VISUAL DISPLAY OF UNRECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERS IN OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION MACHINES
First Claim
1. In an optical character recognition system intended to recognize characters arranged in at least one row by sequentially examining successive characters and including a source of a beam of light, means for projecting the beam of light onto characters to be recognized and including further means for causing the beam of light to sweep sequentially across the characters in a row, optical image sensing means, means incLuding said further means for directing light reflected from such characters along an optical path to said sensing means, a viewing system characterized by, a second optical path including means selectively operable to divert light directed toward the sensing means into said second optical path, a viewing screen, said second optical path focusing said diverted light on said viewing screen, and a further source of light for illuminating the characters in a row when light is diverted into said second optical path.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A selectively operable optical path is provided to permit visual display of a character that cannot be recognized by an optical character recognition machine. Visual display of such characters permits visual observation of the enlarged character by an operator who, if he recognizes the character can insert it by a keyboard mechanism and if he cannot recognize it he may reject the document as unintelligible.
23 Citations
7 Claims
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1. In an optical character recognition system intended to recognize characters arranged in at least one row by sequentially examining successive characters and including a source of a beam of light, means for projecting the beam of light onto characters to be recognized and including further means for causing the beam of light to sweep sequentially across the characters in a row, optical image sensing means, means incLuding said further means for directing light reflected from such characters along an optical path to said sensing means, a viewing system characterized by, a second optical path including means selectively operable to divert light directed toward the sensing means into said second optical path, a viewing screen, said second optical path focusing said diverted light on said viewing screen, and a further source of light for illuminating the characters in a row when light is diverted into said second optical path.
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2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said second optical path further includes means for filtering out the light from the source of a beam of light.
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3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said further means comprises light diverting means selectively movable into the first mentioned optical path.
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4. In an optical character recognition machine intended to read plural characters arranged in at least one row extending along the width of a document by sequentially examining successive vertical slices of each character and including a source of a light beam, means for projecting the light beam along a first optical path extending between the source and the characters to be read, the first optical path including a scanning mirror positioned to reflect the light beam onto said character, means for rotating the scanning mirror about an axis to sweep the light beam to illuminate successively characters in a row, optical images sensing means, a second optical path extending from the characters to the sensing means and including the first optical path, the second optical path extending beyond the first optical path, a viewing system characterized by a third optical path including further means for changing the direction of light mounted for movement between two positions, selectively energizable means for normally maintaining said further means out of said second optical path and upon a change in its energization selectively moving said further means into the second optical path in the region extending beyond the first optical path, a viewing screen, a second source of light, means for directing the light from said second source on the row of characters containing a character to be displayed during the interval said further means is disposed in the second optical path, said third optical path including means for projecting an enlarged image of such character on said viewing screen.
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5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said third optical path further includes a filter for light from the source of a light beam whereby to reduce materially the intensity of such light illuminating said viewing screen.
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6. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said viewing screen includes indicia indicating the position of the character displayed on said screen scree that is to be read when the scanning mirror is stopped in a position to direct the light beam on such character.
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7. In an optical character recognition machine intended to read plural characters arranged in at least one line extending along the width of a flat document by examining successive vertical slices of each character sequentially and including a source of a light beam, means for projecting the light beam along a first optical path extending between the source and the characters to be recognized, the first optical path including a scanning mirror positioned to reflect the light beam onto said character, means for rotating the scanning mirror about an axis to sweep the light beam to illuminate successively characters in a row, optical image sensing means, a second optical path extending from the characters to the sensing means and including the first optical path, the second optical path extending beyond the first optical path, a viewing system characterized by a third optical path including a further mirror mounted for rotation about an axis, selectively energizable means for normally maintaining said further mirror out of said second optical path and upon a change in energization for selectively rotating said further mirror into said second optical path in the region extending beyond the first optical path, a viewing screen, a normally de-energized second source of light energized concurrently with positioning of said further mirror in said second optical path, means for directing the light from said second source on the row of characters containing the character to be recognized, said third optical path including means for projecting an enlarged image of the character to be recognized on said viewing screen.
Specification