US4380700A — Image blanking circuit for line follower

Claim 1

Independent Claim 95 words

In a curve follower circular scanning apparatus, a gating circuit for setting a sector window comprising: first means for timing the duration of a scan of a first sector; second means, triggered by said first timing means, for timing the duration of a scan of a second sector; means for signaling the presence of a subject within said window, said window being bounded by the sum of said first and said second sectors; and means responsive to said signaling means for resetting said first and said second timing means upon the detection of said subject.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 95 words

In a curve follower circular scanning apparatus, a gating circuit for setting a sector window comprising: first means for timing the duration of a scan of a first sector; second means, triggered by said first timing means, for timing the duration of a scan of a second sector; means for signaling the presence of a subject within said window, said window being bounded by the sum of said first and said second sectors; and means responsive to said signaling means for resetting said first and said second timing means upon the detection of said subject.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

A gating circuit according to claim 1 further comprising means responsive to said second timing means for resetting said first and said second timing means in the absence of the detection of said subject in said window.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 72 words

A gating circuit according to claim 2 further comprising means responsive to said first and said second timing means for setting the boundaries of said sector window, a first boundary being set in accordance with timing by first timing means in the absence of said detection of a subject, and the second boundary being angularly spaced from said first boundary by said setting means in accordance with timing by said timing means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 37 words

A gating circuit according to claim 3 further comprising means responsive to said signalling means for presetting at least one of said timing means for differing durations of sector scan depending on the detection of said subject.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 77 words

In a curve follower sector scanning apparatus comprising: first and second timing means for setting boundaries of a sector scan, said first timing means setting a first boundary of said boundaries; and means for combining elapsed times of said first and said second timing means for setting a second boundary of said boundaries, the timing operations of said first timing means and said second timing means being synchronized with a period of scan of said sector scan.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 77 words

In a curve follower sector scanning apparatus comprising: first and second timing means for setting boundaries of a sector scan, said first timing means setting a first boundary of said boundaries; and means for combining elapsed times of said first and said second timing means for setting a second boundary of said boundaries, the timing operations of said first timing means and said second timing means being synchronized with a period of scan of said sector scan.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein each of said timing means is a variable length shift register, an output terminal of a first one of said shift registers being coupled to an input terminal of a second of said shift registers to accomplish a combining of elasped times measured by said first and said second timing means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 61 words

Apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a flip-flop means coupled to said output terminal of said first shift register, said apparatus further comprising selection circuitry coupled between said flip-flop means and said first register and said second register for varying the lengths of said first register and said second register in accordance with a signal received from said flip-flop means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising means for sensing an image point of a subject being scanned, said sensing means resetting said first timing means upon a sensing of said image point.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 55 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said first and said second timing means are preset to measure, respectively, first and second time intervals, said apparatus further comprising means responsive to said elapsed times for altering the lengths of said time intervals, thereby altering said boundaries in the absence of a sensing of an image point.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising reset means responsive to a sensing of said image point by said sensing means for resetting said altering means upon said sensing of said image point.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 85 words

In a curve follower comprising a circular array of image sensors and a scanner of these sensors for developing motor drive signals, the improvement being a scanning window circuit comprising, in combination: a plurality of timing units; a second of said timing units being activated by a first of said timing units; individual ones of said timing units setting respective bounds of a sector scan of said array; and means responsive to the sensing of an image by said array for resetting said timing units.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 85 words

In a curve follower comprising a circular array of image sensors and a scanner of these sensors for developing motor drive signals, the improvement being a scanning window circuit comprising, in combination: a plurality of timing units; a second of said timing units being activated by a first of said timing units; individual ones of said timing units setting respective bounds of a sector scan of said array; and means responsive to the sensing of an image by said array for resetting said timing units.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 32 words

A window circuit according to claim 11 wherein said resetting means includes a flip-flop circuit, said flip-flop circuit providing a signal for altering the length of intervals time by said timing units.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 41 words

A window circuit according to claim 12 further comprising a selection circuit coupled between said flip-flop circuit and said first and said second timing units for altering the lengths of said intervals in response to said signal of said flip-flop circuit.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 31 words

A window circuit according to claim 13 wherein each of said timing units is a variable length shift register each of said shift registers being clocked by a common clock signal.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 29 words

A window circuit according to claim 11 further comprising gating means activated by said first timing unit for coupling an image signal of said array to said reset means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 26 words

A window circuit according to claim 15 wherein said first timing unit, upon being reset, operates said gate to exclude further image signals of said array.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

A window circuit according to claim 16 wherein said first timing unit is reset by said second timing unit upon the setting of one of said bounds of said scan by said second timing unit.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1986-04-18	1986-10-18	1987-04-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1990-04-18	1990-10-18	1991-04-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1994-04-18	1994-10-18	1995-04-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Image blanking circuit for line follower

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