Method and apparatus for quantizing a character or test pattern preferably for the purpose of gaining control data for electronic photo composition

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, wherein before the filtering steps the method further comprises the step of dividing the light rays into two groups, one group emanating from a scanned point and the other group emanating from the corresponding adjacent area.

Claim 4

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol for electronic photo composition of the symbol, comprising a carrier mounting the symbol and providing a background therefor, the symbol being of a first color and the background being of a second color; photoscanning means for scanning a field which includes the symbol and its background on a point-by-point basis to receive light rays of said first and second colors from the scanned points and corresponding discrete areas immediately adjacent thereto; first detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing said first and second color light rays received from the scanned points; second detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing the predominant first and second color light rays received from said discrete areas; said photoscanning means comprising means for receiving the light rays from the scanned field including first means for directing the light rays received from the scanned points to said first detection means and second means for directing the light rays from the discrete areas to said second detection means; said means for receiving light rays from the scanned field including a disc, said first directing means including means defining an aperture in said disc and said second directing mEans including reflected means carried on said disc and disposed at an angle relative the direction of received light rays; data registration means; and means operated in response to said second detection means upon parity of said first signals, and upon parity of said second signals, to effect storage of data representing the first and second data signals in said data registration means.

Claim 5

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol for electronic photo composition of the symbol, comprising a carrier mounting the symbol and providing a background therefor, the symbol being of a first color and the background being of a second color; photoscanning means for scanning a field which includes the symbol and its background on a point-by-point basis to receive light rays of said first and second colors from the scanned points and corresponding discrete areas immediately adjacent thereto; first detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing said first and second color light rays received from the scanned points; second detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing the predominant first and second color light rays received from said discrete areas; said photoscanning means comprising means for receiving the light rays from the scanned field including first means for directing the light rays received from the scanned points to said first detection means and second means for directing the light rays from the discrete areas to said second detection means; said means for receiving light rays from the scanned field including a disc, said first directing means including means defining an aperture in said disc and said second directing mEans including reflected means carried on said disc and disposed at an angle relative the direction of received light rays; data registration means; and means operated in response to said second detection means upon parity of said first signals, and upon parity of said second signals, to effect storage of data representing the first and second data signals in said data registration means.

Claim 6

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol according to claim 3, wherein said companion areas are dimensioned and disposed on the carrier to provide a gap between each such companion area and portions of the symbol which extend in the direction other than the scanning direction, such a gap being dimensioned in the direction of scan at least the dimension of the discrete areas in the direction of scanning.

Claim 7

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol according to claim 3, wherein said companion areas are formed as colored tapes affixed to said carrier.

Claim 8

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol according to claim 3, wherein said first and second detection means include respective first and second photocell devices for generating the corresponding electrical data signals.

Claim 9

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol for electronic photo composition of the symbol, comprising a carrier mounting the symbol and providing a background therefor, the symbol being of a first color and the background being of a second color; photoscanning means for scanning the field which includes the symbol and its background on a point-by-point basis to receive light rays of said first and second colors from the scanned points and corresponding discrete areas immediately adjacent thereto; first detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing said first and second color light rays received from the scanned points; data registration means; second detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing the predominant first and second color light rays received from said discrete areas; and means operated in response to said second detection means upon parity of said first signals and upon parity of said second signals to effect storage of data representing the first and second data signals in said data registration means, said means for effecting storage including resettable counting means for generating data structure signals, means connected to said first and second detection means for comparing the output data signals thereof, and bistable means connected between said comparing means and said counting means for controlling the operation of said counting means, said bistable means being operated to start said counting means upon occurrences of non-parity.

Claim 10

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol for electronic photo composition of the symbol, comprising a carrier mounting the symbol and providing a background therefor, the symbol being of a first color and the background being of a second color; photoscanning means for scanning the field which includes the symbol and its background on a point-by-point basis to receive light rays of said first and second colors from the scanned points and corresponding discrete areas immediately adjacent thereto; first detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing said first and second color light rays received from the scanned points; data registration means; second detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing the predominant first and second color light rays received from said discrete areas; and means operated in response to said second detection means upon parity of said first signals and upon parity of said second signals to effect storage of data representing the first and second data signals in said data registration means, said means for effecting storage including resettable counting means for generating data structure signals, means connected to said first and second detection means for comparing the output data signals thereof, and bistable means connected between said comparing means and said counting means for controlling the operation of said counting means, said bistable means being operated to start said counting means upon occurrences of non-parity.

Claim 11

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol according to claim 7, wherein said comparing means includes an AND gate having a first input connected to said first detection means and a second input connected to said second detection means, and wherein said first detection means includes a NOT gate for inverting the output thereof for said AND gate.

Claim 12

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol for electronic photocomposition of the symbol, comprising a carrier mounting the symbol and providing a background therefor, the symbol being of a first color and the background being of a second color; companion areas of a third color carried on said carrier immediately adjacent portions of the symbol which extend in the direction to be scanned; photoscanning means for scanning a field which includes the symbol, its background and said companion areas on a point-by-point basis to receive light rays of said first, second and third colors from the scanned points and corresponding discrete areas immediately adjacent thereto; first detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing said first and second color light rays received from the scanned points; second detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing the predominant first and second color light rays received from said discrete areas; said first detection means comprising first translation means including filter means of the same coloring as said third color of the companion areas for detecting light rays of said third color as effectively light rays of said second color, and said second detection means comprises second translation means including filter means of a coloring complementary to said third color of said companion areas for detecting light rays of said third color as effectively light rays of said first color, whereby the light rays of said third color are employed to aid in defining the edges of the symbol which extend in the direction of scanning; data registration means; and means operated in response to said second detection means upon parity of said first signals and upon parity of said second signals to effect storage of data representing the first and second data signals in said data registration means.

Claim 13

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol for electronic photocomposition of the symbol, comprising a carrier mounting the symbol and providing a background therefor, the symbol being of a first color and the background being of a second color; companion areas of a third color carried on said carrier immediately adjacent portions of the symbol which extend in the direction to be scanned; photoscanning means for scanning a field which includes the symbol, its background and said companion areas on a point-by-point basis to receive light rays of said first, second and third colors from the scanned points and corresponding discrete areas immediately adjacent thereto; first detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing said first and second color light rays received from the scanned points; second detection means for producing first and second electrical data signals representing the predominant first and second color light rays received from said discrete areas; said first detection means comprising first translation means including filter means of the same coloring as said third color of the companion areas for detecting light rays of said third color as effectively light rays of said second color, and said second detection means comprises second translation means including filter means of a coloring complementary to said third color of said companion areas for detecting light rays of said third color as effectively light rays of said first color, whereby the light rays of said third color are employed to aid in defining the edges of the symbol which extend in the direction of scanning; data registration means; and means operated in response to said second detection means upon parity of said first signals and upon parity of said second signals to effect storage of data representing the first and second data signals in said data registration means.

Claim 14

Apparatus for quantizing a symbol to provide data representing the structure of the symbol according to claim 9, wherein said first and second detection means include respective first and second photocell devices for generating the corresponding electrical data signals.

Claim 15

In a system for translating the structure of a symbol with respect to its background into binary data for storage in a memory, which system has a scanner for scanning a field including the symbol and its background on a point-by-point basis, a resettable counter having a counting rate related to the rate of scanning, and an encoder for encoding the output of the counter, the improvement comprising strip means disposed at the edges of the symbol which extend in the direction of scanning, said strip means being in color contrast to both the symbol and its background, area-by-area scanning means included within said scanner for scanning discrete areas of the field, each of said discrete areas encompassing a simultaneously scanned point, first detecting means for detecting whether the scanned points fall on the symbol or on the background including first interpreting means for interpreting points which fall on said strip means as falling on the background, second detecting means for detecting whether said discrete areas fall predominately on the symbol or on the background including second interpreting means for interpreting area portions which fall on said strip means as falling on the symbol, and means connecting said first and second detection means to the counter and operated to enable the operation of the counter upon detection of the content of a scanned point and to reset the counter upon detection of an area of predominately opposite content to that of the previous area which effected resetting of the counter.

Claim 16

In a system for translating the structure of a symbol with respect to its background into binary data for storage in a memory, which system has a scanner for scanning a field including the symbol and its background on a point-by-point basis, a resettable counter having a counting rate related to the rate of scanning, and an encoder for encoding the output of the counter, the improvement comprising strip means disposed at the edges of the symbol which extend in the direction of scanning, said strip means being in color contrast to both the symbol and its background, area-by-area scanning means included within said scanner for scanning discrete areas of the field, each of said discrete areas encompassing a simultaneously scanned point, first detecting means for detecting whether the scanned points fall on the symbol or on the background including first interpreting means for interpreting points which fall on said strip means as falling on the background, second detecting means for detecting whether said discrete areas fall predominately on the symbol or on the background including second interpreting means for interpreting area portions which fall on said strip means as falling on the symbol, and means connecting said first and second detection means to the counter and operated to enable the operation of the counter upon detection of the content of a scanned point and to reset the counter upon detection of an area of predominately opposite content to that of the previous area which effected resetting of the counter.