Checking the feed-in of data to data-processing apparatus

Claim 2

A data input checking apparatus comprising a. selectively operable input means for feeding independently selected pluralities of data characters into the apparatus as first and third sequences respectively; b. rearrangIng means connected with the input means for formulating, from the plurality of data characters fed into the apparatus as said first sequence, as second sequence in which the order of the characters is different from that in said first sequence; and c. comparison means connected with the input means and the rearranging means for comparing the plurality of data characters fed into the apparatus as said third sequence with said second sequence and for providing an indication if said third sequence differs from said second sequence.

Claim 3

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the comparison means comprise a check-digit calculator/verifier connected with the input means and the rearranging means for calculating a check-digit for one of said second and third sequences and ascertaining whether that check-digit is appropriate also for the other of said second and third sequences.

Claim 4

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: a. the input means include a counter connected to register in turn the feeding-in of each data character of said first sequence; and b. the rearranging means include: i. an electronic store connected with said input means, for receiving coded electrical signals representative respectively of the data characters of said first sequence, and having a plurality of locations for storing coded representations of said data character is in dependence upon the said electrical signals received; and ii. addressing means connected between said counter and said electronic store for directing each such electrical signal to an individual one of said locations, in dependence upon how many of the characters of said first sequence have been fed into the device previously, in an irregular manner serving to formulate said second sequence in said electronic store by rearranging the characters of said first sequence.

Claim 5

An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein: a. said counter is connected to register the feeding-in in turn of each data character of said third sequence also; and b. the comparison means comprise: i. readout means connected with said electronic store for reading out its contents; ii. selector means, connected with said counter and said electronic store and controlled by said counter registering said feeding-in of said third sequence, for causing the readout means to read out the contents of said store in a regular manner producing coded electrical signals which represent in turn the respective characters of said second sequence; and iii. a comparator connected between the input means and the readout means for comparing the characters of said third sequence, as they are fed into the apparatus in turn, with the corresponding respective characters of said second sequence as they are read out in turn.

Claim 6

A apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: a. programming means connected to cooperate with the selector means for causing said second sequence to be read as an output from the electronic store after completion of the comparison of said second and third sequences has established identity thereof; and b. output recording means connected with the readout means for producing a machine-readable recording of said output from said electronic store.

Claim 7

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input means include: i. feed-in converter means for producing coded electrical signals representative respectively of said data characters fed into the apparatus; ii. an electronic store connected with the feed-in converter means, for receiving said coded electrical signals representative of the data characters of said first sequence, and having a plurality of locations for storing coded representations of the data characters in dependence upon the electrical signals received; iii. a counter connected with the feed-in converter means for registering the feed-in in turn of each data character of said first and third sequences, and iv. addressing means connected between thE counter and the electronic store and controlled by the counter during the feeding-in of said first sequence for directing each such electrical signal to an individual one of the said locations, in dependence upon how many of the characters of the first sequence have been fed into the apparatus previously, in a regular manner serving to write said first sequence into said electronic store without rearrangement.

Claim 8

An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein: a. said comparison means comprise readout means connected with said electronic store for reading out its contents; b. the rearranging means comprise scrambling selector means connected with said counter and said electronic store and controlled by said counter, during the feeding-in of said third sequence, for causing the readout means to formulate said second sequence by reading out the contents of said electronic store in an irregular manner producing coded electrical signals which represent in turn the respective characters of said second sequence; and c. said comparison means further comprise a comparator connected between the input means and the readout means for comprising the characters of said third sequence, as they are fed into the apparatus in turn, with the corresponding respective characters of said second sequence as they are formulated in turn.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: a. programming means connected to cooperate with said addressing means for causing said first sequence to be readout as an output from said electronic store after completion of the comparison of said second and third sequences has established identity thereof; and b. output recording means connecting with said readout means for producing a machine-readable recording of said output from said electronic store.

Claim 10

Data-checking apparatus for verifying the transfer of a primary sequence of data characters from a source document into a data-processing system comprising in combination: a data input checking means including selectively operable input means for feeding independently selected pluralities of data characters thereinto as first and third sequences respectively, rearranging means connected with the input means for formulating from the plurality of data characters fed thereinto as said first sequence a second sequence in which the order of the characters is different from that in said first sequence, comparison means connected with the input means and the rearranging means for comparing the plurality of data characters fed into the data-checking means as said third sequence with said second sequence and for providing an indication if said third sequence differs from said second sequence and a data-viewing means for use with the data input means including a scrambling system bounded by first and second sides and comprising a plurality of mutually crossing image-transmission channels having respective first ends arranged at said first side for receiving light from respective positions occupied by the characters of said primary sequence on said source document, and having respective opposite ends arranged at said second side for displaying to an operator respective visible images of the characters of said primary sequence rearranged in a manner bearing a predetermined relationship to the change of order effected by the said rearranging means as a secondary sequence to be fed into the said data-checking means as one of said first and third sequences; the said predetermined relationship ensuring that if said secondary sequence is correctly fed in by the operator, and said primary sequence is correctly fed in by the operator as the other of said first and third sequences, the said second sequence formulated by said rearranging means is identical with the said third sequence.

Claim 11

Data-checking apparatus for verifying the transfer of a primary sequence of data characters from a source document into a data-processing system comprising in combination: a data input checking means including selectively operable input means for feeding independently selected pluralities of data characters thereinto as first and third sequences respectively, rearranging means connected with the input means for formulating from the plurality of data characters fed thereinto as said first sequence a second sequence in which the order of the characters is different from that in said first sequence, comparison means connected with the input means and the rearranging means for comparing the plurality of data characters fed into the data-checking means as said third sequence with said second sequence and for providing an indication if said third sequence differs from said second sequence and a data-viewing means for use with the data input means including a scrambling system bounded by first and second sides and comprising a plurality of mutually crossing image-transmission channels having respective first ends arranged at said first side for receiving light from respective positions occupied by the characters of said primary sequence on said source document, and having respective opposite ends arranged at said second side for displaying to an operator respective visible images of the characters of said primary sequence rearranged in a manner bearing a predetermined relationship to the change of order effected by the said rearranging means as a secondary sequence to be fed into the said data-checking means as one of said first and third sequences; the said predetermined relationship ensuring that if said secondary sequence is correctly fed in by the operator, and said primary sequence is correctly fed in by the operator as the other of said first and third sequences, the said second sequence formulated by said rearranging means is identical with the said third sequence.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the change of order effected by said rearranging means is the complement of that effected by the scrambling system; whereby, for a given primary sequenCe, if said first sequence is identical with said secondary sequence, said second sequence is identical with said given primary sequence.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the change of order effected by said rearranging means is the same as that effected by said scrambling system; whereby, for a given primary sequence, if said first sequence is identical with said given primary sequence, said second sequence is identical with said secondary sequence.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said input means include an inhibit device connected with said comparison means and controlled thereby to prevent the feeding-in of further characters of said third sequence on indication of a difference between said third and second sequences.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the scrambling system is an optical system comprising a plurality of coherent fiber-optics bundles having respective operator remote end-faces arranged at said first side of the system for receiving such images from said respective positions and having respective opposite end-faces aligned for displaying the respective images to said operator at said second side of the system.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein: a. the said respective positions are arranged relatively to one another in a predetermined manner which differs from the manner in which said operator-remote end-faces are arranged relatively to one another; and b. said viewing device further includes a pitch conversion unit mounted adjacent to said first side for transmitting such images respectively to said operator-remote end-faces from said respective positions.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the pitch conversion unit is an optical pitch conversion unit comprising a plurality of coherent fiber-optics bundles having respective operator-remote end-faces, arranged relatively to one another in said predetermined manner for registering with said respective positions, and having respective opposite end-faces arranged for registering with the operator-remote end-faced of the scrambling optical system.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, including a plurality of such pitch conversion units, mounted interchangeably adjacent to the scrambling system, for operation respectively with different predetermined spacings of said respective positions.

Claim 19

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a ''''straight'''' image transmission system, mounted interchangeably with the scrambling system, for displaying to the operator-respective images of the characters of said primary sequence, in the same order as that in said primary sequence, for feeding into said data input checking device as the said other of said first and third sequences.

Claim 20

Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the ''''straight'''' image transmission system is a ''''straight'''' optical system bounded by first and second sides and comprising a plurality of coherent fiber-optics bundles having respective operator-remote end-faces arranged at said first side of the ''''straight'''' optical system, similarly to said operator-remote end-faces of said scrambling system, for receiving images from said respective positions and having respective opposite end-faces aligned, similarly to those of said scrambling system, for displaying said respective images to the operator at said second side of the ''''straight'''' optical system.

Claim 21

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein: a. said ''''straightoptical system is movable from a nonoperative position thereof to an operative position, to provide the ''''straight'''' display of said primary sequence for feeding into said checking device as the said other of said first and third sequences; and b. said scrambling system is movable from a nonoperative position thereof to said operative position, to display said secondary sequence to the operator for feeding into said checking device as the said one of said first and third sequences.

Claim 22

Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein: a. the said respective positions are arranged relatively to one another in a predetermined manner which differs from the manner in which said operator-remote end-faces are arranged relatively to one another; b. said viewing device further includes a pitch conversion unit mounted adjacent to said first side for transmitting such images respectively to said operator-remote end-faces from said respective positions; and c. the pitch conversion unit is mounted for cooperation with whichever of the scrambling and ''''straight'''' optical systems is in said operative position.