Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
397 words
An optical character recognition system comprising: a data card including constraining marks defining areas for the entry of optically recognizable characters and including opaque timing marks for indicating the position of said constraining marks, each of said areas having predetermined left, middle and right segments; an array of columns of optical comparators, each adapted to produce a voltage pulse in response to a predetermined drop in the intensity of light reaching the comparator; means for passing said data card in a light path between a light source and said array of comparators at a predetermined speed; a timing comparator for detecting said opaque timing marks and triggering at least one timing pulse source; a plurality of logical AND circuits for combining the outputs of a first plurality of comparators, past which opaque vertical lines in said characters printed within said areas would pass, with the output of at least one timing pulse source adapted to pulse while predetermined portions of the areas defined by said constraining marks pass in the light path between said array and said light source, said plurality of comparators being divided into upper and lower groups to permit separate detection of upper and lower vertical lines in said characters and said timing pulses being chosen and timed to permit separate detection of said upper and lower vertical lines in the left and right segments of the areas defined by said constraining marks; a plurality of logical OR circuits for combining the outputs of a second plurality of comparators, past which horizontal lines in said characters printed within said areas would pass, and a plurality of AND circuits for combining the outputs of each of said OR circuits with the output of a corresponding timing pulse source adapted to pulse while predetermined portions of the areas defined by said constraining marks pass in the light path between said array and said light source, said plurality of comparators being divided into upper, middle and lower groups to permit separate detection of upper, middle and lower horizontal lines in said characters and said timing pulse being chosen and timed to permit detection of said upper, middle and lower horizontal lines in the middle segments of the areas defined by said constraining marks; and a decoder for determining from signals from said AND circuits each of the characters printed in the areas defined by said constraining marks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
397 words
An optical character recognition system comprising: a data card including constraining marks defining areas for the entry of optically recognizable characters and including opaque timing marks for indicating the position of said constraining marks, each of said areas having predetermined left, middle and right segments; an array of columns of optical comparators, each adapted to produce a voltage pulse in response to a predetermined drop in the intensity of light reaching the comparator; means for passing said data card in a light path between a light source and said array of comparators at a predetermined speed; a timing comparator for detecting said opaque timing marks and triggering at least one timing pulse source; a plurality of logical AND circuits for combining the outputs of a first plurality of comparators, past which opaque vertical lines in said characters printed within said areas would pass, with the output of at least one timing pulse source adapted to pulse while predetermined portions of the areas defined by said constraining marks pass in the light path between said array and said light source, said plurality of comparators being divided into upper and lower groups to permit separate detection of upper and lower vertical lines in said characters and said timing pulses being chosen and timed to permit separate detection of said upper and lower vertical lines in the left and right segments of the areas defined by said constraining marks; a plurality of logical OR circuits for combining the outputs of a second plurality of comparators, past which horizontal lines in said characters printed within said areas would pass, and a plurality of AND circuits for combining the outputs of each of said OR circuits with the output of a corresponding timing pulse source adapted to pulse while predetermined portions of the areas defined by said constraining marks pass in the light path between said array and said light source, said plurality of comparators being divided into upper, middle and lower groups to permit separate detection of upper, middle and lower horizontal lines in said characters and said timing pulse being chosen and timed to permit detection of said upper, middle and lower horizontal lines in the middle segments of the areas defined by said constraining marks; and a decoder for determining from signals from said AND circuits each of the characters printed in the areas defined by said constraining marks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A system according to claim 1 including temporary storage registers for storing the outputs of the comparators for detecting left and right vertical lines in each of said characters until said predetermined left and right segments, respectively, of each of said areas have passed through the light path between said light source and said comparators.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein said array comprises two parallel columns of comparators and wherein said columns are displaced with respect to one another to prevent a horizontal line from falling between comparators.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A system according to claim 1 including: a code transformer for converting the characters recognized into standard parallel output code; means for converting these signals from parallel to serial form; and means for transforming these signals into acoustical signals suitaBle for electrical transmission over standard telephone lines.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein: said data cards are adapted to reflect light; and said means for passing said data card in a light path between a light source and an array of comparators is adapted to pass the data card through a position where light shining from the light source onto the card is reflected onto said array of comparators.