Multi aperture scanning and printing for facsimile line skipping

Claim 2

In a facsimile transmitting terminal for scanning a subject copy in accordance with a scanning pattern having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; the combination of a plurality of photoelectric transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by an integer multiple of said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along different ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals; means for generating a control signal in response to the video signals provided by at least certain ones of said transducers, said control signal having one signalling state whenever said certain transducers scan lines bearing redundant information and another signalling state whenever said certain transducers scan lines bearing non-redundant information; and means for combining said control signal with a predetermined one of said video signals for transmission to a receiving terminal.

Claim 3

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 1 wherein said said transducers are offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch, whereby said transducers simultaneously convert the information appearing along adjacent scan lines into corresponding video signals; and further including means for advancing said transducers from one set of scan lines to another in response to the video signals provided by said certain transducers, whereby said transducers are advanced for successive scanning passes at a line skipping rate whenever said certain transducers scan lines bearing redundant information and at a line-by-line rate whenever said certain transducers scan lines bearing non-redundant information.

Claim 4

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 2 wherein said predetermined video signal is provided by a transducer which trails the other of said transducers.

Claim 5

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 3 further including a white line detector for generating a white line indication whenever the video signal provided by the transducer next to said trailing transducer remains at a level characteristic of background information throughout a scanning pass, means for advancing said transducers an additional increment equal to said scan pitch in response to said indication, and means for combining said indication with said control signal and said predetermined video signal for transmission to said receiving terminal.

Claim 6

In a facsimile transmitting terminal for scanning a subject copy in accordance with a scanning pattern having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; the combination of a pluralIty of photoelectric transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals during each scanning pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy; means coupled to said transducers for generating a control signal in response to said video signals, said control signal having a signalling state which is changed during said scanning pass if said adjacent scan lines bear non-redundant information; and means for combining said control signal with a predetermined one of said video signals for transmission to a receiving terminal.

Claim 7

In a facsimile transmitting terminal for scanning a subject copy in accordance with a scanning pattern having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; the combination of a pluralIty of photoelectric transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals during each scanning pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy; means coupled to said transducers for generating a control signal in response to said video signals, said control signal having a signalling state which is changed during said scanning pass if said adjacent scan lines bear non-redundant information; and means for combining said control signal with a predetermined one of said video signals for transmission to a receiving terminal.

Claim 8

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 5 wherein said control signal is supplied by a signal generator which is internally reset in preparation for each scanning pass; and further including gate means coupled to said transducers for detecting any non-tracking of said video signals, and timer means coupled between said gates means and said signal generator for triggering said signal generator to change the signalling state control signal whenever said video signals fail to track for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 9

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 5 further including means for advancing said transducers from one set of scan lines to another at a rate which is varied in response to said video signals to provide single pass processing for any set of redundant lines and line-byline processing for any non-redundant lines.

Claim 10

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 7 wherein said predetermined video signal is provided by a transducer which trails the other of said transducers.

Claim 11

THe facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 8 further including white line detector means coupled to the transducer adjacent said trailing transducer for providing a white line indication whenever the video signal provided by said adjacent transducer remains at a level characteristic of background information throughout a scanning pass, means for advancing said transducers an additional increment equal to said scan pitch in response to said indication, and means for combining said indication with said control signal and said predetermined video signal for transmission to said receiving terminal.

Claim 12

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 9 wherein said control signal is supplied by a signal generator which is internally reset in preparation for each scanning pass; and further including gate means coupled to said transducers for detecting any non-tracking of said video signal, and timer means coupled between said gate means and said signal generator for triggering said signal generator to change the signalling state of said control signal whenever said video signals fail to track for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 13

In a facsimile transmitting terminal for scanning a subject copy in accordance with a scanning pattern having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; the combination of a plurality of photoelectric transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals during each scanning pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy; means coupled to all except an extreme one of said transducers for generating a control signal in response to the video signals provided by the other of said transducers, said control signal being set after each scanning pass at one signalling state if said other transducers encounter redundant lines on that pass and at another signalling state if said other transducers encounter non-redundant lines; and means for combining said control signal with the video signal provided by said one transducer for transmission to a receiving terminal.

Claim 14

In a facsimile transmitting terminal for scanning a subject copy in accordance with a scanning pattern having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; the combination of a plurality of photoelectric transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals during each scanning pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy; means coupled to all except an extreme one of said transducers for generating a control signal in response to the video signals provided by the other of said transducers, said control signal being set after each scanning pass at one signalling state if said other transducers encounter redundant lines on that pass and at another signalling state if said other transducers encounter non-redundant lines; and means for combining said control signal with the video signal provided by said one transducer for transmission to a receiving terminal.

Claim 15

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 11 wherein the signalling state of said control signal is set by a signal generator under the control of a gate means and a timer means; said gate means being coupled to the other of said transducers for detecting any non-tracking of the video signals provided thereby, and said timer means being coupled between said gate means and said signal generator for triggering said generator so that said control signal is set to said other signalling state following any scanning pass during which the video signals from said other transducers fail to track for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 16

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 11 wherein said one transducer trails the other of said transducers; and further including means for advancing said transducers from one set of scan lines to another at a rate which is varied in response to the video signals from said other transducer to provide line skipping for any set of redundant lines and line-by-line processing for any nonredundant line.

Claim 17

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 13 further including white line detector means coupled to the transducer adjacent said trailing transducer for providing a white line indication whenever the video signal provided by said adjacent transducer remains at a level characteristic of background information throughout a scanning pass, means for advancing said transducers an additional increment equal to said scan pitch in response to said indication, and means for combining said indication with said control signal and said predetermined video signal for transmission to said receiving terminal.

Claim 18

The facsimile transmitting terminal of claim 14 wherein the signalling state of said control signal is set by a signal generator under the control of a gate means and a timer means; said gate means being coupled to the other of said transducers for detecting any non-tracking of the video signals provided thereby, and said timer means being coupled between said gate means and said signal generator for triggering said signal generator so that said control signal is set to said other signalling state following any scanning pass during which the video signals from said other transducers fail to track for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 19

In a facsimile receiving terminal for printing a facsimile of a subject copy in accordance with a scanning pattern having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines offset from one another by a predetermined scan pitch in response to a video signal serially representing information appearing on said subject copy along at least a part of said scan lines and under the control of a control signal having a signalling state identifying the other of said scan lines as being redundant lines; the combination comprising a plurality of print heads aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a predetermined integer multiple of said scan pitch to align with different ones of said scan lines; means for applying said video signal to a predetermined one of said print heads, whereby at least one of said scan lines is printed on each scanning pass of said print heads; and means for selectively enabling and disabling the other of said print heads in response to said control signal, whereby said receiving terminal is switched between a block printing format for simultaneously printing redundant lines on a single pass and a line-by-line printing format for individuallly printing non-redundant lines on separate passes.

Claim 20

In a facsimile receiving terminal for printing a facsimile of a subject copy in accordance with a scanning pattern having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines offset from one another by a predetermined scan pitch in response to a video signal serially representing information appearing on said subject copy along at least a part of said scan lines and under the control of a control signal having a signalling state identifying the other of said scan lines as being redundant lines; the combination comprising a plurality of print heads aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a predetermined integer multiple of said scan pitch to align with different ones of said scan lines; means for applying said video signal to a predetermined one of said print heads, whereby at least one of said scan lines is printed on each scanning pass of said print heads; and means for selectively enabling and disabling the other of said print heads in response to said control signal, whereby said receiving terminal is switched between a block printing format for simultaneously printing redundant lines on a single pass and a line-by-line printing format for individuallly printing non-redundant lines on separate passes.

Claim 21

The facsimile receiving terminal of claim 16 wherein the print heads are offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch, whereby said print heads align with adjacent ones of said scan lines; and further including means for advancing said print heads from one set of scan lines to another under the control of said control signal and at a rate which is varied to provide line skipping for any redundant lines and line-by-line processing for any non-redundaNt line.

Claim 22

The facsimile receiving terminal of claim 16 wherein there additionally is an incomimg white line indication whenever a scan line having its information content represented by said video signal is followed by a scan line containing nothing other than background information; and further including means for advancing said print heads an additional increment equal to the scan pitch in response to any such indication, whereby white lines are also skipped.

Claim 23

A limited bandwidth facsimile system comprising a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal for scanning a subject copy and printing a facsimile copy, respectively, in phase synchronism and in accordance with substantially identical scanning patterns each having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; said transmitting terminal including a plurality of transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals on each pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy, means coupled to said transducers for generating a control signal having a signalling state which is changed in response to said video signals whenever the information appearing along said adjacent scan lines is non-redundant, and, means for combining said control signal with a predetermined one of said video signals for transmission to said receiving terminal; said receiving terminal including a plurality of print heads aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch, whereby each of said print heads positionally corresponds to a respective one of said transducers, means for applying said video signal to a predetermined one of said print heads, and detector means for selectively enabling and disabling the other of said print heads in response to the signalling state of said control signal, whereby any redundant lines are simultaneously printed on a single pass and any non-redundant lines are individually printed on separate passes.

Claim 24

A limited bandwidth facsimile system comprising a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal for scanning a subject copy and printing a facsimile copy, respectively, in phase synchronism and in accordance with substantially identical scanning patterns each having a series of uniformly spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; said transmitting terminal including a plurality of transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals on each pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy, means coupled to said transducers for generating a control signal having a signalling state which is changed in response to said video signals whenever the information appearing along said adjacent scan lines is non-redundant, and, means for combining said control signal with a predetermined one of said video signals for transmission to said receiving terminal; said receiving terminal including a plurality of print heads aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch, whereby each of said print heads positionally corresponds to a respective one of said transducers, means for applying said video signal to a predetermined one of said print heads, and detector means for selectively enabling and disabling the other of said print heads in response to the signalling state of said control signal, whereby any redundant lines are simultaneously printed on a single pass and any non-redundant lines are individually printed on separate passes.

Claim 25

The system of claim 19 wherein said one video signal is provided by a transducer which trails the other of said transducers, and said one print head trails the other of said print heads; and transmitting terminal further including means for advancing said transducers from one set of scan lines to the next under the control of said video signals and at a rate which is varied to provide line skipping for redundant lines and line-by-line processing for non-redundant lines; and said receiving terminal further including means for advancing said print heads from one set of scan lines to the next under the control of said control signal and at a rate which is also selected to provide line skipping for redundant lines and line-by-line processing of non-redundant lines.

Claim 26

The system of claim 20 wherein said transmitting terminal further includes a signal generator for supplying said control signal, means for resetting said signal generator in preparation for each scanning pass so that the signalling state of siad control signal conditionally indicates that redundant lines are being scanned at the outset of each scanning pass, gate means coupled to said transducers for detecting any non-tracking of the video signals provided thereby, and timer means coupled between said gate means and said signal generator for triggering said signal generator to change the signalling state of said control signal whenever said video signals fail to track for a predetermined period of time while a pass is in progress.

Claim 27

The system of claim 20 wherein said transmitting terminal further includes a white line detector coupled to the transducer adjacent said trailing transducer for supplying a white line indication whenever the video signal provided by said adjaceNt transducer remains at a level characteristic of background information throughout a scanning pass, means for advancing said transducers an additional increment equal to said scan pitch in response to any such indication, and means for combining any such indication with said control signal and said predetermined video signal from transmission to said receiving terminal; and said receiving terminal further includes means for advancing said print heads an additional increment equal to said scan pitch in response to any such indication; whereby white lines are also skipped.

Claim 28

A limited bandwidth facsimile system comprising a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal for scanning a subject copy and printing a facsimile copy, respectively, in phase synchronism and in accordance with substantially identical scanning patterns each having a series of uniformally spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; said transmitting terminal including a trailing transducer and a plurality of other transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals on each scanning pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy; means for generating a control signal in response to the video signals provided by said other transducers, whereby said control signal is set after each scanning pass at a first signalling state if said other transducers encountered redundant lines during said pass and at a second signalling state if said other transducers encountered non-redundant lines, and means for combining said control signal with the video signal provided by said trailing transducer for transmission to said receiving terminal said receiving terminal including a plurality of print heads aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset by a distance equal to said scan pitch, with each of said print heads corresponding to a respective one of said other transducers, means for applying said video signal to the one of said print heads that trails the others, and means for selectively enabling and disabling the other of said print heads in response to the signalling state of said control signal, whereby redundant lines are simultaneously printed on a single pass and non-redundant lines are individually printed on separate passes.

Claim 29

A limited bandwidth facsimile system comprising a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal for scanning a subject copy and printing a facsimile copy, respectively, in phase synchronism and in accordance with substantially identical scanning patterns each having a series of uniformally spaced scan lines separated from one another by a predetermined scan pitch; said transmitting terminal including a trailing transducer and a plurality of other transducers aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset from one another by a distance equal to said scan pitch for simultaneously converting information appearing on said subject copy along adjacent ones of said scan lines into corresponding video signals on each scanning pass of said transducers relative to said subject copy; means for generating a control signal in response to the video signals provided by said other transducers, whereby said control signal is set after each scanning pass at a first signalling state if said other transducers encountered redundant lines during said pass and at a second signalling state if said other transducers encountered non-redundant lines, and means for combining said control signal with the video signal provided by said trailing transducer for transmission to said receiving terminal said receiving terminal including a plurality of print heads aligned transversely of said scan lines and offset by a distance equal to said scan pitch, with each of said print heads corresponding to a respective one of said other transducers, means for applying said video signal to the one of said print heads that trails the others, and means for selectively enabling and disabling the other of said print heads in response to the signalling state of said control signal, whereby redundant lines are simultaneously printed on a single pass and non-redundant lines are individually printed on separate passes.

Claim 30

The system of claim 23 wherein said transmitting terminal further includes means for advancing said transducers from one set of scan lines to another at a rate which is varied in response to the video signals provided by said other transducers to provide line skipping for redundant lines and line-by-line processing for non-redundant lines; and said receiving terminal further includes means for advancing said print heads from one set of scan lines to another at a rate which is varied in response to the signalling state of said control signal to provide line skipping for redundant lines and line-by-line processing for non-redundant lines.

Claim 31

The system of claim 24 wherein said transmitting terminal further includes detector means coupled to the transducer adjacent said trailing transducer for providing a white line indication when the video signal provided by said adjacent transducer remains at a level characteristic of background information throughout a scanning pass, means for advancing said transducers an additional increment equal to said scan pitch in response to any such indication, and means for combining any such indication with said control signal and the video signal provided by the trailing transducer for transmission to said receiving terminal; and said receiving terminal additionally includes means for advancing said print heads an additional increment equal to said scan pitch whenever a white line indication is received; whereby white lines are also skipped.