AUTOMATIC ADDRESS DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 3,846,753 A
• Filed: 09/20/1972
• Issued: 11/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arie Adriaan Spanjersberg
• Original Assignee: Arie Adriaan Spanjersberg
• Inventors: Spanjersberg, Arie Adriaan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gnuse, Robert F.
• Application Number:
  US05/290,717
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 340/146.3D
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/10 Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination methods or arrangements for reading and recognising printed or written characters or geometric figures G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/146 Aligning or centring of the image pick-up or image-field
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/424 Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes

Abstract

An arrangement for the automatic detection of an address, for example an address on a letter. The letter is advanced by means of a transport device past a scanning circuit, for example a television camera, for a first, coarse-raster scanning operation wherein the address code is located on the letter, and then past a second scanning circuit, for exaple an image dissector tube, for a second, fine-raster scanning operation wherein the code is recognized. The scanning circuits comprise scanning means for converting the information into a pulsed signal, and a processor processing the signals of the first scanning operation in order to locate the address code and controlling the scanning means for scanning the individual characters of the code.

Claims

1. An apparatus for locating and recognizing a coded address on documents comprising:

a. a video camera having a coarse raster scanning means for viewing said documents, b. an image dissector tube having a fine raster scanning means for viewing said documents, said tube being spaced from said camera along a path for said documents, c. means for moving said documents successively passed said camera and said tube at a constant continuous rate, d. means connected to said camera for determing the location of the coded address on said documents, comprising a pulse sequence discriminator means for determining the presence of the coded address, and separate counter means for determining the horizontal and vertical distances of said address from the edges of said documents, and e. means for controlling said tube for scanning only the location determined by said location determining means for only viewing said address by said tube for reading the code of said addresss, comprising a digital to analogue convertor means for producing a direct current for vertically positioning the location of said address to be scanned by said tube in accordance with one of said separate counter means, and a sawtooth wave generator for horizontally positioning the location of said address in accordance with the other of said separate counter means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 including means located along said path of said documents between said image dissector tube and said video camera for determining the leading edges of said documents for controlling said image dissector tube.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for determining the location of said address comprises a circuit for producing a pulsed signal corresponding to the number and vertical spacing of and between the lines of said address.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the spacing between said image dissector tube and said video camera is determined by the speed of said means for moving said document and the time required for determining said location of said address code on said document.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein both said location determining means and said controlling means comprise circuits including counters and AND-gates and clock generators.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said location determining means includes a register for pulses generated in said counter means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for controlling said image dissector tube comprises a clock generator for controlling said sawtooth wave generator for controlling the scanning of said tube.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said controlling means for said image dissector tube includes a circuit comprising dividers and limiters.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 including a clock generator for controlling said horizontal counter means and wherein said vertical counter means counts the raster lines employed by said camera.