DEVICE FOR MACHINE READING OF INFORMATION WITHOUT MANIPULATION OF THE INFORMATION CARRIER

• US 3,701,098 A
• Filed: 06/15/1971
• Issued: 10/24/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inge Scholze
• Original Assignee: Norbert K. Acker
• Inventors: Acker, Norbert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilbur, Maynard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Application Number:
  US05/153,392
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 250/234,219,234X,49DR,49D 340/146.3,146.3H,146.3F,146.3Z 235/61.115,61.11E
• US Class Current: 382/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/015 Aligning or centering of the sensing device with respect to the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/10 mechanically operated

Abstract

A system is disclosed for reading digitally expressable information from randomly positioned and randomly oriented data fields by detecting presence of a data field in a search field through imaging the search field onto a recognition device and changing position, distortion and magnification of the image until projected onto a read head. Through relative rotation between read head and image or an image therefrom correct orientation for readout is obtained. Particular boundary markings of the data field facilitate position control, particular control markings are used for orientation control. The position control for the data field image is obtained electron optically or through adjustable optical elements.

Claims

1. A device for reading information established by data markings in a data field on a carrier, the carrier having random position and random orientation in a particular area and appearing at random times within that area, the data field position identified by a contrasting marking having contrasting contour surrounding the data markings in the data field as boundary thereof, the area in which any portion of the data field may appear being larger than the data field itself, the combination comprising:

first means disposed in relation to the particular area and having particular configuration and characteristics for reading information and providing signals representative thereof;

second means defining an optical path between the particular area and the first means and providing an image of the area and of a data field with its data markings when in the area, the second means including adjusting means in the optical path for displacing the image relative to the first means without displacement of the carrier, the adjusting means including means (a) for laterally shifting the image in two transversely oriented directions relative to the first means, and means (b) for rotating the image relative to the first means;

third means including a plurality of individual detectors disposed in the optical path, the second meaNs projecting the particular area onto the detectors, so that a contrasting boundary marking, when in the area, is imaged on at least one of the detectors, the detectors each having particular contour portion, together outlining the image of the boundary of a data field for a reading position of the data field image, the detectors being individually responsive to an image of the contrasting boundary marking or of a portion thereof, as produced by the second means;

the third means further including circuit means connected to the detectors of the plurality for detecting the image of said boundary and providing signals representative of the relative position of the image of the boundary in representation of the disposition of the image of the data field with the data markings relative to the reading means; and

fourth means connected to be responsive to the signals as provided by the third means for operating the adjusting means to laterally shift the image of the data field relative to the first means to place the image of the boundary in matching disposition to the contour outlined by the detectors of the plurality, so that an image of the data markings is provided to the reading means for data reading;

the detectors having contour and disposed to be outside of the area circumscribed by the boundary image and containing image of the data markings when the image of the contrasting boundary has matching position on the contour portions of the detectors.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a data field is provided also with marking defining the angular orientation of a non-circular data field, the third means including a particular detector to control the first means when the image as rotated by the means (b) has particular angular orientation to the reading means.

3. A device as in claim 1, the circuit means as connected to the detectors additionally responsive to the size of the data field image within the imaged boundary, and means (c) in the optical path for adjusting the image size to fit into the contour as outlined by the detectors.

4. A device as in claim 1, wherein means (c) are included in the optical path to optically distort a data field along at least one said direction, the circuit means as connected to the detectors responsive to distortions of the data field boundary image relative to the contour as outlined by the detectors of the plurality, to control the means (c) for correcting the distortion.

5. A device as in claim 1, the second means including electron optical means.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, the second means including at least one image converter having a target screen.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6, the detector provided on the target screen of the image converter, being responsive to an electron image of the data field produced on the target screen.

8. A device as set forth in claim 6, the data reading means comprising sensitive elements on the target screen to be resppnsive to an electron image of the data field.

9. A device as set forth in claim 6, the second means being reset in response to the data field'"'"''"'"'s leaving the particular area.

10. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the adjusting means are optical and wherein means are mechanically operative upon the adjusting means to provide a controlled adjustment by the adjusting means.

11. A device as in claim 10, the contrasting marking including a fluorescent marking, the device including an illuminating source for stimulating the flourescence of a marking when in the particular area, the contour defined as boundary between a fluorscent area and a non-fluorescent area on the carrier.

12. A device as in claim 11, the illuminating source being a pulsating source, the circuit means including means responsive to the pulsations in the image.

13. A device as in claim 12, the source providing ultraviolet radiation.

14. A device for reading information established by data markings in a data field on a carrier wheRe the data field is circumscribed by particularly contoured boundaries, the carrier having random position and random orientation in a particular area and appearing at random times within that area, the combination comprising:

reading means disposed in relation to the particular area and having a particular configuration and characteristics for reading information and providing signals representative thereof;

means defining an optical path between the carrier and the reading means to provide an image of the carrier on the reading means to obtain reading by the reading means of the image of the data markings in the data field on the carrier, when the image of the data field on the carrier has particular reading position, the optical means being adjustable for adjusting the data field image relative to the reading means;

means including plural detectors disposed on the same optical path as the reading means, in optical alignment therewith and in particular spatial relation to the image of the contour of the boundaries, for sensing the disposition of the image of the contour of the boundaries of the data field and to provide indications representing the displacement of the boundaries of the data field on the carrier from a particular relationship, the particular relationship defined by a tangent position of the boundary contour image to each of the detectors, while the data markings as imaged are displaced from the detectors, so as to establish the reading position of the images of the data markings with respect to the reading means outside of the range of the detectors;

means responsive to the indications provided by the sensing means for adjusting the optical means in directions for providing the particular tangent relationship between the image of the boundaries of the data field on the carrier and the detectors of the sensing means, placing the images of the data markings in reading position to the reading means; and

means responsive to the particular relationship between the boundaries of the data field on the carrier and the reading means for obtaining a processing of the information read in the data field by the reading means.

15. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the optical means are adjustable in at least a pair of transverse directions and wherein the adjusting means are operative to adjust the optical means in the pair of transverse directions to provide a symmetrical relationship between the images of the boundaries of the data field on the carrier and the detectors.

16. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the optical means are adjustable in at least a rotary direction and wherein the adjusting means are operative to adjust the optical means in the rotary direction to provide the particular relationship between the boundaries of the data field on the carrier and the reading means.

17. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the optical means are adjustable in at least a pair of transverse directions and in a rotary direction and wherein the adjusting means are operative to selectively adjust the optical means in the transverse directions and in the rotary direction to provide the particular relationship between the boundaries of the data field on the carrier and the reading means.