first recording to indicate the driving condition of a vehicle and a second recording to indicate the off condition of the latter, and wherein at least one of said electronic circuit means comprises a circuit for summing up the total time the vehicle drives from said first recording, and at least one of said electronic circuit means comprises a circuit for summing up the total time the vehicle was in the off conditIon from said second recording.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 91 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the diagram chart is a tachograph chart having at least one recording to indicate the distance driven by a vehicle, the recording being in the form of a saw tooth type waveform having a plurality of peaks, and wherein at least one of said electronic circuit means comprises a recognition circuit for identifying said peaks from the information transmitted to the latter from said scanning means, and an evaluation circuit connected to said recognition circuit for calculating the total distance driven by the vehicle.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scanning station comprises a plurality of photo-sensors, and further comprising an optical lens system interposed between the diagram chart and said photo-sensors and having magnification, whereby said photo-sensors can be arranged in a straight row to sense the different recordings.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 36 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scanning means is movable in a direction perpendicular to the tracks relative to the diagram chart, to thereby make possible scanning of different tracks by said scanning means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said one electronic circuit comprises a plurality of gates interconnected to logically recognize the appearance of a narrow beam recording, said one electronic circuit including an output gate for generating a signal to said first gate means to thereby cause said time pulses too pass through the latter to the counter connected to said one electronic circuit.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 11 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said gates are NAND-gates.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 63 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said other electronic circuit comprises a plurality of gates connected to logically recognize the appearance of a wide recording, said other electronic circuit including an output gate for generating a signal to said second gate means to thereby cause said time pulses to pass through the latter to the counter connected to said other electronic circuit.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 19 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said output gate is a NOR-gate and the other gates are NAND-gates.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said recognition circuit comprises a plurality of flip-flops connected to said scanning means and arranged to logically detect preselected points of the sawtooth type waveform, at least two of these points being the peaks of the latter waveform, said flip-flops generating output pulses each time a preselected point is recognized.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 76 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said recognition circuit further comprises a plurality of gates, at least two of the latter being end-gates and the rest including intermediate gates, said end-gates being connected to said flip-flops arranged to detect the peaks, and the intermediate gates being connected to said flip-flops arranged to detect the other predetermined points, said gates being arranged to pass and block the transmission of said output pulses to said evaluation circuit.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said recognition circuit further comprises a control flip-flop which is connected to said intermediate gate to block the passage of output pulses through the latter after a peak has been detected, whereby thereafter only output pulses pass through said end gates.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 72 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein at least some of said gates are connected to said intermediate gates for detecting the states of the flip-flops arranged to detect the other predetermined points, said at least some of said gates ascertaining said states of said latter flip-flops in response to the detection of the last peak of the recording, whereby said evaluation circuit can increase the accuracy of the total distance evaluation.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 26 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said electronic circuit includes means for transmitting signals to said counter while recognizing said recording between two adjacent peaks.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 49 words

AppAratus as defined in claim 8, wherein said sawtooth type recording may have parts before the first peak and after the last peak, and said electronic circuit including means for generating signals in response to recognition of said recording parts, to thereby increase the accuracy of the distance evaluation.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-02-13	1976-08-14	1977-02-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-02-13	1980-08-14	1981-02-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-02-13	1984-08-14	1985-02-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Instrument for automatically making evaluations from recording charts

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