US4914700A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for scrambling and unscrambling bar code symbols
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1988-10-06
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Granted: 1990-04-03
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Expires: 2008-10-06
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for and method of unscrambling a parallax panoramagram that is a lineticular dissection of a bar code formed by scrambling the bar code in accordance with a graticule formed of a plurality of parallel contiguous focussing elements disposed at a spatial frequency greater than the modular spatial frequency of the bar code. The method includes positioning said panoramagram contiguous to the opposite surface of a light transparent screen having a plurality of elongated parallel line elements including focussing surfaces disposed in common along a first surface of the screen, the spatial frequency of those line elements being matched to the spatial frequency of the focussing elements. Positioning is achieved so that the line elements are disposed substantially parallel to the lines in the lineticular dissection. A beam of light is used to scan the panoramagram by moving the beam across said first surface of the screen transversely to the axes of the line elements, the beam having a cross-section dimension, where incident on the screen, not greater than the width of the line element. Light reflected from the scan of the beam across a registered panoramagram and screen, is converted into electrical signals representing an unscrambled version of the bar code.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred V. Alasia
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 15:51
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10831; G02; G02B; G02B30/00; G02B30/20; G02B30/26; G02B30/27
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
Method of coding and decoding a bar code, said method comprising the steps of: forming a parallax panoramagram that is a lineticular dissection of said bar code, by scrambling said bar code in accordance with a graticule formed of a plurality of parallel contiguous focussing elements at a spatial frequency greater than the modular spatial frequency of said bar code; providing a light transparent screen having a plurality of elongated parallel line elements including focussing surfaces disposed in common along a first surface of said screen, the spatial frequency of said line elements being matched to the spatial frequency of said focussing elements of said graticule; positioning said panoramagram contiguous to the opposite surface of said screen with said line elements disposed substantially parallel to the lines in said lineticular dissection; and examining said panoramagram through said screen.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
Method of coding and decoding a bar code, said method comprising the steps of: forming a parallax panoramagram that is a lineticular dissection of said bar code, by scrambling said bar code in accordance with a graticule formed of a plurality of parallel contiguous focussing elements at a spatial frequency greater than the modular spatial frequency of said bar code; providing a light transparent screen having a plurality of elongated parallel line elements including focussing surfaces disposed in common along a first surface of said screen, the spatial frequency of said line elements being matched to the spatial frequency of said focussing elements of said graticule; positioning said panoramagram contiguous to the opposite surface of said screen with said line elements disposed substantially parallel to the lines in said lineticular dissection; and examining said panoramagram through said screen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
94 words
Method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of examining comprises: producing a beam of light; scanning said panoramagram by moving said beam across said first surface of said screen transversely to the line axes of said line elements, said beam being produced with a cross-section dimension, where incident on said screen, not greater than the width of a line element: and detecting light reflected from the scan of said beam across a registered panoramagram and screen, and converting said reflected light into electrical signals representing an unscrambled version of said bar code.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
Method as defined in claim 1 including the step of positioning the modules of said bar code substantially parallel to said focussing elements of said graticule when forming said panoramagram.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
Method as defined in claim 1 wherein both said graticule and said screen have the same predetermined thickness and predetermined curvature of said focussing elements and focussing surfaces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
Method as defined in claim 1 wherein said graticule has at least about 155 elongated focussing elements to the inch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
206 words
Method of unscrambling a parallax. panoramagram that is a lineticular dissection of a bar code formed by scrambling said bar code in accordance with a graticule formed of a plurality of parallel contiguous focussing elements disposed at a spatial frequency greater than the modular spatial frequency of said bar code, said method comprising the steps of: providing a light transparent screen having a plurality of elongated parallel line elements including focussing surfaces disposed in common along a first surface of said screen, the spatial frequency of said line elements being matched to the spatial frequency of said focussing elements; positioning said panoramagram contiguous to the opposite surface of said screen with said line elements disposed substantially parallel to the lines in said lineticular dissection; producing a beam of light; scanning said panoramagram by moving said beam across said first surface of said screen transversely to the line axes of said line elements, said beam being produced with a cross-section dimension, where incident on said screen, not greater than the width of a line element; and detecting light reflected from the scan of said beam across a registered panoramagram and screen, and converting said reflected light into electrical signals representing an unscrambled version of said bar code.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
206 words
Method of unscrambling a parallax. panoramagram that is a lineticular dissection of a bar code formed by scrambling said bar code in accordance with a graticule formed of a plurality of parallel contiguous focussing elements disposed at a spatial frequency greater than the modular spatial frequency of said bar code, said method comprising the steps of: providing a light transparent screen having a plurality of elongated parallel line elements including focussing surfaces disposed in common along a first surface of said screen, the spatial frequency of said line elements being matched to the spatial frequency of said focussing elements; positioning said panoramagram contiguous to the opposite surface of said screen with said line elements disposed substantially parallel to the lines in said lineticular dissection; producing a beam of light; scanning said panoramagram by moving said beam across said first surface of said screen transversely to the line axes of said line elements, said beam being produced with a cross-section dimension, where incident on said screen, not greater than the width of a line element; and detecting light reflected from the scan of said beam across a registered panoramagram and screen, and converting said reflected light into electrical signals representing an unscrambled version of said bar code.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
Method as defined in claim 6 wherein said screen is provided as a substantially planar screen and wherein said beam during scanning is directed toward said screen substantially parallel to said axes and at a non-perpendicular angle below the critical angle to the mean plane of said screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
Method as defined in claim 6 wherein said screen is substantially planar, and said beam during scanning is directed toward said screen substantially parallel to said axes and at about 20 degrees from the perpendicular.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
Method as defined in claim 6 wherein said light is produced as a substantially coherent monochromatic beam.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method as defined in claim 9 wherein said light is produced as red light at a center wavelength of about 633 nanometers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
Method as defined in claim 6 wherein said panoramagram is formed in a material that will fluoresce when excited by ultraviolet radiation, and wherein said light is produced as ultraviolet light.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
218 words
Apparatus for unscrambling a scrambled parallax panoramagram that is a lineticular dissection of a bar code, which panoramagram is formed by scrambling said bar code in accordance with a graticule having a plurality of parallel, contiguous, focussing elements disposed at a spatial frequency greater than the modular spatial frequency of said bar code, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a light transparent screen having a plurality of elongated parallel line elements having focussing surfaces disposed in common along one surface of said screen, the spatial frequency of said line elements being matched to the spatial frequency of said focussing elements; optical scanning means for producing a beam of light and being disposed with respect to said screen for scanning said beam across said first surface of said screen transversely to the line axes of said line elements, said beam, where incident on said screen, having a cross-section dimension not greater than the width of a line element; means for positioning said panoramagram contiguous to the opposite surface of said screen with said line elements disposed substantially parallel to the lines in said lineticular dissection; and means for detecting light reflected from the scan of said beam across a registered panoramagram and screen, and for converting said reflected light into electrical signals representing an unscrambled version of said bar code.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
218 words
Apparatus for unscrambling a scrambled parallax panoramagram that is a lineticular dissection of a bar code, which panoramagram is formed by scrambling said bar code in accordance with a graticule having a plurality of parallel, contiguous, focussing elements disposed at a spatial frequency greater than the modular spatial frequency of said bar code, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a light transparent screen having a plurality of elongated parallel line elements having focussing surfaces disposed in common along one surface of said screen, the spatial frequency of said line elements being matched to the spatial frequency of said focussing elements; optical scanning means for producing a beam of light and being disposed with respect to said screen for scanning said beam across said first surface of said screen transversely to the line axes of said line elements, said beam, where incident on said screen, having a cross-section dimension not greater than the width of a line element; means for positioning said panoramagram contiguous to the opposite surface of said screen with said line elements disposed substantially parallel to the lines in said lineticular dissection; and means for detecting light reflected from the scan of said beam across a registered panoramagram and screen, and for converting said reflected light into electrical signals representing an unscrambled version of said bar code.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said screen is a lineticular screen, and said line elements are hemicylindrical lenses.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the radius of curvature of each of the hemicylindrical lens surfaces is about 0.3 inches.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the thickness of said screen is about 0.105 inches.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the smallest width of a module of said bar code is not less than about 0.006 inches, and the spatial frequency of said screen is at least about 155 line elements per inch.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the smallest width of a module of said bar code is not less than about 0.006 inches, and the spatial frequency of said screen is about 177 line elements per inch.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said graticule has a predetermined thickness and a predetermined curvature of surfaces of said lens elements, and said line elements in said screen have the same thickness and radius of curvature as the focussing elements in said graticule.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said screen has the same configuration as said graticule.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said screen is substantially planar.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said optical scanning means includes a laser.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein said laser generates red light at a center wavelength of about 633 nanometers.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said optical scanning means comprises a solid state light source.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein said optical scanning means comprises a source of ultraviolet light.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said screen is substantially planar, and said beam is directed toward said screen at a non-perpendicular angle below the critical angle to the mean plane of said first surface.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said screen is substantially planar, and said beam is directed toward said screen parallel to said line elements and at about 20 degrees from the perpendicular.
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) | 1993-04-02 | 1993-10-02 | 1994-04-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-02 | 1997-10-02 | 1998-04-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-04-02 | 2001-10-02 | 2002-04-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |