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US3752963A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of and apparatus for interpreting a coded record

Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC
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Filing: 1972-04-12
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Granted: 1973-08-14
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Expires: 1992-04-12
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Abstract

Abstract A machine readable, binary coded record or label includes alternating bars and spaces of different reflectivity in which the widths of the bars and spaces are assigned one of two values representing a binary ''''1'''' or a binary ''''0''''. This record is scanned by an optical reader having a scanning aperture of known dimensions. When the record is scanned, the widths of the bars and spaces forming a complete code are individually and sequentially determined and stored in bar and space registers. During the scanning, the passage of the reader aperture over the leading or trailing edge of each bar and space results in a reader output signal having a slope related or proportional to the dimension of the aperture. This slope is determined by signal level detectors and is used to store a reference or standard value. This standard or reference value is compared with the stored widths of the individual bars and spaces to determine the 1 and 0 significance of the bars and spaces. In this manner, the establishment of a reference width value based on the scanning aperture size and its effect on the reader output signal renders record interpretation substantially independent of reading speed or apparent bar and space width.

Inventors

  • 👤 C Herrin

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 21:46
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/01; G06K7/016; G06K7/0166

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 109 words
A method of reading a record having code elements of different sizes with a reader having an optical scanning aperture of a known dimension which comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader so that the aperture passes over the code elements, establishing a first value in dependence on the interception of the code elements by the aperture and determined by the known dimension of the aperture, establishing a second value in dependence on the width of the code element determined by the relative movement between the reader aperture and the record, and comparing the first and second values to establish a code value.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 109 words
A method of reading a record having code elements of different sizes with a reader having an optical scanning aperture of a known dimension which comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader so that the aperture passes over the code elements, establishing a first value in dependence on the interception of the code elements by the aperture and determined by the known dimension of the aperture, establishing a second value in dependence on the width of the code element determined by the relative movement between the reader aperture and the record, and comparing the first and second values to establish a code value.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of interpreting a record encoded with binary values by means of code areas of different widths using a reader with a known optical scanning aperture which comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader to cause the aperture to pass over the areas, storing a first value in dependence on the time duration of the period during which the aperture intersects an edge of a code area, storing a second value in dependence on the time duration of the period during which the aperture is passing across the width of a code area, and comparing the first and second values to establish a binary value.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of interpreting a record encoded with binary values by means of code areas of different widths using a reader with a known optical scanning aperture which comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader to cause the aperture to pass over the areas, storing a first value in dependence on the time duration of the period during which the aperture intersects an edge of a code area, storing a second value in dependence on the time duration of the period during which the aperture is passing across the width of a code area, and comparing the first and second values to establish a binary value.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 104 words
A method of interpreting records encoded with code areas of different sizes using a reader with a scanner of a known dimension, which method comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader so that the scanner passes across the code areas, registering a first value determined by the dimension of the scanner as the relative movement is produced between the reader and the record, registering a second value determined by the size of a code area as relative movement is produced between the record and the reader, and comparing the first and second values to establish a code value.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 104 words
A method of interpreting records encoded with code areas of different sizes using a reader with a scanner of a known dimension, which method comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader so that the scanner passes across the code areas, registering a first value determined by the dimension of the scanner as the relative movement is produced between the reader and the record, registering a second value determined by the size of a code area as relative movement is produced between the record and the reader, and comparing the first and second values to establish a code value.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 140 words
A method of interpreting records encoded with discrete code areas of different sizes defined by edges using a reader with a scanner of known dimension, which method comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader to cause the areas to pass across the scanner, producing a signal resulting from the relative movement between the scanner and a code area, said signal having both a sloping portion dependent on the intersection of the edge of a code area by the scanner of known dimension and a width portion dependent on the size of the code area, registering a first value in dependence on the sloping portion of the signal, registering a second value in dependence on the width portion of the signal, and establishing a code value in dependence on the registered first and second values.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 140 words
A method of interpreting records encoded with discrete code areas of different sizes defined by edges using a reader with a scanner of known dimension, which method comprises the steps of producing relative movement between the record and the reader to cause the areas to pass across the scanner, producing a signal resulting from the relative movement between the scanner and a code area, said signal having both a sloping portion dependent on the intersection of the edge of a code area by the scanner of known dimension and a width portion dependent on the size of the code area, registering a first value in dependence on the sloping portion of the signal, registering a second value in dependence on the width portion of the signal, and establishing a code value in dependence on the registered first and second values.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 169 words
An apparatus for interpreting records encoded with code areas of different sizes representing different code values which comprises a reader having a scanning portion of a known dimension, the record and the reader being movable relative to each other so that the scanner passes across the code areas, first and second storage means, a first control circuit controlled by the reader and coupled to the first storage means for storing in the first storage means a value determined by the dimension of the scanner as relative movement is produced between the record and the reader, a second control circuit controlled by the reader and coupled to the second storage means for storing in the second storage means a value determined by the size of a code area as relative movement is produced between the record and the reader, and a third control circuit coupled to the first and second storage means for establishing a code value in dependence on the values stored in the first and second storage means.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 169 words
An apparatus for interpreting records encoded with code areas of different sizes representing different code values which comprises a reader having a scanning portion of a known dimension, the record and the reader being movable relative to each other so that the scanner passes across the code areas, first and second storage means, a first control circuit controlled by the reader and coupled to the first storage means for storing in the first storage means a value determined by the dimension of the scanner as relative movement is produced between the record and the reader, a second control circuit controlled by the reader and coupled to the second storage means for storing in the second storage means a value determined by the size of a code area as relative movement is produced between the record and the reader, and a third control circuit coupled to the first and second storage means for establishing a code value in dependence on the values stored in the first and second storage means.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 166 words
An apparatus for interpreting records encoded with code areas of different sizes representing different code values which comprises a reader having a scanner of a known dimension, the reader and the record being moved relative to each other so that the scanner is passed across the code areas, first means coupled to and controlled by the reader for providing a code area representing signal as the scanner moves across a code area, said signal having a sloping edge due to the dimension of the scanner, signal amplitude responsive means coupled to the first means and controlled by the sloping edge of the signal for determining the slope of said signal, first storage means controlled by the signal amplitude responsive means for storing a first value determined by said slope, second storage means controlled by the reader for storing a second value dependent on the size of the code area, and a control circuit controlled by the stored first and second values for establishing a code value.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 166 words
An apparatus for interpreting records encoded with code areas of different sizes representing different code values which comprises a reader having a scanner of a known dimension, the reader and the record being moved relative to each other so that the scanner is passed across the code areas, first means coupled to and controlled by the reader for providing a code area representing signal as the scanner moves across a code area, said signal having a sloping edge due to the dimension of the scanner, signal amplitude responsive means coupled to the first means and controlled by the sloping edge of the signal for determining the slope of said signal, first storage means controlled by the signal amplitude responsive means for storing a first value determined by said slope, second storage means controlled by the reader for storing a second value dependent on the size of the code area, and a control circuit controlled by the stored first and second values for establishing a code value.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 160 words
An apparatus for interpreting a record encoded with elongated areas of different width representing different code values which comprises a reader with an optical scanning aperture of known dimension, the reader and the record being moved relative to each other so that the aperture passes over the code areas transverse to their direction of elongation, circuit means coupled to the reader and responsive to the aperture passing over the code areas to provide code area representing signals having a sloping portion determined by the dimension of the aperture and a width representing portion determined by the width of the code areas, first means coupled to the circuit means for establishing a first value determined by the sloping portion of the signal, second means coupled to the circuit means for establishing a second value determined by the width representing portion of the signal, and means responsive to the relative values of the first and second values for establishing a code value.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 160 words
An apparatus for interpreting a record encoded with elongated areas of different width representing different code values which comprises a reader with an optical scanning aperture of known dimension, the reader and the record being moved relative to each other so that the aperture passes over the code areas transverse to their direction of elongation, circuit means coupled to the reader and responsive to the aperture passing over the code areas to provide code area representing signals having a sloping portion determined by the dimension of the aperture and a width representing portion determined by the width of the code areas, first means coupled to the circuit means for establishing a first value determined by the sloping portion of the signal, second means coupled to the circuit means for establishing a second value determined by the width representing portion of the signal, and means responsive to the relative values of the first and second values for establishing a code value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 73 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 7 in which the first means includes first and second signal amplitude responsive means supplied with the code area representing signal and providing first and second level representing signals when the amplitude of the code area representing signal is at two different levels, and gate means controlled by the first and second level representing signals for providing a slope signal representing the sloping portion of the signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 8 including a counter, a clock signal source, and means controlled by the slope signal for controlling the operation of the counter by the clock signal source to establish said first value.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 44 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 9 in which the second means includes an additional counter, and gate means controlled by the width representing portion of the code area representing signal for controlling the operation of said additional counter by said clock signal source.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 10 including a clock pulse dividing circuit coupled between the clock pulse source and said additional counter.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3309667A Cited
US3543007A Cited
US3643068A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

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

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