Line skip system for facsimile device

Claim 2

In a method of facsimile transmission in which a document having a ruled line in a predetermined position thereon is pre-scanned in a path substantially perpendicular to the ruled line to determine if the path contains information, an electrical signal being generated when information is encountered, and scanned for transmission along the same path only if it is determined that the path contains information, the improvement of determining if the path contains information in such a manner that the presence of the ruled line is ignored, the improvement comprising the steps of: a. generating gating signal in synchronism with pre-scanning the path except while pre-scanning a predetermined portion of the path which intersects the ruled line; b. simultaneously sensing for the presence of the gating signal and the electrical signal; and c. determining that the path contains information only if the gating signal and the electrical signal are sensed simultaneously.

Claim 3

In a facsimile transmission device having scanning means to pre-scan a document having a ruled line in a predetermined position thereon in a path substantially perpendicular to the ruled line to determine if the path contains information and generate an electrical signal when information is encountered and scan the document for transmission along the same path only if it is determined that the path contains information, the improvement of a system to determine if the path contains information in such a manner that the presence of the ruled line is ignored, said system comprising: gate signal generating means operative to generate a gating signal in synchronism with the pre-scanning of the path by the scanning means except while pre-scanning a predetermined portion of the path which intersects the ruled line; and sensing means having inputs responsive to the gating signal and the electrical signal and an output connected to control the scanning means, the sensing means being operative to control the scanning means to scan the path for transmission only if the gating signal and the electrical signal are simultaneously sensed by the sensing means during the pre-scanning of the path indicating that the path contains information.

Claim 4

In a facsimile transmission device having scanning means to pre-scan a document having a ruled line in a predetermined position thereon in a path substantially perpendicular to the ruled line to determine if the path contains information and generate an electrical signal when information is encountered and scan the document for transmission along the same path only if it is determined that the path contains information, the improvement of a system to determine if the path contains information in such a manner that the presence of the ruled line is ignored, said system comprising: gate signal generating means operative to generate a gating signal in synchronism with the pre-scanning of the path by the scanning means except while pre-scanning a predetermined portion of the path which intersects the ruled line; and sensing means having inputs responsive to the gating signal and the electrical signal and an output connected to control the scanning means, the sensing means being operative to control the scanning means to scan the path for transmission only if the gating signal and the electrical signal are simultaneously sensed by the sensing means during the pre-scanning of the path indicating that the path contains information.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 2, in which the scanning means is arranged to generate a synchronizing signal at the beginning of pre-scanning the path, the gate signal generating means being arranged to generate the gating signal in response to the synchronizing signal.

Claim 6

In a facsimile transmission device having scanning means to pre-scan the surface of a right quadrilateral document having two ruled lines on the surface thereof in a path substantially perpendicular to the ruled lines to determine if the path contains information and generate an electrical signal when information is encountered and scan the document for transmission along the same path if it is determined that the path contains information, the lines being parallel to and spaced from the leading and trailing edges of the document in the path direction by a first and second distance respectively, the improvement of a system to determine if the path contains information in such a manner that the presence of the two ruled lines is ignored, said system comprising: gate signal generating means operative to generate a gating signal in synchronism with the pre-scanning of the path by the scanning means, the gating signal being generated only while the scanning means sweeps the portion of the path between the ruled lines; sensing means having inputs responsive to the gating signal and the electrical signal and an output connected to control the scanning means, the sensing means being operative to control the scanning means to scan the path for transmission only if the gating signal and the electrical signal are simultaneously sensed by the sensing means during the pre-scanning of the path indicating that the path contains information.

Claim 7

In a facsimile transmission device having scanning means to pre-scan the surface of a right quadrilateral document having two ruled lines on the surface thereof in a path substantially perpendicular to the ruled lines to determine if the path contains information and generate an electrical signal when information is encountered and scan the document for transmission along the same path if it is determined that the path contains information, the lines being parallel to and spaced from the leading and trailing edges of the document in the path direction by a first and second distance respectively, the improvement of a system to determine if the path contains information in such a manner that the presence of the two ruled lines is ignored, said system comprising: gate signal generating means operative to generate a gating signal in synchronism with the pre-scanning of the path by the scanning means, the gating signal being generated only while the scanning means sweeps the portion of the path between the ruled lines; sensing means having inputs responsive to the gating signal and the electrical signal and an output connected to control the scanning means, the sensing means being operative to control the scanning means to scan the path for transmission only if the gating signal and the electrical signal are simultaneously sensed by the sensing means during the pre-scanning of the path indicating that the path contains information.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 4, in which the scanning means is arranged to generate a synchronizing signal at the beginning of pre-scanning the path, the gate signal generating means being arranged to generate the gating signal in response to the synchronizing signal.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 5, in which the gate signal generating means comprises: a bistable element having an output constituting the output of the gate signal generating means; a set pulse generator having an input responsive to the synchronizing signal and an output connected to the set input of the bistable element; a reset pulse generator having an input responsive to the synchronizing signal and an output connected to the reset input of the bistable element; whereby the set pulse generator is arranged to be triggered by the synchronizing signal and generate a set pulse having a trailing edge which occurs after the scanning means sweeps past the ruled line spaced from the leading edge, the trailing edge of the set pulse setting the bistable element to produce a logically positive output constituting the gating signal; and the reset pulse generator is arranged to be triggered by the synchronizing signal and generate a reset pulse having a trailing edge which occurs before the scanning means sweeps up to the ruled line spaced from the trailing edge, the trailing edge of the reset pulse resetting the bistable element to produce a logically negative output.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 5, in which the sensing means comprises an AND gate having inputs responsive to the gating signal and the electrical signal respectively.

Claim 11

A skip control system for a facsimile device having scanning means to pre-scan a document having a ruled line in a predetermined position thereon in a raster pattern in which the main scan lines are substantially orthogonal to the ruled line and the side scan direction is substantially parallel to the ruled line along one of the main scan lines to determine if the main scan line contains information and generate an electrical signal when information is encountered, scan the main scan line for transmission if it is determined that the main scan line contains information and skip the main scan line if it is determined that the main scan line is void of information, the skip control system being adapted to ignore the presence of the ruled line and comprising: gate signal generating means operative to generate a gating signal in synchronism with the pre-scanning of the main scan line by the scanning means except while pre-scanning a predetermined portion of the main scan line which intersects the ruled line; and sensing means having inputs responsive to the gating signal and the electrical signal and an output connected to control the scanning means, the sensing means being operative to control the scanning means to scan the main scan line for transmission only if the gating signal and the electrical signal are simultaneously sensed by the sensing means during the pre-scanning of the main scan line indicating that the main scan line contains information.

Claim 12

A skip control system for a facsimile device having scanning means to pre-scan a document having a ruled line in a predetermined position thereon in a raster pattern in which the main scan lines are substantially orthogonal to the ruled line and the side scan direction is substantially parallel to the ruled line along one of the main scan lines to determine if the main scan line contains information and generate an electrical signal when information is encountered, scan the main scan line for transmission if it is determined that the main scan line contains information and skip the main scan line if it is determined that the main scan line is void of information, the skip control system being adapted to ignore the presence of the ruled line and comprising: gate signal generating means operative to generate a gating signal in synchronism with the pre-scanning of the main scan line by the scanning means except while pre-scanning a predetermined portion of the main scan line which intersects the ruled line; and sensing means having inputs responsive to the gating signal and the electrical signal and an output connected to control the scanning means, the sensing means being operative to control the scanning means to scan the main scan line for transmission only if the gating signal and the electrical signal are simultaneously sensed by the sensing means during the pre-scanning of the main scan line indicating that the main scan line contains information.