Facsimile system

Claim 2

In a facsimile system for scanning a data-beaRing medium on a line-by-line basis for reproducing and recording data, the combination, comprising: means for scanning said medium at a high rate until data is detected; means responsive to said detected data causing said medium scanner to retrace to a point a selected constant distance just before the point at which said detected data was detected in a line, not normally to the end of said line, to rescan said line of said medium at a slower rate, and to continue to scan said line for a predetermined time after data is no longer detected; means responsive after said predetermined time to the presence of no data causing said medium scanner to resume said high rate scan until data is next detected; and means for processing detected data during said lower rate scan periods.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, in which said processing means comprises a transmitter for transmitting detected data during said lower rate scan periods.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, in which said processing means comprises a receiver for receiving said detected data during said lower rate scan periods.

Claim 5

In a facsimile system for scanning a record member on which data is recorded and reproducing the recorded data, a facsimile scanner which comprises means for scanning the record member at a high rate to produce a video signal, on a line-by-line basis means for detecting data in said signal, means responsive to said detected data causing said facsimile scanner to retrace to a point a selected constant distance just before the point at which said data was detected in said line, not normally to the end of said line and to reinstitute scanning of said data at a lower rate and to continue scanning said medium for a predetermined time after data is no longer detected in said line and then resuming the high rate scan until data is next detected, in a line and means for transmitting the data detected during the slow scan periods.

Claim 6

In a facsimile system for scanning a record member on which data is recorded and reproducing the recorded data, a facsimile scanner which comprises means for scanning the record member at a high rate to produce a video signal, on a line-by-line basis means for detecting data in said signal, means responsive to said detected data causing said facsimile scanner to retrace to a point a selected constant distance just before the point at which said data was detected in said line, not normally to the end of said line and to reinstitute scanning of said data at a lower rate and to continue scanning said medium for a predetermined time after data is no longer detected in said line and then resuming the high rate scan until data is next detected, in a line and means for transmitting the data detected during the slow scan periods.

Claim 7

In a facsimile system for scanning a record member on a line-by-line basis and recording data on said member in response to a video signal propagated at a first rate, means for supplying a video signal containing intervals in which data occur interspersed by intervals in which data do not occur, means for detecting data in said video signal, recording scanning means which comprises means responsive to said detecting means for scanning said record member at a second rate higher than said first rate in the absence of detected data and causing said scanning means to retrace to a point a selected constant distance just be fore the point at which said data was detected, not necessarily to the end of a line and to reinstitute scanning of said member at said first rate and to continue scanning said medium for a predetermined time after data is no longer detected and then resuming the high rate scan until data is next detected.

Claim 8

In a facsimile system for scanning a record member on a line-by-line basis and recording data on said member in response to a video signal propagated at a first rate, means for supplying a video signal containing intervals in which data occur interspersed by intervals in which data do not occur, means for detecting data in said video signal, recording scanning means which comprises means responsive to said detecting means for scanning said record member at a second rate higher than said first rate in the absence of detected data and causing said scanning means to retrace to a point a selected constant distance just be fore the point at which said data was detected, not necessarily to the end of a line and to reinstitute scanning of said member at said first rate and to continue scanning said medium for a predetermined time after data is no longer detected and then resuming the high rate scan until data is next detected.

Claim 9

In a facsimile system, a transmitter comprising: a document scanner for producing a video transmission signal in accordance with data recorded on a document to be scanned, on a line-by-line basis said scanner comprising first deflection signal generating means for selecting a line on a document to be scanned, second deflection signal generating means for scanning a line selected by said first deflection signal generating means, means for producing a video signal determined by the position of said deflection signals, the rate at which said second deflection signal to a point a selected constant distance is generated, and the data recorded in said document at the location selected by said deflection signals, means for detecting data in said video signal, means controlled by said detecting means for rapidly changing said second deflection signal until data id detected, means controlled by said detecting means for retracing said second deflection signal behind the point where data was detected when data is detected, not necessarily to the end of the line, means to rescan sAid data, and means controlled by said detecting signal for a predetermined period after data is last detected or until the end of the line under scan is reached.

Claim 10

In a facsimile system, a transmitter comprising: a document scanner for producing a video transmission signal in accordance with data recorded on a document to be scanned, on a line-by-line basis said scanner comprising first deflection signal generating means for selecting a line on a document to be scanned, second deflection signal generating means for scanning a line selected by said first deflection signal generating means, means for producing a video signal determined by the position of said deflection signals, the rate at which said second deflection signal to a point a selected constant distance is generated, and the data recorded in said document at the location selected by said deflection signals, means for detecting data in said video signal, means controlled by said detecting means for rapidly changing said second deflection signal until data id detected, means controlled by said detecting means for retracing said second deflection signal behind the point where data was detected when data is detected, not necessarily to the end of the line, means to rescan sAid data, and means controlled by said detecting signal for a predetermined period after data is last detected or until the end of the line under scan is reached.

Claim 11

In a facsimile system, a transmitter adapted to cooperate with a recording receiver by means of a video transmission signal, said system comprising dual rate scanning means for producing a video data signal at a rate determined by the rate of change of an applied scanning signal, on a line-by-line basis means for detecting data in said scanning signal, means for actuating said scanning means to produce a rapidly changing video signal until data is detected, and video transmission signal generating means responsive to said data-detecting means causing said scanning means to apply a slowly changing scanning signal to said scanning means when data is detected beginning at a scanning point a selected constant distance behind which the data was detected, not necessarily to the end of the line.

Claim 12

In a facsimile system, a transmitter adapted to cooperate with a recording receiver by means of a video transmission signal, said system comprising dual rate scanning means for producing a video data signal at a rate determined by the rate of change of an applied scanning signal, on a line-by-line basis means for detecting data in said scanning signal, means for actuating said scanning means to produce a rapidly changing video signal until data is detected, and video transmission signal generating means responsive to said data-detecting means causing said scanning means to apply a slowly changing scanning signal to said scanning means when data is detected beginning at a scanning point a selected constant distance behind which the data was detected, not necessarily to the end of the line.

Claim 13

A facsimile system, for line-by-line scanning comprising: a transmitter having an output terminal, a receiver having an input terminal, a transmission line, and switching means for connecting said output terminal to said input terminal over said transmission line, said transmitter comprising scanning means responsive to two applied deflection signals to produce a video signal containing information corresponding to information in a scanned region to be reproduced, said receiver comprising recording means responsive to an applied video signal and two applied deflection signals for recording the applied video signal on a record member, in which said transmitter and said receiver each comprise a first deflection signal generator for scanning a line on said record member and an associated second deflection signal generator for selecting a line on said record member to be scanned, said first signal generator being settable to first and second stages and producing a first deflection signal that varies from a first value to a second value at a first rate in said first state and at a second rate in said second state, said second deflection signal generator comprising means responsive to a series of applied stepping signals for producing a second deflection signal corresponding to the sum of said stepping signals, means controlled by each first deflection signal generating means at the end of a line scan for applying a stepping signal to the associated second deflection signal generator, timing means controlled by said scanning means for setting said first signal generating means to their second states for a predetermined time following the occurrence of information in said video signal and then resetting said first signal generating means to their first states, and means in said transmitter and in said receiver for applying the deflection signals produced by the deflection signal generator therein to said scanning means and said recording means, respectively, in which each of said first deflection signal generating means comprises means effective when the signal generating means is set to its second state for offsetting the first deflection signals to a point a selected constant distance behind the point at which the information in the video signal caused said timing means to set the generating means to their second state produce a partial retrace.

Claim 14

A facsimile system, for line-by-line scanning comprising: a transmitter having an output terminal, a receiver having an input terminal, a transmission line, and switching means for connecting said output terminal to said input terminal over said transmission line, said transmitter comprising scanning means responsive to two applied deflection signals to produce a video signal containing information corresponding to information in a scanned region to be reproduced, said receiver comprising recording means responsive to an applied video signal and two applied deflection signals for recording the applied video signal on a record member, in which said transmitter and said receiver each comprise a first deflection signal generator for scanning a line on said record member and an associated second deflection signal generator for selecting a line on said record member to be scanned, said first signal generator being settable to first and second stages and producing a first deflection signal that varies from a first value to a second value at a first rate in said first state and at a second rate in said second state, said second deflection signal generator comprising means responsive to a series of applied stepping signals for producing a second deflection signal corresponding to the sum of said stepping signals, means controlled by each first deflection signal generating means at the end of a line scan for applying a stepping signal to the associated second deflection signal generator, timing means controlled by said scanning means for setting said first signal generating means to their second states for a predetermined time following the occurrence of information in said video signal and then resetting said first signal generating means to their first states, and means in said transmitter and in said receiver for applying the deflection signals produced by the deflection signal generator therein to said scanning means and said recording means, respectively, in which each of said first deflection signal generating means comprises means effective when the signal generating means is set to its second state for offsetting the first deflection signals to a point a selected constant distance behind the point at which the information in the video signal caused said timing means to set the generating means to their second state produce a partial retrace.