Apparatus for coupling multiple data sources onto a printed document
First Claim
1. Signal generating apparatus for generating at its output a sequence of electrical data signals each representative of a plurality of spatially separated object sources, comprisinga. a housing having said plurality of object sources disposed thereon,b. an image plane supported at a spatially fixed position relative to said housing,c. at least one image path optically coupling said plurality of object sources and said image plane,d. an optical conversion element positioned relative to said housing for acquiring visual images of said plurality of object sources from said image plane and generating said sequence of electrical data signals each representative of said visual images,e. selection means for selectively and alternatively coupling visual images from each of said object sources along one of said image paths onto said image plane wherein said selection means includes a flip-mirror selectively disposed within said image paths and being pivotably mounted to said housing for pivoting said image plane into optical engagement with a first object source or a second object source, andf. a signal processor associated with said housing for storing said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said visual images,wherein said signal processor allows a user to manipulate the electrical data signals representative of said visual image generated by the optical conversion element to construct identification cards of various designs.
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Abstract
A system for providing a printed output image including information from a data collection system onto a single print medium is disclosed. Data collection systems and methods are disclosed for collecting data from a plurality of spatially separated sources and for providing that data as a sequence of output signals. The data collection system includes a housing a selection element, one or more image paths and an image plane. The selection element selectively and alternatively couples visual images from separate object sources along the image paths and onto the image plane. The selection element may include optical shutters for selectively occluding or transmitting the visual images and may include illumination elements for providing a controlled sequence of illumination at selected ones of the object sources. The system can assemble the printed data in a format suitable for printing as an identification card.
43 Citations
34 Claims
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1. Signal generating apparatus for generating at its output a sequence of electrical data signals each representative of a plurality of spatially separated object sources, comprising
a. a housing having said plurality of object sources disposed thereon, b. an image plane supported at a spatially fixed position relative to said housing, c. at least one image path optically coupling said plurality of object sources and said image plane, d. an optical conversion element positioned relative to said housing for acquiring visual images of said plurality of object sources from said image plane and generating said sequence of electrical data signals each representative of said visual images, e. selection means for selectively and alternatively coupling visual images from each of said object sources along one of said image paths onto said image plane wherein said selection means includes a flip-mirror selectively disposed within said image paths and being pivotably mounted to said housing for pivoting said image plane into optical engagement with a first object source or a second object source, and f. a signal processor associated with said housing for storing said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said visual images, wherein said signal processor allows a user to manipulate the electrical data signals representative of said visual image generated by the optical conversion element to construct identification cards of various designs.
Specification