US4070584A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Object-identification system with sequentially activated photocell array
Assignee: Thales SA
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Filing: 1975-12-17
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Granted: 1978-01-24
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Expires: 1995-12-17
Abstract
Abstract An object-identifying system is described comprising at least one device for remotely identifying a plurality of objects bearing each a characteristic code in the form of a badge which has alternating reflective and non-reflective strip zones. The objects may be moving past the device but could also be motionless. When illuminated by a light source, the badge reflects a part of the incident light beam to an opto-electrical transducer which is formed by a number of diodes in a row. Control means allow the photodiodes to be switched on and off in succession to scan the badge. The length of the row of diodes is generally greater than the length of the code support in the scanning direction to allow for any possible disalignment between the support and the identification device.
Inventors
- 👤 Jacques Chartraire
- 👤 Jean Le Coeur
- 👤 Jacques Pouliquen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:46
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10861; B; B07; B07C; B07C3/00; B07C3/10; B07C3/14; B61; B61L; B61L25/00; B61L25/02; B61L25/04; B61L25/041; B61L25/045; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/01; G08G1/017; G06K2207/00; G06K2207/1018
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
A system for the remote identification of objects each provided with an area carrying a multiplicity of light-reflecting zones separated by non-reflecting zones, said zones forming a code identifying the respective object, comprising: a source of light emitting a steady beam for illuminating said area; an array of photoelectric sensors; optical means trained upon said area for imaging said zones upon said array, thereby casting a pattern of shadows and light spots onto said sensors; scanning means for sequentially actuating said sensors in a predetermined order, thereby generating signal pulses in the outputs of sensors illuminated by a light spot of said pattern; quantizing means connected to said sensors for suppressing signal pulses below a predetermined threshold; processing means connected to said quantizing means for determining the distribution of said zones from the sequence of occurrence of unsuppressed signal pulses; and storage means connected to said processing means for registering a representation of said sequence.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
155 words
A system for the remote identification of objects each provided with an area carrying a multiplicity of light-reflecting zones separated by non-reflecting zones, said zones forming a code identifying the respective object, comprising: a source of light emitting a steady beam for illuminating said area; an array of photoelectric sensors; optical means trained upon said area for imaging said zones upon said array, thereby casting a pattern of shadows and light spots onto said sensors; scanning means for sequentially actuating said sensors in a predetermined order, thereby generating signal pulses in the outputs of sensors illuminated by a light spot of said pattern; quantizing means connected to said sensors for suppressing signal pulses below a predetermined threshold; processing means connected to said quantizing means for determining the distribution of said zones from the sequence of occurrence of unsuppressed signal pulses; and storage means connected to said processing means for registering a representation of said sequence.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said sensors are photosensitive diodes in integrated circuits.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said array is linear, the image of said area being a rectangle encompassing said array.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said scanning means comprises a set of electronic switches each in series with a respective sensor, a generator of clock pulses, and a pulse counter connected to said generator for stepping by said clock pulses, said pulse counter having respective output connections to said electronic switches.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as defined in claim 4, further comprising a load impedance connected in parallel across all series combinations of sensors and electronic switches.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as defined in claim 4 wherein said clock pulses have a period on the order of one nanosecond.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
223 words
A system for the remote identification of vehicles each provided with a badge divided into a plurality of generally rectangular vertical columns, each column consisting of a multiplicity of vertically superposed zones of varying height which are alternately reflective and non-reflective of incident light to provide a code identifying the respective vehicles, comprising: a source of light; first optical means juxtaposed with said source for producing a steady beam illuminating a generally rectangular vertical area along the path of said vehicles positioned to register with the zones of a column of a badge on a vehicle passing along said path; a linear array of photoelectric sensors remote from said path; second optical means trained upon said area for imaging said zones upon said array, thereby casting a pattern of shadows and light spots onto said sensors; scanning means for sequentially actuating said sensors in a predetermined order, thereby generating signal pulses in the outputs of sensors illuminated by a light spot of said pattern; quantizing means connected to said sensors for suppressing signal pulses below a predetermined threshold; processing means connected to said quantizing means for determining the vertical distribution of said zones in each column of a badge from the sequence of occurrence of said signal pulses; and storage means connected to said processing means for registering a representation of said sequence.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
223 words
A system for the remote identification of vehicles each provided with a badge divided into a plurality of generally rectangular vertical columns, each column consisting of a multiplicity of vertically superposed zones of varying height which are alternately reflective and non-reflective of incident light to provide a code identifying the respective vehicles, comprising: a source of light; first optical means juxtaposed with said source for producing a steady beam illuminating a generally rectangular vertical area along the path of said vehicles positioned to register with the zones of a column of a badge on a vehicle passing along said path; a linear array of photoelectric sensors remote from said path; second optical means trained upon said area for imaging said zones upon said array, thereby casting a pattern of shadows and light spots onto said sensors; scanning means for sequentially actuating said sensors in a predetermined order, thereby generating signal pulses in the outputs of sensors illuminated by a light spot of said pattern; quantizing means connected to said sensors for suppressing signal pulses below a predetermined threshold; processing means connected to said quantizing means for determining the vertical distribution of said zones in each column of a badge from the sequence of occurrence of said signal pulses; and storage means connected to said processing means for registering a representation of said sequence.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said zones are substantially horizontal strips extending beyond the width of said area, said scanning means being effective to actuate each sensor several times during registration thereof with the image of a strip zone on a vehicle moving past.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said columns are spaced apart by vertical non-reflecting intervals of different width defining an address code, said processing means including a circuit separating said signal pulses from address-code signals resulting from recurrent nonillumination of the entire array due to said intervals.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as defined in claim 9 wherein said zones are parts of numerical characters, said processing means further including circuitry for reproducing said numerical characters.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-01-23 | 1981-07-25 | 1982-01-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-01-23 | 1985-07-25 | 1986-01-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-01-23 | 1989-07-25 | 1990-01-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |