Electro-optical reader

Claim 2

A recognition system for reading encoded data carried by an object and moving with respect to a reading station along a travel path, comprising in combination: first means for receiving energy reflected from the encoded data to provide a first background image area from a first zone at the reading station, a code image area from a second zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the first zone, and a second background image area from a third zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the second reading zone; second means for deflecting energy reflected from the encoded data at the three zones of the reading station to said first means; third means coupled to said first means and responsive to the three image areas of the encoded data to generate electrical signals related to each of the image areas; and fourth means connected to receive the electrical signals for each of the image areas for a comparison of the electrical signals from the background image areas with the electrical signals from the code image area to generate a series of code related pulses representing the object carried encoded data.

Claim 3

A recognition system as set forth in claim 1 including an object lens for focusing energy reflected from the encoded data to said first means.

Claim 4

A recognition system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first means includes an image intensifier tube providing the image areas on a phosphor screen of the image intensifier tube.

Claim 5

A recognition system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second means includes deflection coils positioned with respect to the image intensifier tube to deflect light from the encoded data in accordance with an energizing voltage applied to said deflection coils.

Claim 6

A recognition system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said third means includes fiber optic elements for channeling light from the three image areas to an array of light sensitive sensors.

Claim 7

A recognition system for reading encoded data carried by an object moving with respect to a reading station along a travel path, comprising in combination: first means for receiving energy reflected from the encoded data to provide a first background image area from a first zone at the reading station, a code image area from a second zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the first zone, and a second background image area from a third zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the second reading zone; second means for deflecting energy reflected from the encoded data at the three zones of the reading station to said first means; third means connected to said second means to vary the magnitude of deflection imparted to the energy reflected from the encoded data; fourth means coupled to said first means and responsive to the three image areas of the encoded data to generate electrical signals related to each of the image areas; fifth means connected to receive the electrical signals and generate a varying voltage to said third means; and sixth means connected to receive the electrical signals for comparison of the signals of the background image areas with the signal of the code image area to generate a series of code related pulses representing the object carried encoded data.

Claim 8

A recognition system for reading encoded data carried by an object moving with respect to a reading station along a travel path, comprising in combination: first means for receiving energy reflected from the encoded data to provide a first background image area from a first zone at the reading station, a code image area from a second zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the first zone, and a second background image area from a third zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the second reading zone; second means for deflecting energy reflected from the encoded data at the three zones of the reading station to said first means; third means connected to said second means to vary the magnitude of deflection imparted to the energy reflected from the encoded data; fourth means coupled to said first means and responsive to the three image areas of the encoded data to generate electrical signals related to each of the image areas; fifth means connected to receive the electrical signals and generate a varying voltage to said third means; and sixth means connected to receive the electrical signals for comparison of the signals of the background image areas with the signal of the code image area to generate a series of code related pulses representing the object carried encoded data.

Claim 9

A recognition system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said fourth means includes fiber optic elements for channeling light from the three image areas to an array of light sensitive sensors.

Claim 10

A recognition system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said fourth means includes a first fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the first background image area, a second fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the code image area, and a third fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the second background image area.

Claim 11

A recognition system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said third means further includes circuit means connected to the light sensitive sensor of each fiber optic bundle for comparison of the signals of the background image areas with the signal from the code image area to generate a series of code related pulses representing the object carried encoded data.

Claim 12

A recognition system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first means includes an image intensifier tube providing the image areas on a phosphor screen of the image intensifier tube.

Claim 13

A recognition system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said second means includes deflection coils positioned with respect to the image intensifier tube and connected to said third means to deflect the energy reflected from the encoded data by an amount proportional to the varying voltage connected to the deflecting coils from said fifth means.

Claim 14

A recognition system for reading and tracking binary encoded data carried by a document moving along a track direction past a reading station, comprising in combination: first means for receiving light waves reflected from the binary encoded data as the document moves along the track direction, said first means providing a first background image area from a zone at the reading station, a code image area from a second zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the first zone, and a second background image area from a third zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the second reading zone; second means for deflecting the light waves reflected from the binary encoded data at the three zones of the reading station to said first means; third means connected to said second means to vary the magnitude of the deflection imparted to the light waves; fourth means coupled to said first means and responsive to the three image areas of the binary coded data to generate electrical signals related to each of the image areas; fifth means connected to receive the electrical signals to generate a varying contrOl voltage to said fourth means to maintain the image areas within a designated part of said first means; and sixth means connected to receive the electrical signals for each of the image areas to compare the signals of the background image areas with the signal of the code image areas to generate a series of code related pulses representing the binary encoded data on a moving document.

Claim 15

A recognition system for reading and tracking binary encoded data carried by a document moving along a track direction past a reading station, comprising in combination: first means for receiving light waves reflected from the binary encoded data as the document moves along the track direction, said first means providing a first background image area from a zone at the reading station, a code image area from a second zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the first zone, and a second background image area from a third zone at the reading station juxtapositioned the second reading zone; second means for deflecting the light waves reflected from the binary encoded data at the three zones of the reading station to said first means; third means connected to said second means to vary the magnitude of the deflection imparted to the light waves; fourth means coupled to said first means and responsive to the three image areas of the binary coded data to generate electrical signals related to each of the image areas; fifth means connected to receive the electrical signals to generate a varying contrOl voltage to said fourth means to maintain the image areas within a designated part of said first means; and sixth means connected to receive the electrical signals for each of the image areas to compare the signals of the background image areas with the signal of the code image areas to generate a series of code related pulses representing the binary encoded data on a moving document.

Claim 16

A recognition system as set forth in claim 12 including an object lens for focusing light waves from the binary coded data to said first means.

Claim 17

A recognition system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said first means includes an image intensifier tube providing the three image areas on a phosphor screen of the image intensifier tube.

Claim 18

A recognition system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said second means includes deflection coils positioned with respect to the image intensifier tube.

Claim 19

A recognition system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said third means includes circuit means for generating a voltage to said deflection coils to maintain the image areas in a preselected part of said phosphor screen as the document moves along the track direction.

Claim 20

A recognition system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said fourth means includes fiber optic bundles for channeling light from the three image areas to an array of light sensitive sensors.

Claim 21

A recognition system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said fiber optic bundles include a first bundle for transmitting light from the first background image area, a second bundle for transmitting light from the code image area and a third bundle for transmitting light from the second background image area, each to separate light sensitive sensors.

Claim 22

A recognition system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said fifth means includes circuit means for comparing the output of each of the respective light sensitive sensors of the background image area with the code image area to generate a series of code related pulses representing the binary encoded data.

Claim 23

A recognition system for reading and tracking binary encoded data carried by a document moving along a track direction, comprising in combination: first means for receiving light waves reflected from the binary encoded data as the document moves along the track direction path, said first means providing a first zone image area, a second zone image area and a third zone image area, second means for deflecting the light wave energy transmitted from the binary encoded data to said first means, third means connected to said second means to vary the magnitude of said deflection imparted to the light wave energy in accordance with a control signal, fourth means coupled to said first means and including a first fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the first zone image area, a second fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the second zone image area and a third fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the third zone image area, each to separate light sensitive sensors to generate electrical signals related thereto, fifth means connected to receive electrical signals from said sensors to generate the control voltage to said third means to maintain the image areas within a designated area of said first means, and means for comparing the output of each of the respective light sensitive sensors of the image areas to generate a series of code related pulses representing the binary encoded data on the moving document.

Claim 24

A recognition system for reading and tracking binary encoded data carried by a document moving along a track direction, comprising in combination: first means for receiving light waves reflected from the binary encoded data as the document moves along the track direction path, said first means providing a first zone image area, a second zone image area and a third zone image area, second means for deflecting the light wave energy transmitted from the binary encoded data to said first means, third means connected to said second means to vary the magnitude of said deflection imparted to the light wave energy in accordance with a control signal, fourth means coupled to said first means and including a first fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the first zone image area, a second fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the second zone image area and a third fiber optic bundle for transmitting light from the third zone image area, each to separate light sensitive sensors to generate electrical signals related thereto, fifth means connected to receive electrical signals from said sensors to generate the control voltage to said third means to maintain the image areas within a designated area of said first means, and means for comparing the output of each of the respective light sensitive sensors of the image areas to generate a series of code related pulses representing the binary encoded data on the moving document.