Curve follower
First Claim
1. In apparatus for recognizing the existence of a line in a grid-like coordinate system, a method of following the line comprising the steps of:
- (a) sensing the presence of said line on a grid of spaced and distributed coordinate points within said coordinate system;
(b) identifying the coordinate point at an end of said line within said grid;
(c) producing a signal representing the identified coordinate point at an end of said line;
(d) inhibiting identification of the previously identified coordinate point at an end of said line, thereby defining a new end of said line; and
(e) repeating steps (b), (c) and (d);
whereby the identified succession of coordinate points specifies the sequential path of said line along the grid from the originally identified end.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A curve follower or line tracing system for converting the common representation of patterns of lines into features which are readily usable as inputs to an adaptive information processing system such as a Nestor adaptive module. The problem addressed by this system is how to sequentially identify, from a global exposure or tracing of a curve, the starting and subsequent points of the curve in the same manner as tracing it by hand. In the curve follower, an array of light sensitive elements located on a grid identify a line at the grid points. Since the end point of the line has a single neighbor, it is readily located. The identification of an end point is used to subsequently inhibit further identification of the end point and create another point which is similar identified. Overall biases may be employed to define a preferred line direction. Once the resulting sequence is obtained, the line may be coded.
41 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In apparatus for recognizing the existence of a line in a grid-like coordinate system, a method of following the line comprising the steps of:
- (a) sensing the presence of said line on a grid of spaced and distributed coordinate points within said coordinate system;
(b) identifying the coordinate point at an end of said line within said grid;
(c) producing a signal representing the identified coordinate point at an end of said line;
(d) inhibiting identification of the previously identified coordinate point at an end of said line, thereby defining a new end of said line; and
(e) repeating steps (b), (c) and (d);
whereby the identified succession of coordinate points specifies the sequential path of said line along the grid from the originally identified end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- (a) sensing the presence of said line on a grid of spaced and distributed coordinate points within said coordinate system;
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10. Curve follower apparatus for determining the coordinate points, in succession, along a line arranged within a prescribed coordinate system having a grid of spaced and distributed coordinate points, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) sensor means, for determining the presence of said line at said coordinate points;
(b) means, responsive to said sensor means, for repeatedly identifying the coordinate points at an end of said line; and
(c) means, connected to said coordinate point identifying means, for repeatedly inhibiting identification of the previously identified coordinate point at an end of said line, thereby defining a new end of said line;
whereby the succession of inhibited coordinate points specifies the sequential path of said line along the grid from the originally identified end. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- (a) sensor means, for determining the presence of said line at said coordinate points;
- 24. The apparatus defined in clain 23, wherein said coordinate system is a Cartesian coordinate system.
Specification