Document transport control including document velocity profiles

Claim 2

A document transport arrangement in a high speed encoder wherein unit-record documents are transported along a path past at least one encoder process-station according to one, or several, "velocity-profiles", depending upon the type and/or condition of each said document, this arrangement including: sensor means disposed along said path and adapted to detect and indicate passage of a document; plus control means for controlling document advance, for selecting and setting-up at least one "document-velocity-profile" to be invoked as a function of the sensed condition and the sensed position of each document along this path, and for also deriving data indicating one or several characteristics for each such document thereby to monitor progress of each document along said path so that, when a prescribed point is reached, said control means may then invoke a corresponding segment of the selected velocity profile, according to one or more of said document characteristics; and dog-ear detector means adapted to detect documents having a dog-ear condition and indicate this to said control means whereby dog-eared documents may be automatically advanced through said process station without stopping for encoding.

Claim 3

A document-transport control arrangement in a high speed encoder wherein documents are guidedly-advanced along a prescribed linear path, past one or more encoder processing-stations, while being monitored by passage-sensor means, this control arrangement serving to control document-advance and comprising: microprocessor means setting-up at least one "document-velocity-profile" to be invoked as a function of sensed position along this path and also recording one or several profile-related characteristics for each type of document contemplated; detect means including dog-ear detector means adapted to detect documents having a dog-ear condition and indicate this to said control means whereby dog-eared documents may be automatically advanced through said process station without stopping for encoding disposed along said path and adapted to detect said other characteristics and indicate them to said microprocessor means; and decision means for monitoring progress of each document along said path wherein, when a prescribed decision point is reached, said decision means invokes a corresponding segment of said velocity profiles in said microprocessor means according to at least one of said document characteristics.

Claim 4

A document-transport control arrangement in a high speed encoder wherein documents are guidedly-advanced along a prescribed linear path, past one or more encoder processing-stations, while being monitored by passage-sensor means, this control arrangement serving to control document-advance and comprising: microprocessor means setting-up at least one "document-velocity-profile" to be invoked as a function of sensed position along this path and also recording one or several profile-related characteristics for each type of document contemplated; detect means including dog-ear detector means adapted to detect documents having a dog-ear condition and indicate this to said control means whereby dog-eared documents may be automatically advanced through said process station without stopping for encoding disposed along said path and adapted to detect said other characteristics and indicate them to said microprocessor means; and decision means for monitoring progress of each document along said path wherein, when a prescribed decision point is reached, said decision means invokes a corresponding segment of said velocity profiles in said microprocessor means according to at least one of said document characteristics.

Claim 5

The arrangement of claim 2, including roll mans and associated servo-motor means coupled thereto, said roll means being engageable with said documents to so advance them past said processing station(s) according to said velocity-profile(s) and thereby control document advance, being adapted to run said dog-ear documents through without stopping for encoding.

Claim 6

The arrangement of claim 3, including servo-sensor means and wherein the said velocity-profile(s) are invoked by said microprocessor means in response to document passage past said Servo-Sensor means, as directed by said decision means.

Claim 7

The arrangement of claim 4, including prescribed stop-sensor means disposed and adapted to check each document for "at-station" alignment.

Claim 8

The arrangement of claim 5, including clock-signal means, and associated memory means whereby a run-signal sequence may be placed in the memory means indicating the time/distance, at nominal transport speed, required for certain-length documents to reach a given destination.

Claim 9

A controlled transport arrangement in a document encoder whereby unit-record documents are controllably transported past at least one encoder process-station according to one, or several, "velocity-profiles", depending upon the type and/or condition of the document, this arrangement including: document-transport means for guidedly-advancing the documents along a prescribed linear path, past said one or more encoder process-stations; at least one passage sensor means for monitoring document passage; microprocessor means for controlling document-advance and for setting-up at least one "document-velocity-profile" to be invoked as a function of the sensed position of each document along this path; said microprocessor means also deriving data indicating one or several characteristics for each such document whereby to monitor progress of each document along said path so that, when a prescribed point is reached, it may then invoke a corresponding segment of said velocity profiles, according to at least one of said document characteristics; and dog-ear detector means adapted to detect documents having a dog-ear condition and indicate this to said control means whereby dog-eared documents may be automatically advanced through said process station without stopping for encoding.

Claim 10

A controlled transport arrangement in a document encoder whereby unit-record documents are controllably transported past at least one encoder process-station according to one, or several, "velocity-profiles", depending upon the type and/or condition of the document, this arrangement including: document-transport means for guidedly-advancing the documents along a prescribed linear path, past said one or more encoder process-stations; at least one passage sensor means for monitoring document passage; microprocessor means for controlling document-advance and for setting-up at least one "document-velocity-profile" to be invoked as a function of the sensed position of each document along this path; said microprocessor means also deriving data indicating one or several characteristics for each such document whereby to monitor progress of each document along said path so that, when a prescribed point is reached, it may then invoke a corresponding segment of said velocity profiles, according to at least one of said document characteristics; and dog-ear detector means adapted to detect documents having a dog-ear condition and indicate this to said control means whereby dog-eared documents may be automatically advanced through said process station without stopping for encoding.

Claim 11

The arrangement of claim 7, including position-sensor means and wherein the said velocity-profile(s) are invoked by said microprocessor means when document passage past one said position-sensor means is indicated.

Claim 12

The arrangement of claim 8, including clock-signal means, and associated memory means whereby a run-signal sequence may be placed in the memory means indicating the time/distance, at nominal transport speed, required for a certain-length document, to reach a prescribed station along said path.