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 comprises a flip-mirror disposed within one of 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,f. an optical bench sized for disposition within said housing for mounting said selection means, andg. a signal processor associated with said housing for storing said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said visual images.
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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.
87 Citations
62 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 comprises a flip-mirror disposed within one of 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, f. an optical bench sized for disposition within said housing for mounting said selection means, and g. a signal processor associated with said housing for storing said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said visual images.
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38. 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. a first image plane supported at a first position on said housing, c. at least one image path optically coupling one of said plurality of object sources and said first image plane, d. an optical conversion element pivotably mounted to said housing for acquiring visual images from said image plane and generating said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said visual images, e. a second image plane supported at a spatially fixed position on said housing, f. multiplexing means for selectively and alternatively coupling visual images from each of said object sources along one of said image paths onto said first and second image planes wherein said multiplexing means comprises a flip-mirror disposed within one of said image paths and being pivotably mounted to said housing for pivoting said image planes into optical engagement with a first object source or a second object source, and g. an optical bench mounted within said housing for mounting one of said optical conversion element and multiplexing means.
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43. A system for providing a printed output image including information from a plurality of sources onto a single print medium, comprising
signal generating apparatus for generating at its output a sequence electrical data signals each representative of a plurality of spatially separated object sources, including a housing having said plurality of object sources disposed thereon, an image plane supported at a spatially fixed position on said housing, at least one image path optically coupling said plurality of object sources and said image plane, optical conversion means positioned on said housing for receiving visual images of said plurality of object sources from said image plane and generating said sequence of electrical data signals, representative of said visual images, selection means for selectively and alternatively coupling visual images from each of said object sources along said image path onto said image plane, a printing device, and a signal processor coupled between said signal generating apparatus output and said printing device for providing from said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said plurality of object sources a series of printing control signals to said printing device, said signal processor including a controller element in electrical circuit with said signal generating apparatus for providing control signals to said signal generating apparatus that control said selection means.
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51. A system for providing a printed output image including information from a plurality of sources onto a single print medium, comprising
signal generating apparatus for generating at its output a sequence electrical data signals each representative of a plurality of spatially separated object sources, including a housing having said plurality of object sources disposed thereon, an image plane supported at a spatially fixed position on said housing, at least one image path optically coupling said plurality of object sources and said image plane, an optical conversion means positioned on said housing for receiving visual images of said plurality of object sources from said image plane and generating said sequence of electrical data representative of said visual images, selection means for selectively and alternately coupling visual images from each of said object sources along said image path onto said image plane, a printing device, a signal processor coupled between said signal generating apparatus output and said printing device for providing from said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said plurality of object sources a series of printing control signals to said printing device, and a sensor element coupled to said selection means for generating a status signal representative of the operating condition of said selection means, including a signal representative of which object source is optically coupled to said image plane.
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61. A system for generating at its output a sequence electrical data signals each representative of a plurality of spatially separated object sources, said system comprising
a housing having said plurality of object sources disposed thereon, an image plane supported at a spatially fixed position on said housing, at least one image path optically coupling said plurality of object sources and said image plane, optical conversion means positioned on said housing for receiving visual images of said plurality of object sources from said image plane and generating said sequence of electrical data signals, representative of said visual images, selection means for selectively and alternatively coupling visual images from each of said object sources along said image path onto said image plane, a printing device for providing a printed output image including information from the object sources onto a print medium, and a signal processor coupled between said signal generating apparatus output and said printing device for providing from said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said plurality of object sources a series of printing control signals to said printing device, said signal processor including a controller element in electrical circuit with said signal generating apparatus for providing control signals to said signal generating apparatus that control said selection means.
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62. A system for generating at its output a sequence electrical data signals each representative of a plurality of spatially separated object sources, said system comprising
a housing having said plurality of object sources disposed thereon, an image plane supported at a spatially fixed position on said housing, at least one image path optically coupling said plurality of object sources and said image plane, an optical conversion means positioned on said housing for receiving visual images of said plurality of object sources from said image plane and generating said sequence of electrical data signals, representative of said visual images, selection means for selectively and alternately coupling visual images from each of said object sources along said image path onto said image plane, a printing device for providing a printed output image including information from the object sources onto a print medium, a signal processor coupled between said signal generating apparatus output and said printing device for providing from said sequence of electrical data signals representative of said plurality of object sources a series of printing control signals to said printing device, and a sensor element coupled to said selection means for generating a status signal representative of the operating condition of said selection means, including a signal representative of which object source is optically coupled to said image plane.
Specification