OCR/Variable head slot reader

• US 4,396,902 A
• Filed: 07/07/1980
• Issued: 08/02/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems, Inc. (Siemens Nixdorf)
• Original Assignee: Recognition Equipment Incorporated
• Inventors: McMillan, Robert M., Warthan, Jerry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Application Number:
  US06/165,992
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 340/146.3 C, 340/146.3 Z, 340/146.3 D, 340/146.3 AH, 340/146.3 ED, 235/440, 235/449, 235/454, 235/483, 235/484, 235/485
• US Class Current: 382/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers

Abstract

A reading device which uses both optical character recognition techniques and magnetic reading are combined in a reader wherein the magnetic reading head stays at a fixed position while the optical reading aperture may be varied to accomodate different documents. The slot through which checks, credit cards or other similar documents are passed is movable vertically to adapt to different media from which information is to be read.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reading both magnetically and optically comprising track means, an optical reader, a magnetic reader mounted on said track means and secured in a fixed relation thereto, and two interacting thumb wheels for vertical adjustment of said track means, said optical reader mounted adjacent to and independent of said track means, said track means having an aperture therein through which optical reading is accomplished.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said track means and aperture therein is adjustable vertically with respect to said optical reader.

3. An apparatus for reading different positional data on a document where the positional data is spaced apart and the data at each position is readable only by one type of reader, comprising:

an optical reader, a magnetic stripe reader, and a document track, said magnetic stripe reader being mounted on said document track, said optical scanner being independent of said document track, and adjustment means for adjusting the document track in respect of said optical reader to permit the optical reader to scan data at various locations on the document while the magnetic stripe reader remains in a fixed relationship to the document track and reads the same area each time the document is magnetically read.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the document track has an aperture therein which is moved vertically with respect to the optical scanner.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the document track is moved vertically by adjusting either one of two interacting thumb wheels.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the document track rides on two helical cams attached to said thumb wheels.