Electrooptical device for discriminating a predetermined pattern from others by detecting preselected color changes identifying the pattern

Claim 1

A device for electrooptically discriminating a specific pattern from other patterns, said specific pattern including a frame of predetermined size and color on a background of another predetermined size and color on a background of another predetermined color, comprising: first means for producing color distinction electric signals representative of the color distinction between said pattern frame and said background colors, and second means responsive to said electric signals for measuring the spatial distance between the locations of the said color distinctions, wherein said first means comprises: means for scanning said patterns and background to produce color indicative rays, photoelectric means, responsive to the rays of a set of predetermined color components incident thereon, for producing color analog electric signals representative of the intensities of the rays of the respective ones of said color components, the substantial component of each of said pattern and said background colors being at least one of said color components, a color detector responsive to said color analog signals for producing color logical electric signals for the respective ones of said color components and for a combination of at least two of said color components, each said color logical signals assuming a predetermined level when the intensity of the rays of the concerned at least one of said color components incident on said photoelectric means is stronger than the intensity predetermined for each of the concerned ones of said color components, said color detector comprising potentiometer means for producing allowance electric signals determinative of the intensities predetermined for said color components and for said combination of at least two of said color components, and means responsive to said color logical signals produced in response to the rays incident on said photoelectric means from a zone of said pattern color and a contiguous zone of said background color for producing said color distinction signals.

Claim 2

A device for electrooptically discriminating a specific pattern from other patterns, said specific pattern including a frame of predetermined size and color on a background of another predetermined size and color on a background of another predetermined color, comprising: first means for producing color distinction electric signals representative of the color distinction between said pattern frame and said background colors, and second means responsive to said electric signals for measuring the spatial distance between the locations of the said color distinctions, wherein said first means comprises: means for scanning said patterns and background to produce color indicative rays, photoelectric means, responsive to the rays of a set of predetermined color components incident thereon, for producing color analog electric signals representative of the intensities of the rays of the respective ones of said color components, the substantial component of each of said pattern and said background colors being at least one of said color components, a color detector responsive to said color analog signals for producing color logical electric signals for the respective ones of said color components and for a combination of at least two of said color components, each said color logical signals assuming a predetermined level when the intensity of the rays of the concerned at least one of said color components incident on said photoelectric means is stronger than the intensity predetermined for each of the concerned ones of said color components, said color detector comprising potentiometer means for producing allowance electric signals determinative of the intensities predetermined for said color components and for said combination of at least two of said color components, and means responsive to said color logical signals produced in response to the rays incident on said photoelectric means from a zone of said pattern color and a contiguous zone of said background color for producing said color distinction signals.

Claim 4

A device for electrooptically recognizing a pattern including a frame provided with a zone of a predetermined pattern color and of at least a predetermined frame width on a background provided with a zone of a predetermined background color and of at least a predetermined background width, said background zone being contiguous to said frame zone, the bounding lines between the contiguous frame and background zones being spaced apart by a predetermined distance, comprising: first means for relatively scanning a given pattern provided on a given background with a light beam, second means responsive to the light beam modified by that portion of said given pattern and background which is colored in each of said pattern and background colors for producing a first color electric signals of a duration proportional to the width of each of said portions, third means responsive to each said first color signals for producing second color electric signals when the duration of each said first color signal exceeds a predetermined duration, fourth means responsive to said second color signals for producing color distinction electric signals representative of the color change when a portion colored in one of said pattern and said background colors and another portion colored in the other of said pattern and said background colors are contiguously scanned, and fifth means responsive to said color distinction signals for measuring the spatial distance between the bounding lines across which the color of the contiguous portions vary from said background color to said pattern color and from said pattern color to said background color.

Claim 5

A device for electrooptically recognizing a pattern including a frame provided with a zone of a predetermined pattern color and of at least a predetermined frame width on a background provided with a zone of a predetermined background color and of at least a predetermined background width, said background zone being contiguous to said frame zone, the bounding lines between the contiguous frame and background zones being spaced apart by a predetermined distance, comprising: first means for relatively scanning a given pattern provided on a given background with a light beam, second means responsive to the light beam modified by that portion of said given pattern and background which is colored in each of said pattern and background colors for producing a first color electric signals of a duration proportional to the width of each of said portions, third means responsive to each said first color signals for producing second color electric signals when the duration of each said first color signal exceeds a predetermined duration, fourth means responsive to said second color signals for producing color distinction electric signals representative of the color change when a portion colored in one of said pattern and said background colors and another portion colored in the other of said pattern and said background colors are contiguously scanned, and fifth means responsive to said color distinction signals for measuring the spatial distance between the bounding lines across which the color of the contiguous portions vary from said background color to said pattern color and from said pattern color to said background color.

Claim 6

A device for electrooptically detecting a predetermined pattern from a plurality of patterns, said predetermined pattern being positioned on a background of predetermined background color, said predetermined pattern including a generally rectangular frame area of preselected size and color, at least two parallel sides of said frame being of a predetermined width and spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, said background including a margin zone extending outwardly from each of said at least two parallel sides at least a predetermined margin width comprising: means for scanning said patterns and background to produce rays characteristic of the colors in said patterns and background, means responsive to said rays for producing a first critical boundary recognition signal when said rays indicate said background color extending over said margin width contiguous to said predetermined frame color extending over said predetermined side width, and a second critical boundary recognition signal when said rays indicate said predetermined frame color extending over said predetermined side width contiguous to said background color extending over said margin width, and means responsive to said critical boundary recognition signals for determining the spatial distance between the locations on the scanned background and patterns giving rise to said recognition signals.

Claim 7

A device for electrooptically detecting a predetermined pattern from a plurality of patterns, said predetermined pattern being positioned on a background of predetermined background color, said predetermined pattern including a generally rectangular frame area of preselected size and color, at least two parallel sides of said frame being of a predetermined width and spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, said background including a margin zone extending outwardly from each of said at least two parallel sides at least a predetermined margin width comprising: means for scanning said patterns and background to produce rays characteristic of the colors in said patterns and background, means responsive to said rays for producing a first critical boundary recognition signal when said rays indicate said background color extending over said margin width contiguous to said predetermined frame color extending over said predetermined side width, and a second critical boundary recognition signal when said rays indicate said predetermined frame color extending over said predetermined side width contiguous to said background color extending over said margin width, and means responsive to said critical boundary recognition signals for determining the spatial distance between the locations on the scanned background and patterns giving rise to said recognition signals.

Claim 8

A method for discriminating a predetermined pattern from a plurality of patterns situated on a background comprising: a. providing said predetermined pattern with a frame area of preselected size and color, said frame including at least two parallel sides of predetermined width and spaced a predetermined distance from each other, b. preselecting the color of said background area, and providing said background area with a margin zone extending outwardly from said parallel sides a predetermined margin width, c. scanning the patterns and background to detect the colors therein and the width of the color areas, d. detecting the boundary lines between a first color area having a predetermined width and being of a color corresponding to either the preselected frame color or background color and a second color area having a predetermined width and being of a color corresponding to either the preselected frame color or background color while being of a color different from the color of said first area, and e. measuring the distance between said boundary lines.

Claim 9

A method for discriminating a predetermined pattern from a plurality of patterns situated on a background comprising: a. providing said predetermined pattern with a frame area of preselected size and color, said frame including at least two parallel sides of predetermined width and spaced a predetermined distance from each other, b. preselecting the color of said background area, and providing said background area with a margin zone extending outwardly from said parallel sides a predetermined margin width, c. scanning the patterns and background to detect the colors therein and the width of the color areas, d. detecting the boundary lines between a first color area having a predetermined width and being of a color corresponding to either the preselected frame color or background color and a second color area having a predetermined width and being of a color corresponding to either the preselected frame color or background color while being of a color different from the color of said first area, and e. measuring the distance between said boundary lines.

Claim 10

A device for electrooptically discriminating a specific pattern from other patterns, said specific pattern including a frame of predetermined size and color on a background of another predetermined color, comprising: first means for producing color distinction electric signals representative of the color distinction between said pattern frame and said background colors, and second means responsive to said electric signals for measuring the spacial distance between the locations of said color distinctions, said first means comprising: means for scanning the patterns and background with a light source to produce color distinctive rays, first color signal means responsive to the rays of each of the pattern and background colors produced in response to the light rays, for producing first color electric signals representative of the width of each color zone scanned, second color signal means responsive to said first color signals for producing second color electric signals when each said width is at least a predetermined width, said second color signal means including integrator means responsive to each of said first color signals for producing an integration electric signal whose amplitude does not grow above a predetermined level when the width of the given zone represented by the supplied first color signal is smaller than a predetermined width and whose amplitude builds up beyond said predetermined level and then saturates when the width of the last mentioned given zone is at least said predetermined width, the amplitude of said integration signal rapidly falling to zero when the supplied first color signal disappears, and slicer means responsive to said integration signal for producing said color signals when the amplitude of said integration signal is larger than said predetermined level, and distinction signal means responsive to said second color signals for producing said color distinction signals when zones of predetermined colors are contiguous to each other.

Claim 11

A device for electrooptically discriminating a specific pattern from other patterns, said specific pattern including a frame of predetermined size and color on a background of another predetermined color, comprising: first means for producing color distinction electric signals representative of the color distinction between said pattern frame and said background colors, and second means responsive to said electric signals for measuring the spacial distance between the locations of said color distinctions, said first means comprising: means for scanning the patterns and background with a light source to produce color distinctive rays, first color signal means responsive to the rays of each of the pattern and background colors produced in response to the light rays, for producing first color electric signals representative of the width of each color zone scanned, second color signal means responsive to said first color signals for producing second color electric signals when each said width is at least a predetermined width, said second color signal means including integrator means responsive to each of said first color signals for producing an integration electric signal whose amplitude does not grow above a predetermined level when the width of the given zone represented by the supplied first color signal is smaller than a predetermined width and whose amplitude builds up beyond said predetermined level and then saturates when the width of the last mentioned given zone is at least said predetermined width, the amplitude of said integration signal rapidly falling to zero when the supplied first color signal disappears, and slicer means responsive to said integration signal for producing said color signals when the amplitude of said integration signal is larger than said predetermined level, and distinction signal means responsive to said second color signals for producing said color distinction signals when zones of predetermined colors are contiguous to each other.

Claim 12

A device for electrooptically discriminating a specific pattern from other patterns, said specific pattern being positioned on a background of a predetermined background color and having a frame of a predetermined frame color, said frame having an outline including a pair of substantially parallel sides spaced apart by a predetermined distance, said frame extending inwardly of said outline at least a predetermined frame width from each of said sides, said background having a pair of margin zones extending outwardly of said outline at least a predetermined margin width from said sides, respectively, comprising: scanning means for relatively scanning said patterns and background substantially perpendicular to said sides at a predetermined rate to produce rays characteristic of the colors in said patterns and background and of the widths of said frame and said margin zones, first means responsive to said rays for producing a first and a second color distinction signal when said scanning means relatively scans a first zone of said predetermined background color having at least said margin width and then a second zone of said predetermined frame color having at least said frame width and when said scanning means scans a third zone of said frame color having at least said frame width immediately followed by a fourth zone of said background color having at least said margin width, respectively, and second means responsive to said first and second color distinctive electric signals for producing a recognition signal discriminative of said specific pattern when said first means produces said first and second color distinctive electric signals with an interval corresponding to said distance.

Claim 13

A device for electrooptically discriminating a specific pattern from other patterns, said specific pattern being positioned on a background of a predetermined background color and having a frame of a predetermined frame color, said frame having an outline including a pair of substantially parallel sides spaced apart by a predetermined distance, said frame extending inwardly of said outline at least a predetermined frame width from each of said sides, said background having a pair of margin zones extending outwardly of said outline at least a predetermined margin width from said sides, respectively, comprising: scanning means for relatively scanning said patterns and background substantially perpendicular to said sides at a predetermined rate to produce rays characteristic of the colors in said patterns and background and of the widths of said frame and said margin zones, first means responsive to said rays for producing a first and a second color distinction signal when said scanning means relatively scans a first zone of said predetermined background color having at least said margin width and then a second zone of said predetermined frame color having at least said frame width and when said scanning means scans a third zone of said frame color having at least said frame width immediately followed by a fourth zone of said background color having at least said margin width, respectively, and second means responsive to said first and second color distinctive electric signals for producing a recognition signal discriminative of said specific pattern when said first means produces said first and second color distinctive electric signals with an interval corresponding to said distance.