US5387787A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Scanning device for reconstructing a complete code from scanned segments
Assignee: LAZARDATA Corp
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Filing: 1993-12-09
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Granted: 1995-02-07
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Expires: 2013-12-09
Abstract
Abstract This invention features both a device and method for reading machine readable code. The device includes a scanning apparatus, a signal processor and a data processor. The scanning apparatus scans the code and outputs a signal representative of at least a portion of the code. The signal processing means processes each of the signals outputted by the scanning means and further provides signal identification data, including a width and position associated with each of the signals, for each successive scan of the code. The data processing means reconstructs the code from the signal identification data for each successive scan of the code, provided by the signal processing means. The data processing means includes a position aligning means for both selecting an element in a previous scan and calculating the position of that element in a successive scan based upon a calculated offset, and means for aligning the successive scan with the previous scan by means of the calculated offset. The data processing means further includes an alignment verification means for verifying the alignment between the previous scan and the successive scan performed as a result of the means for aligning. The alignment verification means includes means for attempting a predetermined number of additional alignments between the previous scan and the successive scan when the previous scan and the successive scan are not aligned by the alignment verification means.
Inventors
- 👤 James R. Waldron
- 👤 Daniel A. Kenney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 14:45
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10861; G06K7/14; G06K7/1404; G06K7/146; G06K7/1491
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 49
Claim 1
Independent Claim
275 words
A device for reading machine readable code, comprising: (a) scanning means for successively scanning the code and for outputting a signal representative of at least a portion of the code, for each successive scan of the code; (b) signal processing means for processing each of said signals outputted by said scanning means, said signal processing means further providing signal identification data, including a width and position associated with each of said signals, for each successive scan of the code; and (c) data processing means for reconstructing the code from said signal identification data for each successive scan of the code provided by said signal processing means, said data processing means also comprising, (i) position aligning means for positionally aligning succeeding scans, wherein said position aligning means comprising, means for selecting an element in a previous scan, means for calculating the position of that element in a successive scan based upon a calculated offset, said calculated offset determined by an offset calculating means which calculates the difference in position of features in previous scans, and means for aligning said successive scan with said previous scan by means of said calculated offset by placing said selected element in said successive scan in alignment with said selected element in said previous scan, and (ii) alignment verification means for verifying the alignment between said previous scan and said successive scan performed as a result of said means for aligning, wherein said alignment verification means further comprises means for attempting a predetermined number of additional alignments between said previous scan and said successive scan when said previous scan and said successive scan are not aligned by said alignment verification means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
275 words
A device for reading machine readable code, comprising: (a) scanning means for successively scanning the code and for outputting a signal representative of at least a portion of the code, for each successive scan of the code; (b) signal processing means for processing each of said signals outputted by said scanning means, said signal processing means further providing signal identification data, including a width and position associated with each of said signals, for each successive scan of the code; and (c) data processing means for reconstructing the code from said signal identification data for each successive scan of the code provided by said signal processing means, said data processing means also comprising, (i) position aligning means for positionally aligning succeeding scans, wherein said position aligning means comprising, means for selecting an element in a previous scan, means for calculating the position of that element in a successive scan based upon a calculated offset, said calculated offset determined by an offset calculating means which calculates the difference in position of features in previous scans, and means for aligning said successive scan with said previous scan by means of said calculated offset by placing said selected element in said successive scan in alignment with said selected element in said previous scan, and (ii) alignment verification means for verifying the alignment between said previous scan and said successive scan performed as a result of said means for aligning, wherein said alignment verification means further comprises means for attempting a predetermined number of additional alignments between said previous scan and said successive scan when said previous scan and said successive scan are not aligned by said alignment verification means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The device according to claim 1, in which said data processing means further comprises means for both combining and accumulating said signal identification data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
79 words
The device according to claim 2, in which said offset calculating means further comprises a first offset calculating means for calculating a positional difference between the position of a selected code element in a first scan of a code, from said combining and accumulating means, and the position of the selected code element in a second scan of the code to provide said calculated offset for determining the expected position of the selected code element in the successive scan.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
The device according to claim 3, wherein said alignment verification means further comprises a first verifying means for verifying the alignment between the first scan and the second scan based upon an occurrence of a predetermined number of mismatches when an alignment of leading edge margins of both the first and second scans is performed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
The device according to claim 4, wherein said means for attempting a predetermined number of additional alignments of said alignment verification means comprises a first attempt means for attempting to align the first scan with said second scan by comparing trailing edge margins of both the first and second scans.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
The device according to claim 5 in which said offset calculating means further comprises: a second offset calculating means for calculating a positional difference between the position of a selected code element from a previous scan from said combining and accumulating means and the position of said selected code element from a successive scan to provide said calculated offset for determining the expected position of the selected code element in the successive scan.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
The device according to claim 6 in which said position aligning means further comprises an offset averaging means for averaging said calculated offsets for previous scans with the calculated offset determined by said second offset calculating means to provide a refined calculated offset for determining the expected position of the selected code element in the successive scan.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
The device according to claim 7 in which said position aligning means further comprises means for locating a code element in a scan which most closely matches the expected position of the selected code element in said scan by means of said calculated offset determined by said first offset calculating means, said second offset calculating means or said offset averaging means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device according to claim 8, in which said data processing means further comprises means for determining the number of scans in which a code element has been seen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The device according to claim 9, wherein said alignment verification means further comprises a second verifying means for verifying the alignment between a previous scan and said successive scan by comparing width data of a predetermined number of transitions in said previous scan and corresponding transitions in said successive scan.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
86 words
The device according to claim 10, wherein said means for attempting additional alignments of said alignment verification means comprises a second attempt means for attempting to align a previous scan with a successive scan by comparing a bar proximate to an alignment bar of said successive scan with said alignment bar of said previous scan, and repeating this step for a predetermined number of additional bars proximate to said alignment bar of said successive scan provided said previous scan and said successive scan are not aligned.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
113 words
The device according to claim 11, in which said data processing means further comprises: means for positionally aligning said signal identification data in said combining and accumulating means with the signal identification data of a successive scan by means of said calculated offset by placing said selected element in said successive scan in alignment with said selected element in said previous scan; means for identifying width mismatches between aligned signal identification data, where said combining and accumulating means cooperates with said mismatch identifying means such that mismatched signal identification data is not combined and accumulated; and means for retaining said signal identification data, from said signal processing means, identified as having width mismatches.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The device according to claim 12, in which said data processing means further comprises means for resolving identified width mismatches, identified by said mismatch identifying means, by comparing width data from three scans of signal identification data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
The device according to claim 13, wherein said mismatch resolving means compares the width data for corresponding code elements in the first scan with width data from the third scan to determine if the corresponding widths are consistent and compares the width data for corresponding code elements in the second and third scans to determine if the corresponding widths are consistent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The device according to claim 14, in which said mismatch resolving means further comprises means for indicating that the signal identification data for the scans having consistent widths is to be combined in the combining and accumulating means and that signal identification data for the other scan is to be ignored.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
70 words
The device according to claim 15 in which said data processing means further comprises: scan direction means for determining the direction of a scan; and data reversing means, responsive to said scan direction means, for reversing the signal identification data for each code element in each scan for a bar code such that the signal identification data for all scans of the bar code is maintained in a predetermined direction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The device according to claim 16, in which said data processing means further comprises: means for identifying a first area for which signal identification data is to be accumulated; and means for identifying a second area for which signal identification data is not to be accumulated.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device according to claim 17 in which said data processing means further comprises a first means for comparing the signal identification data for each scan, from said signal processing means, to determine if the signal identification data overlaps said first area.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
The device according to claim 18 in which said data processing means further comprises a second means for comparing the signal identification data for each scan, from said signal processing means, to determine if the data overlaps said second area.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The device according to claim 19, wherein said means for identifying a second area identifies areas containing machine readable code that is not to be decoded.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
84 words
The device according to claim 20 wherein said elements comprise a plurality of intervals including bars and spaces of either narrow or wide interval widths and in which said data processing means further comprises: means for measuring the interval widths of said signal identification data, from said combining and accumulating means, and for normalizing the interval widths to 1,2,3, and 4 wide bars and spaces to provide a reconstructed bar code; and means for decoding the reconstructed bar code to provide the encoded information.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device according to claim 1, in which said scanning means further includes at least one light source and sensing means for successively illuminating a bar code with a predetermined pattern of light and successively sensing light reflected from the bar code.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device according to claim 1, in which said scanning means further includes a plurality of light source and sensing means for successively illuminating a bar code with a predetermined pattern of light and successively sensing light reflected from the bar code.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The device according to claim 23, in which said light source and sensing means further includes a coherent light source.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
The device according to claim 24, in which said scanning means further includes a light directing means for directing the light from said coherent light source to create the predetermined pattern of light.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
236 words
A method for reading machine readable code, comprising the steps of: scanning the code to provide a signal representative of at least a portion of the code, and repeating scanning to obtain signals for additional portions of the code; successively processing each signal representative of the portion of the code obtained from each scan to provide signal identification data, including a width and position associated with each of said signals, for each successive scan of the code; and reconstructing the code from said signal identification data for each successive scan of the code, said reconstructing including the steps of: selecting an element in a previous scan; calculating the position of said element in a successive scan based upon a calculated offset, said calculated offset determined by the step of: calculating the difference in position of features in previous scans; and aligning said successive scan with said previous scan by means of said calculated offset by the step of: placing said selected element in said successive scan in alignment with said selected element in said previous scan; verifying the alignment between said previous scan and said successive scan performed as a result of step of aligning, wherein said step of verifying further comprises the step of: attempting a predetermined number of additional alignments between said previous scan and said successive scan when said previous scan and said successive scan are not aligned by said step of aligning.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
236 words
A method for reading machine readable code, comprising the steps of: scanning the code to provide a signal representative of at least a portion of the code, and repeating scanning to obtain signals for additional portions of the code; successively processing each signal representative of the portion of the code obtained from each scan to provide signal identification data, including a width and position associated with each of said signals, for each successive scan of the code; and reconstructing the code from said signal identification data for each successive scan of the code, said reconstructing including the steps of: selecting an element in a previous scan; calculating the position of said element in a successive scan based upon a calculated offset, said calculated offset determined by the step of: calculating the difference in position of features in previous scans; and aligning said successive scan with said previous scan by means of said calculated offset by the step of: placing said selected element in said successive scan in alignment with said selected element in said previous scan; verifying the alignment between said previous scan and said successive scan performed as a result of step of aligning, wherein said step of verifying further comprises the step of: attempting a predetermined number of additional alignments between said previous scan and said successive scan when said previous scan and said successive scan are not aligned by said step of aligning.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of combining and accumulating said signal identification data.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method according to claim 27, in which said step of calculating the position further comprises the step of: calculating a first positional difference between the position of a selected code element in a first scan of a code, from said step of combining and accumulating, and the position of said selected code element in a second scan of the code to provide said calculated offset for determining the expected position of the selected code element in the successive scan.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method according to claim 28, wherein said step of verifying further comprises the step of: comparing leading edge margins of both the first and second scans to verify the alignment of the first and second scans based upon an occurrence of a preset amount of mismatches.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method according to claim 29, wherein said step of attempting additional alignments of said step of verifying the alignment comprises the step of: comparing a trailing edge margins of both the first and second scans to attempt to align the first scan with said second scan.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method according to claim 30, in which said step of calculating the position of a selected code element further comprises the step of: calculating a second positional difference between the position of a selected code element from a previous scan, from said step of combining and accumulating, and the position of said selected code element from a successive scan to provide said calculated offset for determining the expected position of the selected code element in the successive scan.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method according to claim 31, in which said step of selecting and aligning further comprises the step of: averaging said calculated offsets for previous scans with the calculated offset from said step of calculating a positional difference to provide a refined calculated offset for determining the expected position of the selected code element in the successive scan.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method according to claim 32, in which said reconstructing further comprises the step of: locating a code element in a scan which most closely matches the expected position of the selected code element in said scan by means of said first positional difference, said second positional difference or said refined calculated offset.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 33, in which said reconstructing further comprises the step of determining the number of scans in which a code element has been seen.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 34, in which said step of selecting further comprises the step of selecting a code element, from said combining and accumulating means, which has been seen in at least two scans.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
55 words
The device according to claim 35, wherein said step of verifying the alignment further comprises the step of: comparing a second alignment of the width data of a predetermined number of transitions in said previous scan and corresponding transitions in said successive scan to verify the alignment between the previous scan and said successive scan.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
93 words
The device according to claim 36, wherein said step of attempting additional alignments of said step of verifying the alignment comprises the step of: comparing a bar proximate to an alignment bar of said successive scan with said alignment bar of said previous scan to attempt to align said previous scan with said successive scan; and repeating said step of comparing for a predetermined number of additional bars proximate to said alignment bar of said successive scan when said previous scan and said successive scan are not aligned by said step of aligning.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
113 words
The method according to claim 37, in which said reconstructing further comprises the steps of: positionally aligning said signal identification data in said step of combining and accumulating with the signal identification data of a successive scan by means of said calculated offset by placing said selected element in said successive scan in alignment with said selected element in said previous scan; identifying mismatches of code element widths between aligned signal identification data, where said step of combining and accumulating cooperates with said identifying mismatches such that mismatched signal identification data is not combined and accumulated; retaining said signal identification data which has been identified, from said identifying mismatches, as having width mismatches.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 38, in which said reconstructing further comprises the step of resolving identified width mismatches from said identifying mismatches identifying means, by comparing width data from three scans of signal identification data.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method according to claim 39, wherein said resolving mismatches further compares the width data for corresponding code elements in the first scan with width data from the third scan to determine if the corresponding widths are consistent and compares the width data for corresponding code elements in the second and third scans to determine if the corresponding widths are consistent.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method according to claim 40, in which said resolving mismatches further comprises the step of indicating that the signal identification data for the scans having consistent widths is to be combined in the combining and accumulating means and that signal identification data for the other scan is to be ignored.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method according to claim 41, in which said reconstructing further comprises the steps of: determining the direction of a scan; and reversing the signal identification data for each code element in each scan for a bar code in response to said determining the scan direction, such that the signal identification data for all scans of the bar code is maintained in a predetermined direction.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 42, in which said reconstructing further comprises the steps of: identifying a first area for which signal identification data is to be accumulated; and identifying a second area for which signal identification data is not to be accumulated.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method according to claim 43, in which said reconstructing further comprises the step of comparing the first area with the signal identification data for each scan, from said signal processing, to determine if the signal identification data overlaps said first area.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 44, in which said reconstructing further comprises the step of comparing the second area with the signal identification data for each scan, from said signal processing, to determine if the data overlaps said second area.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 45, wherein said step of comparing the second area further comprises identifying areas containing machine readable code that is not to be decoded.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
83 words
The method according to claim 46, wherein the code elements comprise a plurality of intervals including bars and spaces of either narrow or wide interval widths and in which said reconstructing further comprises the steps of: measuring the interval widths of said signal identification data, from said combining and accumulating means; normalizing the interval widths from said measuring to 1,2,3, and 4 wide bars and spaces to provide a reconstructed bar code; and decoding the reconstructed bar code to provide the encoded information.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-02-06 | 1998-08-08 | 1999-02-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-02-06 | 2006-08-08 | 2007-02-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |