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Method and apparatus for providing error correction to symbol level codes

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1989-06-23
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Granted: 1991-12-03
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Expires: 2009-06-23
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Abstract

Abstract An error correction coding system employs a single check symbol from an arbitrary sequence of information symbols to provide single error correction at the symbol level. The sequence of information symbols may in fact also be arbitrarily long. The coding system of the present invention provides both a method and apparatus for encoding the check symbol and a method and apparatus for error correction based upon the single coded symbol character. The system is particularly applicable for use in conjunction with bar code recognition systems but is in fact applicable to a broad range of coding systems, including optical character recognition and ordinary alphanumeric codes. The system is also extendable to any system employing an odd number of code symbols that may be present in a single character position.

Inventors

  • 👤 Douglas D. Bossen
  • 👤 Chin-Long Chen
  • 👤 Mu-Yue Hsiao

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 22:30
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03M; H03M13/00; H03M13/03; H03M13/05; H03M13/07; G; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/08; G06K19/10; G06K19/14

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 202 words
A method for operating a computer device to correct a received sequence of coded information symbols having one erasure, said sequence having been present on a physical medium, said method comprising the steps of: setting an initial character value of position j, CV, equal to 0, where j denotes the sequence position of the erasure on said medium; forming a sum, F o , of preassigned character values associated with said information symbols on said medium, said sum being carried out for all sequence positions having an odd position number, said sum being carried out modulo N where is odd and is also the number of code symbols; forming a sum, F e , of preassigned character values associated with said information symbols, said sum being carried out for all sequence positions having an even position number, said sum being carried out modulo N; forming check sum F as F o +2 F 3 modulo N; computing the character value of the erasure position, CV(j), as -F modulo N if j is odd and as (N-1)/2·F modulo N if j is even; and associating a corrected eraser position information symbol with character value CV(j) in accordance with said preassigned character value association.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 202 words
A method for operating a computer device to correct a received sequence of coded information symbols having one erasure, said sequence having been present on a physical medium, said method comprising the steps of: setting an initial character value of position j, CV, equal to 0, where j denotes the sequence position of the erasure on said medium; forming a sum, F o , of preassigned character values associated with said information symbols on said medium, said sum being carried out for all sequence positions having an odd position number, said sum being carried out modulo N where is odd and is also the number of code symbols; forming a sum, F e , of preassigned character values associated with said information symbols, said sum being carried out for all sequence positions having an even position number, said sum being carried out modulo N; forming check sum F as F o +2 F 3 modulo N; computing the character value of the erasure position, CV(j), as -F modulo N if j is odd and as (N-1)/2·F modulo N if j is even; and associating a corrected eraser position information symbol with character value CV(j) in accordance with said preassigned character value association.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 10 words
The method of claim 1 in which N is 35.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 102 words
A method for decoding a received sequence of information symbols and erasures, said method comprising the steps of: determining the number of erasures; providing an indication of an uncorrectable error in the event that the number of erasures exceeds one; determining if there is exactly one erasure and applying the correction procedure of claim 5 in this event; determining if there are no erasures and applying said forming steps to compute a check sum F; and providing an indication of an uncorrectable error in the event that F is not equal to 0 (modulo N), otherwise accepting the received sequence as correct.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3815495A Cited
US4013997A Cited
US4414468A Cited
US4742521A Cited
US4746789A Cited
US4745269A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-12-02 1995-06-03 1995-12-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-12-02 1999-06-03 1999-12-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-12-02 2003-06-03 2003-12-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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